As the sun opened its eyes, the black shroud covering the Silent Fair began to slowly lift. Though the fires inherited from the night had lost their fervor, the fading embers continued to warm the moths that had crept into their depths. While nature’s sweet lullaby filled the air, a sharp whistle echoed repeatedly, struggling to wake the fair from its slumber.

  Number 25 was drawing her bow with all her might, venting her fury on a tree she had singled out. With every arrow she loosed, she purged the terror of the previous night from her system.

  Just as she was about to release a pale white arrow from her fully drawn bow, a familiar voice called out from behind her.

  "Miss, begging your pardon, but do you think an ordinary tree deserves such a beating?"

  Hearing that warm voice, Number 25 relaxed the tension in her bow and lowered it to the ground. She took a small piece of cloth she had brought with her and began to wipe the grime from her face.

  "Good morning to you too, Fidelis."

  "Is all this for last night, Miss?"

  At Fidelis's question, Number 25’s eyes fell. She felt as though the breath she took cut through her chest like a knife.

  "I... I just..." As the words got tangled in her throat, she fell silent. She exhaled sharply through her nose, as if trying to expel the imaginary knife from her chest, and continued. "Can I really not come with you?"

  "Miss... I cannot drag you into this." Number 25's pure innocence had conquered Fidelis from within. He placed his right hand on the young woman's shoulder, light as a feather, and continued to speak. "Besides, Master 99 needs you."

  "Please, Fidelis. You don't expect me to believe that nonsense, do you?"

  Number 25 let out a laugh that contrasted sharply with her trembling eyes, lost in the void for a moment. She placed a hand on her head, listening to the silent curses filling her ears.

  "Even though I feel it with my whole soul... after what I saw last night... Fidelis, his power is beyond my wildest dreams. I can do nothing but drown in that depth."

  Fidelis could not hide the disappointment he felt at her words; his brow furrowed, deepening the wrinkles on his face.

  "Miss, begging your pardon, but I did not expect such words to fall from your lips."

  "You see it too, don't you? That I am weak."

  "No!" Fidelis rubbed his face like he was kneading dough, instantly regretting the loud tone of his voice. "Miss, please. Do not be unfair to yourself, or to Master 99."

  Fidelis's expression settled heavy on Number 25's heart, making her question her own childish behavior.

  "I mean..."

  "Miss, I understand your fears. But please, do not forget that Master 99 is also a human who came from the 'Outside,' just like you."

  Knowing that Fidelis had a point, Number 25 decided that wasting more words at this hour of dawn would be meaningless, and simply nodded.

  She reached for the bow she had left on the ground and slung it over her back. Then, side by side with this gentle man who still carried the sharp scent of last night's stale beer, she began walking toward the camp.

  As the pair made their way through the camp, they glanced at the soldiers trying to shake off their stupor by the dying fires, all while heading toward the center where Number 99 and Veteris were locked in a heated exchange.

  But the moment Number 25 and Fidelis appeared, the rising tide of words was severed as if by a knife.

  "Good morning, Little Miss,"

  After Number 25 gave a mumbled reply, swallowing her words, Fidelis slipped in with his usual demeanor.

  "Master Veteris! A good morning to you as well."

  "I see you actually managed to haul that barrel belly of yours up, Fidelis."

  Fidelis responded to his master’s saw-like tongue with a laugh that could shake the camp, then turned his focus to Number 99.

  "Master 99, you are ready as always."

  "We need to reach Sisula before night falls, Fidelis." Responding with his usual cool demeanor, 99 shifted his gaze to Number 25 and continued. "Did your morning training do you any good, at least?"

  Number 25 was momentarily taken aback. She wracked her brain to avoid clashing with the man she would be traveling with for a while, but her words spilled out unfiltered.

  "Are you spying on me? Or are your tests not finished yet?"

  Noticing the sharp edge in Number 25's voice, Fidelis was about to step forward, but Number 99 continued calmly.

  "When you release the bow, the sound your arrows make resembles a whistle."

  Fidelis and Number 25 remained frozen for a moment by the unexpected answer, until Veteris’s weary voice snapped them back to reality.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  "Yes! Master 99, there is no need to kill more time."

  "I expect good news from Vallis Heims, Veteris," Number 99 replied, not leaving the old wolf's extended right hand hanging.

  At that moment, Fidelis dropped to his right knee in front of Number 25.

  "Miss, well... I've never been good with goodbyes..."

  Before he could finish his sentence, Number 25 wrapped her arms around him in a warm embrace. Fidelis gently placed his hands on her back.

  "Thank you for everything, Fidelis. Make sure you protect your Princess, alright?"

  "As you command, Miss."

  After resting her soul in Fidelis's embrace, Number 25 finally took a step to set off on the road with Number 99.

  ***

  Following an interminable march, as the sun began to wane, the majestic peaks vanished one by one, surrendering their place to the endless plains. The fog, thickening with every step toward Sisula, did more than merely veil their vision. It seemed to coerce them into losing their way, as if attempting to shield them from the impending calamity by leading them astray.

  Number 25 broke the heavy silence that had engulfed them all day, speaking as if she were confessing a sin.

  "I am sorry for my outburst this morning. If not for you, I would have been eliminated by now."

  "I do not believe it is a matter worth dwelling on."

  "Ah... Very well."

  Retreating into silence after his sharp retort, Number 25 tried to revive the conversation, struck by the thought that this might be the very village Flora had spoken of.

  "Flora mentioned that you attacked them because of a village. Is this..."

  As if the fog itself understood where she was steering the conversation, it suddenly parted to reveal stone houses looming ahead, cutting her words short.

  "It seems I will be showing, rather than telling," Number 99 remarked.

  They continued their advance with cautious steps toward the silhouette of the houses, standing there as if the mist were playing a twisted game with them.

  With every step they took deeper into the village, the horror that had transpired unfolded before them like a macabre painting. The stone houses lay looted and in ruins; the only thing remaining of the life that once thrived here was the pungent scent of rot that had claimed dominion over the entire village.

  Unable to endure the stench poisoning her soul any longer, Number 25 covered her face with a cloth, while Number 99’s eyelids descended like heavy curtains; he seemed to be searching for the ghost of the village that had once teemed with life.

  As Number 25 scanned the ruins, her attention was caught by a little girl clutching a handmade doll, watching her motionless from the shadows.

  "Hey!" she called out, raising her left hand to wave.

  Realizing she had been spotted, the girl retreated into the ruins, beginning to fade from sight. Number 25 immediately set off in pursuit. She navigated through the piles of rubble that the fog had turned into a labyrinth, until she finally encountered the little girl once more.

  The girl pointed her right hand toward the debris beside her. The color had completely drained from her eyes, leaving behind nothing but a haunting gray curtain.

  With legs trembling at every step, Number 25 approached without once taking her eyes off the little girl, then slowly bent down to inspect the rubble she was pointing to.

  Noticing a doll among the debris—identical to the one the girl was clutching—Number 25 thought perhaps the child wanted her to retrieve the toy. She reached out with her left hand, trying to free the doll from the stones.

  She applied a bit of force, but when she finally pulled the doll free, a small, withered hand, clearly on the verge of rot, came away with it, still clutching the toy.

  Her face draining of all color, Number 25 flung the doll away in a spasm of horror, losing her balance and collapsing to the ground. Her body shook uncontrollably, making it nearly impossible to rise.

  When she finally managed to struggle to an upright position, her eyes frantically searched for the little girl who had pointed out the rubble—but the child had vanished, as if she had dissolved into dust.

  "Are you alright?"

  Number 99 appeared behind Number 25, approaching with heavy, deliberate steps.

  "Fear not. It is not the kind of spirit that will harm you."

  "I... What... A harmless spirit?"

  Babbling her words in confusion, Number 25 stared at Number 99, who had knelt exactly where the little girl had dissolved into dust.

  "I suspect you caught a glimpse of her only because of our proximity to the Kirola region."

  As the sensation of imaginary needles pricking her body began to fade along with her panic, Number 25 gathered her thoughts and spoke.

  "Can you see the girl? What exactly are you?"

  "No! Please, stay away!"

  Her question was left hanging in the air, cut short by a desperate scream that echoed through the entire village. Number 25 and 99 instantly shifted their focus toward the source of the sound.

  ***

  A solitary player, staggering through the mist, was trying desperately to escape the four figures pursuing him. But his legs, drained of all strength, finally betrayed him, and he collapsed to the ground.

  "No! Please, stay away!"

  Watching the four vultures circling her with trembling eyes, the woman focused on the player rhythmically flipping a gold coin. He seemed intent on etching that metallic ring into people’s minds.

  Catching the coin in mid-air, the player aimed it at his prey and unleashed it with a high-pitched, ear-piercing ring.

  The coin tore through the woman's throat, ricocheting off the ground to return to its owner, carrying the weight of fresh blood. Unable to comprehend what had happened, the woman clutched her throat with both hands, trying to stem the tide, but her body finally gave in and she collapsed. Staring into the crimson sea spilling out before her just before the light faded from her eyes, she sank into eternal silence.

  Clinking his coin once more to shake off the blood, the man noticed two figures watching his little performance through the mist.

  A man dressed in pitch black and a woman holding a bow stood there, their posture unwavering, focused entirely on the showman.

  "Hey, look at this, boys! It seems the prey is serving itself up today."

  Confidently shifting the other vultures' attention to his audience, he continued.

  "So, how did you like the show?"

  The ominous silence was broken by a cold, monotone voice.

  "An ego trip for four wretches... you call that a show?"

  "Wretches... Hah!" The player grit his teeth, squeezing the coin between his fingers. "I appreciate your bravery, but I think you're terrible at counting. Tell me, what can the two of you possibly do against the four of us?"

  "Four?"

  Unable to endure the flat words spilling from the man’s mouth any longer, the player snapped his wrist, launching the coin with lethal velocity.

  As the coin flew toward Number 99 with a sickening metallic shriek, a black mist intercepted it in mid-air. Its golden hue faded, corroding into blackness as it completed its journey into 99's hand.

  Number 99 brought the caught coin close to his face, inspecting it for a moment, then scanned the four vultures who stood frozen before him. He tossed the blackened coin into the air, spinning it.

  The metallic ring was now distorted, sharper. Maintaining the rhythm for a moment, Number 99 focused on the player standing to the right of the coin's owner and flicked the black metal back with a surge of mist.

  Screaming through the air, the coin pierced through the player's forehead like butter, ricocheting off the ground to return to its original owner's hand.

  As the blackened coin in the player's palm began to shine with gold once more, the blood spurting from his fallen comrade's forehead began to flow into his eyes, photographing his own death.

  With a slight breeze, the group, now one man down, felt that cold voice from within the mist resonate in their very souls.

  "Three."

  So, about the delay...

  I know it's been a few days of silence. I wanted to make sure the atmosphere of Sisula Village and the introduction of this new arc hit exactly right, so I took a little extra time to polish it. I hope it was worth the wait!