Subtitle: The Novice
I slowly opened my eyes. I couldn't remember ever feeling this exhausted in my entire life. My eyes burned, every inch of my body ached, and it felt as though my ribs were piercing through my skin. Terrified, I couldn't bring myself to make even the slightest movement. My vision began to blur into darkness once more.
I could only hear sounds. No matter how hard I tried, my eyes refused to open. It felt as if someone was standing right by my bedside. They seemed to have arrived too late. The room held nothing but the heavy sound of their breathing. Sighing, they leaned over and took my paralyzed hand, resting their head against the mattress.
A voice whispered, "Just like Arina... you're slipping through my fingers. Every single time."
The voice was entirely calm. Entrusted to that stillness, I decided to let myself go. Every sense I possessed slowly faded into black.
A boy bolted upright in bed, drenched in sweat. His hair was completely disheveled, his eyes hollow and dead. Breathing heavily, he inspected his bandage-wrapped body. As he tried to stand, he tumbled heavily onto the floor. He clutched his mouth, and when he pulled his hand away, it was stained with a black fluid. Panic seizing him, the boy rushed out of the room.
The moment he flung the door open, he collapsed, sitting on the floor and trembling uncontrollably. From the shadows behind him, a man stepped forward.
The Zero sneered, "You fool. Now, even if you wanted to, you will never be able to write your own destiny!"
The boy swung his arm wildly, as if trying to banish the thoughts plaguing his mind.
"SHUT UP!" Apollon screamed.
The voices inside his head were rising, twisting into a deafening shriek. Driven to the brink of madness, the boy burst into frantic laughter. The man watched him with sadistic pleasure. Unable to remain a mere spectator, the man pressed an ornate dagger into the boy's hand. Escorted by the shrieks in his mind, the boy stormed into the nearest room.
Naiadler gasped, "Apollon?"
Apollon only laughed, his shadow looming massive against the wall.
"Naiadler," Apollon said, his voice eerie. "Do you know? A legend is only complete when it ends."
Naiadler stepped closer to him. "I don't know what kind of delusional nonsense you're spouting, but snap out of it."
Laughing even harder, Apollon violently pressed the dagger against Naiadler's throat. Naiadler froze in sheer terror. Neither of them moved an inch. They held their breath, suspended in the tension.
"Incredibly sharp, isn't it?" Apollon whispered.
The blade pressed deeper into Naiadler's neck. Blood dripped onto the metal, making it gleam.
"Apollon, stop," Naiadler pleaded.
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND, NAIADLER!" Apollon roared. "I WANT YOU TO BECOME A LEGEND!"
Naiadler swallowed hard. He knew that no matter what he said, it would be futile. Slowly, he raised his hand and grasped the blade. Though his palm began to bleed, he didn't let go. He tried to project courage, but the violent trembling of his hand betrayed his absolute terror.
"If you're going to slit my throat, just do it!" Naiadler defied him.
"BUT THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO PLEASURE IN THAT!"
Apollon delivered a swift, brutal kick, sending Naiadler crashing to the ground. Pinning him down, Apollon drove the dagger straight through Naiadler's knee into the floorboards. Naiadler couldn't even scream; the paralyzing fear of drawing his last breath forced the air to trap in his lungs.
"CRY! BEG! FEAR ME! SHOW ME THE FACE YOU HAD BEFORE YOU BECAME A LEGEND!"
Apollon ripped the dagger out of the floor and retreated to a corner of the room. Holding the blade to his own throat, he grinned widely at the other occupant of the room. Just as he was about to slice into his own flesh, Naiadler lunged forward and grabbed the dagger.
Naiadler seemed caught in a desperate limbo, his hands and legs shaking violently. Yet, he chose to remain right there.
Suddenly, Apollon began to weep tears of blood. Screaming "Fear me!" over and over, he threw himself against the walls. He looked as if he was violently fighting his own body, trying to stop the madness. Throughout all of this, all Naiadler could do was sit and watch in horror. Finally, Apollon seemed to regain a fragment of control. The dagger slipped from his hand, and he collapsed to his knees, burying his hands into the floor. He looked utterly pathetic.
"Naiadler..."
Apollon reached out a hand, but Naiadler instinctively recoiled. Apollon withdrew his hand, bowing his head to the floor. In a trembling voice, he muttered "I'm sorry" repeatedly. With every apology, Naiadler flinched, taking another step back. And with every step back, Apollon's cries grew louder.
"I'm sorry!"
Naiadler took another involuntary step backward, even though he felt the apology was meaningless...
"I'M SORRY!" Apollon shrieked.
Naiadler shuddered violently. Ultimately, overcome by pity and fear, he crept closer to Apollon. He wanted to soothe him, to offer gentle words so he might find some semblance of peace. He sat beside Apollon, murmuring softly. But when Apollon snapped his head toward him, Naiadler leapt up instantly, ready to snatch the dagger from the floor. In that moment, he looked like a terrified yet wild lion.
Apollon didn't move his head. He just froze there.
"You..."
The single word carried a profound, devastating grief. It was obvious that he was tearing himself apart from the inside.
After a heavy moment of silence, Odasaku and a lady burst into the room.
Odasaku immediately kicked the dagger into the corner. "WHAT HAPPENED?!"
Apollon didn't make the slightest movement. He was deliberately holding his breath. In stark contrast, Naiadler was breathing heavily, trying to catch his breath.
"I SAID, WHAT HAPPENED, NAIADLER?!" Odasaku demanded, his voice thundering.
Naiadler swallowed hard. He began to stammer, but it was useless. Every half-spoken word only seemed to fuel Odasaku's growing fury.
"I am asking you one last time. What happened?"
Just as Odasaku raised his hand to strike, the lady caught his arm. Her face was etched with sorrow. Her deep blue eyes welling with tears, she bit her lip.
"Please stop, Lord Odasaku!" she pleaded. "Isn't it obvious what happened? What will you change by doing this?"
Odasaku turned around sharply, as if a memory had suddenly flashed before his eyes—the memory of "someone with green eyes."
He scoffed, "Ari... What, are you some kind of aristocrat now? Ha!"
"I did it," Apollon cut in.
The lady knelt beside Apollon in agony, gently taking his hand. "No, you didn't."
Pulling a handkerchief from her pocket, she began to wipe away Apollon's bloody tears. Meanwhile, Odasaku delivered a heavy smack to Naiadler's back.
"Oof!" Naiadler groaned.
"That was to snap you out of it!" Odasaku barked.
Taking Naiadler by the arm, Odasaku escorted him out of the room. Once they left, the silence in the room grew even heavier. The lady playfully pinched Apollon's nose and spoke with a soft laugh.
"You really are the spitting image of him. If I didn't know you two were master and apprentice, I'd swear you were Lord Odasaku's actual son."
Apollon averted his gaze. A million thoughts were likely racing through his mind, but he forced out a reply just to say something.
"How am I anything like that man?!"
"What do you mean?" she countered. "You're practically identical. You both suffer from the same affliction, your temperaments are exactly the same..." She began to playfully pinch and tug at Apollon's cheeks. "I bet you even have a girl you're madly in love with."
Apollon had been brooding over his dark actions, but those words instantly cleared his head. He turned to her with sudden eagerness.
"My master... had someone he loved?!"
"Oh, absolutely," she replied. "He used to drive us all insane every single day, complaining about how he had to write a serenade for her."
"Really? When did they meet?"
"I think it was during their internship at the academy. You should have seen the state of Odasaku when he came back from a mission. The moment he stepped into the dorm room, he just collapsed onto the floor. But his face was bright red! Lord Atheron, Lord Nora, and the others asked him what was wrong. And Odasaku just blurted out, 'I've fallen in love.' He became the laughingstock of the entire school from that day on."
Apollon smirked. "If I were there, I would've mocked him too! But what happened next? There's no way a lunatic like him would just let her go."
The lady sighed, a profound sadness coloring her voice. After ensuring no one else could overhear, she continued.
"After that, he spent every single moment of his free time by her side. I remember the teachers invoking unimaginable spells just to keep him bound to the academy. Then, after a certain incident occurred at the school, she came to the academy herself. She managed to motivate everyone. Naturally, the moment Lord Odasaku saw her, his spirits soared... But, as they say, all good things must come to an end."
"Did she slap my master?" Apollon asked.
"No, other things happened. Never mind that. What matters right now is you. Do you know what your affliction is?"
She was deliberately shifting the conversation, her anxiety apparent as she fidgeted and sighed repeatedly.
"It's Corruption, isn't it?" Apollon said, spitting the words out as he turned his head away again. "Don't worry. I know everything."
"Good," she said softly. "You can start using Lord Odasaku's medicine now. But remember, you are what matters most!"
She lightly flicked Apollon's forehead, then rose gracefully. Dusting off her skirt, she quietly exited the room.
Only two entities remained in the chamber. They intentionally kept their silence. One stood consumed by the dark ecstasy of forging legends; the other stood hollow, crushed by the sheer weight of existence. Apollon slowly closed his eyes.
He raised his hand toward the ceiling, as if trying to grasp something visible only to him through his fingers. Deep within his soul, something was dragging him under. With each passing second, Apollon curled tighter into himself, tensing his body so fiercely that he wouldn't even allow his breath to escape.
"Hahaha..."
The Zero slid closer to him, hissing like a serpent. "You are corrupting."
Apollon clamped his hands over his ears, desperate to shut out the voice. He tried with all his might to ignore it, though he knew it wouldn't change reality. Instead of tears, streams of blood began to flow from his eyes.
"I won't go mad. I won't corrupt..."
Apollon turned his face toward the Zero with a desperate hunger. He was still searching for a shred of hope. After all, if this entity had saved him from death, surely it could save him from this fate, which was far worse than dying.
"RIGHT?!" he screamed.
The Zero could not conceal the twisted pleasure on his face. He knelt down to Apollon's level, firmly grasping the boy's hands and holding them together as if in prayer. He held Apollon's hands with an overwhelming sense of profound gratitude.
"You will become a legend, Apollon!"
With those final words, the Zero began to dissolve. As he melted away, the last remnants of light died in Apollon's eyes. He swallowed hard and stood up. Every movement he made resembled that of a drunken man. Clutching the doorframe for support, he stumbled blindly into the corridor.
"Apollon..." Li called out.
Apollon turned around slowly, doing his best to act as though nothing had happened. Li lowered his head, looking deeply sorrowful. His voice carried the profound misery of a final farewell.
"Is your throat better now?" Apollon asked.
It was entirely a formal question; both of them were consumed by their own agony. Li merely bowed his head. Without saying another word, he turned to leave. Neither wished to speak further. Yet, as Li walked away, he seemed certain of his path. He turned back one last time and murmured softly, "The next time you come to China, everything will be better."
Apollon closed his eyes. Just as Li was about to descend the stairs, the sound of furious shouting echoed from below, making them both flinch. Driven by curiosity, they cautiously approached the source of the noise.
Downstairs, the lady was caught in the middle, desperately trying to pacify two men. But Odasaku and Atheron were far past the point of calming down.
"YOU ABSOLUTE IDIOT!" Atheron roared. "DO YOU WANT HISTORY TO REPEAT ITSELF?!"
"WE DON'T EVEN KNOW FOR SURE IF SHE WILL BE THERE!" Odasaku shot back fiercely. "AND DESPITE THAT, YOU WANT ME TO JUST HAND OVER THE COMMAND OF THE 1ST BATTALION OF SANNA?!"
"SHE WILL BE!" Atheron bellowed. "I KNOW IT! SHE WILL BE THERE!"
"And what exactly do you plan to do with the command of the 1st Battalion, huh?!" Odasaku countered. "Take charge and pretend you can change everything?! Are you expecting her to return because of that?! Do you honestly think the Council of Elders would ever allow that?! Did they even accept my Master Hajin, that you're spouting this utter garbage?!"
"I will figure something out!" Atheron snapped.
Odasaku squeezed his eyes shut. He slowly turned his back to Atheron—a gesture that practically dared the other man to kill him if he wanted to proceed. This only enraged Atheron further.
"Odasaku..."
"We cannot forgive what she did," Odasaku said quietly. "Remember that day. Weren't you the one who was hurt more than anyone else? And despite that..."
"SHE DID WHAT SHE BELIEVED WAS RIGHT!" Atheron screamed.
"YOU DENSE FOOL!" Odasaku shouted furiously . "How is that right?! Burning down the academy?! Manipulating innocent students into becoming murderers?! Is THAT what you call right?!"
Atheron bowed his head, his fury collapsing into despair. "What she did was wrong. That is exactly why we have to bring her back."
The lady stepped in, her voice gentle but firm. "Lord Atheron... she is never coming back. Even if we assume she surrenders herself solely for your sake, the only thing awaiting her is execution. She will do nothing but run again."
"Didn't Odasaku live as a fugitive too, alongside his master?" Atheron argued stubbornly. "We can make it work."
"What Master Hajin did and what she did are not the same thing, Atheron!" the lady cried out.
Odasaku cut through the argument. "You are not going to that auction, Atheron. Even Nora would have stopped you."
Furious, Atheron stormed toward the exit. The lady seemed to be the only one genuinely terrified for him. Spotting us at the top of the stairs, Atheron didn't say a word; he simply brushed past and vanished down the steps.
"Lord Odasaku!" the lady cried, turning to him. "Please, are you really just going to let him walk away like that?"
Just as she prepared to chase after Atheron, Odasaku caught her hand.
"No matter what you do, nothing will change," Odasaku said heavily. "Don't worry. I will prevent him from attending the auction. I will go myself."
The lady seemed slightly relieved, but her deep anxiety for her friend remained written all over her face. She sank heavily onto a nearby chair, her eyes filling with tears.
"I am only terrified that Atheron will follow the same dark path she took," she whispered. "I cannot bear to lose another friend."
Odasaku placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, trying to offer her strength. "That idiot doesn't have the guts to pull off something like that. Besides, Mr. Relaxed will be there too."
Suddenly, Odasaku froze. Sensing that something was terribly wrong, he stealthily moved his hand toward his sword, keeping his movements hidden from the lady.
"Lord Odasaku?" she asked, blinking.
In a flash, Odasaku drew his blade and pointed it directly at her.
"Well, well," Odasaku growled. "It looks like the very fool we were just talking about is standing right in front of me."
The "lady" burst into a fit of hysterical laughter. Digging her fingernails deep beneath her skin, she tore at her face as if ripping off a mask, revealing a completely different countenance. In an instant, an invitation materialized in his hand.
Making a dramatic, theatrical bow, he extended the envelope.
"I highly recommend you attend," The Fool grinned. "After all, a truly legendary item will be on display."
The entire room echoed with the haunting, lingering laughter of The Fool.
End of Chapter