"Ring-ring! Ring-ring!"
A vibration came from the backpack on Aeron's shoulders.
"Shit! He left his phone behind," Hector muttered, rummaging through Emrys' backpack with frustration.
Aeron gritted his teeth. "Damn it… This is worse than I thought."
Luna lowered her head, placing a hand over her chest. "He should be back by now. I hope they're safe."
Corsair exhaled, his face wearing a worried expression. "I trust Emrys. He has it under control. He'll be back sooner or later."
Aeron nodded. "That's right. Let's wait for them at Dionysus Hall."
With that, they passed through the towering gates of Dionysus Hall, one of the eight hostel halls in the boarding world: Athena's Hall, Dionysus' Hall, Poseidon's Hall, Hall Olympus (their former hall, now under Klause's control), Atlas' Hall, Narcissus' Hall, Hestia's Hall, Apollo's Hall, and Gaia's Hall.
Unlike Hall Olympus, which had only one structure, Dionysus' Hall was scattered, consisting of multiple small settlements spread across the area.
Reaching one of the central settlements, Aeron turned to the group.
"Alright, Hector, Corsair, and I will head to the entrance to find Emrys and the others. They'll have trouble locating us. Lay low till we're back, alright?"
"Got it," the others replied.
As Aeron stepped outside, an uneasy feeling gnawed at him. Sweat slid down the side of his face.
Were they caught? Are they hiding from the raiders? Damn it… where are they?
Two hours past their expected arrival, Emrys and Han sat inside an abandoned building near the remnants of the small woods.
The air inside was thick with silence. Han was asleep from crying from the pain of his wounded ankle, but Emrys sat still, his mind replaying one moment over and over—the moment Lysia vanished beneath the flames.
His hands resting on his knees as his eyes appeared to be peering into the realm of thoughts.
His mind refused to rest.
All he could do now was wait for the flames to die out.
…
The Western Border of the Small Woods – 5:00 AM
The embers still glowed, casting an eerie orange haze over the now black land. Four of Klause's subordinates stood near the charred ruins, the equipment they had used was now as cold as it was hot.
Three stationary flamethrowers and three gas dischargers.
The attack had begun when the great clock at the center of the boarding world struck 9:00 PM, and for three relentless hours, they had scorched the small woods near Hall Olympus.
One of them cursed, kicking at the burnt ground. "Shit! We overdid it. The fire wasn't supposed to spread this far—now everything's burnt to ash, including the game."
"How the hell do we explain this to Klause?" another muttered.
A third folded his arms. "Calm down. He didn't see it happen. We'll just tell him there were no resources, so we burned the entire area to discourage people from hiding. Easy."
With that shameless excuse, they headed back to Hall Olympus to report their work.
Meanwhile, news of the attack on Hall Olympus and the burning of the small woods spread just like the flames across the boarding world. Regeni Billboards displayed the destruction, causing widespread panic among the factionless boarding dwellers.
…
The clock's hands struck 6:50 AM.
As soon as the flames died, Emrys bolted outside.
His boots crunched over the scorched ground, ashes swirling around him. The once-thriving woods was now a blackened graveyard, leafless trees standing like charred bones.
The stench of smoke clung to the air.
He raced west, retracing his steps to the place where he had lost Lysia.
Finally, he found it.
The hole where she had fallen lay exposed, the once-leafy covering completely incinerated.
"SKSSSH!"
He slid to his knees, staring at the murky pool of water at the bottom.
Without hesitation, he plunged his hands into the water—
"AARGHH!"
His right arm jerked back reflexively as a searing pain shot through it.
His eyes widened in horror as he watched the skin on his arm dissolve—within seconds, blood dripped from the exposed muscle.
Another five seconds, and his tissue would have started to dissolve too. Ten seconds, and his bones would be next.
"W-what the hell is this?!" he gasped, clutching his burning arm.
His mind raced.
If this thing does this…
His breath hitched.
His stomach twisted.
His body trembled.
Lysia had fallen into this pit.
She had sunk into this water.
His fingers clenched into the soot-covered earth.
"No…"
Blood dripping from his wounded hand, Emrys grabbed a fistful of ash as he slowly bowed his head in despair.
"Tell me this is a dream… Tell me this is a dream!... Tell me… this is a dream…" His voice cracked, tears streaming down his face.
Then, a voice echoed in his head.
"It's your fault."
"No! I had her, but she fell! It was an accident!"
"You led her straight into that pit, be it a mistake or not."
"I didn't see it!"
"She followed your lead."
"I didn't know… I didn't know!"
"Fool. Still asleep. The next one will wake you."
CRACK!
Without thinking, Emrys smashed his forehead against a burnt tree, blood splattering as he silenced the voice.
His vision blurred.
He staggered.
Then, slowly, he lifted his lifeless eyes toward the acidic pit.
"I'm sorry, Lysia." His voice was hoarse, hollow. "But I need to go. I have to catch up with the others."
With that, he turned and ran back to where Han was waiting.
…
Dionysus' Hall.
While Luna and the others tended to the younger children, a sudden scream echoed from one of the bedrooms.
"What's happened?!"
Heart pounding, Luna rushed inside.
The young, bronze-skinned girl sat on the floor, pointing toward the shadowed corner in the almost dark room.
Luna's eyes widened as an unfamiliar voice emerged from the darkness.
A voice that carried a chilling depth of experience.
"Oh hello there."