Teyat stared at Aaron, whose crimson pupils glowed like dim embers. Three figures sat around the fire, their faces obscured by the shadows cast by the flames.
At that moment, Aaron walked calmly between the brown and black tents. He glanced at Teyat with a serene expression from the corner of his eye.
"Come on," he said quietly.
"Okay, I'm coming," Teyat replied.
With that, Teyat followed Aaron through the tents, making their way toward the unknown part of the forest, surrounded by red roses. The two quickly distanced themselves from the campsite; their footsteps made no sound on the fallen petals. After a long silence, Aaron broke the stillness.
"Ask your questions, and I'll answer them. What do you say?"
Teyat nodded slightly with a grateful expression.
"Yes, that would be better. Now… explain everything. The name of this place, what we're doing here, who you are, and more."
Aaron shot her a cold glance.
"I don't have to explain anything to you, you know that, right? Yet here you are, demanding answers as if you have the right to order me around. Has your family never taught you any manners?"
Teyat smiled sheepishly.
"Eheh... I'm sorry. I guess I'm a bit too curious to understand what's going on. I apologize for being rude. Could you explain?"
Aaron answered as he continued to walk slowly and calmly, his eyes fixed on the roses on the ground.
"Okay, but I will only explain this once, so listen carefully. First, the forest we're currently in, surrounded by these roses, is called 'The Roses of Sacrifice.' It symbolizes offering and sacrifice. I, you, and those three people sitting around the campfire—regardless of gender or age—capture people and offer their souls through rituals. We are part of an organization called 'The Devil's Outlaws.' No one in this organization knows who anyone else is, except for the leader's name. All we know is that, whether we want to or not, we must carry out the orders given to us. We are bound to obey these commands until our death."
Teyat was horrified by the terrifying truths that Aaron had revealed, but he still continued to ask questions to clarify the situation.
"Well... I think I understand what's happening right now, but..."
After a moment, he hesitated and asked another question.
"But... could you explain this 'even if we don't want to' part a bit more, sir?"
Aaron sighed and continued to walk, his gaze fixed once again on the roses.
"I'll keep it short and straightforward. We are slaves. Our souls have been taken and controlled, and we serve the one who controls that soul for life. The person who holds our souls controls both our minds and bodies. When an order is given, our minds execute it, whether it leads to death or not. We obey without question. To put it simply, we are slaves under the control of that lord we have never seen, known as the 'Lord of the Roses.' The moments we are conscious are the times we are not receiving orders. That's why I can talk to you freely right now."
Teyat, realizing the gravity of the situation, felt his heart race. Freedom was a precious concept to him, and the thought of serving an unknown entity as a slave for life filled him with fear.
"Damn, are we really doomed to slavery for life? What a cruel fate this is! I must truly be a cursed soul, right? Because the body I exist in is that of a controlled slave!"
Aaron sat quietly at the base of a tree surrounded by roses.
"Do you think they care about your rebellion?"
Noticing Teyat's outward expression of rebellious feelings, Aaron asked in a cold tone and continued.
"There were hundreds of outlaws in 'The Devil's Renegades' with families. They had children. They had spouses. I don't know how they became outlaws—maybe they were deceived by a game, or perhaps they joined of their own accord. But what I do know is that they are a group of people ready to sacrifice their lives to serve the Lord, whether consciously or unconsciously, leaving everything behind."
Teyat asked one last hopeful question.
"I understand... So, is there really no way to escape this fate?"
This time, Aaron's words offered Teyat a glimmer of hope.
"There are a few ways, but they're impossible."
"Even if they're impossible, please tell me!"
Aaron plucked a red rose from the bushes beside him, holding it by the stem as he looked at her and answered calmly.
"If another soul can defeat the soul of the body, it can take control of that body. By gaining dominance over both the mind and the body, it achieves freedom. But here lies the impossible part: According to rumors, the Lord is very powerful. The soul he manipulates is strong enough to suppress ours, and defeating him requires a much stronger soul. Only then can the controlled body remain free. That's all I know."
Teyat's spirit took control by defeating the soul of this body.
Teyat, Aaron's explanations resonated deeply with him, and a look of despair appeared on his face. Yet within him, a glimmer of hope for freedom continued to burn. Perhaps one day he could defeat the one who controlled the soul of this body. Maybe?
He concealed these thoughts and continued to play his part.
"I understand... What a cruel fate. The control of dozens of innocent souls—how tragic. But if my destiny is to be a slave, then I must accept it."
"This body's soul owes me its freedom."
Teyat continued to speak with genuine happiness for regaining his freedom.
Aaron sighed in response to Teyat's painful words.
"Exactly. Dozens of people leave their families behind and do terrible things in this wretched place. How tragic."