Trr! Trrr—!
The ring of the phone echoed sharply through the house, the sound bouncing off the walls and ceiling as it spread in every direction.
In the heavy silence, it seemed far louder than it should have been, each chime lingering in the air and reverberating through the living room as my eyes eventually fell on what looked to be a landline.
'How is it ringing? This shouldn't be possible.'
At heart, I already knew that this was the work of something sinister.
Trr! Trrr—!
The real question was, where did everyone else go?
I had seen them all enter.
And yet—
'Wait.'
A thought suddenly struck me. Did they all really enter?
My mind suddenly drifted back to Paul. To the way his death had come out of nowhere, and to Seraphine's cold reaction afterward. She had always struck me as a cold person, but even so, I hadn't expected her to be that cold.
Perhaps...
"Ha."
I suddenly laughed, realizing what had happened.
Trr! Trrr—!
'Looks like I've fallen for the trap without even realizing it.'
I thought I had been cautious. Using Mirelle's skill, I thought there was nothing wrong, but it was clear that whatever I was dealing with had already 'adapted'. It seemed to have found a way to navigate past the skill and even use it to its advantage to lure me in here.
I drew a deep breath, staring at the land phone sitting on top of a small table.
Despite the loud chime ringing throughout the house, I remained where I was. I made no move toward the sound. Instead, I carefully observed my surroundings, letting my eyes roam across every corner of the living room.
The place was far from luxurious. In fact, it looked ordinary, almost painfully so. The lighting was extremely dim, leaving most of the room swallowed by shadow.
Click!
Taking out my flashlight, I switched it on. The narrow beam cut through the darkness, slowly sweeping across the living room as dust motes drifted through the air.
A large television stood against the far wall, its black screen dull and coated in a thick layer of dust. The frame looked old, the kind that hadn't been used in years.
Opposite it sat a wide sofa. The cushions were slightly sunken, their fabric faded and worn, as though countless people had once sat there before the place was abandoned.
Between them rested a small tea table. Its wooden surface was cluttered with old magazines whose pages had yellowed with age. A thin layer of grime covered everything, faintly sparkling whenever the flashlight passed over it.
And resting on top of the table was the old landline phone.
It continued to ring.
Trrr! Trrr—!
Turning around, I paid attention to the door behind me.
'If my guess is correct, it'll be difficult for me to get out. However, if I use my skills, I can probably brute force my way out.'
The real question was...
Did I want to brute my way out of this place?
I looked around.
The more I looked, the more ordinary this place felt.
And yet—
'There's something different about this place compared to the other areas that I've been in.'
I let my eyes continue to roam across the room, carefully taking in every detail as the flashlight beam moved slowly from one corner to another.
Then suddenly, the landline stopped ringing.
"....."
The abrupt silence that followed was almost jarring.
For a moment, nothing moved.
Nothing made a sound.
It was the kind of silence that felt louder than noise itself, pressing against my ears as though the house were holding its breath.
The silence carried on for the next several seconds until I suddenly felt something vibrate in my pocket.
Brrrr! Brrr—!
Surprised, I reached into my pocket and took out my phone.
The phone vibrated against my palm as I stared at the screen, which displayed [Unknown Caller] over it. Checking the signal bar and seeing that there was no signal, I suddenly smiled, realizing that this was the anomaly again.
'Quite persistent.'
Click!
I decided to answer the call, pressing the phone against my ear.
"Haaa... Haa... Haa..."
Heavy breathing filtered through the speaker. It sounded disturbingly close, as if the caller were standing right beside me, their warm breath brushing against my ear and sending a shiver down my spine.
The breath dragged on for several seconds until a hoarse voice whispered.
—Did you go upstairs?
Upstairs?
My eyes followed the end of the room, taking note of the stairs that led to the second floor.
—You... need to go upstairs.
The voice almost felt desperate.
At the same time, the breath against my ear grew even more tangible, sending a sharper shiver down my back.
—Why haven't you gone upstairs?
Hearing the voice again, I finally opened my mouth.
"What's upstairs?"
—.....
The line suddenly went silent, the breath beside my ear coming to an abrupt stop.
Eventually—
—Go upstairs.
The breath returned.
Unfortunately, it didn't answer my question.
'Not unexpected.'
I glanced down at my phone before lifting my gaze back toward the stairs. Since I had already decided to stay, I figured I might as well play along with the voice. I wanted to see exactly where it was trying to lead me.
Tightening my grip on the torch and letting its beam slice through the darkness ahead, I slowly began to walk toward the stairs.
Creak!
The stairs creaked softly beneath my weight as I began to climb, each step groaning faintly in the heavy silence of the house. My pace remained steady and measured, the wooden railing brushing lightly against my arm as the beam of the torch swept across the narrow staircase.
I kept the phone pressed against my ear as I moved up the stairs.
From the other side of the line, the breathing continued.
This time it was quicker.
Each breath came faster than the last, as if the thing on the other end was growing more and more excited the closer I got.
Soon, I reached the second floor.
My gaze drifted down the hallway before settling at the far end, where a large window stood. Its upper frame was open, allowing a cold breeze to slip into the house. The wind brushed softly against the walls and floorboards, stirring the stale air and carrying a faint chill through the corridor.
Moving the torch slowly from side to side, my gaze swept over the numerous doors lining the hallway before I eventually settled it over the door nearest me.
"What now? Should I enter?"
—...Yes, enter.
Settling my attention on the door, I carefully inspected it. It looked ordinary enough, just slightly worn from age, the paint chipped in a few places, and the wood faintly scratched. There was nothing about it that stood out.
Slowly, I reached for the knob.
As my fingers drew closer, the breathing in my ear grew rougher. Each breath came faster, harsher, almost frantic.
It had reached the point where the sound alone felt uncomfortable.
But just as my hand was about to reach the handle, I stopped.
The breathing stopped.
—What are you doing?
The voice whispered in my ear again.
—Open the door. Enter.
I didn't answer. Instead, I just smiled.
I smiled as the tone behind the phone changed, turning demonic.
—OPEN THE DOOR.
I still smiled, turning my attention away from the door and onto a different door.
'It's funny. Of all things it chose to take over, it was my phone. A piece of electronics. I've got an anomaly that is quite good with electronics.'
Click!
Ending the call, I didn't waste a single second. I rushed toward the door I had fixed my eyes on, certain that the anomaly was behind it. As I activated [Trait Transfer], my arm darkened under the coating of the black film, and I drove my fist straight into the upper part of the door.
BANG!
Looking into the room, I put my phone away.
"Found you."
-x-X-x-
"....Oh?"
The moment I looked into the room, I paused. For an instant, nothing moved.
Nothing reacted.
The room appeared empty.
Instead, my gaze slowly drifted downward, landing on something lying on the floor. It was a phone. Its screen was still lit, casting a faint glow that softly illuminated the otherwise dark room. The pale light flickered weakly across the floorboards, making the shadows around it stretch and twist along the walls.
'Did it run away?'
Creaaaak—
Pushing the door open, a long and dragged-out creaking sound echoed through the room. I stepped inside slowly, the beam of the torch cutting through the darkness as it swept across the surroundings, while I looked around.
The room was fairly large.
Besides a large wardrobe standing against the side wall, my attention eventually drifted toward the window. Just like the one in the corridor, it was open. A steady breeze slipped into the room through the gap, carrying a cold draft that brushed against my skin as I quietly stared in its direction.
'No matter how I look at the situation, it feels like the anomaly has run away.'
At least, that was how it tried to make it look.
I continued scanning the room, letting my eyes drift over every object within it. The beam of the torch swept slowly across the floor, the walls, and the old furniture, catching faint specks of dust floating in the air.
Then something caught my attention.
My eyes narrowed slightly as a small flash of light reflected back at me from the torch's beam.
'What is that?'
The light continued to reflect back at me from a certain angle. I turned the torch toward it, narrowing my eyes as the beam settled in that direction.
At first, I couldn't make out what it was. Its shape was hidden beneath a white cloth that draped loosely over it, the fabric stirring faintly with the cold breeze from the open window.
Slowly, I stepped closer. My breathing grew slightly uneven as I reached out and grasped the edge of the cloth.
With a single pull, I dragged it down.
Swooosh!
The fabric slid away, revealing a massive mirror.
Though old, the mirror remained surprisingly clear. It reflected my features sharply as I stared at my own image. Lowering the torch slightly, I adjusted the angle of the light to get a better look at myself.
'I look like shit.'
Perhaps because of everything that had happened to me, but my dark circles appeared to have grown even thicker, and when I looked at my eyes, I felt that something within them felt fundamentally different.
They felt...
Even more dead.
'Well, they've always looked dead.'
I had that much self-awareness.
"So did it really run away?"
With my gaze lingering on the mirror, I continued to observe it in silence. Slowly, I began moving my hand in front of it, testing whether there was any discrepancy between my movements and what the mirror reflected.
But as I continued, nothing changed.
The reflection followed every motion perfectly.
"Nothing, I guess it really did run away."
I sighed.
This felt a bit anti-climactic. Especially after everything it did in order to trap me here.
Shaking my head, I walked over to the nearest chair and placed my hand on it. My fingers tightened around the side of the wooden frame.
In the next moment, my expression shifted.
With a sharp motion, I yanked the chair up and hurled it straight toward the mirror.
BANG!
The chair crashed straight into the mirror. The impact sent cracks racing across its surface in every direction as the mirror rattled violently against the wall.
As the chair dropped onto the floor, my gaze continued to linger over the mirror.
'As if I'd believe a mirror that clean in this place. There's obviously something wrong with it.'
And sure enough—
Staring at the fragmented reflection looking back at me, I watched as my lips slowly parted, as though I were about to say something.
'Hm?'
My eyes narrowed as I tried to make out the words, but the more I focused, the less I could understand.
I couldn't tell what it was saying.
What was it trying to tell me?
I took a step forward, my attention completely fixed on the fragmented reflection before my eyes. Its lips parted once more, as if trying to say something.
'Bee?'
What?
I moved even closer.
'Behi... nd?'
My steps paused. I didn't look back. I kept my attention fixed on the mirror. Just because it told me to look back, it didn't mean that I was going to look back. What if it was a trap? Instead, I had a better idea.
Pressing my foot firmly onto the floor, the shadow beneath me rippled slightly. From it, the figure of the Realmwalker slowly emerged behind me. I watched all of this through the fragmented mirror while also tapping on the camera to make sure it wouldn't see a single thing.
'Nothing?'
Seeing that the Realmwalker noticed nothing, I smiled back at my reflection, and it returned the smile.
But my smile didn't last long.
From the corner of my eye, I noticed a sudden movement behind me. The Realmwalker's figure turned in my direction, its long hands lowering toward my neck. The movement was abrupt and quick, catching me off guard, and without knowing, I turned around to fend off the attack, only for me to be met with the Realmwalker's gaze.
Huh?
Realization dawned on me almost immediately as I turned my head back to the mirror. Or at least, tried.
But it was too late—
Suddenly, I felt something latch onto my neck and face. Fingers dug into my skin as a violent force yanked me backward, dragging me along with it.
The Realmwalker reacted instantly, lunging toward me and grabbing hold just in time to slow whatever was dragging me back. But the force behind it was absurd. Even the Realmwalker could do little more than hold it back for a moment, barely managing to slow its pull.
As my mind reacted, I tried to use [Herder] on whatever was grasping me from behind, but it failed immediately.
"——!"
The force suddenly clamped onto my ankle as well. My balance broke instantly, and I crashed to the floor as I was dragged backward even faster.
Mirelle's figure appeared at the side, her soft giggle echoing through the room. But even that had no effect as I was dragged faster and faster.
In an attempt to resist, I drove my nails into the floor. They scraped harshly against the wood, a burning pain shooting through my fingers as I tried to hold on against the relentless pull.
Whatever I tried, it seemed to have no effect. Not even the Realmwalker's second ability was able to pull me out of the situation, the hands stopping me from entering the shadows.
'What the hell is this thing?!'
I barely managed to turn my head, my gaze locking on the mirror
And the moment I saw it, my eyes widened.
From within the fractured surface, thousands of hands stretched outward, all reaching toward me. Between them were countless faces, eyes wide, mouths open, twisting and writhing as they clawed at the glass, all trying to drag me in.
That was when it all clicked inside my mind.
The anomaly...
The Mirror was the anomaly.
-x-X-x-
The hands continued to pull my leg, dragging me toward the mirror. Despite the situation, I remained level-headed. Ignoring the pain of my hand scraping against the wooden floor, my mind raced as I eventually shifted my gaze to the cloth I had pulled down not too long ago.
Without thinking twice, I extended my hand and activated [Trait Transfer], a thin dark film spreading across it as it elongated and reached for the cloth. With a swift flick of my wrist, the cloth shot toward the mirror, covering its upper half.
"——!"
The changes were immediate; almost instantly, several of the hands reaching for me faded, and the pull grew weaker. I didn't waste the chance, kicking off the ground and pushing my body backward.
The Realmwalker didn't sit idle, reaching for me again and pulling me back, though I barely managed to free myself from its grasp.
Despite this, I didn't calm down, my breath coming out in ragged gasps as I looked at the mirror ahead, half of its surface covered by the cloth.
Staring at my reflection, I watched it glare back at me, my heart thumping as adrenaline continued to run down my body.
'The Mirror is certainly the anomaly. In fact, if I'm not wrong, it might actually be the main reason behind the disappearances of the people in Point Z. The hands are most likely from the souls that it took in. But still, that doesn't explain everything.'
Was the mirror behind the thing that sent me to hell?
'No, that doesn't make sense.'
I knew that my line of thought was correct, but at the same time, there were still a lot of holes.
For now—
'Let me cover the mirror.'
RATTLE! RATTLE!
All of a sudden, the mirror began to rattle. Along with it, the entire house started to tremble, and I heard sounds rising from beneath the floor. People? I didn't focus on that, keeping my eyes on the numerous hands reaching toward me. Without hesitation, I activated [Trait Transfer] and used the Realmwalker's second ability.
Immediately, the hands faded from my vision as I sank into the shadows, moving swiftly behind the mirror before reappearing. I reached for the cloth and pulled it tight, covering the entire surface of the mirror.
My actions were swift and decisive, not leaving the mirror a chance to react.
Swoosh!
All seemed to stop in that moment.
Be it the rattling and the noise beneath.
A tense silence followed as I took several deep breaths, staring at the covered mirror in front of me.
'I've covered it. Does this now mean that the mirror is contained? ...Or is there something else that I'm supposed to do?'
The silence felt suffocating, and as I held onto the top of the mirror, I didn't relax my body one bit, quietly scanning every nook and cranny of the room. My vision moved slowly from the wardrobe to the open window, to the door, and across every corner and shadow before finally lowering to the floor, where I took note of something.
Extending my hand as the Realmwalker handed my torch back, I pointed it toward the floor, noticing a faint reflection catching my eye. My gaze momentarily paused at the sight, my heart jolting as I immediately realized what it was.
'Oh...'
My thoughts drifted back to the moment when I threw the chair at the mirror. At this point, the only thing I could do was smile as the fragmented piece of the mirror trembled, and my reflection stared back.
I didn't move, nor did I flinch. Staring at the broken shard on the floor, I bent down and picked it up.
The fragment trembled under my grasp, my reflection trying to say something, but I ignored it, and—
[Containment Vessel]
I finally used my first node again.
'...I think you'll do.'
***
She didn't seem to notice the abnormalities at first.
No... that wasn't quite right.
Seraphine did notice them. She took note of certain details and kept them in mind. But by the time she moved to act on them, she found herself completely alone.
'...It seems like I've been isolated.'
Like that, she appeared to roam for what felt like hours. Whether it was really hours, she wasn't sure.
Most importantly—
'I've been here before. It looks like I'm trapped in some kind of maze. I can't even sense Paul or the others. This place is interfering with my senses... interesting.'
Rather than being scared or intimidated, Seraphine found this place interesting as she tried to understand the mechanism behind the maze.
"Illusionist Decree? That does seem like the most likely explanation, considering everything I've found so far regarding the ano— hm?"
Coming to a stop, Seraphine lifted her gaze and looked ahead. Through the shifting mist, the outline of a large two-story house slowly came into view, its shape looming faintly against the gray backdrop.
Her eyes flickered the moment she saw it.
Something about the house felt... off.
As she stood there, the nodes within her began to churn, reacting subtly as if responding to something hidden beneath the surface.
But it didn't take long for her to move.
'This is likely the centerpiece of the maze... and most probably where the anomaly behind all of this resides. I don't know where the others are, but I can assume they've either already been devoured by whatever's inside that house... or they're still wandering outside.'
With those thoughts in mind, Seraphine stepped forward. Yet for some reason, as she approached the house, a certain figure surfaced in her thoughts. However, she quickly brushed those thoughts aside, finding them ridiculous.
Her hand reached for the cold knob—
And in that same instant, something changed.
"Hm?"
RATTLE!
The entire house suddenly rattled.
Her expression sharpened as she pulled the door open without hesitation, stepping inside. Her gaze swept across the interior with incredible alertness as dark tendrils spread out from beneath her, slithering around the furniture and probing every corner.
Then, slowly—
She lifted her gaze upward.
'It must be there."
With the nodes within her continuing to churn, Seraphine made her way up to the second floor. Each step was light, barely making any sound as she moved to the second floor, her gaze shifting left and right as she took in every detail of the corridor that met her sight.
Then her eyes settled on a single door.
Without hesitation, she began moving toward it.
The closer she got, the stronger the sensation became. She could feel something sinister building up from within the room, pressing faintly against her senses. It was enough to make even her usually calm heart ripple ever so slightly.
But just as she reached the door—
Something changed.
Everything stopped.
The rattling ceased, and the presence vanished. Even the faint noises that lingered in the house disappeared entirely.
A tense, suffocating silence followed.
Seraphine stood in place, her gaze locking onto the door, her alertness rising even further.
'Just what in the world is happening? I'm sure that I felt it. Why is it suddenly gone? Has it realized my presence? No, it should have already been aware from the moment I stepped in. Then...?'
Slowly, she reached for the handle.
After a brief pause, she pulled it open.
A loud creaking sound echoed through the silence.
Craaaaaak—
Seraphine slowly leaned forward, her head peeking through the open doorway as her eyes adjusted to the dim interior.
Her gaze moved carefully across the room. It lingered first on the wardrobe standing against the wall, then shifted toward the open window where a faint breeze stirred the curtains. From there, it passed over the sparse décor, taking in every detail.
Only after scanning the room did her attention finally settle on the figure standing to the right.
He stood there in silence, holding something in his hands, his presence almost blending with the dim lighting.
As if sensing her gaze, he slowly turned his head.
A pair of lifeless eyes met hers.
For the briefest moment, Seraphine's heart trembled at their gazes meeting. Her grip on the door loosened slightly, her composure loosening slightly.
But just as quickly, she steadied herself, her expression returning to its usual calm.
'What's going on? This is unlike me.'
Seth's face quivered before relaxing. At the same time, he smiled.
"Oh."
He casually tossed the item in his hand aside. Seraphine's gaze followed its movement, her brows slowly furrowing as she caught sight of the shard.
A mirror fragment?
"Looks like you finally found the house."
Pulling her attention back, Seth massaged the dark circles beneath his eyes.
"Well, that's good. I already took care of things, though."
He pointed at the mirror behind him, muttering, "See this? I took care of it."
Took care of things? Who are you talk—The words never left her mouth as she felt Seth's gaze once more. Seeing his eyes, Seraphine pressed her lips, realizing that he probably had no need to lie to her.
And at the same time—
BRRR!
At the same time, something in their pocket began to vibrate. They reached in, pulled out a small device, and glanced down at it.
"Ah."
Seth put the device back, his gaze lifting back to her.
"Time really flew by. Honestly, this came at the perfect time."
Putting the item away, he turned his attention to something covered by a large cloth. Looking around and taking several other clothes, he tossed them on top of the item before reaching for it as he lifted it with ease and tucked it under his arm.
"This will do."
Then, without a word, he walked past her, his steps calm and unhurried as he never once looked back.
Seraphine remained where she stood, her gaze lowering to the small item now in her grasp.
A faint glow lit up the screen of the small device, revealing green lettering:
[Gather back. The Congress will be ending shortly.]
The notification came right on time.
Honestly, I had already had enough of this place. More importantly, I needed more time to figure out the new anomaly that I had acquired. Because of Seraphine's sudden appearance, I didn't get the chance to figure it out.
I was certain that there were a lot of secrets that the anomaly was hiding.
'Ah, but first I should look for the others.'
Coming out of the house, I saw a group of people looking around in confusion.
Lifting the mirror up and tucking it better under my armpit, I waved at them.
"Over here."
My eyes landed on Drake and Esteban. The two blinked at the sight of me before taking out their devices and showing them to me. I nodded.
"I know. The time is almost up."
There were technically several more hours.
However, everyone was notified in advance to gather.
"What is that...?"
Right as I walked past them, I saw them look at what I was holding.
"Oh, this?"
I brought the mirror up once more.
"A souvenir?"
Well, technically? There no longer existed an anomaly inside of it, but I knew that there was more to the mirror than just the anomaly.
'Ah, I really want to look.'
The curiosity was eating me away.
"Leader..."
"Squad Leader, are you alright?"
Turning around, I saw the squad members of Seraphine's teams head in her direction as she maintained her gaze fixed on me. After which, she looked at the mirror that I was holding. I just smiled and turned my head away.
'...Looks like the curiosity is eating at her as well.'
Too bad.
She could remain curious.
"Let's go."
Without waiting for the others, I took the compass from my pocket and tried to make my way towards the checkpoint. Located at the center of Point Z, it wasn't hard to find. Along the way, we didn't encounter any trouble.
The mist was thick, and the sense of tension never left as we walked, but with the mirror taken care of, nothing else troubled us.
"It should be here."
I stopped before a large plaza, the others following from behind.
"We're the first?"
I looked around in surprise. I had assumed there would be other teams here, but the place was completely empty.
Whatever the case was, I set the mirror down beside me as I moved toward one of the broken benches scattered around the plaza. The wood creaked faintly as I sat, dust shifting beneath my weight.
Leaning back slightly, I let my gaze drift across the surroundings. Abandoned buildings stood in every direction, their windows dark and hollow, their structures worn down. Some leaned at odd angles, while others looked as though they could collapse at any moment.
The entire place felt deserted.
Looking around, I became curious.
'I wonder how we're supposed to return from here.'
Were they going to send someone?
The thought had only just formed in my mind when I suddenly felt several presences approaching from my right. As if also noticing us, the group first waved at us, trying their best to look nice.
But soon, they froze.
"Ah."
My lips opened, but no words came out.
Eventually, I smiled as I waved.
"Been a while, hasn't it?"
Leon's smile slowly began to fade as he momentarily lost his composure. But just as quickly, it returned as he started walking in my direction. At the same time, the remaining members of his team began whispering among themselves.
Although I couldn't hear what they were whispering to each other, I could more or less guess.
'How is he alive?'
'...Is he a fake?'
Just the usual nonsense, and when I looked up, Leon was already next to me.
"You're here."
He placed his hand over his chest, looking relieved.
"I'm glad that you're doing fine. Honestly, I had been rather worried."
Ah, I felt like puking.
Just how fake could someone get?
He sat next to me, his attention shifting towards Drake and Esteban.
"You two are also doing fine? I'm glad. Truly. When... we were brought to that place, honestly, I didn't know what was going on. I didn't really want to abandon you, but as a squad leader, I had to take care of my team. You understand that, right?"
Should I just puke on him?
Touching my stomach, I felt that it'd be a fun sight.
Maybe he'd show his true appearance and start fighting me.
Well, it was only a passing thought. A soft rustling pulled me back to reality as I saw Esteban grab Drake by the shoulder, barely holding him back as Drake nearly lunged toward Leon.
"Wow!"
Leon raised both hands.
"I get that you're upset, but please understand my position. I didn't abandon you because I wanted to. I just had to take care of my team, that's all."
He then turned to look at me.
"You understand this, too, right?"
"No, don't worry. I get it."
I patted him on the shoulder and leaned back against the bench. Honestly, he was the least of my problems right now. There was no benefit in dealing with him as things stood. Of course, just because I wasn't going to act now didn't mean I would sit still forever. Not after everything he had done to me.
My mind drifted to the words he whispered into my ear back then, and my lips pulled into a smile.
'Yeah, not going to forget this.'
Even more people began to show up as I sat back and crossed my legs, my eyes closing as I tried to feel my connection with Arile.
And soon enough—
"They're here."
Opening my eyes, my attention shifted toward the distance as a large group began to emerge. They didn't just catch my attention, but they caught the attention of all the other teams that had gathered over here as their figures soon became clearer.
Catching sight of them, I was just about to wave at them when I stopped.
Standing at the front of the group, I spotted Ariel perched atop the shoulders of a large, muscular man, her arms crossed as she looked ahead.
Beside her walked Joanna, Min, Nora, and the others, moving in formation like a group of bodyguards. Each of them wore sunglasses, their expressions hidden as they kept pace at her sides.
Following closely behind were several groups, their faces blank, while another group I was familiar with followed them from behind, making sure they kept up.
"...Is that your team?"
Hearing Seraphine's voice, I raised my head, meeting her gaze as she gave me an odd look.
I coughed.
"Why are they wearing sunglasses?"
I coughed again.
"It's cringe."
I coughed twice.
Then—
"Squad Leader!"
"Squad Leader...! You're here!"
Several voices called out to me as Joanna and the others took off their sunglasses while moving towards me.
"Where the hell did you go? We looked for you everywhere."
"Yeah, where were you?"
"Things were tough without you. We missed you a lot. We even started wearing sunglasses in homage to you... because we missed you that much."
Seraphine's gaze felt even more piercing.
Not just hers, but pretty much that of everyone around.
I just smiled and leaned back against the bench.
'Mysterious. Mysterius. Mysterious.'
-x-X-x-
"Cough!"
In the midst of Nora, Joanna, and the others crowding around me from every direction, chipping away at the mysterious reputation I had worked so hard to build, a slow, tired cough echoed through the noise.
All heads turned at once.
"Isn't that...?"
"Vice-Director Vale? How did he get here?"
"Is he going to bring us back?"
"Alright, calm down, everyone. I need your attention for a moment."
Coughing again, the Vice-Director's eyes languidly scanned the surroundings. His gaze settled on several people, including me, and in particular Ariel, before he started to speak again.
"Congratulations to all of you who have made it to this point. From what I've managed to gather, this will be all the people who have made it in the trial. There are a few that have perished, but in this line of work, such casualties are normal. By now, all of you have understood that this wasn't a simple trial."
No, no, it wasn't.
This was just us doing your dirty work.
"To keep it short, we had you do our dirty work."
Murmurs instantly swept the surroundings as the participants looked at one another, their expressions changing. I was one such person, minus the murmuring, unable to hide my surprise at the honesty coming from the Vice-Director.
"I'm sure a lot of you have managed to figure this out before. To be honest, we never tried to hide it. At the end of the day, we needed you, and you needed us. We used each other."
Not so sure this was how things worked...
"Well, I'm sure you're tired. I'm just as tired as you all are. And..."
His attention fell on Ariel.
"Do let them go."
Heads turned in her direction, prompting Ariel to click her tongue as she hopped off the shoulders of the poor soul she decided to torture. Patting him on the back a couple of times, she sighed.
"Well, you were a good horse."
I looked away, pretending not to know her.
This...! This was exactly why I wanted nothing to do with her!
She was batshit crazy!
Not only that, but looking at my group and seeing them still wear the sunglasses, I realized that the craziness had rubbed off on them as well. Turns out, I was the only normal person in my own squad.
'I'm going to need to do something about this.'
"Thank you."
A bit of chaos ensued after Ariel released the people that she had brainwashed, with many of them threatening to attack her on the spot, screaming things like, 'crazy bitch! I'll kill you!', or 'You bitch! I'll kill you...!'
So basically, the same thing.
They only managed to calm down after the Vice-Director coughed once more.
"Huh? Vice-Director?"
"What's the Vice-Director doing here?"
"Wait, don't tell me..."
Many looked to be in despair after realizing that the trial had ended, their glares even more intense as they looked at Ariel, who moved to my side and smiled.
"Hello, Squad Leader. How are you doing? I took some liberties while you were gone. I hope you don't mind."
At the same time she said this, she took out a pair of sunglasses.
Stop it! Don't do it!
And she did it.
She put the sunglasses on, muttering, 'How is this? We're all matching now.'
'Bunch of crazies. I'm surrounded by a bunch of crazies!'
No, most importantly...
Where the hell did they get those sunglasses from?
Of course, I didn't let any of my inner emotions show. I simply nodded at her before turning my attention back to the Vice-Director, keeping my expression firm. In truth, that simple action of keeping my face straight proved far more difficult than I had expected. I could feel the weight of countless gazes pressing down on me from all directions, each one sharp and resentful.
Among them, there was one in particular that stood out.
One that unsettled me far more than the rest.
'Why does it look like she's looking at me as though I've killed her family and her ancestors?'
Feeling Liora's gaze, I felt at a complete loss. Just why was she looking at me? I hadn't even interacted with her in the entire trial. To make matters worse, her gaze seemed to worsen as time went on, feeling even more pressuring.
Did Ariel and the others do something to her?
No, I doubt they would still be here if that were the case.
'Just what is it then?'
I knew then that something was up, but I wasn't able to think much further as I heard several loud sounds coming from a distance. Turning my head, I caught a glimpse of several large military-grade cars approaching our direction, the ground beneath them squelching as the engines roared throughout.
The cars came to an eventual stop as the doors opened and several figures dressed in BUA uniforms walked out.
The Vice-Director's voice followed.
"Get in the cars, as we'll escort you back up to the islands. I'm sure all of you are tired from the experience. We'll do the final rankings once everyone is brought back up. In the meantime, I'll stay here to wait and see if there are any more people."
I stood up then.
Seeing that there was no longer any reason for me to stay, I turned and began heading toward the vehicles. I wasn't the only one, with everyone else doing the same.
The car was rather wide, with each one holding at least twelve seats, as my team and I entered. There were still a few empty spots, but nobody decided to approach.
Ah, right.
I suddenly recalled something.
Something really important.
'Where the hell is Kyle?'
I had been so lost in my own thoughts that I hadn't even realized he was missing. Most importantly, nobody mentioned anything about him disappearing.
Leaning against the window, my attention soon fell on the Vice-Director, and it was then that I saw him surrounded by Clara, Zoey, and Rowan. They appeared to be saying something to him as he looked at them with a serious expression.
'Oh, shit.'
I looked back at my team, in particular Mia, who immediately looked away.
"Ehm."
Thankfully, Ariel spoke up.
"We didn't mention it before since we weren't sure about your condition after you disappeared for so long. Plus, given how you appeared after disappearing, we thought that there might be a chance that it was going to be the same for him."
My heart sank.
Don't tell me...
"He's disappeared too. Nobody is sure where he is."
"What? How is that possible? Kyle...?"
I knew Kyle's abilities well. In fact, I knew them better now that—Ah!
Two things snapped inside my mind as I thought back to how Kyle's strength was higher than mine, and that he'd probably be suppressed as a result.
But not just that.
Thinking back to the moment I entered hell, there was only one thought that entered my mind as I hurriedly focused my attention inside my mind.
It was there that I felt it.
Kyle's presence.
He...
'Shit.'
The moment my abilities had been severed by Paimon, Kyle had been recalled back into my Node as I felt his presence there, my expression turning weirder and weirder by the second as I looked back at the window.
'...How the hell am I supposed to handle this?'
At the same time the thoughts surfaced, the car began to move, and we all started to make our way back to the upper world.
Just like that.
The Congress came to its final stages.
-x-X-x-
The low roar of the engines hummed in the background as the vehicles pushed forward, cutting through the mist and dense fog. The scenery outside shifted constantly, shapes forming and dissolving in the haze as I watched in silence.
Inside the car, no one spoke. Everyone sat facing the windows, their gazes distant and unfocused. Yet even without looking directly at them, I could sense the exhaustion lingering in their eyes.
I was no different.
After everything that had happened, it was hard for me not to be exhausted.
I wanted to close my eyes and rest a little.
But—
'Fuck. Fuck.'
My mind continued to drift towards Kyle.
On one hand, I was glad that he was fine. On the other...
'Is he conscious? Is he aware of what happened? Does he know?'
My mind scrambled to think of a way to handle the sudden situation. No matter how I thought about it, he probably realized something. Could he have met the Conductor and the others?
Ah, shit.
I ruffled my hair while trying my best to remain calm.
But that was easier said than done.
'I'd much rather go back to the Limbo and sacrifice myself than explain everything to Kyle. What is he even going to say?'
I trusted Kyle.
In fact, he was the only person whom I trusted in this world.
But at the same time...
This was a lot to stomach. Especially the fact that he was no longer a human.
Would he blame me for it?
'But back then, I didn't really have much of a choice. And it wasn't really me who did it.'
Shifting around in my seat, I raised my head back up to see everyone staring at me. Despite my best attempt at trying to seem calm, it was clear that they had noticed something in my behavior, and they looked away after a brief moment.
They were probably thinking I was worried about Kyle. And I was, but for a different reason...
"Hm?"
In the midst of my inner struggle, I slowly raised my head and looked toward the window.
For a moment, my eyes blinked in confusion.
The scenery had changed.
The mist and shifting landscape were gone. In their place stretched a long, steady road, its surface smooth and uninterrupted. On either side, buildings had begun to appear, rising one after another as if we had quietly crossed into a different world without noticing.
Most importantly, I could now see the bright blue sky above as murmurs filled the car.
"What the hell...?"
"We're already here? How is this possible?"
"Wait, what? We just left."
I was just as confused as they were as I looked at the driver. Donning a pair of sunglasses, he looked at us through the rearview mirror.
"Don't be too surprised. This is merely the tip of the iceberg. The BUA is capable of doing way more impressive things than this." He chuckled as the car sped up, and as I looked at the front window, a familiar arena began to appear in the distance.
'Were going back there?'
The roads were empty as the car continued forward, the tires humming softly against the pavement. Before long, we began to follow a familiar route. The same one we had taken at the very beginning of the Congress.
Gradually, the outline of the stadium came into view, rising ahead of us as we were guided back toward it once more.
As the car came to a stop, the doors opened, and we all got out.
Stepping out of the car, we all had to stop for a moment as we looked into the distance, feeling the muffled roars coming from there. It carried a weight to it, something that seemed to vibrate through the air and into the ground beneath our feet.
For a brief moment, it felt as though the entire place was trembling.
The others exchanged glances, their expressions tightening slightly, while the remaining vehicles rolled past us, heading deeper into the parking lot.
"T-that's..." Mia stammered while looking in the distance.
Nora stood next to her, pulling her sunglasses closer to her face.
"Squad Leader."
She murmured...
"I think I get it now."
"...?"
"I get why you wear sunglasses."
Oh.
Well, not really.
But sure.
"Just imagine it... Walking in front of that many people with sunglasses on. I'd look cool as hell."
"....."
"My aura will be unmatched."
What was this girl on?
From this point forward, I just ignored her.
No, more importantly—
"I need to go to the bathroom. You guys go first."
Without waiting for them to say anything, I headed towards the bathrooms. Well, at least that was my original plan, but as I navigated through the corridors of the stadium, I quickly found myself lost.
"Errr..."
Looking left and right, only to see a long corridor stretching in both directions, I scratched the back of my head.
"Well, shit."
There also didn't seem to be anyone I could ask for directions.
'Should I use the compass?'
The thought did cross my mind, but after a while, I shook my head and instead just walked towards the nearest door and entered.
Clank—!
Closing the door behind me, I tapped my foot onto the ground, disabling any camera or technological device before flicking the lights on, allowing me to catch a glimpse of the room that I was in.
'Storage?'
Multiple metal shelves lined the room, each stacked with worn boxes and scattered items. Posters clung to the walls, some peeling at the edges, their colors faded slightly. A simple wooden table sat near the center with a lone chair pushed slightly to the side.
The light above flickered faintly, casting a dim glow that left parts of the room swallowed in darkness.
I took a slow look around, scanning every corner. Only after confirming that I was truly alone did I allow myself to relax.
But I only relaxed for a moment as I sat down and sighed.
Massaging my forehead, I muttered, "This is going to suck."
After which, a certain figure appeared before my very eyes.
"....."
Silence took over the room the moment he appeared, my eyes still lingering on the floor as he stood there, unmoving.
The silence stretched on for several seconds until I inevitably spoke.
"You're not going to say anything?"
Raising my head, I finally met Kyle's gaze. He stood silently, staring at me with a blank look. My heart squeezed at the sight of him as his lips quivered in an attempt to say something, only for him to stop as he inevitably took a step back.
"Y-you..."
My heart sank slightly.
'I guess he must've seen the truth.'
Kyle's lips opened again as his hand trembled. Shaking his head a couple of times, he took another step back before pressing his lips together.
"Y-you... what.."
The shock marked on his face was evident.
Looking at me, his face underwent a series of changes before he eventually managed to calm down a little. However, despite being calmer, the way he looked at me was no different than before.
No, that was a lie...
There was even more of a change as he finally found his words again.
"W-who are you?"
His words softly pressed against my ears.
"...What have... You done to S-Seth? And... what have you done to me?"
-x-X-x-
'Shit. How do I handle this...?'
Looking at Kyle and seeing his expression, whatever word was about to leave my mouth became stuck as a lump formed at the back of my throat.
"Y-you..."
Hearing Kyle's voice once more, I sighed and opened my lips.
"I am Seth."
I answered truthfully.
"I know that you know that I am Seth."
Kyle's lips quivered, but he stood still. I could tell that he was well aware of the fact that I was me.
To be honest, I was debating whether to tell him about the fact that I was from 'another world', but when I looked at him, I realized that it was best to keep quiet for now. There were a lot of things that he needed to process first.
"I am Seth."
I repeated, dragging out time as I tried to think about what to say next.
"I... just went through a lot of things, and found myself with a peculiar Decree. It's called the [Shepherd] Decree."
Kyle's lips continued to quiver as I spoke, but he didn't once interrupt. Instead, he just listened in silence as I explained, "The Decree is rather unique in the fact that it allows me to personally contain anomalies and make them work for me."
This much I could reveal.
In fact, I had no choice but to reveal this as Kyle had most likely already met the Conductor, Mirelle, and the others.
Pressing my hand against the table, several figures appeared around the room.
Kyle's expression changed drastically at the sight of them as he took several steps back.
"Don't worry, they won't attack you."
I tried to reassure Kyle, but he still looked incredibly stiff at the sight of them. At first, I was confused. Why was he reacting like this? He was someone who was incredibly talented and even a Paragon. Realistically speaking, he shouldn't really be that scared.
But then it hit me.
'Right, his state of mind might not be stable at the moment. Not only that, but he's likely thinking back to the memories in Malovia.'
I waved my hand and recalled everyone back.
Only then did Kyle gain some semblance of calm as his head turned to face me. His expression was even stiffer.
I continued to explain.
"Yeah, so... that's the extent of my powers. I can—"
Or at least, tried, as Kyle spoke halfway through my sentence.
"You... re the Jester."
The words faded from my lips as I looked at him.
"...You're... him."
Kyle covered his lips, his brows furrowing as his hand trembled slightly.
I paused before eventually nodding.
"Yes... I am."
With him having seen Mirelle and the Conductor, there was no point in denying it. I was indeed the Jester.
Taking out a certain mask, I put it on my face as it clung to it, and familiar bells began to appear in my vision.
"A-haha."
A strained laugh escaped Kyle's lips as he kept his hand covering his face.
"Right...? H-how did I not see this coming? I mean, that's... right, Myles did say it before. Did you have him kick out because... he found out?"
"No, that's not..."
I pulled the mask back.
"...I did see changes in you. I m-mean, they were kind of obvious. However.. I tried to ignore them. I did, telling myself that.... You were just changing. That you were growing up and that... the changes were good. But... But..."
"Wait, Kyle."
I quickly realized he was misunderstanding. As things stood, he was making me out to be some sort of bad guy.
I wasn't.
"Let me explain more. Let me—"
"In... the end, you were the J-jester... A monster."
"....."
My mind blanked in that moment.
Whatever words I had planned to say, just completely stopped.
"You... killed people. Innocent people."
"No, I..."
"But you have."
All of a sudden, Kyle's words flowed out more smoothly. His voice also appeared to become a lot calmer as he brought his hand away from his lips.
"Yeah, you've killed people. A lot of them. Not just in Malovia, but back then with the Conductor. If he's your anomaly, then... Ha."
Kyle laughed again, but his laugh felt more forced than anything.
He wasn't even looking at me.
In fact... It almost felt as though he was too disgusted to look at me.
"Okay."
Finally getting my words out, I forced myself to remain calm.
"...You're under a lot of stress at the moment, so I can understand where you're coming from. Just give me a moment to explain myself. Some circumstances led up to those moments. In fact—"
"Since you have summoned me, I must be an anomaly, too, right? Something of the sort. I'm... no longer human. Back then, you must've... killed me or done something to me. Yeah, I've been... feeling very weird lately. I'm right, aren't I?"
"....."
"Answer me!"
Kyle's voice shook across the room as he glared at me.
"You've done something to me, haven't you!? You... you're the reason why my head has been so fucked up lately, right?! What have you done to me!"
"As I said, there were circumstances that led to that situation. Just let me speak for a moment. Let me explain to you so that—"
"You've really changed, Seth."
Despite my best attempts at trying to reason with him, Kyle just never gave me the chance.
But maybe it was because I was allowing him to speak over me.
Maybe...
It was because I knew that there was no point in talking over him. Just one look at his expression, and I understood that he was simply not ready to listen to me.
His voice drifted across the room again, his anger calming down.
"You've killed people. Innocent people at that. You've caused several smaller Guilds to collapse, and you've forced innocent people out of their homes. You're... a monster. You—"
"Well, I guess that's it for now."
I clapped, and I recalled Kyle back.
Silence returned to the room after that as I leaned back against the chair.
'He's just shocked. That's what it is. I'm sure he'll come to understand in the future. Yeah, I'm sure that's what it is.'
I nodded, getting ready to stand, but as I did, a certain figure appeared at the opposite end of the room. He leaned back against the wall, staring at me with the same twisted smile he always greeted me with.
I paused.
"You've been summoning yourself without my permission quite a lot lately."
"Have I...?"
The Conductor chuckled.
Of all the anomalies, the Conductor was the only one who could do this. Mainly because he was that much stronger than me.
"You have."
"It can't be helped. I couldn't miss such an entertaining sight."
"Is that so...?"
I wasn't surprised.
To the Conductor, anything chaotic seemed entertaining.
Adjusting my clothes, I moved toward the door. But just as my hand reached the handle, the Conductor's voice reached my ears.
"But you know... He isn't exactly wrong. That 'friend' of yours."
I stopped, my head focused on the door.
"You've changed quite a bit."
"....."
"Not in the same way as when your Cognitive Shard was unstable, but on a fundamental level. I don't know, I have a feeling that you probably wouldn't feel a thing if millions die at this point. No... I have a feeling you might even laugh at the sight. Well, I would. In a way, we're both twisted in the same way."
Shaking my head, I pulled the door open and walked out.
Ridiculous.
While the Conductor wasn't wrong about the fact that I had changed, I hadn't reached the point where I'd just laugh at the death of millions. This was just the Conductor speaking its usual nonsense again.
'...Let's just attend the award ceremony and figure out the situation with Kyle later. Oh, right... I also need to find a way to explain the situation to the others when Kyle gets back.'
"See?"
The Conductor's voice reached my ears again as I moved past the door.
"You're not even thinking about your friend's thoughts and what he's going through. You're just assuming he'll understand."
"That's because he will."
"And how are you so sure about that...?"
"Because I know."
Yeah, I know.
Because he was Kyle.
Clank—!
With the door closing behind me, I took out the compass and began walking. The Conductor's voice continued to echo in my mind as I walked, but I simply shook my head.
'It's bullshit. Total bullshit.'
Several minutes passed as I followed its subtle guidance through the corridors. Eventually, I came to a stop in front of a certain door.
From the other side, a muffled yet heavy sound echoed through it.
Without waiting another moment, I pulled the door open, and I was suddenly engulfed by the thunderous cheers of the people as the main platform came into view.