The moment a third rumble rippled across the dark sea, an entire band of gray robed men prepared for the inevitable. They sat on the shaky waters, raised their lion-crested banners, and locked their hands like praying children. A display of weakness for the arrogant, but a sign of good entertainment for the two bystanders watching from above.

One of them was a girl trapped in a fifteen year old body, while the other was a boy whose name only dead people could speak. Both were ancient, and both couldn’t care less for the trembling men below. They were only there to watch the carnage unfold, until the final piece of their plan arrives at the foot of their unscalable wall.

“do you think it’s one of them?” the girl asked, her golden eyes glistening beneath her black mask.

The boy answered with a frown. He wanted to be hopeful, but the long list of false predictions kept his optimism low. “no comment. I’m done playing the prophet”

“hm? But that’s what makes this fun!”

“it stopped being fun a long time ago”

“just do it for me then"

A pained smile emerged on the boy’s face. “you really want to see me suffer huh?”

“of course” the girl said without batting an eye. “I’m fond of you, so it makes me happy when you’re in pain”

Before the boy could start his rant on sadistic tendencies, a fourth rumble, far greater than the previous ones, turned their rigid stone wall into a giant rocking chair.

“it’s coming! It’s coming!” the girl swung her hand excitedly, but none of her slaps hit the mark. The boy already scooted one foot away, his red eyes glued at the pillar of water rising before of the men’s tight phalanx.

“contain!”

A powerful voice rose out of the group and spurred the men to action. They performed a synchronized clap and echoed the command with conviction. As a result, six sheets of glass materialized out of thin air, joined together to trap the monster inside a castle-sized cube.

The boy whistled. “these kids look good!”

As soon as the compliment left his lips, the cage’s roof bursted into a million fragments. Countless black tentacles latched on to the top edges and pulled out the rest of the monster’s body for all eyes to see. A tower of black scales crowned with a humanoid mouth, surrounded by a ring of muscular appendages that resembled flower petals.

“bind!”

Crystal chains sprung out of the sea and wrapped around the monster's upper body. Enraged, it let out an ear-splitting screech and shot its tentacles at the men, only to be rejected by a wall created from the same glass it shattered to break free.

“shower!”

With the target pinned in place, the men summoned countless glass arrows that rained down on the monster’s head. It squirmed and thrashed, but to no avail. The chains remained intact, and the projectiles continued pour, causing its tentacles to fold around its wounded head.

“halt!”

Once the last volley was released, the men jumped to their feet and filled the dark world with triumphant cheers. Hugs were exchanged, prayers were whispered, and of course, arrogant displays were championed above all else.

“victory!” the girl applauded them and made foolish noises of her own. But as for the boy, he didn’t even break a smile. His eyes remained glued to the monster’s concealed mouth, wishing for it to remain closed, wishing for the men to retreat while they still could.

“what’s wrong?” the girl asked. “aren’t you happy for them?”

The boy looked at her with grim eyes. “you haven’t seen a hell flower yet have you?”

“it’s my first time seeing one in the flesh, and to be honest, I don’t understand why its more dangerous than hell fishes”

“but you read its section in the manual right?”

The girl scowled. “of course I did! It’s the third on the list!”

“did you read the remarks at the bottom?”

While the girl rummaged her memories, a chorus of gasps rose from below and made the boy's hairs stand. He pulled the girl to him and covered her mouth with both hands. She resisted at first, but after a speck of red dust passed before her eyes, the anger in her face turned into a horrified realization.

“do you remember now?” the boy asked, his eyes now rested at the men who stood as still as statues. They no longer laughed, cheered, nor showed any sign of joy in their faces. All that remained were open mouths and wide eyes, captivated by the red pollen escaping out of monster’s reopened head.

“so pretty”

“let’s gather some and present it to the king”

“we'll surely be rewarded for this!”

The men removed their robes and fashioned them into sacks. They broke away from formation and made tight circles, catching as much of the red dust as they could.

“stop this now!” a white haired man stood in their midst and brandished a sword. Only he and the guard beside him had their robes intact. A sight that did not sit well with the rest of the men.

“ease up lieutenant, we already won”

“he’s right. you’re always so uptight, relax"

The lieutenant swung his sword. “we can’t let our guards down! Get back to your positions, it’s time for us to go back!”

Despite using the commanding voice that ordered the men through out the battle, the white haired man failed to regain control of his group. He repeated his commands and even included threats of crucifixion, but his men would no longer listen, they’ve already become their own masters.

“my arm!”

A sudden scream pulled everyone back to their senses. It was a comardes kneeled on the waters, his right shoulder now resembling the hell flower's tentacles.

“son of Ryla...

“what the hell is that?!”

The bald man fell on his face as another tentacle bursted out of his other shoulder. “cut them off... Please...”

“hold still!” one of the men pulled out a knife from his tunic and approached his comrade. He held the tentacle’s tip and raised his knife high, but when it was time to swing it, tentacles bursted out of his skull.

“fall back!” the leader pointed his sword at the wall and lead the retreat. Legs, arms, even parts meant only for intimacy, all began to explode into tendrils as they ran across the still waters.

By the time they reached the wall’s entrance, only the leader and his loyal guard remained in one piece. The rest were either dead, or manipulated. Flesh puppets obedient to the tentacles’ will.

“son, quick!” the leader yanked the metal bar fastened on the wall's entrance. “help me open this!”

The guard did not reply. He merely gave a feeble nod and turned towards the undead mob, stripping his robes and under garments to expose the serpentine marks squirming underneath his skin.

“Yotan...” the leader fell to his knees and called out to his son repeatedly. Instead of obeying his orders, the child dragged his feet forward and greeted the tentacles reaching out from their comrades’ bodies.

“what a waste” the boy removed his hold on the girl’s mouth and rested on his back. “thank goodness I didn’t predict a victory”

The girl chuckled. “but you’re still pained”

“quit dreaming. I don’t care what happens to those fools”

“I’ve observed you for fifty years now. You don’t avert your eyes when you don’t care”

The boy bit his lip and distracted himself with the stars. He wanted to interfere, to repay the man for his entertaining show. But he could not do it. They only had three tries to make the right decision. He can not afford to waste one on a person who’s clearly not the final piece.

“hey” the girl said. “they’re dragging him to the flower now”

“so what?”

“let’s save him”

The boy clenched his fists. “three tries is all we have. We can’t waste any of them for a fool”

“he’s the only entertaining fool we had in a while. We can’t let him end like this”

Before the boy could summon more will to resist, he found himself gazing back at the man being dragged like a lamb for slaughter. Forget about the final piece, the girl was right. They can not let a man who fought a good fight die as a loser. Not when both of them knew how painful it was to be one.

“so we’re doing it?” the girl asked.

He bowed his head and locked his hands. “quickly”

Without hesitation or delay, the girl jumped off the wall and dove head first into the scene. The hell flower sent its tentacles to catch her, but the moment they snagged her cloak, her body vanished without a trace.

“what was that for?!” the boy asked.

A giggle rang in his head. “I was wondering how fast it was”

“was the whole battle not enough?”

“stop whining and call me already!”

The boy rolled his eyes before closing them. One thought after another, he cleared his head of all distractions and freed his heart from doubt, preparing himself for the suffering he was about to endure once he spoke the girl’s name.

“Erze, come forth”

Searing pain blossomed in his chest and crawled out up to his fingertips. His skin sizzled, his flesh screamed and still, his mind remained intact. All thanks to the playful melody created by the girl’s unleashed soul.

“ready when you are” the girl said.

The boy nodded and said. “needle"

In the blink of an eye, a glass spear materialized above his head. It darted straight to the flower and drilled through its tentacles, sinking itself deep into the monster's head.

There was no scream nor struggle. After the spear returned to the boy, the hell flower's tentacles grew limp. At its feet, the flesh puppets fell on their faces and left their captive on his knees, sobbing silently in front of his son’s remaining upper body.

“my, this man is heavy" the spear carried the man to the wall and the boy knocked him out with a punch. As he slept, the weapon returned to her human form and kissed his lips, transferring a portion of her blood to slow the growth of the tentacles inside him.

“there!” the girl said with a satisfied grin. “one hour conversation secured!”

The boy shook his head. “not really, we still need wait until he wakes up"

“then why did you knock him out in the first place?!”

“do you think he'll just let you waltz to a kiss?”

“hmp!” the girl folded her arms and whipped her head sideways. “I'm fast! He won't even know what hit him!”

The boy leered at the void blood splattered on the floor. “you filthy brat, do you know many hours it took to mop this roof?”

“I'm not fil..." the girl trailed off as huge lumps of black blood slid down her forhead. It was not fatal nor poisonous, atleast not to them. But the sheer stench it carried was enough to challenge the boy's high tolerance to filth.

“see?” he said. “you're disgusting, take a bath now"

The girl flicked a handful on his face and proceeded to spread it like icing on a cake. “oh I'm really sorry, my hand slipped. What were you saying again?”

“you're going to wash me for this"

“sure"

“huh?” the boy scooted away. “come again?”

“we have to wait right?” the girl’s mischievous eyes went to the trap door beside the boy. “why don't we take a bath? We haven't shared one in a while”

No more words were exchanged. The boy gestured for her to enter, walked behind her along the stairs, and opened the door of their cell. It was more of a house than an actual prison. A spacious room with two wardrobes on the right, and a narrow space for a bathtub on the left. Separated by a glass wall that shattered whenever someone made contact with it.

“hold this”

The girl dumped her clothes on the boy’s face and sat at the edge of the bathtub. Only a black undergarment covered her hips, while the rest of her petite body hid under the black hair falling from the sides of her angelic face.

“what’s with that look?” the boy asked, leering at the girl’s smug smile.

“go ahead” she said. “let me see your pathetic body”

Despite the urge to dunk a wooden pail on her head, the boy stripped down to his undergarments and opened the faucet. “there, happy now?”

“ugh, all fluff no muscle”

He tossed a green bottle on her lap. “sorry, my genes only kicked in after a reached twenty”

“that’s late even for a late bloomer”

“don’t rub salt on my wounds”

She drew close and ordered him to turn. After a few rinses, she applied fragrant oil on her hands and massaged his head. “don’t be too down, I still love your hair”

“really? How come?”

“I love how strange it is"

He grunted. “white and wavy. Yeah, very strange indeed”

She pinched his cheek. “stop being so defensive, that’s not what I meant”

“then what?”

“it’s so soft” she stroked his head with surprising gentleness. “I want to pull it until it straightens, then watch it coil back once I let go”

He chuckled. “you’ve done that already have you?”

“a couple of times. When you’re actually sleeping silently”

“hey, I’m a quiet sleeper”

“says the one who cried again last night”

He blinked. “I did?”

“you screamed her name, repeatedly”

“so that’s why you pressed a pillow on my face, huh?”

She dunked the pail on his head. “what do you want me to do? Pacify you with my lips?”

He switched places with her and poured water on her head. “a woman’s comfort is always a welcomed thing”

She combed away her hair and exposed her smooth back. “touch my breasts and your dead. Got it?”

“they don’t even exist”

Murderous eyes glanced above her shoulders. “pardon?”

He poked her cheek away and got to work. “your birthday is next month right?”

“yes, do you have plans for me?”

“if you tell me your age, then maybe”

“three hundred and thirty two”

“hey, you’re not supposed to give in easily”

She chuckled. “I’ve already showed you all of me, what else should I hide?”

He rinsed her head and scrubbed her body. “fine, state the request. Your wish is my command”

“let’s date”

“a date? You want a tour around the wall or something?”

“I don’t care where we go. I want you to treat me like how you’ll treat her”

He smirked. “ho? So you want me to love you? Don’t tell me you’ve finally fallen for me?”

She shook her head. “I already finished the book Marcellus gave. I’m curious. I want to experience this romance thing”

Despite the dangers of the request, the boy could not bring himself to refuse. He understood where she was coming from. So regardless if it was forced or not, genuine or false, he will do his best not to disappoint.

“are you alright?” the girl asked. “you don’t have to say yes if you’re not up for it”

“aw” he rubbed the towel on her face. “look at you, acting so cute and unsure all of a sudden”

She pinched his hand. “is it a yes or a no?”

Before the boy could answer, the girl bolted up and walked out of the tub. Her mouth was open and her eyes were wide. As if she was witnessing something only she could see.

The boy turned off the faucet. “he’s awake?”

With the girl’s nod, both of them rushed to their wardrobes and put on the loose black clothes provided by their captors. Neither cared of what they saw and what was seen from them. The only thing that mattered was their guest, and how they could prevent him from doing something foolish.

They swung the door open, and climb the stairs in a flash, but when they reached the top, no word of caution escaped their mouths. Their guest did not cry, scream, nor tear out his throat like they imagined. He was seated at the edge of the wall with slouched shoulders, watching the underworld’s sun emerge from the horizon.

“so you’re finally awake!” The girl said with forced enthusiasm. “it took you long enough, but it’s fine. We’re patient people”

“I was awake when you left” the man said.

The boy restrained his partner’s fists and covered her mouth. “it sounds like you already know why you’re here”

“your wife’s soul revealed everything to me. You find me as interesting, correct?”

The girl peeled the boy’s hand and locked it with hers. “first of all, I’m nobody’s wife. And second, yes, you are the most entertaining man we’ve had in a long time”

“that’s why...” the boy wrestled with the girl’s grip, but surrendered after she tightened it. “that’s why we delayed your death. We want to atleast give you a good exit”

The man let out a dry laugh. “I just led my men and my son to their deaths. There’s no such thing as a good exit for me”

“there is” the girl pointed at the boy. “believe me, this fool can do it”

Skeptical eyes focused on the boy. “and how will you do it? Turn me into a song like you did with your wife?”

“I told you I’m not his---”

“I’ll bring you to the Hallow king” the boy said. “if you swear allegiance to him, he’ll take all your guilt away”

The man returned his gaze to the horizon. “I’m sorry, but Reon is the only king I’ll bow to”

“ha!” the girl scoffed. “thirty minutes from now, he won’t be your king anymore”

“who will be?”

The boy walked back to the door and drew the wine bottle he inserted on its cracks. “an eye for an eye lieutenant. Answer all our questions, we’ll answer all of yours”

For a second, the man grew so still that he seemed dead. The girl wanted to throw the bottle at him to find out, but before she could rip it from the boy’s hands, the man faced them with child-like curiosity.

“who goes first?” he asked.

The girl snatched the bottle and uncorked it, filling one of the small cups strapped around its neck. “tell us why soldiers like you keep on coming here”

The man blinked. “you don’t know?”

“we don’t” the boy filled a cup for himself and tossed the bottle to the man. “it’s been ages since we’ve been on the surface, let alone seen it”

“may I ask why?”

“we’re prisoners” the girl said. “it’s been for fifty years now, so we’re really clueless on things”

“what’s your crime?”

The boy coughed. “you haven’t answered us yet, lieutenant”

“right” the man filled his glass and drained it in one swig. “thirty years ago, at the peak of the war between the four kingdoms, a horde of mosnters came to our world and took all of us by surprise. They were stronger, faster and more durable than the best of our warrirors. So to survive, the four kings forged an alliance to defeat the common enemy. At the expense of many lives, we discovered the hole where they came from and managed to force them back here”

“I see” the boy took a sip. “so you and those previous ones go here to keep them at bay, correct?”

“no, even if we don’t go here, the monster’s already stopped coming along time ago”

“then why come here?” the girl asked.

The man tightened his grip on his cup “to recover from our respective losses, every kingdom agreed to pay taxes that scaled inversely with their contribution in the war. The more men or resources a kingdom sacrificed, the least it had to pay”

“let me guess” the girl said. “your kingdom had the largest tax, hm?”

“yes, but not because we sacrificed the least, but because our new king made a foolish decision”

The boy took another sip. “what did he do?”

“he married the neighbor kingdom’s daughter and placed the burden of their taxes on us, his own people”

“if that’s the case...” the girl gulped her wine. “why waste your men here? Why not focus your strengths growing crops instead?”

“three years from now, the kingdoms plan to storm this place. In order to contribute more and sacrifice less, we began to study the monsters, hoping we can find a more efficient ways to kill them”

“like the spirit treasures?” the boy asked.

The man drained another cup. “so that’s what they’re called...”

“who taught you how to use them?” the girl asked.

“about a month ago, an old man appeared in our training grounds and began talking about ways to fight the monsters. I was the only one who took him seriously so he ended up leaving”

“that’s the hallow king’s servant, fool” the girl said. “you should’ve listened”

Rage crumpled the man’s face. “I did! I followed his instructions and taught my men how to do it! And now... now there gone!”

“easy lieutenant” the boy said. “don’t let the wine get into you head”

The man exhaled. “my apologies...”

“it’s fine” the girl said. “we don’t really expect a dying man to be that nice”

“speaking of dying...” the boy finished his cup and poured another one. “you’re borrowed time’s about to run out, lieutenant. It’s time to make a decision”

“this isn’t hard” the girl said. “bow to our king, your soul is saved. Cling to your king, then you’ll become the pawn of the one residing here”

The man stared at his cup. “can I ask my questions first?”

“go ahead” the boy said.

“who and what are you?”

The boy pointed at himself. “I’m Sef. A prisoner of Pandora’s wall”

“and I'm Erze” the girl said “another prisoner of Pandora’s wall”

The man looked up at the fading stars. “so this place is called Pandora. It sounds familiar”

Sef chuckled. “that’s because you already heard of it. Just in a different name”

“what do you mean?”

Erze spread her hands. “underworld, hell, sheol, void, this place is called a lot of things, but the meaning remains the same. It’s the kingdom of the Pandorion, the king of voids”

“so your prisoners of him?”

Sef spun his cup. “we’re prisoners of the people who fight him”

“who are they?”

“hallowers” Erze said. “like the old man who you visited you in your training grounds”

The man threw his cup and drank directly at the bottle. “so if I don’t surrender, I become a monster. And if I do, I become a weapon?”

“you become free” Erze said.

“I’m sorry, but what does a prisoner know about freedom?”

“everyone is a prisoner, leiutentant” Sef said. “your king is a prisoner of love, his citizens are a prisoner of his taxes, you are a prisoner of guilt, but we, though bound to this world are free from anything else”

“end your hesitation now” Erze said. “surrender your chains and be free”

The man stared down at the bottle. “what’s his name again?”

“Pandorion” Sef said.

“no” the man returned his gaze at the boy, this time not with doubtfulness but with acceptance. “I’m referring to the one your boasting of. What’s his name?”

Erze made a face that was even rarer than a hell flower. A smile sweet and sincere, free of her usual smugness and mischief. “I’m sorry lieutenant, but we’re not worthy to speak it. If you want to know, you have to hear it from the hallow king himself"

“will he really accept a failure like me?”

Sef grinned. “trust me, he doesn’t accept anything else”

The man smiled and spun back towards the bright horizon. No longer as the defeated man carrying death on his shoulders, but as an expectant victor waiting for his reward. “I surrender”

With his head bowed, Sef locked his hands and released the tranquil melody of his soul. It turned the air cold and lulled the man’s soul out of its defiled body, causing the head to drop and the hands to go limp.

“the end!” Sef said, stretching his hands as he stood.

Erze yawned. “my, I feel tired all of a sudden”

Sef placed his foot on the corpse’s back. “wanna sleep together? I make for a comfortable pillow, you know”

“no thanks. I’d rather have my own pillows”

“come on, we both went through an emotional high. We’ll both feel depressed if we don’t comfort each other”

“will you cook?”

“only if I get to hug you”

Erze rolled her eyes. “deal”

Like a child promised with a new toy, Sef kicked the corpse off the wall and rushed inside the door with the girl in his arms. He skipped over multiple steps and ignored the protest screamed by his knees, but when he reached the door, all the excitement coursing through his veins turned into confusion.

“aren’t these..” Erze did not finish her sentence, but her message was unmistakably clear. No matter how strange their world was, the clothes wrapped around the corpse they just threw off the wall should not be sprawled on their doorstep, yet alone in their cell.

“don’t strike immediately” Sef whispered, clasping the door’s handle while Erze's soul and spear hovered above his head. In one motion devoid of fear nor bravery, he swung the door open and braced for ugliest abomination his mind could imagine.

“huh?”

“huh?”

She was something entirely. Not a monster nor a flesh puppet, but a girl about seven years of age, with hair as white as snow, eyes as red as blood, and smile as ancient as himself.

“hello Sef, Erze. It’s nice to finally meet you”