"The Circle of Execution..."
Those were the last words Adam heard. Unfortunately, and quite clearly, they did not fall pleasantly upon the ears of those present. The two saints walked behind him toward a platform with two massive gates in the background. Each gate bore a distinctive mark—or a number, as some claimed—but as they also said, it was written in an ancient language.
"You will be divided into two groups. Each group will head in a different direction. And here is where the fun begins. Beyond these doors lies opportunity… your opportunity… your only chance at life once again. But with more freedom, and perhaps more enjoyment for some of you, I suppose. After all, not everyone here comes from noble families with stable incomes… or any income at all. Am I wrong?"
The silence of the massive crowd confirmed every word he said. He pointed upward, then continued:
"You can… you can live that life. Without fear. Without humiliation. A new life without limits. This curse is not what its name suggests… it is not a curse. After tonight, you will realize that the Blood Curse is the only blessing you have ever received from this wretched world…"
Silence consumed the vast, cavernous hall.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen… let the Ceremony of the Circle of Execution begin!"
'What kind of decent life is this idiot talking about?'
Adam's patience had run out. He had already decided that these were the final hours of his life. He followed the group assigned to him, based on their numbers, through the first gate. The march was somewhat long… but he stopped keeping track of time, distracting himself by counting.
'88… 89… I don't remember exactly where I stopped.'
It was a corridor of damp stone. Every two meters, a torch lit the path for those walking.
At the end, light gleamed in their eyes. It was a massive space of three floors, filled with numerous beds covered in white sheets and cotton pillows. But the sheets were not entirely white… some were stained with dark orange patches—hardened blood.
Everyone was assigned a bed according to their number. Adam's bed was in complete disarray. He tried to fix it—if he was going to die, he preferred to die on a neat bed.
"What are you doing, Number 66?"
Adam turned to see who called him. It was that blond man he had clashed with earlier.
"So now we're being called by numbers… what do you want, Number 39?" Adam noticed the number on his medical bracelet.
The other approached quickly, closing the distance as he pointed at him.
"Don't you dare call me by my number, you trash."
Adam glanced around, then replied with a mocking laugh:
"Who are you calling trash, 39? I don't see any trash here except you."
The man grabbed him by the neck violently in front of everyone. Adam didn't even flinch. His gaze shifted toward the crystalline sunflower tucked in his shirt pocket. At that moment, something sharpened in his blue eyes—a watchful, dangerous look.
When the blond man reached toward the glowing petals, Adam delivered a swift, powerful punch straight into his stomach. The man dropped to his knees, coughing—perhaps even starting to vomit his meal.
"Y-you… how dare you, you filthy peasant!" he said, struggling to breathe.
"Don't ever try to touch my belongings again. Got it, soft hands?" Adam said coldly.
The blond man stood up with difficulty, clenching his fist, ready to strike—
"That's enough…"
A resonant feminine voice froze both their bodies. They literally couldn't move. Behind the blond stood a woman with red eyes and flowing hair, snapping her fingers as she spoke:
"I don't want any trouble while I'm around. Understood?"
'What is this feeling? Why do I feel like I must not move… despite my strong urge to take a defensive stance?'
"Now… leave," she said before disappearing into the winding dark corridor.
Unconsciously, both of them obeyed, turning away and heading back to their beds.
'Did that woman just control us…? Are these the abilities you gain after passing this test?'
'Anyway…'
Adam lay down on the filthy bed, feeling the sheets beneath him.
'I won't need such things where I'm going…'
He closed his eyes… drifting…
'Will I… finally… see my family?'
A tear slipped from his eyelids. The longing had consumed him.
A nurse leaned over him, adjusting his position and inserting an IV into his left arm.
"You need to rest now… let sleep take you."
Something felt off. That massive glass container—it was filled with a red liquid resembling blood. Numerous tubes extended from it, connecting into the veins of those undergoing the test.
Adam grabbed the nurse's hand after she finished. She looked at him questioningly.
"Just relax… what do you need?" she asked.
Adam heard the grinding of gears above—around the large circular container. Moments passed without him noticing he was growing dizzy. He pointed weakly toward the ceiling:
"What… is that…?"
The room began to shake… to melt…
In a gentle voice, she replied:
"This is the foundation of the doctrine of the Church of Horn Blood. This is the blood. What we know is that this substance was brought by a being from beyond this world… beyond all worlds. This is the blessing granted to us by that monster. They call it Horn Blood because it is extracted from the horn of that ancient, eternal giant…"
His vision blurred beyond comprehension. Sound faded. No voice… no image… nothing but overwhelming delirium.
In that limbo between dream and reality, Adam heard footsteps approaching. It was too sudden for his mind to grasp. A shadow appeared before him, cloaked in deep blue.
At first, he questioned it—but dismissed it as a hallucination.
'This… is… nonsense…'
"Adam!"
He looked again. It wasn't a shadow.
It was a young girl.
Then suddenly—he remembered something. Something in her features… long black hair, blue eyes… and that spark on her chest…
His eyes widened.
"W-we made that… symbol… together… who… who are you?"
She smiled softly.
"It's me, Adam…"
"My… sister?"
He was stunned. It never crossed his mind that this was an illusion—his sister had died at a much younger age.
He tried to move—but his body was paralyzed like the dead. Sweat covered him. Drool ran down his neck. His veins began twitching wildly…
'S-sis… sis…!'
Adam's mind fell silent… his heart, his soul… everything drowned in deep sleep—
Marking the beginning of the Circle of Execution.