Amid the flickering torchlight that filled the area, and with a gentle wind making the shadows dance, a group of men stood before a gate leading into a relatively dark tunnel. At their forefront was a young man, dressed well, with black hair brushing his forehead slightly, and piercing blue eyes that seemed to see through the darkness ahead, as if staring into nothing.
The men behind him didn't dare look away.
After a long pause, the handsome man finally blinked and said, "Ah… seems the work will be tiring. I can't locate that idiot's corpse—it seems to have fallen into the sewers." He turned toward the men behind him: "Tell me… how many of you are there?"
The men exchanged glances for a moment before the one who appeared most rational, a man with neatly styled brown hair in a circular cut, answered: "Twenty, and with you, we're twenty-one."
The handsome man lowered his face slightly, making his features harder to read. A faint, private smile tugged at his lips as he thought: So I have twenty puppets, plus the corpse, if I can somehow retrieve it—though it's drifting farther, likely in the sewers. Perhaps I should remove it from my plan… (sighs) What a nuisance.
He lifted his head at last, staring at the men, who looked back at him in puzzlement.
The rational man thought to himself: So this is the "Owl" that Kyros feared. Hasn't anyone wondered why the leader couldn't be this bastard instead of the fat Kyros? I need to be more careful. Focus, Crick, focus!
As thoughts burned in Crick's mind, the Owl turned and began walking, his tone now sharper, more resolute: "Alright, we need to move quickly. Stay together, and beware even of your own shadows—we don't know what scum we might encounter."
Everyone began following the Owl with measured steps. Their source of fear had now become their source of trust.
But… one person didn't feel safe with him. Crick, whose mind was entirely occupied with the blonde girl he had saved moments ago, and the hope of keeping her alive.
---
Not far from the Owl and his men, Leona had been staring in the direction Anas had gone for several minutes, unsure why. Finally, she sat beside Naivy and sighed: "That idiot… how could he leave us here after everything we went through together? He's an idiot, a huge idiot."
Naivy heard her, replying: "He only met us a few hours ago. Did you expect him to care this much? Honestly, I don't even know why he hasn't left us yet. (She sighs, voice softening.) I just hope he's not like the others who would abandon us."
Edward, still standing in his inner shirt, said: "Stop acting as if he's the center of the universe. I'm here, and I'll protect you."
Leona smiled at her brother: "Just as expected of my brother."
Naivy's eyes widened slightly as she muttered: "No one has ever said they'd protect me… thank you."
Edward nearly replied, but the three froze suddenly. It felt as if gravity had doubled.
They turned right, toward where the man Anas had killed had come from, and saw a striking figure in dark black trousers and buttoned black shirt, eyes a clear sky blue, staring at them with wide, merciless eyes.
Edward turned his body, nearly drawing his sword, but before he could react…
The handsome man lunged at Edward, giving him no chance. Edward tried to dodge, but an injured foot slowed him. He cursed: "Damn it!"
Crack, krek!
The man struck Edward in the stomach, then followed with a punch to the face, making Edward stumble backward and spit a bit of blood.
"Who… are you, bastard?!" Edward shouted, wiping his mouth.
The handsome man stared, a smile on his lips that never reached his eyes. Bowing slightly, he stepped back, lowering himself, left hand behind him, right hand forward: "You do not deserve to know my name. But you may call me… The Owl."
The Owl's gaze followed Naivy and Leona, who had run toward Edward, worry clear on their faces, and they both shouted: "Are you okay?!"
Edward nodded, thinking: How am I supposed to defeat this filthy bastard?! Maybe I'll have to use deception, like Anas. But will trickery work against a bastard like this? Damn it!
Meanwhile, Leona clenched her teeth tightly, looking back: Anas! Where are you, biggest bastard on the face of the earth?!
---
Above, the sky was almost clear except for a few clouds drifting lazily, seemingly indifferent to the events below. Sunlight pierced the gaps, falling on a scorched circular area.
In the center of this area, Anas stood atop the monster's corpse, carefully attempting to remove the eye from its socket, using only the dagger tip to avoid damage.
The squelching tearing sound was the only noise in the empty space.
After about fifteen minutes of meticulous work, Anas finally removed the eye, holding it in his hand: "I didn't expect it to be this exhausting just from reading anatomy in books."
He stared at the red eye, its vertical pupil filling his palm, and thoughts began to flow: What can I do with this eye? (Sighs) I defeated the monster, and some trash comes along to take everything, leaving only the eye. Annoying. But nothing will change no matter how much I complain.
"That's why you're special. Not for your intelligence, bravery, or any supernatural power. You're special because you understand things deeply, even if your judgments are sometimes wrong. In the end, you're human; everyone makes mistakes," Priscilla's voice pierced his ear.
Suddenly, a heaviness clouded his vision, making him stagger and forcing him to close his eyes. He felt himself slowly sinking—a familiar sensation.
When he opened his eyes slowly, he found himself in his room, this time at his normal size.
He sat on the edge of the bed, saying: "Do you have to do this every time, Priscilla?"
Lifting his eyes, he saw Priscilla sitting in her usual chair at his desk, but now taller, with more mature features.
"Oh? Weren't you a child?" Anas asked, slightly surprised.
She smiled: "I'm the same age as you. Forgot? I was born the moment you were born."
Anas tilted his head slightly to the left: "Yes, I remembered. So why are we here? Hurry, before someone steals the eye."
Ha ha ha ha.
Priscilla laughed, clutching her stomach.
"Yes, yes. You're thinking about the eye's safety as if your own isn't important. Fool, as usual." She took a deep breath, then her gaze turned serious: "Alright, I'll be direct. You can't do anything with the eye. The best thing you can do is sell it. But I have a better idea—give it to me. I'll extract its powers, and then some of its abilities will be yours."
"And the cost?" Anas interrupted, his gaze matching hers.
Priscilla answered directly, as if expecting the question: "Your blood. I'll take a quarter of it. The cost will be exact at the moment I finish consuming the eye. It won't reduce your strength or anything, but you'll feel weakness, sudden dizziness, and may suffer more because you haven't fully healed from previous wounds. So what's your decision? Remember, I don't guarantee any specific ability. You'll discover that yourself."
Anas leaned back on the bed, staring at the ceiling: Annoying. Whatever I choose, I'll regret it later. Only the degree of regret will change. (Sighs) Which choice will make me regret less, I wonder?