CHAPTER 29 — A CRY FROM THE DARK
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The grass beneath them felt soft—too soft for a place only a few meters from the dark, damp underground passage. Kyoichiiro still lay on his back, eyes closed, his chest rising and falling slowly. The afternoon sunlight filtering through the leaves created patterns of light on his pale face, shifting gently with the soft breeze.
Aetheria sat beside him, her knees drawn to her chest, her chin resting on her knees. Her long blonde hair hung tangled, several strands sticking to her cheeks, still wet from tears that had begun to dry. Her pink eyes—Scarlet Luminis—were still swollen, but she was no longer crying. She just stared at Kyoichiiro, watching every breath, every small movement of his eyelids, every change in color on his increasingly pale skin.
Amura sat a little farther away, near a large tree whose roots rose above the ground. He examined his remaining sword—the blade nearly shattered in several places, with fine cracks running across its once-shiny surface. His fingers traced each crack, one by one, as if he could repair them with just a touch. Beside him, the unknown girl still lay unconscious, her chest rising and falling slowly, but her color still paper-pale.
Birds sang in the distance. Wind whispered through the leaves. Crickets began tuning up for the night. Normal sounds, everyday sounds, sounds they hadn't heard for hours. Sounds of life.
But they couldn't stay here forever.
Amura: (Breaking the silence, his voice soft but firm) "We have to go soon. The sun will be setting. And the town... is still quite far."
Aetheria: (Nodding, but not moving) "I know. But Kyoichiiro-san... he's still—"
Kyoichiiro: (Opening his eyes slowly, his voice hoarse but firm) "I'm still alive. That's enough."
He tried to sit up. His left hand supported his weight on the grass, while his injured right hand hung limp at his side—the purple on his arm had now reached his shoulder, and from his shoulder spread to his neck, his jaw, his cheek. The poison didn't stop. It didn't care that they had escaped from underground. It kept spreading, like water seeping through cracks in stone.
Aetheria: (Quickly helping Kyoichiiro sit up, her warm hand touching his back) "Don't push yourself. The poison is still—"
Kyoichiiro: (Cutting in, flat) "The poison is still there. I know. But sitting here won't cure it. Aetheria, can you stand?"
Aetheria bit her lip. She wanted to say that Kyoichiiro shouldn't push himself, that he should rest longer, that the poison could kill him if he kept moving. But she knew Kyoichiiro wouldn't listen. He never listened.
Aetheria: (Sighing, then standing) "I can. But... you have to let me help you walk."
Kyoichiiro: (Nodding—no protest, because he knew it was necessary) "Alright."
Amura stood, carrying the unknown girl on his back. Her small, light body felt weightless to him—perhaps because he was used to heavier loads, or perhaps because adrenaline still flowed through his body. He adjusted the girl's position on his back, making sure her head wouldn't fall, then looked toward the forest.
Amura: "The direction is west, right? From the sun's position..."
Kyoichiiro: (Helped up by Aetheria, his body swaying slightly) "Yes. But we can't go back to the empty house. We need to find another way out of this forest."
They began to walk. Aetheria on Kyoichiiro's left, one hand holding his arm, the other at his waist—supporting, balancing. Amura in front, his eyes constantly moving, watching every corner of the forest, every shifting shadow, every unusual sound.
Kyoichiiro walked with difficulty. His poison-affected leg—now his entire right leg had turned a dark purple—he could barely feel. It was like walking with a wooden leg, or walking on clouds. Each step was a guess, because he didn't know whether his foot was actually touching the ground.
But he kept walking.
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JOURNEY THROUGH THE FOREST
The forest around them was still silent—not as silent as the underground passage, but still strange. Birds sang in the distance, but none came close. Small insects buzzed among the leaves, but their voices were faint, as if from behind a thick wall.
Aetheria: (Whispering, her eyes scanning the surroundings) "This forest... still feels strange. Like... like something is watching us."
Amura: (Without turning) "It's not just your feeling. I feel it too. But nothing is moving. No tracks. No footsteps other than ours."
Kyoichiiro: (Silent, his mind working even as his body weakened) That barrier... is gone. But does that mean we're free? Or just... allowed to leave?
He remembered the thick purple wall that had blocked their path. The wall Amura's sword couldn't break, that Aetheria's magic couldn't penetrate, that had nearly driven them to despair. And then that mysterious woman had appeared—pointed left, showed the way. Was that wall deliberately placed to trap them? Or to protect them from something? And why had it suddenly vanished? Because they were beyond its range? Or because... something had changed?
No point thinking about it now, he thought. What matters is that we can walk. We can move. We're not locked in one place.
They walked for perhaps ten minutes—or twenty—when suddenly, from the south, a sound erupted.
Not whispers. Not footsteps. But a rumble. A deep, heavy rumble, like an earthquake far away but still trembling through the ground. The vibration traveled from their soles to their shins, to their knees, to their thighs. Strong enough to make the leaves on the surrounding trees shiver.
BOOM... BOOM... BOOM...
Three times. Then silence.
Amura: (Stopping abruptly, turning south, eyes wide) "What was that?!"
Kyoichiiro: (Also turning, despite his exhaustion) "An earthquake? But... it doesn't feel like an ordinary quake. More regular. Like... giant footsteps."
Aetheria: (Face pale, her hand gripping Kyoichiiro's arm tighter) "Or an explosion? I've heard sounds like that during landslides in my village."
From a distance, from the same direction, birds began to take flight. Not one or two, but hundreds. They filled the sky—black, dense, like a cloud moving swiftly away from the source of the sound. The flapping of their wings sounded like heavy rain falling on dry leaves.
Amura: (Exhaling, calming himself) "Whatever it is, it's not coming here. That's what matters."
Kyoichiiro: (Silent, his eyes still fixed south, toward where the sound had come from) Is it connected to that slave place? Or to the hooded figures? Or... to that woman?
He didn't know. But he was too tired to find out.
Aetheria: (Pulling Kyoichiiro's arm gently) "Kyoichiiro-san, we have to keep walking. Your poison—"
Kyoichiiro: (Nodding) "Yes. Let's go."
They continued their journey. Amura in front, Kyoichiiro and Aetheria behind. The rumbling did not repeat. Only silence remained—an uncomfortable silence, full of unanswered questions.
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ENCOUNTER IN THE FOREST
They had walked for about fifteen minutes when Amura suddenly raised his hand. The signal to stop.
Kyoichiiro: (Stopping, breath ragged) "What is it?"
Amura: (Whispering, his eyes fixed on the bushes to the right) "Someone's there. I hear footsteps."
Kyoichiiro and Aetheria listened too. At first, nothing. Only the wind, the rustle of leaves, the crickets tuning up for the night. But then, they heard it. Crunch... crunch... crunch... Footsteps. Fast. Light. Like someone running, but trying to be quiet.
Amura: (His hand already on his sword hilt) "Who's there? Come out! Or I'll—"
Boy's Voice: (From behind the bushes, breathless, small and slightly hoarse) "D-don't... don't attack! I... I need help!"
The leaves parted, and from behind the bushes emerged a boy.
He was perhaps seven years old—around their age. His body was small and thin, with tangled brown hair nearly covering his eyes. His face was covered in wounds—a bruise on his left cheek, a thin cut on his forehead, a bite mark on his right arm. His clothes were torn in several places, and on his feet, he wore only one shoe. The other was missing, lost somewhere.
He ran toward them, breathless, his dark brown eyes darting from face to face—Amura, Aetheria, then Kyoichiiro. And when his eyes met Kyoichiiro's, he stopped.
Boy: (Still breathless, but his voice calmer—as if he had found what he was looking for) "You... you're the one leading them, aren't you? I can tell from how you stand. I... I need help. Please."
Amura: (Still alert, his hand not leaving his sword hilt) "Don't move. Don't come closer. Who are you? Why are you here? And why are you asking us for help?"
Amura turned to Kyoichiiro, his voice firm, almost like a warning.
Amura: "Kyoichiiro-san, don't be too quick to trust. We don't know anything about this kid. This could be a trap. A stranger in the forest, at a time like this..."
Kyoichiiro: (Raising his left hand—not to cut off, but to calm) "I know, Amura. I don't need reminding."
He looked at the boy. His light blue eyes—though blurred by the poison, still sharp enough to judge—observed every detail. The wounds on the boy's body. Dried cuts. Bruises beginning to yellow—a sign that those wounds were several days old, not fresh. And most importantly: his eyes.
The boy's eyes weren't lying. Not because he was a good liar, but because he was too tired to pretend. His eyes were empty, hollow, like someone who had seen too much horror in his short life.
Like Elunie, Kyoichiiro thought. Like the girl on the altar. Like those made into slaves.
Kyoichiiro: (His voice calm, not too friendly but not cold either) "Tell me. Why do you need help? And why us?"
The boy swallowed. His hands—small, dirty, with broken nails in several places—fidgeted at his sides.
Boy: (Beginning to speak, quickly, as if afraid of running out of time) "I... I used to be a slave. They—they made me steal. Made me find other kids. Made me... do things I didn't want to do."
His voice trembled. He bit his lower lip—a lip already cracked and bloody in several places.
Boy: "If I didn't obey... they beat me. Tortured me. Sometimes... sometimes they wouldn't feed me for days." He pointed to the scar on his arm. "This is from when I didn't steal enough money. They cut me with a knife. Said it was... a lesson."
Aetheria covered her mouth with her left hand. Her eyes were wet. Amura was still silent, but his hand on his sword hilt relaxed slightly.
Boy: "I ran away three days ago. I've been hiding in the forest, eating wild fruit, drinking stream water. But... but I can't keep going like this. I have to... I have to save them. The ones still there."
Kyoichiiro: (His eyes narrowing) "Who are 'they'?"
Boy: "The other slaves. A lot of them. In the same place. I don't know exactly how many—maybe dozens. Maybe more. They're kept underground. In dark rooms. Some... some were already unconscious the last time I saw them. Some... some might already be dead."
He paused for a moment, swallowing again.
Boy: "But there are also those still alive. Still hoping. Still believing that one day someone will come to save them." He looked at Kyoichiiro. "I thought... maybe you're that person."
Silence followed his words.
Kyoichiiro didn't answer immediately. His mind was spinning—not because he doubted the boy's story, but because he had to be certain. In this world, in a place like this, it was too easy to fall into a trap set with a sad story.
Is he lying? Kyoichiiro thought, his eyes still fixed on the boy. Or is this a trap? Did the hooded figures send him to lure us?
He looked at the wounds on the boy's body. Dried cuts. Bruises beginning to yellow. Those weren't fresh wounds. They were several days old—maybe a week. If he had been sent as bait, those wounds would be fresher. More dramatic.
Not necessarily, he thought again. They could have been torturing him for a long time, and only now sent him.
Amura: (Whispering to Kyoichiiro, his voice not so soft that the boy couldn't hear) "Kyoichiiro-san, are you sure? We don't know anything about this kid. He could be—"
Kyoichiiro: (Raising his hand, cutting off) "I know, Amura. But look at his eyes."
Amura: (Looking at the boy) "His eyes?"
Kyoichiiro: "He's not lying. I don't know if his story is completely true, but he's not lying about his fear."
He approached the boy—one step, two steps—even though Aetheria pulled at his arm slightly, a sign that she didn't approve.
Kyoichiiro: (Crouching in front of the boy, his eyes level with the boy's) "I have some questions. Answer honestly, and I'll consider helping."
Boy: (Nodding quickly) "I-I'll answer. Anything."
Kyoichiiro: "Where is that place? How big is it? How many guards? And what do they do there besides making children into slaves?"
The boy took a deep breath. He closed his eyes for a moment, remembering—digging into memories he would probably rather forget.
Boy: (Opening his eyes, his voice steadier) "That place... is hidden in the town. Underground. The entrance is like a big stone that opens—like a cave mouth. I don't know exactly where, because they always blindfold me whenever they take me in or out. But I can guess from the sounds and smells... near the town dump. Quiet. No one passes by."
Kyoichiiro: "Guards?"
Boy: "A lot. But not all of them are human. Some... some look like they don't have faces. They wear long black robes. I've never seen their faces. I don't want to."
Kyoichiiro and Amura exchanged glances. Faceless hooded figures. The same as the ones they had seen in the underground passage.
Kyoichiiro: (Continuing) "What do they do there? Besides making children into slaves?"
Boy: (His voice trembling) "I... I don't know for sure. But sometimes, at night, I hear sounds... strange sounds. Like people screaming, but muffled. Like someone... being cut up. And the smell..."
He clutched his stomach, as if about to vomit.
Boy: "It doesn't smell like ordinary blood. More... sweeter. I don't know. But I'm scared."
Aetheria, who had been silent, now gripped Kyoichiiro's arm tighter. Her face was pale—paler than usual.
Kyoichiiro: (Silent, processing the information) Experiments. Or something worse. This place is darker than I thought.
He stood—or at least, tried to stand. His legs were still numb, and he nearly fell if Aetheria hadn't quickly caught him.
Boy: (Seeing Kyoichiiro's condition, his eyes full of concern) "You're... you're hurt. Poison?"
Kyoichiiro: (Flat) "That's not important. What's important is, are you sure you're not mistaken about the location? That there are other children still able to be saved?"
Boy: (Nodding firmly) "I'm sure. I left them two days ago—before I escaped. They were still alive. Some were still conscious. I... I promised I'd come back for them. But I can't do it alone."
Kyoichiiro stared at the boy for a long time. Then he turned to Amura.
Kyoichiiro: "Amura. Are you in?"
Amura was silent. His hand was still on his sword hilt, but no longer tense. He looked at the boy, then at Kyoichiiro, then at Aetheria.
Amura: (After a five-second pause, letting out a long breath) "I... don't know. But I won't let you go alone. So... I'm in."
Kyoichiiro: (Nodding) "Thank you."
He turned to the boy.
Kyoichiiro: "We'll help. But there's one condition."
Boy: (His eyes shining) "Anything!"
Kyoichiiro: (Pointing to the unknown girl still carried on Amura's back) "You take this girl to town. Find a safe place—an inn, a hospital, or a shelter. Wait for us there. If we don't come back in... two days, leave her somewhere safe and run. Don't look for us."
Boy: (Hesitant) "But—I—I don't know where to go—"
Kyoichiiro: (Cutting in) "You can go into town, find a cheap inn. Or you can wait at the edge of town, somewhere busy. What matters is, don't come back into this forest alone. Understand?"
The boy bit his lip. He looked at the unconscious girl—her pale face, her thin body. Then he looked at Kyoichiiro, his eyes full of determination.
Boy: "I... I'll do it. I'll take care of her."
He approached Amura, who carefully lowered the girl from his back. The boy carried her—a bit heavy for his size, but he seemed determined. His small arms wrapped around the girl's back, supporting her drooping head.
Boy: (After making sure the girl was comfortable) "You... you'll really come? You won't abandon them?"
Kyoichiiro: (Flat) "I don't like making promises I can't keep. But I'll try."
The boy nodded. Without another word, he turned and began walking—slowly at first, because of his burden, but faster once he found his balance. Within moments, he had disappeared behind the trees, swallowed by the forest darkness beginning to envelop everything.
Aetheria: (Whispering, her eyes still fixed on where the boy had gone) "Kyoichiiro-san... did we do the right thing? Sending that child alone..."
Kyoichiiro: "There was no choice. We can't take that girl into danger. And we can't leave her here alone." He sighed. "At least, he has a chance. Better than being left to die in the forest."
Amura: (Sighing) "So, how are we going to find that place? The kid didn't give an exact location. Just 'near the town dump' and 'an entrance like a big stone'."
Kyoichiiro didn't answer. His hand went into his pants pocket—where he kept that bluish-gray crystal.
And when his fingers touched the crystal, he felt something.
A vibration.
Not the warning vibration like before. A different vibration. More... alive. As if the crystal was happy to be touched. As if it had been waiting.
Kyoichiiro: (Taking out the crystal, staring at it) "We don't need to search. This crystal will show the way."
Amura: (Frowning) "Are you sure?"
Kyoichiiro: (Pointing to the crystal, which was beginning to glow—a bluish-gray light pulsing softly) "It's done it once. It'll do it again."
And indeed, it did. The crystal vibrated more strongly, then—without warning—lifted off. Flew from Kyoichiiro's palm, hovering in the air about a meter in front of his face. Its light pulsed brighter, faster, then stopped.
And pointed.
South.
In the same direction as the earlier rumbling. In the same direction the frightened birds had flown. In the direction the boy had come from.
Aetheria: (Her voice trembling) "Th-there?"
Kyoichiiro: (Nodding) "Yes."
Amura: (Exhaling, drawing his remaining sword—its cracked blade, but still sharp enough) "Alright. Let's finish this."
Kyoichiiro grabbed the string attached to the crystal—a thin string he hadn't noticed before. He pulled it gently, and the crystal moved with the pull, like a balloon held by a child.
Kyoichiiro: (To Aetheria) "Can you still walk?"
Aetheria: (Nodding, though her face was tired) "I... I can. But you—"
Kyoichiiro: (Cutting in) "I can't walk fast. But I can walk. That's enough."
They began to move. Amura in front, holding his cracked sword. Kyoichiiro in the middle, one hand holding the crystal's string, the other on Aetheria's shoulder as she walked beside him. Aetheria beside Kyoichiiro, one hand at his waist, supporting, helping.
The crystal floated slowly ahead of them, its bluish-gray light illuminating the dark path. Not as bright as Amura's fireball, but enough to see where they were stepping.
They walked south.
Into an unfamiliar darkness.
To a place where more fates awaited.