The first rays of sunlight began to appear over the Mountain.
The pale light advanced calmly between the pine trees.
Far below...
The stone path remained silent.
The great iron braziers no longer burned as they had during the night.
Only reddish embers remained among the charcoal.
Thin strands of smoke rose from their structures.
Telvaris remained motionless.
His hands crossed behind his body.
His golden eyes remained fixed on the path that disappeared between the pine trees.
The wind crossed the stone path.
The smoke from the braziers dispersed.
Then...
A figure emerged between the trees.
Telvaris did not move.
Éreon descended the slope.
The katana remained low beside his body.
His black garments were torn in several places.
Éreon continued advancing.
Without hurry.
Telvaris silently followed his approach.
When Éreon came within a few steps...
Telvaris's eyes lowered for an instant.
They traveled over the bloodstained garments.
Then, the katana.
Next...
They returned to the face covered by the mask.
Éreon continued walking.
As he passed Telvaris...
His voice finally broke the silence.
"The Director awaits you."
Éreon did not answer.
His footsteps receded along the stone path.
Tac.
Tac.
Tac.
The sound echoed for a few moments between the braziers.
Little by little...
It disappeared.
Telvaris remained motionless.
For a few moments...
Silence returned to the path.
Then...
Another sound emerged between the pine trees.
Footsteps.
Slower.
Irregular.
Two figures appeared on the path.
Number Two descended supporting part of Number Thirteen's weight.
Number Thirteen's arm remained over his shoulders.
The injured leg barely supported his body.
Every few steps...
The leg gave way.
Telvaris watched the two throughout the entire descent.
No expression appeared on his face.
The two stopped before Telvaris.
Silence settled between the three.
Telvaris's golden eyes passed over Number Two first.
They stopped over the injured shoulder.
Lowered to the cut along his flank.
Then...
Moved to Number Thirteen.
Blood had run down the entire side of his leg.
The fabric around his thigh was torn open.
Telvaris observed the wound for a few moments.
Soon, his eyes returned to the two.
Number Two held his gaze.
"Despite all the preparation..."
His voice remained firm.
"Only ninety-one managed to climb up."
Telvaris remained silent.
Number Two continued.
"From the Omega Unit..."
His eyes did not leave Telvaris's.
"...we are the only ones left."
The wind crossed the path.
For an instant...
Nothing happened.
Then...
Tlim.
The braziers trembled upon their supports.
The chains swayed.
Clink.
Another brazier vibrated.
Clang.
The metallic sound spread across the stone path.
Telvaris remained motionless.
With his hands still crossed behind his back...
His fingers closed slightly.
No change appeared on his face.
"Take care of your wounds."
His voice remained low.
"Then, rejoin the others."
His golden eyes turned toward the Mountain.
"You will collect the dead and take them to the top."
A brief pause.
"Each one of them will be cremated before nightfall."
Number Two nodded.
"Yes, Supervisor."
He adjusted Number Thirteen's arm over his shoulders.
The two passed Telvaris.
Irregular footsteps continued along the stone path.
Telvaris did not follow them with his eyes.
He remained facing the Mountain.
Behind him...
The footsteps slowly disappeared.
Inside Blackthorn Orphanage...
Theseus remained motionless before the large window of his office.
The pale morning light passed through the glass.
His silver-gray eyes remained fixed on the Mountain.
A thin stream of smoke rose from the cigar between his fingers.
"Speak."
His voice came out low.
Without hurry...
He brought the cigar to his lips.
A muffled voice answered:
"One hundred and nine did not continue along the path."
Theseus remained looking through the window.
"Some tried to find shelter among the slopes..."
"Others scattered through the forest."
Theseus remained silent.
A thin stream of smoke left his lips.
"We confirmed that dawn found all of them in silence."
Theseus finally turned his eyes away from the Mountain.
Behind him...
The figure remained motionless.
Black garments covered his body.
The fabric was marked with bloodstains.
The hood covered his head.
The mask concealed his face.
Fastened to his back...
A bow followed the line of his body.
Arrows remained gathered beside him.
Between the bow and his back...
The hilt of a sword remained visible.
Theseus removed the cigar from his lips.
His voice came out low.
"And the First Shadow's report?"
The figure remained motionless.
Soon, he answered.
"There is one exception among the ninety-one."
A brief pause.
"As far as we could determine..."
Theseus did not answer.
The cigar remained between his fingers.
"...the First Shadow does not consider her a threat to the Orphanage."
Theseus took a drag from the cigar.
Slowly...
The smoke left his lips.
"There were more involved than we expected."
For a few moments...
Nothing but silence remained in the office.
The figure answered.
"According to the Second Shadow..."
"Not all of them had external ties."
The figure slightly turned his head toward the door.
"The pattern of the Ninth Shadow's expeditions seems to have fed some rumors."
Theseus remained silent for a few moments.
His eyes returned to the Mountain.
The cigar smoke slowly rose before his face.
CREEEAK...
The office door opened.
Éreon entered.
His eyes quickly swept across the room.
Soon, they turned toward Theseus.
Theseus did not turn.
"By now, you must have understood."
His voice remained low.
"He was careful enough."
For a few moments...
Theseus continued watching the Mountain.
"He did not need to create an opening..."
Theseus finally turned.
His silver-gray eyes traveled over Éreon for a few moments.
The black garments remained torn in some places.
Bloodstains still marked the fabric.
The katana rested at his back.
Theseus returned his eyes to the masked face.
"...only used one that already existed."
His gaze narrowed slightly.
"When did you find out?"
Éreon remained motionless.
Silence was the only answer between the two.
Theseus watched him for a few more moments.
Then...
He looked away.
"I understand."
He walked to the desk.
Éreon silently followed the movement.
"Prepare yourself."
Theseus placed the cigar in the ashtray.
"You will leave at nightfall."
Éreon turned and walked toward the door.
His hand reached the doorknob.
CREEEAK...
The door began to open.
"Before you leave..."
Éreon stopped.
"Go up to the cabin at the top of the Mountain."
Éreon remained motionless for a moment.
Then...
He opened the door.
CREEEAK...
His footsteps disappeared down the corridor.
The door closed.
Theseus remained beside the desk.
For a few moments...
The office returned to silence.
His eyes returned to the window.
In the distance...
Thin columns of smoke began to rise from the top of the Mountain.
Up there...
Fire consumed the first pyres.
Flames advanced between the stacked logs.
Farther ahead...
Others were still being prepared.
The orphans crossed the top of the Mountain in silence.
Some carried wood.
Others brought the bodies collected during the morning.
One after another...
The dead were placed upon the pyres.
Near the edge of the summit...
A simple cabin stood among the pine trees.
Wood darkened by time composed its walls.
A small porch extended before the entrance.
Telvaris remained beside the railing.
His hands clasped behind his back.
His golden eyes silently followed the work.
No one spoke.
Only the crackling of the flames crossed the top of the Mountain.
Time passed.
The pyres continued burning.
Little by little...
The sun advanced over the Mountain.
The shadows shifted between the pine trees.
The light began to stretch across the ground.
Until...
The sun began its descent toward the horizon.
Before the cabin...
The surviving orphans remained aligned in rows.
None of them wore their hoods.
The masks had been removed.
Traces of dried blood marked their clothes.
Mud and dirt remained upon their faces.
Some carried small cuts.
Even so...
They all remained motionless.
Their hands crossed behind their bodies.
In silence.
Before them...
Telvaris remained beside the cabin.
His golden eyes swept across the rows.
"The hunt is not over yet."
None of the orphans moved.
"There remains one final stage."
The wind crossed the top of the Mountain.
The flames trembled upon the pyres.
"From the moment you cross this door..."
Telvaris allowed the silence to stretch for a few moments.
"everything you see, hear, or experience will remain inside this cabin."
A brief pause.
"It cannot be shared."
His gaze hardened.
"Not even with those who belong to the Orphanage."
Silence remained between the rows.
Telvaris turned toward the cabin.
His hand reached for the door.
CREEEAK...
The wood opened.
The interior remained hidden by darkness.
Telvaris stepped away from the entrance.
"Enter."
No one moved immediately.
For a few moments...
Only the crackling of the pyres broke the silence.
Then...
Number Two left the formation.
He walked toward the cabin.
His footsteps crossed the entrance.
And disappeared into the darkness.
Another orphan advanced.
Bronzed skin.
Brown hair fell rebelliously across his forehead.
His amber eyes remained fixed on the entrance.
Without saying a word...
He followed the same path.
One after another...
The others left the rows.
They crossed the entrance of the cabin.
And disappeared into the darkness.
Until the last orphan crossed the door.
Telvaris remained before the entrance.
His golden eyes stared into the darkness for a few moments.
Silence returned to the porch.
Then...
A presence emerged behind him.
Telvaris did not turn.
"The Director ordered you to come see her."
No answer came.
Éreon passed beside him.
Clean black garments covered his body.
His black hair fell in disordered strands to the nape of his neck.
Under the evening light, his pale skin carried a dark sheen.
For a brief instant...
His black eyes shifted toward Telvaris.
The golden eyes met his from the corner of his vision.
Neither stopped.
Éreon continued forward.
He crossed the entrance...
And disappeared into the darkness of the cabin.
CREEEAK...
The door slowly closed.
The hours passed.
Little by little...
The shadows stretched between the pine trees.
The last light disappeared behind the horizon.
Night took the top of the Mountain.
The pyres no longer burned as before.
Only embers remained among the consumed logs.
Small flames flickered beneath the wind.
Telvaris remained before the cabin.
His hands clasped behind his back.
His golden eyes remained fixed on the horizon.
CREEEAK...
The door opened.
Éreon emerged from the darkness.
His footsteps crossed the porch.
Telvaris slightly turned his eyes toward him.
Éreon said nothing.
He continued forward.
Behind him...
CREEEAK...
The door began to close.
"AAAAAAH!"
A scream broke through the interior of the cabin.
Éreon did not stop.
Another scream came soon after.
More distant.
Muffled by the wooden walls.
The door continued closing.
CREEEAK...
CLAC.
Silence returned to the top of the Mountain.
Éreon continued forward.
The cabin was left behind.
Little by little...
The glow of the embers disappeared between the pine trees.
Éreon descended the slope.
The night wind crossed the trees.
His footsteps moved silently along the path.
Until...
Éreon stopped.
"Didn't you think about saying goodbye?"
Éreon slightly tilted his head.
A few steps behind...
A young man stood in the middle of the path.
He wore a black outfit.
His black hair fell slightly disordered over his face.
His eyes, gray and dull, seemed tired.
Almost bored.
Éreon stared at him in silence.
"You know the Ninth isn't a man of many words."
Another voice came from above them.
Éreon raised his eyes.
On one of the branches...
Another young man remained seated.
One of his legs hung freely as he watched Éreon.
His silver-white hair fell around his face.
His golden-amber eyes remained upon Éreon.
Cold.
Controlled.
"You managed to irritate the Director."
His voice came out calm.
Almost indifferent.
The young man with black hair let out a brief laugh.
"Does that still surprise you?"
There was a certain amusement in his voice.
Éreon remained silent.
His eyes passed over the two.
Then...
He resumed walking.
The black-haired young man followed his figure descending between the pine trees.
"He didn't even say goodbye."
A brief smile appeared on his lips.
"I think I'll miss that enthusiasm."
The silver-white-haired young man kept his eyes on Éreon.
"Sometimes, we only realize it's a farewell when it's already behind us."
The black-haired young man shifted his eyes toward him.
"You manage to make any departure unpleasant."
The silver-white-haired young man did not answer.
His eyes slowly rose.
Toward the top of the Mountain.
For a few moments...
He remained that way.
"Looks like they started leaving."
The black-haired young man also raised his eyes.
"I wonder how many of them were devoured."
The silver-white-haired young man remained silent for a moment.
"We'll know soon."
He let himself fall from the branch.
His feet touched the path without making a sound.
The wind crossed the pine trees.
The leaves trembled.
For an instant...
The shadows swayed across the path.
When the wind ceased...
The two had disappeared.