Scratching his recently shaved chin, Charlotte Silk stepped down from the carriage with an umbrella in hand, his purple gaze fixed on the building in front of him.
At first glance, it was clear that it was a theater. Brightly colored walls hung with posters advertising the various plays on offer. A large white billboard displayed the schedule for the week's performances and upcoming shows.
Several people were already entering, most of them families with children in tow.
The crimson light of the moon barely pierced through the clouds, making the various lamps on the billboard stand out even more, one in particular catching Charlotte's attention.
"The Adventures of Mickey Mouse and Goofy..." If he needed any confirmation, that was the last he needed.
There was only one theater in the entire Artelia district that would have such a ridiculous name on its billboard.
'Why did he choose such a childish name? Is this something for children? Sighing slightly, the young man paid for his ride and walked calmly to the entrance.
Arriving at the reception desk, where a glass panel separated them, he took a ticket out of his pants pocket and slipped it under the window slot.
"For the nine o'clock show," Charlotte said, handing over the ticket.
The worker, wearing a bright red vest over a white shirt, took it and, after a quick check, nodded without much interest.
With practiced movements, he pinned the ticket to a nearby stake. Doing the same movement so many times had made it monotonous at this point in his life.
"Enjoy the play, sir."
'Sir? Again?' Not wanting to correct the man that he was not yet of legal age, Charlotte nodded in response. He didn't give it any importance.
It wasn't the first time his age had been mistaken, and he sincerely doubted it would be the last.
With nothing else to do or say, he finally entered the theater, but he didn't follow the path marked by the carpet. Instead, once he found the right moment, he slipped in through the side without attracting attention...
Tap Tap Tap
Walking through the now-empty corridors, Charlotte swallowed a little.
Grabbing the collar of his shirt, he loosened it a little and scratched his neck. He barely resisted the urge to unbutton it.
"I never spent so much money on clothes..."
Before, the idea of spending more than 1 solis on a shirt was a waste of money that could be better spent on ingredients for his charms and rituals...
These new pants cost more than all the clothes he had in his closet in East Borough.
Not only did he feel strange wearing such expensive and elegant clothes, but they were also very uncomfortable.
'How can people dress like this and not suffocate? I can barely breathe!' Looking down, the young man stopped walking for a moment and cursed internally.
If he had known they were so uncomfortable, he would have spent the money on something more useful!
His hand stopped with the arrival of that thought, his lips tightening, and a sudden tremor shaking his body.
'Although the boss would have been angry if I hadn't done it...'
After what that guy had accomplished, he didn't want to get on his bad side at all-
"Good evening, Mr. Charlotte."
Charlotte froze, his eyes opening slightly. But, recognizing the voice, he simply turned and looked behind him.
A few meters in the hallway, which he could have sworn was empty before, now stood a woman.
Bright black and red tunics contrasted in a somber beauty. They were quite loose, hiding almost her entire body; her pale hands were serenely intertwined over her stomach. Her face was slightly obscured by her ever-raised hood, but that did not prevent him from seeing the slight smile and the sparkle in her deep eyes.
She looked like a dark nun who, when spreading the word of her lord, accompanied each verse with blood.
'I didn't even hear her...' Nodding somewhat tensely, he greeted her with a slight sigh.
"Good evening, Miss Serena."
Serena Williams smiled a little more as she stood beside him, "I apologize if I scared you."
"You just surprised me, that's all." Not giving it much thought, Charlotte casually put the charm back in her pocket.
The woman in dark clothes just closed her eyes, not continuing the conversation with her teammate. The young man copied her, walking in comfortable silence down the hallway.
Neither of them were very talkative people, so this was fine.
As they walked, the Melee Scholar glanced sideways at the woman beside him from time to time, reconfirming that she was there.
Even though she was so close, the way she walked made him almost forget she was there in the first place. Due to the looseness of her clothes, he couldn't see her legs, but he wouldn't be surprised if she was just floating...
With that sudden thought, Charlotte noticed something he had failed to pick up on when the woman first revealed her presence behind him.
'Her footsteps, she doesn't make a sound when she walks!
'When did she learn that? Only the boss does that. Did he train her? But isn't that progress ridiculous? Miss Serena didn't know how to do that at the previous meeting...
'Maybe it's a quality of her path? Is she part of the same one as the boss? But their personalities and characters are completely different...'
It could be the reason, but he wasn't going to ask about it.
His curiosity and interest in knowing the reason for the woman's sudden ability to walk silently were minimal. It wasn't something worth going out of his way to ask about.
Without further ado, they both continued on their way. Climbing several flights of stairs.
Stopping on the third floor, Charlotte and Serena continued, passing a sign that read "Authorized personnel only" in Lenburg.
Unlike the previous floors, which were empty, this one was considerably more crowded with several guards wearing red vests. However, they only glanced at them and then ignored them.
They were normal people with nothing remarkable about them. But the duo knew the truth about who they really were.
Passing one of them, Charlotte looked at him for a few moments, and after considering it for a few seconds, he shook his head internally. He held back the urge to look at them with his Mystery Prying Eye.
'The result would be the same. There's no difference.' His curiosity would be hungry tonight, but it wasn't the first time it had gone to bed on an empty stomach.
Finally, reaching the end of the hallway and standing in front of one of the doors, voices could be heard behind the wood.
Opening it, Charlotte and Serena were met with a scene that was quite familiar at this point.
In one corner of the room, a poker table was being used for a game. The people playing were more prominent than the previous ones, as well as the strongest members of the team.
Wraith Sharron was dressed in her usual black clothes and a small hat with a light blue ribbon. Her partner, Zombie Maric, who never left her side, wore his classic white shirt over a brown vest.
Their boss, Reaper Adryan, wore white tunics and a wine-red overcoat. Accompanying him was Dream Stealer Flora in purple tunics.
"At this point, I'm not even surprised," Adryan said, throwing the cards in the middle of the table and withdrawing from the round. "Card games are not my thing."
"Come on, princess, at least this time you didn't lose so quickly." With the corners of her lips slightly raised, Flora elegantly extended her hand, showing an ace.
Seeing that hand, Maric copied the movement of the man next to him and threw his cards into the center, the cards bouncing off the force. Grunting a little, he covered his forehead with his palm, "Out."
Sharron, for her part, looked emotionlessly at her deck and lowered it, "Five wins for Ma'am Flora, zero for the rest."
Observing the zombie's clear frustration out of the corner of his eye, Adryan looked straight at the woman in front of him. "I know you're cheating, I just have no idea how to prove it..."
Flora calmly closed her eyes, drinking from a glass beside her, and casually said, "Don't flatter yourself, princess, it's not worth using tricks in this. You are just terrible at playing."
"Hey, Miss Casper and I are just getting started, so it's normal," shrugging his shoulders, Adryan suddenly smiled mischievously, "But Mr Zombie, on the other hand..."
Turning to the pale man who was giving him a death stare, the redhead whispered jokingly, "Playing with only zombies for so long made you pretty slow, huh?
"Don't you think facing people with warm hearts is more fun? A better challenge than rotten brains?"
"You're really frustrating," Maric growled a little, sharp canines peeking out slightly. But, snorting, he reigned in his temper and focused his attention on the cards, picking them up.
To one side, sitting on a sofa, Planter Opera and Telepathist Jerry shared a bowl of popcorn resting on a small table in front of them. Both were well dressed, the older woman in a bright red tunic and laurel branches, while the young girl wore soft gray tunics with a light blue scarf.
Swallowing her bite, Opera looked at the white-haired woman, somewhat dazed.
"Miss Flora, you have no mercy."
Flora turned her attention to the red-eyed woman, her gaze disinterested.
"Why would I play if not to win?"
Seeing that the opportunity had finally arrived, Jerry quickly joined the conversation, "Ma'am, could you teach me how to play?"
Jacob smiled knowingly, one eyebrow raised in interest, "You need to get better at lying. You barely blinked while you 'watched' us play."
Reaching out a hand, one of the empty chairs in the room disappeared from its place, reappearing beside her.
"Come, I'll show you some tricks."
"Hihi." Regardless of having been caught, the little girl jumped up from her spot and skipped over to the chair.
Watching her sit down, the redhead sighed, "Don't influence her badly, Miss Worm. The last thing we need is a Spectator who loves to gamble."
"..." Charlotte didn't know what to say; he just stood there while Serena passed by and entered the room, greeting everyone.
"Good evening, everyone."
"Oh, you're finally here." Finally looking up from the table, scarlet eyes turned to look at them, amused.
"And just who I wanted to see~"
Rising from his seat, the redhead walked over to stand in front of him, his eyes looking him up and down in great detail.
Unconsciously, Charlotte's back straightened, and he puffed out his chest a little, the corners of his lips trembling as they tightened.
'I'm well dressed, aren't I?' Suddenly feeling unsure of his choice, he lowered his gaze to the floor, finding it very interesting.
For his part, Adryan brought a hand to his chin, tilting his head slightly to the left, very pleased with what the young man had chosen to wear.
Gray and purple robes over a black shirt. His black hair with gray streaks was neatly combed to one side, a simple laurel holding it in place. His circular glasses, accentuating his purple eyes, gave him a scholarly air.
In his eyes, Charlotte finally looked like someone who belonged on the Hermit's path, and not on the Hippie's path.
Having had enough of teasing the young man a few days ago, the redhead raised his hand and gently tapped the boy's forehead, freezing him.
"You really should dress like this more often, you know? You look good."
With that, Adryan turned away, "Sit wherever you want, the movie isn't starting for a while."
'Seriously, this guy is only five years older than me?' With trembling eyes, Charlotte was genuinely speechless.
After a moment of processing what was happening, he finally took note that his boss was walking around in his true appearance.
Realizing he had left the door open, he quickly turned around and closed it.
Letting out a sigh he didn't know he was holding, the Melee Scholar squinted at the man who was already back in his seat.
"Boss, is it a good idea to show your face here?"
The redhead raised his hand disinterestedly, "It's fine. No one can come near here without me knowing."
"Really? With only four guards?" The words came out without thinking, but Charlotte didn't have time to swallow them back before the boss turned his head slightly, his eyes shining mysteriously.
"Do you really think there were only four guards out there?" Winking mischievously, Adryan turned and walked away.
"There were more out there? But I didn't sense anyone!" Stunned, Charlotte trembled slightly.
A chill ran down the young man's spine, and he looked with deep suspicion at the closed door behind him.
Suddenly feeling that if he opened it now, what would greet him would not be a simple hallway, but sharp, pointed teeth. Slowly, Charlotte moved away from the door and went to sit with Opera and Serena to watch the game.
The last time he played poker, he ended up losing 2 pounds, and seeing how his boss's partner continued to dominate, his minimal interest in playing disappeared.
"This guy..." The corners of the young man's lips trembled slightly when he saw that, from a certain angle, he could see a purple kiss mark hidden on his boss's neck.
Fifteen minutes passed before the door was opened again, and two people entered the room.
Seeing who they were, the Planter applauded in wonder.
"You look beautiful, Miss Sasha!" Opera said with a happy smile, her crimson eyes shining with stars in them.
A slight blush covered the orange-haired blonde's face, and somewhat embarrassed, she began to slowly crack her knuckles with her gaze somewhat lowered, "Oh, come on... It's no big deal..."
And Sasha believed those words; it was no big deal.
Orange and yellow tunics, tied with a long sky blue fabric belt to create the dress. Bronze bracelets on her wrists and a strap tying her hair back, which was loose.
She had bought it a couple of days ago after the last team meeting last Sunday. Since it was a "special" occasion, the boss had asked everyone to come well-dressed. And she didn't plan to disappoint him by wearing something simple.
With that thought, she ran a hand through her hair, making sure it was still well combed.
"It's the first time I've tried a style other than loose or tied hair, but if no one has said anything, I doubt anyone will notice..."
Observing the big woman's reaction, the Plantera smiled a little more.
She had only ever seen her wearing pants and shirts, and while they suited her and she never looked bad just wearing those clothes, Opera could say without a doubt that the giantess looked beautiful in a dress.
It was strange to see someone who easily surpassed her in size and weight act so shy, but after spending time with the woman at the Church of Earth Mother in Backlund, she understood that this was just how Sasha was.
Always happy and willing to help her friends, never blinking when cutting down her enemies, and moving with an aggressiveness worthy of a beast, she was extremely weak to the simplest of compliments.
The Planter laughed softly, covering her mouth with her right hand.
It was so cute!
"I insist, Miss Sasha," Opera shook her head amusedly and reaffirmed, "you look like a true high-class lady~"
"Hehe... t-thank you..." With a somewhat weak voice, Sasha tried to laugh to calm herself down a little, but it came out more like a strange murmur.
As this was happening, a hand was placed on hers, stopping her from continuing to crack her knuckles.
Looking up, she found herself looking into her favorite pair of blue eyes.
Wearing a dark blue suit and a windbreaker, Nathan the clown took her hand and raised it to his face, giving it a soft kiss.
"I wish there was a piece of music so I could ask such an attractive lady to dance."
"Hey!" Pressing her lips together in exasperation, Sasha looked at her boyfriend in embarrassment.
With a small whispered cry, the giantess reprimanded the Intisian, who simply smiled.
"Not in public..."
"You're one to talk, Madame," Nathan shook his head, unimpressed by the pout that adorned her red face.
The many times he had been moved around like a doll came to mind, so he didn't feel bad at all about teasing her a little.
With the bowl in her hands, Jerry walked over to them. Swallowing the popcorn she already had in her mouth, the little girl nodded.
"You look great, Miss. The sleeves accentuate your arms."
"Really?! Hahaha!" In high spirits, Sasha laughed with sudden energy and raised one arm, flexing it proudly, the muscle swelling, showing the great power it contained.
"...Very much," Jerry replied flatly, watching expressionlessly as the fabric almost gave way to the sudden flex.
That bicep was almost as big as her head...
"Hahaha!" The woman's laughter soon turned into a guffaw.
Although she was no longer part of the Church of the God of Combat, the teachings were still deeply ingrained in her heart, and among the most important was one that Sasha always repeated to herself every time she wielded her sword.
A weapon is only as sharp as the body that wields it.
For someone like her, there was no better compliment than that!
In a quick and agile movement, three steps were taken, accompanied by a small turn.
In a blur, Sasha now had the bowl of popcorn in her right palm while Jerry sat resting on her left shoulder, the little one visibly lost.
Her curly hair was a little messier than usual. Jerry blinked once, her eyes trembling as she looked down.
Too... high...
"oh no." A small murmur escaped her, to which the large woman laughed.
"Don't worry, little one, I won't let you fall."
"Miss Sasha!"
At the shout, the woman froze. The smile on her face became tense, and her skin paled a little.
"Oh, I forgot that..." Cursing her carelessness, Sasha slowly turned her head toward the source of the voice.
Walking quickly toward them, Opera gave her a stern look, "It took me a long time to comb her hair, please be gentler with her!"
Laughing amusedly at the scene in front of him, Adryan rested his cheek against his palm, considering whether to join in the drama or enjoy the show. Amidst those thoughts, murmurs reached his ears.
A blurry scene formed in his mind. In a dark corner, a small black mouse had its paws together and was in a praying position. A high-pitched voice whispered in the hiding place.
"My Lord, the last members have arrived."
'I was already wondering if I would have to go look for them.' Sighing internally, Adryan blinked, and the scene returned to the spectacle before him.
After the prayer, the threads covering the entire first to third floors were broken by the passing of someone small, judging by the feel of the threads, followed by others taller who joined them.
Shortly after, his ears quickly picked up the sound of footsteps approaching the room.
The corners of the redhead's lips rose slightly, then stopped, tensing imperceptibly.
'What's that smell?'
Frowning, he lowered his hand and his eyes sharpened. His heightened Reaper senses noticed something in the air.
It was a stench that made his nose tingle. It wasn't good or bad, repulsive or disgusting.
It was simply...
Strange.
There was no better word to describe it.
As the footsteps drew nearer, the stench grew stronger. It didn't make it any easier to figure out what it was, but a part deep inside of Adryan was slowly shifting uncomfortably.
At that moment, the door opened and three people entered. One of them covered her face with her hat to try to hide from her best friend's death stare.
Sighing somewhat aggressively, Xio raised a hand and greeted the group apologetically, "Sorry, we're late.
"SOMEONE overslept and forgot where we kept the tickets," she added, her gaze never leaving the woman beside her.
"Hehe..." Embarrassed, Fors held her hat in front of her face like a shield, "I already said I'm sorry..."
"Say it to my face then."
Hiding a little better behind her other shield, Fors shrank even further, "I'm fine here, thank you very much."
Looking at the woman behind her out of the corner of her eye, Hazel could only sigh, "Miss Fors, you really need to improve your sleep schedule."
"My classes were harder than I thought. It was supposed to be just a nap-"
"A 5-hour sleep is a nap?" Xio cut in, making the writer tense up.
"Um... Yes?"
The sheriff held her forehead with two fingers, feeling her brain and several veins threatening to explode.
It had been her responsibility to pick up Hazel with Fors, since the noble lived where she patrolled and worked, so it had been the natural decision. They were supposed to pick her up at 7 and arrive at the theater at 7:20.
But everything was ruined because her best friend forgot where she had put the tickets, so they had to spend over an hour looking for them!
They had to pay extra for the carriage!
Not wanting to add more stress to her night, Xio sighed again and looked up, "Again, sorry for the delay, it won't happen again."
A yellow eyebrow rose on her youthful face, suddenly noticing something, "Kenway, is that a good idea?"
"It's okay, Miss Sheriff, no problem," Adryan smiled at the short woman, but his eyes soon returned to the center.
Faceless's Creeping Hunger ability had activated as soon as the door was opened. The redhead doubted he would be able to control his expression without the powers to control his face.
And he was glad he did.
The feeling of discomfort in his stomach was almost unbearable now that he saw the source of the stench.
With a smile that wasn't accompanied by his eyes, Adryan laughed, "Any complaints about your guards, Hazel?"
"They have the spirit, they lack the motivation," Shaking her hair a little, the Match was honest but kept a few comments to herself.
"I see, I see..." Nodding thoughtfully, he added after a few seconds, "I'll keep that in mind next time. Take a seat, the show will start soon."
Fors didn't hesitate; her gaze had already found the largest and most comfortable spot and claimed it as her own, which she soon had to share with Xio, who pulled her ear when she tried to lie down.
Hazel, for her part, chose to join Opera, Serena, and Charlotte to watch the game.
Adryan watched all this, his nose almost twisting when Hazel walked past the table to take her place on the sofa.
'For the Monarch. What the hell do I have to deal with now?' Cursing internally, the Reaper really wanted to burn something right now.
It was supposed to be movie night!
What kind of problem had Hazel run into in just five days that that annoying stench had stuck to her?
None of his other senses were reacting as strongly as his sense of smell. And judging by the fact that Sharron and Maric, the only ones who came close to his heightened senses in their own ways, had shown no reaction, then he was the only one who noticed it.
'I didn't see anything in the image of the City of Calamities sent by the soldier, so the problem is either very subtle, or I have to check it out personally to find out what it is... Why did this have to happen with the Day of Wisdom so close?'
He knew his luck had been very good these days, and at some point, it had to return to normal.
Knowing he was facing an unknown problem, Adryan did not rush to act.
Following the plan for the day, he got up from the poker table and walked to the front of the room, where a large curtain covered the entire back wall.
Until he could check the situation, sticking to the routine was the safe bet for now.
Standing in front of the large curtain. Adryan smiled elegantly at his team.
Placing one hand on his chest, he bowed. Then, he extended his hand into the air and, using his threads, pulled a hidden lever.
The curtain behind him began to open, and with that, Adryan spread his arms to his sides, presenting the scene, "Ladies and gentlemen, I hope you enjoy the show~"
The curtain opened completely, revealing that behind it, there was nothing. Just a large opening with a balcony.
Below, numerous rows and rows of seats were occupied by either parents and their children or the occasional Lenburgian curious to see what was coming.
In front of everyone, taking center stage, stood a large podium. Normally, it would be filled with the various props that would be used for the play. Today, however, the only thing there was a huge white curtain that covered it almost completely from floor to ceiling.
This was not a normal room. It was a private balcony in the theater, offering the highest vantage point from which to view the stage. And therefore, it was the most expensive "seat" in the house, adding even more privacy.
And thanks to his choice of a "good, but not the best" theater, he ensured that there would be no one else on this floor except his team.
"Do you always have to be so extra?" Flora raised an eyebrow, staring blankly at the man who returned to sit beside her.
"A little drama never hurt anyone," Adryan winked, the corners of his lips rising.
Flora nodded casually, closing her eyes, and she leaned her head against his shoulder, using it as a pillow.
Silently, the redhead extended his arm, covering the woman with a part of his overcoat.
Sharron watched this intently, her cold eyes shining with strange excitement. Her body vibrated slightly. Vibration that intensified when she noticed the mark on the man's neck.
Tonight had already been completely worth it in her eyes.
...
With her arms crossed, Barbarian Vivian wanted with all her might to escape from here and return to her home, where she could continue investigating the various messages that Emperor Roselle had hidden in his inventions.
'I know the Emperor hid a treasure somewhere in the sea, but where? I still can't figure out if the direction the water swirls when you pull the chain is a clue or a riddle... Does 'pulling a chain' refer to a place, or do you literally have to pull a specific chain?'
It was not surprising that one of the most popular legends was about his legendary treasure hidden somewhere in the sea. The rumor began after some men who accompanied the Emperor on one of his many trips to the sea heard him talking about it.
All around the theater, all the Wayne Enterprises employees were sitting waiting for the show to start. Each of them had received a free ticket to the premiere from Harvey Wayne.
To her left, the strange boy Saul was quietly eating his popcorn. In small bites so it would last longer.
If the choice had been hers, Vivian would not have come here. She would have stayed in her room with her maps and blackboards. Not babysitting!
Part of her considered taking advantage of the situation and sleeping until this ridiculous show was over, but with another member of the team sitting right next to her, she wouldn't risk being reported to Mr. K and having a friendly chat with him.
"I hope it's at least interesting... Sigh..." Bored, she rested her cheek against her palm.
"Excuse me!"
A familiar voice asked beside her. Recognizing it, a grimace settled on the Barbarian's face. 'Not this guy...'
Knowing she couldn't ignore him due to his importance in her current job, Vivian looked up and nodded flatly and moved her legs out of the way.
Passing in front of her, the yellow-eyed man paused for a moment, his eyes freezing on her, shining.
"Oh? Did you cut your hair?"
"Excuse me?" Taken somewhat aback, Vivian frowned in annoyance.
Cordis narrowed his eyes at her, tilting his head deeply to one side.
Feeling an eyebrow begin to twitch on her forehead, the barbarian clenched her fist to control herself.
"I have something on my face—"
"Your melody is different." Cordis cut her off with a faint whisper.
Any annoyance she felt evaporated, replaced by confusion. "What?"
Shaking his head, the man waved his hand dismissively. "Sorry, but I have a date!"
Before she could stop him, Cordis took advantage of his noodle-like body and slipped away, disappearing among the seats and people.
"That guy is weird," Saul commented, popping some popcorn into his mouth.
"You're one to talk." Snorting a little, Vivian rested her cheek against her palm again.
She really hoped this would be worth it, because if she had to put up with that skinny guy in the future and it turned out that the "theater killer" had failed in his purpose... Vivian couldn't promise she wouldn't break the guy's legs.
"I doubt I'd even need to use two fingers..."
A little while later, with the clock finally striking 8 o'clock, the lights in the room went out, leaving everything in complete darkness, which was soon filled with murmurs.
A small click echoed in the distance, and a beam of light shot out from a room at the back, illuminating the curtain and revealing a countdown.
"3..."
"2..."
"1"
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If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you - Friedrich Nietzsche
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