Chapter 4: Fear

"But this time... There are whispers the Blood Demon itself has awakened..." Lisa muttered. The two assistants stared at disbelief and fear.

"The Blood Demon...?" Alphonse asked, feigning ignorance.

Lisa's gaze sharpened. "Yes. The Blood Demon—the creature that was slain five hundred years ago has awakened."

"And how can you be so certain?" He pressed. "What if it's just the Bloodlust Cult... or perhaps Kaelvaron's assassins?"

Lisa paused for a moment, considering the possibility, then shook her head.

"Human imperfection is easy to recognize, especially when you've been in this line of work for as long as I have. But this... Every mark is identical. The exact same placement. The exact same alignment. This isn't the work of mere humans from the Bloodlust Cult, and definitely not assassins." Lisa explained, her voice trembling.

She took a steadying breath before finally speaking again.

"...Alphonse, I need to report this to the—"

She turned—

He was gone.

Lisa's stomach dropped. "Where did he...? You two, did you see him leave?! Why didn't you tell me?!"

"L-Leave?! He was right here a moment ago!" one of the guards stammered, equally stunned.

***

"Seems like Kaelvaron won't be blamed for this. Hopefully there won't be any wars..." I muttered.

The spire of the Academy, on the bell tower, served as a vantage point. I could see most of Velrithia from here. The academy is a ten-story structure. The tower also added to the height. The breeze was pleasant too... almost nostalgic...

More importantly, Mount Tyro was clearly visible, despite being about fifty kilometers away. The dark clouds and occasional flash of thunders on top of the mountain were a stark reminder of why this mountain was considered to be a "bad omen".

"Regardless of the tight security, I should be able to sneak out of the city." I thought, not wanting to waste any more time. "Will I really find something here...?"

As I approached the city gate, I was a little surprised,

"What happened to the guards?"

The gate, once bristling with guards tasked with ensuring no soul could escape, now stood desolate. Their absence was not a relief but a harbinger... The air hung heavy, thick with the scent of iron and something far older, far more sinister.

An eerie roar echoed from the heavens—a deafening bellow that rippled through the air, rattling the very bones of the earth.

The sky was smothered in thick, swirling clouds, their usual gray now drowned in a deep, unnatural crimson. The air felt dense, charged with something indescribable. A faint, eerie glow pulsed through the haze, casting long, wavering shadows over the land.

Then, for the first time in years, I felt it—fear.

The moon, an unpleasant red, stretched across the sky, covering all but the slivers of the horizon.

"The moon?! But it's daytime! The sun is still—"

It's gone.

The sun, the steady anchor of day and night, had vanished without a trace. Only the faint, bloody light of the sky remained, casting long, twisted shadows across the ground. The moon hung lower now, its surface more defined, more menacing. It felt like it was descending—slowly but surely—drawn to the earth by some unseen force.

"...!"

The moon was getting closer, clearer, darker, and all I could do was stare in disbelief.

A nervous chuckle escaped my lips. "You've got to be kidding..."

Was I afraid of death? No... But every inch of my soul trembled with fear—the fear of witnessing whatever was happening. It was as if I had seen this exact scene play out before...

Tears filled my eyes as I stood still, petrified. I found myself begging for death once again—this time, not for freedom or escape, but out of fear of witnessing what comes next. A feeling so familiar, yet distant. I did not know what was about to happen, but I was certain I did not want to.

I shut my eyes, as if that alone could make everything disappear.

Darkness swallowed my consciousness.