"Fifty gold." The man's voice was gruff, dismissive. But his eyes shifted to Aya standing behind Nine, and his lips curved into a smirk. "For each person. That makes it a hundred."
Aya stiffened at the outrageous price. A hundred gold was wealth only nobles could afford.
Nine, however, clapped mockingly, the sound sharp in the stillness. "What... a visionary businessman," he said, flashing a sly grin. The carriage owner just shrugged, unimpressed.
"You're saving space for others, right? How about I just cradle her the whole way and pay you fifty for one seat?" Nine spread his fingers in a playful gesture, his tone light, though his gaze held an edge.
The man rolled his eyes. "You're lucky I didn't put a knife through your mouth for that tone."
He turned to walk away, but Nine caught the hem of his robe, his grin fading. "Please, mister." His voice was low and urgent. "We just need to cross the border."
The man jerked his robe free and shoved Nine back, nearly knocking him off balance.
"Then find another way," he spat, his frustration spilling over. "You think there are other carriages around here? They've all gone, kid. I'm the last one, and I'm here to make money. If you don't have it, then f*** off."
Nine straightened himself. He signaled Aya with a subtle wave, stopping her from coming any closer. His expression darkened, his playful demeanor dissolving into something colder.
"I tried to do this the peaceful way," he muttered under his breath, combing his hair back with his fingers.
Before Aya could process his words, Nine moved. Swift as a shadow, he lunged at the man's unguarded back, his dagger glinting in the dim light.
SCHKAK!
The sound was sickening—flesh tearing, bone cracking. The blade pierced through the back of the man's skull, its edge glinting red as it exited through his mouth. The carriage owner didn't even have time to cry out before collapsing in a lifeless heap.
Aya gasped, her legs trembling.
"N-Nine?"
Nine wiped the blood off his face with a flick of his sleeve. Turning to her, he smiled apologetically, scratching the back of his head. "Ah, sorry you had to see that, Aya."
Her heart pounded as she stared at him—the boy she'd known all her life, now standing over a corpse. He'd killed the man with precision. No hesitation.
This isn't his first time, she realized with a chill.
Her breaths came short and shallow. A part of her screamed to run, but her legs wouldn't obey.
"Aya?" Nine called, his voice as casual as ever. "Come on. We need to move before anyone sees us."
Her gaze flickered between the blood pooling beneath the man and Nine's face—calm, smiling, as though he'd just swatted a fly.
She took a step back.
Nine noticed but said nothing. Instead, he yanked his dagger free from the man's skull with a wet, sickening sound. He turned back to her, tilting his head. "Is something wrong?"
Aya shook her head quickly, forcing herself to swallow the lump stuck in her throat.
"It must've shocked you," he said, his tone light. "But that man was a scumbag anyway."
He opened the carriage door wide, and Aya's eyes widened when she caught sight of a naked woman's lifeless body inside. Torn clothes were scattered around, a haunting testament to the man's crimes.
"He raped his female passengers," Nine explained, glancing at the evidence. "He didn't even clean up." Nine rubbed his temples like the entire situation was a nuisance.
Aya's shock shifted to horror, then to reluctant belief. She couldn't deny the evidence before her.
"We should bury her," she murmured, her voice trembling.
Nine blinked, then shrugged. "Sure."
They worked in silence, burying the woman and clothes beneath a tree and burning the man's body. As the flames consumed the corpse, Aya watched Nine's face. His expression was calm, detached—as though this was just another chore to be done.
When they finally set off, Aya sat inside the carriage while Nine took the reins. The rhythm of the wheels rolling over the dirt road was the only sound between them for a while.
The carriage came to a halt, and Nine climbed inside, handing Aya a loaf of bread.
"Here. Eat."
Aya hesitated, staring at the bread in his hand.
"What?" Nine asked, raising a brow. "You want meat instead?" He pierced a portion of the bread and threw it in his mouth, chewing as he waited for her response.
"Are you really sure about this?" she finally asked, her voice quiet.
Nine froze, his expression hardening. "Sure about what?"
"About joining the battle," Aya clarified, meeting his gaze.
Nine's lips pressed into a thin line. He didn't need to answer. Aya could see it in his eyes—the determination, the hunger.
"This world is beyond saving," he said after a moment, his tone quiet but resolute. He sat beside her, his presence heavy, commanding. "Sooner or later, we'll both die. Maybe one of us. Maybe both."
Aya flinched at his words, but he reached out, gently opening her hand and placing a big piece of beef jerky in her palm.
"You wanted to be a mom once," he said, his voice softening.
Aya blushed furiously. "That was when we were younger! I just... craved maternal love, so I wanted to show it too."
Nine chuckled, but his eyes remained serious. "Dreams like that are fragile now," he said. "The world won't let us hold onto them. Humanity's losing this fight, but I won't. If the gods have abandoned us, I'll take their place. I'll become one of the sins. A stepping stone, Aya. To create something better."
Aya stared at him, torn between disbelief and the unshakable pull of his conviction.
"Trust me," Nine said, his smile returning.
How could she refuse? His smile, his voice, the way he always looked at her... Nine had a way of pulling her into his orbit, no matter how dangerous it was.
"What can I do? I can't change your mind," she said, forcing a small smile.
Nine grinned, nodding. "If I become a lord, we'll build our family. Together."
"W-we're still young!" Aya sputtered, smacking him with the beef jerky.
Nine burst out laughing, his sharp features softening for a moment. For now, they had this.
Deep down, Aya knew that Nine was already drifting away. But hope remained in her.