MILLIONS OF CHILDREN ARE REPORTED MISSING EVERY YEAR.
In the vast majority of cases, up to ninety-percent of them depending on where the disappearance took place, the child is found alive and well. More than half of them are found within twenty-four hours of being reported missing. After seventy-two hours, however, authorities will keep searching, not for a kid anymore—but a body.
“Why do I even know that? What kind of person were you, Kyouka?”
In a city with no modern malls or public parks, and alcohol-serving establishments were relegated to outside the walls for peace and security reasons, cafés came to dominate the streets as the de facto spaces for the average citizen to socialize or just take a breather.
Kyouka stared blankly back at herself through her own reflection in the dark, caramel-brown liquid. Lily had been missing for three days. Conand said she disappeared exactly like Stripey, just gone when he woke up.
They were staying in the same room on the second floor of an inn; it would've been impossible to forcefully enter and snatch Lily out of bed without him noticing when he was sleeping right across the room.
Her shoes were also missing, strongly indicating that Lily left of her own will. That combined with the fact that they were just travelers meant the town guard was not too enthused to help with the search.
Kyouka and Rena turned to Henriette and pleaded for her assistance. Incidentally, the guards have taken the search for Lily very seriously over the past three days, even mobilizing some hippogryph riders to scan from the air.
On the day Lily went missing, Conand recalled to the search party his last interaction with her. He woke up in the middle of the night and saw her staring out the window. She said Stripey was outside. Wasn't that obvious? That's what being missing means, Conand thought to himself. It became clear, however, that that wasn't what she meant.
She wanted to go outside right then, in the middle of the night. Stripey was right there, just outside. Lily had heard the meowing coming from the woods; there was no doubt in her mind. Naturally, Conand looked out the window and saw nothing. He tucked her back into bed and promised they'd go looking again first thing in the morning.
The search then concentrated on the surrounding woods. The forest wasn't very dense, and there shouldn't be any dangerous animals. Normally, that is. The dismembered, dried-up horse carcasses were found just before Lily went missing. Nobody wanted to openly acknowledge the sinking feeling in their guts. A child was out there, lost and defenseless against whatever did that.
People were afraid. Horses and cattle were placed under close watch, and foot traffic in-and-out of the woods was strongly discouraged—not that anyone wanted to go near the woods anyway. As a result, there have been no further disappearances, human or animal, over the past three days.
Kyouka held her head in her hands. Her leg kept shaking restlessly. The fragrant liquid in her cup had long since gone cold. Henriette provided all the support she could, and Rena was leading the search party with Conand out in the woods day in, day out.
It was too dangerous for Kyouka to leave the walls, however, so all she could do was fruitlessly wander the streets just in case Lily had inexplicably gotten lost somewhere in the city instead of out, but even the act of pretending to help eventually got frustrating. All she could really do was wait.
As the sun sank under the horizon and the day's work came to an end, more patrons flooded onto the streets and into the establishments. The sounds and smells in the packed café became overwhelming.
Then, suddenly—nothing. All the aggravating stimuli got drowned out as if her head had been shoved into a bucket of ice water. The fog of exhaustion cleared, her mind felt unnaturally focused yet still she failed to notice—
“May I?”
Someone was sitting across from her. This in itself was nothing strange. It was normal to share tables with strangers in places like this. Pointy ears…another elf? They look a little different, but what else could it be? Tall, with a slender build, dressed head-to-toe in fine, black garments, he looked like the sort of distinguished figure that the princess would entertain at the mansion.
“…Sure, go ahead.”
Why does it feel like this guy's not sitting here by coincidence?
“Excuse me, sir. Did you have business with me?”
There was no visible movement, but she felt the man stir.
“Do I? I was simply curious.”
…What?
“Oh no no, it's nothing strange. I've been a patron of this establishment for years now. I thought I knew everyone around here, but you're a new face. I mean no offense, but your appearance does stand out. Not from Astre, perhaps?”
Was it that obvious? No need to panic, we already have a cover story.
“No offense taken. I am simply a humble apprentice at The Tower, sent here by request of Princess Henriette who, if you weren't aware, is a patron of the mystical arts.”
“Oh, of course. Another one, I see. You've come a long way, then.”
“Y-yes…I have.”
“How are you finding your visit? Quite the commotion lately, very unfortunate.”
“You mean the missing girl? They're still searching for her, though.”
“That is certainly the case. Apologies for my insensitivity…did you perhaps know the child?”
What's the right play here? Play dumb? But if I talk about the case, he might know something.
“…No. It's just concerning.”
“Yes, yes, we should all be very concerned. Why, I hear even that aloof princess of ours was spurred to action!”
“Pardon me if I'm mistaken, but do you work with the merchant's guild?”
For the first time in the conversation, the man paused.
“Why do you ask?”
“Was it rude of me? I apologize. You looked to be—”
“—To be of wealth and status, but not of high birth?”
“N-no, that's—!”
The man started laughing out of nowhere—not a hearty laugh from the belly, but an unsettling, almost cough-like wheezing. It made Kyouka's skin crawl.
“Worry not, young lady. I understood your intent. Because of the danger to both horses and wagon drivers, trade with the outside world has been paused.”
“Yes, I figured a gentleman such as yourself would be involved in trade.”
“Involved? Certainly, but I have never been a member of the merchant's guild. I'm a private person, you see? Such organizations are absolutely rife with gossip and treachery.”
“Is that why you're all the way out here? I heard it's uneventful, for better or worse. Well, right now it isn't.”
“Indeed. I fear this may not be an isolated incident…perhaps it's time to move on.”
The man got up to leave.
“Thank you for indulging my curiosity. As thanks, allow me to share one of many rumors I've collected from being a nosy old man in a quaint little town. We all lose things every now and then. As adults, we're painfully aware of the impermanence of things.
“To the mind of a child, however, even an inconsequential loss can feel devastating. It may even drive some to the point of desperation, to do things they know they're not supposed to. Yes, like venturing into the woods…alone.
The origins of this tall tale are shrouded in mystery. Children whisper it amongst themselves for fear of being found out by the adults. Somewhere deep in the forest, It lives. A Fair One, perhaps? Nobody knows, but they say if you lose something important that you just cannot find no matter what you do, seek It.”
“…And then what? Does It have what you're looking for?”
“That depends on which version of the story you hear. You know how these things go; people can never keep the story straight as it's passed on. In some versions, It gives back what you want if you can solve a simple riddle or pass a test of character. In others, you must overcome a series of impossible trials, each more nonsensical than the last.”
“What if you fail?”
The man had his back turned, but Kyouka felt him smiling through the tone in his voice.
“Then you become someone else's lost thing, but you already knew that, didn't you, Miss Kyouka?”
“How do you know my—”
“Kyouka!”
Huh?
Henriette was shaking her shoulders with a concerned expression.
“P-princess? Where did…”
It was already well into the night, and the café was almost empty. The man was nowhere in sight. That strange feeling of being in ice water had also disappeared so completely that Kyouka wondered if any of it was real.
“I came to check up on the search's progress, and Rena told me you have been patronizing this establishment lately, so I thought I would come over to bring you home myself.
Look, I know the past three days have been difficult, but please try not to fall asleep alone in public. The owner even told me you slept right through the commotion when a large bat wandered inside and bit a poor gentleman! Usually such shy creatures…”
Asleep, huh…
“Alone? Are you sure?”
“Yes? Is something the matter?”
“No, it's nothing. Sorry for worrying you. Let's go home.”
Kyouka tried to force a smile to reassure her, but although Henriette still looked unconvinced, she didn't press any further. As they left, Kyouka looked down and saw that her cup was still full, and there was another full cup across from it. Come to think of it, what did that man look like? I clearly remember what we talked about, but not his face.
Needless to say, the search for Lily had come up empty again.
“How's he holding up?”
“As well as one could, given the circumstances.”
As Kyouka prepared to retire for the night, Rena reported on the search party's activities. Keeping her in the loop like this was Rena's roundabout way of being considerate for her feelings, though she'd never admit it.
“What kind of relationship did you have, anyway? I figured it would've been hard for you to have any friends if you've been serving the royal family your whole life.”
Rena didn't answer right away, staring blankly at the ceiling. She was lying down on a couch in Kyouka's room. Normally, she'd never show how exhausted she was in front of the princess, the other servants, or anyone else.
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“I first met Conand more than twenty years ago. At the time, I commanded the guards at a city that bordered The Empire.”
“Wait wait wait, didn't your family serve Henriette's for generations?”
“Listen, there are many ways to be of service. I was simply given a task that suited my talents.”
Well, I have seen her fight, but is that really all there is to it? Would the king really really entrust the defense of an important border city with a hostile nation just because she's pretty good at swinging a sword?
“Conand was smuggled into Astre as a baby along with his mother. This was not an uncommon occurrence. My men caught the trading wagon they had hidden themselves in. Normally, they would just be sent back.”
“Hold on a minute. You say your men caught him…as a baby? So he's only a little older than me, but what about you?”
“…I'm forty-eight.”
Kyouka almost shouted out in astonishment, but Rena stared daggers at her.
“O-oh, is that all? I thought you'd be at least a hundred years old!”
She tried to make a joke about elf stereotypes from Earth to lighten the mood, but Rena looked oddly wistful in response.
“I could be. Yes, I would look the same at a hundred, two hundred even.”
“If you live so long, then why isn't the world full of elves?”
“Because diluting our blood means diluting the gifts granted by The Feyr. At least, that is what my parents would say.”
“Basically, half-elves don't live as long?”
“Half? In this era, that would be miraculous. I am still considered fortunate at just a quarter. Most of our blood is far, far thinner.”
“Is that a bad thing? At worst, they'll live a little longer than the average human and age better too. That sounds like a good deal.”
Rena flashed a bitter smile.
“For many, it is more painful to lose something than to have never had it at all. Someone as blessed as I was could hardly understand.”
“Is that why you let them in? Because they were elves, and you felt guilty?”
“His mother did not share our gifts…but yes. I looked the other way.”
“And you didn't know about Lily because she was born after you left to be the princess' guardian.”
“A guardian, you say? Is that how it appears to you? I assure you, Her Highness needs no such thing. Now, it has gotten quite late, and the search continues tomorrow. I shall take my leave.”
“Yeah, stay safe out there. Goodnight.”
Despite her icy, sarcastic demeanor, Rena was considerate and understood well how to take care of others. Her efforts in keeping Kyouka company did not go unnoticed or unappreciated, though she'd never admit it.
Silence descended. Not wanting to be alone with her thoughts, Kyouka tried to fall asleep immediately. Every day that Lily stays missing, the odds of finding her safe and sound plummet. Other than Rena and Conand, everyone hired to be in the search party should be losing morale right about now…
“Help me…”
Huh?
“Help me…”
Is that…a voice? She looked around and saw nobody. Her drowsiness completely vanished.
“Rena?”
She got up and looked out the door. The hallway was empty.
“Help me…”
The other side? Opposite the door was the window. She looked out to the dark woods that surrounded the mansion. It was hard to see anything.
“Help me…big brother…”
“L-Lily!?”
She could tell. The voice was definitely coming from outside. Out, in the forest. I have to call for help! I have to…I have to…help…go…help…
“Help me…big sister…”
The chilling air stung her skin through the thin pajamas. She felt the cold, hard earth under her bare feet. What the hell? Where…? All around her was nothing but dense forest as far as she could see with just moonlight.
“How did I get all the way out here!?”
This feels a lot like when I first got here. This time, I actually have somewhere to go home to, but it's pointless if I can't orient myself. All I can do is pick a direction and hope it leads somewhe—what…is that?
As she looked around for a way out, the moonlight hit a bush at just the right angle to show it smeared in what looked like dark, rust-colored paint. Walking a little further, similar crimson residue could be found on more trees and bushes. The marks were all below her line-of-sight, suggesting whatever made them was shorter than her.
Dried-up blood…these might not belong to Lily, but what if they do? This might be the only clue anyone's found in days. Turning the other way doesn't guarantee I'll make it out. I'll find her and hold out until sunrise, then it'll be easier to navigate. Yeah, we might even run into the search party! This is it, Kyouka, this is why you were brought here. It's all on you, now.
Anyone could tell that whoever left this trail of blood stains had been seriously wounded, and the fact that it was dry meant they had to fend for themself in the woods without treatment all this time—assuming they were still alive.
One thought kept Kyouka from despairing despite the dire implications: since the trail kept going deep into the forest, that means whoever left it was able to keep going. She'd resolved herself to see this through, regardless of the outcome.
This time, she didn't have her cellphone. It was impossible to tell how much time had passed since she started walking. It felt like the cloudless night sky had been frozen in place, but eventually, she saw that the trees in the distance began to thin out. Finally, a clearing!
“Holy shit…”
Beyond the trees, in the middle of the clearing, was a shack. Deep in the forest, the solitary man-made structure looked uncanny, and the open door gave off a sense of foreboding. It was clearly old, but still perfectly intact.
The remains of a long dried-up flower bed surrounding it kept the building from becoming overgrown with grass over the seemingly many years it had been left abandoned. Simple, even austere, but by no means shoddy.
“How long has this been here?”
Her common sense, which she'd shoved into a mental broom closet, escaped and was now screaming at her to leave the obvious Serial Killer Shack alone. Y-yeah, the trail stopped anyway, and Lily's obviously not here…
“No, I decided to see this through.”
The forest was deathly silent, as if waiting with bated breath for something to happen and egging her on towards the unknown. Kyouka gathered her courage and advanced slowly, her footfalls on dry grass only drowned out by her deafening heartbeat.
Suddenly, a single sound cut through the darkness.
“Did something just meow!?”
It clearly came from that building! Her conversations with Lily made her curious, so she once asked the worldly Princess Henriette about cats in Arkadia, and it turns out they're fairly common in the southern part of the continent but practically nonexistent in the Astre Kingdom.
There's no way a different cat just wandered into this forest by accident. It has to be Stripey! Spurred on by a glimmer of hope, Kyouka forgot her fear and rushed into the shack to find—nothing. No cat, no body, not even bloodstains. Just a table, some chairs, and a cabinet full of junk. Everything's covered in dust…no one's set foot in here since the Showa era.
“Am I going crazy? You don't even remember how you got all the way out here. Maybe this really is all just a messed up dream.”
Her adrenaline-fueled resistance to the stinging fall air was starting to wear off.
“I could just stay in here until morning. It's better than being out in the cold.”
With nothing else to do until the sun rose, Kyouka looked around at all the old stuff left behind in the shack. Curiously, the cabinet was locked. She looked around for a key to no avail. Well, I'm sure they won't mind.
Dusting off a pestle and mortar left on the table, she raised the heavy stone mortar and smashed the cabinet lock, and with a loud crack, the wood surrounding the sturdy metal lock split wide open. Hey, if it works.
“…Woah.”
She'd expected to see clothes, tools, or food supplies inside, but instead she was confronted with a strange assortment of items that did not fit with the rest of the simple shack.
“What in the world was this place used for?”
The back of the cabinet was painted with an unfamiliar symbol: a flaming sword inside a gold ring. Inside were a wooden spear, a metal box, a sheathed dagger, and a long, black garment.
This looks close enough to my size. Thanks to being locked away from the air all these years, everything inside was kept safe from dust and moisture. She put on the black robes over her pajamas for warmth. Nice. My luck's starting to turn around.
She then examined the metal box which bore the same symbol as the cabinet, but it was locked. For a second, she looked down at the mortar but decided against it using it to break open the box. It would suck if I broke whatever's inside. Let's just take this back home.
『Am I going crazy?』
A whisper reached out from the dark.
“Wha—!?”
Kyouka spun around so abruptly that she almost fell over. There was nobody there, but she knew it wasn't just a hallucination. What the hell was that!?
『Just a messed up dream.』
This time there was no mistaking it. She was paying full attention, and she heard the voice loud and clear. It sounded hoarse, like dessicated vocal chords straining until they bled. But worst of all, she could tell where it was coming from.
Grey, leathery skin pulled tight over bone. Bulging, milky-white eyes. Large, pointy ears. Rat-like front teeth and long, needle-like fangs. Hanging from the ceiling like a spider, only the smallest vestiges of a humanoid form.
“This isn't rea—”
『Stay in here until morning.』
Is that—my voice? The thing dropped down, crushing the table and scattering dust everywhere. Kyouka screamed and grabbed the spear from the cabinet. It turned towards her. She ran straight at It, aiming right at Its chest. With an unnatural, jerky movement, It jumped onto the wall and crawled away.
『Better than being out in the cold.』
It opened its mouth and spoke without moving Its tongue or lips. That really is my voice. It didn't sound anything like that at first. Was it listening to me this whole time? Kyouka shuddered at the thought of It silently watching her from the ceiling. Wait a minute…
Suddenly, she connected the dots. This thing could mimic sounds, Its eyes were milky-white, and Its ears were massive. You're blind…aren't you? You didn't dodge my attack by seeing it, you heard my footsteps.
The beast started crawling slowly, but a faint whistling sound made It jump down off the wall. It narrowly avoided getting skewered in the heart, the spear embedded in the wall where It had just been. Even a projectile makes too much noise!?
It leaped where the spear was thrown from, smashing the cabinet to pieces with unnatural strength for its gangly frame, but Kyouka had already moved away. I could grab the spear and try again, but attacking the same way will just produce the same result. This thing's hearing is too sensitive—no, that's it!
It again caught the sound of footsteps closing in, but this time, It chose to strike back with Its claws—only to hit empty air. A loud crack came from right in front of Its face, assaulting Its ears with a burst of sound. For just a moment, It couldn't tell where anything was.
The window shattered, sending another dizzying wave of sound, but the beast was undeterred. It wouldn't let her escape that easily. With a great leap, It flew out of the shattered window to chase Its prey, completely ignoring the cuts from shattered glass.
It faced the forest and let out a horrifying call of disjointed human voices and animal cries to fill the space with sound It could use to orient itself. Unfortunately, this cacophony drowned out a faint whistling noise, and It was unable to avoid getting skewered from behind.
Kyouka hadn't jumped out of the window, as the beast was led to believe. She had narrowly avoided the swipe of Its claws and got as close as possible to clap her hand with all the strength of her pectoral muscles, disregarding the extreme pain this would cause to nerve-filled hands.
In Its moment of distraction, she threw the stone mortar through the window, shattering it, then she hurriedly grabbed the spear as the beast jumped out of the shack. She waited for It to make a move. If It left quietly, she'd just let It walk away and stay there without sleeping until dawn, but when It unleashed that horrible cry, she took her chance to throw the spear again, believing this time the sound would be masked.
Now, the beast flailed violently, screaming and crying in human voices of all kinds.
『Stripey…Stripey where are you…』
Deep down, she already knew that this thing had to be responsible for Lily's disappearance. In the first place, it was her voice that lured me out. Kyouka searched the smashed remains of the cabinet and retrieved the dagger. Unsheathing it, she confirmed it to have a usable edge.
This was nothing like her confrontation with the gryphon at the lake. This wasn't a creature from a fantasy world. This thing shouldn't exist in any world. Simply escaping wasn't enough. Naturally, she wanted revenge for Lily, but equally, she felt a strong desire to put this abomination out of Its misery.
Kyouka watched the beast struggle to pull the spear out of its chest, but somehow, the wooden shaft had grown thorns that made it impossible to extract. No way…did that shabby-looking spear have a magic enchantment!?
During one of her conversations with Henriette about how Arkadia compared to the fantasy worlds she knew from fiction, the subject of enchanted objects did come up briefly. They were supposed to be rare and expensive, such that even the princess only had a handful in her possession.
Just as she was thinking that the beast would just die even if she didn't do anything further, Its behavior took a sudden change. It ceased flailing and screaming, kneeling and grabbing Its head while groaning in agony.
This is awful. She contemplated slitting Its throat but decided that would be too dangerous. Grotesque bulges appeared on the creature's back, desperately trying to tear through the sickly gray skin. Then, the growths violently burst out in a bloody mess.
Are those—wings!? Kyouka was in disbelief. Leathery wings were growing out of the wounds, trying to wiggle out and unfold. Without a moment's hesitation, she sprang into action. The situation had changed; she couldn't afford to leave this thing be and hope It just dies quietly.
Brandishing the dagger, its silver blade glinting under the moonlight, she rushed at the prostrated creature. In her urgency to strike, however, she forgot their earlier exchanges. There was nothing to mask the sound of her movement.
Without even turning Its head, the creature lashed out with its gangly but powerful arm, smacking Kyouka with the speed of a bullwhip and the force of a stallion's kick. She flew back several feet, crashing into the shack with a loud thud and the sickening snap of crushed bone.
“Hhhhh—hhhhh—”
She cried out in pain, but her lungs could only force out a dry hiss. Shit, how many ribs…? Her head pounded, and her vision was filled with white noise. She was slumped up against the side of the shack, unable to get up. She couldn't feel her legs.
Yet It screamed. At the base of its wing, just behind the shoulder, the dagger was lodged deep into the joint—with Kyouka's arm still firmly grasping the hilt. Ha ha, gotcha. Her thrust had been just a split-second faster.
Now, one of Its wings was useless. You're not going anywhere. The creature struggled in vain to fly away with Its one good wing. Hey, ugly…how does it feel? That's for Lily…you won't be seeing us where you're going.
She grabbed what was left of her arm and squeezed with all her remaining strength, but that was nowhere near enough to staunch the bleeding. Blood filled her lungs, and her shallow, wheezing breaths were accompanied by gurgling.
The creature heard her struggling to breathe and, in a delirious rage, charged straight at her with its gaping maw. She saw It coming but made no move to get out of the way. Everything from the creature, to her own dripping blood, down to the leaves swaying gently in the night breeze moved in slow motion.
Kyouka felt cold, but even that faded away. It didn't hurt to breathe because she had stopped breathing. The events of the past week flashed through her mind. It felt like a lifetime. The moonlit forest before her grayed out and distorted like a television losing its signal.
Did I do my duty as a Traveler…princess? I never did get to see what's behind that mask of yours. Sorry, Rena…I'll have to kick your ass in another life. Hey…whoever brought me here…next time, can you at least give me some cool abilities…
Drip, drop.
Drip, drop.
Like a metronome, Kyouka's own life essence drained out and lulled her to sleep.
Drip, drop.
Drip, drop.
Nothing else existed, and the darkness claimed her.
Drip———
Now—my turn.