The three were stunned, their eyes and mouths wide open at the horror of the scene.
Helplessness gripped them; their bodies refused to move until Sword of the Sky intervened and dragged them all in a desperate attempt to flee. Their heads were still turned back despite being dragged; the scene had been etched into the deepest part of their memories.
The wolf leapt onto their corpses and began tearing their bodies apart and chewing the fresh flesh. It was a truly savage sight. The three realized there was no point in their continued attempts to draw blood. All that mattered now was to flee and save their helpless lives.
The three kept running relentlessly, with all the remaining strength they had. Hiding was no longer possible among the alleys and walls; the wolf could get through them and track them by its keen sense of smell and hearing.
So they headed straight for their hideout — it was the safest place in the world right now. Sword of the Sky glanced back and saw no sign of the wolf pursuing them. He breathed a sigh of relief but remained alert, and continued at the same pace he had been running.
Half an hour of running passed and they still hadn't arrived, but they were very close, and it seemed the wolf had lost interest in chasing them.
Within five minutes the three finally arrived; their backs were bent and their hands on their knees from exhaustion, and their mouths kept panting without stopping like dogs. After taking a breather, Zane raised his head toward the horizon and saw that the sun was nearing disappearance.
It wasn't sunset yet, but the clouds were red-orange, appearing like twilight in a sky studded with breathtaking stars. Raven opened the entrance while the others followed.
None of them spoke to one another; the shock was too strong this time. Would they continue to persevere, or had surrender become an available option now? Everyone entered in a miserable state; their clothes were wet, the smell of sweat emanated from their bodies, and they looked tired and lethargic.
Oran paused for a moment and continued Chapter Three — Part Four. Upon entering, everyone rose from their seats and curiosity took hold of them: Is there success, or has failure returned again? These were the questions running through them.
Then one of the students jumped up and asked, "Where are the others? Haven't they arrived yet?" Sword of the Sky intended to answer, but Raven took over: "We lost them too." After that he said nothing; the others fell silent as well. That word struck them like a thunderbolt, rendering their bodies motionless.
Then Raven spoke again: "You see our condition; get the bath ready immediately, and start the cooking after that." Raven left while the others followed and went toward their rooms, waiting for the bath to be prepared.
Sword of the Sky closed his room's door and began to paint a picture of the heads of Moran and Faren hovering in the air. Anger seized him immediately; he clenched his teeth until he heard the creak of something breaking. Blood flowed from his lower lip, and he struck the wall with his fist until it bled and his hand swelled.
His outward self seemed resigned, but inside him thirsted for bloodshed; he truly wanted to tear those creatures apart and burn them to pieces, scatter them in a stormy wind so that their trace would vanish completely and the world would be rid of their tyranny.
"I want to continue even if I remain alone; I will continue — I will continue without stopping or slacking. I will give the utmost I have; the river runs to its drop until it dries. And I too will continue until death — it alone can stop me."
His thirst for blood rose, and his expression was as sharp as the sword that cuts the wind itself.
What if he became truly strong? Surely no one could stop him in the entire world. He would become master of himself; he would continue the slaughter until his thirst ran dry and drown the world in demonic blood.
On the other hand, Zane was somewhat gloomy, yet he also wanted to continue. He thought about the possibility of their surrender and considered carrying on alone: "As I wandered, I'll return the same; I used to go alone and I can do that again. Dawn comes with a bright sun throughout the day and fades with dusk. I too will continue until my end, and if I stop I will rise again as if nothing happened until my death comes."
As for Raven, he was gloomy and surrendered to despair. He sat on his chair with his arms and legs outstretched, staring at the ceiling contemplatively. He had lost them again — my dear students. It is time to stop; I cannot watch any more while they die brutally.
Spring leaves and summer comes; it leaves too and autumn comes, and then winter, and the cycle repeats from where it began. In short, nothing lasts; everything will vanish with time. And I too — there is no harm in my demise.
Raven announced to himself, surrendering to the cruelty; he wanted to prevent repetition. He had already lost many since the disaster appeared, and he had just lost more. He did not want to return to the cycle of repetition, since the matter was in his hands now. He declared his surrender, and with that the repetition would stop — at least that's what he told himself.
Ten minutes passed and the bath was already ready. Raven came out first, followed by the others. Each of them took half an hour to bathe, for simply each entered alone. After the bath, Sword of the Sky felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted from him.
As usual, Sword of the Sky was in the dining hall with Zane, while Raven stayed in his room where he ordered the girls to bring his food once it was ready.
Each of them remained silent. Zane wanted to speak but then refrained after everything. Sword of the Sky had been absent-minded the whole time, resting his chin on his hand while staring at the wall before him. But in that moment he broke the silence: he closed his eyes and let out a long exhale, then turned his gaze toward Zane.
Zane felt uneasy for a moment before Sword of the Sky asked, "What will you do now?"
Zane paused to think, then said, "I don't really know my direction in this matter, but I will continue even if I must remain alone. I must do it — it is my duty."
Sword of the Sky replied, "Withdrawal is not an option; only continuing despite the impossibility." But although our views align, we will not have Raven's support; he has likely decided to retreat already. I know his temperament well — I'm confident of his surrender. This means our chance of success has dwindled to zero.
This mission has become more dangerous than ever, and to succeed we must break the zero barrier. Once we reach 1%, that means we've taken a step and can raise it furt
her — why not succeed? Fate may have another opinion.