Prologue: The Village of Red Eyes (Part 15)

The sky above Asterveil slowly darkened.

Heavy gray clouds drifted over the walls.

The snow had stopped falling.

Somehow...

...that made everything worse.

Because now the voices of the village carried clearly through the streets.

Whispers.

Arguments.

Fear.

By now, the village square was almost empty.

Only a few guards remained around the pillory.

Torches had been prepared.

Dry wood lay stacked beneath Kaien.

Like for an animal.

Or a monster.

Kaien hung motionless in his chains.

His head lowered.

Blood slowly trickled down his wrists.

Every part of his body ached.

But something else hurt even more.

The people.

The same people he had seen every day...

...now wanted to burn him alive.

A cold wind swept across the square.

Then slow footsteps echoed nearby.

Magnus.

The elder silently stepped before Kaien.

No guards accompanied him.

No villagers.

Only him.

And Kaien.

Magnus watched him in silence for several seconds.

Then he slowly stepped closer.

Very close.

He leaned in and whispered beside Kaien's ear.

"If only you hadn't asked so many questions..."

No one spoke.

Magnus's voice grew quieter.

Colder.

"...none of this would have happened."

Kaien froze.

Slowly, he raised his head.

His blue eyes met Magnus's.

"...You knew."

Magnus remained silent.

Somehow, that silence alone was answer enough.

Something inside Kaien changed.

Real anger rose in his chest.

Not fear.

Not panic.

Anger.

But Magnus had already turned away.

His coat stirred lightly in the wind.

"Tonight, everything ends."

Then he disappeared into the dark streets of Asterveil.

At the same time...

...hidden behind an old storage building near the village square...

...stood Yun Yun, Lyra, Mireya, and Eren.

Yun Yun tightly gripped the small iron key in her hand.

Her fingers trembled.

Not from the cold.

From nerves.

Mireya stared desperately toward the pillory.

"We need to get him out of there immediately..."

Eren slowly nodded.

His face was unusually serious.

"If we wait any longer, he'll die."

Lyra silently glanced toward the Vesperis estate.

Then she quietly said,

"We should inform my parents."

Yun Yun immediately turned toward her.

"No."

Lyra frowned slightly.

Yun Yun stepped closer.

"Eryndor would stop us."

No one spoke.

Lyra immediately understood.

Yun Yun was right.

"And Selene would be too afraid for us."

Mireya sadly lowered her gaze.

She knew that was probably true as well.

Lyra remained silent for several seconds.

Then she slowly nodded.

"...Understood."

The wind swept icily between the houses.

Yun Yun looked back toward the pillory.

Kaien still hung there motionless.

Like someone who had already given up.

Yun Yun clenched her teeth.

"We're getting him out."

Several hours later...

...night had fully fallen over Asterveil.

Most of the villagers had already gathered in the village square.

The execution would begin soon.

Torches illuminated the snowy streets.

Because of that...

...the area behind the pillory was barely guarded.

Only two guards remained.

Bored.

Tired.

One of them yawned...

...when someone suddenly emerged from the darkness.

BOOM.

Eren's fist slammed into the guard's face.

The man collapsed instantly.

The second guard jerked his sword up in shock.

"ALARM-"

THUD.

The hilt of a sword slammed into the back of his head.

He crumpled to the ground.

Silence.

Yun Yun's eyes widened in surprise.

The young guard.

The same one from before.

He breathed heavily.

"Hurry."

Yun Yun immediately nodded.

She rushed straight to Kaien.

Kaien weakly lifted his head.

His eyes widened.

"...Yun Yun?"

Yun Yun's trembling hands fumbled with the key.

"Hold still!"

KRRK.

The first shackle sprang open.

Then the second.

Kaien immediately collapsed forward.

Mireya caught him at once.

"Easy... easy..."

Kaien looked completely overwhelmed.

His eyes darted from one face to another.

"What... is happening...?"

Eren stepped directly in front of him.

His expression was serious.

Very serious.

"Listen to me carefully."

Kaien froze.

For the first time...

...Eren truly sounded like a father.

"There's only one chance left for you to survive."

No one spoke.

Eren pointed toward the North Wall.

"You have to leave the village."

Kaien's eyes widened.

"W-What!?"

Mireya had already begun crying again.

"Please..."

Kaien immediately shook his head.

"No!"

He tried to stand.

"I can't just leave all of you behind!"

His eyes immediately found Yun Yun.

Yun Yun felt her heart pounding.

Then she slowly stepped closer.

Her red eyes met his.

"Then let me come with you."

No one spoke.

Lyra's head snapped toward her.

"What!?"

Yun Yun didn't even look at her.

"I'm not leaving him alone."

Lyra immediately stepped closer.

"Yun Yun, this is insanity."

"Maybe."

Lyra bit her lip.

For the first time, she looked genuinely overwhelmed.

Her gaze moved between Yun Yun and Kaien.

Then she let out a quiet sigh.

"...You're both complete idiots."

A brief silence followed.

Then she lifted her diary slightly.

"But if Yun Yun is going..."

She glanced toward the North Wall.

"...then I'm coming too."

Yun Yun stared at her in shock.

So did Kaien.

Lyra rolled her eyes.

"Someone has to stop you two from getting yourselves killed within two hours."

Despite everything...

...Kaien let out a quiet laugh.

Yun Yun couldn't help smiling as well.

Only for a moment.

Then...

...shouting suddenly echoed from the village square.

"THE PRISONER IS GONE!"

"ALARM!"

"MOVE!"

Eren immediately cursed.

"GO! RUN!"

The group sprinted into the dark streets toward the North Gate.

Snow crunched loudly beneath their feet.

Behind them, bells were already ringing.

Panic spread through the village.

Then they reached the North Gate.

The young guard frantically worked the mechanism.

KRRRRK.

The gigantic gate slowly began to open.

Beyond it...

...nothing but black forest.

Freedom.

Or death.

But suddenly...

...several armed guards appeared behind them.

"THERE THEY ARE!"

Immediately, swords flashed.

Eren spun around at once.

"RUN!"

The young guard drew his sword as well.

"I'LL HOLD THEM OFF!"

Mireya looked toward Kaien.

Tears streamed down her face.

"Please survive..."

The guards charged.

Steel crashed against steel.

SCHLK.

One of the guards drove a sword into Eren's side.

Kaien froze.

"...NO."

Even then, Eren still knocked the man to the ground.

Blood spread across the snow.

The young guard was struck as well.

Then Mireya...

...threw herself in front of Kaien as another guard lunged.

SCHLK.

Silence.

Mireya's body slowly collapsed.

Kaien felt his entire world shatter.

"...M-Mom?"

Mireya smiled weakly.

Blood trickled from her lips.

"...Run."

Kaien immediately tried to reach her.

But Yun Yun grabbed his arm with all her strength.

"LET ME GO!"

Kaien struggled desperately.

Then...

SLAP.

Yun Yun struck him across the face with everything she had.

No one spoke.

Kaien stared at her in shock.

Tears streamed down Yun Yun's face.

"I'm sorry..."

Her voice trembled.

"...but there's no going back anymore."

Behind them...

...Eren, Mireya, and the young guard slowly collapsed into the bloodstained snow.

And the children...

...ran.

Out of Asterveil.

Out of the only world they had ever known.

Into the black forest.

The wind howled between the trees.

Snow swirled through the night.

The three children ran breathlessly between the dark trunks.

Deep within the shadows...

...something watched them.

A black mass.

With golden, serpent-like eyes.

Behind it lay the torn remains of countless demonic creatures.

The path before the children lay completely open.

As though someone had cleared the entire forest for them.

The golden eyes silently followed the fleeing children.

Then...

...the creature spoke.

Quietly.

Almost delighted.

"And finally..."

The darkness shifted.

"...the real game begins."

The golden eyes slowly narrowed.

For a fleeting moment...

...they almost seemed to smile.

"I am going to have so much fun with you."