The boy entered a two-story house.
The atmosphere inside was rather dark. Continuing his way toward Dono, the boy explored the first floor in search of him.
He arrived in a living room that, at first glance, seemed normal, which relaxed him a little. But that didn't last long.
He looked up at the walls.
"Ahhhhh!" He fell to the floor, horrified, his gaze still fixed on the walls.
Heads of women, men, and children were hung there like trophies.
"I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die," he repeated to himself nonstop.
"Haha, no, you're not going to die, little one," a voice whispered in his ear.
"Ahhh… ahhh…" The boy knelt before the man standing behind him.
"Please, Guard Dono… have mercy, don't kill me. It's Guard Rieze who sent me."
"Oh, that snake sent you? What does he want?" Dono asked, sitting down on a chair.
"Well, many people are leaving the north side of the city for the south side."
"Hmm, and so?"
"And… well, Guard Chiva complained to Guard Rieze, and he decided to send me to ask you to limit… your killings."
With a suspicious and detached air, Dono replied, "It must be because of that family I killed recently. You know, I'm not a big fan of dismembering people, but this time it was for one of my experiments, and I think it turned out rather well."
He displayed a chilling smile.
He's insane. How can he do this, feel no remorse, and talk about it like it's nothing? the boy thought.
"Tell Rieze I'll calm down, and that he should watch his back," Dono declared.
Rising quickly, the boy paid his respects to Dono and headed toward the door.
The exit was right in front of him, but a hand stopped him.
"What is it, Guard Dono?" the boy said without turning around, trembling for his life.
"Well… there's something you need to give to that white-haired man."
"Anything you want."
"Follow me, then," Dono said, heading up to the second floor.
Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn, damn! The exit is right there. I could run, but the risk of him chasing and killing me is too great.
Reluctantly, the boy made his way to the second floor as well.
The second floor looked more like an armory than anything else, but the numerous pools of blood on the floor made the boy increasingly nervous.
He entered an open room and saw several busts and human organs scattered in water-filled jars, meticulously arranged in some sort of order.
Dono watched him as if observing a terrified mouse.
It's a shame I can't keep his body, but he was sent by that other one. Who knows what he's plotting? Dono thought.
"Take this," he said, handing the boy a sword.
The boy didn't want to accept it, but who knew what would happen if he refused?
Taking the sword, he paid his respects to Dono and headed for the exit.
Dono, watching him leave, wore a sinister smile while staring at the sword.
In the street, the boy walked with urgency, not even daring to look back. All that mattered to him was leaving the north side of the city as quickly as possible.
Many passersby were surprised to see him still alive.
"Who knows, maybe Dono's keeping him alive to torture him later," one passerby said.
What was certain for them was that everyone who entered Dono's house died, no matter what.
Later, toward the end of the day, the sun was almost set. Simone was the first to arrive at the meeting point.
It didn't take long for the others to show up.
"So, where are you all working during our short stay here?" Simone asked.
The seven looked at each other, waiting for someone to break the ice.
"Since no one's talking, I'll start," Asti declared.
"For my part, I'm now a cleaner for a dojo."
A silence followed his words. The first to crack was Aconé, who burst into uncontrollable laughter.
"Hahahahaha, seriously, Asti? That's all you could find?"
Annoyed by Aconé's mocking laughter, Asti asked what he had found as a job.
"Well, I'm a florist, and I make tea. A mundane job, but entertaining in its own way," Aconé shared.
Asti, visibly disgusted that Aconé had a better job than him, asked the others what they were doing.
"I'm a waiter in a small restaurant," Lucien said.
"I've become a teacher in a school," Darlius said.
At those words, the group turned their gaze toward him.
"A teacher? But you know we're not staying long!" Simone said.
"I had to find a job, and that's what I found. What's the problem? And you, Simone, where are you working?"
"Since you ask so nicely, well, I've joined the guard troop in the south of the city with Hikiri."
"That's where the port is, our only way to get to Mont Saint-Michel."
"Well, you think of everything, Simone. Should I call you boss?" Darlius said.
"Just Simone. Anyway, we haven't even started the main mission. Now, it's just you two left, Dina and Lucien," Simone said.
"For my part, I'm a prison guard," Dina said.
"I'm working for a clockmaker who's also a seer," Lucien said.
"Whoa, Lucien, ever since you passed out on the hill, are you getting dumber by the day?" Asti said.
"Speak for yourself, cleaner! Focus on washing dishes and scrubbing toilets," Lucien shot back.
Aconé and Dina burst into laughter.
"Let's leave Asti to stew."