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Condemned To Death
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‘Yes…that’s…right…I…am…you.’
Bam!
Without warning, Seren felt his whole body being lifted off the ground. For a split second, he was weightless, suspended in a moment of confusion and disorientation. Then, just as suddenly, he was slammed back onto the ground. The impact knocked the wind out of him, his lungs burning as he gasped for air.
"What the hell are you doing?!"
The voice cut through the fog in Seren's mind, sharp and urgent. His eyes, which had been unfocused and distant, snapped to attention. He looked up, blinking rapidly as his vision cleared.
A man with short, fiery red hair loomed over him. The stranger's face was a mask of anxiety and trouble, his brow furrowed deeply and his green eyes wide with a mix of concern and anger.
"Are you trying to get all of us killed?!"
The man with the red hair shouted, his voice still trembling a little from before.
Seren looked up at the man, his crimson eyes dazed a little from the earlier experience. His mask had fallen off when the man had tackled him down, revealing his confused face.
"I... I was..." Seren stammered, still trying to gather his thoughts. He blinked rapidly, attempting to clear his head and assess the situation. Gradually, the fog in his mind began to lift, and he started to remember what had happened as his gaze sharpened.
"Get off me." He said calmly but with a hint of threat in his voice
The red-haired man, noticing Seren's sharp crimson eyes and his commanding tone, breathed a sigh of relief as he got off him and stood up. The tension in his shoulders visibly eased, though wariness still lingered in his eyes.
Seren tried to get up, but then the man stretched out his hand. Seren looked at the offered hand, then up at the man, observing him for a second. Seeing only relief in the man's face, he grabbed the hand and pulled himself up from the ground.
"Whew, man, you scared me there for a second. What were you trying to do back there?" The man asked, his voice noticeably more relaxed.
Seren didn't reply immediately. Instead, he patted the dust off himself before retrieving his fallen mask and putting it back on his face.
He then looked to the side at the window of the house. The room beyond was empty - no sign of the man, no rope attached to the couch. It looked like just another ordinary living room. The disconnect between what he had seen before and what he saw now was jarring.
"Hey, hey, don't stare too much," the man said, anxiety creeping back into his voice.
Seren turned his head back and asked in a confused voice, "Why?"
The man's eyes widened in shock. "Did no one tell you before you came to this place? No, wait a second... Are you new? How did you even get inside here?"
Seren didn't reply, just staring at him silently, unmoving. The silence stretched between them, growing uncomfortable until the man couldn't take it anymore and answered Seren’s question.
"...Whoever stares inside these houses for a long time will start to see things that are not real. Everything you see on this street is created by the SomniTree relic," he explained, his words tumbling out in a rush.
This revelation hit Seren like a physical blow. He hadn't considered that a relic could influence such a large area on this scale.
'Is that why I was acting out-of-character before?' he wondered.
The realization that his earlier thoughts and actions might not have been entirely his own was unsettling. Normally, if he had seen someone trying to harm themselves, he would have just let them be. The idea of trying to persuade them otherwise, especially for the mere reward of gratitude or information was completely out of character for him.
'I wonder what rank a relic would have to be to do something like this?'
After contemplating for a bit, Seren said in a more relaxed voice and friendly tone, "Thanks for helping me earlier, I'm not that familiar with this place."
The man replied in a lighthearted tone, "It's no big deal and I was just looking out for myself." His posture relaxed slightly, but his eyes remained alert, darting occasionally to the windows of the surrounding ominous houses.
“What do you mean?” Seren asked, showed a confused expression as he tilted his head a bit.
The man saw Seren’s confused state as he then began to explain with a serious expression, his voice dropping to a near-whisper. "When you stare into these houses for too long... it's not just dangerous, it's deadly." His voice was gruff, filled with fear as if he was recounting things he had personally witnessed.
"People who look too long, they... they lose it. First, they lose their senses, then their mind just... stops." He paused, swallowing hard. "And then, just like that," he snapped his fingers for emphasis, the sharp sound echoing unnaturally in the quiet street, "they're gone. Dead on the spot."
The man's expression darkened further, his brow furrowing as he continued. "But that's not even the worst of it. It's what happens after death when the real horror show begins."
He leaned in closer. "The body... it changes. Mutates into something... I don't even have words for it. An abomination. A monster with the power of a Law that attacks anything and everything in sight mindlessly. We're talking Lesser rank 3 beast level of nasty."
The man shook his head, a haunted look crossing his face. His eyes seemed to lose focus for a moment, as if reliving a terrifying memory. "I've seen it happen. Trust me, you don't want any part of that nightmare."
Seren was no longer relaxed after hearing this. His expression, hidden behind the mask, took on a more serious look.
He had just escaped death by mere seconds!
The memory of the man inside the house who looked just like him flashed in his mind, and instantly, a wave of splitting headache hit him. It felt as if burning nails were being drilled into his skull, and his negative emotions intensified. He quickly controlled his thoughts and tried to forget about everything that had just happened.
"Alright, I gotta go, don't do something like that again," the man said as he waved goodbye and started walking away.
"Ah wait, are you Lola's brother?" Seren called out from behind, his voice cutting through the silence.
The man abruptly stopped.
Seeing him stop, Seren thought he had found the person he was looking for, but then, without warning, the man turned around and rushed at him.
*Grab
He grabbed Seren's clothes with both hands, his fingers digging into the fabric. He pulled Seren closer to his face, close enough that Seren could see the small lines in his green eyes. Those eyes, once friendly, now burned with pure disgust and fury.
"Who the hell are you? What did you do to my sister?" The man's voice was hoarse, filled with a rage that seemed to vibrate through his entire body.
The air grew heavy with tension, and Seren could almost taste the man's fear and anger on his tongue.
Seren looked up at the man with a calm expression, his crimson eyes unblinking behind his mask. His hand then moved swiftly, gripping the man's wrist tightly. He said in an emotionless voice.
"Let go."
The man's face contorted further, his grip tightening.
"Answer the damn question! How do you know my sister?!"
Seren remained unmoved, his voice maintaining its monotone quality as he repeated, "Last time, let go."
The warning was clear, but the man seemed beyond reason, his teeth gritted as he visibly struggled to control his emotions.
Seren then out of nowhere, swung his other arm towards the man's face. The man's instincts kicked in, releasing Seren's clothes and raising his arms to protect his head.
Bam!
The fist connected with man’s arm as he successfully blocked the punch. The man then activated his relic as small spark started igniting before quickly increasing in intensity around the base of his palm. There was a grim determination on the man’s face as he prepared to attack Seren.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“You still have time! Tell me how you know my sis–” Before the man could finish his sentence his words died in his throat as his face initially set in grim determination, slowly morphed into an expression of shock and agony. His eyes bulged, looking as if they might pop out of their sockets.
Thud
He then crumpled to the ground, motionless save for the tremors of pain wracking his body.
The man held his breath, clearly fighting the urge to scream. His hands clutched at his groin as he sprawled on the ground, his earlier bravado completely shattered.
"...T..hat's…dirty…you..bas..tard," he managed to squeeze out between pained groans.
Previously, Seren had feigned an attack by trying to punch the man’s face and distracting him momentarily but at the same time he also launched a swift kick at his family jewels, which unfortunately connected.
Seren stood over him with a relaxed posture. His voice was matter-of-fact as he explained, "Just be happy I didn't rip them off and to answer your last question, I met your sister at the relic shop. She told me to find her brother and give this to him." He tossed down the slip Lola had given him, the paper fluttering to rest near the man's contorted form.
Despite his pain, the man's eyes seemed to relax slightly at Seren's words. After a few moments of intimate connection with the ground, he slowly began to rise, though his legs visibly shaking.
As he read the slip, a pained laugh escaped his lips. "Ahaha… so you were trying to join the Ravens. My bad, I thought you were with... okay, let's not talk about that." The man turned his gaze away as if trying not to remember something.
"So how do I join them?" Seren asked.
The man winced, his legs still unsteady. "First, help me walk at least. I'll take you to them, but right now I can barely stand on my own after that introduction gift you gave me."
Seren sighed lightly as he then moved to support the man, placing the man's arm over his shoulder.
The odd pair made their way down the street, the man still occasionally wincing in pain, while Seren remained alert, his eyes scanning their surroundings.
…
"I'm Theo, Lola's older brother," Theo introduced himself as he walked slowly with small steps while Seren supported him. His voice was strained, still recovering from the earlier altercation.
"Seren," Seren replied in a flat tone, his voice muffled slightly by his mask.
Theo chuckled weakly, wincing as the movement jostled his sore body. "Could you be any more straightforward?"
Seren didn't comment and instead asked about the joining process for the Ravens, his voice betraying no emotion.
"Man, why are you in such a hurry to join?" Theo asked, curiosity evident in his tone. "Well, the actual process for joining the Ravens depends each time but for us, it’s usually on the whims of our captain."
"Captain?" Seren questioned, his interest piqued.
Theo didn't reply immediately. Instead, he looked at Seren, trying to discern his expression behind the mask. After a moment, he said, "Before that, answer me this honestly…”
Theo stopped for a moment as he took a deep breath and asked, “...Are you going out with my sister?"
Seren halted suddenly. Theo held his breath as he waited for the response. After a few tense seconds, he replied simply, "No."
"Thank goddd," Theo exhaled in relief, as if a weight had been lifted off his chest. "When I saw your face and how Lola had gone out of her way to help you get here, I didn't want to think my innocent little sister had started going out with someone."
Seren remained silent, remembering his earlier conversation with Lola. The word 'innocent' seemed at odds with what he knew of her.
Refocusing on his goal, Seren asked, "Are these captains the ones who decide if you can join?"
"Ah, yes, about that," Theo began, his voice taking on an explanatory tone. "The captains are the only people with authority that can let you into the organization and this process usually differs from captain to captain"
"What do you mean?" Seren pressed.
As they continued to walk down the endless street, surrounded by eerie houses and the soft rustling of giant roots overhead, Theo launched into a detailed explanation.
"First, you have to understand that Ravens is made up of different branches and departments. Each department has its own rules and regulations that its members have to follow, and this includes the tests." Theo then went on a long rant about the hierarchy of the Ravens and all the different things that happen within the organization, seemingly forgetting about the original question.
Seren didn't mind this since given his lack of knowledge about the Ravens, Theo's loose tongue was providing valuable information. He stayed silent the entire time as he let Theo do most of the talking.
He learned that the Ravens was an organization that operated on a typical functional hierarchy with 10 separate departments.
The Punishers Department was responsible for enforcing the organization's rules and carrying out disciplinary actions against the general public.
The Relics and Artifact Warfare Department focuses on developing new artifacts and researching relics to better understand their powers for optimal use.
The Security and Defence Department is tasked with protecting the Ravens' interests against other organizations operating secretly within Glowhaven.
He went on to explain the support departments like the Medical unit, Communications and Encryptions department, and the Logistics team. Each of them played a crucial role in keeping the Ravens functioning smoothly.
Theo's voice took on a tone of awe as he described the Infiltration and Espionage department. "One really cool department is the Infiltration and Espionage department," he said. "These guys operate mainly in Chimera Vale, gathering information on different authorities above ground and carrying out assassinations."
But then suddenly, Theo's voice suddenly dropped to a hushed, grave tone, his eyes darting around as if checking for eavesdroppers. "But listen closely, Seren," he whispered, leaning in conspiratorially. "There are two departments you should never even think of joining or offending. The War Council and the Tactical Operations Unit."
Theo's eyes gleamed with a mixture of awe and fear as he began to explain. "The War Council... it's not like any other department. It's made up of all the captains from different divisions”.
A department with all the captains!
Just hearing this, Seren knew not to get himself involved with their affairs, lest he did not value his life.
Theo's voice trembled slightly as he spoke. "This was in a league of its own. Captains are some of the strongest people in the organization and every single one of them is at least a rank 3 Lexarch."
Seren's eyes widened a little. A rank 3 Lexarch is considered a powerhouse just by themselves and the Ravens had at least 10 of them. This was not normal.
The air felt thick with tension as Theo continued, "This type of military strength is strong enough to rival even the three major Lexarch families in Chimera Vale."
"If the War Council is this strong then what makes this Tactical Operation unit on par with them?" Seren asked with some apprehension.
Theo's expression then became that of vivid reverence, his eyes glazing over as if lost in a distant memory. “It’s all because of a single man” he said.
The Tactical Operations unit was one of the most covert departments within the Ravens. Operating mostly in the dark, they were often overlooked by others and forgotten.
The unit was small, consisting of only a few individuals, but each member was highly skilled and trained to operate at an elite level. They were not just ordinary soldiers; they were specialists in their field.
Leading this unit was the Vice-commander of the Ravens, a figure known for his ruthless efficiency. Under his command, the Tactical Operations unit had developed a reputation that made even the most powerful members of the organization wary.
"Even the captains have to lower their gazes when in front of the Vice-commander," Theo said, his voice filled with awe and praise. "I heard he's known to be extremely ruthless with his actions and is also the brains of the Ravens." Theo was no longer limping as the pain had subsided in his crotch, and he had started walking on his own, his movements more fluid as if energized by the topic of conversation.
Seren absorbed the information, his mind whirling with possibilities. The Ravens were much more organized and strong than he had initially expected. A small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he realized the potential benefits this could bring him.
But then a question nagged at him, breaking through his thoughts. "You said there are 10 departments but that's only 9," he pointed out, his brow furrowing in confusion.
Theo's face then took on a more embarrassed expression, a flush creeping up his neck as he said with some awkwardness, "The last department is called the Odd Squad."
Seren raised an eyebrow, his curiosity piqued by the strange name. "Is this your department?" he asked suspiciously, studying Theo's reaction closely.
Theo stammered a little in his steps, his earlier confidence faltering. "Y-yes, of course. I'm part of this team of professionals committed to restoring order and efficiency across all departments," he said, trying to sound professional. "We specialize in supporting other interdepartmental projects, ensuring that every corner of the organization shin–"
"So basically you're just extras that clean up other department's messes," Seren interjected in a plain voice, cutting through Theo's attempt at grandeur.
Theo was slightly shocked at how easily Seren had understood the actual role for this department. His shoulders slumped as the harsh reality of his position laid bare. "...yes," he admitted, his voice barely audible, filled with dejection.
Seren let out a long sigh, the realization that he would be joining the weakest link in the Ravens settling over him. 'No wait, actually this might not be all that bad,' he thought, his eyes narrowing as he looked at the situation from another angle. ‘The Odd Squad has the authority to interact and do other departments' tasks for them’.
An unsettling smile appeared on Seren’s face when he realized the potential of this position. This department was low profile but had the authority to do work in other departments’ jurisdictions. The different departments in the organization were not allowed to interfere with each other with the exception for the Odd Squad. This was perfect for Seren who wanted to move unhindered in the Ravens without drawing attention.
'Hehe, as they say, knowledge is power,' Seren thought, his mind already racing with plans and schemes.
"By the way, what did you see when you were almost caught by the SomniTree?" Theo asked curiously as he tried to draw the conversation to a different topic, his voice cutting through Seren's thoughts.
Seren subconsciously thought about that scene at the house at Theo's comment. Instantly, his mind plunged into searing pain, his train of thought abruptly stopping. After quickly controlling his thoughts, he said, without letting on any sign of weakness, "I saw myself."
"Huh?" There was clear confusion on Theo's face, his brow furrowing deeply. "That's not right, normally you're supposed to see strangers or the people close to you, but I've never heard of someone seeing themselves."
Seren stopped at Theo's words. His face took on an extremely grave expression. Not even thinking for more than a second, he then ignored all the pain he felt in his mind and vividly tried to remember what happened back at the house, even going as far as actively using his perfect memory ability. The effort made his head throb, but he pushed through the discomfort.
'A strange feeling pulling me into the house, a dinner table set with steaming food, The painting of a woman, her face marred by white pus oozing from every orifice, lifeless babies, a tattered rope, choking, and… myself.'
The more Seren thought about it, the more it seemed out of place. He had initially thought that was what everyone would see when they looked into the houses but now, he wasn't certain. Each memory felt like a piece of a puzzle that didn't quite fit.
Seren looked around warily, his eyes darting from window to window of the eerie houses that surrounded him. There was no one inside, but he still felt as if he was being watched creepily by something.
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Condemned To Death
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