The moment Con heard about the destruction, a cold feeling settled deep in his chest.
Half the northern district… gone.
The rune magic.
The ritual.
He clenched his fists.
"…damn it."
If he had acted sooner…
If he hadn't collapsed…
But regret wouldn't change anything.
Suddenly another thought struck him.
His friends.
Why had no one come looking for him?
Two days.
Con's breathing quickened.
"…that's not right."
Even if they assumed he was busy, someone would have checked on him eventually.
Unless—
He immediately turned and ran.
The streets blurred past him as he rushed through the city.
His hearing stretched in every direction, ignoring the crowds, searching only for familiar voices.
Tomas.
Daren.
Mikel.
Jorin.
Nothing.
His heart beat faster.
He reached the first inn where some of his friends were staying.
They had separated into different inns because it was cheaper.
Groups were charged extra.
At the time it seemed practical.
Now—
Con's chest tightened painfully.
I should have kept everyone together.
He burst through the inn door.
The innkeeper startled.
"Ah— the blind knight!"
"My friends."
Con's voice was tight.
"Did they return here?"
The innkeeper shook his head slowly.
"…no."
"When did they leave?"
"…two days ago."
Con's heart sank.
He bowed stiffly and left immediately.
The second inn gave him the same answer.
Empty.
The third…
Also empty.
By the time Con reached the street again, his breathing had become uneven.
Where are they…
The last place he could check was the noble residence where Lady Elara was staying.
Con forced himself to calm down and walked toward the large estate.
The guards at the gate recognized him immediately.
"You're the mercenary who escorted Lady Elara."
"Yes."
"Wait here."
A moment later, the gates opened.
"Lady Elara will see you."
Con stepped inside.
The garden was quiet.
Too quiet.
Then he heard her footsteps approaching.
And something else.
Her breathing.
Weak.
Uneven.
Like someone who had cried for hours.
Con froze.
"…Lady Elara."
She stopped a few steps away.
"Yes."
Her voice sounded calm.
Too calm.
Artificial.
A lie.
The moment Con heard it, his stomach dropped.
"…tell me the truth."
There was a long silence.
Then Elara's breathing broke.
"…I tried."
Her voice cracked.
"I tried to stop them."
Con felt the ground beneath his feet grow heavier.
"What happened?"
Elara's composure shattered.
"They said a monster appeared in the northern district!"
Her voice trembled violently.
"Mercenaries were gathering to fight it!"
Con's heart pounded.
"Daren and Mikel… they went with them."
The words felt like stones dropping into deep water.
Silence filled the courtyard.
Elara covered her face with trembling hands.
"…it wasn't a monster."
Her voice collapsed into sobbing.
"It was a demon."
Con didn't speak.
"They all died."
Her shoulders shook uncontrollably.
"None of them survived that fight."
The words echoed in Con's mind.
Daren.
Mikel.
The loudest one.
The one who always joked first.
Gone.
For a moment, Con couldn't feel his hands.
Elara continued through tears.
"Jorin wanted to go too."
"He said he would help the fight and then come find you."
Her voice trembled again.
"…but I locked him away."
Con slowly lifted his head.
"I locked him in a room with Tomas."
"I couldn't let them go."
Her voice broke completely.
"I couldn't send them to their deaths too…"
Silence returned.
For a moment, only her quiet sobbing filled the courtyard.
Then—
Con smiled faintly.
"You did well."
Elara looked up in shock.
"But—"
"You protected them."
His voice was calm.
"If you hadn't… they would be gone too."
Elara started crying harder.
Con stood quietly.
Inside his chest, something trembled.
He imagined walking into the ruined northern district.
Finding bodies among the rubble.
Maybe even recognizing familiar voices that would never speak again.
His fingers trembled slightly.
But his expression remained calm.
"Lady Elara."
"Yes…?"
"Don't tell them I came."
She blinked.
"What?"
"Let them believe I'm still missing."
Her voice shook.
"…why?"
Because they still thought it was a demon.
Because they didn't know about the rune magic.
If they knew, they might try to fight it.
And if they did—
They would die.
Con bowed slightly.
"Please."
Elara hesitated.
Then nodded slowly.
"…I understand."
Con turned toward the gate.
As he walked away, the trembling in his chest grew stronger.
Daren.
Mikel.
Gone.
But there was still something he could do.
Because the city was still misunderstanding the situation.
They believed it was a demon.
But Con knew the truth.
And if he was right—
Then the creature responsible was not something people could simply fight.
The only way to stop it…
Was to destroy the source.
The rune.
Con clenched his teeth.
Then began walking toward the ruined northern district.
Even if his heart trembled at the thought of what he might find there—
There was only one path forward now.