Prologue: The Village of Red Eyes (Part 8)

The snow crunched softly beneath Yun Yun's boots as she walked through the village's narrow streets with Lyra.

Somewhere in the distance, the dull bell of the North Wall rang once again.

Dong...

Dong...

Dong...

Yun Yun pulled her scarf a little higher.

She hated that sound.

Beside her, Lyra walked through the snow with her usual composure.

Impeccably dressed as always.

And in her right hand...

...of course, that damned diary.

Yun Yun shot her an annoyed look.

"You really don't need that."

"I do."

With a heavy sigh, Yun Yun shook her head.

For nearly twenty minutes, she had been trying to convince Lyra not to meet Kaien.

For nearly twenty minutes, she had been losing that argument.

Catastrophically.

"You're only going to unsettle him."

Lyra glanced at her.

Then she calmly opened the little black diary again and continued writing.

Scratch... Scratch...

The quill scratched softly across the paper.

"ARE YOU WRITING ABOUT HIM AGAIN!?"

"Possibly."

"You don't even know him yet!"

Lyra closed the diary without a hint of urgency.

"Correction.

Not yet."

"You're creepy."

"Thank you."

Yun Yun groaned.

Why did she thank her every single time?

They continued through the snow-covered streets in silence.

Several villagers watched them pass.

Especially Lyra.

Of course.

The Vesperis family attracted attention the way blood attracted demons.

Some people immediately lowered their gaze.

Others began whispering among themselves.

Yun Yun barely noticed anymore.

Lyra, on the other hand, ignored every glance.

As always.

"Can you at least act normal when we're with Kaien?"

Lyra considered the question for a moment.

"I can't."

"Lyra."

"Yun Yun."

"I'm serious."

This time, Lyra actually looked at her.

"So am I."

Yun Yun was about to answer...

...when Lyra opened her diary again.

Yun Yun stopped in her tracks.

"WHAT ARE YOU WRITING NOW!?"

Completely unfazed, Lyra's quill glided across the page.

"Subject Yun Yun displays heightened emotional responses whenever the male individual, Kaien, is mentioned."

Yun Yun's face flushed bright red.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU."

The faintest grin crossed Lyra's face.

"Interesting threat."

Yun Yun lunged for the diary.

Lyra smoothly stepped aside.

Of course she did.

"GIVE ME THAT!"

"Absolutely not."

"YOU LITTLE PSYCHOPATH!"

An elderly villager stopped and stared at the two of them in confusion.

As she passed him, Lyra gave him a polite bow.

As though absolutely nothing had happened.

Yun Yun wanted to scream.

The farther they walked, the smaller and more run-down the houses became.

Collapsed roofs.

Crooked windows.

Weathered wooden walls.

The snow was deeper here.

The cold seemed to linger in these streets.

Yun Yun pulled her coat tighter around herself.

Lyra silently studied the surroundings.

"So this is the part of the village where he lives."

"Yeah?"

Lyra remained silent for another moment.

Then she calmly said,

"I understand a few things better now."

Yun Yun frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Lyra looked at the decaying houses.

She looked at the empty bottles half-buried in the snow.

At the exhausted faces behind frost-covered windows.

"The people here seem..."

She searched for the right words.

"...as though they've long since given up."

Yun Yun remained silent.

Because she knew Lyra was right.

The people living near the North and South Walls seemed different.

Emptier.

Broken.

As though Asterveil was slowly draining the life from them.

Lyra opened her diary once again.

Yun Yun's eyes widened in horror.

"I SWEAR, IF YOU WRITE ONE MORE THING...!"

"Calm down."

"YOU'RE WRITING ABOUT HIM AGAIN, AREN'T YOU!?"

Without even looking up, Lyra replied,

"This time, it's about alcoholism and societal decline."

Yun Yun blinked.

"...What?"

Lyra continued writing without the slightest hesitation.

"A most fascinating village."

Yun Yun could only stare at her.

Sometimes she genuinely wondered whether they were really the same age.

At last, they reached the small, crooked house of the Vale family.

Yun Yun stopped in her tracks.

Something was wrong.

The front door stood open.

Kaien stood outside.

Wrapped in a thick coat.

A bag slung over his shoulder.

Beside him stood Mireya Vale.

The cold morning wind played with her hair.

Mireya looked worried.

No.

Deeply worried.

Kaien noticed the two of them immediately.

For a brief moment, he froze.

"...Why are you here?"

His gaze shifted to Lyra.

"And who's this?"

Yun Yun immediately blurted out,

"I TRIED TO STOP HER!"

Lyra calmly raised a hand.

"Good morning."

Kaien's eyes moved back and forth between the two of them.

Eventually, they settled on Lyra.

For several long seconds.

Then he said with complete seriousness,

"...You look like someone who poisons people."

Yun Yun immediately covered her mouth.

She wasn't sure whether to laugh or apologize.

Lyra was quiet for a moment.

Then, without a word, she opened her diary.

Scratch... Scratch...

The quill scratched across the paper.

"Why is she writing!?"

Yun Yun threw up her hands.

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Lyra calmly looked up from her diary.

"First impression: surprisingly observant."

Kaien tilted his head slightly.

"What's wrong with you?"

A quiet laugh escaped Mireya.

For a moment, everyone looked at her in surprise.

"You must be Lyra."

Lyra politely inclined her head.

"Correct."

A gentle smile appeared on Mireya's face.

"Yun Yun has told me a lot about you."

Yun Yun immediately went pale.

"PLEASE DON'T."

Lyra glanced at her briefly before turning back to Kaien.

"Interesting. On the other hand, I've heard very little about Kaien."

"BECAUSE I NEVER TOLD YOU ANYTHING ABOUT HIM!"

Without changing her expression, Lyra made another note.

Yun Yun was on the verge of losing her mind.

Kaien gave Lyra another puzzled look.

"Is she always like this?"

Yun Yun and Mireya answered at the same time.

"Yes."

Lyra actually seemed to consider the question.

After a few seconds, she nodded.

"Most likely."

A slight grin spread across Kaien's face.

Yun Yun noticed it immediately.

That was bad.

Very bad.

Kaien and Lyra together would almost certainly end in absolute chaos.

At last, Mireya turned back to Kaien.

The smile faded from her face.

"You should get going."

The mood shifted instantly.

Kaien looked up the road toward the North Wall.

His grin disappeared.

Yun Yun immediately noticed the tension in his expression.

Of course.

Today was the day.

"Yeah."

Mireya stepped closer.

Gently, she straightened the collar of his coat.

With the same effortless care only a mother could give.

"Please be careful."

Kaien gave her a faint smile.

"I'll be fine."

No one believed him.

Not Yun Yun.

Not Mireya.

Not even Lyra.

A cold gust of wind swept through the street, making their coats flutter.

Mireya looked at Kaien for another long moment.

Then she suddenly pulled him into a hug.

Kaien stiffened.

Apparently, he wasn't used to being hugged.

"No matter what happens..."

Mireya's voice was quiet.

Almost fragile.

"...come back."

Kaien didn't answer immediately.

After a moment, he gave a slow nod.

"Don't worry so much."

Mireya smiled faintly.

But her eyes told a different story.

She was afraid.

Terrified.

At last, Kaien took a step back.

His gaze shifted to Yun Yun.

Then to Lyra.

"And why exactly are you two coming with me?"

Yun Yun was about to answer.

But Lyra spoke first.

"Scientific curiosity."

Kaien blinked.

"I'm sorry... what?"

Calmly, Lyra opened her diary.

"I'm observing you."

Kaien grimaced.

"That doesn't make it any better."

Yun Yun slapped a hand against her forehead.

"I'm sorry."

Kaien glanced at her.

Then a crooked grin spread across his face.

"It's okay."

That little grin immediately made Yun Yun nervous again.

Of course, Lyra didn't miss it.

Scratch... Scratch...

"STOP WRITING!"

"I'd rather not."

At last, the three of them set off together.

They walked through the snow-covered streets of Asterveil.

The closer they came to the northern side of the village...

...the quieter everything became.

Fewer and fewer people were outside.

The houses looked darker.

More abandoned.

Some windows were boarded up.

Others were completely dark.

No light.

No voices.

Only snow.

And wind.

Kaien noticed the change as well.

"This part of the village is even worse."

Yun Yun gave a slight shrug.

"Most people avoid the northern side."

Lyra calmly studied the street.

"Fear."

Kaien let out a quiet snort.

"This whole village is built on fear."

No one argued.

Ahead of them, the North Wall came into view.

Gigantic.

Dark.

Ancient.

Like a black nightmare, it towered against the gray sky.

Deep gouges scarred the massive stone.

As though gigantic claws had tried to tear it apart.

The snow seemed darker here.

Almost gray.

Several armed guards stood before the enormous gate.

Their red eyes looked empty.

Tired.

As Kaien approached, their gazes shifted toward him in unison.

Yun Yun immediately felt that dreadful sensation again.

As though the wall itself were watching him.

The wind howled through the massive stones.

Lyra slowly closed her diary.

For the first time, even she didn't seem completely at ease.

Kaien stopped before the North Wall.

Above them, the bell rang once more.

Dong...

Dong...

Dong...