Wails and snuffles could be heard all throughout.
I stepped inside, letting my eyes wander.
Most of the damage had already been repaired. Then again, there hadn't been much after the first day—just a gaping hole in the wall that opened to the night sky. From the hunters' banter, I'd pieced together what had happened after Harus died at the hands of some unknown.
Kido had insisted on joining Nephis. Gemma had followed, albeit with reluctance. Seishan had no reason left to conceal her allegiance—she revealed herself as Nephis' accomplice.
That left only Tessai.
The guards had already bent knee to Saint Zerei, their loyalty pressuring the rest to follow suit.
Tessai, stripped of allies and cornered, had tried to submit. To wear Nephis' banner as his salvation.
But Nephis knew me too well. Logic said a weapon like Tessai should be spared—power like his was worth more than sentiment, but Nephis had known that I wouldn't have allowed that bastard to live, so she cut him down.
Part of me longed to stain my own hands with his blood. To carve the retribution he deserved. But the way he died—pitiful and abandoned—was almost sweeter. Almost
"Asher."
I turned around to the familiar voice.
Kido stood there, her hand locked tightly with Gemma's who hovered beside her, a faint blush on his face.
I greeted them with a smile. "Hello."
Kido gave a small nod before her eyes flicked to my robes. "You certainly dressed up for the occasion."
I glanced down at myself. A black-and-white silk suit, centuries old, crisp and pristine. A single rose—Kido's handiwork—pinned neatly to my chest. Even my hair, washed and tied into a manbun, glistened faintly.
I raised my chin with mock grandeur. "Well… it is one of a kind. A millennium-old suit from the highest chamber of Bright Castle. Surely worth more than all of us combined, don't you think?"
Kido narrowed her eyes, sighing. Before she could retort, Gemma finally spoke.
"Saint Zerei. This is the first time we've met, isn't it?"
I blinked, then scrambled into politeness. "A-Ah, yes, I believe it is." I offered a hand for a handshake.
He clasped it with surprising strength, his grip tightening like a vice. "You know…" His voice was polite, but his smile was too wide. Far too wide "…I was surprised to hear you and Kido had been friends for some time."
My knuckles began to ache. I fought back a wince, playing along. "What can I say? Perhaps your mistress couldn't resist speaking with a handsome soul like me. I mean… who could?"
Gemma's smile twitched.
Kido smacked her forehead. "Shut up, Asher. You were the one begging me to make wine. I remember it like yesterday when Stev brough—"
"Hahaha..." I strategically interrupted her as I spoke to Gemma, "Don't worry! I didn't do anything weird. In fact, if I did anything unusual, she'd just pelt me with an apple. Maybe more"
Gemma arched a brow, "Unusual?"
I nodded, raising a finger like I was about to deliver divine wisdom. "Well, for example—there was this one time I strolled into her room half-naked and—"
"ASHER!"
Kido, now smiling too brightly, seized Gemma's arm and began pulling him away with practiced poise.
"We'll be going now."
Gemma twisted back over his shoulder, eyes wide. "Wait—what happened?!"
I felt my lips tug upward as I watched them leave. The ache in my chest eased, just a fraction.
My gaze swept the hall. Not everyone was present, but there were about 800 surviving members. It was a very stark difference to the 500 in the novel. This was the result of my presence. That thought alone offered a small comfort against the truth that I had killed someone.
The gaping hole had already been woven into the architecture. Outside, the bodies were lined in solemn rows, while within, the space had become a banquet hall. At its heart burned a towering flame, fed by wood stacked in a great bronze bowl. I watched mourners approach, each taking a torch lit from that flame, carrying it away to grant their fallen comrades a final fire.
As I descended the stairs, my eyes caught on a particular section. A wider space, set apart from the others. I knew instantly whose body lay there.
Hou's.
My hands trembled, forcing me to bury them in my pockets. His form was strangely well preserved—Tessai's ice had kept him untouched. His face looked almost peaceful, as though sleep might take him instead of death.
I stared at his still face, then lowered my eyes, whispering, "Sorry."
I could drown myself in thoughts like 'If only I had been faster' or 'If only I hadn't gone.' But I already knew the futility of that path. I had walked it once before—when my parents died. It hadn't brought them back. It wouldn't bring him back either.
All I could do was accept that it had been my mistake—and ensure I never made the same one again.
Still...
I turned at the voice. Sid stood beside me, her face shadowed by something quiet and heavy.
"Hou… was a good man." Her lips curved into a fragile smile. "I had the fortune of calling him my friend while guarding his back."
My throat tightened. I bit my lip, stepping closer to Hou's still form.
"Yeah…" My voice cracked faintly. "He was a damn good man."
But Sid wasn't finished. Her voice wavered. "Hou left a message for you."
My eyes snapped to hers, trembling. She faltered under my gaze, glancing aside before forcing herself to continue.
"His last words were… 'Tell Asher that I managed to protect the twerp.'"
The words slammed into me. My chest lurched, emotions surging up, threatening to explode. I blinked away the blur in my vision, pressing my lips together before finally nodding. "…I see."
Sid gave no reply. I only heard her footsteps retreating into the distance, leaving me alone with Hou's pale, silent face.
I stared at him for a long moment, before a voice behind me spoke.
"Seems like you're finally free."
I turned. Aiko leaned against the railing, arms folded loosely, her eyes fixed on Hou's blanketed body. Well... except his face.
I sighed, stepping toward her. "You heard that?"
Her chin rested on the railing as her lips moved softly.
"Yeah."