"Thud… thud…" Footsteps grew closer.
"Who the hell is bothering me now?" Elmo muttered, frowning deeply, his mood foul. A half-burned cigar, with a long trail of ash, dangled from his lips as he sat there, lost in thought.
Joseph slowly moved away from Elmo's side, heading toward the door. He quietly opened it, waiting for the owner of the approaching footsteps.
"Fine, let's hear what he has to say," Elmo sighed, jamming the cigar into the ashtray and casually flicking the hem of his jacket.
At Elmo's words, Joseph slowly returned to his side.
"Boss! Boss! Big news! Huge news!" A figure burst through the door—it was the same clumsy guy from last time.
"You again? Haven't you learned to stop barging in like that?" Elmo frowned as soon as he saw who it was.
"No, no, boss! This time, it's really important! Big trouble!" The man shuddered at Elmo's words, cold sweat running down his back. "This time, Lord Zachary sent me to deliver the message. It's bad—Aelric, Aelric, he…"
"What about Aelric?" At the mention of that name, even Elmo couldn't stay calm.
"Word came from the District earlier today. They say Aelric has awakened, and… and he's taken on an apprentice."
"What…" Even Joseph, who was always so stoic and reserved, couldn't help but let out a startled shout.
"Is the information reliable?" In a flash, Joseph was in front of the messenger, lifting him off the ground with one hand, his fierce eyes locking onto the man's.
"I-I don't know. Lord Zachary sent me to deliver the message, but he's already taken people to confirm it. They should have the results by now," the man stammered, trembling under Joseph's intense gaze.
"Alright, Joseph, let him go. We don't have time to waste here. I can't wait any longer, and I'm sure you feel the same. Let's go see for ourselves," Elmo said as he stood up and began walking toward the door.
"Oh? A dying man bothering the big boss—what right does he have?" The one addressed as the Sorcerer spoke in a low tone. "Besides, I don't like places that are too bright. The glowstones in the boss's room would burn my eyes." Stepping forward from the shadows, the Sorcerer moved closer, his outline barely visible in the dim light filtering through the window.
A massive black cloak draped over his entire body, its tattered hem resembling the writhing tentacles of an ancient sea creature. A wide-brimmed hat was attached to the cloak, shrouding his entire face in darkness. The cloak bore no markings, only a dull, worn black, with patches of gray from years of wear and dust.
"Is there something I can do for you, Master Sorcerer?" Elmo steadied himself and offered a respectful bow. Though he was concerned about Aelric, he dared not ignore the Sorcerer's sudden appearance.
"Nothing much," the Sorcerer replied coolly. "I noticed the weather was nice, so I stepped out to watch the show. It was quite impressive, though the wind was a bit much—it disrupted the sound, so I couldn't catch the last few words. But overall, a fine performance."
"I see, so even the Master Sorcerer enjoyed the show." Elmo raised an eyebrow slightly, then leaned in and asked in a low voice, "Any insights on the stranger who appeared tonight?"
"No, never seen him before," the Sorcerer replied with a low chuckle, an eerie sound that made it impossible to tell if he was being truthful.
"By the way, have you heard about Aelric?" Elmo inquired.
"Ah, well, with all the noise, I caught a few things."
"Perfect, then why don't we go and have a look together?" Elmo suggested.
"Hmm, good idea." The Sorcerer moved forward without another word, and Elmo exchanged a glance with Joseph before following.
"Master Sorcerer… how's that… item coming along?" Elmo asked softly as they walked.
"It's functional," the Sorcerer murmured back, though his voice had an unpleasant edge. "I still don't understand how it works, nor have I traced its origins."
"And the function we discussed—any progress?" Elmo pressed.
"Research is ongoing, but prospects aren't great. It wasn't designed for that purpose. But… it's not entirely hopeless," the Sorcerer hesitated, choosing his words carefully.
"After all these years, patience has become second nature. Waiting a little longer won't hurt," Elmo sighed.
"Don't worry; we'll find a way. Even if that device fails, something that works will emerge—this year." The Sorcerer's voice softened, quieter than before.
Elmo stopped in his tracks, surprised. In all the time he'd known the Sorcerer, he had never heard her promise anything with such certainty.
"With you here, Master Sorcerer, I can rest easy." Elmo managed a grateful smile, then picked up his pace toward the quarters below the arena.
"How is it?" Just as he reached the doorway to the quarters, Elmo ran into Zachary coming out. Eagerly, Elmo grabbed his arm.
Zachary nodded, gesturing through the crack in the door. "It's that kid who stirred up Aelric, the one he wants to take on as an apprentice. Quite an extraordinary child; they say when he saw a beast devouring a person, he didn't even flinch. It's no wonder the boss saw something in him and brought him back. His name, by the way, is Finn."
"Impressive, truly impressive." Before Elmo could reply, the Sorcerer spoke up. "So that's Aelric's chosen one? What an intriguing child—like a shard of ice in the desert, with a gaze that's oddly refreshing." Peering through the door, the Sorcerer met Finn's eyes, which were fixed on them with a look that carried a hint of bloodshed, like a sword stained with fresh crimson.
"Quite the gaze," the Sorcerer said, voice lowering with an eerie tone. "Elmo, could you send the boy to me later?"
"Huh?" Elmo was taken aback, still puzzling over Aelric's intentions when the Sorcerer made this sudden request.
"Why? Is that a problem?" asked the Sorcerer.
"No, of course not." Elmo quickly regained his composure. "I'm quite impressed with the boy as well, though I haven't yet figured out what exactly makes him exceptional. But if anyone could spot it, it would be you, Master Sorcerer. Few ever capture Aelric's interest."
"I'll be careful," the Sorcerer replied with a chilling smile before turning to leave.
"Things are getting more and more interesting," Elmo muttered to himself, rubbing his forehead in amusement at the situation.
"What a long day. Let's head back and deal with it tomorrow. Oh, and have someone bring the boy—what was his name? Finn—yes, take him to the Sorcerer." Stretching, Elmo yawned.
The group acknowledged his command, and some subordinates headed inside while the others dispersed. But everyone had a lingering curiosity about those two figures.
Finn, meanwhile, was led by two rough-looking men to a strange place. At the corner of the hall was a door; they nudged it open, shoved him inside, and quickly shut it behind him.
It was a windowless room, and Finn's eyes struggled to adjust to the pitch-black surroundings.
Suddenly, a flash of green light sparked, casting an unnatural, limited glow in the room. A low table sat beneath the flame, and behind it knelt a figure cloaked in black. Odd decorations adorned the wall behind, some resembling faces made from bones or strange symbols, though the dim light made it hard to discern them. Nearby, on the floor, lay a figure—a person with short, dark hair—though from Finn's angle, he could only see a glimpse.
"Come closer, child, come closer," the Sorcerer's voice called out, oddly soft, almost like that of an old woman. Finn turned his head, glancing warily in the Sorcerer's direction. "There's no need to be afraid, child. That one," she gestured to the prone figure, "was rather… unruly, so don't blame me. As long as you do exactly as I say, nothing will happen to you."
Finn thought for a moment, then walked to the Sorcerer's table and sat down without hesitation. Turning slightly, he could see the dark-haired boy beside him, lying with his eyes wide open, devoid of any light yet filled with horror and disbelief.
"It's alright. He's just resting for a while; he'll be fine in a few days," the Sorcerer said gently, picking up a crystal ball and placing it in front of Finn. "Now, child, place your hand on it."
Finn glanced back at the table. Various items sat scattered about—jars of unknown contents, a triangular stand made from what seemed to be the tooth of some fierce beast, topped with the green flame that barely lit the space around it. There was a horned animal skull, a few ribs of an indeterminate creature, a strange dagger adorned with gemstones, and a piece of parchment labeled: "Sixteen Years Old, Dark-Haired Demon." Finally, right in front of him, was the crystal ball.
The Sorcerer watched Finn in silence, making no move to stop him.
Finn pulled his gaze back and slowly placed his hand on the crystal ball. At his touch, a flash of light appeared, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"Oh? My, my, what a curious little enigma you are," the Sorcerer murmured, an expression of intrigue crossing her face. Slowly, she extended one withered hand and rested it atop the crystal ball alongside Finn's.
"Yes… yes, truly marvelous." She drew her hand back, nodding. "Alright, little one, that's all. You're free to go. Take care now, and don't lose your way." Her voice was warm, almost impossibly so, coming from someone cloaked in such eerie blackness.
Without a moment's hesitation, Finn rose and left. For some reason, the room left him feeling deeply unsettled, an impression similar to Aelric's presence but with a strange difference. Here, in the Sorcerer's room, it wasn't loathing he sensed, but anger—a quiet, intense anger. Though he couldn't yet clearly distinguish the difference between those feelings.
After Finn departed, darkness settled back over the room. The Sorcerer sat in silence, murmuring to herself, "Oh, great gods of the abyss, what is that boy? Why can I not see through him? Why does his life force feel so strange—as if he has no heartbeat, no warmth of passion, only a cold stillness within? What kind of being is he? Could it be his blood runs cold… a vampire? A revenant? Or… a werewolf, perhaps? How fascinating, a life truly unknown.