A Week Ago...
Mordret was sitting near the campfire, his silver irises reflecting the red sparks, giving off a sense of serenity.
"And how do you plan to pull the masters away from the lost? A simple trap won't work." Sunless's voice pierced his ears, pulling him out of his thoughts.
Raising the corner of his mouth, Mordret smiled with enthusiasm as he snapped his fingers.
"Great question! You're very smart, Sunny!" he replied cheerfully, white teeth on display.
A shiver ran through Sunless's body.
How could someone make a nickname sound so… disturbing? Just a few words were enough to stiffen his spine. It was like hearing a demon whisper praise behind a poorly made mask.
Swallowing dryly, Sunny coughed lightly, his throat scratching.
"Thanks... I guess. But can you tell us how you're going to do that?"
Mordret thought for a few seconds before nodding confidently.
"Yes, of course! All we need is..."
He began explaining the plan, every detail, every key point.
"The blue-haired lost one with black irises usually stays near the hall entrance, watching carefully. And that lost one, named Lira, tends to get tense during her shift and then goes to the kitchen to eat something and talk to the awakened Charlie..."
As Mordret spoke, Sunny and Cassie's expressions grew darker.
How did he know? No, worse—what didn't he know?
How vast was his ability to observe? These intimate details unfolded before him like an open book.
"You both seem a little tense..." Mordret murmured softly, making Cassie and Sunny flinch slightly.
The atmosphere chilled, growing as heavy as the bottom of the ocean, the pressure rising more and more.
"Then I'll share some gossip! How about that? You like that stuff, don't you?"
The question broke the tension.
'Huh? Seriously? Is this guy messed up? That's the only possibility!' Inside, Sunless found it difficult to grasp Mordret's emotions or what was going through his mind.
Cassie, however, focused on something else.
"You both? What do you mean by that?"
Sunny looked at her, confused. Wasn't it obvious? Mordret was talking about the two of them.
Mordret looked surprised for a moment, before clapping enthusiastically.
"Sharp as ever, Song of the Fallen!"
Scratching his head, Sunny frowned in confusion.
"That's right, I wasn't talking about you two..." his voice suddenly turned dark.
"I was reflecting on you, humans."
Silence fell once more.
...
"But don't worry, I'm not as bad as my uncle Aster, even I have limits!" Mordret said quickly, almost anxiously, explaining himself.
The two remained quiet.
———
"There's a pair of lovebirds among the lost, amusing, isn't it? They even promised to die together!" Mordret commented as he stood up.
"Where are you going?" Sunny asked, a bad feeling creeping in.
"What else would I be going to do? Obviously, to prepare."
Mordret walked away, leaving the two alone.
Sunny stared at the empty space where Mordret had been, then looked at Cassie. She had her head lowered, her blindfold covering her eyes.
But he was sure Cassie was worried too.
A weight settled in both their hearts.
———
Locked in a separate room, Cassie breathed with difficulty.
Her hands trembled, her lips pressed tightly together.
'This is necessary... It's the only solution...' she repeated to herself, a futile attempt to rid herself of guilt.
"The Song of the Fallen is secured." A lost one's voice came from outside, speaking to other awakened.
"Good, let's head to the main hall..." the voice faded away.
All the people outside the room suddenly stopped, their voices cut off, no sound at all.
Crack!
The sound of wood breaking echoed, a cacophony of screams mixed with something like glass shattering.
"What?!"
"Shit! What's happening?"
"Move!"
The sounds of footsteps left Cassie's door, heading toward the noise.
"It started..." the blind girl murmured.
"Argh!"
"Attack! Use everything you have!"
"Where is he?! Find him— Ah!"
The awakened shouted in panic, their numbers creating a false sense of security. They called out to each other, trying to push the enemy back.
Courage passed from one to another, their will overpowering fear.
The collective was strong.
"He disappeared again! Stay alert!"
"Urgh..."
"No! David!" a female voice screamed, shrill; despair replaced the earlier tone of bravery.
"Help me!" another cry followed.
"Damn it, I can't tell where the attack is com—" Something like a melon hitting the ground echoed through the shelter.
The fight continued, the awakened giving everything they had, using all their strength to fight.
But it wasn't enough.
"Ahh! My arm!"
"Quick, hold him down! I'll heal Donn...!" The sound of flesh tearing came along with a cold, humorless laugh.
"Splendid... So much effort, for this..." The female voice was cold and emotionless, falling over the awakened like frost.
The resistance lasted a few more minutes, until the amount of blood spilled on the floor became so great it nearly reached their heels.
"Ah... Please, spare me... I promise I won't fight anymore..."
"Sir, don't kill me! I still have a family to take care of... Don't kill me, I beg you!"
A sweet smell filled Cassie's lungs.
There were no more sounds... no more voices.
'They deserved it... their deaths had meaning.' Cassie reinforced her resolve.
Tak
Clank!
The lock opened.
Cassie flinched, the sweet metallic smell exploding in her senses.
The odor was so strong it made her nauseous.
"Here you are, Miss Cassie! I'm so glad I found you."
Mordret said cheerfully, not caring that he was covered in blood from head to toe.
"Come on, we have to find our dear friend, remember? If we delay, he might even get caught by the masters!" he said, somewhat dramatically.
Cassie stood up shakily, walking toward the door.
"Don't call me miss..."
She passed by Mordret, who watched her with an amused gaze, a murderous intent hidden deep within his dark eyes.
"We are not friends."
She walked alone through the hall, the black floor now stained scarlet. A mountain of bodies rose like a sacrifice to an evil god.
The eyes of the corpses were still open, expressions of terror and sorrow frozen on their faces.
Cassie frowned, sparing a glance at those miserable figures.
"Your sacrifice wasn't in vain..."
She continued alone, walking her path through blood and bodies.
Alone.