The sound of bells and birds greeted the guildhall as dawn broke. A girl stood outside Twilight Zone's entrance, a basket of herbs in one hand and two daggers strapped to her hips.
She had emerald eyes, short crimson hair, and a smile that masked the tension in her shoulders.
Rin opened the door.
"…You," she whispered.
"Hello again," the girl said. "I go by Bloom now. But you knew me as Kaira."
Julius stepped forward. "Friend or foe?"
"Depends," Bloom said, placing the basket down. "Does your guild shelter ghosts?"
In the guild's lounge, Bloom explained her story:
Once a member of a dark assassin syndicate known as Crimson Veil, she fled after refusing to kill a child target. She'd faked her death and become a healer—using her blade skills only to protect. But Crimson Veil had found her again.
And this time, they placed a bounty on her head—open to any elite S-Rank mercenaries willing to collect.
Rin looked away. "She saved my life once when I was hunted. She deserves sanctuary."
Julius nodded. "Then we protect her. We're not just a guild. We're family."
Rael cracked his knuckles. "Bring on the mercs."
The first attack came that night.
A trio of cloaked figures descended silently into Mirewood—each bearing the mark of the Grim Stalkers, an S-Rank bounty faction.
Lyra froze the front gate. Rael electrified the eastern watch. Solas summoned defensive glyphs around the windows.
But it was Rin and Bloom who took the fight directly to the attackers.
Their blades moved like dancers—one precise, one unpredictable. Together, they outmaneuvered the mercenaries and struck with a unified rhythm.
"Still fast," Rin grinned.
"You're still angry," Bloom smirked.
Together, they brought the last merc to his knees.
He laughed. "She's marked by the Crimson Oath. They won't stop. And neither will the Drach."
Then he vanished in smoke.
After the battle, Bloom looked to Julius. "Still want me here?"
He extended his hand.
"Welcome to Twilight Zone."
Twilight Zone Guild – Members: 6
Julius (C-Rank Mage, Bronze Guild Master)
Lyra (D-Rank Mage, Ice-Make Magic)
Rael (D-Rank Mage, Lightning Magic)
Rin Ayana (C-Rank Mage, Whispering Blade Style – Memory Awakening)
Solas (C-Rank Mage?, Unknown Magic – Seal Fragment Holder)
Bloom (C-Rank Mage, Assassin-Herbalist, Crimson Veil Defector)
F Rank Quests Completed: 70/1000E Rank Quests Completed: 10/10000D Rank Quests Completed: 12/1000C Rank Quests Completed: 8/1000
Guild Status: Bronze Rank
Next Chapter Preview: Crimson Veil Rising
With Bloom now a member, Crimson Veil sends their top killer to retrieve her—and it's someone who once trained both Rin and Bloom. The battle for loyalty, identity, and justice begins beneath a blood moon.