Chapter 101
December 31st. Tuesday. Several days had passed since the catastrophic battle and the destruction of Moran City caused by the comet. News of the disaster spread rapidly across the kingdom, and even now, it remained the center of public discussion.
The people of Moran had begun scattering to various places; Semilir, Minehold, or Greysia, while others returned to their hometowns because they no longer had anything left.
At exactly 10:10 PM, the four of them finally decided to begin their investigation to search for what they sought; Zavi was searching for Canel, along with Zuhen and Felina. Meanwhile, Hana and Mine were searching for Canel as well, knowing he was still alive among the remaining nine people whose conditions were currently unknown, including the search for her Recipestele.
"So," Aaron said calmly, resting both hands on the railing of the balcony atop the mystical building where countless people had gathered, chatting with one another while waiting for the turn of the year.
"We've been together for several days already, yet I still don't know your names?" Aaron continued while observing Hana beside him and Mine standing across from him.
Hana slightly parted her lips. She wanted to speak, yet every word felt difficult to utter before she abandoned the thought after noticing Mine glancing at her.
"Let me handle it," she whispered softly before staring sharply at Aaron.
"Mine Rasuha, and she's Hana Zayela," Mine said calmly, observing Aaron from head to toe while caution tightly gripped her mind.
Even though they had spent several days together, the two women still couldn't fully trust those two men.
Mine stood still while staring at Aaron calculatingly, allowing the cold night wind to brush across her pale face as she waited for him to introduce himself.
Aaron understood the meaning behind that look and replied indifferently,
"Sirius Lamena. That man and I are cousins, and his name is Salilfai Lamena."
Hana, who stood directly in front of the concrete railing adorned with rows of moon carvings stretching toward the edge several meters away from Aaron, fell deep into thought as the surname he mentioned sounded strangely familiar, a name often spoken and widely known throughout Vinohoshi and Ninesorals.
'Lamena, huh? I know identical surnames exist across different cities, districts, provinces, even throughout the Kingdom of Norn there are probably dozens of people sharing the same name. But... why do I feel like something about this is bothering me?'
After thinking for too long, Hana finally voiced her thoughts as tension slowly crept up through her legs.
"There's something I want to ask," she said hesitantly, causing both of them to reflexively turn toward her.
Niva, who stood right in front of them, observed Hana with a strange gaze, sensing that she was hiding something.
Aaron gave a small nod, raised one hand, and said,
"Go ahead. Besides, we're waiting for that man's return after his mysterious disappearance."
'Seriously troublesome, using the alias of a famous assassin from Vinohoshi. Has he completely lost his mind?'
Aaron frowned inwardly, feeling his disguise had failed because he had no idea whether his face was clearly displayed on wanted posters.
Worse still, those two women came from the organization responsible for Moran's destruction and weren't ordinary people who might know countless things about the underworld.
The ice crystals hardened before shattering into millions of snowflakes in an instant. The night wind dragged them downward more violently than usual, forcing everyone there to momentarily forget whatever they had been waiting for.
Someone who had just been about to speak suddenly fell silent. Their eyes blankly stared at the year-end snow striking their face before melting along their cheeks like tears.
With trembling hands and skin prickling from the cold, they wiped their smooth cheek. Their expression crumbled, trapped within emotions too difficult to describe as they slowly raised their head.
Trapped beneath the increasingly heavy snowfall, Aaron wore a vague expression while staring at the two women before descending the concrete stairs alongside the others who suffered the same freezing cold as he did.
Inside a building crowded with men, women, children, and elders, all dressed neatly and formally, everyone was prepared to welcome the long-awaited day.
Every passing second was filled with impatient murmurs and conversations among adults, including several influential figures of Minehold.
The grand building stood not far from a place called Vanir, where people often visited to admire the city's scenery from above. It had been specially constructed for art performances, cultural events, important gatherings, and grand celebrations.
There, at midnight exactly, a modest celebration would be held to welcome the new year and strengthen bonds among people so they could grow closer to one another. At the end of the event, prayers would be offered to God Auneron and Goddess Yarandrela in hopes that everyone attending the celebration would obtain what they desired and remain protected from the dangers constantly lurking around them.
The atmosphere outside felt like ice carried by the wind, soft yet piercing. It forced Aaron to head inside because his thin white shirt and knee-length black coat could no longer warm his body.
Entering wasn't simple either. He had to present identification in the form of a ring, but Aaron possessed a necklace instead, something he had crafted back when he was eighteen years old in Vinohoshi, precisely seven years ago.
Such things were perfectly normal throughout Vinohoshi, especially for wanderers and those forced to use aliases.
Aaron Kwok.
The name of the first man he had ever killed, inheriting the man's Exorcist ability, which he directly mastered at the second stage, Extraction.
"Damn it," Aaron cursed irritably.
Not long after, a man wearing a black-and-white vest beneath a tailcoat, paired with slightly loose black trousers and a leather belt that made his appearance stand out, immediately drew the attention of everyone present, including Aaron who glanced toward him while standing at the corner of the building.
The noisy atmosphere that previously resembled a wild forest instantly fell silent as though the air itself had frozen the moment the man appeared, tucking his cane beneath his arm while two formally dressed guards followed closely behind him.
Aaron wore a sour expression as he stretched his body before walking toward the hundreds of soft seats with crimson back cushions located beyond the massive half-open iron doors decorated with intricate carvings and patterns.
After the important man's arrival, five guards immediately widened the doors further, allowing him to enter before the crowd began flowing into the hall afterward, signaling that the theater performance would soon begin.
The room was filled with soft seats, comfortable enough for long hours because the back cushions seemed capable of relaxing the entire body.
Above them hung two chandeliers designed like rose petals with striking golden appearances, giving the room an extravagant atmosphere.
There were also private sections reserved for businessmen, conglomerates, nobles, including Counts, Viscounts, and Barons, all attending the theater alongside their loved ones.
At the moment, Aaron sat in row number five on the right side, seat number 255, uncertain whether watching a theater performance was truly a good way to relieve his boredom.
Several minutes passed, and silence once again descended upon the hall. Only heartbeats, breathing, and the emotional tension within each person could be felt clearly as the chandeliers dimmed, replaced by the spotlight illuminating the stage.
The tightly closed crimson curtain finally spread open, followed by a magnificent burst of red smoke and showers of long-stemmed roses, lily petals, and gerbera flowers scattering across the stage.
The audience's cheers and applause shattered the previous tension, bringing life back into the hall for several brief moments.
Among the five main performers were one woman portraying a gentle and innocent princess, one kind-hearted prince willing to do anything for her safety, two other women, and one man, all lowering their heads toward the audience.
Not out of mere respect, but because the performance had been designed as a tribute to the tragedy that had struck Moran several days earlier.
The lively hall once again became silent like a graveyard at night; suffocating, cold, and filled with thick fog that carried the impression of death itself.
Everyone clenched both fists against their chests for several seconds in mourning before calming, lively, rhythmic music finally echoed throughout the hall. Their gloomy expressions gradually faded, replaced by smiles as the theatrical performance officially began.
The music intensified as the opening dialogue from the prince finally started.
"Ah, Princess Eliana," the prince said nervously. "Would you be willing to live beside me until death comes for one of us?"
Princess Eliana blushed deeply as her heartbeat quickened, turning her gaze toward the garden to her left.
Then the prince gently held Princess Eliana's hand wrapped in spotless white gloves, the soft sensation brushing against his fingers making him smile faintly.
The prince tried calming the princess's restless heart before speaking firmly.
"Don't be nervous. I'll stay by your side, and I'll wait until you've truly thought it through before giving me your answer." The prince lifted both of the princess's hands with eyes full of hope and sincerity.
Yet the princess quickly pulled away before turning around and running while holding the edge of her magnificent gown adorned with beads along its sides, her expression gloomy.
The prince stared at her retreating figure from afar with feelings impossible to put into words.
He lowered his gaze, trying to search for his own flaws, believing the princess merely needed time to think and accept his confession.
But unbeknownst to him, hidden behind the garden hedge to his right, someone was waiting.
Waiting for the day the prince and princess would grow to hate one another and drown in misery.
Days passed. The prince still hadn't received an answer from the princess since the incident in the garden that day.
A beautiful maid approached him with a worried expression after seeing her master sitting silently on the sofa for so long that the tea she had prepared on the table had gone cold alongside his sorrow.
"Did something go wrong? Did I make a mistake with what I said before?"
The prince tried recalling the events before he handed the letter inviting the princess to the garden.
Yet he felt he had done nothing wrong and never once suspected that someone secretly harbored resentment toward him.
Day after day. Month after month. Prayer after prayer.
Prince Elric received no news whatsoever about Princess Eliana, causing his heart to grow increasingly restless as though pierced by thousands of needles simultaneously, unable to sleep peacefully because thoughts of her condition constantly haunted him.
Until one night, an unpleasant event jolted him awake from sleep when his bedroom window suddenly swung open, bringing a piercing chill as powerful winds made the curtains roar and the photo frame of himself with Princess Eliana fell from the table.
A crack split across the image between them, as though something horrifying was about to happen.
With tears streaming down his face, chest rising and falling violently, and heart pounding furiously as the cold wind battered his body—
He immediately stood up and closed the window with heavy steps before picking up the photo frame and staring at it for a very long time before embracing it tightly with tearful eyes filled with desperate hope.
The following day, Prince Elric received an unexpected guest.
It was Princess Eliana alongside her family: her father, mother, and younger sister. Guards and two servants also accompanied them to his residence.
Elric, feeling as though his prayers had finally been answered, immediately fell to his knees with indescribable emotions as sorrow mixed violently with happiness within his chest, causing his entire body to tremble uncontrollably.
When night finally came, after speaking with the princess for quite some time inside the same room, a powerful explosion suddenly erupted just moments after he had stepped into the kitchen to retrieve something.
When he returned to the room, he saw the princess lying motionless.
Her black hair, once smooth, soft, and perfectly arranged, was now soaked in blood as a pool of crimson spread beneath her body and a gunshot wound pierced through her pale forehead.
Elric's heart shattered upon witnessing the sight.
He couldn't utter a single word, ignoring everything around him as people stood nearby, watching blankly while Elric embraced Princess Eliana one final time before she peacefully rested forever.
Meanwhile, the true culprit, an influential figure within the kingdom, blended into the crowd inside the room and smiled in satisfaction because the elaborate plan she had carefully constructed for so long had finally succeeded.
The villain responsible for Eliana's death was a woman named Ellista.
Her own younger sister.
Driven by jealousy because her older sister had stolen the heart of the man she loved.
Prince Elric.
And thus, the tale of the prince waiting for an answer to his confession ended with him falling into the abyss of despair while holding the cruel reality within his arms.
The music swelled once more before gradually calming into a gentle rhythm as the crimson curtain closed, reopened briefly for the five performers to bow, then closed again. Several moments later, applause thundered throughout the hall.
Aaron clapped as he found the performance incredibly captivating.
The next performance had not yet begun, but he and several others decided to step outside in search of fresh air within the open corridors.
'What a dark performance for the end of the year.'
Aaron frowned as he walked steadily toward the right side of the hall.
Amidst the crowd, a long-haired black-haired man with an indifferent gaze accidentally bumped into Aaron while conversing with another man beside him.
Aaron immediately snapped out of his thoughts before looking at the man and speaking weakly.
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to bump into you."
The man smiled bitterly and replied with closed eyes,
"Ah, it's alright. Forgive me as well for walking while talking."
The man beside him, wearing a bowler hat, slightly lowered his hat before continuing forward, followed shortly by the long-haired man as he bid farewell to Aaron.
Aaron glanced at them briefly before continuing onward with both hands tucked inside his coat pockets.
Not long afterward, after wandering around and moving into another building near the previous hall, Aaron finally found Zavi and the two women standing at the corner of the room while the air around them froze with tension as their gazes collided.
The year was nearing its end.
Yet somewhere beneath the snowfall, behind the celebration, and beyond the lights illuminating Minehold.
Something far darker had already begun moving in silence.