Stillness penetrated the surroundings as a voice came out of the monster's mouth and a second later, the monster awkwardly scratched its cheek.
"Nice to meet you? Buenos damas?"
It tried different languages and then took a step closer, but Hildebrant instinctively stepped back while grasping the white-haired girl's hand.
Freezing, the monster stretched its hand but then stopped, and with sight, he began to take off his helmet, revealing the stunningly young face of a boy no older than Hildebrant himself.
His neck was long and skinny, and his eyes were blue with deep black circles forming under them.
"I will not hurt you; I promise."
Boy said with a calm and resolute voice and then took another step closer, but this time Hildebrant did not take a step back, instead he brought ember in his hand higher and at the same time began to pour more of his flames into it.
A small flickering flame gained power and stabilized and in a matter of seconds began to condense into small balls of flames with heat that crashed into his half-bloodied hand and began to burn his skin without touching him.
Bearing the pain Hildebrant raised his chin, and his voice passed through the entire corridor.
"Why should I believe you?"
Maybe the boy did not expect such a question, but he looked genuinely surprised. For a moment Hildebrant thought the helmet boy held would fall from his grasp but with one deep breath boy smiled weirdly as if he realized something.
"You? Did you just come here? From outside?"
A smile blossomed on the boy's face, and he even clenched his fist from happiness. For some reason way the boy looked at him changed, if before it was a gaze that wanted to genuinely help him, now it looked as if the boy was prepared to devour him.
It took a while for the boy to calm down, but Hildebrant did not interrupt him and focused on the growing ball of flames rotating around his hands and dome of light that began to grow along with his flaming ember.
"I apologize for my acting, but you came from…"
Taking a deep breath, he smiled with even more happiness and then his voice became a whisper.
"…. outside…"
Numerous emotions passed the boy's face as he finished forcing the boy to close his eyes to calm down.
Everything looked weird.
The boy smile, his acting, and even the armor he wore.
Everything was weird, too weird for a normal person to accept.
Just the way the boy moved was unnatural, too abnormal for a boy without any training.
But Hildebrant never stopped observing the surroundings that were shown to him by the dome of light he created.
"Where are we?"
Hearing him boy's face twisted and fell.
"We are in a Sanctuary of lost on the absolute edge of a world from where no one can escape."
Then, however, his face again changed to that of happiness.
"But maybe this time with you we have a chance."
The boy mumbled to himself with a big scary smile and madness swirling in his eyes.
"Yes, we have a chance. We can get out; we must get out!"
The atmosphere became heavy and the ball of flames in his hand began to tremble.
Anything that happened he knew the boy had his hand in it but staring at the resolute expression he let his curiosity overcome his fears.
"Why can't you leave?"
"You wouldn't understand."
The agitated boy grasped his head and as if remembering something his face showed utter terror.
"We tried many times already, but we always failed. Expedition after expedition but we always returned with failure and blood of your people in your hands. We were called heroes, but we were nothing but survivors. Not even Walldrifters were able to get out so how can a stupid arrogant girl who thinks she is queen!"
His gaze shook as he gazed at Hildebrant with happy smile appeared on his lips. It was filled with something Hildebrant recognized immediately.
Hope.
Slimy and pleasuring but also extremely dangerous.
"But now you are here. With you, we can rally new expeditions and raise the morale of soldiers."
The boy continued to ramble while Hildebrant turned to look at the wall that had already entered his dome of light and observed a monster in the shape of a woman on it patting small-sized lizards with human faces instead of scales.
The small lizard with four wings looked satisfied but there was an eerie feeling coming from its body that was able to penetrate the flesh and make the soul shudder.
"We need to go to Leticia. No! She is too stupid. Gabriel would be better he always had plans for everything! So, we need to go to Gabriel!"
As the boy pondered with ever-growing madness, he was unable to notice a new figure stepping out of darkness into a dome of light.
Hildebrant however did and almost immediately shuddered and griped the hand holding the girl tighter.
What terrified him most was that if not for the man coming out right into his field of vision even Hildebrant doubted he would notice this man's presence. His steps made no sound and even when the towering man with a crimson tight body suit grasped the boy's shoulder there was no echo of any of his movements.
Feeling the touch on his shoulder boy stopped moving and then slowly turned his head around and Hildebrant noticed the boy's expression changing to that of fear and then anger. Grinding his teeth boy stared into the man's face while his eyes began to tremble.
Even from such a distance, Hildebrant could tell the man was much older than the boy, but he was no older than thirty. His skin was well kept but there was weird and murderous light hidden in his irises that gave people the feeling that he would swallow you whole.
Under such gaze, even the boy cowered in blood wavered slightly.
"What are you doing to my guest Hermi? What about you leave so I can take them to their new homes? Or would you rather join five of your friends?"
"No…"
The smile on the man's face widened.
"What did you say?"
"I said no."
Hermi repeated and then took a step back while putting his helmet back on his head.
There was bloody determination written in his eyes and not even darkness coming from the gaps in his helmet could cower it.
"You don't want me to take them home?"
Man asked and the murderous light in his eyes became more apparent.
Hildebrant wanted to say something but as he was about to open his mouth girl behind him opened hers and an inhuman scream left her lugs.