"Are you doing this for freedom? Revenge? Or… are you simply enjoying the thrill of being against the world?"
For a fleeting moment, Siflyn thought she saw a strange glint in Ash's dark eyes—a yearning for the world to burn. It was an expression she had only ever seen in her teacher's eyes. But just as quickly, Ash's familiar mischievous grin returned, making her wonder if she had imagined it.
"I just want the freedom to clean my ears whenever I want," Ash said with a shrug and a smirk. "Instead of having to make a whole trip to the restroom just to pick my nose or clean my ears."
"And the idea of being exploited without earning a dime? That's far beneath the dignity of any working person. Just thinking about it throws my hormones and inner peace into chaos."
"Is that worth dying for?" Siflyn asked skeptically.
"No, but I'm not necessarily going to die," Ash replied. "Once I leave the Blood Moon Dominion, I'll start a new life."
"Leave?" Siflyn blinked. "Where would you go? How?"
"Not sure yet. Got any recommendations?"
"Oh, plenty!" Siflyn's tone lightened. "I've read about other nations. My top choice would be the monster kingdom in the Abyss. Then there's the phantasmal realm where all souls are eternal. And of course, the starborne nation that rules the skies…"
Ash waved her off. "No, I mean, do you know any ways to actually leave the Blood Moon?"
"How would I know that?" Siflyn looked at him like he was insane. "Every nation is a closed system. If there were a way to travel between them, they'd have already merged into one, likely after a war."
"I'll find a way to leave the Blood Moon," Ash said confidently.
"I'm starting to seriously doubt your earlier claim of being the 'only sane one' in your group. You don't even know how to leave, and you're banking on a miracle?"
Ash tilted his head thoughtfully. "It sounds far-fetched, but I know I'll leave the Blood Moon. It's fated—I learned it from a Destiny Answer."
Siflyn froze. "A Destiny Answer? Seriously?"
"Seriously."
"Damn it! Why does something that lucky happen to someone like you!?"
Ash chuckled. "222, I'm breaking out of prison, not going on vacation."
"I don't care! I'm still jealous!" Siflyn's tone turned bitter. "Unlike you, we… medical practitioners… our lives are predetermined. We're confined to the Blood Moon's glow, bound by endless rules and restrictions. My future is just a stagnant pool—no passion, no surprises—except when I'm exploring the Void or performing surgery."
"Why don't you come with me?" Ash asked with a smile. "We're still short a medic."
Siflyn froze, completely thrown off guard.
"Are you serious?"
"Of course! This isn't some joke like inviting you to the restroom. This is a prison break—I wouldn't joke about that."
"Don't be ridiculous. I have a promising career as a… medical practitioner. Why would I trade that for a life of constant danger and uncertainty?"
"Why ask me?" Ash spread his hands. "I'm just giving you the option because we're friends. The real question is for you: Do you want to leave your life behind and come with me?"
Siflyn hesitated, then tried to shift the conversation. "Friends? Don't flatter yourself. By the way, you borrowed my uniform last time—was that for your escape?"
"Yeah."
"Then you're clearly just using me! How's that friendship?"
"Using you doesn't mean we're not friends," Ash said with a shrug. "I'd love for you to join us, but I also want you to live the life you want. Working somewhere you love? That's called living. Working somewhere you hate? That's a prison sentence."
"I'm selfish, sure. But not selfish enough to think everyone else is selfless. That's why I won't say nonsense like, 'Trust me.'" Ash extended a hand to her. "I'll only ask: Do you want to come with me?"
Siflyn's heart seemed to skip a beat. The cold blood in her veins felt as though it warmed. Raised in a prestigious orphanage, molded by strict education, and groomed to be a Blood Saint from the moment she entered the Research Institute, Siflyn had never violated a single rule or law. Yet here she was, confronted by an invitation so brazen it shook her to her core.
It was as if a fish in a tranquil pond had been asked by a passing bird, Do you want to fly?
"…No."
"That's a shame."
Ash didn't look disappointed. He hoisted the unconscious ogre onto his shoulder. "Guess I'll see you around, 222."
Siflyn suddenly felt an inexplicable urge to tell him her real name but suppressed it. "Will there even be a next time? And even if there is, I doubt you'd recognize me."
"Then remind me," Ash said, grinning. "Next time, I'll tell you stories about the world beyond the Blood Moon. Look forward to it."
"Wait."
Ash paused, glancing back at her. Siflyn faltered. She wasn't sure what she wanted to say. Urge him to surrender? Beg him to stay and face his fate?
After a long silence, she turned away and murmured, "If… If I could clear your name, help you walk out of here free and start anew in the Blood Moon Dominion, would you want that?"
Ash tilted his head. "Depends. What's your method?"
Siflyn hesitated. She didn't need to say it aloud—the answer was clear: the First Embrace.
To absolve a criminal in the Blood Moon Dominion, they had to become a Blood Saint or Shadow Moon. As members of these elite races, their crimes wouldn't go through the standard judicial process but would instead fall under the jurisdiction of the Church and Research Institute. The typical punishment for Blood Saints wasn't death but centuries of isolation or labor—far less severe than execution.
But transforming someone into a Blood Saint wasn't simple. It required a specific ritual, one that…
Siflyn's thoughts came to a screeching halt.
Why did she even want to keep Ash here? Why was she considering offering the First Embrace—a sacred ritual requiring not only her consent but also his?
It wasn't that the fish wanted to follow the bird. The fish wanted to drag the bird into the water, to make the bird a fish like itself.
"I wouldn't agree to it," Ash said firmly, snapping her from her thoughts.
"Why not?"
"From everything I've seen in this prison, the Blood Moon Dominion feels like a larger version of this fractured lake. I don't think I'm some freedom-loving anarchist, but I know I'd suffocate out there too."
"It's not that the Blood Moon can't contain me—it's that I can't contain the Blood Moon."
Siflyn chuckled softly. "You really are the epitome of a cult leader."
"I'll take that as a compliment. Sorry to disappoint you."
"No harm done. Honestly, I regretted even suggesting it. Lucky for me, you turned me down." She waved him off. "Go on. See you around, Ash Heath."
"By the way," Ash said, pausing. "What's your name?"
"If I told you, I'd be breaking the rules. What kind of cult leader tries to tempt me into crime before leaving?"
"Fair point. Still, this feels like an awkward goodbye. At least a handshake?"
Ash set Fenanche down and extended his hand.
"I owe you. You've saved my life more times than I can count. Sometimes I swear I could hear a panel of critics judging my death as 'not spectacular enough.'"
"You're probably going insane. Maybe replace that brain of yours."
"Every word you say redefines my understanding of bioengineering…"
Siflyn hesitated, then stepped forward and hugged him briefly.
"Goodbye," she whispered, stepping back before he could react. "Now go."
Ash stared at her, baffled. "Wait, 222, you're a woman?"
"Any issues with that?"
"No issues. In fact, I'm so committed to preserving that moment, I've decided never to bathe again—"
"Get out!"
As Ash left with Fenanche in tow, Siflyn felt a strange emptiness. She shook her head, dismissing her thoughts, and turned back toward the resting hall.
This was just a fleeting moment in her millennia-long existence, a trivial encounter in the grand scheme of her life.
Or so she thought.
When her hand touched the doorknob, a sound startled her—a heartbeat.
But it wasn't hers.
It came from below the prison, deep within the fractured lake, where the finger sharks guarded the Black Coffin.
"...Young one… Do you need help with your Blood Lock…?"
Siflyn froze, staring at the glossy black door before her, its surface reflecting her image.
Her crimson eyes had turned black.
They looked just like Ash Heath's.
"…No," she whispered. "Keep sleeping."
The heartbeat faded, sinking back into the lake's depths.
Siflyn pushed open the door and stepped back into the medical practitioners' resting hall.