Leaving behind the kneeling knight I race down the street towards the inn. All around me I can see people on the ground. Some I’m not even sure are still alive. I can even hear some of them calling out for help.

I can’t stop for them. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to help for now. I just need to get back to the inn. I need to make sure Marie is okay.

I slam the doors open making my way past the collapsed patrons in the bar scanning the room for Marie or Joseph. They’re not here. So I make my way up the stairs nearly tripping over a body in the process. I don’t bother to knock as I enter Marie’s room.

Someone is on the ground, while Marie coddles them crying. It was Joseph.

“I-It’s going to be okay! I’ll get help!”

The second I enter Marie is startled and looks at me before reprieve washes over her face. “Szandor?!”

“Marie! Are you okay?”

“Y-Yeah, I’m fine. I don’t know what happened but my brother suddenly fell. And then I noticed the red mist outside. Szandor, what’s happening?”

Truth be told, I didn’t know how to answer her question. While I had no idea what was actually happening I certainly had my suspicions. In fact, the more I thought about it the more obvious it became.

“I think it has something to due with those murders.”

“Eh?”

“I was with Stormglass when it happened. She said something rather ominous. The rest mist, as well, is the same as before. When we came across the killer.”

“I-I… I thought he died.”

He definitely died. There’s no mistaking that. Could this be some kind of spell that only activates after the user is dead? No, if that was the case it would’ve started last night.

So why now? Whatever this magic was called, its nature was obvious. Those strange symbols left by the killer were no doubt creating some kind of circle around the capital that has now activated a magic that can drain the life of all inside. It would explain why I’m not affected.

Come to think of it… No matter how I look at it Marie seems completely fine.

“Marie, are you sure you’re okay?”

“Eh? Uh, yes, I am. Why?”

“Everyone in the city. Including your brother, and even Stormglass all collapsed once the red mist appeared. Stormglass told me there was something draining her life. I can only assume that’s what’s happening to everyone else.”

“Hmm, but you’re unaffected too.”

“I’m also undead.”

Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

“Oohh… Eh?! But I’m human!”

Of course you are! There’s no doubt about it, she’s one hundred percent human, so why? That’s when I noticed the amulet hanging around her neck. It protects the wearer from magic arts that affect the mind and soul. Is that why she’s okay? I didn’t know much about all the tiers of magic but something tells me the magic infecting the capital has to be above tier four.

Every time I take a step forward I feel as though I’m taking two steps back. If the amulet is what is protecting her, which is the only logical conclusion, does that mean the amulet isn’t as weak as that woman told us? Maybe she was wrong. It’s possible. But then another thought crossed my mind.

The thing Master Craven had said about her having some kind of hidden potential. And the fact that alchemic tools always backfired on her. I couldn’t help believing these things were connected with why she’s able to resist this clearly high tier magic.

Of course now was not the time for speculating. Something had to be done before more people lost their lives including Marie’s brother.

“Marie, we should go. If I can trace the mana in the red mist I might be able to track it back to the origin and then maybe something can be done. To save the city. To save your brother.”

Maire looks down sorrowfully at her still breathing brother.

“Szandor… I… can’t go. I’ll just hold you back. There’s nothing I can do. I-I can’t save anyone.”

Tears began streaming down her face, falling down onto her brother who could barely hold his consciousness.

“It… It should be me. I should be the one. Not him.”

“So, you wish for your brother to feel that pain within your heart?”

“No! I… I don’t mean it like that… I just…”

Her tears didn’t stop. She sobbed, clutching her brother in her arms.

“Ever since that day. Since the day I met you. Since the day they died. Alex, Daniel, Ashley, Jacob… I can’t shake the regret that weighs heavy on my heart. Why was I the only one to survive? Why was the useless me allowed to live? These thoughts are sometimes the only thing in my head. I also wonder if things would’ve been different. If I had been with them then maybe…”

I shake my head at Marie’s painful words.

“Marie, I’m sorry but if you had been with them that day the likelihood of you and them surviving is…”

“I-I know… And maybe there’s a part of me that wishes I had died with them…”

The feelings this girl was feeling, something akin to Survivor’s Guilt. I only heard of it in passing. Of course I never experienced it myself nor knew anyone who had. So, there was nothing I could say right now to help her. I could only speak my true feelings at this moment.

“I won’t pretend to truly understand the pain you’re going through. I’ve never experienced hardship. Never known the loss of a loved one or really anyone in my life. Nothing bad has ever happened to me before. I lived a good life, that much could be said. However, I do know of regret. My life of carefree indulgence was not without regret. You say you regret what happened yet here now something can be done and you wish to lie down and die?”

Though there were still tears coming from her eyes, her sobbing had stopped as if she had suddenly realized something.

“I simply cannot stand by while this city and its citizens slowly die. I won’t lie though, these feelings do come from a selfish desire. A desire to be powerful. And to be a hero. Still, I also never want to know the sting of regret again.”

“B-But what can I do? I’m useless…”

“I believe you are stronger than you realize. I believe that only you can help me fix this. I believe you and I can save this city.”

Marie’s tearful eyes fix on me for a moment before returning down to her brother. Before long she asks me to help her place him on the bed which I do. Turning to me she smiles. A smile that, if I had a heart, surely it would’ve skipped a beat.

“Thank you, Szandor. I’m still unsure of myself but you’re right. I don’t want to have this regret anymore. I want to save my brother. I want to save everyone.”

“Then let’s go.”

In a moment resembling the night the cave trolls attacked her village, Marie and I ran out of the inn and into the streets of the capital. Without exchanging a word, we followed the faint traces of mana that hopefully lead to our unknown destination.