- Vigilants stay alive, unsuspected will vanish
"Wait what?" Fate scratches his head asking himself why the king wants Caeruleus in the meeting. "He doesn't have anything to do with this!"
"R-right away, your Majesty." The warden hastily scurried away from the stage after his response.
"Give way!" The warden shouted as he bumped between the crowds. To his haste, he dropped his badge the instant he bumped Fate. He really wants the crisis to be resolved as soon as possible.
Fate quickly noticed the badge and picked it off the ground. He scrutinized the badge and the badge looks like it is made from pure bronze. The eyes of the badge shine and reflect off a bright, luminous light under the sun. Fate speculated it was some kind of identification to the government officials.
The king continued his speech as he waits for Caeruleus. "So it has been said, my people of Tera. Even I was shocked by what the warden said in front of us. I love my servants as to how much I love my people, and it weakens me to say this: Inzary Azumaora - an Aristocratic Councilor and a former Level S warrior under the wizard class - is officially our enemy now. He is a fugitive of this Kingdom, and I am commanding my servants - Peer's Summon and Level S - to try their very best to find him, dead or alive!"
The king suddenly smashed his right hand on the table as a sign of declaration. At that point, the king declared Inzary Azumaora as their number one enemy, and nothing will change the king's mind about what he sees towards Inzary.
The crowd, on the other hand, started to shout in anger and pain towards Inzary. They all wanted to have their righteous justice. Their eyes said everything and their intentions were clear: to put Inzary to a demise everyone cannot bear. Their hearts were filled with burning emotions.
The shouts and exclamations gradually faded when a portal appeared on the stage just in front of the king.
"I have been summoned by your order, your Majesty, so I came for your will." The crowd saw an armored man bowing his head and kneeling before the king. The man inside the portal was none other than Caeruleus himself.
The king stood up and then bowed his head. "The pleasure is yours, my servant," he said. "You may stand up now, Caeruleus. Please, face my people of Tera."
As the king told Caeruleus, he stood up straight and faced the crowd. His eyes locked into Fate, and Fate locked his eyes on Caeruleus.
"It is my pleasure to serve the king's citizen," Caeruleus said as he bowed his head. The crowd seems confused as to why the king wants to summon him.
"Caeruleus," the king told him as he looked into his eyes. He then observed Caeruleus' attire. "Peer's Summon, I see that. The badge on your shoulder shows me an eagle with an eyepatch on its left eye. You must be the leader of Knights of Peer's Summon."
"You are not mistaken, your Majesty," he replied as he nodded his head.
"I reckon that you are aware of the reason why I wanted you here, Caeruleus."
Caeruleus suddenly gulped. "N-no, your Majesty. On top of my head, I am not aware of any reasons why."
"I see that," the king then leaned his head on his right hand. "The warden did not tell you, no?"
"You are clearly right, your majesty," Caeruleus again nodded his head. "Before you ask about the warden's whereabouts, your Majesty, he already left the moment he told me you wanted to summon me here."
"I see that. You are aware of Inzary Azumaora, yes?"
"Yes, your Majesty. He was... he was my former friend."
"And you are also aware of this 'Abductor of Night' folklore, yes?"
"Yes, your Majesty. I am fully aware of that folklore. I-it has been told to me by my father since my childhood."
"Now that you have answered my questions, I want you to take a wild guess."
The king looked deep into Caeruleus' eyes. The king's eyes were deadly serious and it gave Caeruleus enough reason to have chills trickling down his spine. "Do you know where this is going, Caeruleus?"
"O-on top of my head... I-I am not aware of it," Caeruleus nervously answered.
"Predictable answer, I see. Perhaps I should tell you about what the warden revealed in front of everyone here."
"P-please, your Majesty. I am full ears on what you will tell."
"Inzary Azumaora - an Aristocratic Councilor and a former Level S under wizards - and the folklore 'Abductor of Night' are the same person. Your 'friend' and the folklore share the same identity."
"I-I see that..." Caeruleus's heart suddenly jumped shocked by what the king had told him. The chills he felt became stronger. He cannot help but gasp for air.
"Now, I will ask you another question. The answer you will give will have a huge impact on your reputation." The king looked into Caeruleus' eyes once again.
"P-please your Majesty... g-go on..." Caeruleus gulped for the last time, nervous about what will the king ask him.
"Do you know the whereabouts of your friend?"
"I-I beg to differ, your Majesty, but h-he isn't my frien-"
"I said... do you know the whereabouts of your friend?"
"Your Majesty, y-you still haven-"
The king smashed the table in front of him and stood up. He looked at Caeruleus, and his eyes were filled with annoyance.
"How dare you ignore my question?! Who in the world are you to ignore a mere simple question?! You are so brave to have the audacity to do that in front of me!"
Caeruleus shivered from fear and embarrassment as the king suddenly shouted at him. He cannot do anything to interrupt the king's tantrums and fits.
"N-no, your Majesty... I-I am not aware of his whereabouts." Caeruleus then gave a sigh.
The crowd suddenly yelled and shouted at Caeruleus after he gave his answer to the king, complaining about what Caeruleus did to the king. The crowds claimed that Caeruleus is one of Inzary and he was helping Inzary from his intents.
"Caeruleus, don't you have any mercy on us?" a woman from the crowd shouted as she looked at Caeruleus with anger. "If you really are a servant of this Kingdom, you will not keep the justice we deserve from us!"
"Y-you seem to have misunderstood something ma'am," Caeruleus contradicted. "Y-you see... Inzary's not my friend anymor-"
"LIAR!! You are just saying that because you want your friend to be safe!" another citizen from the crowd yelled, interrupting Caeruleus. "You are a shame to this kingdom. How could you bear seeing us suffer from pain grieving for our children?!"
Fate heard every false claims everyone is throwing at Caeruleus, and he cannot help but shout in anger.
"You'll get yourself in trouble if you are reckless. This is not the right time, Fate." Just as Fate's about to shout his thoughts, someone stopped him. The hands grasped Fate's arm tightly. "You don't wanna be stomped flat, right?"
The hands that held Fate's arm were rough, so he assumed it was a man who stopped him. The voice also sounded familiar to him; it sounded like someone he knew for a very long time.
"Hello, Fate. It was nice seeing you again. You have changed a lot since I left our hometown." Fate looked to his right - where he had heard the voice.
"W-wait is that you already??" Fate exclaimed, surprised by whom he had seen. It was his childhood friend named Noirel. "W-wow! I never thought we'd meet here!"
Fate immediately hugged Noirel. "I fucking hate you, Noirel. Why'd you leave your friend without any proper farewell?"
"You still are sarcastic, Fate. You haven't changed. Hah hah!" Noirel answered as he hugged Fate back. Both of them then exchanged signs of respect for each other.
"But I thought you said I never changed? Which one is it?"
"Perhaps both, my friend? But I haven't appeared here for this. I need your time, for now, so I'm afraid I have to bother you this time."
"B-but Caeruleus! Someone has to defend hi-"
"I have already told you, Fate. This is not the right time to stand for someone. I mean no disrespect from my friend, but you still have a long way to go in order to do that."
Noirel immediately pulled Fate from the crowd away from the meeting. Noirel was in a hurry. Fate cannot stop him either. Fate had no choice but to go along with his childhood friend.
Fate tried fighting back but it was no use. Noirel's grasp is too tight for him to let go. Noirel stopped in front of Eurik Town's entrance gate as he has had enough of Fate's struggle.
"I'll let go of your hand, Fate. But promise me you'll go with me. This is something I need you to see." Noirel stopped walking and looked into Fate's eyes.
"Y-you act very strange, Noirel!" Fate then forced his hand from Noirel's grasp. "I-it feels like you have forgotten me already!"
Noirel immediately sighed and showed Fate his regrets. "I deeply apologize, but I have to act like this. I am already a Level S, and I have to temporarily forget everything we had been through - with your younger brother."
Fate became speechless by what Noirel revealed, surprised to find out that his childhood friend is already a Level S official despite only having a year-old age gap.
Tears eventually fell from Noirel's eyes and traveled on his chin. "It hurts me to do this, Fate. I've been always looking forward to bonding with you again, but it is not the right time for me to do it! I-I knew I should have never accepted the offer..."
"W-what offer?" Fate asked, "W-what are you talking about?"
Noirel wiped his tears and calmed himself, attempting not to let his emotions get the best of him. "F-forget it, Fate. Just follow me... I-I have something to show you."
Fate did not know how to respond and decided to just go along with Noirel. After all, they are friends since they met during their childhood.
The sun was already setting when Noirel took Fate away from the meeting. "Time runs so fast; the meeting lasted that long?" Fate asked himself.
Noirel and Fate went to the woods. As far as Fate could remember, it is the woods that separates the central and the eastern town - Monteraz. Fate isn't sure if it is the woods that separates the central and the eastern or is it central and western town.
They followed a path that leads to who knows where. The path was made of plain dirt and gravel along with some pebbles.
"Hey, Fate," Noirel said, "do you remember that abandoned place? The place where we used to play hide and seek?"
"I have been always going there ever since you left, Noirel, until now," Fate replied. "I hoped that you'd return to play with me. God knows how much I cried when you never appeared again. Hah hah! I was such a crybaby back then."
"I... I never thought you'd do that. I guess I owe you an apology."
"Of course you do! I still haven't forgotten that day."
"Sigh, how much silver do you want?"
"Hah hah! So that's how you give an apology? I never thought you'd give an apology in the form of money."
"Come on, Fate. I know you want silvers. Do you think I don't know you?"
"Oh, yeah? How can you prove that, then?"
"Remember when we stole my mom's purse and took every silver coin and left nothing but mere bronze?"
"Shut up! Hah hah hah! That still cracks me up whenever it hits my consciousness."
The conversation stopped when Fate and Noirel reached their destination. It was the same place where Fate went moments before the public hearing - where he met Lucien smoking a cigarette.
"This is it, Fate," Noirel then exhaled deeply, "this is what I wanted to show you."
"How far did we walk, Noirel?" Fate asked. "I-it felt as if a kilometer distance became just a mere walking distance."
Noirel suddenly gulped and looked at Fate. "I know... and that gives me anxiety."
Noirel then pointed to his surroundings in front of him. "Have you noticed anything different?"
Fate replied, "...a lot, Noirel. A lot..."
Fate had chills the moment he saw everything in front of him. It was the same abandoned place he went through earlier, but the surroundings are heavily distorted. It was so distorted that he could barely see any similarity to the abandoned place.
The ruined house had concretes floating mysteriously, and some concrete looked as if they were liquified.
But that's not everything. The grass floats in the air as if it was uprooted since its roots were exposed. The trees look as though they were melted.
The atmosphere as well is distorted. The air feels dense, making it harder for Fate and Noirel to breathe well. The air smells like burned wood with a hint of rusty metal. The scent was so strong that both Fate and Noirel felt as if they are going to puke. Whatever that kind of smell is, though, it is very unpleasant.
"I-I am kind of dizzy, Noirel," Fate told him. "I don't know if it is me, but I am about to pass out."
"Fate..." Noirel nervously replied, "this is just the beginning. I... I haven't shown you the very reason why I brought you here."
"W-what is it then, Noirel...?"
"I want you to be strong, Fate... this is gut-wrenching." Noirel immediately sighed, preparing his guts for something he is about to reveal.
Noirel whispered a chant under his breath. Fate did not understand it well, but Fate could tell it was a magic spell. Noirel whispered the same chant about three times.
The instant Noirel finished chanting the spell, the air around them immediately spiraled in front of them. The wind was violent enough for them to be knocked down to the ground. Both Fate and Noirel fell on their back.
The spiraling air then covered the surroundings within a radius as if a giant dome is slowly forming. The air spiraled on top of Fate and Noirel for the last time before it vanishes.
Fate and Noirel covered their eyes and nose due to the smell of the air they are currently breathing. Both of them did not want to intoxicate themselves.
"N-Noirel, is it done?" Fate nervously asked. The silence of their surroundings made the voice of Fate echo around. "W-where are we? It feels like we are in a different location."
"N-no, Fate, we are in fact in the very same location. I-I just chanted a magic spell that reveals hidden places under a cloaking spell," Noirel replied.
"I must- I must take a look then-"
Noirel immediately stopped Fate from doing so. He uttered, "Before you do, please... b-be strong..."
Fate did not answer and proceeded to look at his surroundings. He realized he is inside a dome that appears to be made of a strong kind of metal. It had a metallic blue tint. The metal also appears to be rusted, explaining the scent of the air both Fate and Noirel were smelling.
But that was just the beginning. The following things Fate saw the instant he opened his eyes made him sick from his head to his stomach.
On top of Fate and Noirel, there were almost a hundred females that appear to be the same age as Fate hanging. Their necks were slit open by the chains they were hung onto. Blood did not stop dripping as if they were a waterfall. Their eyes were popped from their eye sockets.
Fate also found hundreds of eyeballs sticking onto the sides of the dome. It gave Fate enough reasons to puke. It also gave him chills he did not feel before when he saw the eyes twitch.
"N-Noirel... this is something you should've told everyone. But... but why only me?" Fate told. His voice was filled with fear and anxiety. He felt his heart is about to jump off his body, and the chills he is currently feeling could almost make him faint.
Fate stood up immediately. "I'm going to tell everyone about what we saw... if you cannot do it, then I will..."