Daylight struck the bustling streets of Serras, bringing a new beginning to the glorious city. Amongst strangers whose faces were distorted, the people of Serras had somehow lost their faces. Every last one of them shared the same tragic fate — yet none of them seemed to care.
«Ruem» And then, after I had already made my presence known, Jhoel ran after me, shouting, "Hey, you motherfucker! Come back here!!"
«Pathos» HAHAHAHA!
Along the many streets of Serras, two voices seemed to be having a discussion about a memory of the past. Among the crowd of unknown faces, only one stood out — the face Pathos was talking to, belonging to someone who had stood by his side despite their knowledge of the other. It was Ruem's. Pathos's eyes were watering as he laughed.
The street seemed to continue endlessly; the path, for some reason, didn't appear to have an end. But neither Pathos nor Ruem concerned themselves with such a road, because they had each other for company.
One foot after the other, the two of them continued to share stories and moments together, until Pathos calmed himself just enough to speak.
«Pathos» I'm glad that you two managed to sort things out in the end. I didn't think he'd be the patient type after I saw him throw a punch at that lady.
Pathos wiped his tears with his arm, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself.
«Ruem» Yeah, I was ready to take a beating if I had to, but he proved me wrong.
Pathos looked up ahead. His face was relaxed — he could smile, laugh, and even cry tears of happiness. He knew this himself; he felt free, almost lighter than the very air they were breathing. But a piece was missing — something he had been missing for a while now: his mother.
He still didn't know where she was, he looked at the emblem on his cloak, twisting it and inspecting it, reminding himself he still had some duties to fulfil. But now he felt as if he was capable of doing anything on his own. The Prometeo gave him strength. The Kindled-Eyes corrected his wrongs — all of which were sources of his strength.
However, something strange started to happen once Pathos's gaze shifted to the empty faces sitting along the path. If he hadn't noticed it before, he could now — the people around them had their faces entirely missing. Yet he could feel their gazes shifting toward him.
The people standing around both Pathos and Ruem turned not only their heads but even their bodies to look at Pathos for reasons unknown. Pathos froze as he saw the many faceless figures staring at him.
«Pathos» What?
Ruem's figure continued to walk, completely ignoring Pathos's frozen stance.
«Pathos» Ruem?
Step after step after step… then it stopped. His body was still standing, yet frozen. Pathos looked around, trying to find somebody whose face existed other than Ruem's. And there was somebody.
The first thing he noticed about this figure was his red, vertically elongated pupil staring directly into his eyes.
Pathos looked back at Ruem's figure, which had now turned into a burning corpse, the stranger's purple flames dancing around Ruem's body as they burned more and more of his flesh. Yet somehow, Ruem didn't scream. His body stood there as it slowly burned.
Pathos was unable to speak as he witnessed his friend's body fall victim to the purple flames. He ran forward toward Ruem, but before he could reach him, Ruem's body fell backward. He was barely holding himself up, his face almost completely stripped of flesh, his jawbone fully exposed.
Pathos stared at his friend's dead body as boiling blood dripped from it and began to crawl toward him. His gaze shifted from Ruem to the blood slowly making its way forward. The blood itself was boiling like water; the pool of Ruem's blood stopped right in front of Pathos, surrounding his feet.
The sight of his reflection in his friend's blood shook him — his legs trembled as he stepped back. His eyes never wavered, the blood continuing to boil until, with a single blink, it shifted into a more translucent matter — almost watery.
Pathos's position was unchanged, yet he was somewhere else entirely. Daylight was now surrounded by clouds and rain, and the concrete beneath his feet had turned to wet dirt. He was back — back to where his journey began. His mother's screams echoed, calling out to him as the carriage left the village.
Before Pathos's brain could process what was happening, he instinctively ran toward his mother, the gushy mud splashing beneath his shoes as he desperately sprinted after her.
«Pathos» MOM! DON'T LEAVE ME HERE! MOM!
The more he ran, the more the carriage disappeared into the mist, but Pathos didn't care. His body continued to run, not noticing that his foot had been completely swallowed by the dirt. As he tried to push forward, he finally noticed his foot was stuck in the wet ground, refusing to let go.
«Pathos» NO! MOM, NOT AGAIN!
The dirt felt more like quicksand as it sucked him deeper with each struggle. His gaze shifted from his sinking legs to where the carriage had been, as his body and screams were swallowed completely by the dirt — falling into an endless pit. After a second of silence.
Around him, an eye appeared, bearing the same unfamiliar pattern, a pupil surrounded by golden concentric circles. As it opened, a voice spoke — Pathos's own voice.
«The Eye» You need me.
Pathos's gaze shifted toward the eye as he heard his own voice calling to him. The eye watched as his body continued to fall into the endless pit. Then, amidst the darkness, another eye opened… and another… each repeating the same words.
«The Eye» You need me.
«The Eye» You need me.
«The Eye» You need me.
«The Eye» You need me.
Until the darkness was completely surrounded by eyes. Pathos wasn't aware of what was happening — his body curled up, his hands clutching his head as he tried to make sense of it. The words "You need me" echoed endlessly, until—
His body stiffened with fear. Sweat ran down his forehead. A dull warmth pressed against his back — a blanket. He blinked hard. A wooden ceiling. Quiet. Light. His eyes snapped open, and his body stiffened with fear. Sweat ran down his forehead and onto his cheek. He was lying in someone's bed. His eyes darted around the room, trying to see if everything had gone back to normal. It was all…
«Pathos» A dream?
The room where he was sleeping was Jhoel's. As he slowly got up, he noticed that Jhoel's bed at the far end of the room was already made — and Jhoel himself was gone. Now he fully remembered where he was, finally confirming his assumption.
It was indeed just a dream.
In the other room next to Pathos's, Jhoel's hand rested along the sides of a glass of water as he spun it around, making the water swirl. The glass sat right above Ruem's sleeping form, who was resting on the couch near the fireplace with just a blanket for cover. For some reason, however, he was still in his day-to-day clothes. Jhoel, standing right in front of him, was contemplating whether to drop the water on Ruem to wake him up.
«Jhoel» Hey, dickhead! Quit drooling on my couch!
Ruem's form, however, remained unchanged—his mouth wide open, saliva dripping onto the pillows beneath his head. Jhoel gave him one last warning before dropping the cold water right on his face.
«Jhoel» Get off my couch before—
But his warning went unanswered. Jhoel shrugged, realizing there was no waking him up after all.
«Jhoel» Suit yourself. Honestly, I've wanted to do this for a while.
Just before he could drop the water onto Ruem, the creaking sound of a door opening caught his attention. It was Pathos, walking out of his room as he rubbed his eyes. He was wearing pajamas and slippers — everything provided by Jhoel himself.
«Jhoel» Good morning, Pathos.
Pathos's gaze was fixed forward toward the wall; he still felt a bit numb. After a long yawn, he answered back:
«Pathos» Morning.
«Jhoel» Did you sleep well?
«Pathos» Yeah, I did. Your bed and pajamas are really comfortable.
«Jhoel» I'm glad you liked them. Hey, will this guy wake up, or is he going to keep drooling all over my couch?
«Pathos» Mmm. What?
Pathos turned his head to his right, seeing the table in the middle of the room and the candle from yesterday that had completely melted into wax. Further in the room, specifically in the right corner, was the fireplace — and near it, the couch where both Ruem and Jhoel stood.
At that moment, he saw the glass of water hovering above Ruem and immediately understood Jhoel's intentions. He rubbed his eyes, wanting to make sure he was seeing correctly — but yes, that was indeed the case.
«Pathos» Are you going to splash him with water?
«Jhoel» Yeah. I've been trying to wake this guy for quite some time now.
«Pathos» Isn't that a bit mean, though?
«Jhoel» Like I care. I didn't tell him to sleep here. I thought he'd gone somewhere else until I found him watering my couch with saliva.
Pathos yawned once more before commenting again.
«Pathos» Wouldn't that just cover your couch with water?
«Jhoel» I'd rather it be covered in water than in his filthy saliva.
Without any further hesitation, Jhoel dropped the water right on Ruem's face, immediately waking him as the cold liquid ran down his hair and cheeks, with some droplets even reaching his mouth. He stirred awake, choking on the water that had slipped past his lips.
«Jhoel» Get off my couch, you snail.
After finishing his coughing fit, Ruem yelled at Jhoel.
«Ruem» What are you doing!? You don't do that to someone who's sleeping!
«Jhoel» I tried waking you up nicely, but you couldn't hear me. Besides, why are you here? I thought you left yesterday.
Ruem started wiping his face with his shirt — a shirt that had been made by the man sitting right in front of him. When Jhoel saw how Ruem was treating his precious work, he couldn't help but feel angry.
«Jhoel» What are you doing!? Using my shirt as a rag!? Is this how you treat my craftsmanship?
As Ruem finished cleaning his face, he realized what he was doing.
«Ruem» Oh! No, no, no! I just noticed what I was doing!
The two of them continued to argue while Pathos watched from the sidelines. He didn't want to join the conversation since it was between them — and because he was too tired to care. He turned around to explore more of Jhoel's house. The corridor where he stood had nothing particularly special — just plain furniture and decorations consisting of vases and flowers. He quickly made his way toward the kitchen, where …two plates… placed side by side were waiting for Pathos and Ruem.
The plates didn't have much — some bacon and slices of orange, just enough for a regular breakfast. However, before he began to eat, he leaned out the window. The gentle cold breeze blew through, brushing his hair to one side. His thoughts drifted freely
«Pathos» What a beautiful morning. Who would have guessed I'd reach a city this big. Maybe I should explore a bit more today, since I don't have anything to do. Nah, I would probably get lost.
His eyes gazed around the streets, where carriages and people alike somewhat disturbed that peaceful morning. Yet it didn't bother Pathos in the slightest.
«Pathos» Right today we have to meet that Simon Jhoel mentioned. If what Jhoel said was true, he could explain to me a lot about the Prometeo. I just hope it doesn't turn out to be like Ruem's explanations.
His sight turned to his hand clenched with determination. He had a long road up ahead yet. He was ready to make every single step necessary to reach that goal.
«Pathos» I won't take too long, mother. Both Jhoel and Ruem want to help me out in this mission. At first I thought I wouldn't even make it here, until my feet had already stepped into Serras's gates before I even knew it. Now more than ever I know I can save you.
Before he noticed, Ruem's hand appeared around the corner, followed shortly by his long frown. Pathos could tell he was still tired — considering he'd been awakened by cold water, the reason for such an expression was clear.
«Ruem» Jhoel wants us to eat and then fetch him some fabric threads. I don't know why he doesn't want me in his house, yet he wants me to do chores for him! Isn't that a bit contradictory!?
«Pathos» Well, you did steal from him. Of course he'd want something in return from you. What did you expect?
«Ruem» I thought we were in the clear once he gave me the things I stole.
«Pathos» Apparently not. Why would you expect it to be that easy, that sentence alone explains itself. Besides you still have what's his.
Ruem sighed as he looked around the kitchen, spotting the table with his own plate containing the same food as Pathos's. The fragrance of the cooked meat slithering its way to his nose. His previous frown completely vanished as his eyes sparkled at the sight of the meaty strip of bacon.
«Ruem» Well, I guess a good act wouldn't be such a bad idea.
Pathos looked confused for a moment. His mood had shifted completely — from someone who hated everyone to someone eager to help. Following Ruem's gaze, Pathos quickly understood.
«Pathos» Is it because he prepared a meal for you?
Ruem froze, caught red-handed by Pathos. His mouth wide open as saliva dripped down his lips as he quietly responded:
«Ruem» No?
Pathos replied with a quick nod. Ruem quickly reached for the table, pulling out his chair to sit down.
«Ruem» Well, at least I get to enjoy breakfast with someone else. Come on, let's eat before it gets cold.
«Pathos» Yeah, you're right. Let's eat. Is Jhoel not going to eat with us?
«Ruem» Nah he said he had somewhere to be so he already ate.
«Pathos» I see
Pathos pushed himself away from the window and took his seat at the table. Before he could even start his breakfast, Ruem was already down two pieces of bacon and an entire orange. Pathos watched as he slowly ate at his own pace — piece after piece, one at a time, without any rush — enjoying the food he'd been given.
Moments later, both of them were already heading towards a destination that neither Pathos nor Ruem were familiar with: the fabric shop. Despite Ruem being given a clear map with the directions, he seemed quite troubled reading the map placed in his hand.
Pathos inspected his surroundings, still unfamiliar with the city structure; the very same pleasant smells and sounds became almost ordinary to him despite his lack of experience with places this big.
«Pathos» This place sure is big, you know? I've never been in a place like this, it's almost overwhelming if you can believe me.
He turned around, walking backwards to admire the passengers and to gaze once more at the growing sun.
«Pathos» If I'd known I would have reached a place like this earlier, I would have brought a guide. Perhaps I could ask Jhoel to tell me more about the city itself. Why do—
Why not ask the man accompanying him to retrieve the threads? Pathos looked to his side, gazing at Ruem deeply staring at the map given. He looked almost troubled with how much he was getting challenged by a sheet of paper.
«Pathos» You're having trouble?
«Ruem» Ah? Oh. No, it's just confusionary, that's all. I didn't think the city was this complex. Besides, it's not like Jhoel gave me clear indications, he just colored our destination and called it a day.
«Pathos» You don't know the city you live in? You're something, you know. You forget your own surname and get confused with a map.
«Ruem» It's not a matter of living here, Pathos. I barely remember my right from my left, and this place is too big for me to remember everything. Go left.
Pathos turned forward as both of them stirred left into the open street where carriages passed carrying each their individual merch. The pleasant sounds of people quickly got covered by the movement of the carriage.
«Pathos» You have a serious problem with remembering things, you know.
Pathos said jokingfully, to which Ruem answered chuckling:
«Ruem» Well, I have never stayed too long here, you know. Problems with guards.
«Pathos» Yet you decide to sleep on a fountain, who does that?
«Ruem» Do you blame me though? That fountain had all those pleasant sounds that once I sat on it I went to sleep.
«Pathos» Yeah I get that, but you should be more considerate with your surroundings. Especially you. Besides, how much did you steal?
«Ruem» A lot. Don't ask me to count them please.
«Pathos» Alright I won't, I won't. Could you get me my sweets?
«Ruem» Oh sure.
Moments later a wormhole opened above Pathos, dropping the remaining sweets he bought. Catching it mid-fall, he quickly rummaged inside the bag to grab one. Ruem instead shoved his face closer to the map, trying to understand where to go next. Pathos took a bite, enjoying its sweetness.
«Pathos» Wow, they are still fresh. You want some?
«Ruem» No thanks, I'm good.
As he munched on his muffins, he gazed towards a crowd standing at the intersection far in the distance, their eyes facing up to the sky for some reason.
«Pathos» What are they all staring at?
But as his eyes shifted towards the sky, by the corner of his eyes he noticed a crack? With his eyes directed to the sky he admired the entire thing, a hole in the sky but not directly coming from the sky. It was as if a bubble made out of glass was surrounding Serras in its entirety.
For a moment Pathos froze. Was this normal in a city? But the crowd staring at that hole proved the opposite. Pathos quickly smacked Ruem's arm trying to get his attention.
«Ruem» Yeah, I know where we are.
But instead of finding a Pathos ready to ridicule him, he found him pointing toward the gaping hole.
«Pathos» Is that normal?
Ruem looked up to where his finger was pointed at. He lowered the map as he watched in awe at the broken shell.
«Ruem» Oh fuck. Congratulations, you're a criminal now.
Pathos's head quickly turned to Ruem, his voice shaking as if he knew the truth but wanted to reject it.
«Pathos» W—W—Why are you saying that?
«Ruem» Yeah, apparently that thunder did not hit "nothing" as we thought.
«Pathos» Y–You're saying that hole in the sky is because of me!?
Pathos continued to shake more, while Ruem thought this situation was quite comical. Ruem nodded and all became clear. The glass shattering they heard when the bolt came down came directly from that bubble. Pathos gazed once more at the crowd, wondering if any of them knew the culprit.
«Ruem» I forgot about that. Most cities create a barrier around them to protect them from outsider attacks. I guess it did its job properly.
As the thought processed into Ruem's tiny head he managed to connect the two dots that lingered in his brain. If Pathos had broken the barrier that meant his Prometeo was more powerful than he'd thought. With pure excitement he continued.
«Ruem» Do you understand how much it takes to make a hole this big!
«Pathos» Can you take this more seriously please?
Pathos lowered himself to the ground, scraping his head trying to come up with a solution.
«Pathos» Oh my God. What are we going to do!? What are we going to do!?
Ruem immediately lowered himself to the ground too, exclaiming:
«Ruem» OH YOU FOUND A COIN?
Once he got close enough to the panicked Pathos, he whispered to him. His voice was calm and rational, covering his smile.
«Ruem» Pathos, you saw nothing that day, nor did I, so why are you panicking? We were walking around and we just happened to witness someone shatter that bubble, right?
«Pathos» What are you saying, it was—
Before he could finish, he understood Ruem's words. He was creating a fake scenario that could make him and Ruem both innocent to the public's eye. As his eyes went from the ground to the proud smile sitting on Ruem's face, he quickly straightened himself trying to play it cool.
«Pathos» Y—Yeah I found a coin, could you believe that!?
«Ruem» Lucky you!
Ruem quickly slapped Pathos's back as he gave him both a fake and a real message saying keep that up.
«Ruem» Now where were we.
However, as much as Pathos tried, his sweat was covering his face more and more, and the fact that it was him who caused that problem made it ten times worse considering he is the most recognisable one amongst the people of Serras. But a bigger question lingered in his mind:
«Pathos» C—Can we fix this?
«Ruem» Hell if I know. I'm no expert on barriers, let alone something this big.
Pathos sighed in silence, pained by the straightforward answer. Could it even be possible to fix a mistake this big? His knowledge was little, and with a problem like this he knew that if he wanted to fix it, it would take months if not years.
«Ruem» If you're feeling unsure, we can ask around to see if they have the slightest clue on who might have done it.
«Pathos» What, no—
Without even finishing his sentence, Ruem called out to a bystander.
«Ruem» Hey!
Pathos quickly snatched the map from Ruem's hands, using it to cover his face, making the sack of sweets fall to the ground. Fortunately none of them spilled.
«Bystander» Yeah?
The bystander approached Ruem as both his and Ruem's gaze were fixated on the hole in the barrier. Ruem's finger pointed at the barrier and in a fake wonder he asked:
«Ruem» Do we know who might have done this?
«Bystander» No, actually some woke up to this hole while others mentioned a bolt hitting the barrier.
«Ruem» A bolt?
«Bystander» Yeah, but they don't know how that can be possible. The sky was clear a second before the thunder struck.
«Ruem» So at the moment we know nothing about it?
The bystander shrugged his shoulders.
«Bystander» Nope.
«Ruem» I see. Thanks for everything.
«Bystander» No problem, but be alert. If this turns out to be an attack from an outsider, we might be in trouble, so keep your eyes open.
«Ruem» We will, thank you.
Ruem quietly glanced back at Pathos,whose sweaty hands had soaked the map. He quietly chuckled before flicking one of Pathos's fingers.
«Ruem» Pfts. He is gone, you know.
Pathos lowered the map as his hand reached for his forehead to rub it out of relief.
«Pathos» Please never do this ever again.
«Ruem» What!? I think that helped you out a lot; now that your identity is clear, we can roam free without worrying.
«Pathos» Yeah, but you could have done it in so many different ways…
«Ruem» Eh. You're fine. That's all that matters.
Ruem grabbed the soaked map while Pathos picked up the bag of sweets. As he got up, Ruem threw a towel at Pathos.
«Ruem» Get yourself cleaned. We still have a long way to go.
Both of them continued their mission to retrieve the threads, walking countless roads while engaging in endless conversation. Along the way, Ruem's terrible sense of direction — or at least the way he pretended to have it — sent them down several wrong turns. Yet with each mistake, Pathos found himself even more amazed by Serras's twisting structure. Ruem watched Pathos's awe with a quiet, amused smile.
They briefly stopped at a butcher shop when Ruem recognized the place. Before he could recall why, the shop's owner burst outside, shouting as he tried to chase Ruem down—only to find that Ruem had already vanished with Pathos in tow.
After a while, they finally reached the fabric store. Pathos started gathering the exact threads Jhoel had requested, while the man originally tasked with the job was busy petting the owner's cat. Much to Pathos's annoyance, he finished the job alone—right as Ruem was nearly buried under a collapsing pile of thread rolls.
The mission was successful; the threads were bought and no further damage was done. Both of them walked out, bags in hand, only for Ruem to throw his and Pathos's inside a wormhole. Once the bags were inside, the wormhole became large enough for both Pathos and Ruem to enter.
«Ruem» Let's go home. I have some unfinished business with that couch.
«Pathos» You're seriously going to sleep again?
«Ruem» I do need to recover my lost sleep. Someone my age needs to sleep a lot.
«Pathos» What are you, forty? Let me remind you we have to meet up with Simon this afternoon.
Ruem sighed at Pathos's comment, agreeing but not entirely.
«Ruem» Right…
Ruem entered the wormhole while Pathos looked around for a bit before his eyes settled on a giant window displaying all kinds of books. As he gazed back at the wormhole, his mind processed something. What would be the perfect place to find some unforeseen knowledge?
«Pathos» A library!?
As he processed this information, he called out to Ruem inside the wormhole.
«Pathos» Come back, we are going to the library!
«Ruem» A library!?
Ruem snuck his head outside, glancing at what he considered one of the most boring places in the world.
«Ruem» We are seriously going there?
«Pathos» Yes! Don't you get it? We could find something about my Kindled-eyes there!
«Ruem» Fine…
Ruem stepped outside the wormhole once more, closing it once through. His hands rested on his waist with boredom. Pathos quickly ran towards the doors, opening them in a hurry. Once inside, he got mesmerized by the size of this library. It had 7 rows of tall shelves, each filled with books. Above those shelves, another floor split open in the middle so the light coming from the giant chandelier could enlighten even the bottom floor. Could he really find the right book amongst this colossal library?
Ruem slowly entered, approaching the stunned Pathos.
«Ruem» You're having trouble?
Ruem said, mocking Pathos, using his very sentence against him.
«Pathos» I didn't expect it to be this big… Wait.
Pathos ran towards the register where a male employee was setting down some books given to him by a previous customer. Immediately he lowered his cloak to cover his eyes. The employee quickly gazed at Pathos approaching the register, and immediately, he put up his role.
«Employee» Good morning. How can I help you?
«Pathos» I need to find a book, if that's possible.
«Employee» Sure, what kind of book do you need?
Pathos froze for a second. What book was he exactly looking for? How could he find an exact book that contained the word Kindled-eyes in this enormous mountain of pages?
«Pathos» Is there a book that contains information about the Kindled-eyes?
He knew he shouldn't be going around saying things like that, but out of desperation he mentioned the word Kindled-eyes. Thankfully, however, the employee didn't give a weird reaction to hearing those words; instead, he looked more troubled, as if he had never heard those words in his entire life.
«Employee» Kindled-eyes?
The employee thought for a moment.
«Employee» I don't think we have a book like that, but I can check.
The employee lowered himself, reaching for a giant book. As he brought it up to the desk, he slammed that giant book open and went through countless pages, searching for the word K. On the other side, Pathos's eyes followed every turn of a page, hoping the next one would be the one.
After some time, the title Kindled-eyes was never mentioned in any book available to them.
«Employee» I'm sorry, I can't seem to find anything here. Perhaps you can come another time; I'll see what I can find in the meantime.
Pathos's hands left the desk in disappointment, yet that piece of hope still lingered in his eyes.
«Pathos» Oh, ok. Thanks for the help. Could I come tomorrow then?
«Employee» Yeah, sure. I will see what I can do.
As Pathos left the desk, he walked back, heading toward the exit where Ruem was waiting for him. Once there, Pathos looked back at the employee and waved, and he waved back. Not a "goodbye," but an "I will see you later."