A child of misfortune. At least, that's what she believed herself to be. Born into a loving home, she'd been cast out, stripped of every blessing by cruel fate.
The Child of Manipulation. That's what she truly was. With only her sharp mind as a weapon, she'd stolen, robbed, deceived, and destroyed.
Manipulation had seeped into every part of her, from bone to marrow to soul. But most of all, she was a child reality had cursed.
***
Halo was the Shadow of Death.
Titles like his came from one's Only Sin, the god granting them power. They were assigned according to the relationship between mortal and deity, defining who that person truly was.
He had to be the only Shadow of Death in this world.
Yet despite keeping this secret from everyone, Dark Saint, the most infamous person in this section of the Voiceless Region, had identified his title.
His curiosity was piqued.
He needed to know what she was proposing.
"A bargain, huh? What could that be?"
He couldn't peer through the anomalous tree, but he was sure Dark Saint was smirking with confidence from her prison within.
"Oh, come on. No rushing. In the end, what matters is you reaching Silent Hill… taking the Magnus Blade… and finishing what you started."
Halo's frown deepened.
Part of him appreciated that Dark Saint could read his thoughts so readily, they had no secrets between them now.
But it struck him as strange that someone so powerful would require his assistance. What could she possibly need from him?
"Your fate is far worse than mine. Funny, isn't it? Someone understands you without you saying a single word."
Though wary, Halo couldn't dismiss the opportunity Dark Saint could provide.
This was a secretive world. To the best of his knowledge, sharing titles could be dangerous, but he knew of something far worse—a Wish.
Though it was the reward for fulfilling a Purpose, he remembered instances where Wishes forced players to attack the hero. They could even turn his own comrades against him.
You could end up cornered after fulfilling a purpose, and the system might decide to throw you a lifeline through a wish or twist the knife deeper.
This wasn't something he could share so carelessly.
But Dark Saint was unique. Her ability to read his mind meant she grasped his thoughts almost entirely.
"Surely you know wishes must not be spoken. The punishment is corruption, and corruption turns you into a Sinner."
Halo scowled. 'Really?'
But he didn't let this sensation overshadow his thoughts. He turned and gestured for his clone to take a seat as they both rested beneath the tree.
"Why do you care so much? With your strength, you shouldn't need anyone… so why me?"
Dark Saint sighed. "Listen… I'll explain Silent Hill and exactly how to claim the Magnus Blade. Then you can choose whether to help."
Halo said nothing, processing her offer.
She had provided him with information about the Sinner he'd just slain, and now she was willing to help him fulfill his entire purpose?
He smirked.
Right now, completing his purpose was all that mattered. The hero could be before the gods for all he knew. He needed to prioritize his Purpose.
He needed Dark Saint's guidance.
"There isn't much I can do… I'm sealed inside a tree, after all."
"Oh, really?" Halo responded to Dark Saint with an equally sarcastic tone.
Now, leaning back against the tree, he felt the pent-up fatigue finally catching up with him, even as his mind remained focused on how to successfully claim the Magnus Blade.
"So tell me… what must I do?"
Dark Saint cleared her throat. "Go there as you are and you'll be dead. Let your clone check the area first."
Halo met his clone's gaze and received a nod of understanding.
The clone was pure darkness given form, and while Halo believed it held all his memories and knowledge, it had no voice. More significantly, it was utterly devoid of emotion.
This was the best way to get insight into Silent Hill before finally attacking.
Halo's clone rose to its feet.
"Strike at dawn. At night, you won't stand a chance against those Sinners with the strength you have now."
Halo found this strange, the game didn't have anything like that. Then again, who was he to question it? Dark Saint's body count was beyond his ability to tally.
She knew better.
"The dark… that's where Sinners are strongest. Especially the Beasts… and the Demonic."
The moment Saint spoke, Halo's eyes were already zoning out.
Silence settled over the area, his clone waiting patiently for him to fall asleep. The instant he finally did, the clone retrieved his daggers and started patrolling back and forth, keeping watch.
***
After what felt like eternal slumber, Halo woke up, stretching his body as his back cracked in the quiet distance.
He sighed.
He hadn't dreamed at all since coming to the Lost World, but a dream would have been understandable after going nearly two days without much sleep beforehand.
"Wow… I never thought being this tired was even possible."
Dark Saint's voice rang through his mind, and as soon as it did, he frowned. He'd momentarily forgotten she was even there.
But his expression darkened further when he realized his clone had actually vanished. He scrambled to his feet, his blue eyes sweeping the area frantically in every direction.
"Relax, Shadow of Death. Your clone's already gone to check Silent Hill."
Realization struck, and his eyes widened as he jerked his head skyward. The sun sat at its peak, morning had long passed. Naturally, the clone had left without him.
With a tired breath, he settled back onto the ground and started hunting through his sack for something to quiet his hunger.
His anxiety had eased, his awareness restored, and the irony wasn't lost on him. Dark Saint, the one he'd been explicitly warned against, was sealed inside a tree and yet extended her aid. Naturally, his curiosity stirred.
"So why the tree?"
Dark Saint was silent for a moment. "I was sealed by someone far stronger. When I'm free, I will kill him."
Halo turned to the tree with a darkened expression as though he could see her face.
"I thought you were strong… even as an Awakened, killing an Assassin with one strike? That's unheard of."
Laughter!
"I'm no powerhouse. I read his thoughts, found my chance… and took it."
Before long, Halo had stuffed an entire loaf of bread as he began gulping down his water.
Haaa!
"Isn't that the point? You should've known their move before they made it."
"I can't read minds completely. Black Mirror can let me anticipate what someone might say next, a reflex, not true reading. Anything that slips through, I catch. But him… he was beyond that. I couldn't do a thing."
Halo felt his stomach tighten at her words.
Dark Saint was leagues beyond him in strength, and with all the people she'd killed, her Sin Fragments had to be immense.
Back in Halo's world, he met his share of stronger people but this was different. What manner of opponent would make even her say they were "too strong"?
"I've seen too much. The Red Plateau. The Shattered Seas. I was terrified, just like everyone else. And yet… all I wanted was power. Enough to spit in the face of the gods."
She gave her words a beat. "For six months I abandoned everything, killing, clawing for power. Yet even then, I couldn't touch the strongest. I wasn't even the strongest Knight in this region."
Halo heard the vulnerability breaking through her voice, and the silence that stretched between them said more than any explanation could.
Dark Saint was fighting for something precious too, just as he was. Maybe there was more to her violent history than simple cruelty.
'In this world, no one casts the stone.'
He recalled the words someone told him not long ago. He wasn't going to be an exception.
"Hey… what's your name? You're roughly my age. We should at least know who we're talking to."
Dark Saint giggled. "How apathetic of you…"
Halo sneered.
"It sounds absurd, I know. But Saint is my name. Saint Paris."
"Interesting…"
The moment the words left him, Halo's eyes widened in realization and his heart skipped a beat. Saint left the academy a year prior, just like the hero. Could she…
"Ha! What do you know? Sounds like even more reason for you to lend a hand."
Halo smirked.