WAYFE, WHOSE TELEPORTATION ABILITY WAYFARER ENABLED A SWIFT ESCAPE, materialized deep within Meteor Kingdom's largest swamp, Mille Dan. Collapsing to his knees, he clutched his injured arm where Mona's blast struck. Black blood seeped from the wound, sloshing onto the ground next to him.
"Sheesh, that was a bit close," Wayfe grunted through his pain. "A second later, and I would've been done for. I panicked and teleported the brat before myself instead of both of us at once." Wayfe exhaled sharply. "My, what a devoted dog I've become."
His eyes flicked around the area, scanning for any sign of Noir. "Only problem is, everything happened so fast that my placement was off, and I lost the kid. Surely I couldn't have been too far off."
Attempting to push himself up, his body gave out, sending him back to the ground with a pained grunt. Blood dripped from his wounds as he let out a low chuckle. "Gotta hand it to her—that woman's aim was spot on. She would've turned me to dust and left the kid unscathed. That sort of control is unnatural. Those Ego Users really are a bunch of freaks." He scoffed, pausing in realization. "Ha, but who am I to talk? After all, I–"
A rustling nearby snapped Wayfe's attention to the treetops. Noir tumbled down, crashing into the shallow swamp water below.
Despite the pain, Wayfe pushed himself up, limping toward Noir, leaving a trail of blood in his wake.
Blurred vision plagued Noir as he lay barely able to move. "Where am I?" He rubbed his fingers together, registering the wet sensation. "Is this water?"
What? Wayfe wondered to himself. How is a child still conscious after traveling between dimensions like that? I guess humans in general are a bunch of freaks. It's no skin off my back, though. He'll be dead soon, and Papa Lanmo will be one step closer to taking over the kingdom and accomplishing his grand scheme.
As Noir struggled to focus his vision, Wayfe's figure loomed over him. The twisted being grabbed him by the throat, attempting to drown him. He tightened his grip as he pushed Noir below the water's surface. Noir splashed and fought back, desperately trying to break free. He managed to grab Wayfe's arm, squeezing it with all his strength. Still, it elicited no reaction whatsoever as bubbles began surfacing.
A gunshot rang through the swamp, startling birds into flight and sending snakes slithering back into their dens. The water around them turned black as Wayfe collapsed to the side from a hole in his head.
Rapidly rising, Noir began coughing up water and gasping for air. His blurred vision made everything seem unreal, but he still managed to turn his head, desperately searching for a familiar face.
"Mom?! Mom, is that you?!" he cried out, tears streaming down his face. He sat there completely disoriented as a womanly figure approached, crouching before him.
"Mom? Mom, you found me!" he exclaimed, reaching out to her with open arms.
The blurry woman shook her head, her voice laced with sympathy. "You poor thing, I'm not your mother." Without warning, she struck him with the butt of her revolver, and darkness claimed him.
DEEPER WITHIN THE SWAMP, IN THE DIMLY LIT CONFINES OF A LOST TOURIST STEAMBOAT, the woman—Cyllene—sat on a stack of worn mattresses, Noir's head resting on her lap. Hovering her hand above him, she invoked her spell-like power, reaching into his mind to take his memories.
"I'm sorry, Wayfe," she murmured, her voice soft but cold. "You've been a valuable asset to my family, but I couldn't let you kill this child. He hasn't served his purpose yet. The Bordeaux name is far too precious. After all, it's the key to bringing my own plan to fruition."
Noir groaned softly in his sleep, his memories slowly being stripped away. "Don't worry," Cyllene continued, her tone laden with twisted comfort. "I'm not going to hurt you. What I'm doing will ease your mind."
As her spell reached its completion, she glanced down at the necklace resting on Noir's chest. Her gaze sharpened. "That necklace—how does he have one at such a young age?" She frowned, sensing something off about it. "It's far less flashy than the others I've seen." She reached out, curiosity getting the better of her, but as her fingers brushed against it, a shock of energy jolted through her, causing her to recoil in surprise. "You little—ugh!"
Moonlight filtered through a hole in the ceiling, casting a soft glow across her face. She gazed up at it for a moment, a contemplative expression crossing her features.
"Fine, I'll leave you that," she muttered. "I should get going. Lionel should be finishing up soon." With a final glance at Noir, she turned toward the stairs leading to the upper deck. "Until next time, Noir Bordeaux," she whispered, before disappearing into the darkness of the swamp.