It was nearing 19 PM when he arrived at the entrance of Connecticut. Though dusk had just begun to fall, the street was already cloaked in its usual, unnatural darkness.
Jolly wore a black ruffled blouse with a crimson ribbon tied at the collar, layered beneath a long red swallowtail vest. A short black cape hung from his shoulders, and his fluffy pumpkin pants were tucked into tall, heavy black boots. In his right hand, he clutched the cane he had just bought.
While standing still before the entrance, with a dark and terrifying alley waiting ahead of him.
There, in the corner of his eye, Jolly saw something move—just a quick blur, like a shadow slipping between walls. Then, a voice. Weak. Afraid. A cry for help echoed through the air.
Jolly didn't stop to think. His heart jumped, and his legs moved on their own. He ran toward the sound, toward the place where he thought he saw the movement.
The streets were narrow, lined with old, crumbling houses. The buildings leaned in on both sides, their broken windows like watching eyes. Everything was dark and quiet, except for the sound of his footsteps and his breathing.
He rushed through the first alley, then turned into another—tight, damp, and filled with fog. Loose papers and bits of trash danced in the wind as he passed. The third lane smelled of mold and rust.
By the time he reached the fourth lane, the air felt colder. There, he found a strange creature. It was tall and thin, with long arms and legs like stretched ropes. Its head was long too, covered in dirty, messy hair. The skin was pale and full of scars. It was holding a young boy, trying to open its mouth wide—far too wide—with sharp, pointed jaws.
What is that thing?
Jolly froze. Fear hit him like ice.
[Trial : kill 1 Wonder to enter the cardroom ]
The voice wakes him up. He understand that— that thing is called Wonder and that by killing it, it will let him pass his trail.
Jolly saw a car parked just outside the house.
Without thinking, he ran toward it, opened the door, and jumped in. His hands shook as he turned the key. The engine coughed, then roared to life. He slammed his foot on the gas pedal. Drive towards the wonder with high speed.
BANG!
The car shot forward and hit the Wonder, sending her flying, crashing into an old empty house near her. The impact tore through the wall and and the entire front collapses around her
"Get in! Hurry!" Jolly shouted to the boy.
The boy ran as fast as he could and climbed into the passenger seat.
The Wonder slowly stood back up, her head turning toward them. Her long hair flowed like shadow, and her eyes burned with hate.
"How dare you…" she said, her voice sharp. "A worthless Nothing dares to touch me?"
Jolly didn't wait. He hit the gas and sped away as fast as the car could go.
But the Wonder wasn't done. Shhe chase them fast— like a blur.
The Wonder jumped onto the car, shaking the whole vehicle
Jolly looked into the rear mirror and his eyes widened." How fast is this spider girl"
" She have long legs!" The little boy shouted.
She crawled over the roof and punched through the steel with her bare hand. Her fingers reached inside and grabbed Jolly around the waist.
Both Jolly and the boy screamed in fear.
Jolly's eyes darted around. He saw a broken shard of glass on the dashboard—left from the earlier crash. Without hesitating, he grabbed it and stabbed her hand.
She let out a loud scream and jerked back. The car swerved, and Jolly lost control.
CRASH!
The car flipped over and slammed into the ground.
Everything went black for a second.
Jolly opened his eyes, his head pounding. He saw the boy lying beside him, dazed. Jolly shook him gently.
"Hey, are you okay? Wake up," he whispered.
The boy stirred. Jolly helped him out of the wreck and pointed to a nearby wall.
"Go hide. Quickly."
The boy nodded and ran.
Jolly turned back—and froze.
The Wonder was walking toward him. Her steps were slow and heavy. Her injured hand dripped black fluid.
"You hurt me…" she said coldly.
Then, in a flash, she sped up.
Jolly tried to run, but she was already in front of him. She grabbed him and lifted him off the ground.
"I won't gain anything by eating you," she whispered, her smile wicked. "So I'll just rip you apart."
Her grip tightened. Jolly gasped. It was getting harder to breathe. He struggled, but she was too strong. His cane slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.
He could feel his strength fading. His vision started to blur
"Am I… gonna die again?" he thought, the words barely forming in his mind.
The Wonder's grip crushed tighter around his waist. He could barely breathe.
But then—
Through the haze—
A sharp blue light sliced across his vision.
SLASH!
The hand gripping him was severed spliced off.
The Wonder shrieked in pain, howling and crying terribly.
Jolly fell and his body slammed onto the cracked ground below. He rolled once, gasping and caughing to catch his breathe.
Moment have passed, jolly regainer his senses and saw someone standing infront of him.
A tall man with a long, glowing sword rested in his hand—shining blue, humming with quiet power.
"Jack of heart?" Jolly felting like he knew it, but doesn't know how or why.
Far ahead, the Wonder reeled back, growling in pain. He saw her right hand which was sliced off near him have vanished into the air.
The man raised his sword—and in a second, he dashed forward. He didn't run. He moved so fast it was like he flew straight at the Wonder.
Jolly could barely track him. All he saw was a streak of glitching blue light, cutting through the air like lightning. That glowing sword in his hand shimmered with deadly purpose.
But the Wonder reacted fast. She deflected the blow with one of her long, pointed nails—sharp and deadly like a pickaxe. With a screech of metal and a burst of strength, she struck his sword, sending him hurtling backward through the air, but he didn't fall. He landed softly, feet steady.
This time, a bright blue light covered his body like a thin layer. His eyes started to glow with the same color. A strong wind whriling around him, lifting dust and leaves into the air. The blue light swirled around the man, forming the symbol of the Water Bearer.
The blue light and wind mixed together, shining softly. It looked powerful—and strangely beautiful, Jolly could only watch in awe, his eyes wide with wonder.
The man raised his sword high, then dashed toward the Wonder in a flash. She charged too, with a body wrapped in a dark shimmer.
A blinding explosion lit up the sky, shaking the ground with a thunderous roar as they collided.
When the wind settled and the air cleared, Jolly saw a figure walking toward him. A long shadow stretched across the ground—holding a glowing blue sword, eyes shining with the same fierce light.
With a familiar voice, the man spoke to Jolly,
"Long time no see."
Jolly's eyes widened as the man's face becomr more visible. His glowing form faded, shifting back into a normal appearance. The man wore a full suit, just like the Serace the antique shopkeeper had mentioned.
The man reached out a hand to help him up.
"I hope you remember me this time," he said with a faint smile.
Jolly stood up slowly, glancing past the man to where the Wonder had fallen. Her body had begun to vanish into the air.
Jolly stepped towards the vanishing wonder. He carefully observe what happened. She was stapped in her chest, Jolly saw a dim light in her chest, just like a box shining within his heart. The light is getting dim and almost turn off.
The Wonder cried. Jolly saw her tears dripping from her black terrible eyes. Jolly was shocked first. The sorrow, the regression showing in her face, Jolly can't unseen it.
The Spider Girl wonder was once a beautiful girl, infected 3 years agao in the Requiem death pandemic. She awake as a Resurrected, but what hurt her the most is that her family doesn't recognize him.
One day, Wonder eat all her family, and she was corrupted by hatred. she turned into wonder and started hunting human.
Jolly, not with his eye, but somehow, he saw her flashback clearly like he witnessed them. The light in her chest turned off. Her body finished vanishing to the air while she was crying
You felt it too, didn't you? Her memories," the man said, his voice low.
He looked out into the fading light, then added, "These corrupted Resurrected... they were human once, just like us.
Both of them stood silently, watching as the Wonder faded, her body turning to ash and drifting into the air, carried away by the wind like the last embers of a dying fire.
The little boy emerged from his hiding spot, rushing toward the man with tears in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around him tightly.
"Thank you…" he cried.
The man knelt down, gently lifting the boy's face and wiping his tears.
"Don't thank me," he said with a faint smile.
"Thank him. He saved you—even though he's just a 'Nothing.'
The boy turned to Jolly and gave a small, respectful bow.
"Thank you so much, Mr. Nothing," he said with a big, happy smile.
Jolly could only smile, weakly.
Then they heard a sharp whistle, followed by the sound of a growing crowd.
"That's the Royal Squad," the man said.
"Let's get out of here," he added with a glance.
"I'm guessing you're here for a trial, but you haven't passed it yet," he said with a faint smile.
"There's still so much you need to know—and this is just the beginning."
Moments later, the Royal Squad and the Royal Army arrived at the scene, moving in to secure the area and investigate the incident.