Aiyan sighed, her breath visible in the cool night air.
The briefcase given by the Adventurers Guild felt heavier than it had before—not just in weight, but in significance. Still, her resolve burned stronger than her fatigue.
"I won't back down," she whispered. "Not until I know why I'm here."
She hadn't expected night to fall so quickly. Then again, maybe it was the conversation with Elara—the intensity of it—that made her lose track of time. She had no watch, no phone, nothing to tell her the hour. Only her instincts, and they were starting to feel… strained.
Still, the Kingdom of Caelumbre at night was breathtaking.
Gas lamps flickered along cobbled streets. Elegant carriages rolled by. Music drifted from open windows and streetside players, mingling with the laughter of nobles and travelers alike. There was a nostalgic charm to it all, like stepping into a living painting from another world.
Aiyana marveled quietly at the glowing windows of restaurants that seemed pulled from a French romance novel, their chandeliers twinkling like stars. Couples kissed in alleyways. Aiyana blushed and quickly looked away.
"Maybe it's night and job hours are over," she muttered. "So everyone's out enjoying themselves…"
She continued wandering through the busy streets. Knights passed her, their silver armor glinting under the moonlight, each bearing the royal crest she recognized from the Adventurers Guild. Their presence was comforting—like the city was protected, cared for.
But protection didn't make beds available.
Every inn she tried was full.
"Sorry, Miss. No vacancy."
"Apologies, Miss. We've been booked for weeks."
Her legs ached. Her boots felt like bricks.
Eventually, she found a small park, its benches empty under lantern-lit trees. She slumped onto one and sighed, setting the briefcase beside her with a heavy clunk.
"Ugh… I'm tired and thirsty…"
She looked around, squinting. The park was lively—children played, couples strolled, families laughed. Hard to spot a vendor in the crowd.
Then she caught a scent—charred meat, sweet sauce. Her stomach growled.
A food cart.
She dragged herself over and asked for water.
"Two copper coins, Miss," the vendor said with a toothy grin. "Or, for just one silver, you can have water and these heavenly chicken skewers."
Aiyan narrowed her eyes at the upsell—but her stomach answered for her.
She paid.
Three skewers later, and the world didn't feel so harsh anymore.
"Delicious…" she murmured, licking sauce from her thumb.
"Told ya," the vendor winked before turning to the next customer.
She leaned back on the bench, eyes half-lidded. "People are… good here. This world's not so bad."
But her thoughts lingered.
That book.
The voice.
The smile that wasn't Elara's.
"I need to find the Kingdom Library tomorrow," she muttered. "Answers about this world… and that 'Pathway' thing."
As she stood and resumed her search, the exhaustion dragged behind her like a second shadow. Every inn she passed was occupied. Eventually, she found herself gripping a lamppost to stay upright, the briefcase dragging at her side.
Some people passed by, murmuring about her—or admiring her. One man walked straight into a lamppost while staring.
She didn't notice. She was too focused.
Too tired.
Then she saw it.
A sign gleamed under a nearby light. Violet Ember Inn.
Her heart soared.
"Yes!" she gasped, hurrying toward it with the last of her energy.
Her hand reached for the door handle—
RIIIIIING.
A shrill chime—like a bell forged from pure agony—slammed through her skull. Her ears rang violently, and she dropped the briefcase with a yelp, collapsing to her knees.
"Agh—w-what is this?!"
She clutched her head. The sound wasn't just in her ears—it was inside her bones.
Then—
"IT'S THE NIGHT CRAWLERS!!!"
A voice screamed from down the street.
And the world changed.
Panic exploded around her.
People screamed, trampled one another. Carriages overturned. Lamps shattered.
The Violet Ember Inn's doors slammed shut with a loud THUD.
Its windows went dark.
BOOM.
A distant explosion lit the skyline red.
Aiyan forced herself to look toward the scream.
And saw horror.
It crawled—twisted limbs dragging across the stone, its body impossibly long and bent at inhuman angles. Skin like rotting leather. A mouth filled with teeth that didn't belong in a single creature. Dozens of twitching eyes. Limbs that crawled sideways, backwards, upside down.
It was feeding.
Gnawing on a man like a dog with a bone.
People tried to run.
The crawler sliced them open like meat sacks.
Another joined it. Then another.
Aiyan's blood went cold.
One of them turned—and locked eyes with her.
A sickening chill ran down her spine. Her feet refused to move.
"No… no, no, no…"
It roared, its sound rattling windows, and charged.
It didn't care who stood in its path—men, women, children. It crushed them beneath grotesque limbs, blood splattering across cobblestone.
And it was coming straight for her.
Aiyan stumbled backward, hands trembling. "Move… MOVE—!"
She dove for the briefcase.
Clack. Snap. Click.
She ripped it open, grabbed the pistol.
Hands shaking, she opened the chamber. It was a revolver.
Six slots. No time.
She shoved a single bullet in and spun the cylinder.
The creature leapt.
Its jaws opened wide—ready to devour her whole.
Aiyan rolled to the side just in time, hitting the ground hard.
She turned. Raised the pistol.
Its body was still mid-air.
And with a furious cry, Aiyan pulled the trigger.
BANG!
A brilliant flash.
BOOM.
Another explosion echoed through the city.
Elsewhere—in a tower at the heart of Caelumbre—a figure stood in silence.
A long coat danced in the wind. A witch's hat tilted forward, casting his face in shadow. Only his luminous blue eyes glowed in the darkness, like frozen fire.
He looked down at the chaos.
He exhaled.
And jumped.
Chapter 4 Ended