The first thing I noticed was how familiar the walls surrounding me were.
The second thing was music.
As I looked around, my eyes adjusting to this new location, I realized why it felt so familiar. I was inside the castle from the first Trial. Or at least, inside its walls. That place looked like a garden, the open space giving its own welcoming aura with all the warm-toned plants, well-kept stone trails, and statues.
All around me, there were humanoid shapes, their bodies moving like a blend of flames, smoke, and shadows. They were dressed like waiters and servants, their clothes immaculate and formal. The shapes kept moving and walking from one spot to the next, carrying all sorts of things.
[You have received a message]
[You have received a message]
I opened both at the same time, chuckling as I read the words.
[Seems like your kid was right.
Tell me your squad.]
[Mister, I was right!
It is a party!]
Indeed, it was a party.
And not any kind of party.
[Third Trial – Till Death Do Them Part]
[Contracted Self Park Eun-Woo: Patrol Squad]
[Mission: Protect the Bride and Groom’s joyful day]
[Someone wishes to cause mayhem in the wedding. You must protect the Bride and Groom and guarantee their happiness at this prestigious event.]
[Patrol Squad Duties: ]
- Survey the designated areas alongside your partner
- Report any suspicious activity to the Royal Squad
- Apprehend any intruders
- Confiscate any suspicious or potentially harmful objects
[Time till the Wedding Reception: 3:48:18]
[3:48:17]
[3:48:16]
…
I read my tasks a few more times, messaging the rest of the group. After a few minutes, I was able to have a better picture of our situation.
Hal was part of the Escort Squad; the Bride was coming from far away and there was the possibility of someone attempting to murder her before she reached the castle. The Escort Squad was to accompany the Bride until she reached the castle.
Kurosawa was with the Royal Squad; their task was to protect the Bride and Groom and remain by their sides at all times. Kurosawa was to protect the Groom, alongside a trio.
Hil was in the Cook Squad; they had to aid the servants in preparing the food and had to make sure all meals had a minimum of excellence. Hil was tasked to help with the desserts and the appetizers.
Aída was with the Design Squad; they were organizing the entire party, from decorations to the order the guests would arrive. However, they had to comply with both the Bride's and the Groom’s requests, and there were many demands conflicting with each other.
Even with all that information, it was difficult to gauge the difficulty level of the trial. Since there were so many squads, and it was such a grand event, it was safe to assume it would not be that simple. Yet how complex or dangerous it would be…
It was better to assume the worst.
“Are you my partner?”
As a Korean, I was not used to seeing many foreigners, especially non-Asians. Yet it was not her ebony skin that surprised me, the intrinsic braids of her black hair, nor the unique and sharp beauty of her features.
It was her eyes.
Her gaze forced me to stare, stealing and demanding my attention while at the same time, it felt as if I was being given permission to look into her eyes.
They were the color of melted gold.
It took me a few seconds to find my voice. “You…your designated areas are—”
“The West Wing Garden and the Wedding Hall. I assume they are the same as yours.”
“Yes, they are.”
There was something about her. Whether it was her voice, soothing and lyrical, the amused smile that never seemed to leave her lips or the aura around her… It was as if I was standing before a different entity.
A deity.
“I’m Kaduna. You are Park Eun-Woo.” Kaduna wore a white and delicate gown, one that complimented her well.
She walked in my direction in a straight line, yet instead of staying put or walking closer to her I took a few steps backs. As if to give her space, as if I could not dare to get too close.
“Yes…”
“The fortune gods must be smiling at me, then.” Without saying anything else, she walked past me, getting closer to a stone-horse statue.
She had a piercing on her lower lip, one in her eyebrows, and another in her septum. I was not sure I could count how many she had in each ear. Yet the strangest thing…the more I looked…
They didn’t seem to be made of metal.
“Have you noticed this?”
Kaduna’s question caught me off guard. When she saw I didn’t reply, her smile became even softer, her voice warmer.
“The statues. They have inscriptions on them.”
Once I got closer, I was able to see it. Small symbols and some odd writing, a writing that could almost be mistaken for cracks and grooves.
“You checked other statues on your way here?”
“Yes, they were all marked like this.”
I traced the markings with my fingers, the cold stone as lifeless as it could be. Maybe these marks had always been there, perhaps they were nothing at all.
Yet what if they were not simple and random inscriptions? What if they had meaning, and their meaning was something related to the trial?
What if they were instructions?
Beside me, my tasks hovered in the air, with one in particular glowing slightly brighter.
- Report any suspicious activity to the Royal Squad
There were a lot of tall bushes in the garden. Corners, blind spots, places that would make it easier for someone to hide and crouch, to stay away from sight.
It was a good location to plan a murder.
“Do you know anyone who was sent to the Design Squad, Kaduna?” I said as I sent a message to Aída
The woman tilted her head to the side, thinking.
“I am unsure. I have not kept in touch with the ones I met in previous Trials, neither have they tried to reach out to me.”
Well, I’m not surprised with that.
Even now, I felt too nervous to be talking and standing so close to her.
Aída replied to me right away.
“No problem, I got the information from a friend of mine. From what she said, the Bride and the Groom are scheduled to walk in the garden a few times.”
“And when will that be?”
“One moment, I will ask her.”
Instead of replying with the time, Aída sent me the entire schedule for the day.
And it was at that moment I realized how the Third Trial was going to be, indeed, very complicated.