《The Anomalies》


 Haunted

    ¡°Breaking news. Police are searching for Michele Berry, a high school girl believed to have been kidnapped yesterday. Police believe this case is related to thestring of disappearances that started last month.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s last heard of in the evening when she told her parents thatshe¡¯s going to sleepover on her friend¡¯s house. When her parents called, her friend said she never arrived at her house. Any attempts to find or contact her through her friends and acquaintances have failed.¡±


    ¡°A taxi-driver claimed to have seen someone matching her description near the town-square at around seven last night, that was the last anyone seen of h-¡°Bazt!


    Rein turned off the TV. ¡°What is happening to this city?¡± He threw his body to the backrest of the sofa and watched the dirty ceiling with his blank stare, thinking and pondering and daydreamingthe most useless stuff...


    He raised his body and leaned towards the table separating him from the TV. A book was sitting on it, 1200 pages of thermodynamics. With a pencil and paper in hand, he searched for a question or two he hasn¡¯t tried to answer. But he found none. He had answered most of it, the rest he didn¡®t know the answer. That¡¯s what happened when you had nothing to do in your free time.


    He closed the book. Seeing thathe had prepared enough for the exam tomorrow, it was time to res- The doorbell rang.


    The hand of the clock made him wonder, who would visit him eleven in the evening. It might be a misdelivered package, that happened often enough, but do they still deliver something this late? He thought there¡¯s no harm in checking.


    Putting his face on the peephole, Rein saw nothing on the front yard. Only a snow-covered lawn and a gray tombstone under the only tree there. No way someone pranking him this late in the night. Even if someone mistook his address and rang the bell, he should still be able to see them walking away.


    Opening the latch and unlocking the door, he stepped to the front porch in the middle of a winter night. He searched his left and right and found nothing, not like he could see much in the darkness. The porch, lawn, and road barely had any light source. And the night was awfully silent. With nothing else to see, his focus drifted to the grave.


    Before he realized it, he stood in front of the blank tombstone. There was nothing on it. No dates, no names, nothing. He couldn¡¯t recall walking there but he didn¡¯t fuss about it. It happened many timesbefore.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He kneeled and brushed the snow from the stone with his bare-hand. ¡°I ... I-¡°He felt something grabbing his left shoulder.


    He clenched his fist before softly grabbing the small hand that rested on his shoulder. ¡°Rein ... It¡¯s your fault.¡± The voice of a pre-adolescent boy reached his ears. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d forget that voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault.¡± Closing his eyes, the memory came rushing back at him like it was only yesterday. His blood-soaked hand. The bodies. The smells of rotting flesh and disease that suffocated the room.


    ¡°Yes. It is your fault.¡± Another person raised his voice. It was a middle-aged woman. ¡°Your fault.¡± An old man. ¡°Because of you.¡± A teenager. ¡°Your fault!¡± ¡°Your fault!¡± ¡°Your fault!¡±


    ¡±Rein.¡± A smooth voice called him from the side, different from the previous haunting voice. This time, it was real and present.


    ¡±Father.¡± A middle-aged priest stood not too far from the grave. He was still wearing hiscassock - in fact, Rein couldn¡¯t recalla single moment when father Constantine didn¡¯t wear hiscassock.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡±You¡¯re still awake. Isn¡¯t there¡¯s an important test tomorrow, t-ther-thermodynamic? You told me about it.¡±


    ¡±Yeah, the last one this semester. After that, I¡¯ll get my long break.Can¡¯t think of what to do then.¡±


    ¡±You should think of what to doafteryou¡¯ve done your test.¡± Father Constantine walked towards him. He was a tall man, nearly two meters tall, but very thin and built like a stick.¡±For now, you shouldrest.¡±


    Rein looked back at the blank gravestone.¡±You know I can¡¯t, father. I¡¯ve used the pills four times this week. My body¡¯s not tired. I know that even if I can¡¯t feel it.¡±


    Father Constantine kneeled beside Rein and looked at the same gravestone. ¡°Still feeling guilty?¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s ... scary, father. It¡¯s not only my senses but my heart too.¡± The cold winter wind swept his face with snow and ice, yet he felt only the smallest of cold.¡±Numb. It¡¯s numb. It¡¯s getting worse. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m afraid the day Iwon¡¯t feel regret when I see this grave.¡±


    ¡±Stay strong, Rein. The Lord has¡­ plans by giving you this sickness.¡±


    Rein chuckled.¡±You know I don¡¯t believe that, father.¡±


    ¡±Well, I¡¯m a priest, Rein, what else do you expect me to offer?¡±


    Rein smiled. In this cold night he couldn¡¯t feel or notice, at least there was warmth in his heart.


    ¡±Thanks, father.¡± Rein turned and looked at the man praying beside him. Constantine was his father. Not related by blood, but no one would believe that if they saw the two side-by-side. Thin to the bone, sunken cheek, sunken eyes, skin paler than snow, weak pulse and weak breath, and appearance that made a month-old corpse looks alive in comparison.¡±I think I should go back inside. You should too, father. Checked the temperature earlier, apparently, tonight is really cold.¡±


    Rein stood up and turned back. Empty. The smooth snow covering the grass was now littered with a hundred pair of footsteps. Teens, adults, babies. Beside the warmth, there was now needles in his heart.


    He stretched his arms out and smelled his own body. ¡°I should get a shower first.¡±


    ¡±Rein.¡± Father called again.¡±I¡¯m going away for a few days. Feel free to use the money on the drawer, the usual place. Should be more than enough. And uh¡­ I don¡¯t think I can answer any calls or messages during that time so¡­ if anythinghappens when I¡¯m away, don¡¯t be afraid to ask your friends for help.¡± Rein simplynodded.


    He entered the shower and turned the knob without reservation. The freezing water pouredover his body but he couldn¡¯t feel it. The cold reached his outer skin, but that was it. Under that was a vast sea of numbness and nothing else. And his body didn¡¯t react to it. His hair didn¡¯t stand and didn¡¯t shiver.


    He punched the shower with every ounce of his strength, enough to crack the tiles and bloody his fist. But there was barely any pain. ¡°Goddamn it.¡± He knew he shouldn¡¯t have tried. He knew it would only make him frustrated and angry. He knew he wouldn¡¯t feel anything¡­


    Warm.


    The cold water turned warm. It felt heavy on his back and didn¡¯t flow as easily as water should. It was greasy and dirty and salty on the lips. It was thick, sticky, and¡­ red.


    Torrent of blood poured from the shower and stung his eyes. He blinkedand shook his head. Slowly opening his right eye¡­. Water, it was water again.


    Him from a few years ago would have run naked in the middle of the night to nearby police station, but the current him knew it was just a vision. The vision used to occur every few months or few weeks, but it was getting more and more frequent and worse as he got older. Maybe the numbness was for the best, else he would have gone mad from the vision.


    Washing his teeth on the sink, Rein noticed ¡®her. A pitch-black humanoid creature with countless eyes and mouths all over her body. She clung to him, wrapped her arms around his neck. ¡®She¡¯ was the first anomaly in his life, long before the vision or haunting or numbness. She rarely showed herself before, but now, she¡¯s always there when he looked at himself in the mirror. Watching and waiting and staring back at him from his shoulder. From her look, there was nothing that tells him she was a ¡®her¡¯. He justknew.


    He turned the sink off and pulled himself up to his bedroom on the second floor. There were two bedrooms in the house, one for him and one for father Constantine, but father never used it anymore and spent his every night at the small chapel beside the house. For the past three years even, father hadn¡¯t slept in the house.


    Rein room was a rather spacious room, though empty and dull. The only thing of note was a table with his laptop and a decorative lamp he got for his birthday. Other than that, it was a plain bedroom with usual bedroom stuff. He was never the kind to have any particularhobby, and the likelihood he¡¯ll find one decrease each day.


    Rein threw himself on the bed andpulled the blanket. The cold didn¡¯t bother him, but it was a normal thing normal people do, and so he did. He closed his eyes and hoped for the best.


    Minutes passed without his consciousness getting anywhere. Then suddenly, his body was too tired to support his consciousness.

 Haunted II

    He saw it in his deep slumber, the sceneries. The one he had for three years. First was his memory from fifteen years ago. He never forgot even in his waking state, the only happy scene of his dream.


    Walking through the busy playground filled with kids his age, little Rein had an enthusiastic look on his face. He was fat and healthy and cheerful. A contrast to his current condition.


    Most kids were playing seesaw, slide, and other things you would expect of children of those ages, but something different caught his attention. Three kids sat on the corner, facing each other and talking.


    Even now he didn¡¯t know why he approached them. There was no reason to do so. He wasn¡¯t the type to console or cheer up a sad friend. He wasn¡¯t the kid who got attracted to things that stuck out and wasn¡¯t the person who would approach strangers on a whim. But he was glad he approached them. He couldn¡¯t recall what they were talking about, but they all had a blast and the four of them became friends by the end of the day.


    Then the nightmare started.


    They left one by one. He remembered their sour face when their parents come to get them, and the accompanying pain in his chest.


    By the time the sun set, he was alone in that park. Neither the stars nor the moon accompanied him. A storm brewed and swept away his long dark hair. And when thunder struck a nearby building, ¡®she¡¯ showed up for the first time.


    A grotesque monstrosity no larger than him. A lump of bloodied flesh, hair, and limbs stitched and glued into one twisted amalgamation with countless eyes and mouths sprinkled all over her body. Watching him from afar. Silently.


    He always wondered what he felt, witnessing ¡®her¡¯ for the first time. Was it crippling fear? Morbid fascination? Panic and confusion? His current self couldn¡¯t recall. But what he remembered was, he immediately ran away from that thing.


    She was a monster taken straight from a horror movie. There was noneed to ask or wait or see what she would do. He ran and ran and ran through the darkness and pouring rain while she chased him.


    He shouted for help, but there was no one to hear it. Something extinguished all lights in the city. There was no sound of human activities, no pedestrian or car sighted on the street. The city was deserted, silent and empty. Even animals and insects were gone.


    No matter how fast he ran, no matter how far, she and the horrible sloshing sound of countless tongues and footsteps wouldn¡¯t fade away. He couldn¡¯t shake her off. He couldn¡¯t outrun her.


    The world became darker and darker the further he ran, until the buildings and road and everythingexcept him and her remained, on a game of eternal cat and mouse. But he was a child, and never the toughest one.


    His small body betrayed him and went tumbling in the pitch darkness. His limbs ached and his knees bleeding. It was only after he fell did he saw a light in the distance. A warm glow in the middle of complete cold darkness.


    Forcing the strength to come back, he dragged his body and crawled to the fire in the distance, away from the monster and the darkness and the cold and the loneliness.


    The more he pulled himself, the worse his injuries became. He wasn¡¯t supposed to have those wounds, not in this dream. His left arm fractured and broke, cut wounds appeared all over his body along with stuck pieces of shattered glass, and a sharp smell of gasoline assaulted his nostrils.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    When he reached the fire, the world changed. The tall buildings were now suburban houses, the empty street now filled with worried onlookers, and the park became burning wreckage of an upturned car.


    He knew this. This was another dream he often had. A car-crash from twelve years ago.


    Despite his broken bones, torn muscles, and a plethora of minor and major injuries, he somehow pulled himself out of that ticking time-bomb. After crawling to a safe distance, someone approached him. It was a man, but his face and hair and other features, he couldn¡¯t remember.


    His hearing returned just in time to hear the wail and cries of his aunt and uncle, his foster parents of the last four years. They cried for help, stuck and trapped in their overturned burning car. There were dozens of people searching for ways to help, but the leaking fuel tank sent away any would-be helper. It exploded not long after his vision became clear. As if the fire waited for him to see their death. As if fate decreed that he must witness their demise with his own two eyes.


    It was then¡®she¡¯ appeared again, coming from the blazing wreckage. No one freaked out, no one reacted, no one sawher but him. He screamed, but no voice came out. Heran away, but no strength come to his body. Hestruggled, but consciousness failed him.


    Then he returned to the place. Another dream he often had. A place not from his past neither was it a mash-up of his memory. It was alien and bizarre, a twisted reality.


    He was standing on a street, so wide four cars could drive through side-by-side. To his left and right walls soared to the sky, disappearing behind the thick dark-green cloud that forever hung above him, threatening a storm and rain but never delivers. Gargantuan slabs of stone made the floor and walls, each bigger than a house and polished to a wet shining black.


    This place was limbo. There was no escape, he knew from the times he visited this place before. The road went on for all eternity. The walls too tall to climb, and the surface too flat to even try. Punch or kick till his body break, the walls remained unscathed and untainted. Blood and water slid down the shining surface as if falling down thin air.


    In this place abandoned by gods, only the sound of crashing waves and the salty smell of sea accompanied him. Behind the impenetrable walls lay a great dark ocean where abyss swallowed stars and all hope. There monster and horror slumbered under the surface, ready to be awoken when the time was right.


    Green fog rolled from front and back and the cloud fell unto him. There was no escape. The fog would engulf him and he would be once again assaulted by dread immeasurable. Incomprehensible words and ideas would be injected to his mind, driving him to the edge of the abyss called madness. He would have fallen many times before if she wasn¡¯t there. Iris. One of the three friends he made that day in the park. Her voice rang out in the middle of the insanity and pulled him back to reality. That¡¯s what usually happened when this dream visits. And each time he woke up, the anomaly or his condition got worse, or both.


    For there¡¯s no escape and for there¡¯s always Iris there to help him, he didn¡¯t fight it. Not like there¡¯s any way to run or fight.


    He stretched his arms, embracing and letting the fog engulf him.¡±Rein.¡± But before the fog even touched him, her voice already rang out.


    ¡±Iris.¡± Rein turned around and saw a silhouette, a shadow of her, extending her arms just outside his reach.


    ¡±Rein.¡± Her voice sounded desperate unlike the usual when she appeared in this dream.¡±Quick! Grab my hand.¡± He was confused what to do.¡±Rein, please, we don¡¯t have much time. You don¡¯t have much time.¡±


    The fog came closer and closer, but still, he hesitated. Her appearance wasn¡¯t as usual. She was blurry and shadowy, unclear even when seen from close, and her tone was in panic and desperation. She never appeared like that or sounded in distress before. Not in this dream.


    ¡±Rein, what are you waiting for?!¡± She shouted as the fog rolled down around them.


    With little time left, he grabbed her hand. But unlike his previous experience when the moment he felt her smooth touch he was instantly brought back to the waking world, this time Iris pulled him closer and whispered in his ears.¡±Finally~¡± She put her palm on his chest, right where his heart is.


    Burn. Unimaginable pain struck him as her hands lit up like a great lighthouse.


    The fog rolled upon them, swallowing them in its mad embrace.There was nothing, nothing but the searing pain on his chest and the scream he let out.


    ¡±You¡¯re mine now~¡± Iris whispered.

 Haunted III

    Rein opened his eyes, breath ragged and chest tightening. For the first time in a few months, he felt a true pain in the real world. Nothing severe as in his dream, but more than a pinch.¡±Hahahaha.¡± Never thinking he could feel something like this ever again, joy filled his heart as tears and laughter flowedwithout stop. But he was soon reminded that pain wasn¡¯t something he should celebrate. Pain was, well, painful.


    Rein took off his shirt to look at the source, the same place where Iris touched him in the dream. Astrange mark appeared on his chest where his heart was. As if someone carved a symbol on his skin with a hot knife. Andhe thought he had experienced everything his cursed life offered.


    ¡°What the-?¡± No matter how crazy his hallucination or dream was, it never caused a physical reaction. He might bump into his surrounding and hurt himself, but that wasn¡¯t directly caused by his vision. This mark, however, just appeared on its own. Unless hecarved it himself, but the scaralready healed which made it unlikely.


    He realized something. Maybe the mark was just part of his hallucination. The pain, the shape, and the texture could all be the product of his deteriorating sanity. But that presented another problem. If the mark was a product of his mind, he could not confirm it by himself. His five senses told him it was real and there.


    Soon enough, the pain subsided, and the numbness came creeping back in.


    He walked to and opened the window, letting the cold air in.


    The downtown was as busy at night as it was during the day with lights and screens that never died out. There were cars and trams and trains and pedestrian walking around, shopping, drinking, working. He always wondered what kind of person he would be like if he lived a normal life. Would he be the outgoing kind, having many friends and invited to every party on the blocks, or would he be the kind that spent most of his times locked in his room playing games and watching movies all day and night, or maybe he¡¯d be the one obsessed with studies, maybe the sporty kind, maybe something else entirely. He used to amuse himself with this line of thought, but now all it gave him was sadness. He was not normal, and would never be normal. It was a fact.


    Moving away from the window, he checked the clock. It was still four, and he had nothing to do until the exam at nine. And sleeping was too much of an effort he didn¡¯t want to do it.


    He took his phones and checked the chat. There weren¡¯t much, mostly class groups that only got active when there¡¯s homework or exam. There were a few exceptions, however, namely three pinned chats, two females, Iris and Friede, and one male, Albert. The three people he met and befriended during his childhood. But now, even those three chats rarely had any new messages. They were busy with their lives, Iris with work, Friede with university, and Albert with his last year in high school. And Rein wasn¡¯t the type to start a conversation. It wasn¡¯t his forte.


    With nothing else to do, he took a photo of the mark on his chest, sent it to Albert, and asked him about it. But at this hour it was too early to expect a reply soon. To wait, he cleaned the house, ate breakfast that tasted like water, and watched the news to kill time.


    Other than the kidnapping, there was gang violence in the city. Police also cracked down an illegal fighting ring and uncovered a human trafficking activity.


    He didn¡¯t remember this city being a den of criminals, but maybe the criminals were just that good at hiding back then. Now the police were catching up.


    When the clock hit seven, he turned off the tv instantly and changed into a more appropriate clothing. Lately, he felt no attachment or curiosity to TVs or games or books, and each day his interest decreased, giving him even less thing to do.


    In normal days, he took the subway to the campus, but he decided not to do it today. Thinking back, he didn''t move much this week. Even if he couldn¡¯t feel it, his body must have been stiff. There was still two hours before the exam, and he hadn¡¯t used his bike in a long time. It was a red bike his father bought after he adopted him. He was fourteen at that time,not the age where he would getexcited for a new bike, but he was happynonetheless. And father Constantine wasn¡¯t the most up-to-date person, not the type to know what teens would like.


    But before he could do anything, his phone rang. The name Friede appeared on the screen. There was some mixed feeling in his heart. There must be something urgent if she called.


    ¡°Rein! Where are you?!¡± The girl on the other side shouted before he said anything.


    ¡°Still at home, why?¡± He did not understand why Friede was so agitated. He didn¡¯t remember doing anything that would make her mad. And even if there was a problem with something, there were many better people to contact other than him.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    ¡°Why? The exam, it¡¯s about to start!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± he stopped and turned to look at the clock on the wall. It was still seven, but his phone told him it was eight thirty.


    He hit the pedals with all his might, not even slowing down at a turn or intersection. He couldn¡¯t feel tired, but his body can and will get worn out. But this time he didn¡¯t put much thought to that. Looking at the time,he could still make it if he goes all out but- HONK!


    He squeezed the brake hard, but the remnant of ice and snow on the road rendered his effort futile. The wheel glided on the road and the car rammed him with full force, sending him flying and crashing into the rough cold asphalt.


    He immediately stood up, there was no pain to stop him from doing that. ¡°Hey kid, you all right?¡± The owner of the car asked him, worried and in fear.


    The driver was a nice person, or else he would shout and blame Rein for not being careful. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Rein moved his limbs around to show the man he was telling the truth. It was a lie. Something was wrong with his left arm. Fractured maybe, or even broken. But he was right-handed, and with the pain not being a factor, it didn¡¯t bother him.


    ¡°Uh, aboutthe bike.¡±


    The bike lay on the road. The wheels bentandbody crumpled. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s my fault for not being careful.¡± He ran to the campus. Time didn¡¯t allow him to chat around or think about his bike.


    He took no rest until he reached the class. His heart was beating like a drum and as long as he didn¡¯t consciously control it, he was breathing like crazy. The distance between his house and the campus wasn¡¯t that far, but it would still take time if he walked. He was still late. The exam already started when he arrived. Luckily, the assistant didn¡¯t mind as long as he finished on time.


    He sat on his usual desk, in the front of the class where no one else would sit. He chose that place for many reasons, not having someone besides him was one. Not that he disliked people¨Cin fact, he wanted to have friends¨Cbut not knowing when the anomaly would just play a prank or took the life of people close to him, it¡¯d be better to be alone. And making friends was difficult when you looked like you sleep in a morgue.


    The thermodynamic exam ended with the class in a sour mood, except for Rein. He put a lot of effort into studying since he had nothing else to do, and in the last few months, the pressure and anxiety didn¡¯t bother him as much. Here, it was a blessing, but he dreaded the future. Still, it couldn¡¯t fix his carelessness which, through many experiences, he knew will be the end of him academically.


    As he went out of the class, he saw a girl waiting for him, a girl he knew verywell. ¡°So, how is it, arriving fifteen,what, twenty minutes late?¡± Her brown hair reached her neck as she leaned on the corridor wall.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t ask.¡± Friede was the kind ofperson to complain about how much she didn¡¯t understand the subject and rant about how she couldn¡¯t answer the question but ended up with an A by the end of the semester.


    ¡°Rein, what happened this morning?¡± Her chestnut brown eyes showed genuine concern as her usual playfulness disappeared.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Hetold no one about the anomalies, no reason to. Especially his friends. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d drag them with him to this hellhole.


    ¡°Bullshit!¡± Her shout echoed in the entire hallway, drawing the attention of everyone. Though from the fierce look in her eyes, she didn¡¯t mind it one bit. ¡°You¡¯ve never been late before. You deliberately not using your left hand. And hell, your face is pale as hell, even more so than usual.¡± She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. ¡°Rein, I know when you¡¯re hiding something. I know you don¡¯t want to make us worry, but ... Me, Albert, sister, we¡¯re your friends. Please tell us if you need anything, if there¡¯s something that¡¯s troubling you.¡±


    He averted his gaze. He could not see her in the eyes and not break. He squeezed his mind for a convincing excuse.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡± A cold voice came from his right, making them turn. A woman stood with an annoyed expression. Her long and straight auburn-colored hair was a novelty for the two of them. ¡°I don¡¯t know and honestlydon¡¯t care what¡¯s going on between you, but this is a public place. If you want to argue, please take it somewhere private, or turn your volume down. Excuse me.¡±


    She then passed between the two without another word. Their eyes followed her back until she turned to the next corridor A normal person would have reservation when interrupting other people¡¯s argument, but she didn¡¯t appearbothered at all.


    ¡°That¡¯s ... Rose, right?¡± Rein asked.¡±Arcturus.¡±


    Rose Arcturus, everyone knew that name. Not just in this college, everyone in this city from its beggars to its mayor to tourists who spendsa few minutes in this city. Where did they get her name? Where have they seen her? How did they connect the two? The knowledge of her name and face just popped up in everyone¡¯s head as soon as they entered the city limit. There were dozens of strange rumors and urban legends about her and her family circulating on the internet. Including one speculating that she was a sorceress, or she was connected withthe Illuminati, or she was part of an organization that controlled the world. Typical conspiracy theory.


    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t change the subject!¡± Friede moved her bodyso she stood in his sight.


    ¡°Wait ... your sister ... AH! It¡¯s Iris¡¯ birthday, I have a promise with her, I forget about it.¡± Forcing a smile on his face and thanking Rose in his heart for the briefmoment she provided, he ran away from Friede. Running away from this won¡¯t solve anything, she¡¯d follow him to the end of the earth to get her much-desired answer, but it should give him enough time to come up with a good excuse. And he had a plan with Iris today, so that wasn¡¯t a lie.


    ¡°Rein wait!¡± Friede tried to stop him, but her outstretched arm grasped only thin air.


    Holding her chest, she could only watch he got farther and farther away.

 Haunted IV

    Most people Rein knew were just acquaintances. Friede, Iris, and Albert were his only friends. Fifteen years ago in that park,minutes before the first anomaly in his life, they met for the first time and forged a bond. A bond that surprisinglylasted this long despite their lack of something in common. And although after his aunt and uncle died, he moved around. To his grandparent¡¯s home, to the orphanage, and adopted by father Constantine. It was a miracle he ended up meeting them again in this same city he met them.


    It was fate.


    When Rein reached the town square, the place he promisedto meet Iris, there was still half an hour before the appointed time. So he sat on one of the many benches to wait for her. Until ... he saw her already waiting for him in one of those benches, watching kids play in a playground nearby.


    She hadn¡¯t noticed him yet, giving him a chance to look at her without afraid of being caught. Her mature bearing. Her brown hair that reached the waist. Her beautiful face and serene smile when she watched the happiness of others. This was the girl Rein had a crush on sincelittle. No, awoman now. Three years older than him and a teacher of a kindergarten she attended as a child.


    Even back then, she had no trouble making friends with people older or younger than her, andalways happy to help people in needs. He thought she would be a doctor or a nurse, but a teacher fit heras well.


    He always wonderedthe first moment he fell in love with her. Searching his memory,a moment stood out from the rest.


    It wasa few months after they first met. Sick from salmonella, hewas bed ridden for days. His aunt and unclecouldn¡¯ttake care of him. It seemed they already realized something wrong was going on with him and drifted away, but whateverthe case, they left him to suffer alone. There was plenty of food and drink and medicine and antibiotic and money to buy something if he wanted, but he was alone and too sick to do anything alone.


    Then Iris came. She sat beside him and took care of everything for him. She wiped his sweat, helped him changed, fed him and helped him move around. At the moment he fell in love. He was sick back then, and it had been a long time he couldn¡¯t remember it well,but he swore back then Iris had a black hair instead of brown.


    ¡±Hello!¡± Someone shouted right in front of his face and startled him.


    Rein almost fell from the shock. He wanted to shout back, but then realized it was Iris. She was standing before him with hand waving near his face.


    ¡°You know, Rein, stalking people isn¡¯t very nice. If I were anyone else, I would have called the police and you would have been in trouble. A lot of trouble.¡± He couldn¡¯t tell if she was joking. Maybe both. Maybe too much interaction with children made her forget how to rebuke an adult.


    Ah, this was the angel he fell in love with. Aside from her appearance, not much changed from when they were little. She was pretty and even more now. ¡°I¡¯m not stalking you, just happened to watch you from afar.¡±


    ¡°Hmm~?¡± She squinted her eyes and inspected him up and down. ¡°Lying is bad you know. Anyway, how¡¯s the exam?¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    He shrugged ¡°Had worse.¡±


    She bumped her fist onto his chest. ¡°Be more confident! Exaggerate a little! Or come crying at me all dramatic or something. Be more expressive, emotional, you won¡¯t get a girlfriend like that.¡± She turned and walked away. ¡°It¡¯s already lunchtime, let¡¯s go.¡± He swung his arm, intending to return the bump on her shoulder, but he stopped.


    ¡°Said someone full of emotion and drama who never has a boyfriend in her life.¡± Rein said. Again.


    Iris threw her elbow at his side, but he jumped away. ¡°That¡¯s just rude.¡± She crossed her arms and pouted. ¡°You know, I¡¯m - I¡¯m seeing someone, we¡¯re¡­ close, just haven¡¯t got to that¡­ yet.¡±


    Strange. ¡±Well, you shouldhurry, or he¡¯ll leave you if you take too long.¡± Iris was talking about another man, yet his heart didn¡¯t ache even though it should.


    ¡±Whatever, let¡¯s get a lunch first.¡±


    ¡±Yeah.¡±


    Thinking again, he didn¡¯t know whether the mark was dangerous to those around him or not. That night in the park, the car crash, the mysterious illness in the orphanage. The anomaly, whatever it was, caused it all and killed so many. The mark on his chest was a new development. It might come with a new danger unknown to him. The anomaly might thirst for blood and souls right now. It would be best to avoid coming in contact with anyone.


    He looked at Iris from behind. She walked first in front and most likely waiting for him to shout wait. But he wouldn¡¯t.


    Yes, his heart didn¡¯t hurt because this was better. Iris should go out with someone who deserved her. Not someone like him who have no hope for the future. Not someone like him who might not even able to feel love and care anymore in a few years. Not someone like him who had taken the life of those he loved and might take more. Her life should go on without him.


    He should avoid any contact with her at all. Avoid putting her in any danger.


    He thought about an excuse, but couldn¡¯t conjure one that made much sense¡­ Ah, Since there wasn¡¯t any pain he forgot about it, but his left arm was swollen and broken.


    ¡±Iris,¡± He called.


    ¡±Yeah?¡± She looked over her shoulder.


    ¡±I don¡¯t think I can go with you today. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    She turned her whole body and face him. Confused and worried, she asked. ¡±Why?¡± Rein rolled his jacket sleeve, revealing the bruised and swollen left arm. ¡±Oh my god!¡± She ran to him. ¡±What happened, Rein?¡± She reached in to grab his arm, but he dodged backward.


    ¡±Sorry, it¡¯s uh-hurt if you hold it.¡±


    ¡±Oh, I¡¯m-I¡¯m sorry.¡± She pulled her hand back. ¡±What happened?¡±


    ¡±I got hit by a car.¡±


    ¡±Oh my god, Rein, call the police. What¡¯s the plate number, I¡¯ll report whoe-¡± She searched her handbag for phone, but Rein caught her hand.


    ¡±No, Iris, thank you, but it¡¯s my fault. I overslept, I was hurried, and didn¡¯t look left and right in the intersection. Everything is my fault.¡±


    Iris sighed, but then smiled to comfort him. But all he felt was the pain in his heart. He pleaded in his heart for her not to gaze him like that ever again. He was a weak person, his resolve to stay away would crumble. ¡±You should be more careful Rein.¡± She closed her handbag and looked around. ¡±Come on, let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±


    ¡±No, I can go there by myself.¡± He took out his phone and messaged Friede to get there. What happened and what he did to Friede before was cowardly and he deserved punishmentfor it. He¡¯d understand if she didn¡¯t even read it, but he hoped with all his heart she did and fulfilled his request.


    ¡±What? No. I¡¯m going with you.¡±


    ¡±No, this is your birthday Iris, and I don¡¯t-¡± It was hard. He waited this day for months now. Just the two of them celebrating her birthday. It almost feel like a date, or maybe it is a date. ¡±Its your birthday, and you have places reserved I don¡¯t want to ruin your birthday, okay? I already told Friede to get here so¡­ yeah.¡±


    ¡±Rein-¡± She reached out, but held herself back. Afraid that it would hurt him.


    ¡±I heard that you guys haven¡¯t talk much since Friede got to university, right? It¡¯s a good time to catch up.¡± He turned away from her. ¡±I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t fulfill my promise.¡± Waiting no longer, he ran away. The City General hospital was the closest one around, but he didn¡¯t head there. Iris, without a single doubt, would try to follow him no matter what happened. The City General would be her first choice. So he took the subway and chose one of the farthest hospital near the city limit.

 Haunted V

    With the gang conflicts, people whose condition was direr than him packed the hospital. Atruck crash on the highway also didn¡¯t help the queue. With no pain to bother him and no schedule to catch, he let other first.


    ¡±What do you mean?¡± Rein asked.


    ¡±Like I said, it¡¯s just a bruise.¡± Said the nurse who checked his arm and treat it with some rubbing alcohol and a bandage.


    ¡±No, I¡¯m sure my arm is broken and earlier there¡¯s a prettybig swelling here.¡±


    ¡±Well, sir, you can see for yourself, but I have more patients waiting. Please, sir, you can get out.¡±


    ¡±Ah, thank you,¡± Rein stood and walked out. As the nurse said, no swelling. When he moved it before,the bone moved unlike how it should have. Now, nothing was out of the ordinary. It healed.


    When he walked outside, the sun almost set on the west and the sky had turned yellowish orange. If they stuck to the plan, Iris and Friede should shop and on their way to have dinner on an excellent ramen stand he found by chance a few months prior. Before everything lost their taste on his tongue.


    But if they didn¡¯t stick to the plan, he couldn¡®t confirmtheir whereabouts. They didn¡¯t follow him to this hospital. Knowing the two, they probably came to his house to check on his condition, which he didn¡¯t want them to.


    With that in mind, he decided not to return to his house before midnight. Just to be sure they already returned home when he came back. It was for the better.


    He could almost feel it. The hunger, the thirst for blood from ¡®her¡¯ on his shoulder. There was no telling what would happen if he came across someone close to him. He didn¡¯t want to know.


    A few hours later, Rein spent his time on an arcade. He didn¡¯t bring much money, so he only played a little but that wasn¡¯t a problem. Walking, watching people play, orlooking around, there were alot of different things to amuse himself with.


    All the while, he didn¡¯t even look at his phone even once, which he sure was filled with missed calls from Iris and Friede. ¡°Ah,¡± he remembered. He sent a photo of the mark to Albert to confirm if it was real. He hadn¡¯t checked his answer yet.


    ¡±Did you try to get a tattoo or something?¡±Albert answered. He also sent a photo naked with a woman on the bed. He was still in high school, yet even Rein didn¡¯t know how many women Albert had slept with. The number wasn¡¯t small that¡¯s for sure. Albert was that kind of man, and he often teased Rein for never getting a girlfriend despite fully knowing Rein feeling for Iris.


    Rein didn¡¯t reply, just pondering on Albert¡¯s answer. This confirmed the mark wasn¡¯t just an advanced form of his hallucination. He couldn¡¯t tell whether or not this was bad news.


    Rein stood up and walked outside. Midnight hadn¡®t come yet, butlate enough that Iris and Friede should have returned. They have the keys to his house and could have waited inside, but their father was astrict person. No way he¡¯d let his daughters stay overnight in a guy¡¯s place.


    A crowd drew his attention when he came out. Many watcheda man playing ahard shooting game. It was meant for two people, but the man played it alone, handling the gun in each of his hand. And he hasn¡¯t taken a single hit in the entire timeplaying it. Not only that, he was an exceedinglyhandsome and eye-catching man with eyes and hair colored with matching gold. But it wasn¡¯t his insane gaming skills or charming appearance that caught Rein¡¯s attention.


    The aura. Rein couldn¡¯t grasp it well. It was strange. The best way to describe it would be the man exuded a calming aura. Like a baby being embraced in the arms of their parents. An aura that blew away all worldly trouble and worries. An aura of life, comfort, and protection. Even that merely described a fraction of the feeling.


    Who is this person?His mind raced. The person wasn¡¯t normal. He must knew something. Maybe even knowing the anomaly was the cause of it.


    He wondered whether people around noticed it the way he did, or were they crowding around because of his gaming prowess and unbelievable appearance?


    Rein pushed through the wall of people. He must speak with the man.There must be something he could do. But before Rein even entered the crowd, ¡°Arthur.¡± A woman called the golden-haired man. Everyone turned their head, revealing a particular woman with auburn hair. Her getup different fromher usual, with casual clothes and handbag on her side and with light natural makeup that made her beautiful appearance even more stunning. Not that anyone often sees her, but what everyone had in their mind was the strict version of her that never use casual clothes or makeup.


    Strange. She only called the name ¡®Arthur¡¯. It could be anyone within the crowd, yet instinctively everyone knew she was calling the golden-haired man. By instinct too, they recognized the voice and moved out of the way.


    Rose walked the path made by people moving away, unbothered by the stare and suspicion they showered upon her. Rein couldn¡¯t imagine how shemaintained her calm demeanor with all that pressure around. Before the numbness set in, public attention and peer pressure were nightmares for him. Maybe she was used to it. Everywhere she went everyone realized the strangeness of her being. Showered with distrust and suspicion was just another day for her, no different from being haunted by anomalies for him. Maybe. Or maybe she was just cold.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Arthur put down the gun and turned. ¡°Rose.¡± With a bewitching smile, he called her name. ¡°You look absolutelystunning today.¡± With voice sweet as if sung by Apollo himself he complimented her.


    Even Rose who maintaineda poker face all the way through, blushed when facing Arthur sublime existence. With a stunned expressionon her red face, she averted her gaze.


    At that moment, Arthur¡¯s aura filled the entire room and enveloped everyone in its warm embrace. The mistrust and suspicion surrounding Rose dispersed, and the pressure lifted. Her existence in the eyes of the crowd suddenly wasn¡¯t a sore thumb anymore, just another young woman entranced by the gorgeous man.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Arthur offered his hand and Rose took it with no hesitation. Everyone¡¯s gaze still glued to them as they left.


    Rein was no exception. All hethought were Arthur and Rose and how they could help him. He tailed them, watching from a distance and trying his best to blend in with the pedestrian crowd.


    But he stopped tryingwhen Arthur brought Rose to a famous five-star restaurant on the busiest street in the city. The whole building was reserved and guards in suits patrolled the outside, the roof, and the other building connected to it. It was a fortress. Try as he might, there was noway in. And who knows when they came out?Ifthey came out that is. There was a passage connecting the restaurant to a five-star hotel, so they might not come out until the next morning.


    He could wait for them all night. Tomorrow was already vacation for him and he won¡¯t get sleepy or tired, and his father was away so there would be no one looking for him, not counting Friede and Iris. But looking at the security detail, there was no hope even if he waited. Stalking them wouldn¡¯t help him with that. Taking all that into consideration, he went back home. He could do better things than waiting.


    When he came back, he found his house empty, much to his relief. There were signs of Friede and Iris checking on him but they appeared to have left. He took a quick shower and finally looked at the flood of missed calls and unread messages from Iris and Friede.


    Something was off.


    Amidst the mound of messages and missed calls from Iris and Friede, there was one message from an unknown number. He could just dismiss it as a promotion or a fraud message, but that unknown number sent him a photo. ¡°What-¡° The mark on his chest seared.


    On the screen, the image of unconscious Iris and Friede bound to a chair showed up. The background was somewhere unfamiliar, like an abandoned building or warehouse. It didn¡¯t look edited, and there was no way someone would prank him with thi- The phone rang. Not his handphone but the house phone.


    With little thought, he picked it up. ¡°Greeting, Rein Constantine. You can call me, the Dollmaker.¡± An unfamiliar old man spoke. The sound gave off an impression of a kind and caring grandpa, but the situation didn¡¯t support that claim. ¡°It seems you finally saw my message, took you long enough. Did you have fun in the arcade?¡±


    ¡°What did you do to them?¡± His mind and heart raced, but he didn¡¯t show it in his voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re verycalm in a situation like this, I commend you.¡± The old man had no intention to answer. ¡°You see, I don¡¯t want to hurt your friends. They are very beautiful and wonderful women and it saddened me to have to take them, but the policeforced me to resort to this ... unsightly method. I¡¯m going to offer you a deal.¡±The police.That word caught rein¡¯s attention. He remembered the news about a recent serial kidnapping. He reached out towards his phone to call the police. ¡°You see, child. I still need two more women for me to do my ... thing. Luckily for you, neither one of your friends fit my criteria, though I won¡¯t rule them out if I fail to procure ¡­ more suitable one. If you want to save them, help me find two more that fit my criteria. I¡¯ll send the detail to your phone. Oh, and finally, take your hand off your phone. Call the police and both of them die. And if it comes to that, I¡¯ll make sure tosend the footage to your phone for you to enjoy.¡±


    the old man cut off from the other side, leaving Rein unable to do anything. The choice to call the police was at his fingertips. He already entered the number and needed just to press ¡®call¡¯, but he couldn¡¯t risk it.


    A lot of thoughts went through his mind, but the first one was to check whether Iris and Friede were actually kidnapped. Calling their phones resulted in his call being ignored and their housemaids said they still haven¡¯t returned.


    It was real.


    Why, why, why?! He cursed himself. All he wanted to was to distance himself from them, to make sure they didn¡¯t fall prey to the curse he brought. So why? Why did this happen instead?


    ¡±Calm down! Think! Think! Think REIN!¡± The numbness in his heart prevented Rein from getting completelypanicked, but even it didn¡¯t help him much in a situation like this. He couldn¡¯t think of anything. His mind clouded and his judgment skewed.


    He has to save them; he has to save them; he has to save them, but how? How? How?


    There was no answer.


    ¡°It¡¯s your fault, Rein.¡± the shade of a young boy in a green jacket appeared before him. His skin was dark and rotten with one eye missing and the other blank. ¡°Just like us, everyone around you is destined to suffer and die a horrible death, and for what? Your own selfishness. You could have spared them the same fate years ago, but no, youwant to live a normal life. You drag them to hell because of your own selfishness Re-¡°


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Rein grabbed a nearby chair and threw it at the boy. The shade fizzled but didn¡¯t disappear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t deny it Rein. You know the truth¡± The boy walked closer with a mocking smile plastered on his decaying face.


    ¡°Shut up, you ghost!¡± He faced the ghost head-on. ¡°Fuck off! Go away! Haunt somebody else!¡± He swiped and punched and kicked, but everything Rein threw at the boy passed through him.


    ¡±She¡¯ll die no matter what. You know it don¡¯t you, Rein? Deep down inside you know there¡¯s no saving her. The other girl might be saved, but there¡¯s-¡±


    ¡°SHUT UP! This ¡­ this is not the curse. It¡¯s not because of the curse.¡± The curse didn¡¯t act this way. The curse, he, didn¡¯t cause this. ¡°I ¡­ can still fix this. I can still save them.¡±


    The shade smiled, though it wasn¡¯t the warm smile. It was sinister, mocking smile that ridicules him and his effort. ¡°Try it then and see yourself fail in the most spectacular way. We both know you will.¡±


    Before Rein could say anything back, his phone trembled, revealing a new message from the unknown number.

 Arcturus

    ¡°Okay, how do I look, Pris?¡± Rose wasn¡¯t looking in the mirror. She last did this years ago and never thought she would do this again. But Priscilla somehow convinced her this time.


    ¡±You look good, my lady. Just hang on a little more.¡± Rose was getting uneasy, and Pris knew from her voice and expression she made.


    ¡±My face is getting uncomfortable. It doesn¡¯t feel good on my skin.¡± A thousand ants were crawling all over her face.


    ¡±That¡¯s all in your head, my lady. Forget about your bad experience with makeup and just feel how you¡¯re reallyfeeling.¡±


    Rose took a deep breath. ¡±Okay.¡± and closed her eyes. All the bad memories with makeup from her childhood she pushed back down to the back of her mind. She dimmed all her other senses and let the feeling on her skin fill her brain.


    It was nauseating. The powder, sticking on her skin. Crawling ¡­ it¡¯s not.


    She took a deep inhale and normalized her breathing. It was just like Pris said. There was nothing. There was no discomfort on her skin.


    She opened her eyes. ¡±How is it?¡± Pris was in front of her, eyes staring through.


    ¡±I¡¯m ¡­ I¡¯ll manage.¡± She answered, not believing herself.


    Pris smiled. ¡±That¡¯s fantastic, my lady.¡± Pris grabbed the chair Rose was sitting on and turned it around. And for the first time in many years, Rose saw herself in the mirror with makeup on. It¡¯s only lightly applied, but still.


    ¡±Wow.¡± she surprised herself. ¡±It looks ¡­ better than I expected.¡±


    Rose could hear the sigh coming from Pris behind her. ¡±Must be good for you my lady, you dont even need to use makeup to look good.¡±


    ¡±Say someone who never uses it either.¡± Rose smiled and looked over her shoulder.


    ¡°Then for what to wear.¡± Pris opened the wardrobe, revealing a row of suites and formal clothing ¡°Oh God, my lady! I know you¡¯re not a fan of girly clothes, but for this ¡­ you¡¯re even worse than me.¡± She shuffled it around, hoping that maybe hidden somewhere deep inside her master drawer that there might be hope. But she found none. ¡±How do you plan to go on a date with this? ¡±


    ¡±Come on, Pris, you know this is not a date. This is purely a business meeting.¡±


    ¡±You know what I think. my lady? I bet there¡¯s a candlelight dinner waiting for you at the end of this ¡®purely business meeting¡¯.¡±


    ¡±Pris,we¡¯re not like that.¡±


    ¡±And that¡¯s because, my lady, neither of you have the balls to say what you know both of you feel. Ask anyone, both of you are like magnet separated by a paper.¡±


    Rose chuckled. ¡±I know, but you know how I feel about this whole thing.¡± She had no right to demand or ask anything of after everything he did.


    ¡±Ah, so you¡¯re burdening everything on him? That seems fair, my lady.¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s not-¡± Rose stopped herself and sighed. ¡±You know what, Pris? There¡¯re a few clothes I stored in the storage room. Get it for me, please.¡±


    ¡±Of course, my lady.¡± Pris closed the wardrobe and walked to the door. Shestopped before going out. ¡±What should I tell the mayor? He¡¯s been waiting weeks for a meeting with you. He won¡¯t be happy aboutthe delay.¡± She looked at the clock on her left wrist. ¡±The delay also affect the police, Russian, yakuza, and so on and so on. Which we also have to explain to them.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡±Just tell them the truth.¡±


    ¡±And that truth is?¡±


    ¡±Arthur Pendragon is coming to this city. They can complain later if they want to.¡± With a nod, Pris left.


    Rose sniffed her body. Pris would be furious if she saw it, but Rose had to make sure the stench of death and rot didn¡¯t stick with her. Earlier, she met that person, Rein Constantine, in the university. She monitored him for the last few years.After all, the abnormality he brought with him everywhere had killed dozens and inconvenienced thousands. The report said his aura was terrible, reeking of feces and rotting flesh, but she never thought it would be that terrible, that the staff was just exaggerating. It was a miracle she didn¡¯t throw up when he was that close. Even remembering it now made her nauseous. Most people couldn¡¯t smell it, only those with acute sense of magic could. But even if people didn¡¯t smell it, the aura still affected his surrounding. Sooner or later another incident will fall. She was sure.


    She shook her head and patted her own cheek. This was not the time to be stressed about that. No matter how good she presented herself, it wouldn¡¯t do any good if her mood was bad. She tried to redirect her mind and focus on something else, but what came up was something worse.


    The series of missing people in recent months ... No,a serial kidnapping now. Ithad been giving her headache since she first heard of it. The crime was almost too perfect. There was no witness or evidence, CCTV caught nothing, and the victims had nothing in common except for being a female. The location also seemed to be randomly picked. In the end, there was nothing to dobut wait for police or the mafia to stumble upon something.


    Just thinking about it made her want to bit her nails, but she refrained. ¡°Ahhhh-!¡± She held her head in dismay. She wanted to throw herself in the bed, have a rest, and forget all these troubles and let Pris handle it. And here she thought the Chinese smuggling children was the worst thing this month. But everything kept spiraling downward.


    It always puzzled and amazed her how her father could do all this and still kept his sanity. Looking at the picture hung on the wall, the answer came naturally. ¡°Because mother was always there for him ...¡± It was a picture of her and her parent when she was still in elementary school. ¡°It¡¯s been ten years ... time sure flies, doesn¡¯t it, father, mother?¡±


    Refocusing her mind, she collected all the necessaryfolders and documents and put it inside her handbag. It would be much easier to use a backpack or a suitcase, but considering her looks and where they would meet, that wasn¡¯t appropriate.


    Arthur never specified where they will go. He told her to meet him at a certain intersection. What happened after that would be a surprise. If this was their free day and not business related, a surprise would have been the best. Sadly, it was not.


    As she expected, Arthur wasn¡¯t there when she arrived. No wonder, however, as she arrived half an hour before the appointed time. With nothing to do, she stood on the walkways waiting for him. The suspicious stares people gaveprobed her, but she gave them not a passing thought. No matter how strange something is, you would get usedif it occurred since you were born. And shewas not special either. Her father, grandfather, great-grandmother, and every first child of Arcturus family had the same anomaly. Maybe it was a gift, maybe a curse, butfitting for the one who owned this land.


    Her phone rang with a message from Arthur telling her to go into the arcade across the street, but a crowd of people hindered her way. Inthe center of it, stood Arthur. His appearance, personality, and everything about him always caught people¡¯s attention. And unlike her, he rarely, if ever, attracted the bad side of them.


    ¡°Arthur.¡± She called.


    Everyone¡¯s attention shifted to her, and the air turned folly. Their stare was worse today, and the hostility was heavy on her skin, threatening to crush her. But it didn¡¯t bother her. As long as¨Cher skin tingled and an unpleasant smell of rotten flesh assaulted her throat.


    Her breath turned ragged as the smell of death and decay wafted around her. The world turned dark and all she saw around her was death. Waiting and standing, far enough that people wouldn¡¯t freak out but close enough to reap anyone anytime it wanted to.


    He was here. That damned person who caused her headache. This was bad. For her, for Arthur, for everyone. Who knew when the anomaly going to tick. When it wasgoing to hunt for more blood. Who knows when- ¡°Rose.¡±


    Her mind stopped. Arthur turned to face her and his brilliant golden eyes focused on her and her only. His facecalm and soft, but his gaze was so dazzling and intense it bound her body in place. It was different; the magnitude differed greatlyfrom when she last felt it. But there was no fear, it was Arthurafter all. And his aura blew the worries and fear out of her.


    ¡°You look absolutelystunning today.¡± She was dumbstruck. She didn¡¯t remember his voice being that sweet or his powerswaying someone¡¯s heart. Was it only her who felt this way, or was everyone else felt the same way. But her eyes froze, stuck on the majestic existence before her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He extended his hand. His skin was fair and smooth and flawless it would cause envy in anyone who saw it.


    She took his hand.

 Arcturus II

    ¡°A-ah.¡± Rose realized she had been staring at him with a stunned expression on her face. Averting her gaze, she took his hand. She couldn¡¯t believe she was staring at him so intently. While she couldn¡¯t help it and Arthur most likely wouldn¡¯t mind, it was still rude, improper, and embarrassing.


    She followed him outside while still averting her gaze. Embarrassed by herself, she couldn¡¯t bear to look at his face, even though not looking was an absolute waste. ¡°Sorry, Rose,¡± Arthur said once outside. She did not understand why he apologized, but it came after that. ¡°Is my aura too much for you?¡±


    ¡°Well, ah, no, it¡¯s ...¡± Arthur dazzling aura faded, not so much until it was gone, but it no longer drove her crazy. Her heart calmed and her face cooled down. ¡° ... yeah.¡± It wasn¡¯t his fault though. It was her incompetence for letting her guards down. If it wasn¡¯t Arthur but an enemy, she might lose her life.


    Arthur chuckled. ¡°Sorry ... It¡¯s Rein Constantine isn¡¯t it?¡± He suddenly asked. ¡°His aura is more potent than I thought.¡±


    His statement puzzled rose but then realized that Arthur noticed Rein was around. Rein aura was, as had been stated many times before, reek of death and dangerous to people around him. Arthur had to overpower Rein¡¯s aura within a crowd of so many people. That was why his aura felt so much more powerful than last time.


    ¡°He¡¯s following us.¡± Rose eyes went wide open and turned to look over her shoulder, but grabbing her cheek, Arthur stopped her. She knew she wasn¡¯t supposed to do that. She knew she should have realized he was tailing them, but Arthur was taking too much of her attention ¡­


    God,she thought. Blaming someone else for her own mistake. Arthur had nothing to do with this. Her discipline was lacking.


    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know we realize, don¡¯t alert him.¡± He took his hand off her cheek and continued to walk. Rose calmed herself and followed beside him. ¡°The last report said he knows nothing supernatural outside what he experiences himself, did something change in the last six months?¡±


    ¡°Not as far as I know. Though the rotten smell coming out of him ¡­ god, I can¡¯t stand it.¡±


    ¡±Any idea why he¡®sfollowing us?¡± he asked.


    ¡±Not a clue. Though he may have sensed something from us and come seeking for aid.¡±


    He stopped. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived.¡± Grabbing her hand, he pulled her into their destination, a famous 5-star restaurant reserved for them.


    ¡°Is ... is this really, all right?¡± Rose asked as she sat down on the table. Despite being a famous internationally, she had only visited this place once when she was still a kid with her parents. The place wasn¡¯t like what she remembered. It had changed so much and for the better.


    With table decorated by the finest cutlery, with the pianist playing Chopin in the background, and candles being the only thing illuminating the interior. As much as Rose hated to admit it, she was wrong.Pris prediction came true.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. This place used to be one your father¡¯s, So it is technically yours. It¡¯s still listed under my family¡¯s asset, but I can transfer it to you if you¡¯re ready.¡± After her parents passed away, the Pendragon family managed most of her family businesses. When Arthur became the head, the management fell into his hand. Despite being only two years older, Arthur was unquestionably much more mature and capable than her. All her assets flourished under him, even though he also had to manage his own assets and a mountain of other responsibilities.


    ¡°Sure.¡± To say she was ready would be a lie. She excelled at magic and studying, but lacking in many aspects. Business and management were some examples. It wasn¡¯t wise to let her handle the business, but it was her family¡¯s and her responsibility. It wouldn¡¯t do to let Arthur shoulder it any longer than necessary. And with Pris¡¯ help, she should manage somehow.


    ¡±You¡¯re serious about that degree huh?¡± Suddenly Arthur asked.


    ¡±Well, mom and dad always wanted me to be ¡­ normal, I guess.¡± Right now she was attending uni to get a business degree. She was just starting out, and with her other responsibilities it would be tough, but It was a path she chose.


    ¡±They never taught you any magic at all despite them being the best of the best. So, yeah, I guess they wanted you to be normal.¡±


    ¡±That¡¯s why. Since being normal isn¡¯t possibleanymore, at least I like to honor their wishes by getting a degree.¡±


    ¡±Well, someone with a business degree controlling an entire city from the background makes much more sense than someone who doesn¡¯t.¡± Arthur chuckled. His gaze wandered before snapping back to her. ¡°Want me to teach you? I¡¯m not much into theory but a little insight wouldn¡¯t hurt, right?¡±This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Is that all right with you? I mean, no, I¡¯m ¡­.¡± Arthur had helped her a whole lot ever since they were children. Hiding the glass she broke, taking the blame for her pranks, doing homework, and so on and so on. Even more after her parent¡®s death. She didn¡¯t want to give him more burden. ¡°I-I mean, you ...¡± Her voice trailed off. Her brain couldn¡¯t find a good enough reason, and Arthur wouldn¡¯t accept reason like she didn¡¯t want to burden him. He was like that since they first met.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. Since I¡¯m already your supervisor, might as well use this chance to help and teach you in other things than fight and magic.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± She hung her head low. She always wanted to stand as Arthur¡¯s equal, to look at him in the eyes with pride and dignity, and maybe, just maybe, she would confess her long-held love for him one day. But not now, not yet, not with her troubling him again and again.


    Food came after that, cutting their conversation much to her relief. An excellent dinner made by a world-class chef, but she didn¡¯t enjoy as much as she wanted to due to her turbulent heart.


    ¡°Rose, are you all right?¡± Arthur asked afterhe was done. ¡°You look down.¡±


    ¡°Down? No way.¡± How the hell did he notice, that question went through her mind multiple times. She was confident in her poker face except for when Arthur exerted his aura. He shouldn¡¯t be able to discern what she was thinking.


    ¡°You think I won¡®t notice, don¡¯t you?¡± His voicecalm and comforting, yet Rose felt cornered. Not by him, but by her own guilty conscience. Yeah, this was Arthur she was facing against, there¡¯s no way she could hide anything. He grabbed her hands. ¡°Rose, you can tell me anything. Anything at all.¡±


    When he said that, she wondered why he was so nice. Naturally, having someone so perfect like Arthur worrying about you was every woman, no, everyone¡¯s dream. She was overjoyed but also didn¡¯t want to burden him even more than already is. So she kept her silence, but it was Arthur she was facing.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to burden me, do you?¡± He saw through everything. ¡°How many times must I tell you,¡± His grip on her hand tightened. ¡°for you, I¡¯ll do anything. Don¡®t worry about it.¡±


    She was happy, but also furious and mad, at herself. What had she done to deserve this? Nothing. And the way he said it, if it was anyone else but Arthur, she would have taken it as a confession. But it was Arthur. He had said it to her many times ever since they first met, under many conditions and different contexts. He saw her as his little sister when they were still kids. She wondered whether he still felt the same way, or had his feeling change. If it changed, was it for the better or worse? Did he ever saw her as a woman? What went through under that flawless face that could induce madness, she hadn¡¯t the slightest clue.


    ¡°Can we just... continue with what we¡¯re doing here, please?¡± There was nothing at the end of thisconversation.


    Arthur looked at her for a time. With a sigh, let out a weak, defeated smile. Which made her guilt even stronger. ¡°Okay, then let¡¯s get to ¡­ business.¡± He snapped his finger, prompting the staffs to leave them alone. ¡±I will try to be tough on you.¡±


    ¡±Thank you.¡±


    ¡±Okay, first, I want to ask you a few questions.¡± Finally, she got somesemblance of relief from Arthur¡¯s serious voice. With this, she felt like she actuallydid something of note and carried her own responsibility. ¡±I¡¯ve read the news recently, that bust on Chinese human trafficking ring, why?¡±


    ¡±Kids. I already made it crystal clear with them from the start thatI won¡¯t tolerate any involvement of kids.¡±


    ¡±Well, that¡¯s good, compromise. Then what about the fighting rings?¡±


    ¡±The Russian, the place was off the books. They never reported it, never paid taxes for it, and I have no qualm about raiding it.¡±


    ¡±The shooting and gang violence? I know it¡¯s related to drug trade.¡±


    ¡±The Koreans, uh ¡­ Black Axe gang was expanding rather aggressively and didn¡¯t really follow my rules and regulation, so I offered the Indian whether they want to have their hand on some heroin distribution or not.¡±


    Arthur smiled. ¡±That¡¯s very nice. You have to be strict on them or they won¡¯t respect you. Guess you¡¯re getting used to this job, huh?¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s very easy to be strict on them, Arthur, the problem is how to not get too strict. Please don¡¯t praise me, I don¡¯t like it.¡±


    Arthur smile was unfazed. ¡±I know you don¡¯t like any of this, and I know if you can help it you would rather hunt them down one by one. But as the head of Arcturus and owner of this land, I¡¯m sure you understand. Criminals are like pests, they ARE pest. But like pests, it¡¯s impossible to eradicate them completely. It¡¯s better to have them monitored and under control, leashed rather than cornering them and making them more aggressive and desperate.¡±


    ¡±I know, that¡¯s why I do this.¡±


    ¡±Now about the assignment I gave you last time.¡±


    Rose pulled the document from inside her bags and put it on the table. It was a document detailing people with special ¡®gift¡¯, anomalies some might say. Inside contained a library of pictures and personal data. Some could be accessed by anyone justby looking,some shouldn¡¯t be known by anyone except the person themselves.


    ¡°Here, the last 50. I¡¯ve monitored everyone that came in or out of this city, this should be all.¡± Arthur skimmed around, checking the names and all the important parts. His eyes had returned to its usual state, that focused gaze that put her heart at ease.


    His eyes stopped on a page, and a smile crept on his face. ¡°This.¡± Arthur put down the paper and pointed on the picture of a particular third-year high school student. Albert. ¡°Put him under special supervision.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Rose saw nothing special about Albert when compared to a few others on that list. Sure, he had an interesting past, connection, family, and his father was someone high-profile in the magical world, but otherwise, he was nothing special. Of course, the report was limited and not one hundred percent accurate, but Arthur was looking at the exactsame report as her. ¡°Any particularreason?¡±


    ¡°There is, but I rather not disclose it to you yet. It¡¯s mostly a hunch, no proof.¡± The smile on his face differed from usual. Almost like a childish glee, excited.


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell the staff.¡± She pulled her phone, but before she could do anything, an incoming call vibrated it. The name shown on screen caused her to frown. ¡°Arcturus here-¡° Cut off mid-sentence, she could not hide her shocked face. ¡°Friede and Ir- Damn it! What are those people doing?!¡± She clenched her fist, almost crushing the phone in her palm.


    ¡°Something wrong?¡± Arthur leaned forward.


    Rose stood up, impatience oozing from the way she moved. ¡°Sorry Arthur, it¡¯s urgent.¡±

 Arcturus III

    Rose walked back and forth in the living room, waiting for a call while Arthur sat on the sofa not knowing what happened. She hadn¡¯t told him anything, maybe on purpose, maybe she was just too panicked and forgot to tell him. But anyone who saw her would realizethere was a big problem.


    ¡°Rose, something I can help with?¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± Her face froze. She was more shocked by her own answer than Arthur. ¡°No, I-I mean ... uuuu.¡± She crouched down and hid behind her hands. ¡°I-I don¡¯t mean to shout.¡±


    Arthur stood up and smiled. ¡°I know.¡± He swept her up in his arms.


    ¡°A-Arthur!¡± Surprised by his sudden attack, she couldn¡¯t help but let a cry out and thrashed around. He threw her on the sofa then sat on the chair next to her. Before she protested, he raised his finger


    ¡°Lie down.¡± She was about to protest, ¡±That¡¯s an order. ¡±She followed his instruction. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to bother me with your problem and I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m making you uncomfortable with all I¡¯ve done, but you know I won¡¯t back down from helping you either. How about we make a deal?¡±


    ¡°Deal?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll stay out from this current problem you¡¯re having. I¡¯ll stand back and act as your supervisor, but!¡± A smile appeared on his face. A triumphant smile saying he had won. ¡°You must tell me everything that¡¯s bothering you, and promise me you will rest tonight, and you¡¯ll let me handle the meeting with the mayor, crime bosses, police, politicians, and all that stuff. I know you¡¯re planning a meeting with them, and my coming here has delayed it which will cause another problem for you.¡±


    ¡°Wait! That¡¯s not ... that¡¯s three for one, that¡¯s ...¡± Arthur knew her so well. There¡¯s no way she could decline such an offer. ¡°That¡¯s not fair.¡±


    Arthur chuckled. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll give you some time.¡± He stood up and head to the kitchen before returning with two glasses of iced tea. ¡°Now, first part of the deal. Tell me everything.¡±


    ¡°Everything?¡±


    ¡°Every single one. Don¡¯t pent it up, I¡¯m here for you.¡±


    Rose went silent for a moment, thinking hard. ¡±I have another condition for you.¡±


    ¡±Oh, fighting back, are we? Let¡¯s hear it.¡±


    ¡±I¡¯ll tell you all my problems, but other than the meeting, please let me handle everything else.¡± She knew him as well as he knew her.


    This time it was Arthur¡¯s turn to go silent and think. ¡°Fine.¡± He sighed, not completelyhappy with it. But he had to compromise. ¡±But promise me to tell me if there¡¯s something you can¡¯t handle on your own.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Enjoying the tea Arthur made her, she unloaded the burden on her mind. Starting from the minor stuff like exam and to big ones like Rein Constantine, the meeting - which Arthur already knew -, and the serial kidnapping. Naturally, she couldn¡¯t tell every single one of her problems, especially regarding her feeling towards him. What she was afraid of about telling him wasn¡¯t that he would reject her, but he would accept her love even though he didn¡¯t want to. For considering how he is, he would accept her confession regardless of his own feeling.


    ¡±So who are they, Iris and Friede?¡± Arthur asked after listening everything Rose had to say.


    ¡±The daughters of Ernst Schmidt.¡±


    ¡±Schmidt, the pharmaceutical titan? What do they have to do with you?¡±


    ¡±Protection contractamong other things.¡±


    ¡±Other things? Why haven¡¯t I heard of it?¡±


    ¡±Because it¡¯s a matter of Arcturus company and I have no ¡­ obligation, to tell you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was so hard to say it. Arthur had been so involved in everything related to her and her family thatshe felt he had rights to know everything. At the same time, she didn¡¯t want him to know everything. That would only encourage him to help, which she didn¡¯t want him to.


    ¡±No, it¡¯s fine, but tell me now.¡±


    ¡±On the surface, Arcturus company is in contract with Schmidt for general security and safety of their executives. Underneath that there¡¯s a contract for combat-enhancement drugs. And if we don¡¯t talk about the company, then Schmidt the largest producer of magic potions and drugs, legal or otherwise, on this side of earth. By setting their headquarters here and befriending my family, they get access to ingredients ruled illegal by the International Magic Association. And for me, befriending company as big as that is one way to secure my parent¡¯s legacy from the vultures.¡±


    Rose could tell that Arthur was getting excited. The little thing about his behaviors like how he moved his fingers, how he sat, how his gaze moved. Watching him for her whole life allowed her that much insight into him. ¡±So when does this whole deal started exactly? I mean it¡¯s big, and it¡¯s been going under my nose for how long?¡±


    ¡±Almost eight years.¡± That was just a year after her parent¡¯s death.


    ¡±Wow, Rose, I ¡­ am at a lost for word.¡± He was happy to hear her do things on her own, especially something so big and important. ¡±If you told me earlier I could¡¯ve-¡±


    ¡±It¡¯s Pris, okay, it¡¯s mostly Pris. The planning, meeting, calculation and consideration, it¡¯s all Pris. All I did was hear her proposal and write my names and signature on some papers.¡±


    ¡±But you agree to it.¡±


    ¡±Well, it¡¯s Pris, so, I justbelieved her.¡±


    Whenshe was done, it was already late at night. The exhaustion from morning caught up to her. Arthur stayed in her house, to make sure she sleeps tonight and to take any report regarding the serial kidnapping. He promised he would wake her up if anythingimportant happened. After all that reassurance, she had no more excuse or reason to stay up.


    She locked her room, took her makeup off, and swapped her clothes for pajamas. Then she threw herself at the soft, wide, and comfortable bed surrounded by pillows. Some mightcall the number excessive, but surrounded by pillows comforted and helped her sleep.


    ¡°Haaah~¡± She sighed, finally having her much-wanted rest. Having to deal with all those problems when she woke up really killed the sleeping mood for her, but what could she do, she didn¡¯t want Arthur to take her burden again. At least shecouldrest now ... but she couldn¡¯t sleep. She was too agitated, her body too hot to sleep.


    She sighed again and wrestled the nearest pillow. Guess she now had a reason to stay awake, for a little while. ¡°Arthur~¡±

 The First Victim

    Numb. Numb. Numb. His skin, his tongue, his nose. His heart was turning to stone, faster than ever before. He saton a toilet seat in the middle of winter, yet he felt nothing. The wall of the stall, the ceiling, the floor, and the toilet were dirty and disgusting, yet allhe felt were minor discomfort. Not disgust. Not fear. Just worried for what he was going to do. A crime.


    He waited there for an hour now, andhis heart wouldn¡¯t stop thumping. With a bag on his side, he waited for further instruction.


    When did everything go wrong? When he left Iris? If he didn¡¯t do that and stayed with her¡­ Just as he was thinking about that, a new message popped up in his phone. Telling him that his victim had arrived and instructing him what to do.


    As per the instruction, he grabbed a bottle of chemical from the bag and soaked a small towel with the content. He didn¡¯t knowbut hoped it wasn¡¯t chloroform like in movies. Chloroform was far too dangerous if not dosed properly, and it would still take minutes for the victim to pass out.


    He pocketed his phone, picked up the bag, and stood up, making sure he left no evidence in the stall. The creaking of door told him that his victim had arrived.


    Not yet. His target could still run away if he came out now.


    The tap creaked, and water fallingto the sink became his signal to start.


    He slammed the door open and saw a lone woman facing away from him.


    A girl, a high-school girl with brown hair,like Iris and Friede. He hesitated for a moment and almost let her scream. But he stuffed her face with towel and wrapped his arms around her body so she couldn¡¯t run away.


    The girl struggled. She thrashed around and tried to do everything in desperation, but thin and weak her assailant was, she wasn¡¯t big either.


    After minutes of useless struggling, of scratching and punching, Rein released the towel and the woman, her body tumbling to the floor.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    She was beautiful. He wondered how her life was going, how many friends she had,her relationship with her family,her hobby, what food she liked, did she have a boyfriend. She might not be the brightest or the best¨Cor maybe she is, he didn¡¯t know-but she had a future ahead of her. And that light of hope for a better tomorrow was snuffed out. Whatever the Dollmaker wanted with her, but she wouldn¡¯t walk out of this alive.


    His heart hurt, but he didn¡®t have achoice. He had to save Iris and Friede, and for that, he has to kidnap two women. Trading life. But he had to do it, no other choice.


    He carried her body in his arms and brought her outside. She was surprisinglylight, or maybe he couldn¡¯t feel muscle strain anymore. The numbness had been getting worse ever since the mark showed up.


    Looking left and right, they were alone. They were in the middle of a dark park surrounded by trees on all side, giving no view of the streetwhatsoever. The Dollmaker told him he shouldn¡¯t worry about the police finding him, but he still had to be careful with random passerby seeing him. He had o reason to trust The Dollmaker, but he also had no choice but to trust him.


    He went into the bushes between the trees. Walking on the road illuminated by street lights while carrying an unconscious girl would attract unnecessary attention even if he didn¡®t kidnapher. He walked around the park and crossed the street into a dark alley after making sure no one saw him.


    After walking for a while, he reached his destination, a strangely placed dumpster. He opened the cover and saw it empty, confirming he wasn¡¯t mistaken. He put her body inside and closed the cover and knocked on the wall three times as per the instruction.


    The phone in his pocket vibrated. ¡°Good job.¡± That was all it written at first, but then, ¡°One more girl and I¡¯ll return your friends. I¡¯ll send you the detail tomorrow.¡±


    His handshaking and without realizing, he bit his lips so hard it drew blood.


    He looked around the alley. As far as he could see, there was no camera or anything that would give the Dollmaker any knowledge about what washappening. There was nothing inside the dumpster. The only possibility he could think of was that the Dollmaker was watching him from not far away. But right now,that knowledge didn¡¯t buy him anything. With his job done, he walked back home only to collapse after a few steps into the cold alley street.


    Even as the freezing stone touched his cheek, the cold was barely perceptible. He cursed himself. Why? Why did this happen? When did everything go wrong? One more life. One more life to take to save Iris and Friede, and he feared by then he wouldn¡¯t feel anything. That there would be no guilt in his heart.

 Arcturus IV

    Brt! Brt! Brt! The sound of alarm woke her up from the sweet dream she had. She swore it was a very good dream, but she couldn''t remember anything much to her displeasure. Standing up, she watched her horrible morning face in the mirror. Normally she would fix her hair and washed her face before going down to have breakfast. But it was holiday season, and Pris and the maid were away if she remembered correctly. There was no one home but her.


    Walking down the steps, she felt like she was forgetting something but she dismissed it as something minor. She probably forgot to turn the light or something. Then she turned to the living room. Her body froze in place like a statue.


    Arthur was standing away from her and facing the table where a bunch of things was stacked. Her hair was a mess, her face even worse, not to mention she was still wearing pajamas. If Arthur saw her like that it would be a disaster. No, how could she forget Arthur was staying in her house in the first place? She didn''t remember being that forgetful in the morning.


    As if sensing her presence, Arthur turned to look behind him, but no one was there. He turned again, returning to his work on the table.


    When Rose finally come to the living room half an hour later, she was very different than when she woke up. Her beautiful auburn hair was combed and wafting sweet fragrance. Her face clean and soft and focused, pretty as ever even without makeup. Her clothes were formal like her usual style, giving a serious and business-like impression. Pris followed behind her. Rose remembered wrongly.


    "What''s this?" She asked as she examined the living room. A detailed map of the city was laid on the table, its corners secured by books. Some parts of the map were circled by red markers, some were connected by lines, other scribbled with words and symbols.


    Arthur turned his face. His expression severe, his usual smile nowhere to be found. "I haven''t got any notable report since last night. Just the usual police patrol report. So I took my time compiling and reviewing past reports."


    Rose had tried to do that before, searching patterns from the location of the kidnapping, but she found nothing. Using the computer didn¡¯t help either. She might have missed something so Arthur''s effort wasn''t wasted, especially since he knew a lot more than her. "Find anything?"


    "At first? No, but-" He pointed at the edge of the map, towards the mountain range surrounding the city from all side. "These are some mana nexus in the region, leylines. If you mark them and connect them with lines."


    "Ah!" She drew the image in her mind. "It''s like a magical rune, no ... a summoning circle, but for what?" Her tongue tripped by the sudden revelation. To think that someone was doing a large-scale magic ritual under her nose and she didn''t even realize it. "What does it summon?" She wasn''t a master of summoning magic, but she could confidently say that her knowledge of the subject was pretty vast and comprehensive. But the rune seemed alien to her. Not to mention the size that encompasses the whole city. What manner of monster needed such a massive rune to be summoned. "It''s definitely not demonic."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "It''s not demonic. It''s worse. Luckily, it''s not done yet. It''s still missing two or three points." He pointed at the location of missing points. "That is if last night nothing happened."


    "You recognize the rune?" She gave him a questioning look but retracted it a moment later. It was Arthur she was asking, of course he knew about it. "What is it?"


    Arthur scratched his head. "I ... could not tell you now."


    "Lord Pendragon." Priscila interrupted him, but with the respect and politeness he deserved. "With all due respect, My lady is trying to solve our problem here. As we can see from the sheer size of this summoning circle, this problem is larger than we all originally thought. I beg you to not hide any information from us, My Lord."


    "I''d like to tell you, but this information is not something I can share freely with someone outside the Long Table." Rose and Priscilla froze at that moment. If the information regarding their enemies was that high-level, then this kidnapper wasn''t someone to be trifled with. Realizing the shock he caused, Arthur tried to calm them down. "That being said, there''s a high possibility that whoever tried summoning it doesn''t know what they are messing with. They probably thought this whole thing they created is going to summon a demon lord or two."


    "Still ..." Rose was still troubled. "We must stop them at all cost!" She looked at the map again and marked the place Arthur pointed out. "We have three possible places for the next kidnapping to happen. Or whatever they are actually doing with those women."


    Demonic summoning ritual usually demands blood sacrifices. If what''s getting summoned was worse than a demon, then she couldn''t imagine what they were doing with the victims.


    "The kidnapping always happens at night, but we can''t risk it. We must monitor the place as soon as possible." Rose continued. "I''ll guard this one." She pointed at one spot.


    "I''ll go with you, My lady." Priscilla said.


    "No. If this is a normal kidnapping, we can rely on the police, but it''s not. I need someone capable and trusted on this."


    "I can say the same to you, My lady. Your safety is my number one priority. I can''t let you go alone to face an unknown danger even if you ordered me to." Priscilla''s face was serious and her eyes showed no sign of backing down. "At least take Clara or Viola with you."


    "Okay, I''ll take Clara, but you have to take Viola."


    "Rose," Arthur spoke, catching the attention of Rose and Priscilla. "Now that''s the problem has changed, do you still want me to act as a mere supervisor." His face was filled with worries for her safety. While she was happy to see that face of him, she already determined to solve this problem with her own hand. This wasn''t something that she''d need help with.


    "Tell me, Arthur. Can this be considered an official mission given by the Long Table?"


    His usual smile returned to his face, realizing that his worries were baseless. "Considering the possibility of what''s being summoned, sure. If you succeed, you''re one step closer to replacing your father''s empty seat. And if you fail-"


    "I won''t." Despite all the danger and risk, the fire of spirit was burning within her chest. This was a chance to prove her worth. Not only to Arthur, but to her father and mother as well. Her first mission after she became a candidate for the Long Table.


    "But still, this leaves one place unmonitored." Pris said, cutting short their celebration.


    ¡±Don''t worry, I can order the Alpha team, they can-¡±


    Arthur interrupted with a smile. "If I may suggest-"

 The Second Victim

    "Haaah~" Emily stretched her arms out. Her back hurt, her joint ached, her limb stiff, and her legs numb. Looking all around her, the only source of light came from her computer, even the moon was clouded and gave her no illumination.


    The time on her phone was half past midnight. She was prepared to stay until morning in the office to finish her overdue work before holiday came, but it seemed she finished it faster than she estimated. She turned her computer off and stood up, preparing to go home.


    The room was large with many desks, computers, and a lot more desk accessories. Some of which were dolls or figurine. During the day it was cute and all, but at night it was far from it. Being watched by their unmoving face and unflinching gaze wasn''t the most pleasant of an experience. Not to mention what little light inside the room was reflected on their eyes, making it glow and sending a chill down her spine.


    The fatigue must be getting to her. She stayed in the office a few times before, and she never had any problem with any of the doll or figurine. Or maybe it was the effect of a horror movie she watched two nights ago. In the movie, a woman was terrorized by a killer doll in her office. The doll, unable to feel pain or injured, stalked and followed the woman relentlessly.


    She sighed. She knew she shouldn''t have agreed when her boyfriend asked, though she also realized that hindsight was 20/20. No longer able to tolerate the uncomfortable atmosphere, she quickly headed towards the exit.


    It was wide open. The glass door leading to her office room was opened, but no one was there beside her. "Hello?" She called out, hoping for someone to return her call.


    But no one answered.


    "Bernard?" She called out the name of the sweet old security guard that patrols the floor every few hours, but silence returned her call once again.


    It was bizarre. It was an unwritten rule for anyone to close the door after entering or exiting, even Bernard and the janitors weren''t exempted from that rule.


    Something wasn''t right. Something was terribly wrong.


    Her heart thumped loudly as she smashed the close button on the elevator. Even though the air was freezing cold, sweat trickled down her brows. It wasn''t just her feeling, her body also felt the raw abnormality of the situation.


    Just when she was about to let out a sigh of relief as the door closed, a hand appeared and it slid open again. Her heart jumped and she wanted to scream, but the voice refused to came out from her throat.


    "Excuse me." An unfamiliar handsome young man entered the elevator with her. His hair was dark and cut like the latest trend, a perfect match for his stylish black jacket. His face was young enough for him to just enter college, but his bearing was like an adult. "Working overnight?" The young man asked with a charming smile, a contrast to his imposing tall figure.


    "Y-yeah." She tried to hide her fear and panic with a forced smile. She wasn''t used to acting or lying, so her smile hid nothing. It even added to the impression that she was scared and powerless.


    The silence was unnerving. The young man did whistle and hummed the latest pop song, but his indifferent attitude made her extremely wary. They were still on the 24th floor, it will take a while before she reached the basement. She mustered her courage and asked. "S-so, what are you doing here?"


    "My dad worked here. He''s sick today and has to return home early, but then he remembered he forgot something important and asked me to fetch it for him." The man raised the bag he carried with his right hand. He also showed her his father ID card that he used to get access to the office. "But I got lost and have to search a few other office rooms before finding his."Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    "Ohh." That explained why the door to her office was opened. That solved one of her questions, but it added a whole lot more. Why must he fetch it tonight at this hour, he could easily do so the next morning. The man''s easygoing attitude suggested that he wasn''t in a rush which meant the bag he was carrying wasn''t something urgent. There was no need to get it this late at night.


    After checking again, the young man had no resemblance with the photo in the ID. And she didn''t remember anyone looking like that working on the same floor as her.


    She watched the floor number again. It was eleven, only halfway.


    She couldn''t take it anymore, her knees were shaking. The man standing next to her was too suspicious, and he lied too. What use was him lying to her? Was he maybe a thief? But then she remembered the recent news of the serial kidnapping of young women.


    She slowly moved to the corner near the door.


    Seventh floor.


    "Is something wrong?" But the young man caught her strange behavior.


    "N-no." She wanted to hide her fear and suspicion, but her face was pale as snow, and the answer that came from her mouth was a weak wail.


    Fourth floor.


    Just a little more. If she can reach the lobby, there are at least three security guards there she can ask for help even at night. She''s been eyeing the button for the first floor. She didn''t press it yet. If the man knew she was getting off at the first floor instead of the basement like she originally intended, he might decide to act faster and knock her out.


    The man suddenly turned his body. She didn''t realize it before, but his arms were big and filled with muscle. If he caught her now, there''s no way she can escape it.


    First floor.


    She quickly pressed the button. "Wait!" The man caught her left arm and pulled her closer, but she won''t go without a struggle. She stomped the front of his shoes and slammed her elbow on his crotch, causing him to let go of her arm.


    She slipped through the opening as the door slid open. The man can''t follow her yet with that condition. "Help! Help!"


    There was no one. The lobby was empty save for her.


    "W-what?" Where are all the security guards? She didn''t want to think the worst possibility, they were taken out.


    "Wait! Don''t run away!" the man finally came out from the elevator and started shouting while running after her.


    Without thinking, she ran to the nearby fire exit and to the basement where her car was parked. She has to get away before he fully recovered.


    ¡®Keys, keys, keys, where the hell is my goddamn car keys!¡¯ She rummaged through her bags, but her racing heart and trembling hand didn''t help.


    She finally found something. Something cold and hard and metallic. She pulled it out and- She screamed as she bumped into something. Something tall and sturdy.


    She froze, unable to raise her head up. How can he, who should be writhing in pain, not only come there faster than her but also stood as if nothing wrong had happened.


    No. the pants. The color of the pant was different. The jacket too. "H-" She wanted to ask this person for help, but a rising sense of dread stopped her. This was worse, so much worse than before. If before she only felt uncomfortable and a little scared, fear was now injected directly to her heart.


    For some unknown, maddening reason, her head moved up to look at the person''s face. Deep in her mind, she knew it would be a bad decision, that not knowing was better, but her head moved on its own.


    The eyes. Sunken with dark circles around and folds under it. His gaze blanks like a doll. And his skin pale and rough like a corpse. She couldn''t hear his breath, and she had this feeling that he wasn''t alive. There''s no way the man who stood in front of her was alive.


    "I''m sorry." His voice was hoarse and ugly, and disgusting to hear. He stuffed a towel to her mouth. Pungent odor assaulted her nose like an ice pick. Her mind became clouded and dizzy.


    No. No. Not like this.


    Somehow able to muster the last of her strength, she sent her knee to his crotch and clawed his cheek with her nail. Yet the man didn''t react even as blood was drawn. No matter how hard she clawed or hit him, he didn''t even flinch. Not reacting.


    Her limbs started to lose strength and her vision turned dark. And soon, there was no power left to struggle. So is this it, she thought. Is this the end?


    The towel covering her nose and mouth suddenly disappeared, pulled away by some powerful and unknown force. "Ahhhhhh!" She opened her mouth as wide as possible and sucked all the air her lungs could possibly handle.


    But it was still too late. Whatever was in that towel had entered her body and was about to knock her unconscious.


    "Not only did you not listen, you even hit me for protecting you," The sound of a manly sigh entered her ears. "What a crude woman."


    Through her hazy vision she somehow able to catch a glimpse of him, the young man from before. His broad back facing her. He protected her, that much what clear.


    He walked away from her, still wearing his black jacket and jeans, but something else seemed to wrap around his body. She could not see it clearly but it was definitely there. Like an invisible armor around him, pure white and untainted

 White Knight

    "I''m sorry." His heart ached. A word wouldn¡¯t be enough, nothing would be enough. But what else could he offer?


    He stuffed her face with the soaked towel while his other hand held the back of her head so she couldn''t run away. She struggled hard, kicking his crotch and ripping the skin off his cheek. But her effort was in vain. A pain that would send a man screaming felt like a light tap for him, if not less.


    Soon, her arms fell to the side. "I''m sorry." He uttered again, more to convince himself than telling her.


    All of a sudden, the back of his jacket was pulled by an inhumanely powerful force. Sending him flying and crashing to a van.


    He slammed his hand on the ground, trying his hardest to get up. But his wobbly legs made it hard for him. He might not be able to feel pain, but if his body was damaged enough there would still be effect.


    There should be no one else in the building beside him and the target. The Dollmaker had assured him of that as seen from the missing securities. Yet how ¡­


    Rein raised his face, only to be met with a cold unforgiving stare. Unbridled killing intent. He was facing a wild beast. Most people would have pissed in their pants, but he felt nothing neither fear nor terror. In fact, he felt almost nothing.


    "What the-" What surprised Rein wasn''t the overwhelming pressure the man before him exerted, but it was his equipment. Pure white armor pulled straight from fairy tales covered him from head to toe. And the blade he wielded in his right hand was glowing as if it was a prop instead of a real thing. But if there was one thing certain, everything was the real deal.


    And there was something bothering Rein. The posture of the man before him seemed awfully familiar.


    The man turned the sword and pointed it at him. The pressure coming from his body only got heavier and heavier, but it did nothing to Rein. "Come with me peacefully and there''s no need for bloodshed." He offered Rein a deal of peace, yet his stance showed he was prepared to cut him the moment he made a wrong move.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Rein took a step back. He felt neither fear nor tension, yet he was still sane enough to realize the danger he was facing. If that man could throw him to the van from that distance, then his slash would be fatal. Even bones would offer no resistance to that level of strength.


    It was dangerous. Far too dangerous. But he can''t give up now. He can''t stop. He had to save Iris and Friede. What he did was wrong, detestable and evil, but he had no choice but to follow whatever that old bastard told him. He had no bargaining power. For Iris and Friede, he couldn''t back down. Not now. Not after he sent a girl to her doom. It was too late for that. Too late for him.


    He kicked the floor with all his strength, propelling his body with what would have been a staggering speed for a normal human. Sadly, the man he was facing wasn''t a normal human.


    "Idiot!" The man effortlessly knocked Rein flat to the ground with the handle of his sword. Then the sword vanished into thin air. He then wrestled Rein to submission.


    The pain should have been immense, enough to knock someone out, yet Rein didn''t even bat an eye. But that gave him no relief for he was still unable to move. "Damn!¡± He struggled, but what can he do against a superhuman with the strength of a gorilla. No. With his unrestrained muscle strength, he might be able to do something, but the man didn''t only possess a terrifying strength, but also excellent techniques.


    "Stop struggling or I¡¯ll break your arms!" The man shouted from behind his white mask. But Rein didn''t stop struggling.


    "Fine." The man moved Rein''s left arm to an uncomfortable position. Then he forced it to make an impossible move and- Crack! Rein'' left shoulder moved out of its socket and his left arms fell limp beside him. Even without the pain, he couldn''t move it beyond his fingers and wrist.


    "Why?" The man asked. His voice filled with fury and wrath. "Why didn''t you scream?!" He grabbed Rein''s right arm and started the slow arm-breaking procedure all over again. He probably had ties with one of the victims, maybe even the girl Rein caught the day before. He thought Rein was the culprit and tried to torture him for an answer. But it was a wasted effort. Even if Rein could feel pain, he had no answer to give.


    "Why didn''t you beg me to stop?!" Realizing the futility of his question, he stopped the torture mid-way. Desperation started to seep into his voice. Rein understood that feeling, yet there was nothing he could do to help. There was nothing he could give.


    He then flipped Rein''s body and pulled his face closer. His eyes suddenly went wide open as if he was struck by lightning. "N-no " His jaw trembled and opened in disbelief. "No ... No fucking way!" He yanked Rein''s mask open and froze like a statue. "WHY?!"


    The mask covering his face vanished into thin air, revealing the handsome face of a young man. Rein eyes didn''t move. He was supposed to be shocked, he should have been shocked, but he didn''t. "Albert." He called with an emotionless voice.

 Preparation

    Why does it turn like this? Rose sighed. The last person she wanted to meet was sitting on the sofa, staining the calming air of her house with the stench of rotten flesh and excrement. Not everyone can smell it, or see the hideous monstrosity clinging on his shoulder. its numerous eyes and mouths and tongues and limbs went wild when he entered, as if sensing the potent magic around it.


    Unlike before, she could see it clearly with her own two eyes, confirming her suspicion that it wasn¡¯t just a hallucination or illusion. It was a creature, the word living might not best suited to describe it, but it was reacting to outside stimuli and was magical in nature. Though what kind of macabre magic constituted such a malevolent-looking horror, she had no idea. Just looking at it churned her stomach and made her nauseous.


    Looking from people¡¯s expression. The maids couldn¡¯t see it, Priscilla could if only a little, Albert didn¡¯t appear to see the thing. If she could see it then Arthur should too, yet he was unbothered by it. His smile didn¡¯t wane, his gaze focused and unbroken, and none of his face muscle twitched in disgust.


    ¡°Tell me, Rein, do you believe in magic, in the occult, in spirit and ghost?¡± Arthur asked. Albert brought Rein to this place a few hours prior. Despite what Albert said he did to him, Rein¡¯s wound and injuries had healed by the time he arrived. As his condition wasn¡¯t a concern, they immediately questioned and interrogated him. He was reluctant to answer at first, but after Arthur convinced him, he let out everything he knew.


    He started from how Friede and Iris disappeared to how the Dollmaker¡¯s threatened and forced him to do his dirty work. There were proofs in his phone, though if someone asked Rose what she thinks about it, she didn¡¯t trust him in the slightest. The monotone voice he used when he delivered his side of the story, the complete lack of emotion in his face, and his nonexistent sense of tension or urgency made it impossible to believe that he was a victim. All it did was draw her ire. She left the questioning to Arthur and Priscilla, but even Priscilla can¡¯t handle him for long.


    But Arthur kept questioning him with the kindness and familiarity of a best friend. Whether that was a trick so Rein opened up more, or he truly believed that unreadable man, she put her faith in Arthur.


    Rein opened his pale parched lips. ¡±I ... don¡¯t know. I used to believe that whatever condition I¡¯m having can explainable by science, that my ability to sense and feel things is some kind of neuro-degenerative disease. And the bizarre things and hallucination I keep seeing come from my decaying mind. But then disasters keep happening around me. Somewhere along the way I started to think that I was cursed, that I AM cursed. And I now I think the hallucination isn¡¯t hallucination at all. Maybe there¡¯s something more, supernatural in this world.¡±


    Arthur turned his head and looked at the clock on the wall, nodded at Rose, then returned his gaze back to Rein. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be frank with you. We have little time and-¡± Arthur¡¯s voice faded as Rose left the room.


    Albert was sitting on a chair in the side room. He was already involved in this case, might as well use him to the fullest. ¡±How¡¯s your condition?¡± She asked. He, of course, was shocked to find out that one of his closest friends was involved in the kidnapping. Though his mental state appeared to have stabilized.


    ¡±I¡¯m ¡­ fine.¡± He sipped the tea the maids prepared for him.¡±I just can¡¯t believe that ...¡± He repeatedly tapped the floor with the back of his shoes.¡± How¡¯s the woman I rescued?¡±


    ¡±She¡¯s fine. She¡¯s in a hospital now and we will continue to monitor her condition and safety until this whole kidnapping accident blows over. Just because she¡¯s rescued once doesn¡¯t mean the kidnapper won¡¯t target her again.¡±


    ¡±That¡¯s good. That¡¯s very nice.¡± There was a slight change to his expression. He calmed down, if only a little.


    ¡±You know her personally?¡±Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    Albert looked at Rose for a while, raising his brows at her question. ¡±No, but I saved her. Is it so wrong for me to want to know her condition?¡±


    ¡±No.¡± Rose watched over his condition for a while, but then decided to focus on a more important matter. ¡±That sword you have, what is it?¡± Albert¡¯s magic was of physical enhancement and armor materialization. The pure white armor he used, for example, was a materialization from his mana and his imagination. His sword on the other hand, Rose felt it wasn¡¯t something he produced. There was a link between him and the sword, but she didn¡¯t get the same feeling from seeing his armor.


    ¡±No, it¡¯s a relic. One of the Village¡¯s. It was already bound to me when I ran away with my father.¡±


    ¡±I thought so.¡± The sword was quite a powerful and ancient relic. And the fact that it originally belonged to the Village might prove troublesome, or a great asset depending on how she handles this.


    ¡°How is Iris and Friede?¡± Albert asked. Rose had no obligation to tell him, but now he¡¯s involved in this case, she thought she owes him at least this much information.


    ¡°We¡¯re preparing for their rescue. We know their location, but it¡¯s been fortified heavily. Whatever is happening inside there, the kidnapper doesn¡¯t want us to interfere.¡±


    ¡°Where?¡± Albert rose from his seat.


    ¡°Be patient. We¡¯ll storm the place in two hours.¡± She walked past him. She understood his agitation and impatience, but an unprepared assault would just end up in a disaster. There was also much to prepare as she will lead the assault herself.


    ¡°Let me in.¡± Rose looked over her shoulder, her eyes asking why should she let him. Albert didn¡¯t miss that. ¡°I ... I don¡¯t know how to convince you. I¡¯m not as strong as my father, and I have no real combat experience. But I¡¯ve trained a lot since I was a kid. And I ...¡± He hung his head low.  ¡°Please! Iris and Friede are my close friends, and Rein too. What purpose is having power if I can¡¯t use it to help those that I care about?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡± Rose turned her head forward and continued walking. ¡°But, prepare yourself, follow the briefing through, and follow my command.¡±


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    It wasn¡¯t Rose intention or place to doubt Albert¡¯s strength, only his determination. Arthur placed him under special supervision, chose him to guard one of the kidnapping locations, and he accomplished his task was enough proof for Rose. And it¡¯s not like she herself had any real life-or-death combat experience. Training under Arthur was grueling and intense, but never life-threatening. Arthur made sure of that.


    She walked to her room and undressed. ¡°Who else is going, My Lady?¡± Priscilla asked as she helped her change into combat gear.


    ¡°You, Albert, and the Alpha Team. There¡¯s only two known entrance and we¡¯re infiltrating. We don¡¯t want too many people.¡±


    ¡°Lord Pendragon?¡± She asked.


    ¡°Arthur will oversee the operation from afar and help us navigate through the comms. And he didn¡¯t say this, but ...¡± Rose took a deep breath. ¡°No, I won¡¯t ask him for help. This is my job as the head of Arcturus.¡±


    ¡±Are you sure of that, my lady? If what¡¯s being summoned here is that bad, I think you should-¡±


    ¡±No, Pris, I can do this!¡± She raised her voice.


    ¡±I don¡¯t think this is the time for your pride and ego-¡±


    Rose turned. ¡±Pride and Ego?!¡± She practically screamed it out. There was a moment of silence. And in the next instant Rose¡¯s face twisted with guilt. ¡±A-ah, I-I didn¡¯t mean-¡±


    ¡°No, my deepest apologies, My Lady.¡± Pris kneeled. ¡±I speak out of my place. I deserve a punishment.¡±


    The guilt in Rose¡¯s heart grew even stronger and sharper. She was about to grab Pris¡¯ shoulder, but then realized that in this moment Pris wasn¡¯t her guardian, neither was she the person who guided and stood by her side after her parent¡¯s death nor was she the teacher who taught her everything she needed to survive in this cruel world. In that moment of time, she was Rose of Arcturus family, the family that held the thirteenth seat of the Long Table for generations. And the woman who kneeled before her was Priscilla, whom from her very first breath, was sworn to serve the family with her life and blood. And such, she had to act and deal with this accordingly.


    ¡°Stand up, Priscilla.¡± Pris stood up, but her gaze was still fixed on the floor. This had happened a few times before and she liked it not one bit. ¡±What do you think your fault is?¡±


    ¡±I speak out of my place, insulted, and even angered you, my lady. As a sworn servant that is unforgivable. I urge you to give out a punishment for me at once. I will gladly take any you deem fit for me.¡± Everything became very formal. As if the closeness, warmth, friendship and love they develop for each other for years was just an act on her part.


    ¡±There¡¯s a more pressing concern now, Priscilla. I will give you your punishment at a later date.¡± Rose hated this. Once she said she will give out punishment, Pris would ask her for it and won¡¯t ever let it slide. And if she said she will not give her any punishment, Pris won¡¯t take it and will punish herself.


    ¡°Thank you, my lady.¡±


    ¡±Now, let us focus on the task at hand.¡±

 Assault

    ¡°Are we clear?¡± Rose observed her surrounding one more time. The huge vine-covered warehouse in the middle of nowhere, the dozens disabled surveillance camera, the thick steel door in front of her, the dark sea of stars, the team of black-suited personnel behind, and Pris opposite of her, also in black military gear.


    ¡°All clear.¡± Arthur answered from the comms.


    She gave a nod at Priscilla and touched the door under its handle, where the lock mechanism was. The area she touched turned red hot and melted.


    ¡°Entering.¡± Pris opened the huge steel door without making a sound. From her left arms, a translucent square barrier appeared. ¡°Clear.¡± Rose followed, then her team with Albert at the very behind.


    ¡°All clear here.¡± Rose reported after further checking her surrounding. The inside did not differ from a regular warehouse. Though it looked like the owner had abandoned it for years.


    ¡°All clear here too. No sign of trap or enemies.¡± Clara, the team leader for the other door, reported back.


    ¡°Sweep the area. Pris, with me. You two, go the other way, you two-¡° Rose signaled with her finger.


    With a snap of her fingers Rose cast a night-vision magic for the whole team. Everyone carried a flashlight and other light source, but in case their enemy was monitoring them visually, it would be better not to draw unnecessary attention to themselves.


    ¡°There must be a secret entrance.¡± Arthur answered after Rose gave the report of the situation. ¡°Look for something leading down.¡±


    Rose thought about it a bit. If it was only a normal secret entrance, finding it with magic would be a piece of cake, but there¡¯s no way their enemy would be so careless. They must have concealed it using layers of magic.


    ¡°And be careful, Rose. They should start noticing something now.¡±


    ¡°Should we abandon our secretive approach and just blast our way through?¡± Staying secretive would take longer than just blasting their way through, but rescuing the hostages was their number one priority. With their enemies planning to sacrifice the hostage, time was of the essence. But there came the dilemma. If she blasted through everything, it would only make the enemy afraid and desperate. On the other hand, if their enemy knew of the situation, then blasting their way through with overwhelming power and rescuing the hostage as soon as possible would be the best. Right now, the enemy should realized something was wrong. The question became whether the enemy understand the situation fully.


    ¡°You¡¯re the one leading, Rose. You¡¯re the one to decide.¡±


    Ugh! She wanted to complain, but held it within her. From his light chuckle at the end of his sentence, he already knew this dilemma would happen, and he most likely knew what the best approach to this situation was. She had no right to complain though. She had decided before that she won¡¯t ask for his help. Now she had to take responsibility for her decision.


    Now that she thinks about it, even with the surveillance camera taken down, it was likely the enemy had other means to know what¡¯s happening. ¡°We¡¯ll force our way in.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Albert exclaimed. ¡°What about Iris, Friede, and the hostages?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why. I¡¯m afraid our enemies have no intention of keeping the hostage alive and well. The longer we wait, the more we give our enemies time to do whatever it is they are trying to do.¡± She looked down. ¡°Down, huh?¡±


    Rose put her palm on the ground. She exhaled long and hard.


    The ground cracked and turned red hot. ¡±Everyone, get back.¡± Everyone walked and jumped back, getting out of the growing red circle under Rose.


    She raised a hand and pointed at one part of the red circle. ¡±Pris.¡±


    Pris nodded, walked to the place Rose pointed and smashed the floor to smithereens. A huge hole appeared on the ground, revealing a tunnel underneath the thick floor of concrete.


    ¡°Arthur, we make an entrance, but I¡¯m afraid the enemies can run away to other exit we don¡¯t know about.¡±The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    ¡°You¡¯re the leader here, Rose, you¡¯re the one making the call. Remember what you said earlier, I¡¯m just a spectator and supervisor.¡±


    ¡°Fine! Don¡¯t rub it on me.¡± She wanted to smash the comms. It wasn¡¯t her intention to ask him for help or answer, it was just her reflex and habit to ask Arthur in a situation like this. The worst thing was, he knew very well it was just her habit, yet he had to tease her for it. She took a deep breath. ¡°Arthur!¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± Noticing the seriousness of her voice, he assumed a serious tone too.


    ¡°Search for any side entrances to the basement and report any suspicious movement outside. ¡°


    ¡°Roger, My Lady.¡± Rose couldn¡¯t see it, but she imagined Arthur having a different smile on his face. A prideful smile maybe? Maybe it was just her wishful thinking.


    By the time she finished her conversation with Arthur, Pris and everyone already stood before the hole, ready to jump at her command. ¡°You two, guard our exit up here. The rest, come with me.¡±


    ¡°Keep your eyes open. Enemies and traps will be waiting for us.¡± Pris was the first one to jump down. She always assumed the role of vanguard on a mission like this and the rear-guard during retreat due to the nature of her ability.


    When she touched the floor of the tunnel, a strong unpleasant sewage odor greeted her. Not only that, the room she entered was basically a sewer, with sickening stagnant green water flooding up to the ankle and moss and green slime covering the walls and ceiling. There was no sign of activity in her immediate surrounding. ¡°Everything¡¯s clear, but prepare your nose.¡±


    After everyone but the guards jumped down, they explored the place. There was only one direction to explore as the other direction was a dead end.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Pris raised her arms to stop the advance of those behind her. She placed her finger on her lips and ¡°Shh!¡± The sound of water being sprayed and clapped around. Something was moving in the water, dozens in number and coming straight at them. ¡°Looks like the enemy already know we are coming.¡±


    Relief washed over Rose heart. That the enemies already knew they were coming meant that her decision to blast through was the right one. At the same time, the fact that enemy already knew the attack didn¡¯t bode well for the success of the operation. She hoped they rescued the hostage in time.


    The bark of dogs entered their ears before their form entered their vision. The end of tunnel turned bright red as a swarm of black dogs passed through, bigger and more fearsome than German Shepherd. Their eyes blazed red, open wounds littered their bodies, and smoke and mist burst in their wake.


    ¡°Hellhound.¡± It came as no surprise for them since the Dollmaker was dabbling in summoning magic. Albert prepared his armor, Pris her barrier, and the rest their weapon.


    Alone, hellhound wasn¡¯t a dangerous monster, for a normal mage that is. Their physical abilities weren¡¯t that stronger from a police-trained German Shepherd; their fire breath could easily be avoided as long as you pay attention. The only problem with them was they exploded when they die or about to die, effectively becoming a mobile homing explosive. With the explosive power of a dynamite, it didn¡¯t possess much threat, but in a pack they became one, especially to those without the means to fight them from range. Not to mention the battleground inside a tunnel gave them a risk of cave-ins.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic.¡± Rose stepped in front of the group and raised her gloved hands. It was white on her left hand and black on her right. On the back were steel plate with hole where a huge ruby sat.


    She twisted her right hand like plucking an apple from a tree. And closed it shut.


    The hellhounds on the front tripped. And Rose¡¯s magic prevented the rest from jumping over the fallen, creating a domino effect for the rest of the pack until they all piled into a mound.


    Now she saw them in a pile, she realized their number was greater than what she originally thought. ¡°Pris,¡± she called.


    Pris erected a barrier around it. The hellhound barked and spat out fire, struggling to get up to no avail. They stick together and to the drowned floor like a glue.


    Rose clenched her fist even tighter and tighter and tighter. Each time, the hellhounds wailed and cried. Gravity pulled them to a ball of flesh and fire until it crushed them, setting a chain of explosions that consumed the pile of bodies in a blazing wrath.


    Pris¡¯ shield took the brunt of the explosion and Rose¡¯s magic kept it localized, but it was still enough to shake the whole sewer like an earthquake.


    ¡°W-what was that?¡± Rose magic amazed even Albert, who knew magic since the moment him was born,. Nothing like he ever seen before. And he had seen a lot.


    ¡°Gravity magic,¡± She answered in a point-of-fact manner like it was nothing. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She continued walking, leaving the still mesmerized Albert behind with his gaping mouth.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be so surprised.¡± Pris voice woke Albert from his daze. ¡°If it come to magic, there shouldn¡¯t be anyone who can beat her in terms of pure talent.¡± Pris spoke after Rose couldn¡¯t hear them. Rose would have stopped her if she heard it. ¡°Her late father talked about her talent and potential as a wonder of this world.¡±


    ¡°Her late father?¡±


    ¡°Search about it in your mind. The magic of house Arcturus should let you know about it.¡±


    Albert was confused at first. All he knew was their father were acquaintances, one of the few reasons they decided to take refuge in this city. But after searching in his own memory, a knowledge about Arcturus family suddenly popped up. One he shouldn¡¯t have known.


    Suddenly Rose touched the earphone on her left. ¡±What? Are you kidd- HOW?!¡± She took off the earphone, raised it high above her head, and almost smashed it to the ground if she didn¡¯t hold herself in the  last moment.


    ¡±What is it?¡± Albert and Pris asked at the same time. For a moment Pris looked weirdly at his direction as if wanting to say something, but she didn¡¯t bother and turned back towards Rose.


    ¡±That bastard! Rein¡­ The Dollmaker got him.¡±

 Prisoner

    Prisoner. That was how Rein would best describe his condition. Handcuffed, surrounded by armed men in military equipment, escorted inside an armored vehicle. After being questioned by Arthur - he didn¡¯t think interrogated is the right word - they told him that to keep him safe they had to move him to a safe house near the edge of the city. Letting him free wasn¡¯t a choice because the Dollmaker might target him.


    ¡±Just normal procedure.¡± That was what they said, but Rein knew they weren¡¯t treating him as a guest but a criminal. It made sense though, he committed crimes and doomed a woman a few days ago. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t mind this kind of treatment. But now wasn¡¯t the time. It wasn¡¯t about himself, but the safety and life of his escort.


    Death.


    The smell of death hung close to him. There was a disaster coming, an incident about to happen. There was no way he could forget after experiencing it so many times before. He could see the shadow tendrils reaching out to his surrounding and gripping the neck of everyone around him. It didn¡¯t yet close the grip, but it soon will.


    There¡¯s no way they¡¯d listen even if he explained it to them, but at least he will try on the off chance.


    ¡±Please, let me leave.¡± He pleaded. He had kept his silence from the beginning, so his voice came as a surprise to the six people sitting around him.


    ¡±What? Wanna take a piss?¡± One of them replied, and the rest laughed. Clearly, they harbored no respect for him. Just another escort mission. Another work they have to get done, but he didn¡¯t blame them.


    ¡±Please, we all will be in danger.¡± He wished to the gods, to any gods, that they¡¯d listen to him.


    The escort stopped their laugh, and all turned towards him. ¡±Are you threatening us?¡±


    ¡±No, you don¡¯t understand I¡¯m, Please! I¡¯m-¡± Rein closed his eyes. How and why he didn¡¯t know. Flash of light brighter than the sun pierced his eyelids and burned his eyes. Banging sound assaulted his ears and threatened to rupture his eardrums.


    He felt no pain. His eyes refused to open and his ears couldn¡¯t hear anything. His body might separate and his innards thrown all over the sideway and there¡¯s no way for him to confirm until his sight returned. Strange thought filled his heart and mind as he waited for the ringing and flashing to stop.


    Rein opened his eyes.


    He was kneeling on the asphalt road, unscathed. There was a burning frame of an armored vehicle behind him, cracked open by the explosion. He saw four men inside the frame, burning and unmoving. Two others laid on the ground, peppered by shrapnel that went through their jacket and protective clothing. None were breathing.


    He did this. He did this. He did this.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Rein wanted to scream, to shout, to cry for help and forgiveness. Eight more were added to the soul he took.


    He didn¡¯t know them, but they didn¡¯t deserve this. They weren¡¯t kind to him, but they didn¡¯t deserve this. This was a risk of their job, but they didn¡¯t deserve this. They were a son or daughter, husband or wife, father or mother, they had their loved ones; they have people waiting for them. Or if not, at least they had something they looked forward to. And now he took everything from them.


    He opened his trembling jaw. ¡±AHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± What came out was a primal cry of fury, a curse towards himself.


    ¡±You bastard!!!¡± Her on his shoulder. ¡±Where are you?!¡± She caused this, of everything. ¡±Come out you piece of shit!¡± Soon she would show herself. ¡±I know you will! Come out and get me!¡± But even after he shouted everything he had, after he exhausted every curse he knew, after he waited for eternity, she never showed herself.


    He was alone. With tears and blood, in a dark street in the middle of nowhere. ¡±Why? Why? Why?¡± He smashed his fist to the asphalt road, yet even after everything was dyed red, there was no pain to give him some form of penance.


    ¡±You can still save them, your two friends.¡± A soothing voice came behind him.


    He turned towards the voice. A golden-haired man stood there, with shining golden eyes and appearance that defy belief. ¡±Arthur? Wha-¡± He was at lost of words. Where did he come from?


    ¡±What I¡¯m doing here or how I¡¯m getting here isn¡¯t important.¡± Arthur wasn¡¯t looking at him, but gazing far to the distance. ¡±As much as I wish otherwise, if this goes on, Rose mission will not end up how you want it to end. She¡¯ll fulfill her mission, but will fail to rescue the woman you loved. She¡¯ll get to the Dollmaker, she¡¯s very powerful, but not before the Dollmaker sacrifice your loved, Iris. The Dollmaker knows Rose is coming the moment she took you under her custody.¡±


    ¡±What are you saying?¡± everything was so confusing. The certainty and confidence of his tone was unmistakable. As if speaking from memories.


    Arthur turned towards him, his golden eyes gleaming in the dark. ¡±I¡¯m giving you a choice. There¡¯re two things you can do now. You can turn away and return to the city. You¡¯ll sleep and wake up better than ever before. All your anomalies, all the emptiness in your heart, the numbness, gone from your life.  Forget about Rose, the Dollmaker, the anomalies, and magic, and Iris. You will be reborn a new man and start your life fresh. Unburdened by your past.¡±


    Arthur extended his arm out. On it was a phone. ¡±Or you can take this. It will lead you to where the Dollmaker and Iris are. With your help, she might be able to escape death.¡± With little thought Rein reached for the phone. ¡±But,¡± Arthur interrupted. ¡±The future that awaits you on this path will be worse than death. You will suffer, endlessly, repeatedly¡­ but maybe there will be light at the end of the tunnel waiting for you.¡±


    Rein paused for a moment. There was no telling what Arthur said was the truth, but the matter-of-fact way he delivered it would make anyone believed him, no matter how insane and outlandish the content actually is. And with the last few days of Rein life had been nothing but insane, there was no reason not to believe Arthur.


    He grabbed the phone.


    ¡±There¡®s never a choice.¡± Arthur said with a smile.


    With the phone in his hand, a sense of calmness and focus returned to Rein¡¯s body. Finally, his mind felt right and normal. ¡±You¡®re right, there¡®s never a choice.If I let Iris die, I can never forgive myself.¡±


    ¡±Though this result is inevitable, I have to thank you, Rein Constantine, for choosing this path. For the future you provide.¡± Arthur closed his eyes and smiled. A smile so serene and peaceful and genuine and calming it drove Rein to blush. ¡±Godspeed.¡±


    ¡±Thank you.¡± With that, Rein turned and walked away, taking each step towards the place shown on the phone. He¡¯ll save Iris even if he has to kill himself for it.


    Yet even with confidence and goodwill he headed there, what greeted him was pure terror and nightmare. As Arthur promised.

 Blood and Sin

    ¡°Wake up. Wake up.¡± A voice called him from the darkness, but his eyes had no strength to open.


    Rein was walking around the abandoned warehouse, searching for the secret entrance Arthur told him. But somewhere along the way, everything blacked out¡­ what happened?


    ¡°Wake up, dear child.¡± Something hit his cheek, hard, but he felt no pain. Ah yes, recently he couldn¡¯t feel pain anymore, nothing significant at least.


    ¡°Rein!¡± A voice called him. ¡°Rein!¡± A familiar female voice. ¡°Rein, wake up!¡± It was Iris. It was her voice calling him, but wasn¡¯t she kidnapped? That was why he captured that girl, that why he went to the warehouse, to rescue her. So how could he hear her?


    ¡°Ah!¡± His eyes snapped open as his mind returned.


    ¡°Finally, you wake up.¡± A soft voice of an old man greeted his wake. Following the voice, Rein turned his head. ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting.¡±


    The old man was grandfatherly, in his late fifties or early sixties, with big round glasses and a warm smile on his face. One wouldn¡¯t expect this old man to be the culprit behind the recent serial kidnapping, but his presence there was enough to prove he was behind everything.


    ¡°You bastard! You will pay for this!¡± Iris scream reached Rein¡¯s ears. She was tied to a wooden chair in the middle of a circle transcribed with mysterious runic letters. Seven other women circled her, laying with their body crucified to the floor. Their veiled face masked their scream of agony, but even then it was still very much audible.


    The old man snapped his finger, and a piece of cloth flew around Iris and covered her mouth. ¡±Shh~ don¡¯t be too loud. Our main guest is here.¡±


    ¡°I ... Iris?¡± Rein couldn¡¯t believe it. It was her, there, in front of his eyes. ¡°I ... Iris!¡± Happiness, sadness, sorrow, all swelled within his heart. His tears flowed as conflicting emotion clashed within his heart, draining his body of any strength it had left. He struggled to get nearer, but rope bound his limbs and body to a cross.


    ¡°Good. I know she¡¯s the perfect bait.¡± The old man smiled.


    Rein glared at the old man ¡°What do you want?!¡± His voice, now filled with raw emotions of anger and contempt, lashed out.


    But the old man only laughed. ¡°What do I want? You!¡± He chuckled. ¡°Iris and Friede Schmidt. The daughter of a very wealthy and powerful businessman. The man who controlled the magical drug trade in this continent. There are so many, countless even, men more powerful and more influential than you that I could threaten and blackmail with their lives, yet ... yet I choose you. Why do you think that is?¡±


    With the knife in his hand, he cut and ripped Rein¡¯s shirt, revealing the mark on his chest. Only, the mark was bigger now, much more complex and intricate than before, covering the entirety of his torso.


    ¡°Ahh~¡± He caressed the mark, with tenderness and love for a long-sought lover. Then his gaze snapped and locked with Rein. ¡°You, Rein Constantine, are the key, to a new, better, more beautiful world.¡± He walked back without breaking his stare on the mark, like a painter admiring his beautiful masterpiece. ¡°But you are, sadly, a rusted key. Rough, imperfect, and won¡¯t fit nicely to the door I want to open. I need to bathe you, polish you, baptize you with blood and sin and¡­ cruelty.¡±


    He circled around Iris while caressing her hair. Her beautiful hair was dirty with mud and slime and dirt. ¡°This,¡± he watched her with derogatory stare one would give a rabid mutt. ¡°She¡¯s merely a bait for you. Something to drive you forward, to do what is necessary.¡± He tapped her cheek. ¡°Tell her, Rein, my dear Rein, what you have gone through. What you are willing to do to save her.¡±


    ¡°No ...¡± His voice was shaking. He couldn¡¯t say it, not in front of Iris. He had prepared to face justice for what he had done. For Iris, he would commit even the most hideous of crime. But she mustn¡¯t know it was for her sake. It would be fine if the blame was on him, he would carry it without complaint. Even if the world blamed him, Iris wouldn¡¯t. Her tender and kind heart would only blame herself. He couldn¡¯t allow it. ¡°No ...¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°TELL HER!!¡± The old man roared. He put the knife on Iris¡¯ neck. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t get me wrong. I don¡¯t need her. I still have the other sister.¡±


    ¡°Friede ...¡± how did he forget about her. Surprised and happy as he was to meet Iris again, but to forget about Friede was just...


    ¡°Tell her now!¡± He pushed the knife, drawing blood from Iris¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I ... I ...¡± He wanted to tell her, but his voice didn¡¯t come out. The knife moved slowly, widening the wound. ¡°I kidnapped someone.¡±


    ¡°Louder!¡±


    ¡°I kidnapped a girl! I sent her here! and gave her to him so I can save you! I killed her!¡±


    The old man smiled and retracted his knife. ¡°Good. Do you hear that, miss? That must feel so good, doesn¡¯t it? To have someone love you so much he would commit a crime for you, kidnap for you, kill for you.¡± Iris released a muffled scream.


    ¡°Oh?¡± The old man faked a surprise. ¡°It¡¯s not enough? Do you hear that, Rein? She¡¯s not happy that you kidnapped someone for her sake. It¡¯s not nearly enough, she said.¡± he snapped his finger, releasing the bind that hung Rein to the cross and sending his body crashing to the concrete floor. ¡°Go on then, prove your undying love for her.¡±


    Even though his heart was rumbling with emotion, Rein still couldn¡¯t feel the pain from crashing from that height or feel the coldness of the floor. But it doesn¡¯t matter now.


    ¡°Come on, pick that up.¡± The old man pointed him to a knife laying on the floor. Rein had no choice but to pick it. ¡°Now, choose from one of your seven brides.¡±


    Rein couldn¡¯t fake stupidity. He knew what he meant by seven brides, and with the knife in his hand, he also knew what the old man was demanding of him. To bathe in blood and sin and cruelty he said.


    ¡°Come now. Or do you want to be bathed by the blood of this special bride instead?¡± He put the knife on Iris'' neck once again.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Steeling himself, he walked to the nearest woman laying on the floor. His hand shook and his knee trembled by the thought of what he was going to do. What Iris had to witness. The resolve to do whatever necessary to save Iris crumbled. The felt guilt and fear, dread and anxiety were too strong. He was weak.


    ¡°Open her veil and take a good look at your bride. And take off her gag.¡±


    Slowly opening the veil, he saw the terror-stricken face of a girl. Why? Why it has to be her? He cursed himself. He chose the one closest to him, and it was the girl he kidnapped. There was no mistaking it. No way he could forget her face his whole life.


    ¡±Removes her gag, Rein.¡± Rein removed the clothes binding her mouth.


    ¡°Please! Please! Please! I¡¯ll do anything, don¡¯t kill me!¡± The girl uttered over and over again. ¡°Please!¡± Her teary eyes pierced his heart, conscience, and soul. Even though he claimed to have doomed her, deep in his heart, consciously or not, he wished that she would somehow survive and escape the Dollmaker. To spare him the guilt and sin of killing her. Now, she will die by his hand.


    ¡±Now, consummate your marriage ¡­ by blood.¡±


    She doesn¡¯t deserve this. No one deserved this. But still, he raised the knife.


    ¡°Do it. Show how much you loved Iris!¡±


    In moments like this, he wished his heart was a rock; he wished the numbness would overtake him; he wished he couldn¡¯t feel anything, but he can. With his hand hanging over her chest, he gazed into her eyes. It was brown and round. Not much different from Iris. She had her family, like Iris. She had friends, like Iris. She had people she cared, she loved, and loved her back. Like Iris.


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± He raised his gaze towards Iris. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± Even for Iris, his hand refused to move.


    The old man squinted his eyes. ¡°For fuck¡¯s sake-¡° The old man raised the knife, ready to stab Iris instead.


    And Rein brought down his arms. ¡°AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!¡± The girl screamed He raised the knife and slammed it down again and again and again, masking her bloodied scream with his own.


    ¡°No, no, no!¡± Rein screamed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± blood splattered from the girl¡¯s chest with each swing, bathing him with her fresh red and warm blood. Even as her body went limp, even as her scream stopped, his arm and knife never stopped. Dancing to the music of spilled blood.


    Only after her blood stopped coming out did his arms stopped. By then, red painted his whole body. Rein gave the corpse underneath him a lifeless stare, and she returned with her own.


    ¡°Ahahahahhahahaahah!¡± The Dollmaker let out a maddened cackle. ¡°Marvelous! Marvelous!¡± All trace of sanity left him. His kind face twisted so irrecoverably that nothing left of his former self was visible. ¡°So exquisite! Pitiful! Poignant!¡±


    He grabbed Iris¡¯s head, who was trying to look away this whole time. ¡°Look at that! Your groom, see what he would do for you!¡± He turned her face. ¡°Come on! Say something, praise him at the very least!¡± All she could muster was a muffled scream. ¡°What, not enough? Hehahaha! Do you hear that boy? It¡¯s not enough! More blood for her!¡± Looking at the six other women chained to the ground only fueled the wicked fire burning in his heart. ¡°Six brides to go, Rein! Do it! For IRIS!¡±

 Assault II

    All that left his mouth were swears and curses. He advanced like a crazed demon of war, befitting of the blood in his veins. No matter how many monsters or automatons stood in his way, he cut them half like a stick in a whirlwind.


    ¡°Albert, wait, for heaven¡¯s sake!¡± Rose call was nothing but a futile attempt. In his heart was a singular rage and singular goal. Nothing else mattered.


    When she told him that Rein was captured, he ran ahead with his sword brandished. Swarms upon swarms of monsters and living dolls came to stop him, yet Albert crashed through them like a storm. Though Rose hoped he would stop and listen for a moment, his action undoubtedly helped her. Without him, they might only cover half of the distance.


    But Albert¡¯s rampage wasn¡¯t all benefit as it created another problem. He cared only about making way for his own advance, leaving the cleaning and leftover for Rose and the other. It would be far easier if she just let him do what he wanted, but she couldn¡¯t. She promised Arthur she¡¯d lead this operation and that she¡®ll keep Albert alive. That was why she exerted so much more effort than she needed to, so she could finish the swarm while still keeping an eye on Albert.


    But despite all that complaints, watching Albert fight was quite a feast for the eyes. His movement unnatural, silent like an owl, precise like a machine, yet with grace and elegance of a true master of the craft. His white armor and sword created a beautiful dance of light in the suffocating darkness of the tunnel. His technique was unusual yet refined, showing his talent while not overshadowing all the effort and hard works he put into it.


    Something else also took her attention. Part of Albert¡¯s armor turned metallic black, growing ever since he started his rampage. And from what little hole his armor had, she saw a black tattoo spreading on his skin. Along with the gradual change of his looks, there was a significant increase in his power.


    Albert had something up his sleeve, whether he himself aware of it wasn¡¯t clear. Now she knew why Arthur wanted Albert under special supervision and why he took such interest in him.


    Albert halted, turned, and took care of the surrounding doll. The one closest to him he cut into a hundred pieces. Overkill, but somewhat understandable with the fury in his heart. But the question became, why did he stop?


    ¡°Albert!¡± She finally caught up. ¡°You dam-¡° But Albert¡¯s hand interrupted her.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you hear that? A cry.¡± Now he mentioned it, there was a cry for help if she strained her ears hard enough. Which raised the question of how he distinguished that cry amid his rage. ¡°Friede,¡± he muttered softly before rushing off towards the sound.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Hey, you- wait!¡± What a handful person.


    ¡°My lady?¡± Pris caught up to her.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow him for now.¡± Rose ran, trying to catch up with Albert.


    By the time they reached him, he was already hugging Friede in front of a blown-out cell-door, trying his best to calm his terrified friend. Though the state of his heart didn¡®t allow him to do much.


    There was a lot of things Rose wanted to ask, but Albert beat him to the punch. ¡°Rose, please take care of Friede.¡±


    She wanted to protest; she wanted to. He would rush towards wherever he thought Rein was after he handed Friede to her. She had to stop him, force him to listen and wait so they could do this mission together. She was the leader of this mission for god¡¯s sake


    Yet, the moment she saw his eyes, she couldn¡¯t.


    It was cold eyes filled with undiluted malice and primal fury. Gaze dripping with killing intent enough to send chills down her spine. It was vexing and embarrassing to admit, a candidate for the Long Table cowered in fear in face of this young man. Her mind told her he wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm her, but her heart, body, and instinct didn¡¯t agree on that account.


    ¡°Sorry for burdening you on this.¡± Albert smiled as he said that. A forced smile, threatening and sinister. ¡°And sorry, but I have to be somewhere else. Stay with them, okay? They are good people you can trust.¡± He tried comforting the crying Friede.


    ¡°No, wait, Albert!¡± Friede tried to stop him, to grab his arms, but he evaded and vanished into the darkness of the sewer. ¡°You ... stupid idiot!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯re safe now. We¡¯ve cleared this place.¡± It was Rose turn calming Friede down. Rose can¡¯t even imagine how frightening it must have been. Kidnapped and held in a place filled with supernatural monster and living dolls.


    ¡°Safe?¡± Friede shouted while her tears kept flowing. ¡°You have seen nothing, Rose. What that guy ...¡± Her eyes went wide open. Her body trembled and turned cold and she vomited out what few foods she had in her stomach.


    She mustn¡¯t stay here. Her condition was terrible. Dehydrated, starving, and cold. ¡°Pris, take her back to Arthur. Give her-¡° Rose stopped when she felt a tugging on her arm.


    ¡°No ... please.¡± Her voice weak yet filled with unshakable determination. ¡°He, he wanted to use Rein and sister to ...¡± She swallowed her spit. Many times after that she opened her mouth, yet unable to put words what she had in mind. That gave Rose enough information about how dire the situation was.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Rose gazed straight into her eyes. ¡°I¡®ll protect them. You have my word.¡± Friede gave a weak smile of relief before passing out. Somehow she convinced Friede, but now ...


    ¡°Pris, take her back to Arthur and prepare an ambulance once we¡¯re done. Clara,, you go with Pris. Friede¡¯s safety is your number one priority. There should be no problem once you reach Arthur, but be careful on the way.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± Pris and Clara both answered at the same time before quickly racing to where they came with Friede on their arms.


    ¡°Now, we have to be quick.¡± Rose stared at the direction Albert went. This sewer was a maze with many branches and countless dead ends, yet Albert ran with full confidence. Maybe Friede told him the direction before she arrived. Whatever the roots of his confidence were, the safest bet was to follow him.

 That Thing

    ¡°Rein!¡± Albert kicked down the steel double door. Friede told him where the kidnapper¡¯s chamber was. Once he got the gist of the direction, it wasn¡¯t hard to find the door carved with strange symbols and marking.


    Silence and emptiness greeted him. Before his eyes was a circular room with a tall ceiling full of strange contraptions. The darkness was overwhelming, but he knew the place was different. The walls weren¡¯t covered with moss or slime, and the rotting stench wasn ... no, the place had a different smell. The smell of fresh blood.


    ¡°Rein! Where are you?!¡± There might be enemy waiting for him, but he wasn¡¯t afraid. He¡¯ll cut anything and anyone standing in his way. ¡°Re- What the ... fuck?¡±


    Six women lay on the floor, arranged in a circular pattern around something that wasn¡¯t there anymore. Knife wounds riddled their bodies. Their face- ¡°N-no!¡± He averted his gaze. He didn¡¯t want to think of it. He didn¡¯t want to think of the possibility. That one of them might be Iris.


    But ... but he wouldn¡¯t run away. He mustn¡¯t run away from reality no matter how cruel it was, or else it would just be a repeat of what happened thirteenth years ago. With heart weighed by fear, he moved his gaze towards their faces.


    A great burden was lifted off his shoulder when he realized none of those women was Iris, only for it to be seized by guilt. Even if Iris was safe, he shouldn¡¯t be relieved. Their bodies were still fresh, meaning they lost their lives not long ago. Something he could have prevented if he came faster. He could have saved them.


    ¡°No ...¡± This wasn¡¯t the time to wallow in guilt and self-pity. Rein and Iris, he could still save them.


    Yes. He wouldn¡¯t let what happened in the past to repeat.


    Raising his face, his gaze focused on the small door opposite from where he came in. The kidnapper must have taken Rein and Iris through that door. There would be obstacles and enemy waiting, but no matter. He cut them all the same.


    He was just about to take another step when a drop of slime fell in front of him. The floor sizzled and smoked and turned charred black.


    Albert stared at the source of the slime, the ceiling, and the demonic monstrosity stared back at him.


    -----Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    ¡°Now, let us continue.¡± The Dollmaker walked to the center of the room, where multiple summoning circles were stacked on top of one another. It took him weeks if not months just to make one of those. ¡°Put her down here.¡± He pointed at the where he stood.


    ¡°Mhhhhh!¡± Iris struggled in Rein¡¯s arm, but both of them had no power to do anything. Thin string controlled Rein¡¯s limbs like a doll. Iris¡¯ arms and legs were bound, her mouth gagged, and the arms that held her was stronger than his thin body suggested.


    ¡°Now, now, now, don¡¯t struggle much. The door will open soon.¡± He walked backward, ordering Rein to stood behind Iris to prepare for the final act.


    ¡°Marcuss ...¡± A grim voice called him from the back. When the Dollmaker turned, all he saw was a goat-headed statue of a man with two sets of glowing eye. ¡°How insolent ... Neglecting my sacrifice for so long ... and here you are, standing before me like nothing happened.¡±


    The Dollmaker only smiled. ¡°Ah, lord Balphegor. You see, I was fascinated by the supernatural, by what¡¯s out there beyond our normal sphere of knowledge and understanding. By the demonic knowledge, by your power. WAS.¡± He inched closer and closer to the statue, giving zero care to the growing hostile energy surrounding it. ¡°I sacrificed so much for you, and gained so much in return. But my greed knows no bound, you see. My thirst for knowledge of the unknown is unquenchable even by you.


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ve seen beyond what you¡¯ve seen. I¡¯ve known ... things beyond your wildest dream, beyond comprehension. Beyond what human or demon or gods can fathom. Viler than the vilest demon, older than oldest god, irrational and transcendental in every sense of the words. It calls me every night in my sleep, drives me mad with each of my waking moment, asks me questions that never been asked, and shows me things that never been showed. And you, Belphegor. So proud of your kind, is nothing more than a speck of dust in face of this ... thing that I met. You can¡¯t do anything to me anymore, I¡¯ve purged your blood from my veins and severed all contracts. Soon, that ... thing will grace us with its presence, and you fools are going to bend your knees.¡±


    ¡°You ... puny-¡° The Dollmaker smashed the statue with his fist. Without the demon blood within him, he was just slightly stronger than human. The act shattered his fist. But no matter, he won¡¯t need it soon enough. He¡¯ll leave this mortal vessel tonight.


    ¡°AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Foolish, puny demon. Ehm-¡° He cleared his throat and turned back towards the bride and groom he had prepared. ¡°Now, where were we? Ah yes. Finish your last bride, Rein.¡±


    Rein nodded. It was a gesture controlled by the Dollmaker, yet the Dollmaker still felt joy watching him follow like a good son. A son he never had. Rein¡¯s hand, holding the same knife he used to kill the other six women and still bathed with their blood, moved closer to Iris¡¯ neck.


    ¡°MmmmmmmmHHH!!!¡± Iris struggled wild, but the rope tying her didn¡¯t budge. And her head couldn¡¯t move. Rein held it so hard that her skin turned red.


    ¡°Ahh.¡± Tears dripped from the Dollmaker¡¯s cheeks. Words couldn¡¯t describe the joy he felt in his heart. After a decade of preparation, the thing he wanted the most on his life finally came to fruition. ¡°What a beautiful sight.¡±

 Assault III

    The demon roared, sending tremor to the entire underground complex of tunnels and sewers. It swung its arm wildly, creating a massive crack on the wall and sending debris flying all over the place. Yet its target always eluded it.


    Albert evaded the demon¡¯s attack. Then closed the distance between them. Like a flash of light, he swung his sword ten times in a single second, targeting the same place. He wasn¡¯t skilled enough to hit the exact same place each time, but he was close enough. Yet even with all his might put behind each attack, a swing strong enough to sever a steel rod, it barely exposed the demon¡®s blood.


    He jumped back and dodged another swing of the demon¡¯s arm. For a moment, Albert¡¯s gaze moved towards the small door the demon was guarding. He wanted to just ignore the demon and rushed there to save Rein and Iris, but ... he looked at the demon again.


    ¡°Albert!¡± The big door leading to the chamber swung open. Rose and the other poured in, only to halt in their tracks once they saw what was inside. A giant demon 4 meters tall with four blazing arms, lower bodies of a stallion, and head of a four-horned goat.


    There was no need and no time for explanation,. The demon lashed out and charged towards the entrance, using its massive body and strong legs as a deadly weapon.


    Though big and powerful, there was ample time and space to avoid such an attack.


    It crashed into the wall, cracking and shaking the entire room and threatening to collapse it.


    Not going to wait, Albert jumped and slashed at the demon¡¯s neck and face. Hoping that there its weakness lay. But he was wrong on two things. First, neither its face nor its neck was weaker than the rest of its body. Second, he thought crashing to a wall with that amount of force would confuse and even cause a concussion on the demon.


    The demon turned its head. The four horns, big as a man, moved towards Albert with enough force to crack concrete. Albert would have dodged it with no problem, but he was falling with nothing to kick, grab, or latch on to. He curled his body to prepare for the impact. But it never came.


    His body hovered away from the destructive horn swing. There was one explanation, he was looking at her. Rose¡¯s magic. Her face was red with anger and irritation. From the way she looked at him, it seemed she saw him more as the problem than that humongous demon.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    She flicked her wrist around, sending Albert hurling to the nearby wall and tumbling to the floor. He got up and marched on to her with complaints on the tip of his tongue. ¡°You basta-¡° but she flicked her wrist again, sending him back to the wall.


    ¡°Amateur should just stand by the side. Let the professional do it.¡± She turned her body away and faced the demon. There was never a worry about an attack coming from behind her.


    She sighed. She was fired up and excited when she saw Albert¡¯s armor turning black. The intense aura coming from his body and his sudden jump of power might give her a hint to why Arthur was so interested. But in the end, he was an amateur with no real experience. And looking at his pure white armor, it appeared the excitement was over.


    Rose pondered for a moment. With Pris, she could just tell Pris to create a barrier around the demon and then finish the demon off with her flame or gravity. But without Pris, there was no one there capable of restraining the demon¡¯s movement. Well, no one but herself that was.


    Rose opened her palms upward then twist it downward.


    The demon fell to its knees.


    It roared and thrashed its arm around. Though Rose magic made such a simple action seemed impossible. This wasn¡¯t a perfect solution unlike Pris¡¯ barrier, but it will do.


    She moved her hands around, drawing runic symbols on thin air. The same runes appeared around the demon. Red runes that glowed with intense malice. The air turned bright orange and the temperature inside the chamber rose rapidly.


    But as the runes appeared, the immense gravity that held the demon back vanished. It had drawn all the anger and ire the demon had inside it.


    It stood again. Wings grew from its back and a crown of flame lit up above the four-horned head. Yet Rose wasn¡¯t amused.


    She snapped her finger. And the demon went up in a cruel blaze.


    The demon roared loud enough to shook the heaven. But the roar soon faded as its skin burned, flesh melted, and bone turned to ash. So quickly it happened that Albert couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. The demon whose skin was so thick and strong his sword barely cut it was now a pile of ashes laying on the ground. But the most fearsome thing about it was how calm and composed the caster of that ungodly magic was. She didn¡¯t break a sweat or appeared even the tiniest bit of strain. As if magic of that scale was a child play to her.


    Rose snapped another finger. A gust of wind swapped the air from inside and outside the chamber, bringing the foul sewer stench along with it. But it had to be done. As impressive as her magic was, it was just a very powerful version of simple fire magic. It still took up oxygen and burned it into carbon dioxide. If she didn¡¯t swap the air, all of them would pass out from the lack of oxygen.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She said as she walked towards the small door on the end of the chamber, leaving the awed Albert behind.

 Ritual

    ¡°Iris ... Iris?¡± Rein was holding a knife by Iris'' throat, ready to cut it open. ¡°W-what?¡± he grabbed his own right hand, stopping it at the last moment.


    ¡°MHHHH!!!¡±


    ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± The Dollmaker asked. ¡°Do it!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡± But no matter how fierce or how hard he tried to fight his own body, all it did was slowing himself down, delaying the inevitable. The knife still edged towards Iris¡¯ neck. ¡°Please, no!¡±


    ¡®You¡¯ll suffer endlessly.¡¯ Arthur¡¯s words echoed in his head. ¡®repeatedly¡¯ Words he dismissed before. Was this his curse, destined to kill everything and everyone around him? He refused to believe it. Yet no matter what his belief was, his right arm was stronger than his left.


    ¡°Do it!¡±


    ¡°No ... no ... no.¡± Slowly but surely, the knife edge touched Iris¡¯ skin, and along with it, Rein¡¯s hope vanished. Killing those six women, for what? To protect Iris, but everything was useless. Powerless to fight, powerless to protect her. His best effort was nothing more than entertainment to be mocked. A pitiful attempt by a fool dancing to the tune of mistress fate.


    ¡°Hkkkk!¡± Iris let out a muffled scream.


    ¡°No, Iris!¡± No matter how hard he called her name, nothing would come to save him. If he could feel pain, he would have screamed as he forced his muscle to its absolute limit. Yet even his absolute limit, his absolute best didn¡¯t help him. ¡°No ...¡± Tears flowed down his cheek. He refused to believe it. He refused to give up. But part of him had given up. Some part of him had accepted the cruel reality. Part of him knew that it was in vain. ¡°I¡¯m ... sorry.¡±


    ¡°Giving up so soon?¡± The voice of a young boy woke him up. ¡°That¡¯s so very unlike you, Rein.¡±


    Somehow, Rein smiled. A self-mocking and self-deprecating smile. He came to mock him, to spat on all his effort. ¡°Fuck, you!¡± His left and right hands had gone completely numb.


    ¡°What?¡± the boy tilted his head. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you, Rein.¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± For just a moment, a light appeared in his eyes. But it disappeared a moment later. This was the ghost that always insulted him in the worst of time. Who always added salt to his wound. ¡°You fucking liar.¡±


    ¡°Hehe.¡± The boy smiled the most sinister looking smile an innocent face could produce. ¡°You know me.¡±


    ¡°FUCK OFF!!¡± Anger erupted in his heart. Rein was trying his best and failed. Now, this ghost raised his hope up only to smash him down harder than before.


    He used to feel guilty about him, about killing them. Now, nothing but anger and hatred. He hated them, hated them all. Their death was never his fault. He never wanted this curse, never wanted to kill them. Yet all they did was curse him, blame him, spat him on for something they themselves would have chosen and done. He only wanted a normal life, to have friends, family, and loved one. Yet it was all taken from him, and they hate him for it.


    ¡®She might yet be saved¡¯


    ¡°I can help you, dear.¡± A third voice entered his mind. It was a woman¡¯s voice, soft, caring, and beautiful. His eyes darted all over, desperate to find the voice. It was a familiar voice. He heard it before, but where, when, and whose. ¡°Where are you searching, dear? I¡¯m always here, with you.¡±


    It came from behind him, his right shoulder. He turned his head around. But before he could look, part of his mind already knew who it was and prepared him for it.


    Her countless eyes were staring at him. Thousands of gazes filled with ... kindness. The normal him would call himself crazy for seeing kindness in those eyes of madness. Yet despite her monstrous appearance, there was human warmth in those eyes.


    He didn¡¯t have to think for long, couldn¡¯t. No time to question why she wanted to help him. With each passing moment spent thinking, the knife came closer to cutting iris¡¯ life. ¡°Help me, please!¡± He cried out his desperation.


    ¡°Of course, dear.¡± Somehow, through her numerous deformed mouths, Rein saw a smile. Maybe, he was wrong all this time. Maybe ... she always appeared after a disaster happened to him, not because she caused it, but because she wanted to help him.


    Her tentacle-like limbs coiled around his own. It felt like a slug or snail was climbing over his body. ¡°Together, dear,¡± she whispered to his ears.


    He tried to move his numb arms again, pushing his right arm with his left. He felt a strong resistance, a tugging from the Dollmaker¡¯s string. But he kept pushing. Fine red lines appeared on his right arm, digging into his flesh and cutting his skin. It should hurt, but he felt nothing.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    ¡°What?¡± The invisible magic thread wrapped around Rein¡¯s right arm was already strained to its limit. A normal person wouldn¡¯t even be able to move once bound, but what drove Rein now wasn¡¯t human.


    When the Dollmaker heard Rein talking to thin air, he thought Rein might have lost his sanity. Only now did he realized Rein wasn¡¯t talking to his own imagination, but an invisible entity.


    Snap! The thread snaring Rein¡¯s arm broke. His right arm was bleeding heavily, but he paid no attention to it. Instead, with his freedom back he took off Iris bind and muffler. When he worked on one binding, ''she¡¯ helped him with the other. After finally freeing Iris, he hugged her tight in his embrace.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He whispered. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry.¡± He looked at her face.


    Iris was still fear-stricken. And her gaze was filled with terror, horror, and disgust. It was understandable. The man she looked at now had just mercilessly killed six helpless women and was about to slit her throat. He was controlled when he did that, but she knew no better, and he didn¡¯t deserve her understanding. And despite receiving such accusing look, he was glad. He couldn¡¯t forgive himself if he made Iris felt responsible for their death. Their death was on his hand and the Dollmaker, Iris had nothing to do with it.


    ¡°N-no. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± She opened her trembling jaw, using all her might just to utter a few comforting words. ¡°B-but, there¡¯s-there¡¯s something I must tell you-¡±


    Remembering they haven¡¯t escaped danger yet, Rein carried her body in his arms and ran for the exit. ¡°Save that for later. We must get out, right now.¡± He glanced behind him. The Dollmaker was grabbing his own head, his eyes blood-red and his face twisted with anger and madness. For some reason, he didn¡¯t chase after them, but there was no complaint.


    ¡°No! No! No! This isn¡¯t supposed to happen.¡± The Dollmaker kept screaming and scratching his own head, still not giving any attention to the escaping Rein and Iris.


    ¡°R-rein.¡± Iris squirmed as unbearable pain spread across her body. ¡°There¡¯s- there¡¯s something I must tell you-¡°


    ¡°Shh! I can hear that once we¡¯re safe.¡± He refused to hear what she wanted to say. He mustn¡¯t hear it, mustn¡¯t let her speak. He had a feeling that if he hears it, something terrible would happen. It was an unfounded fear, yet his heart throbbed each time she opened her mouth.


    ¡°R-rein, you must ... hear me-¡° Her voice became weaker and weaker and her body colder.


    Why? He screamed inside his mind and heart. He saved her didn¡¯t he, so why did life escape her body. Did the Dollmaker curse her as a failsafe if they escaped? Or was this his plan all along, to kill her as they ran away. To kill her in his arms.


    As realization dawned upon him that he could do nothing to stop her body from dying, his knees buckled underneath. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry, Iris. I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t save you.¡±


    ¡°Rein ...¡± Iris cold hand caressed his wet cheek. But when he raised his face to look at her, his heart sank even more. She was deathly pale, and even her lips had lost all its color. Her eyes were hazy and had no clarity or shine he fell in love with.


    He took her hand. He felt no cold before, no heat, and no pain even around Iris. Yet in a cruel twist of fate, in this moment he felt her fading heat like a normal person would. Felt each passing second of her breath getting weaker and weaker.


    ¡°Listen, It¡¯s about ... Friede, she¡¯s ... You ... mustn¡¯t ... ¡­ ¡­¡± Her eyes turned blank.


    ¡°Iris? Iris? Iris!¡± No matter how hard he screamed, no matter how hard he shook her body, she did not respond. Her hand on his cheek went limp. Her eyes and mouth were wide open, leaving the rest of her words unsaid. ¡°Iris! Iris!¡±


    ¡°Hehehehe.¡± Laughter came behind him, but before Rein could even turn, his body was pushed into a nearby wall. ¡°Serve you right.¡± The Dollmaker smiled before thrusting the dagger in his hand. Aiming for the heart, one attack to end it all. But ¡®she¡¯ on Rein¡¯s shoulder deflected it into his abdomen.


    The Dollmaker frowned. ¡°You are an incomplete key. But no matter. As long as I can open the door.¡± He pulled the dagger, but Rein grabbed it with his left hand to a complete stop. The Dollmaker smiled. ¡°Fool!¡± He put his weight, but the dagger didn¡¯t budge an inch.


    Blood pooled between Rein¡¯s legs. Blood from his stomach wound and his arm. His fingers were cut open to the bone from holding the dagger, yet he held still and not let go. Or more like, no reason to.


    He was ... calm. Tears flowed down his eyes, yet his heart was serene, devoid of any emotion. ¡°I ... I can¡¯t feel anything.¡± Neither sadness, nor anger, nor fear. His heart calm like the surface of water. Reflecting the moon and stars of an endless night.


    Realizing the futility of trying to pull the dagger, the Dollmaker pulled out another knife and aimed at Rein¡¯s neck. But ¡®she¡¯ deflected it once again, landing it on Rein¡¯s shoulder. But Rein didn¡¯t even flinch or even react, no reason to. Before, an excruciating pain would sting a little. Now, pain completely evaded him. ¡°Pointless.¡±


    He punched the Dollmaker with no restraint. A punch with no hatred, but enough to send a few of his teeth flying away.


    A perfect straight punch. Reading it a few more times from the internet was enough. The best posture, best angle, and best way. Not just his heart, his mind and memories now had the highest clarity.


    Yet even with a perfect punch, punching the Dollmaker so far and knocking his teeth off was a feat impossible even for an unrestrained human strength. Looking at his arms, the black slug-like tentacle coiling around it must have helped.


    He walked closer to the old man laying on the floor, struggling to get up. Rein pulled the knife from his shoulder and stabbed the old man¡®s guts, blade and handle. And twisted it inside him. Cry of pain escaped the old man¡¯s mouth. It was a big wound, and unlike him, no one there would help the old man. Rein¡¯s wound was more severe but Albert and Rose, their footsteps were getting closer and closer.


    Strange, he thought. With his consciousness in full clarity and without the sway of emotion, he could analyze himself unlike a normal person could. Right now there was no emotion in his heart, yet there was this urge and drive inside him to hurt the Dollmaker more and more. But he refrained himself, there were more important things to do.


    He turned and kneeled. Blinded by his own sadness and anger he didn¡¯t realize Iris was still breathing. Her eyes were wide open, her body was stiff as a corpse, and she didn¡¯t react to anything. But her heart was still beating.


    With complete calmness and absolute lack of emotion, he gave himself and Iris a first aid. After that, he picked up Iris unmoving body and walked away with the dagger still stuck on his stomach.

 Orphanage

    Rein remembered like it was yesterday. Sharp smell of piss, defecate, and rotting flesh that suffocated his throat. Dusty air, web-covered ceiling, dark room, and the squeaking of hundreds of rats and their horrible footsteps knocking on the wooden floor.


    He couldn¡¯t move or breathe. The air was hot and dry and he hadn¡¯t eaten or drunk anything in days. All around him, from babies to teens, all bound to bed with nothing but bones and maggot-ridden rotten skin that turned char black.


    Everything started with him. Because of him. His fault.


    Cursed child.


    The nannies called him that behind his back. They did a good job hiding their contempt and fear from him, but he was a smart and curious kid. He hated them for it and wanted to prove them wrong. But he was proven wrong instead. The nannies lay on the floor, dead. Their bodies paradise for rats and flies. And the other children were all waiting their turn, half-dead and half-conscious, groaning day and night in pain unimaginable.


    But he won¡¯t die. Not the first one to die at least. Because that ¡®thing¡¯, ¡®she¡¯ was there, watching and waiting and making sure he suffered for long. She ¡®stood¡¯ next to him by his bed. Her tentacles gripping each of his limbs. At least that what he thought when he was a kid. But now, maybe ¡®she¡¯ was tending him, sending the flies and mosquitoes and rats away from him. Keeping him warm when other freezes to death, keeping him cool as the other turned into a dried corpse. She could not interact with anyone other than him and did her best to save the only one she could. Keeping him alive until someone came to help.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    But no one came for days.


    The windows were clear. Closed and dusty but still see-through, yet no one ever came to help. Dozens of people walked by every single day, walking in a distance that should allow them to see inside. But for some reason, they could not see or notice what transpired inside. Even the garbagemen or vegetable-selling lady that came every morning didn¡¯t seem bothered that no one came out for days.


    One by one, kids around him stopped groaning. Until only one other was left. A young boy of ten with red-hooded jacket, Lee. Rein never knew him to be the toughest or healthiest, but fate willed him to survive all this time to suffer. They were good friends. When the other kids avoided him, Lee was the first to approach Rein when he arrived at the orphanage.


    When Rein¡¯s hope finally withered like most of the kid¡¯s corpse, then and only just then did help came. A local priest realized something was terribly wrong and broke down the locked front door by himself after police and firefighter refused to help for no reason. What he saw terrified him, but he braced himself and searched for someone still alive. If father Constantine hadn¡¯t fought his own fear, Rein wouldn¡¯t be able to dream about it now.


    He found Rein so thin, severely dehydrated, and barely clinging to life that doctor said it was a miracle he recovered. But the miracle didn¡¯t grace itself to Lee. He was alive when Constantine brought him to the hospital, but it was too late. The image of his dying body, with only skin and bones, was forever etched to Rein¡¯s brain.

 Aftermath

    ¡°Bro, bro.¡± He heard a voice called him in his dream. It was Albert¡¯s voice, so he woke up. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake.¡± Albert smiled seeing Rein opened his eyes. He rolled his sleeve and showed his wristwatch. ¡°Wanna get a breakfast?¡±


    Rein smiled too. A forced smile devoid of emotion, but in this situation, he should smile. ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel like it.¡± he could not feel hunger or pain, and any food tasted the same in his mouth. There was nothing driving him to eat but his own awareness of his need of food.


    ¡°I insist!¡± Albert grabbed both of Rein¡¯s shoulders and forced Rein to look into his eyes. Albert¡¯s gaze was burning serious, filled with anxiousness and worry. ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to eat but you have to.¡±


    Rein didn¡¯t notice his own condition, but he looked worse than horrible. His eyes sunken and folded under. His gaze unfocused. Skin rough and body thin to the bone. In fact, he was worse than during the night of raid three days prior. Unlike then, Albert couldn¡¯t feel any will to live coming from him. He worried what Rein would do if left alone.


    The glass door on the far end of the hall opened. Friede came with a plastic bag on each hand before shoving both to Albert. Inside were chicken and fries. ¡°Friede, thanks.¡± Albert thanked her.


    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t mention it.¡± She sat on the empty seat next to Albert. ¡°I know you guys won¡¯t eat unless someone brings it and shove it down your throat.¡± She turned her face towards the opposite side of the hall where a glass window to a room showed a woman connected to multiple life-support machines. ¡°How is her?¡±


    ¡°The doctor said her life isn¡¯t in danger, but her consciousness ¡­ we¡¯ll have to hope and pray.¡± Albert answered while chomping down his chicken.


    ¡°It¡¯s my curse, isn¡¯t it?¡± Rein suddenly spoke up. He asked the doctor after Iris came out of the emergency unit. Aside from mild dehydration, hypothermia, and the cut wound she suffered, there was nothing wrong with her condition. The emotional stress and shock she had to endure could contribute to her condition but Rein believed there was more to it than what they diagnosed.


    Albert and Friede looked at each other before answering Rein. Rose had briefed them the situation after everything calmed down, but not to Rein. ¡°That¡¯s the Dollmaker. He cast failsafe magic on Iris in case his plan went wrong. It¡¯s not your fault, Rein.¡± Albert answered.


    Arthur and Rose told them it was, doubtless, a curse. Most likely coming from Rein instead of the Dollmaker, but there¡¯s no way they could tell Rein the truth. Albert made Friede, Arthur, and Rose swear to not tell Rein which they all agreed to without much problem.


    ¡°Is that so?¡± Rein seemed utterly unconvinced by Albert¡¯s lie. Though his recent attitude and flat tone made it impossible for anyone to guess what he was truly thinking or feeling. ¡°Should have killed him when I had the chance.¡±


    The Dollmaker disappeared when Rose and Albert came. There were traces of blood where his body was, but they never found him. Though the injury Rein inflicted and the intense police patrol shouldn¡¯t allow him to get too far.


    ¡°Rein!¡± Friede stood up and faced him with reprimanding eyes. She put both her hand on the hips and leaned towards him, casting her shadow over his whole body. ¡°How can you say that?! Apologize.¡±


    Rein raised his brows. ¡°Apologize? To who?¡± His poker face and emotionless voice seem so unapologetic, almost mocking even. Of course, he never meant that.


    ¡°To who?¡± She pulled his head up. ¡°To me, to sister, to Albert. How can you talk about taking someone¡¯s life so easily? How do you think we feel when you talk about something like that?¡± Water filled Friede¡¯s eyes to the brim.


    It had only been three days since she was rescued. Despite everything, she tried her best to appear tough and act as if everything was normal. She tried to cheer him and Albert, knowing that the two of them couldn¡¯t operate without her or her sister. Even as far as taking care by buying them foods and drinks. But she was still a normal girl. No, she was a very powerful girl. If it was anyone else, they would be in a hospital bed now and would need months of therapy before worrying for others. But there she was, worrying for others instead of herself.


    Friede hugged him tight and buried her face on his shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t know if sister will ever wake up again. You¡¯ve been acting strange lately, Rein, I don¡¯t want to lose you too.¡± She drenched his shoulder.


    Rein stroke Friede¡¯s hair with slow and careful movement, unsure if this was the right course of action. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± It was monotone, but it was enough for both Albert and Friede.


    Friede let out a cry of surprise when her body was pulled backward suddenly. She, Rein, and Albert instantly turned their face towards the man who pulled her. But before anyone has the time to react, a fist flew to Rein¡¯s face.


    Albert stood up from his seat. ¡°Hey! What the fu-¡° But Rein grabbed his arms stopped Albert from doing anything unnecessary.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Albert.¡± Rein¡¯s left cheek was red. Looking up, a man of tall stature and rough face, of blond hair and blue eyes stood before him. ¡°Uncle.¡±


    The tall man fixed his black business suit and wiped his right knuckle. ¡°Get out! And never get near me or my daughters again!¡±


    ¡°Father!¡± Friede protested and struggled to get her arms off his grip.


    ¡°Friede, it¡¯s fine.¡± Rein gave her a reassuring smile and stood from his seat. ¡°I¡¯ll just go home.¡± Without wasting a moment, he turned his body and walked towards the exit door.


    ¡°Wait, Rein!¡± Friede reached her free arm out and called him, but Rein didn¡¯t look back.


    ¡°You, shut up!¡± Schmidt slapped her cheek, silencing her.


    Friede, with her red cheek and teary eyes, looked at Albert with pleading eyes. No need for words between the two friends. They knew what they must do. ¡°I¡¯ll excuse myself.¡± Albert stood up and chased after Rein.


    ¡°What an asshole,¡± Albert complained outside the hospital. ¡°Now of all time, he acts like a father.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think hitting your own daughter is acting fatherly.¡± Rein replied.


    ¡°Yeah, but at least he actually shows up in front of them. Wait, does that makes him better or worse?¡± It was no secret between the friends that Iris and Friede had no connection with their father. He gave them money, a place to live, and someone to help them with their daily lives, but that¡¯s it. They only ever met him once a month for a formal family dinner or when he attended a business that needed their presence. Their father didn¡¯t use to be like that, only after their mother passed away.


    When they reached the hospital parking lot, Rein turned. ¡°Thanks, Albert, I can take the train back home.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it¡­ hey, want to grab lunch at my house. Your father not home, right?¡± Albert had a hunch that if he let Rein return alone, he wouldn¡¯t eat. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back after that.¡± He pulled out his motorcycle key from his pocket.


    If he still had his sense of taste, he would have accepted that offer immediately. Albert¡¯s father was a world-famous chef, though he didn¡¯t work in a restaurant. ¡°What about your father? He doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m coming.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Dad¡¯s on a business trip overseas.¡±


    ¡°That means I can¡¯t taste your father¡¯s food. What¡¯s the purpose?¡±


    ¡°Heh, I¡¯m not Iris or Friede. You told me you can¡¯t taste anything remember? There¡¯s no different.¡± He rode his motorbike and started its engine. ¡°Come. It won¡¯t be long.¡±


    Rein sighed and shrugged his shoulder. With everything that had been happening and with his current condition, he wanted to organize his thought alone for a while. But it seemed Albert won¡¯t leave him alone. ¡°Fine, but I have to return before dark. There¡¯s a lot of stuff I need to do.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, sure.¡± Albert patted the seat behind him. ¡°Hop in.¡±


    Albert took Rein¡¯s word too literary and only allowed him to return home when the sun had set. He arrived at home when the sky turned dark.


    Rein cleaned up his house quickly before sitting at the dining table. Exhaustion had left him when Iris went into a coma, but there was a lot of things he had to think about. The first thing was ...


    Stabbing himself on the hand.


    He stabbed his own palm with zero hesitation and full force. The tip of the knife even showed up on the back of his hand. As he expected, he was completely devoid of fear and pain. His condition was much worse than before.


    To prevent further blood loss, he quickly bandaged his wound. Dying was not his intention, not yet. After that, he burned his hand, dip it in ice, and electrocuted himself. Each time he felt neither pain nor the tiniest bit of the sense he should have. There wasn¡¯t even the slightest bit of hesitation in his action.


    He sat back on the sofa in the living room with both his arm bandaged. Maybe he went overboard, but he had to confirm it. That he couldn¡¯t feel most senses and emotion anymore. Good thing his vision, hearing, and touch still functioning, but it was a matter of time. But now he couldn¡¯t even fear that bleak future. He couldn¡¯t dread it, or despair because of it. Stoic and calm, his heart still like a rock.


    But even with no emotion, the image of Iris going cold in his arm, going weak because of his curse, etched itself deep in his mind. The images played out in his mind again and again. Each time it played out, his sane mind told him to feel guilty, but his heart could not. The disparity between the two was maddening and ripping him apart from the inside.


    He opened his eyes and watched his surrounding. His house was quiet tonight, far too quiet.


    ¡°Lee. Come out.¡± He said with contempt in his voice. There was no hatred or anger in his heart, but he remembered who he supposed to be angry at and acted accordingly. ¡°I know you want to come out. I know you want to tell me and boast and mock me that no matter how hard I tried to save those I loved, I will only end up hurting them. Come out then, take this chance.¡±


    He waited and waited, but no matter how long, no answer came. Lee never showed up, nor did any ghost or abnormality that used to haunt him. After he left the Dollmaker to die and carried Iris to the hospital, neither the spirit nor the hallucination ever bothered him anymore. Even ¡®she¡¯ on his shoulder had gone silent too.


    He used to hate those spirits and abnormalities, but now they disappeared, he was alone with nothing to do. If only his heart could miss them, maybe he would.


    Rein stood up, heading to the drawer in his bedroom. Inside sat a piece of paper that wrote a few years ago. Hs will. There were times when he lost his reason to live. But when he thought of Iris and father Constantine and Friede and Albert, he pushed those suicidal thoughts deep inside and kept fighting on for dear life.


    Now he felt neither guilt nor fear not sympathy even for them.


    This was the best choice. He should have done this a long time ago and spared dozens of innocent lives from horrifying end. And if his hypothesis was correct and Iris went into a coma because of him, maybe it would be lifted after his death. If not, at least he wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone anymore.


    Well, that wasn¡¯t exactly the case either. He would hurt them one last time, but that was it, one last pain and no more. It would be hard for Albert, Friede, father, and Iris when she woke up. Unlike him, however, they had a life to live. They had friends other than him. They had things they could do, enjoyed without him. And for Iris, this world was filled with men so much better than him. No need to look far. He was a burden in each of their life. Life would be so much better for them and for everyone else if he hadn¡¯t approached them in the park many years ago.


    He put the paper on his table. Someone would find it after his death. Maybe the police when they search his house for the cause of suicide, maybe Albert or Friede or even father Constantine if he finally decides to enter this house. Whatever the case, he had done everything he had to do.

 Secret

    Rose arrived at the hospital when the sun went down. There were many responsibilities to take care of before going there. From ¡®cleaning up¡¯ the Dollmaker¡¯s base, looking for him, and a lot of other things in the raid''s aftermath. Securing and archiving artifacts was one burdensome responsibility of her. There were few among her staff capable of handling artifacts, so for the most part, she couldn¡®t relegate the task. Not to mention that if she found one deemed dangerous, she had to arrange for its containment and storage. If she could help it, she didn¡®t want to go to the hospital. But coming there wasn¡®t a simple visit but a business that required her personal attendance, else she would have sent the maids or Pris or the staff to check on Iris.


    ¡±How¡¯s she?¡±


    ¡±She¡¯ll survive.¡± Ernst Schmidt, one of her biggest clients, answered beside her


    Rose took a deep breath. The mission from Arthur, from the Long Table, was to prevent the ritual completion, and she did just that. Her secondary objective, however, was to capture the Dollmaker alive and save all the women the Dollmaker captured, both she failed spectacularly. That was her mission as a mage and member-in-training of the Long Table. This time, it was her job as the head of the Arcturus Company to take responsibility.


    ¡°I-¡± Her hands sweating. This was the first time the company failed a contract - a big one at that - since she took over leadership. "I¡¯d understand it if you want-¡±


    ¡°Don¡®t say it. I know what you¡¯re going to say, Arcturus, but I¡¯m not here for that.¡± Schmidt interrupted her nervous speech. ¡°You promised me you¡¯ll keep my daughters alive, and you delivered. In fact, I¡¯m thinking to extend the contract for a few more years, without involving Iris. It¡¯s been a ¡­ pleasure doing business with you.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Rose didn¡¯t know what to say. She never imagined returning with good news on her hand. It didn¡¯t feel right. She failed yet she rewarded.


    ¡±About your daughter-¡±


    Schmidt snapped. ¡±I think you don¡¯t understand the situation here, Arcturus. She¡¯s safe here in this hospital. I have men guard her twenty-four-seven. You don¡¯t have any business with her anymore! Just keep my other daughter safe and away from Rein Constantine.¡± He raised his palm and touched the glass window. ¡±This one ¡­ is still alive, I¡¯ll find some use of her.¡± He turned his face towards Rose. ¡±You can leave now, lady Arcturus.¡± His words sent chills all over Rose¡¯s body. IFrigid, cold and dark. He wasn¡®t the same man she made contract with years ago.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    But like he said. This was no longer her business. Iris Schmidt was safe and alive and was now under the care of her family. She was no longer her concern, as much as her heart said otherwise.


    ¡±Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± Rose took one more look at the unconscious woman on the other side of the window.


    Iris made her think about Rein Constantine. That night in the sewer, carrying Iris unconscious body was a foreign man, one Rose knew nothing about. The pungent smell and the shadowy figure on his shoulder were nowhere to be found. And from that moment, Rose didn¡¯t feel disgusted or repulsed by him. Only sadness and sympathy. The Rein Constantine she knew of, the one she monitored for a decade, was no more.


    ¡°Pris, I¡¯m ho-¡± Rose stopped herself. Right, Pris wasn¡¯t home. The punishment she promised Pris had to be delivered. She could delay it even further by arguing the Dollmaker wasn¡¯t caught yet, but it only delayed the inevitable. And with a report coming earlier that the Korean Black Axe was sending assassin her way, Rose found a perfect task for Pris.


    She threw herself on the sofa, body sprawling without grace or manners. The maids were out cleaning the Dollmaker¡¯s base and Arthur somewhere else preparing for the meeting with the underground bosses and politicians. There was no worry.


    No.


    Rose woke up from her sleeping position. Someone, no, something was moving inside the house.


    She raised her hand, preparing for anything.


    The walls trembled, and the furniture moved. Before she understands what happened, one section of the wall opened and revealed a stair downward.


    ¡±Wha-¡± The movement stopped. Rose waited and waited before inching closer to the new stair. It wasn¡¯t far, going only one level down.


    Pris told her once about this. Her late father loved puzzle and mysteries so much that when he became the head of Arcturus family, he renovated the manor to include multiple secret rooms and corridors and doors. Rose always thought of it as mere rumors, for neither Pris nor the maids ever proved such places existed.


    Was this one such room she wondered? How many more were there? And why does it open now?


    When her parents died, a lot of artifacts They had were lost and never been recovered since. Many, she thought, were stolen by the vultures and ¡¯friends¡¯ of her family.  But with the existence of secret rooms, there was a possibility that her parents hid it there. Was this the room they used to hide it?


    Rose¡¯s imagination went wild. Her heart beating with anticipation and excitement. She knew so little about her parent¡¯s death. Without considering any danger, Rose ran down the stair.


    What she saw there was a small circular study frozen in time. How many years had it been since the last person entered it, yet everything stayed in pristine condition. Dust barely covered the table or the lone chair sitting inside the room. Paintings of unknown vistas, and some of her father and mother covered the walls. There were wine bottles lining the side rack. But what caught her attention was a simple red book sitting on the study table.


    When she was little, she saw her father writing on this book in his free time.


    She put her hand on it and read her father¡¯s handwriting on the cover. ¡®My Beautiful Red Rose¡¯


    So many emotions were running around in her heart. With shaking hand she opened it.


    ¡®To my beautiful Red Rose. If you read this writing of mine, it means I have died. Killed in a cold-blooded conspiracy.¡¯

 The Meeting

    ¡°Cheers!¡± Arthur raised the champagne glass in his hand. It was an exquisite drinkware. The excellent craftsmanship put into making it was very apparent in its form and ease to grab. Glitters of diamond and shine of gold accentuated its price and luxury. The champagne contained inside was no less impressive. Made by the finest wine-maker, kept in the finest bottle, and aged for almost a hundred years. It was served by the finest bartender and brought to him by the most charming woman that ¡®gentleman¡¯ could find. All in a vain attempt to please him and gain the tiniest bit of his favor.


    Arthur wasn¡¯t a champagne connoisseur, he couldn¡¯t tell the difference between expensive and ultra-expensive champagne. And the gentlemen attempt to impress him with the price tags ended up making Arthur think less of him. The woman the gentleman offered wasn¡¯t that impressive either. Her looks and sexual appeal was doubtless astonishing for a human standard, but for someone who had seen beyond the realm of mortal, she was not all that special. And he wouldn¡¯t do anything even if he found her to his liking. The pleasure of flesh wasn¡¯t something he sought off, and he already set hit his heart for another. Arthur wouldn¡¯t blame the ¡®gentleman¡¯ though. If it was anyone else, the effort would have paid off.


    The gentleman was the boss of a powerful Mexican drug cartel. It wasn¡¯t biggest in the region and his connection wasn¡¯t the largest. But he was a rising star in recent years, drawing attention from both law enforcement and rival cartel alike. And he dealt not just with regular drugs, but also rare magical drugs. ¡®Magic Tonic¡¯ it was called. The newest and most popular magical drug in recent years. A partnership with him would be beneficial for Arcturus family.


    Arthur stood up from his seat, drawing every eye in the room. No one dared miss a single action he took.


    He smiled. Now he gazed at the entire conference room, the whole thing was laughable. Bosses and underbosses of criminal organizations, head of the police, generals and officers of the army, congressmen and congresswomen, politicians, and people of power.


    Normally it would have been impossible. The criminals would be wary of other criminals and the police and vice versa. Yet despite the danger and risk, they all came. With their million dollars suit and dresses and jewelry and gifts. With their face muscle stretched to its limit. With personal grudges and hatred locked behind thinly veiled manners and conduct. All to gain his grace and goodwill. But they won¡¯t, not in a chance.


    Arthur¡¯s only goal there was to reestablish the partnership between them and the Arcturus family. He came on Rose behalf and had no reason to give his blessing to people who ignored her these last few years. Most of these people wouldn¡¯t have come if Rose was standing there instead of him.


    ¡°My apologies, ladies and gentlemen. The night has turned late, and I must excuse myself. I hope everything we have discussed here will be beneficial for all of us, and that our partnership will last a lifetime ... or more.¡± He raised the glass once more. Everyone in the room followed suit. ¡°Long live, Arcturus.¡±


    ¡°Long live, Arcturus.¡± Everyone raised their voice in unison with no one lagging.


    ¡°Woah!¡± One of them shouted in surprise as golden aura enveloped her body. ¡°Hahahahaha.¡± She laughed as youthful energy and vigor filled her to the brim. ¡°This - this is amazing.¡± The wrinkles on her cheek and forehead, buried under layers of makeup, gone. Aching joints and failing eyesight, gone. Diabetes and liver problem, gone. One by one, Arthur¡¯s golden aura enveloped everyone.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Arthur watched with a smile on his face as they basked in their foolish ignorance. They got their health and youth back, and they would live a few years longer. Yet blinded by this worldly euphoria, they became unaware of the mark on their neck. Like a snake coiling around their throat and disappearing before anyone noticed. Binding their fate with their loyalty to Arcturus and Pendragon.


    Satisfied after accomplishing what he came for, he left the conference hall and walked towards his room in the hotel. As much as he wanted to stay in Rose¡¯s house, he had no more reason or excuse to do so. Staying at her house would only trouble her and he didn¡¯t want to test the limit of his self-restraint either.


    ¡°Lord Arthur.¡± When Arthur turned, an old man of Chinese ethnicity and a young woman stood behind him. His hunched back and white beard that reached the waist were enough indication of his age.


    Arthur smiled a genuine smile. He was the previous leader of a triad clan, the Red Dragon, and still held a lot of influence even now. He was one of the few who kept supporting and conducting business with Arcturus family even after the death of Rose¡¯s father. And he was the only one who didn¡¯t try to manipulate her as she grew. However, that was not to say he did it because he cared for Rose or Arcturus family. He was simply a wise man who knew his place in this world.


    ¡°Koi.¡± Arthur shook the old man¡¯s hand. He didn¡¯t invite Koi to this meeting, he had no need to, but this hotel had ties to the Red Dragon. No wonder he knew when Arthur came. ¡°And this is?¡± Arthur asked him about the young woman behind Koi.


    ¡°My granddaughter.¡± The woman bowed her head.


    ¡°Apologies if I may be frank, but you¡¯re not planning to do what others are trying to do right? You know me better than that.¡±


    ¡°Lord Arthur, the last time we met face to face was ten years ago. You were only a boy of twelve. A young boy who hasn¡¯t even reached puberty yet already sat on the seventh seat of the Long Table. So much power on the hand of one so young. Teenagers and young adult are usually adventurous and curious, especially about their sexuality. Though their ventures are often limited by their still limited power and authority. And in our line of work, people are rarely the celibate or loyal type in their relationship. So please forgive me if we assume that you do not differ from the rest of us in that matter.¡± He bowed his head.


    ¡°Raise your head, Koi. It¡¯s not your fault that you do what you normally do.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your understanding, Lord Arthur.¡± Koi raised his head. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a divine will that from the Long Table, you are the one closest to lady Rose. I can¡¯t imagine dealing with anyone other than you.¡±


    Arthur chuckled. ¡°Divine will? Is that the way you¡¯re going to flatter me, Koi? I reckon you will benefit more from dealing with the other. Cramming a few more years into your old bones isn¡¯t what you¡¯re after, right?¡±


    ¡°That is true, Lord Arthur. But you are very reasonable with your demand and very stable with your temper. If, let¡¯s say, it¡¯s Lord Fujii. I think he will just threaten us into submission and obliterate anyone who can¡¯t keep up with his ¡­ uh ¡­ ridiculous demand. I can¡¯t find a word to put it softly.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t compare me with Fujii. He¡¯s an odd one out even among the Long Table.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of which, Lord Arthur. I haven¡¯t seen anyone from your household staff. Even Miss Victoria. ¡°


    ¡°Oh, I left home and came here without telling anyone. By now they¡¯re probably on their way here.¡±


    ¡°You ... you arrange this conference all by yourself?¡±


    ¡°All the thing I¡¯m capable of doing, and you¡¯re surprised by that. But No, I have help from Arcturus family staff. They can¡¯t help, but It was more than enough.¡± Arthur¡®s eyes moved to his wristwatch. ¡°Ah, excuse me, Koi, I have to return to my room. If you have any business, you can call the Arcturus household.¡±


    Arthur turned his body and head to his own room. He wasn¡¯t really exhausted or tired, but he never liked conferences or meeting like this. Pretending and acting had been part of his life since he was born, but that didn¡¯t make him like it any better.

 The Gate

    Arthur opened the door to his room, a penthouse suite at the top of the hotel, and noticed that someone was already inside. He remembered telling the management not to let anyone in without his permission, and he didn¡¯t remember giving anyone permission. Either that person came from outside the skyscraper or the management let someone in, or someone who had control of the management forced them to let someone in. Either way, someone messed up bad.


    ¡°Finally, you come.¡± From the darkness of his penthouse, a woman''s voice came. ¡°I thought I would have slept waiting for you.¡± She stood up and turned on the light switch beside her. ¡°What¡®s taking you so long?¡±


    Arthur raised his brows. The woman sent to seduce him before paled compared to the blonde beauty standing before him now. And that hasn¡¯t even considering how she presented herself. The black see-through negligee that left little to the imagination, the garter belt, the high-heels, and the way she made her hips sway left and right as she walked towards him, everything about her was out of this world.


    The woman handed the silent Arthur a filled wine glass and tap it with hers. ¡°Cheers.¡± She turned her body away, giving him a view of her exposed back while shaking her hips invitingly. ¡°You must be tired after meeting all those scummy men and women. Do you want to take a bath fir-¡± Arthur¡¯s strong hand grabbed her waist. ¡°Ah, very impatient~¡± His hand went down, stroking along her smooth, flawless white thigh.


    Her face flushed, and she bit down her lips as Arthur¡¯s golden aura enveloped her. Her breath ragged and her heart thumping fast. It was her job to seduce him, yet it was she who ended up seduced.


    She put their wine glasses on the table. They won¡¯t be needing that anytime soon. As Arthur dragged her body by the waist to the bed, she followed him.


    She faced him by the bed. Her finger deftly traced around his broad chest and unbuttoned his shirt. But he grabbed her wrist and shoved her down on the bed without restraint. She let out a playful cry and opened her eyes.


    Death


    The amorous atmosphere in the air was blown away, replaced by overwhelming dread. Her body refused to move as it felt impending and unavoidable doom.


    Death


    Death


    Death


    His sharp golden eyes that sent her heart fluttering before now spelled only of her utter and absolute destruction. His cold gaze stripped her of any semblance of security and chilled the very core of her soul. All her knowledge, her skill, her training, rendered useless and trivial by the existence before her.


    The necklace on her neck suddenly let out a strong ray of light, enough to light up the dark penthouse and blind anyone who saw it. A pair of raven wings sprouted from her naked back, each as big as her own body and strong enough to smash human to puddle. But as strong her wings were, they were nothing.


    Regaining control of her own body, she immediately reached out to her thigh and stroked it. ¡°Wha- Where is it?¡± She found nothing. The things she prepared for such situations were gone. The light should distract her target for a while, but if she couldn¡¯t find her wea-


    ¡°Searching for this?¡± An ice-cold voice sent her body back to its paralyzed state. The only movement she could execute was a reflexive movement of her head towards him. Towards Arthur who held a long black curved sword in each hand.


    From the start, Arthur wasn¡¯t fooled by her acting. Back when he grabbed her wrist and thigh, he knew she was concealing her swords with magic, and took it without her even noticing..


    ¡±Speak!¡± Arthur¡¯s word threatened to shatter her very existence. And in that moment his command rang out, her throat and tongue moved again.


    ¡°W-who are you?¡±


    Arthur raised his brows. ¡°Ah-¡° The overwhelming aura crushing her body dissipated, causing her to immediately gasp for air. ¡°Oh ... Are you trying to assassinate me without knowing who I am?¡± He ruffled his own hair and sighed. Then came the chuckle and laughter ¡°Ahahahahaha I¡¯m so so sorry. That whole thing was unnecessary. Man, how could I forget-¡° He checked his breast pocket. ¡°I¡¯ve even prepared it before.¡±


    The woman, still holding her nearly crushed throat, was confused at the sudden change of situation. The sensation from before, when she had accepted her fate, was now replaced by a calming and kind sensation. A complete opposite aura, changed on a whim.


    ¡°Well, whatever. What done is done.¡± He threw the two swords next to her. ¡°I¡¯ll return this.¡± He turned his body and reached for the wine glasses she put down before.


    She knew she shouldn¡¯t do this, this was beyond stupid. But she had to complete her given mission, to assassinate the man in front of her. Her hand inched towards the two swords he returned, careful so he wouldn¡¯t notice.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Of course, it was a futile attempt. ¡°If you want to live another day, that is. Put down your weapon. There¡¯s no need for unnecessary bloodshed. Unless you¡¯re feeling suicidal, but I know you¡¯re not.¡±


    ¡°I-I come here to kill you.¡± The golden aura returned her confidence, to the point of recklessness and stupidity.


    ¡°No.¡± He picked up the two glasses and walked back. ¡°Someone like you will only hurt yourself by trying. Your blood is the only one that can be shed in this room.¡± He dragged a nearby chair and sat on it, facing her. ¡°Who sent you here?¡± He asked that, but her answer was of no importance. The way he questioned her was so casual he might as well be asking the weather.


    He extended his hand, offering her the refilled wine glass. She reached out but stopped before touching. After all, she was on a mission, and she drank only to support her acting. It slowed down her reaction, blurred her mind, and left her unprepared for unexpected situations. But thinking about how she already failed made her want to wash it all away with some drink. She took the wine and quickly gulped the whole glass down.


    ¡°No answer? Fine then. Looking at your wings, no doubt you¡¯re a fallen angel. There¡¯s a possibility that you are a mercenary hired by someone else, but I think that¡¯s very unlikely considering you don¡¯t even know who I am. And you fallen angels are very loyal to your cause ... as strange as that sound considering how you ended up being a fallen angel in the first place.


    ¡°Is it Grigori? ... no, he isn¡¯t the type to send assassins.¡± His monologue raised her suspicion and guard. He acted all friendly now, but they were enemies. He might check her reaction to confirm the truth of it. A sly smile appeared on his face.¡°Don¡¯t bother. I¡¯m not checking your reaction. And even if I do, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything you can do to prevent me. There are many more efficient ways to get the truth.¡±


    He cast his gaze down to the stirred wine in his hand. ¡°You see, I rarely have a conversation partner who I can talk with as equal. People come with agendas, or pre-conceived notion of my position, status, or what kind of person I am. They either revere me like a god or hate me to death. It¡¯s rare for me to meet someone who doesn¡¯t know who I am. My friends and allies know me and my enemies know me better.¡± He sipped his wine. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to converse with me, considering how we started on the wrong footing. But please humor me with the rambling of my thought.¡± He took another sip. ¡°Who knows, maybe you can get something useful after all.¡±


    He raised his gaze again. ¡°Is it Lucifer?¡± The woman tried her best to maintain her poker face. The matter concerning lord Lucifer was a taboo topic among the fallen angel. It must not be discussed nor uttered to outsiders. ¡°No ... he went missing five years ago, didn¡¯t he?¡± She shuddered but didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡°Samael, maybe? He¡¯s the type to send spies and assassins.¡± Arthur finished his drink. ¡°Well, whatever, the answer won¡¯t change anything.¡± He raised three fingers. ¡± There''re only three ways tonight will end for you. First, you will raise your swords and will not see the light of day ever again nor will your soul ever find the afterlife.


    ¡°Second, you¡®ll exit this room with empty hands and return to wherever you came from. You will continue whatever futile mission you have and will live for five or six more years before death finally embraces you. Maybe you¡¯ll see the end of the world, Armageddon, Ragnarok, whatever you¡¯re calling it. You will die then, and everything you have worked on for all your life will become null. Then you will be reborn in a better new world, unaware of your previous life. Or third-¡°


    He brought out a piece of paper from his breast pocket. She couldn¡®t not accept it, it wasn¡®t even a possibility.


    His crushing aura had taught her about absolute terror and the meaninglessness of her existence, then his soft aura returned her to a previous state of ignorance and bliss, but his speech just now brought her a terrifying realization. The man before her wasn¡¯t on the same level of existence as her or her master. She was - since her very first breath until the day her soul faces oblivion - on the mercy of his whim. She was merely an ant, a speck of dust to the radiant sun that was his being.


    ¡°You will go to this address the first thing tomorrow. There¡¯ll be a plane waiting for you at the airport, and a car after you land. You will find a friend of mine there and you will spend the rest of your hitherto miserable life with otherworldly bliss and joy until the day of reckoning come.¡±


    Arthur stood up from his chair. ¡°Take all the time you need before deciding. Though there¡¯s never actually a choice for you. Everything your parent taught you, your teacher taught you, your master taught you. Every relationship you had, every trauma you experienced, everything you saw, heard, tasted, smelled, and felt have shaped the present you, have made the choice for you.¡±


    He pointed at the bathroom and the bed. ¡°Feel free to use everything here to your heart content.¡± His gaze moved to the clock on the wall.The night had well passed its mid-point.


    Putting the wineglass on a nearby table, Arthur walked to the open area of the penthouse and raised his face towards the unnaturally dark sky. No moon and star in such a clear cloudless night.


    It was happening undetected and unnoticed by anyone but him. Despite the best Rose and Albert and Rein did that night during the raid, this chain of events was unstoppable. Rein¡¯s choice, Rose¡¯s choice, Albert¡¯s choice, a few actual choices in this unforgiving world, all contributed to this eventuality. The ¡®Other¡¯ some called them, the Ancient Horror, the Old Ones, the Great Ones, many were their names and terrible they were. The beings of Outer Realm.


    The gate opened.


    Though he couldn¡¯t say that Rose and Albert and Rein failed in their endeavor. This outcome wasn¡¯t the best for them, but neither was it the worst. The ¡®Key¡¯ and the ¡®Gate¡¯ the Dollmaker hoped to make was incomplete, but no one ever said it couldn¡®t be used. Rein didn¡¯t kill the love of his life and the Dollmaker failed to make him kill seven women. And thus, even if it opened, it was only a little and for a short while.


    Powerful the ¡®Other¡¯ were, they were still bound by stars and dimension, else this and countless other worlds would have been overrun since the dawn of time.


    Tonight, only one can pass, and with a great price. The gate couldn¡¯t handle its full might, and If it was caught between worlds when the gate closed, it would perish. How shameful and laughable that would be. For something so powerful and transcendental to disappear into obscurity due to mistiming.


    Would the risk cause the thing to hesitate and lose its only chance, or would it throw part of its transcendental power for a chance to nest, to set anchor in this virgin world? The thought made Arthur smile and chuckle in excitement of what was coming. ¡°Come now, make your choice ¡­ or are you too afraid?¡±


    The ¡®Thing¡¯ heard Arthur¡¯s taunt.


    It made its choice.

 Descent

    Strange. The sky was crystal in the afternoon and night. Yet the sky in that moment, seen from the tallest building in the city, was absent of stars and moon. So dark it was unnatural. But it didn¡¯t make him wonder. His life had always been filled with things beyond what his rational mind could comprehend, and those things were getting worse. Ghost, magic, and demon, this starless, moonless sky was merely one of those phenomena, there was nothing to worry about. Not like he could.


    Rein swept his eyes from side to side, taking the beautiful vista before him. He had seen it a few times before but always took it for granted. The million sparkling lights on the ground was a sea of stars itself.


    He stood on the edge of the roof. Looking down, it was much taller than he remembered. Back before he lost his fear, height and falling scared him the most. But now, even leaning over the edge such height didn¡¯t give him chills.


    ¡°I guess this is it.¡± he hovered one foot over the edge, but his body refused to follow through.


    Curious. He thought he had finished everything. There shouldn¡®t be any regret or hesitation, yet something kept him from jumping over. He brought his foot over the edge over and over again, only to subconsciously pull it a few seconds later.


    He wondered whether this strange hesitation came to everyone who attempted to kill themselves or was his case unique? Whatever the case, he took a deep breath and prepared to jump.


    Plop.


    Something touched his nose. Something white and wet.


    Snow.


    He extended his arms out and watched as snow fell on to his skin and melted. An exquisite sight that reminded him how much Iris loved snow. They often played outside in the winter when they were little. He and Albert always wanted to have a snowball fight while Friede and Iris wanted to make a snowman, and they always argued about what to do that day. One time he deliberately destroyed Iris¡¯ snowman, making her furious to get her attention. Instead, she ignored him the week after.


    ¡°Heh,¡± He chuckled. The snow hadn¡¯t come these last few days, and it chose this day to fall again. As if to remind him of the beautiful past. To make him doubt his decision. But there was no doubt. He already made his mind.


    There were many beautiful memories he had with Albert, Friede, and Iris. It would be a lie to say he didn¡¯t want more, but he had no future.


    Taking another deep breath, he prepared for one last jump. His instinct tried to stop him before. The world too. Now, nothing would stop him. Staring right at the abyss of death, he bent his knee and kicked the edge. Head first.


    But before gravity even claimed him, something grabbed him. It wasn¡¯t the ground. It was soft and ... warm.


    ¡°Dear, what are you doing?¡± A woman''s voice called him. It was an angelic voice, completely out of this world. Her voice was on the same scale as Arthur, but as a man, a woman¡¯s voice sounded more pleasant to his ears and mind.


    ¡°A-ahhh!¡± Chills went down Rein spine and fear crept up from his dangling legs. ¡°P-pull me up!¡± The sight of two hundred meters fall to the hard ground below overwhelmed his mind and heart with fear.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± The woman wanted to ask him something, but with his body being held upside down, he couldn¡¯t see her face. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, dear.¡±


    He floated back to the rooftops. His body crashed down as soon as they reached safety. By then, he was drenched in sweat and his heart pumped too much blood to his brain to function properly.


    He heard footsteps behind him, the woman that saved him. ¡°Thank you. Thank you.¡± His breath was ragged and his mind too shocked to even look at her. There was this strong irrational urge in his heart to turn and see her, but he simply could not.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    ¡°You look so glad I save you, dear. Then why jump in the first place? Did you know I¡¯m going to help you?¡± Rein had no answer for that.


    It was only after Rein¡¯s heart and body calmed down; he realized. His hands were ridden with sharp unending pain that beat with each second. The wind that blew over his face and the snow his exposed leg touched were frigid. Freezing him to the bone. His heart beat fast and hard like a gong. His face and neck were hot from the rushing blood. ¡°Hahaha ...¡± Laughter spilled out from his mouth. ¡°Hahahahahaha ...¡± While tears flooded down his cheeks once again. It was only then he turned and raised his face to his savior.


    He froze. His laughter and tears halted. All his overflowing emotion, all the overpowering senses, all the confusion in his mind were nothing, but a breeze compared to what he stood before his eyes.


    Hair darker than the darkest black, unfurled and blown high into the sky like the tentacle of a cyclopean horror. Yet its form and sways and the way it hung in the night sky was so exquisite, it commanded instantaneous admiration and terror.


    ¡°Ahaha ... ahahahaha ...¡± Rein¡¯s eyes were fixated on her ungodly appearance as maddened cackle escaped his mouth. It wasn¡¯t a laughter of joy, but laughter for the sake of laughter. His mind best attempt to cope with and rationalize things when it could not. ¡°Ahahahaha .... ahahahahaha ...¡±


    Her legs were those of goat hooves. Two horn crowned her head, pale white and rising to heaven before curving at the end. With metallic claws instead of fingers, so thin it seemed even a baby could break it, yet so sharp that diamond could not contain it. It was a tool of killing, yet its sleek appearance possessed a bizarre appeal like a decorative weapon.


    Those claws touched his cheek, caressed him with the longing and love of long-separated lovers. It gave the impression of a cold, emotionless tool. But it was warm and soft and more comfortable than anything he ever felt. The warmth of a living thing, a human warmth he had forgotten.


    She raised his face, making him look at her and her only. Making him gaze at her face that couldn¡¯t be described with words other than divine. She was a Goddess. There was no other explanation. A Goddess had descended from heaven to save him.


    A dark Goddess.


    Her skin, so white and so pure, untainted by the filth of this world yet also showed its sterility and its detachment from any sane realm of reality. Her lips, curved like the crescent moon, bathed by crimson blood, innocent yet so arousing to a human¡¯s eyes it turned even the holiest of man into a maddened beast of lust. Her eyes, so blue and so bright and so fierce it exposed his deepest truest being. Burning his soul and mind to ashes. Obliterating everything with her gaze like a blazing star brought down to earth.


    She brought their face closer. Close enough for him to hear and feel her breath, to smell her body fragrance. The sweet smell of heaven, binding his soul and made him an addict just by first exposure. Yet not without a hint of the pungent odor of the deepest depth of abyssal hell where she came from.


    Still, she brought her face closer and closer and closer until his lips touched hers. His nerves all fired, sending enough electrical signal to severe his spinal cord and fry his brain. Great furnace of magma lit and burned within his chest and loins, hotter and more intense than the core of the sun. A dark desire awakened within him, something he never experienced in his life.


    She parted his lips apart and pushed her snake-like tongue into his oral cavity. Her tongue coiled around his, licking and tickling every part of his inner mouth, yet it didn¡¯t stop there. It kept pushing and expanding into his nasal cavity, throat, and down to his windpipe. She left no room unoccupied. She filled his lungs, stomach, and intestines. Every orifice and open space in his body. Spike-like tendrils punctured the walls of his inner organs into his bloodstream and nerves endings. It wriggled like worms under his skin, making strange shape while latching on to everything that he is.


    But despite all the otherworldly horror happening to him and his body, all he felt was the repeated and continuous height of heavenly bliss. As he was brought higher and higher to the realm of pleasure unknown to men, his mind and body broke down further and further.


    With his mind and body on the brink of destruction, he gazed upwards towards the great white moon hanging on the dark night. It was massive, taking nearly a fourth of the empty night sky. So white and flawless, devoid of the holes and imperfection the normal moon had. It was a perfect sphere, with the edge bleeding crimson blood that burned the world in hellfire wherever it touched. Spaces distorted and reality broke down as the moon¡¯s pupil, its red iris gaze upon the sane realm of mortal.


    At him. Rein Constantine. ReIn CoNs StAnTine. rEiN cOnSaNTine. R Ein C0snahsa nlansahs881yy9 a 8ay d8watda wtijhk12h3ktdwa uh872he2 qt87 3iu3gqioyoq gp ieuh2 pi1ieu29rt4r 2gr8073t28 r0g23087r g823g r8723 rg328gr83g bf832gf82d7g 28fg3rgoi h3 4kj23h4kj h23k 42k3 g4k 4k N N l;?L¡¯;OhNl;ldnl;dnl;/l¡¯WLFB SKBLSDN L/LB. B¡¯lH Flhq2173qoflkn/ sH¡¯OHPhle FH¡¯f ¡® H h¡¯H¡¯ je;j flqh f¡¯Q Fh f¡¯q HF¡¯LH F¡¯H¡¯hF LBALF;OSH MK;BCK BX,;SBZ CJZVKJDHW:bnCBL I b Ibu hUVUv iuV v jhv UOV I¡¯OygpfKU J;GFud;¡¯G IfudYF;gfDpp¡¯fdoO pi FOU douf ¡® G fiuHJXHX T i FIGO h¡¯o GfycyXCig O;G O¡¯¡¯ph OPIGu fYIitcTUXCkufI G;Oh ¡® h Phg;i f uy I Gig IG og;IG Uyxur ,UIPg¡¯o ¡®Ogif C Irx ZE56[09]\- 0GP9UF G;IUgiG

 Morning

    Rein woke up drowned in sweat.


    Rein jumped from the bed. He had returned to his dull gray room, in his house, in the neighborhood he knew. Outside, the sun was rising over a city covered with fresh-fallen snow. The screen of his phone told him it was the day after he tried to kill himself. How did he get here? Did he slept and dreamed about the night? The clarity of mind had disappeared and everything it tried to conjure was blurry.


    The wound on his stomach, shoulder, and hands were all gone, but the mark on his chest was still there, clear as ever. No, it grew more complex now, spreading to the base of his thigh and arms. His heart and skin numb like a rock.


    It seemed he had escaped nothing. The dream wasn¡¯t even a good dream but a nightmare unlike anything he ever experienced. Ignoring the moon and strange occurrence, all that dream does was gave him a fleeting taste of his former self. A reminder of a life he and could no longer live.


    But terrible the dream was, Rein couldn¡¯t get it out of his head. What happened there was so outlandish yet also the most vivid and real dream he ever experienced. Everything engaged all five of his senses, maybe even a few others of his supernatural ones. He felt pain and raw emotion. And he could recall them, every single excruciating moment. The way the woman¡¯s tongue entered his body and wriggled inside him. Everything was so fascinating, yet so grotesque and ¡­


    A sound came from the first floor. The sound of the stove burning and cooking pan moving around.


    ¡±Father?¡± He asked. Had father returned? But father wouldn¡¯t enter the house. ¡±Friede?¡± It was not rare for Friede to barge into his house and made food without his consent ¨C he gave her a spare key in the past. Though after what happened in the hospital he doubted her father allowed her to come here. ¡±Who¡¯s there?!¡± He shouted down from the second floor, but still, the person didn¡¯t answer.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    He descended the stair, making as little sound as possible. If the worst comes to worst and someone broke into his house, his unfeeling body would be a great asset. But as he turned to the kitchen, ¡±Ah!¡± He gasped.


    She was there, still as transcendentally beautiful as in his dream. Her blue eyes burning like a Sirius in the sky. Skin of flawless white marble and hair a straight Blackhole. Yet her form wasn¡¯t demonic like in his dream. As human as he was, or even more so than him. The claw on her hand now delicate slender fingers. Her horns gone and her hooves now a beautiful pair of legs.


    ¡°Dear.¡± The smile ... the smile on her face made him realize his own beating heart, and the heat his body produced. The burning sensation between his legs, the coldness of the floor and the winter breeze from the opened windows. The bitter taste of his dried tongue. The wafting fragrance coming from her.


    ¡°Ah ... Ah ...¡± Just as his senses returned to him, so too did his overflowing joy. His hand trembled, and his knee buckled under the weight of such emotion. The woman quickly caught his body before it touched the ground.


    Her face, filled with worries made him wonder, who was she? How did she appear in his dream? Why was she here now? Why did she make such a worried expression? What was he to her? Why did she call him dear? A thousand more questions filled his head, yet only one question came out from his mouth. ¡°Wha- wha- what¡¯s your name?¡±


    She opened her luscious pink lips, and a sweet smell of heaven wafted into his nose. ¡°Irhkryx.¡± The voice that her beautiful red tongue made was a rough gargle. The word she made was alien and gibberish yet not unintelligible to his ears. He caught one among a thousand spoken at once. A beautiful name. The most beautiful name.


    ¡°I ... Irys.¡±

 Announcement (Not a chapter)

    Well, hello everyone who read this, ketu0 here. How do you like my story this time? If you do, or not, please give me some feedback so I can improve it in the future. you can do so by commenting in this chapter or PM me.


    Okay, why do I make this announcement? Well, there are a few reasons. First, because the first arc/book/whatever of this story is done. It''s not perfect and not the best version that it could have been, but I think it is good enough. I will try to fix and improve the grammar and writing style as I go, but I think the story is good enough for now.  Also if you haven''t realized, this story is a rewrite (?) of my first story here, The Game of Spirit.


    Also, a little info here, before I post the first chapter of this story here, I have finished writing the second draft of this story up to this point. So when I shared it here, I only need to edit the draft a few more times and not write the story from scratch. This helps me a lot since writing under pressure stresses me and makes me write whatever as long as I reach the word count.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Now the bad news. I will do the same for the next arc/part/book of this story. I''m going to finish writing the story on my laptop first before sharing it here, and it''s not done yet. Also, another bad news, writing only one story continuously is stressing me out, so, for now, I''m going to rewrite my other story for a few months before going back to this story. If there''s something I can call good news is that the first draft of the next arc of this story is half done and the rewrite of my other story is also half done. So it might not be as long as I originally thought.


    For everyone that follows my story, favorites it, rate it, commented on it, or just read it, I''m sorry. I know I left you with a cliffhanger and now I will leave you in the dark for a few months. but I rather do that than writing a story that I hate.


    Thank you all for reading the Anomalies. See you again in a few months.