As soon as Sef saw Marcellus breathe, he transfered Bel to Erze’s care and carried the boy on his small shoulders. He was supposed to head down stairs and forage every useful item, but their exodus could no longer wait. They need to reach a safer place fast, and it will not happen unless they start climbing the stairs now.

He secured his hold on boy’s thighs and began subtracting the stone steps piled before him. No words were exchanged. Only the occasional noises made by Marcellus accompanied his ears, which were often times whimpers, but sometimes anguished calls that hinted to the fate Aurellius suffered.

“where are we going?” Erze asked.

Sef ignored her and hastened his steps. It would hurt her for sure, but he had to do it. The the consequences of his trick already started to set in. He must deliver Marcellus to Nessa now, before he himself becomes another burden in need of carrying.

Thankfully, his gamble paid off. They reached the stairs’ summit and entered the wall of fog just in time, making a sleepy Knox squint his eyes at the sight of their wounded bodies.

“am I dreaming again?” the old man murmured to himself.

Sef laid Marcellus down. “you're not. I’m really here... again”

Knox bounced his narrowed eyes from Erze to Marcellus. “this is Cornelius, correct?”

“no, it’s his grandson”

“oh” Knox nodded slowly. “so what is it? A pack of hell hounds?”

“Parvanos’ men probably”

“I see, so he already paid you a visit”

Sef dragged Marcellus and seated him at the edge of the road. “luckily for me, it wasn't him exactly. It’s Myrno that showed up”

Knox snorted. “so that mind reading fool lasted this long huh? My, talk about a bad surprise”

“his soul is useful” Erze said. “it would be foolish of any master not to keep him alive”

“since you’ve mentioned useful...” Knox beamed at Bel and pointed at the ground beside him. “why don’t you drop the little girl here? I’m pretty useful when it comes to waking exhausted souls up”

Erze stepped back, but Sef’s feeble nod made her oblige. The old man may be a pervert, but he was also a responsible adult when it comes to adorable children.

“any good spots here, Knox?” Sef asked.

The old man summoned a blanket out of thin air and laid it on Bel. “good for what?”

“for rest”

“I know one, but it’s a bit unkept at the moment”

Sef nodded. “we’ll take it”

Knox snapped his finger, and the wall of fog behind him gave way, revealling a part of the Cainon road neither Sef nor Erze has seen yet. It was not white nor smooth, but green and bumpy. Filled with stones of varying sizes, golden bell-shaped flowers and a carpet of moss that covered a long stretch of the road.

Without a word of warning, Sef pushed Marcellus into the clouds and offered a hand at Erze. Knox voiced out his shock as expected, but none of his hostile words mattered anymore. There was something inside Sef that must be released, not here, but definitely right now.

“call us when the boy returns” he said, leading Erze out of the fog. With the first few steps alone, the consequences of his trick came in full effect. His joints ached, his muscles cramped and his insides burned as if the red liquid passing through them was not blood, but boiling water.

“hey” Erze stopped. “we can do it here, you’re already burning”

Sef flashed a faint smile and allowed gravity to do its work. The result was not a pretty one. Aside from the hidden stones digging into his skin, a rock caught his head mid fall, acting like a pillow that brought more pain than actual comfort.

“idiot! You should’ve told---”

“Erze...”

“what?!”

“I’m sad”

Instead of a piercing rebuke, Erze fearfully transferred Sef's head on her lap. “that’s why I’m here right?”

A wave of pain forced tears out of Sef’s eyes. “can I be lame just for now?”

“you already are stupid. Go ahead, I’ll listen”

Sef took a deep breath and surrendered all control to his emotions. His stoic face crumpled in pain, his upright shoulders shuddered with sobs and his silence shattered with words he did not expect to let out. “damn it Aurelius... why do you have to go out like this? You stupid... good for nothing... what do you think will Maurise feel about this? You didn’t even...”

Erze stroked his hair. “that’s it, let it out”

“you’re one of the last connections I have, you fool! You’re not supposed to die yet! You’re not supposed to leave me yet! You’re not supposed to... You’re not supposed to... You’re not supposed to make me feel immortal”

“anything else?”

Sef looked away. “I’m done”

“are you sure?”

Fresh tears gushed out of Sef’s eyes. “what’s the point of continuing anyway? I lost another one, for the stupid hundredth thousandth millionth time, I became lonelier than I already was”

Erze's gentle hands touched his face again, this time realigning his gaze back to her sincere smile. “I’m immortal too remember? No matter how many connections you lose, I’ll still be here. You won’t be alone completely”

A sarcastic laugh left Sef’s lips. “wow, that sounds very original"

Erze stuck her tongue out. “I just served the same medicine you gave me last time. Make sure you savor it well”

Though the heat inside him spiked, Sef’s pained face turned into the expression he was more used to do with her. A grin from ear to ear, made with the right amount of sincerity, and the right amount of playfulness.

“you’re okay now?” Erze asked. “good, please can get off my lap”

“wait” Sef commanded his hands to move but only his fingers responded. “I haven’t enjoyed this in along time, give me a few more minutes”

“you ignored me again, you don’t deserve any extentions”

“I’m sorry”

Erze blinked. “that’s it?”

Sef blinked back. “what else do you want me to say?”

“won’t you even explain why you did it? Atleast give me a reason you unexciting runt”

“even if I say my reason, it won’t change anything. I’m still wrong for doing that to you”

Erze folded her arms. “fine, I’m still mad at you then”

Sef chuckled. “I know how to solve that?”

“how? By ignoring me even more?”

“by saying something better than sorry”

“better?” Erze raised an eyebrow. “what’s better than sorry?”

Sef forced his finger to move and beckoned her closer. When she lowered her face, he pressed his lips on her forhead and whispered his trump card. “thank you”

Erze straightened up covering her forhead, cheeks rosier than they already were “th-this isn’t fair, you cheated again”

“since when did thank you become cheating?”

“it’s the kiss! Why do you have to kiss me?!”

“so you’re flustered by kisses now? Aren’t you the same girl who forced me to do it last time?”

“this is different!”

Sef rolled his eyes. “oh, explain please”

Erze leered away. “last time was just an experiment. It was just an act. Like when we embraced each other during the winter. This one... this one was sincere, I know it”

A part of Sef wanted to deny it, but the joy in his partner’s eyes shined too bright to be spoiled. He raked his brain for a question, a joke, or anything that will dispell the awkwardness he contributed to create, and his eyes lead him to Erze’s now exposed left shoulder.

“um, your shoulder, how is it?” he asked with rehearsed curiosity.

“you’re already looking at it, fool”

“I mean, does it still hurt?”

Erze flicked his nose. “this is nothing. Mind your own pain”

Sef sighed. “this is when you’re supposed to act like a maiden and pretend you’re hurt”

“and why is that?”

“because after this, our little role playing game will be over. We will get more pain and less times like this”

“if that’s the case...” Erze poked his cheek. “why don’t you act like the person you really are and sing me one”

“you...” Sef said with a nervous smile. “do you really want me to reopen old wounds?”

“you don’t have to reopen them, just sing something that’s not about her for once”

Sef hesitated at first, but released his soul in the end. The air became chilly, the moss became moist and the flowers opened in response to his song, releasing bright pollen that decorated the air with green glitters.

“above the wall, two souls share their pain”

“sad yet joyful, is their playful game”

“sometimes as friends, sometimes as lovers”

“becoming whatever, each heart desires”

“how will this end?”

“where will this go?”

“though the eyes don’t see”

“Pandora’s heart knows”

“which knee will bend?”

“who’s faith will grow?”

“though dark is the sea”

“the Hallow king glows”

Even after Sef closed his mouth, his soul continued to sing. Again and again, it repeated without cease, surrounding the two listeners with immense peace and curiosity.

“um, e-excuse me...”

Erze dropped Sef’s head and looked towards the wall of fog. “what is it? Is the boy back?”

Sef withdrew his soul, used Erze’s shoulder for support, and beamed at the red ribbon tied on Bel's head. “is Marcellus there, Belly?”

The little girl nodded and stiffly walked back inisde the fog. Sef and Erze followed, and with the first step alone, the difference between the atmosphere they enjoyed and the air in Knox’ domain became palpable.

It was heavy and forbboding, the kind that can only be felt around someone who was up to no good. A person who, though seated silently at the edge of the road, was evidently brewing inside him thoughts that will darken his soul.

“do you need to be alone?” Knox whispered with his eyes locked on to Marcellus. Sef nodded at Erze, and she walked beside Knox with Bel tailing her like a lost kitten. All three of them looked at Sef one last time before vanishing out of thin air, leaving him alone with his work cut out before him.

He sat beside Marcellus and kept his eyes forward. A part of it was to keep the boy at ease, while the other was to delay the pain that will come once he stared at his face.

“I couldn’t save him”

The words reached Sef like a punch to the gut. They knocked the air out of his lungs and forced his jaw to drop, sending his brain to panic as he scrambled for the right words to say.

“go on” he blurted. “let me share your pain”

An eternity of silence swept through them in the span of five seconds. Broken only by Marcellus’ deep intake of breath, followed by a hushed sobs that marked the start of a gut wrenching account.

“Everything was normal when I got back. I greeted the maids, Eliot, even Mrs. Dunya. I didn’t waste a second, I went straight to his room, and when I entered...”

The sobs grew into trembling, and the face crumpled with grief became petrified in fear. There was no denying it, he saw what Sef wished he would not. The man who made him what he was now.

“kid” Sef said almost in a whisper. “tell me what you saw, I need to know what happened”

Marcellus covered his mouth as if he was about to vomit. He looked to be at his breaking point, a second away from passing out, but when Sef reached his hand to grab his shoulder, he took a deep breath and resumed his story.

“he was hanged in the wall like meat for sale. Every limb was cut to three, and his head was severed from his neck. That man held it like a ball, like it was nothing more than a toy! And I just stood there watching him speak!”

“what did he say?” Sef asked.

“you will suffer the punishment you forced on me. Be courageous till the end. I will not accept apologies”

Sef flashed an irritated grin. “yes, that’s him alright”

Marcellus glared at him. “is this just a joke to you?”

“of course not”

A heavy hand grabbed Sef’s neck. “then act like it”

Sef rolled his eyes. “I don’t remember performing for you kid. Get your hands off me while you still can”

Marcellus gritted his teeth. “you’re supposed to be his friend! You’re supposed to be crying! You’re supposed to be suffering!”

Despite of his still incomplete strength, Sef peeled away the boy’s grip and clenched it hard enough to hear a pop. He understood his anger, and agreed to his complaint, but he already had his chance to be weak. Now was his turn to be strong, in his own uncomfortable way.

“you’re being soft, kid” he said coldly. “this isn’t what your grandfather would want to see”

“I don’t care! I’ll avenge him! I’ll punish anyone who insults his name!”

Sef flashed a mocking grin. “oh yeah? Then go ahead and punish me, I’m sure your pathetic old man would be proud”

Marcellus screamed and swung his other arm, but Sef was ready, missing the blow by a hair’s length and answering with a slap of his own. “oh look, I just slapped you. I guess I’m in deep trouble now huh?”

The boy thrashed even more, and Sef made him pay everytime. Controlled punched, knees to gut, kicks to the thighs, he carved his pain on the child’s body and delivered the wisdom he wanted to impart.

“if you want revenge, lashing out like a brat is not the way to do it. Imprison your anger so your mind will be free. That way you could plan your next move properly, and accomplish the goal, just like how Aurelius would”

One blink after another, Marcellus’ enraged face reverted back to the calm and collected mask Sef was used to see. Sadness was still etched on it, but the effects of Sef’s words were evident.

“I’m sorry... I lost control”

Sef gave two quick head pats. “it’s okay kid, me and your gramps used to do this to each other... alot"

“and his gone now”

“well he’s not gone gone. He just went home to the king through a pretty messy exit”

Marcellus let out an exhausted laugh. “that’s a very optimistic way of looking at it”

Sef pulled him up. “try having some, you’re going to need it now that Parvanos is back”

“I still don’t know what’s going on here”

“he hasn’t told you yet?”

“no”

“I see, so talkative ones do have silent nights too”

“well...” Marcellus leered at the inscription on his chest. “mine wasn’t as silent”

“right” Sef scratched his chin. “how did you get that?”

“after his message, he said a word I didn’t understand and vanished together with the old man’s corpse. I used the sentries to alert the manor and opened the door. That’s when guards from the glasstower came in and arrested me”

“for what?”

Marcellus balled his hands to fists. “they accused me of killing him. I did my best to prove them wrong, but not even my own household took my side. As if they all saw me do it with their own eyes”

“ugh, that’s Parvanos for you”

“so it’s him? He’s the one who controlled them?”

“it’s not really control, more like hypnotism”

“huh?”

Sef sat down and cleared his throat. “once upon a time, there was a young man who wanted to be rich. He’s reason was simple. He didn’t want to be hungry anymore, and scrounging for scraps was not doing a good job of solving that. So he offered himself as a slave and from then on, worked his way up to the ladder of society. Fifteen years later, he became the one of the richest man in his kingdom. Seems like a happy ending right?”

“um, I guess?”

“wrong. Through the years, as he grew in wealth, the lad encountered a question that haunted him for the rest of his life. What value does money have if its owner will die anyway? He pondered night and day until his obsession changed without him noticing. From craving riches, he became fixated on prolonging his life. He ate the most nutritious fruits and took care of his body as if it was made of gold. Until one day, he fell sick and came on the verge of death. Desperate for life, he delved into all kinds of forbidden things. From drinking the blood of children, to journeying down a passage way that was said to lead the traveller to god himslelf”

“did he succeed?”

“when he came back, non of his slaves recognized him anymore. Sure, he still wore the same face, but his demeanor has changed. No longer in fear, he was now as confident as a king. Preaching to anyone who’ll listen the secret he disovered”

“the knowledge of caves?”

Sef beamed at Marcellus. “the knowledge of souls and voids”

Marcellus stepped back. “you mean to tell me...”

“yes. That man met the king of this world and gained the knowledge to release his soul and mix it with a void. It was because of it that he’s still alive today”

“that’s interesting and all, but how does all of that give him the ability to brainwash people so easily?”

“it’s his soul. He uses it to show people whatever he wishes them to see”

Amazement and disbelief battled on Marcellus’ face. “where did you get all of this?”

“from his own lips”

“you’re one of his former servants?”

“no” Sef drew the cube from his pocket. “I was in a dark season of my life when I met him. I wanted to do something my weak body wouldn’t allow, so I volunteered as the first test subject to his earlier experiments”

“I see, so that’s the reason for your immortality”

“not quite”

“what do you mean?”

“a finished product of that experiment is not exactly what you see now. It’s supposed to be a soul turned into a weapon, without a will of its own”

“then what happened? How did you become you?”

Sef beamed at the cube. “someone sacrificed for my sake”

The conversation hit a sudden pause as Marcellus failed to provide another question. Sef waited patiently for him to iniate again, but as the unease grew between them, he took it upon himself to shatter the ice.

“so what’s your plan now?” he asked.

Marcellus frowned. “aren’t you the one who’s supposed to answer that?”

“you’re the one who got attacked, not me”

“but you’re the one with knowledge about the enemy, not me”

Sef opened his mouth to refuse, but found the boy’s words impossible to counter. He was right. Aside from being one of the few who knew about Parvanos, he also owe everyone alive today the responsibility of finishing what he and Aurelius failed to do last time.

“hm” he stroked his beardless chin and gave Marcellus a measuring stare. “let’s start with our objectives”

Marcellus raised three fingers. “first, I need to clear my name. Second, I need to retrieve gramp’s remains and third, I need to beat the lunatic with my own hands before turning him to the glass tower”

Sef massaged his temples. “I have a plan. I just doubt you’ll like it”

“just say it!”

“our main goal now is to reach the other glass towers. If word about your fake crime reaches them before we do, then consider yourself dead”

“the portal below your wall is probably guarded by hallowers now, so that plan is easier said than done”

“I never said it’s easy” Sef pointed to the east. “we’ll go to the east wall, travel up north, then use the portal there”

“why not just use the eastern portal?”

“my last connection to the living world lives in the north. We’ll have a better chance of clearing your name with her help”

Marcellus did not look sold at first. But as Sef’s expectant stare became more and more intense, he forced out a smile and asked the question Sef yearned to hear since the start of their conversation. “when do we start?”