Ethan
*Huff! Huff!*
I ran aimlessly, clutching the strange marble I had taken from her.
My legs burned, and my heart pounded like a drum, but I couldn't stop—not when every instinct screamed that something was horribly wrong with that woman!
"Did… she stop following me?" I gasped between breaths, glancing over my shoulder.
The street was empty. A faint flicker of relief came to me.
"I guess no-"
"Do you really think you can escape?"
My eyes widened as I heard the cold, mocking voice slithered into my ear, freezing me in place. My head whipped around, and there she was—floating midair, with glowing magic circle.
Her cold eyes with malice, and the air around her felt suffocating. In that moment, only one thought echoed in my mind—
"A… witch..." The word fell from my lips, trembling with fear. A feeling deep within crept up to me, and it screams one thing—RUN.
Agatha tilted her head, her lips curling into a smile that held no warmth.
"Oh my~ I'm hurt," she said, her voice dripping with mockery.
"That word is quite taboo where I'm from, you know. Witches? They're just monsters playing god~"
Her eyes seemed to smile as she spoke, but I couldn't sense even a trace of joy in her.
"Nice to meet you," she continued, her voice sweet but venomous.
"I'm Agatha Dimwren, the mage of the hero's party." She extended her arms dramatically.
"Now, hand over the item you're holding."
Out of nowhere, a staff materialized in her hand, just like the marble had appeared out of thin air when she showed it to me. Its dark wood glowing faintly as she points it at me.
I trembled in fear. What should I do? Running is pointless. Where's Rubielle? Should I just hand this over and surrender? No, I need to give this to her! I want to run, but my legs are frozen in place. What should I do? What should I do?
"Hmm, now that I think about it, if you're an acquaintance, maybe your little life still has some use." She clapped her hands, as though struck by a bright idea.
I flinched. What the hell? I knew it—I should have never gotten involved in this mess! The realization hit me like a shock to my body.
"I-It's just a little joke... haha... h-here, I'll give this back to you..." I stammered, bowing my head and holding out the marbles.
"Y-you can even have the other one..."
I looked down, my face twisted in frustration. I'm so pathetic... so useless...
"How obedient~" Agatha chuckled softly.
She flick her staff and glowed faintly, and an invisible force wrapped around my neck. No, is it the wind? It feels like a thick gust is gripping my neck, lifting me off the ground, leaving me struggling to breathe.
"ARGH!"
The wind constricted, choking me. My legs kicked uselessly as I struggle to breathe.
"But I want to make that brat suffer more, so I'll be taking you with me!" she smiled as she spoke, "After I kill her, I'll hand you over to Victor for some experiments~ At least your puny little life has some use!" she said with a grin.
"Now, what to do with these worthless hearts? I suppose I should let Victor have one to toy with!" she says with a twisted delight.
The marble shot upward at incredible speed. Her voice starts to fade in my ears as my vision began to blur.
"But this one," she continues, holding up a marble with green-yellow hue,
"This one is mine~"
"Rubi…elle..." my consciousness began to fade, helpless and unable to do anything.
"That name... is really unpleasant, you know..."
Those were the last words I heard before everything went dark.
-------------------------------------
Rubielle
"...Ethan?"
His name slipped from my lips as a chill ran down my spine. Something was wrong. I wished that it was nothing, but the cold air blew, carrying with it a chilling omen.
"Rubielle?" Lillian asked me why I suddenly stopped.
"No, it's nothing," replied quickly, though the lingering unease didn't fade.
We arrived quite a distance from the school after riding that strange metal carriage, which was incredibly fast, but now wasn't the time to be amazed to their technology.
Suddenly, we stopped in our tracks. We froze in place as a swarm of humans with darkness inside them closed in, surrounding us.
"Looks like this is as far as I can take you," Lillian said, unsheathing her short sword.
The blade shimmered as she ran her fingers along its edge, elongating it. As I saw it closely, I noticed a strange energy emanating from both the sword and her. Is this her power?
But the numbers are still overwhelming. I don't want to underestimate her, but she might lose.
I tapped her shoulder and infused her with some magic to temporarily enhance her physical abilities.
"Here's a parting gift! Make sure to save them all!" I smiled at her, feeling confident in her abilities.
She looked stunned for a moment, her expression showing something felt different.
Then, with a reassuring smile, she said, "Yeah! Leave it to me."
I nodded and ran toward the alchemist's presence. A one-on-one confrontation might be a bit disadvantageous for me, but he's not a battle type either, so I still have a chance.
As I neared to him, I paused for a moment as I noticed my reflection on a small puddle.
I wear an unfamiliar clothes and let out a small laugh. I hid my uniform on my bracelet and quickly changed into my old fixed attire.
"This is more like it!" I said, feeling confident again.
After running for a while, I arrived at an abandoned, large building filled with dust, trash, and scattered materials. As I stepped inside, a foul stench of rotting meat hit me. I glanced to my side, and there, in a pile, were lifeless corpses.
*CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP*
A slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the room.
"Kehehe… took you long enough," the Alchemist sneered, stepping into view.
His large grin spreading across his face. But what bothered me more was the large object covered in a white cloth behind him.
"Thanks for the time, it's allowed me to create this masterpiece of mine~" he said, his voice filled with twisted pride.
He pulled the white cloth away with a dramatic flair, revealing a sight so bizarre it defied logic. The creature before me was a horrifying creature—
Black and writhing, with countless eyes and numerous arms. Its body was physical yet transparent, floating unnaturally in the air. It seemed impossibly heavy for its form, its many mouths opening and closing in unholy sync. The creature cracked like gears grinding together, its presence disturbing in every way. It was talking, crying, and laughing all at once.
I froze, unable to comprehend the creature in front of me.
"Viola~!" The Alchemist spread his arms as if expecting applause.
"Feast your eyes on my artwork! My new child, the definition of chaos and destruction! I call it… Blacky~!"
I blinked.
"What?"
"Blacky," he repeated, his grin unchanging.
I was stunned. I didn't know whether to laugh or feel tense. What kind of name is that?