Prologue: The Village of Red Eyes (Part 14)

Heavy bell strikes echoed through Asterveil.

Dong...

Dong...

Dong...

The villagers slowly emerged from their homes.

Whispering.

Fearful.

Curious.

Snow drifted silently from the gray sky, settling over the rooftops like a burial shroud.

Through the center of the main street...

...Kaien was dragged forward.

Heavy iron chains bound his arms.

His hands were tied behind his back.

Blood still stained his coat.

His right arm hung motionless at his side.

Several guards dragged him roughly through the snow.

The chains clanged with every step.

KRRR-CLANG.

KRRR-CLANG.

The people stared at him.

Some with fear.

Others with hatred.

Others simply in silence.

Like spectators at an execution whose verdict had already been decided.

Kaien remained unconscious.

His head hung limply.

The captain walked beside him with a grin.

"Never thought that brat would turn out this dangerous."

Another guard glanced nervously at Kaien.

"He doesn't look dangerous."

The captain snorted.

"That's exactly what makes it worse."

The crowd continued to grow.

Children hid behind their parents.

Old people whispered prayers.

"Monster..."

"Demon child..."

"Cursed..."

The words spread like poison.

At the very front...

...walked Magnus.

Slow.

Measured footsteps.

Like a priest approaching a ritual.

His black coat stirred in the wind.

His red eyes remained fixed ahead.

At last, they reached the village square.

The pillory.

An old wooden structure standing at the heart of Asterveil.

Dark.

Weathered.

Scarred by ancient burn marks.

Yun Yun instantly felt her stomach tighten.

"...No."

Lyra stood silently beside her.

Even she looked paler than usual.

Several guards roughly chained Kaien to the pillory.

His arms were forced apart.

Iron shackles snapped shut around his wrists.

KRRK.

Then they simply left him hanging there.

Snow continued to fall silently across the square.

More and more villagers gathered.

Mireya Vale pushed frantically through the crowd.

"KAIEN!"

Two guards immediately restrained her.

"LET HIM GO!"

Eren Vale stepped forward as well.

Even he no longer looked drunk.

Not angry.

Just horrified.

"What the hell are you people doing...?"

Magnus slowly stepped before the pillory.

Then he calmly raised his hand.

Immediately, the crowd fell silent.

The wind howled softly between the houses.

"People of Asterveil."

His voice echoed across the square.

"Today, we stand before an important decision."

Slowly, he pointed toward Kaien.

"This boy returned alone from the forest."

No one spoke.

"A place where even trained hunters die."

The villagers began murmuring nervously.

"And not only that."

He pointed toward the large sacks filled with wolf remains.

"An entire pack of demon wolves was annihilated."

Several villagers recoiled in fear.

"And you expect me to believe..."

His red eyes grew colder.

"...that a normal child could accomplish such a thing?"

No one spoke.

Then the first voices rose.

"No..."

"Impossible..."

"That isn't human..."

Yun Yun immediately clenched her teeth.

"YOU PEOPLE ARE INSANE!"

Every head turned toward her.

Yun Yun stepped directly before the crowd.

Her red eyes trembled.

"YOU SENT HIM OUT THERE YOURSELVES!"

Magnus didn't even react.

"AND NOW YOU WANT TO KILL HIM JUST BECAUSE HE SURVIVED!?"

Several villagers lowered their eyes uncertainly.

Magnus calmly continued.

"That is exactly why he is dangerous."

"NO!"

Now Lyra stepped beside Yun Yun.

Calm.

Composed.

As always.

"You are using fear to manipulate these people."

Several villagers nervously turned toward her.

The Vesperis name alone carried weight.

Lyra pointed directly at Magnus.

"You possess absolutely no proof that Kaien is a monster."

Magnus calmly met her gaze.

"And you possess absolutely no proof that he is not."

No one spoke.

Lyra paused.

For the first time, even she seemed slightly unsettled.

Then, suddenly, Eryndor Vesperis pushed through the crowd.

Tall.

Intimidating.

His gaze locked onto Magnus.

"That's enough."

The crowd instantly fell silent.

Selene stood directly behind him.

Clearly worried.

"Lord Vesperis."

Eryndor briefly looked toward Kaien.

Then back at Magnus.

"Publicly chaining an unconscious child will not save Asterveil."

Magnus's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Perhaps."

A brief pause.

"But his execution might."

No one spoke.

Mireya instantly burst into tears.

"NO!"

She desperately tried to reach Kaien again.

But the guards restrained her.

Meanwhile, Eren stared at Magnus, then at Kaien.

"You want to... burn my boy...?"

His voice sounded empty.

Almost broken.

Magnus calmly raised his hand.

"The execution will take place tonight."

The village square instantly erupted.

"Burn him!"

"Monster!"

"Kill him!"

"Before it's too late!"

Not everyone shouted.

But enough did.

Far more than enough.

That was what truly terrified Yun Yun.

The people genuinely wanted this.

Kaien stirred.

Then...

...his eyes slowly opened.

Blue.

Normal once more.

Confused, he looked around.

The people.

The screaming.

The chains.

The pillory.

Kaien froze.

"...W-What...?"

His breathing turned ragged.

"What is happening!?"

Immediately, he threw himself against the chains.

KRRK.

KRRK.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"

The people instantly recoiled.

Some even screamed in panic.

"HE'S GOING WILD!"

"LOOK AT HIM!"

"MONSTER!"

Kaien understood nothing.

His eyes darted frantically through the crowd.

Then he saw Yun Yun.

And Mireya.

Both with tears in their eyes.

A wave of panic crashed over him.

"YUN YUN!?"

He struggled against the chains again.

"WHAT'S GOING ON!?"

Magnus slowly stepped in front of him.

His voice remained perfectly calm.

"You will die today."

No one spoke.

Kaien simply stared at him.

As though his mind had stopped working.

"...What?"

"Asterveil will not allow a monster to roam freely."

Kaien began trembling.

Not with anger.

With fear.

Real fear.

"I-I'm not a monster..."

His voice cracked.

The crowd answered with even louder screams.

"LIAR!"

"DEMON!"

"BURN HIM!"

Suddenly, Kaien couldn't breathe.

This couldn't be real.

It had to be a nightmare.

But the cold iron bit into his wrists.

It was real.

All of it.

Later that evening...

...the village square had nearly emptied.

Only a few guards remained.

Kaien hung silently from the pillory.

Exhausted.

Blood slowly trickled down his wrists.

Yun Yun stood hidden behind a nearby house overlooking the square.

Beside her stood the young guard from earlier.

The same one who had not wanted Kaien sent into the forest alone.

The guard looked nervous.

Very nervous.

Yun Yun looked at him desperately.

"Please."

The guard lowered his gaze.

"If we do nothing, he'll die."

No one spoke.

Then...

...Lyra stepped out of the shadows.

This time, her diary remained closed beneath her arm.

She calmly looked at the guard.

"You know yourself that Magnus is wrong."

The guard remained silent.

Lyra stepped closer.

"And if Kaien truly were a monster..."

Her red eyes met his.

"...do you really believe these chains would stop him?"

The guard froze.

For the first time in hours...

...Yun Yun felt hope.

The young guard let out a heavy breath.

Then he slowly reached into his coat.

And pulled out a small iron key.

The metal glimmered faintly beneath the moonlight.

Yun Yun's eyes widened with relief.

The guard glanced nervously toward the village square.

Then back at Yun Yun.

"You never spoke to me."

Slowly, he placed the key into Yun Yun's hand.