The sun was setting on Rivaril. The dense filth in the air had completely blanketed the sky; breathing left a nauseating taste in the mouth, like chewing on a rusty coin. Without the holy masks crafted by the island's only priest, an ordinary human wouldn't live longer than a butterfly.
Aiden was catching his breath on top of a four-meter-high pile of corpses in the mossy basement of a two-story wooden house deep in the forest. He took a deep breath, then slid down the right side of the pile.
In the opposite corner of the basement, Halo the town's former bank manager was trying to crawl toward the broken wooden staircase, despite having his right arm and both legs severed. The squeak of his leather outfit dragging against the marble floor was as disturbing as the scream of a child having a toy snatched away.
"Do you really think you can survive in this state, let alone escape, Mr. Manager?" Aiden asked, approaching with heavy steps.
"Aiden… We can make a deal! I'll give you half the money, huh? What do you say?!" Halo stammered with a faint glimmer of hope.
Aiden didn't reply; he approached with an emotionless face and slammed Halo against the wall with a single, hard kick. The impact knocked the wind out of him; every breath Halo took sounded like the creaking of an ungreased old door.
Crouching down to his level, Aiden spoke. "You probably assume that Firel who sent me here because you stole the money wouldn't send anyone to kill me for abandoning my duty."
As his blood loss increased, Halo stared in terror at Aiden's eyelids, which were engraved with the sign of the cross.
"A blind man… killing well trained warriors. You're wondering how, aren't you?"
Aiden tilted his head and lowered his voice: "Maybe I can't see. But I can feel the soul that keeps you alive, Mr. Manager."
Halo watched him for a moment, then closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Let's say you have such a talent… Then how do you explain your strength, Aiden the Eyeless Hunter? Hahah… You don't know the answer, do you?"
"I don't," Aiden replied coldly. "The only thing I want to know is where you hid the money. If you keep resisting, you'll suffer; if you don't, I can end this quickly."
"You have a unique gift, kid… I hope you don't waste it on that bastard Firel…" Halo whispered, his breath fading. "Aiden… I knew Father well. He used to talk about you from time to time."
"Shouldn't we stick to the topic, Mr. Manager?"
"He lied…"
Aiden frowned. "What?"
"About being your father… he lied to you…"
Aiden's voice hardened. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but you need to tell me where the money is right now. I've been after you for months, and I don't intend to return empty-handed."
Mumbling meaningless words, Halo took his final breath.
Aiden shook his head slightly. "I gave in to my anger for a second and did too much damage… How stupid of me."
He stood up, grimacing. The restlessness of failing the mission was evident on his face. After a brief glance at Halo's lifeless body, he spat on the ground and started searching. He tossed dusty furniture left and right, trying to deduce the location of the money from every sound. Despite tearing the house apart from top to bottom, he found no trace.
Frustrated, he headed for the outer door. "Damn it!" he shouted, punching the door beam with the bottom of his fist.
He paused for a moment. He turned his face toward the beam he had just cracked.
He felt an intense flow of spiritual energy coming from it.
He plunged his hand into the beam and found the gold Halo had hidden. Noticing something strange about the coins, he pressed one between his thumb and index finger, snapping it in two. Compressed spiritual energy leaked out and spread into the air.
With a savage hunger, Aiden inhaled all the spiritual energy. Then, he broke apart the remaining 24 kilos of gold coins one by one, consuming the compressed energy within them.
"What was that just now… I'm still hungry, but I feel stronger."
He thought for a moment. "I'll save the last one and show it to Father. He'll know the answer." He tossed it into his pocket.
He was lost in thought. Why did Halo say he wasn't my father… I need to ask about that too.
By the time the sun rose, life had begun in Open Buffet, Rivaril's only town. The translucent, pale yellow holy barrier protecting the town could no longer keep the toxic air out; it had started to leak inside.
Aiden dropped the 24 kilos of gold he was carrying in his bag and ran toward the church with all his might.
When he arrived at Open Buffet, he heard the whispers of the crowd gathered in front of the stone church.