Sitting across the room, Rue silently watched the sleeping figure of the person he was tasked to protect.

Fehlen is a young lad with a figure akin to a young woman but apart from that nothing really stands out from him, gawking at his sleeping figure tucked into a blanket a thought won't stop bothering his mind for a while now.

Why?

Why him?

“There is really nothing special about him…….”

Apart from his ability to cause troubles so fast nothing really felt that much notable to him.

Yet, the employer had told him to put all effort into finding Fehlen and protect him to the best of his ability.

Uninterested at first but soon the feeling of curiosity grew in him, to the point that it started giving restless nights thinking what could be special about him.

In the end he took the job for curiosity's sake.

His employer didn’t really leave any information on him, which ticked him off but having accepted the job already it’s too late to turn his back and turn the other way. As his experience has already told him; you either finish the job or the job will be the one finishing you.

Now forced to use his own information network led him to breadcrumbs trail data. Taking him over a year just to find the first reliable info about him. Based on his sources Fehlen was an orphan left at a small village in Ptera located near the border between Aspides and Zuiveren.

Now with a goal in mind he thought he would have just to depart to Ptera and continue his search there, but quickly proved wrong as during that time an ongoing feud between the merfolks and remnants of despair was ongoing resulting in any transportation towards the place being prohibited.

And even after the battle had ended his waiting came to no fruition as the village he was supposed to go to was eradicated from the map years prior to the battle.

Making his year of effort down the drain, though he contemplates why this info didn’t reach him for a long time, makes one think if someone is covering up the existence of the village.

Remembering every local resident he came across it seems no one really knows the village even existed in the first place.

With growing suspicion and curiosity he continued on his journey in trying to find Fehlen and after 2 years of a game of cat and mouse he finally managed to catch him.

At least what his next destination is, it seems that he stayed at a city in Zuiveren for a while and is now planning to depart towards Isanti. Not risking losing track of him yet again Rue didn’t think twice and quickly took off for Isanti.

Taking three years of effort he finally met the person he was tasked to find, the journey shouldn’t have taken this long but due to him postponing it and merely just doing it in his spare time it took longer than most expected it to be.

Rue knows full well at this point in time that he isn’t doing this for the money anymore neither was it out of goodwill, but just to satisfy his own greedy interest.

Upon meeting Fehlen for the first time, Rue was quickly caught off guard even though he had expected him to look like a woman in the first place, But to think it’s to this extent.

At first he thought the people were merely exaggerating but now come face to face with the truth, he had no choice but to accept that he is indeed beautiful like everyone has told him, comparable to the brightest of jewels found in the most dangerous of caves or in the deepest part of the ocean.

And with his demeanor and weird preference, Rue wonders if he is truly a guy like he claimed he is to be.

Deciding he has to first befriend the lad he pulled a little bit of strings in the background to have him and Fehlen share a room.

It worked unexpectedly well for the first day but things quickly went out of hand as he tried befriending him more, even bringing Fehlen to his grandmother for a reading.

Rue expected him to be a reserved person base on their previous interactions but was quickly proven wrong when Fehlen rushed out while saying incomprehensible things leaving him behind, at first he wanted to ask his grandmother for he thought it was weird that she can’t get a read from him but decided it for it later as Fehlen’s safety is far more important for him at the moment.

But now given time to recall his thoughts, he really is an enigma. Too much inconsistency and mystery surrounds his very existence, but nevertheless Rue will still use him for what he was worth.

He’s too paranoid, yet he warms up to him from time to time. Sometimes he looks at him in pity, sometimes in annoyance though not akin to hate Fehlen does have major trust issues and complicated mood swings.

Knowing all of that Rue knows getting on Fehlen’s good side will be rather painstaking.

Even now despite simply ‘sleeping quietly’, Rue can still feel a suffocating amount of Arcana in the air that is no doubt setted up by Fehlen in case he does something out of the ordinary.

“You really expected me to do something.”

Knock Knock

“Mister Fehlen, are you there?”

A sudden knock came from the other side of the door along with a voice belonging to one of the guards cutted through the thoughts in Rue’s mind.

‘I guess they’ve come to check up on him.’

Glancing to the door and back to Fehlen still sleeping, Rue stood up with a rather bored expression that quickly went away the moment he opened the door.

“Oh dear, Officer, come to check on Mr. Fehlen?”

Opening the door, the interrogator from before stood with a shocked expression in front of him.

“S-sir Rue! Why are you here?!”

“My, is there something wrong in checking the well being of an acquaintance?”

Picking up his accent yet again, a cold retort halted the guard question. Wanting to keep his job a little longer he decided to not push any further.

“N-not it’s fine, but…...”

Taking a slight glance to the crevice of the open door, the guard awkwardly smiled as he saw Fehlen lying in the bed with sheets covering him.

“I know what you came here for, but Fei is still sleeping soundly. So if you have any inquiries regarding his whereabouts you can take it to me.”

Moving to his right Rue covered the space the guard was peeking into using his body and with his free hand shutted the door close.

“I-if that’s the case, then please accompany us.”

“My, of course.”

Giving a slight bow the guard quickly went and started walking, not daring to even ask the Platinum man about his relation with the eye witness nor looking behind him.

Rue followed just behind, smiled at the guard’s misunderstanding but couldn’t really care enough to correct it as he merely watched.

☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉ ☉

Standing with a visible frown the guards and staff around felt uneasy at the platinum-haired man's sudden silence.

Holding a document, Rue is reading a set of files and pictures given to him as he entered the room.

‘So it’s them...huh.’

Gripping the paper to point it starting to crumple, some staff members quickly picked up at the sudden change in atmosphere and took a step back as they felt something bad was about to happen.

Realizing the staff's reaction around him, Rue let out a disgruntled sigh before turning to one of the guards.

“Does the girl really have the mark on her body?”

“Yes, it was on her left chest. It seems it was branded with a hot iron like the others.”

“Their ways really haven't changed at all.”

Hiding his disgust behind a stone-face facade he turned his eyes down to the laying girl sleeping rather peacefully at the bed.

Reaching down he carefully unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing, enough for him to take a peak but not enough for others to see.

And there on her chest is the mark of the devil, an old yet painful wound.

Engraved on her fair skin is a monster-like serpent with dragonic wings encircling itself as it bares its fangs on its own scale.

“Ouroboros.”

His lips trembled and his brows furrowed, his body struggling to even maintain what it was masking in the very beginning.

Ouroboros, a Sickening Organization supporting the remnants of despair.

They worshipped a god with no name and no title.

They claim to be the chosen one’s and the others as defectives.

And they brand all the slaves they acquired through any means by engraving the mark of their god on a part of their body and be used as tribute for their cause.

Rue knows he should turn his head away but chose not to.

As he needed to engrain this in his memory.

That another innocent victim is subjected to the torture of the damned cult.

Rue wonders what went through the girl's mind as she was captured by them out of nowhere.

As her loved ones were killed and tortured with her.

As the sizzling hot metal drew closer to her.

As it finally dawned on her that,

No one's gonna save her.

What expression was on her face?

Wha—

“S-sir are you fine?.”

A sudden tap on his shoulder broke his self deprecating thoughts.

“A-ah my apologies…...”

Regaining his senses back he put on a smile, as he slowly stepped away from the girl and lay the documents on one of the tables.

“I suppose you have notified the king regarding this?”

“Yes, we have sent a messenger. It will most likely take a week for him to reach the capital.”

Hearing that puts Rue’s mind at ease even if it will take a week to get the message across, being fully aware of that group's capabilities he will not dare to think or even try to face them without any precautions.

Scratching the back of his head he made his way to the door.

“Are you leaving sir?”

“Yeah, I have an appointment today so I hope you take good care of both Mr. Fehlen and this girl on my behalf, and this is not a request but an ORDER, I do hope you all understand that.”

For a second the guards felt like the room temperature suddenly dropped, even spending time with him for over a year they still couldn’t get used to his cold hollowed eyes and his voice that sent shivers down their spine.

“Understood!”

Answering in unison, the cold glare coming from the front left them quickly seeing their answer.

Opening the door the cold air in the room left along with the platinum haired man. Shutting the door, breaths of relief soon followed after.

“Damn he is too terrifying to be around with…....”

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I guess I’m back here again.

Even years of traveling I still can’t escape this dream of mine.

Everytime I sleep it comes and dugs it’s hideous claws in my mind laughing at my vain efforts to forget.

I’ve tried to run away so many times but no matter where I go, it still pulls me back here.

Back to my home.

Standing in front of this old church has been an occurrence in my life every so often.

I’d forgotten when it had started, was it when Master left? Or is it when I started running away?

Walking closer, I gave a passing glance at the flower beds laid intrinsically around the premise.

Dandelions, Rose, Lilies, Tulips, Hyacinth, Daisy, Jasmine, Poppies.

They are all spread across the land, with the entire place it’s own flower pot, a unique aroma lingers quite strongly in the air, a sweet remembrance and gift for all passerby.

I remember I used to water them everyday along with my siblings, mother will even scold us for over watering them sometimes.

I didn't really enjoy it back then, I was merely doing as I enjoy being with my siblings, as I hate being left out.

Now that I recall I think Anne was the only one that enjoyed it and we just went along.

|Why are the flowers bright red?|

Nostalgic as it was, I walked across the beautiful field with a frown.

Having every step heavier than the first, I continued on.

|Why is it slippery?|

Now across my eyes befall to another pigment of the past.

An old oak tree, No was it birch? Or is it camphor?

Theodore told me what type of tree it was back then, I just couldn’t remember it today.

Drawing my attention, I slowly approached it.

I liked hanging around this tree as the breeze the flows pass it brings me a sense of tranquility.

But with my siblings those times of silence doesn’t really last long enough.

|What is that thing swaying?|

Closer I Stopped, as I looked down and noticed a carving at the base of it's trunk.

Fehlen, Helena, Hanna, Tan, Anne, Jin, Layra, Theodore, Tristan.

My siblings.

I love them all equally, I enjoyed the fleeting moments we have together.

As we wasted our days playing, laughing, and eating.

I wonder if we could go back to those days?

|What happened?|

Kneeling down, I caressed the engravings with my delicate fingertips.

We used to sleep down here under the shade. The wind that flows around these parts brings us to deep slumber.

A sigh followed as I stood up, turning my back. I continued on moving.

Reaching my destination is the home I long since abandoned.

|What is that smell?|

Derelict as it was, this place still holds dozens of happy memories in its floorboards to it’s walls, from the ceiling to the windows, reflecting on it’s mirrors were halls of memories forgotten by time.

Entering the building was an easy imagery bath of sweet memories from the past, my eyes greeted by photographs and the well-loved furniture of years.

|Mother, why would you do this?!|

As I drowned myself in stagnant happiness a familiar hymn resounded inside the church.

Singing hymns is a pastime we do as we get scolded and forbidden to go outside. It's the only thing we can do.

I’m not really a good singer, but Helena always says I am.

I still think she was just teasing me to sing along.

|Getting rid of defects is normal, my dear.|

Turning my head around every direction, I tried to find where it was.

But I couldn’t.

I turned left to right but no one was there, I’m all alone yet the singing won’t cease. It continued on and on, repeating over and over in my mind.

I feel sick.

A morning hymn was supposed to sound exquisite and elegant, made to bring peace for the rest of the day, but the sound that echoed through the halls was far from that.

It sounded harrowing, a hymn that was supposed to be children singing in joy was reduced to a state of agony.

My stomach churns and twists as I continue to hear it, like a knot is stuck between my abdomen.

These children, they weren’t singing in joy but in pain, begging for escape, begging for help to come.

Their voices were hallowed with emotions; it couldn't even be described as singing anymore.

But just moans and sobs. Incoherent yet understandable. Terrifying yet pitiful. So distant yet so

…..close

…....those voices.

I know those voices.

My body felt limp, an agonizing pain floods into my chest. My strength left me and I fell to the ground on my knees.

My breaths came in short spasm intervals, in an effort to reach salvation I held both my hands on my ears, keeping myself from hearing these horrid voices.

They are here again. The voices, the memories, echoing, mocking, reminding me of my sins.

FEHLEN....

WHY FEHLEN....WHY DID YOU DO IT?!

I don’t want to hear it!

YOU KILLED HELENA!

No! It's not me!

YOU KILLED ANNE!

I didn’t...it’s not my fault...

YOU MONSTER!

N-no...I-I’m not.

YOU LEFT THEODORE TO DIE!

YOU JUST WATCHED AS ALL OF US DIE!

No...you’re wrong it’s not like that.

YOU LEFT US! YOU RAN AWAY FROM US!

I….No….It’s….no

YOU...

Stop...

|Defectives?.....Is that what my siblings are to you...just products for your own selfish desire?!|

No, I don’t want to hear these voices.

Please, I don't want to hear it.

|Well what else could you be? And don’t you blame their demise on me.|

No please…

|Huh? What the hell are you saying?! You killed them!|

|Oh have you not noticed or are you just running away from the fact yet again?|

Stop!

Please!

I don’t want to hear it!

PLEASE!

|You’re the one that killed them, Fehlen. You killed them. All of them.|

YOU FAILED THEM.

|You failed them.|

“Aaaaaahhhhhhhh!!!”

I screamed.

I screamed as hard as I could, jolting awake on the floor.

I don’t care if anyone can hear me.

I don’t care if someone can see me.

All I want is to scream my emotions out.

As my loud screams slowly turn hoarse I can feel hot streams of tears trailed across my cheeks.

Sobbing soon followed as I kneeled on the cold stone floor. Clenching my chest I tried to control my emotions to the best of my ability.

My breathing hitched with every passing second. My chest continued to constrict itself.

I can’t breath

My ragged breath and groans of pain are almost audible to the people outside, if it weren’t for the sheets I was crumpling on my face as I slouched on the cold floor.

I have to breath

Gritting my teeth, I steeled myself from the pain on my chest, slowly I took deep breaths, One after another.

“....”

As the pain in my chest has now subsided I let out a long deep sigh and slowly lifted up my gaze, Staring at the window sill with still blurry eyes, the sky was black and covered with poetry of stars looking down on me.

Drenched in sweat and still trembling from the nightmare I had just woken from, I silently wiped my face covered with snot and tears with the cloth in my hand.

“I’m never going to get used to it.” I murmured.

Now with a rather sound judgement I look around the room.

Empty?

Where is Rue?

Worriedly I reached for the door struggling to stand up for a second but soon maintaining a balance I slowly turned the knob.

Click

Twisting the doorknob resulted in an unusual click sound.

Someone locked it for me. It must be Rue.

Realizing that Rue must have left me and locked the door on his way out I tried to leave the room.

“—it’s stuck”

Confused at first I tried pushing the door open with a bit more force but to my dismay it wouldn't budge.

It feels like something is actively blocking the door from opening.

“The hell?”

With the fact I’m stuck inside this room settled inside my mind I gradually found this situation odd considering I just scream my lungs out yet I don’t hear any guard nor see one coming in here.

And speaking of hearing now with the ringing of my ears from the constant shouting stopped I can hear that it sounds unusually noisy than normal outside.

Turning my head back to my bed my eyes trailed off to the window. With a clear vision I can see smokes in the distance.

Concern brewed inside me as I hurriedly ran to the window to take a look.

Reaching the window sill I gape in horror as I laid my eyes down the city.

“Ah.”

Before me lay a disturbing sight.

The whole town was being engulfed by an Inferno. The furious blaze lit up the dark night, screams of the damned filled the air, all the while the blazing inferno grew larger and larger.

Down below red-hooded individuals litter the roads, looting every house,dragging away maidens and childrens, and executing everyone who dares stop them.

The smell of burning flesh permeated from my surroundings, I couldn’t move. Petrified to what I was seeing. Hundred emotions, Thousand questions, Millions thoughts passing through my mind as pandemonium ensues outside.

It took me a good five seconds for my mind to process what was happening, yet I still couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Stumbling back, a large explosion shook me out of my stupor followed by the shaking of my surroundings.

Confused and baffled I tried to move but due to the violent jerk of the building I fell to my side knocking my back to the wardrobe on my right.

“Ah-!”

Tremors continued on, crack around the wall slowly formed, signalling the time to leave the building is now upon us.

With that in mind I picked myself up and made a dash for the window.

Shielding my face I kicked open the glass window, broken glass and dust soon followed as the building I was in fell from the shaking of the ground and possibly from the explosions.

“Too close.”

Landing safely at the ground I used my right arm as a ledge to stand back up.

Laying my eyes to my surroundings I winced in pain as everything around was nothing but chaos, people running, children screaming, houses burning.

“No! Please!”

Turning my head to my right, I can see that one of the citizens is about to get killed by one of the assailants.

Seeing this I flick my wand and launch a spell aimed at the side of the attacker.

“Skoni.”

Unable to notice my attack the assailant flew into one of the burning houses with the amount of force I launched towards him.

Screams of pain soon followed as he was burned alive inside the house.

Doing my best to ignore the cries of agony I screamed at the woman I just saved.

“Hey! Get the hell out of here quick!”

Hearing this the woman nodded and quickly went on running towards one of the main gates out of the burning kingdom.

Now left alone I hurriedly picked myself up and faced the situation as it is now.

The whole town is being attacked, that’s it, I don’t know why or when it started but the citizens safety is far more important right now.

Running through burning streets and houses, I tried my best to extinguish as much flame and save as many civilians as I could.

My main preferred type of Arcana being Light is mainly used for boosting and healing, resulting in a rather easy time helping every injured and exhausted guards and civilians.

Though just like everyone else the Arcanum stored up in my body is declining at a much rapid pace due to how much I’m expending it at the moment. I doubt I can keep this momentum any much longer.

However I can probably use Skoni to steal arcana from nearby enemies if I could hit them enough times that is.

“That should be enough.” I said with a sigh of relief after healing a large wound at the back of a soldier.

“You have my thanks, miss.”

“It’s fine, are there any more of you that are injured?”

Receiving consecutives nods from them I grimaced. How long will my reservoir of Arcana last?

Tsk, No use thinking it’s better to use all of my mana than just watch as this kingdom falls apart.

“Then lead—”

Eh? What is this feeling? My legs won’t stop wobbling. I don't know why but my whole body is telling me to run.

Looking around me I can see the soldiers are trembling in the same state of paranoia as me.

“We finally found you Miss~”

“You’re the one taking out our followers left and right aren’t you?”

A pair of voices belonging to a child suddenly sounded in front of us.

The first one is rather giddily and the other is monotone.

Slowly turning my head towards the front I gulped as I clenched my wand harder than ever.

There standing along with revolting putrid scent is a pair of girls wearing a maid outfit both stained with blood and dirt.

Not even a minute has passed. A few of mens with me started throwing up, falling to their knees.

And I understand why.

Despite being young girls the bloodlust they exuded is undoubtedly terrifying and shouldn’t exist in a body of a little girl, they also have a nauseating smell coming off from them or atleast from one of them.

Narrowing my eyes to the one at the right I can feel a revolting tingle coming up my spine.

These two are dangerous.

Stepping back slowly I tried to not break my eye contact between us, in that way I can react quickly if they pull something.

“Gawking at my sister and I like that is kinda perverted don’t you think~”

Breaking the thick tension was the girl on the left, she looks rather carefree and happy...too happy.

She has long black hair unlike her “sister” who had short one. Both have iris colored eyes, the only noticeable difference between them is their height, the short haired one being shorter and rather uncaring about the whole situation unlike her other sister who seemingly wants to jump on us and cleave us in any second.

As seconds that felt like hours passed the silence between us was broken by one of the yelling of the guards.

“The hell are you gon—!””

But the noise left as quickly as it came.

Splash!

Turning my head in horror, one of the guards on my right has head completely blown off.

What next filled the silence was the sound of chains, knowing who it belonged to, I turned my head back to the girls.

The long haired one was now holding a bloodied morning star, looking closely I can see pieces of hair and skin belonging to the now fallen guard still stuck at the weapon.

In a small window of time the girl was able to kill the guy in one swift attack.

I want to throw up but I can't, my lungs and stomach contracts, I want to run but my legs won’t work.

I don’t want this, I want to run, I should have run.

“Aahhhhhh!!!”

“Kyaaaaa!!!”

In that moment chaos ensues as every guard starts screaming their heads off and is running around every direction they think is safe like a chicken without a head.

“Tsk! You damn beast!”

Few brave one’s rushed with weapons in their hands as they charged at the girls.

“Wait!” I shouted, They can’t win, they will die, all of us here will die.

But blinded with rage and confusion they didn’t heed me and next thing I heard was bones crushed and blooded splashed.

‘Damnit!’

Realizing I have no choice but to fight them I turned my wand at the short haired one, I don’t want to kill a kid but It’s for the best I told myself.

“Plomien!”

Uttering those words a sudden heat that soon turned to a raging fiery spear manifested in front of me which I quickly launched towards the girl.

Hitting the girl, an initial explosion occurred, a few houses I extinguished have caught on fire again.

Few soldiers behind me were caught off guard by the sudden attack even the long-haired maid ogled at me in clear glee.

The hell? I just burned her sister down and she’s smiling?

“It seems that you have skills to back you up, I suppose we will need to take drastic measures.”

“Eh—?”

Clouds of smoke slowly dissipated and slowly stepping out of it was the girl with still an uncaring look.

“How did—?”

As both my body and mind go in a state of turmoil upon seeing the girl come out unscatched I fail to notice until it’s too late that we are now surrounded.

Around us we’re red hooded individuals, some in the houses and some at the rooftops.

“I would have loved to butcher you missy but Mother will be mad at us if we play too long~.”

Mother?

Raising a brow from the girl's remarks, my stomach became rather queasy once more.

I can’t really see the word mother anymore in a new light.

Pushing my insecurities for now braced myself for the fight to come.

“Now will you all please die.”

Hearing that harsh tone, I was intending to cast a protective wall around us for support but suddenly stopped as someone dashed across the crowds and lifted me to my shoulders.

This coldness.

I know this feeling.

Turning my head to the person carrying me, A battered bloodied face greeted me.

“Rue?”