Chapter 20
Hoku's eyes opened at once.
A seething mass of black insects emerged from the vessel, and one of the fish had disappeared without a trace.
The other had grown, its shape twisting into something seal-like.
Its eyes gleamed with an eerie gold as its tail unraveled from the dissolving puddle below.
What had been a solid pool of blue smoke was now solid, and laced with azure trails sinking into the soil.
Above the pit, their bodies twitched and scraped against one another, creating a sound like dry leaves.
Abel had sealed them inside an enclosure that was only visible from the base.
Hoku shuttered. Abel's earlier warning resurfaced in his mind, but seconds passed without incident.
He glanced at Li, who remained motionless, eyes shut, then at Juno, whose stillness mirrored his.
"I'm fine?" The thought came unbidden. "Was Abel overestimating this thing?"
A blur of movement drew his attention. Abel met his gaze briefly, and tried forming words silently from his mouth.
However, they were too quick for Hoku to read, and he only caught onto three.
'Do not... leave.'
Before Abel could register his puzzlement, he vanished behind the swarm of moths.
Then, something else shifted at the edge of his vision. He turned instinctively, his heart pounding as faint shapes emerged from the distant treeline.
"Yu-ze?" he muttered, slightly skeptical of his own sight.
Juno's concentration fractured at the sound of his name.
Her eyes fluttered open, and her irises turned pale before bleeding into a vivid blue.
She staggered forward, slumping against him before he could step aside.
"Juno!" He caught her as Cheshire slipped from his arms.
Her head lolled against his shoulder, and her breathing became faint, as though she'd slipped into an unnatural slumber.
"What the hell is happening?" he muttered, his voice strained.
Abel's shout tore through the noise. "It's getting worse!"
Hoku's gaze darted forward.
Fleur and Mars were dragging Yu-ze, whose head hung limply as dark fluid dripped from his mouth.
Hoku's heart almost stopped. Then, something darted between his legs, appearing shortly like sleek black fur.
"Cheshire?" he whispered, confusion mounting.
Juno's hair spilled over his shoulders as he shifted her onto his back, and took off after the cat. She felt surprisingly light, which made it easier for him to run.
"Hoku! Stop!" Mars shouted.
"I can't!" Hoku desperately yelled back. "I promised Zhou Fang—"
His words caught in his throat as his feet slid on loose soil, sending dirt and leaves scattering.
The cat slipped into the trees, vanishing from sight. Hoku stood motionless, his fists clenched as anger churned through the remnants of his mind. 'Zhou Fang…' he said silently.
Meanwhile, something quick had stirred from behind him.
"You idiot!" Li bellowed, his jaw was rigid with anger.
Hoku turned and caught a brief glimpse of Li before a dark shape lunged at him.
The massive moth closed the distance in an instant, its antennae whipping through the air as it surged forward.
He braced himself, but before the creature strike, a crimson streak swept across his line of sight.
An arrow embedded itself in the moth, halting its advance. The arrowhead bloomed, and petals unfurled revealing vivid red and white.
The creature convulsed silently before exploding into black, tar-like fragments that spattered across Hoku's face.
The stench permeated his nostrils, but he barely noticed as red petals drifted to the ground around him.
Through the haze of smoke and gore, he spotted Fleur approaching, her rectangular quiver hanging loosely from her arm.
Three more arrows rested within, each with the same bud attached on the end.
Fleur's expression was calm, though her eyes lingered briefly on Hoku's burden.
"You'll want to stay alert," she said.
Hoku's intense gaze turned to a small blue puddle gathering nearby.
Unlike the massive pool from earlier, this one fluctuated with an unusual tempo.
Its edges began to expand, forming translucent waves that seemed to circle Abel.
"Is he… trapping himself?" Hoku asked, with uncertainty.
Fleur didn't answer immediately. Her gaze remained on Abel, whose movements were deliberate and steady.
"No," she said finally. "He's demonstrating."
Abel's hands moved with precision, weaving patterns in the air as the circle beneath him shrank.
The puddle pulled inward, compressing the space around the moths.
The sound of cracking filled the air as a transparent enclosure tightened.
Hoku winced. The moths were pressed together impossibly close, their bodies twisting and contorting within the shrinking prison.
Abel slammed his palm into the ground.
The puddle collapsed, dragging the moths into the dirt. In its place, a strange symbol was burned into the dirt—a star with a single character etched at its center: "Final."
Abel exhaled heavily, wiping his brow as he fixed his posture.
Hoku's mind raced. 'If the elixir hasn't drained him too much… maybe he can carry her for a while. Then, maybe I can catch up to Cheshire.' he pondered as he adjusted Juno on his back. 'But Yu-ze—'
An abrupt noise, cleaved through his thoughts, breaking his focus.
"Crack Crack Pop, the cradle turns to flame,"
Mars stiffened, and glanced at Yu-ze.
Yu'ze weakly gestured a hand toward his collarbone then nodded.
"We need to leave. Now," Mars said urgently,
Hoku swallowed, his throat constricting as the gravelly voice reached his ears.
"Sip Sip Sop their blood she drinks in shame."
Each word sounded like it came out of a long-dead throat that had been forced to speak.
"What the hell was that?" he asked, the tremor in his shoulders indicating fear.
"Rip rip pop, she shreds their flesh to eat."
Mars didn't respond immediately. His hand moved toward the clasp at his collar, with a grim frown.
"Lulled to sleep, beneath her burning feet."
The Memoir Chapter 15
Objective 9
-The Memoir Chapter 15 End-
The Memoir Chapter 16
Objective 10
Death point III
Choose who stays behind.
Rule 21
Mechanisms stand apart from monsters, despite their resemblance to grotesque, twisted creatures. Essentially, mechanisms fall into one of two categories: switches or spawns.
Switches control a specific type of monster, wielding authority over their designated category. On the other hand, spawns are the originators, responsible for generating these creatures. Although many were conceived in laboratories, the notion toward natural reproduction was rendered unfeasible. These entities were designed to be dependable for the Sequel, yet they transformed into ruthless predators instead.
-The Memoir Chapter 16 End-