The wind swept through the stone path.
The flames of the braziers flickered beneath the darkness of the night.
The smell of blood had already reached the entrance of the Mountain.
It mingled with the scent of damp earth and ancient wood.
Telvaris remained motionless.
His hands clasped behind his back.
His golden eyes remained fixed upon the Mountain.
A deep voice broke the silence.
"Two and a half hours have already passed since the first bell of dawn."
Footsteps echoed along the stone path.
Toc.
Toc.
Telvaris immediately turned.
He assumed a sideways stance.
His hands remained clasped behind his back.
The Director approached between the braziers.
His tall, broad body carried the rigid posture of an old soldier.
A long black robe covered his body, marked only by discreet leather bands that held the fabric close to his arms and waist.
Silver hair contrasted with his short beard.
Between his fingers...
A cigar burned slowly.
The smoke dissolved into the darkness of the night.
Telvaris gave a brief inclination of his head.
"Director Theseus."
Theseus stopped before him.
His silver-gray eyes remained upon the Mountain.
In the distance...
The wind swept through the crowns of the pine trees.
Theseus slowly drew on his cigar.
"You will remain here..."
"Until the bell announces the sixth hour?"
The silence stretched on.
Theseus discreetly shifted his eyes toward Telvaris.
"The Alpha Supervisor..."
"Does he concern you that much?"
For an instant...
Telvaris's fingers closed discreetly behind his back.
His expression, however, remained unchanged.
"I have seen him return alone enough times to understand what he is capable of."
"What troubles me..."
The flames of the braziers flickered.
"...is sending two hundred when we know that few will return."
Theseus remained silent for a moment.
Then his voice came out cold.
"This is the second time you have questioned this decision, Telvaris."
Telvaris discreetly lowered his gaze.
"Forgive me, Lord..."
"...it just seemed unusual to me."
His eyes turned toward the entrance of the Mountain.
"The movements in the County over the past few months..."
"The Count's sudden summons..."
"And this Hunt..."
A brief pause.
"I had the impression that perhaps they were not isolated events."
"AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
The scream echoed among the pine trees.
Then...
Silence once again came to dominate the Mountain.
Theseus slowly drew on his cigar.
The smoke vanished into the darkness.
"When the bell announces the sixth hour..."
"Those who remain standing will collect the dead."
"They will take every body to the top of the Mountain."
Theseus turned away.
"And reduce them to ashes."
"Let everyone remember the price of weakness."
Without waiting for an answer...
He walked away between the braziers.
Little by little...
His footsteps disappeared into the darkness.
The wind swept through the entrance of the Mountain.
Far above...
Among enormous moss-covered rocks...
Two figures remained hidden.
Without their hoods.
Without their masks.
The fair-skinned boy with dark hair was breathing rapidly.
His green eyes remained fixed on the path they had come from.
His hands gripped the sword so tightly that his fingers trembled.
Beside him...
The gray-blond-haired boy kept his breathing controlled.
His blue eyes remained alert to the forest.
The silence stretched on for several moments.
The green-eyed boy was the first to speak.
"It's been a while..."
His voice came out low.
It almost failed.
"The screams stopped..."
He swallowed hard.
"Do you think... he's already gone past?"
The blue-eyed boy continued watching the woods.
He did not answer immediately.
He only listened to the wind passing through the trees.
Then he spoke.
"I think so."
The green-eyed boy slowly released his breath.
As if he could finally breathe.
"You think..."
His voice faltered.
"...or are you sure?"
The blue-eyed boy shifted his eyes toward his companion.
"If I were sure..."
"We'd already be walking."
The green-eyed boy lowered his head.
His fingers continued trembling around the sword's hilt.
"We shouldn't have come to this place..."
His voice barely came out.
It almost disappeared among the wind.
He let out a brief laugh.
Without any joy.
"When I decided to come..."
He swallowed hard.
"I thought I was finally going to stop running away."
His eyes returned to the forest.
"I thought there would be a place..."
His breathing faltered.
"Where we could live."
Silence answered.
He tightened his grip on the sword even more.
"Look at us now..."
His green eyes began scanning the woods from side to side.
Restless.
"Hidden behind rocks..."
"Afraid to make a sound..."
"Afraid even to breathe."
His voice became almost a whisper.
"I don't want to die."
He closed his eyes.
"I don't want to die in this Mountain."
His shoulders trembled.
"Please..."
"Any god..."
"Listen to me just this once."
The hand holding the sword trembled so much that the tip of the blade vibrated against the stone.
"I'll do anything."
"I'll never ask for anything again."
His voice finally gave way.
"Just... let me get out of here."
The blue-eyed boy remained silent.
He waited a few moments before answering.
"If there were any god watching over us..."
His gaze remained fixed upon the darkness.
"We wouldn't be here."
He turned his eyes toward the top of the Mountain.
"The only path is to keep climbing."
The green-eyed boy slowly raised his head.
The blue-eyed one continued.
"That nobleman may be wrong."
"He may."
"But it's the only chance we have."
His eyes remained firm.
"If he's right..."
"We'll never go hungry again."
A brief pause.
"We'll never sleep on the streets again."
"We'll never have to run again."
The green-eyed boy remained silent.
The forest sank once again into absolute silence.
The blue-eyed boy took a step forward.
"Let's go."
The green-eyed boy only nodded.
The two left the shelter of the rocks.
The wind passed through the forest.
Colder than before.
Crack.
The blue-eyed boy discreetly raised his hand.
He turned his head toward his friend.
"Don't make a soun—"
The voice died.
His body stiffened.
His eyes remained fixed straight ahead.
The green-eyed boy remained standing.
Motionless.
The sword had slipped from his hand.
A thin dark line marked his neck.
His green eyes remained open.
Still fixed upon his companion.
Empty.
For an instant...
The blue-eyed boy could not breathe.
"Lian...?"
No answer.
The green-eyed boy's body tilted forward.
Like a tree finally giving way.
"Lian..."
The blue-eyed boy lunged forward on instinct.
He managed to catch him before he hit the ground.
His hands seized his shoulders.
"Hey..."
His voice trembled.
"Hey... look at me..."
He shook his friend.
Hard.
"Lian!"
The head fell without offering any resistance.
Blood began to run from the thin cut across his neck.
The blue-eyed boy's eyes widened.
"No..."
The word escaped in a breath.
"No..."
His arms tightened around the body against his chest.
As if that could keep life from leaving.
"We..."
His breathing faltered.
"We were going to get out of here..."
His fingers trembled uncontrollably.
"This ti—"
"This time it was going to work..."
Tears began to fall.
"We were going to have a house..."
His voice broke.
"Never go hungry again..."
"Never run again..."
He lowered his head.
His forehead touched his friend's.
"Lian..."
Silence was the only answer.
The boy remained motionless for several seconds.
Then...
He raised his eyes.
A few steps ahead...
Éreon remained motionless.
The black attire blended with the darkness itself.
The hood concealed part of his face.
The mask hid any expression.
The katana remained lowered.
Thin streams of blood slid along its blade.
Ping.
Ping.
His eyes remained fixed upon Éreon.
Tears still streamed down his face.
His voice came out almost as a whisper.
"This is..."
He swallowed hard.
"...wrong?"
His fingers tightened around his friend's bloodstained clothes.
"Dreaming of a better life..."
"Eating every day..."
"Having a place to return to..."
The wind swept through the forest once again.
"Does that deserve this ending?"
Éreon did not answer.
He only walked toward him.
The boy held Lian's body even tighter against himself.
The tears continued to fall.
"Is anyone there...?"
His voice faltered.
"Any god..."
He raised his eyes toward the sky, hidden by the crowns of the pine trees.
"Look at us..."
His fingers sank into his friend's bloodstained clothes.
"Just this once..."
His breathing became irregular.
"Do something..."
Éreon continued walking.
The katana vibrated almost imperceptibly.
Hummm...
His voice came out low.
Almost a whisper.
"I know..."
"Totsuka no Tsurugi..."
Silence once again enveloped the forest.
Éreon stopped before him.
The boy slightly tilted his head.
He looked at Lian.
A faint smile appeared through the tears.
"I told you, Lian..."
His voice was barely more than a whisper.
"The gods..."
He closed his eyes for an instant.
"They were never looking at us."
SHLK.
The katana described a single arc.
The head separated from the body.
THUD.
It rolled among the damp leaves.
The body collapsed, still embracing Lian's.
Éreon remained motionless.
The katana was already resting low beside the body.
Thin streams of blood ran along the edge.
His eyes remained upon the two bodies for a few moments.
DOOOOOOOOOONG!
The tolling swept across the entire Mountain.
DOOOOOOOOOONG!
Without saying a word...
Éreon resumed walking.
Little by little...
His silhouette was swallowed by the darkness of the Mountain.