"Mommy has to go now," Bridgette said urgently, her voice trembling slightly. "Remember to stay still and not make a sound. Mommy and Daddy love you very much, sweetheart."
Desperation filled Reeza's eyes as she reached out, her mother's words echoing with the finality of a farewell. Just as her fingers extended, the trapdoor closed, enveloping her in pitch-black darkness.
Loud explosions followed, and then the muffled sound of screams and a tussle. The sudden transition to laughter made Reeza's heart fall to her toes. But when she heard the faint sobs of a woman, a sliver of hope returned.
Moments passed in agonizing silence.
Defying her mother's wishes, Reeza tentatively emerged from the hidden chamber. The room was eerily quiet, a stark contrast to the chaos that had preceded it.
As she cautiously turned around, her eyes took in the devastation surrounding her—the wreckage of her home and the desecration of her cherished memories. But the heartache of that realization paled in comparison to what she saw next—her father's lifeless body sprawled on the cold wooden floor.
Reeza's knees buckled as she approached, every atom of her being rejecting the sight before her. But, despite her desperate efforts, the horrifying reality refused to vanish, etched indelibly into her memory.
PLOP.
A hesitant step disturbed the surface of a red liquid. As the ripples subsided, Reeza saw her reflection in the thick pool and immediately recognized it as her father's blood.
"B-Blergh!"
The remnants of their last meal as a family spilled out across the floor. Drawing in a shaky breath, Reeza forced herself to her feet and began to run, her face a mess of tears and snot. She needed to escape; if she stayed in that house a moment longer, she knew the horrific scene she had just witnessed would become unquestionably real.
"Mom!"
That's right—her mother could make this right. Her father was strong, but her mother had always been the clever one. Reeza desperately needed her mother's comforting words, the soothing touch of her hand patting her head, and the reassurance that this was all just a very bad dream.
WHOOSHHH!
Outside, roaring pillars of fire consumed the houses, casting writhing shadows on the nearby trees. Motionless bodies littered the once-peaceful streets, their shocked, bloodstained expressions frozen in time.
The serene village had been transformed into a nightmarish landscape. Reeza kept her head down as she ran, terror gripping her at the mere thought of encountering Hatice and the girl's mother among the fallen.
The distant sound of neighing horses jolted Reeza from her panicked thoughts. Startled, she raised her head and quickly ducked behind some brush. From her hiding spot, she watched as the humans—the harbingers of death—stowed their weapons and mounted their steeds, preparing to depart.
Several of the horses were secured to large wagons fitted with metal cages. Inside were imprisoned women and children, their faces ashen and stained with tears and blood.
Reeza cautiously crept closer, her eyes darting around desperately until she finally spotted her mother among the captives. She sighed in relief, but knew it was far too early to let her guard down.
Trying in vain to steady her racing pulse, she observed the raucous and animated men with a keen eye. They exchanged wild tales of their brutal exploits—the number of men who had fallen by their swords and the women and children they had abused.
Reeza bit down on her lip in anger, but stifled the emotion and bided her time. When the invaders began departing and the Bearhounds went ahead of the caravan, she sprinted with all her might and grabbed onto a robe hanging off the back of the moving wagon.
The rope felt like razor blades against her palms as she struggled to pull herself into the wagon's bed, but she endured the pain. Bridgette's once passive expression turned to shock when she saw her daughter within reach of the predators that had taken them hostage.
"R-Reeza—what are you doing here?!" she whispered urgently, a blend of relief and dread in her voice. "I told you to stay hidden!" Her eyes darted around anxiously, fearing they might be discovered.
Reeza's face crumpled; those were not the words she had hoped to hear from her mother. She yearned for reassurance, for her mother to tell her that this ordeal was nothing more than a very vivid nightmare.
But those comforting words never came.
Instead, she had an epiphany: rather than depending on her strong father and clever mother, she needed to become independent and self-reliant. To avoid the pain that had almost unraveled her closest friendship, she realized she had no other choice.
"Don't worry, Mommy," she whispered, her voice trembling with a blend of determination and fear. "I'll do my best to save us both."
"So?" Daisuke urged, stirring the girl from her dark trance. "What do you plan to do?"
Reeza turned her gaze to the mother who had been searching in vain for her daughter. Now sitting inside one of the wagons, the woman looked distraught, her eyes hollow. As Reeza watched her, she saw her own mother reflected in the woman's despair, a haunting vision that affirmed her decision.
"…I'll be leaving the kingdom," she said slowly, feeling entirely responsible that her selfish ambitions and the dirty money they had yielded had funded her kin's misfortune. "I'll do my best to track down all those who were taken captive and find them a new home."
Daisuke's eyes widened slightly in surprise. Rather than succumbing to the vengeance he imagined was clawing away at her soul, she selflessly chose to prioritize the well-being of her people. "That strength of yours… it's incredible," he remarked, admiring her resilience.
Reeza blushed scarlet, evidently caught off-guard by the compliment. "W-What was that for?"
Daisuke slipped his hands into his pockets and turned his gaze toward the horizon. Deep down, he knew he wouldn't be able to resist the demanding whispers of revenge if he were in her position. In fact, he was still on the hunt for clues related to the masked figure he had seen fleeing his house on the night his mother died.
"I'm just stating the facts," he countered, his voice smooth as velvet, his butterscotch eyes glowing with a mysterious allure.
Reeza turned away with a pout, unable to hold his gaze. "…I'm sorry for everything," she whispered earnestly, battling with emotions she had never felt before.
As she was about to steal another glance at his face, she sensed a sudden blur of movement. Her ruby-red eyes snapped open in dread, and she stumbled back as a pair of jaws narrowly missed her face.
When she looked up, she spied a familiar ball of fluff in Daisuke's hands. It snapped and flailed like a vicious beast, eager to tear her apart with its fangs and claws.
"I-Is that Zephyr?" Reeza stammered in disbelief. "But I—"
"It's a long story," Daisuke explained, lifting the pup above his head and meeting its vengeful gaze. "It's okay, boy; she's turned over a new leaf. If you rip her to shreds now, all these people will be left to fend for themselves."
Zephyr stopped squirming, seemingly preoccupied untangling a mess of violent emotions. He didn't care about the miserable fate he had suffered; that was a byproduct of his own weakness, but he couldn't forgive the girl for making his companion despair.
"…Zephyr," Reeza slowly approached. "I'm so sorry for hurting you," she apologized sincerely, tentatively reaching out to stroke the canine's head.
A bite to the hand had her crouching in a corner, tending to the steaming wound.
Daisuke smiled awkwardly. "I guess forgiveness will take some time."
Reeza turned to steal a peek at the pup.
"Kyu!" Zephyr cocked his head to the side, fuming like a spoiled child.
Reeza rose to feet with a sigh, then she turned to them both with a deep bow. "Thank you for all you've done. I'll be sure to repay this debt one day."
The young Florian held her posture as Daisuke approached. Her eyes widened and a blush stained her cheeks as he took hold of her hands. Without a word, he summoned the magic bag within them, imparting 40% of the gold and all the other items it held.
"A magic bag?!" Reeza glanced from the magic tool to Daisuke incredulously. "Why are you giving me such a valuable item? I-I can't accept this!"
Daisuke flicked her forehead, winning a small yelp from her lips. "Help these people… and learn to forgive yourself in the process. You're only Florian, after all."
Reeza accepted the warm words in stunned silence, tears welling up in her eyes. Then she began to wail. Her entire life had been a relentless struggle to be self-reliant and protect those she loved. Through all the hardships that felt like lifetimes, no one had ever offered a helping hand without expecting something in return.
But then there was Daisuke.
It was inconceivable that the person who had pulled her back from the brink of madness and death was a victim of her own misdeeds. Could this really be happening? Was it truly okay for her to rely on someone else?
Daisuke stroked her head tenderly, as if answering her unspoken question. "Don't try to be a hero," he said, waving to Petula and her husband. "Rely on your people; they want happiness and freedom just as much as you do. I'm sure our paths will cross again."
"Hn!" Reeza nodded, desperately trying to wipe away her tears.
As Daisuke watched the caravan disappear into the distance, his thoughts shifted from Reeza's moral compass to his own. He found it unsettling how adaptable people could be.
When he had killed the two men in the mountains of Fleecia Forest, he had been shaken to his core with guilt. But now, after slaughtering even more people, he felt nothing. Had he become desensitized to killing, or did a part of him simply justify that those he had killed were evil?
DING!
[You have received a summons from the Adventurers' Guild.]
"A summons?" Daisuke remarked, both he and Zephyr leaning in to examine the holographic screen. "Ah, it must be Cleave. He's probably finished prepping the mobs I left him with."
"Rawrwu~"
"Alrightdy then, let's head back to town."
"Kyuu~"