Sinking into the narrow maze of alleyways that formed through the cluster of shops within the main square of the town, Lucas could feel the repugnant, cold air of death hang densely around him. It took everything he had to withhold the urge to release bile; stepping through puddles of blood and entrails, missing appendages, being brought face-to-face with walls stained in these same innards.

Focus. Focus. Remember where you heard the voice--keep that one thought in your mind. It...It wasn't far from here. Find the building most likely holding survivors, Lucas thought.

​​

Like a sign from a higher power, his eyes met through the gap in the deathly alleway--landing on the presence of a large, barricaded home; it was clear basic Gaia magic was used as walls of stone made up the boundary of the house, as well as a weak barrier being set up.

It's powerful; strangely so. Magecraft of that level in a place like this? I don't know. From the usage of blood to inscribe the seal, it's likely an anti-darkness barrier. Good--but what if by trying to help...I end up just bringing down their only defense? No...Don't think like that--just do it! Lucas pumped himself up.

Leaving them be wasn't much of an option--while the barrier seemed to hold, it was clearly beginning to dry up and lose its power, with more and more husks gathering near it as their calls likely drew them near.

Preparing a sharp, potent wind around his hand to slice up the surrounding, rotten bodies patrolling the house--Lucas stopped just as something caught his eye. The familiar, circular plate of dense metal embedded into the cobblestone street.

A sewer, Lucas thought.

A disgusted, hesitant look came over him as he shook his head at the very idea, but deep inside--he knew it was the right move to make.

"I hate this. I hate this. I hate this."

Repeating this over and over to himself in a whisper, he removed the heavy lid aside before lowering himself into the unsavory pits. Even if he used a bit of wind magic to purify the stench crawling through the space of the sewer, the very aura of repugnance made his skin crawl with an itch.

If I'm right, as I should be, only the houses of those in power have proper plumbing. It shouldn't be difficult to find my way to...the sewage entrance to that manor, Lucas thought.

As the soles of his laced, low-boots met the floor of the sewer, a chill ran through his body as he felt the moist, sickening sewage waters touch his form.

Fidgeting as the aura of absolute vile, sickly, waste surrounded him, Lucas slapped both of his cheeks hard enough to turn them red.

Focus--this is about them, not you. This...This is what Sebastian would do, Lucas trembled.

Traversing the watery, tainted depths of the sewers--the width of which was populated with grime and waste, it felt as if each step was shackled by a ball and chain around his ankle. Every hair on his body stood as the sound of water being parted by lumbering steps came to his ears; it was dark within the bowels of the stench-ridden tunnel, making the noise that much more alarming to him.

A husk--down here? Lucas thought.

The familiar, drawn-out groans echoing off the acoustic walls of the abandoned sewer all but confirmed the identity of the enigmatic entity lurking in the depths. As soon as he manifested his mana into a tangible form, the unseen husk made itself known--throwing itself around the corner as it roared out towards him.

Such a drastic change in demeanor momentarily caught Lucas off-guard, but it didn't matter--it took nothing more than a swipe of his hand to unleash a visceral fit of condensed air, completely crushing the husk's head like a melon.

Watching as fragments of its skull and tainted blood mixed in with the repugnant river of the sewer, he briefly examined the body of the slowly drifting husk, its inanimate body being carried off by the gently flowing, murky waters.

It seemed the moment I amplified my magical energy, it went into fight mode, Lucas thought.

Taking an active effort to suppress his flowing magical energy, he slowly traversed the dank depths of the repulsive tunnels; the walls were marked in grime and substances he didn't dare think too hard about.

Through checking the grime-covered ladders, coated in rust, it seemed the ones in this section of the sewer system led to the town itself. Moving onward, he found the layout to be vexing--finding himself in an intersection of tunnels, six pathways to choose from with no inkling as to which was the one he was looking for.

I thought it'd be simple to--"just go straight"--where the manor was, but this damn place is confusing as all hell, Lucas thought.

Choosing to double down on his initial plan, he pushed onwards through the path directly in front of him. This new tunnel held a series of smaller, narrow tunnels down its length, all of which led to their own ladder.

What a confusing layout--I don't consider myself an expert on...sewers...but this is completely different from the little I know. I guess that's just something that comes with being in a different world, with different engineers, Lucas pondered.

Checking the one to his first left; he attempted to push the gate up--finding something to be weighing it down from atop.

Did someone try blocking it off?--Maybe this is the right path then, Lucas thought.

Using a bit of reinforcement this time, he pushed the cap to the sewer exit off, hearing the sound of something heavy slump over onto the ground above his head.

From what he could see from the slight view awarded to his eyes, he found himself in a humble cottage; the standard, timber-built house gave this conclusion to him quickly. Without a doubt, it was the cellar of the home--a conclusion easily discerned without seeing much as it was the only reasonable place for him to find himself poking out of a sewer entrance.

Listening to see if there were any nearby husks by their footsteps; Lucas lifted his head up to get a full look at the abode he found himself in--nearly dropping back down as his eyes met with the sight before him.

What was weighing down the sewer gate was the corpse of a man; dyed red in his own arterial fluid as his eyes remained open, glazed over with the veil of death.

Immediately, Lucas placed his hand over his mouth and nose to prevent himself from gagging, unable to help himself as his eyes scoured the room for further details. The first question that popped into his mind was, "Why is there a body here?"

After seeing the colossal husk gathering all of the corpses of the townspeople into the pile of decaying flesh in the center of the town, the question stuck in his mind for some reason. Getting a closer look as he hesitantly rolled the body of the man over with his trembling hand, he shot his hand back out of horror of what he revealed to himself.

The corpse's throat was torn open; the clean work of a blade, no doubt. It was something he couldn't explain--in the trance of horror and disgust, it was a herculean task to peel his eyes away from the sight of red.

He...He did this to himself? Lucas thought.

An answer came naturally as he saw the bloodied dagger laying near the cold, pale fingertips of the brown-haired man. Brushing his fingers against the hilt of the crimson-stained blade, he lifted his eyes to the wall, as the familiar combination of letters, written in blood, caught his eyes.

"Forgive me...God…"

Reading it out loud in a trembling whisper, something else came into his view finally, witnessing something that finally coaxed the tears to leave his eyes.

"...No…"

A small girl, likely no older than an elementary schooler, was slumped over against the wall. She held the same vacant look in her eyes, watching nothing but death. Drenched in a puddle of blood, her wound was different--a quick stab to the skull seemed to have done it.

It felt as if he was disgracing their existence by standing on the extensive puddles of crimson that ran across the floor, slowly backing up as it stuck to his soles.

The morbid curiosity natural to humans wasn't enough to keep his gaze locked on the heart-stopping view. He couldn't handle this sight any longer, covering his eyes as he squatted down, shaking his head as the conclusion of this depressing scenery came naturally to him.

The husks...The father likely knew...Death by the husks would be far worse. I...I doubt the little girl even realized what was happening---awful. This is awful---I can't do this. I can't. I can't. I'm not strong enough for this--my heart isn't, Lucas thought.

Being surrounded by such death, he couldn't place his resolve. It wasn't his own mortal end that held his heart unsteady; just the thought--the possibility of encountering more sights such as this was enough to sway whatever fickle will he had left within.

No...I've come this far. I can do it. Just a little more. You can do this, Lucas, he thought.