Margaret "..."

Gala "Margaret? Is something troubling you?"

The elderly Walteran lady watches with concern as the young girl clutches her blanket, burying herself within its folds.

Margaret "G-Grandma... do they still exist?"

Gala "Are you talking about the creatures from Soulan? Yes, they are still alive to this day. Are you scared of them, my child?"

Margaret "I've heard terrifying rumors from the seniors at school. Horrible, awful stories."

Gala "Do not be afraid, Margaret. We live in Ordan, far far away from those monsters."

Margaret "But one of the rumors says those creatures can now travel between cities."

Gala "That's quite a far-fetched tale, but even if it were true... your grandma is here to protect you, so ease your worry. Besides, you weren't frightened when you listened to the horrific creatures in Evolan."

Margaret "That's because I understand them and know they can be killed, Grandma! Soulan monsters are different! They don't die, and even after thousands of years, we still know nothing about them! That scares me."

Gala "Perhaps, a certain melody can wash away your fear."

She rises from the bed and approaches the nearby shelf. With a soft clap of her hands, a golden harp materializes on the upper shelf. Its sudden appearance is accompanied by a soothing hum. The sound prompts the young Walteran to peek out from under the blanket, eyes shining with nostalgia as an immediate wave of calmness and nostalgia washes over her. Her grandmother returns to the bed, harp in hand, and begins to play...

A gentle, cascading symphony fills the cottage, banishing any lingering traces of fear from all who dwell within.

Gala "How are you feeling now, my little sweet pie?"

Margaret "I feel so calm. Sorry for being so scared."

Gala "Fear is a natural part of life, essential for survival if it is honed and sharp. It starts as a dull nail, but with enough hammering, fear can become a powerful weapon. Now... Would you like to continue to the final act of tonight's story session?"

Margaret "Yes."

Gala "Let's continue...

In a realm of unfiltered chaos and relentless cruelty, two weary vagabonds trudge across the desolate landscape, their eyes hollow from lack of sleep. The place is too horrific for any sane person to find rest, and even the so-called "sky" offers no comfort. Hours have passed since they last woke, and there were some close calls with some of the land's monstrous inhabitants. Fortunately, Adrian had the bright idea of stitching the gelatinous flesh of an angler monster they defeated into makeshift coats. The smell is dreadful and the texture uncomfortable, but they have adapted, pressing onward with determination.

Noah "Great idea making these coats, Adrian. Reminds me of when my dad taught me to rub myself with bear urine to scare off wolves."

Adrian "It was quite a gamble. I'm just glad the beast we slayed was some sort of alpha. This suit has scared off a lot of the smaller monsters."

Noah "Yeah, especially those hordes of flying worm things."

Adrian "They are apparently called Hiva Colonum. An Evolan formed from one being and split into countless hordes. It is very to kill, take into account that there are a lot of packs all over Evolan."

Noah "Wow, that's annoying."

Adrian "They won't bother us unless they decide to merge, which I highly doubt since the creatures so far value survival above all else."

Noah "I just realized a little problem."

Adrian "What is it? Another beast in your sight?"

Noah "Whoa, put down your shield. It's not that. Remember Kanji said our first priority is to find a way to contact the others. Yeah... HOW IN THE WORLD ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT HERE?!"

Adrian ["Ssssh! Be quiet! What is wrong with you?"]

Noah "Oh, sorry... I'll be honest. I know it's just been a day, but I miss talking to Sarah."

Adrian "Yeah, I get you brother. I miss Diana."

Noah "Wait a minute... you like Diana? I mean like "like" Diana?"

Adrian "Y-Yeah. You like Sarah, don't you?"

Noah "Yes, but that was kinda obvious, you know. You, on the other hand, are very brave, my guy. Want to talk about it?"

Adrian "Maybe later, since this is an awkward and not ideal place to talk about it. Anyway, how's the new weapon treating you?"

Noah "I've gotten the hang of it, though I can only manage light swings. If I swing too hard, those spikes might prick me."

Adrian "You have less to worry about now with that coat. It's pretty sturdy."

Noah "Maybe I could try that—

The two of them pause in their traces upon an unexpected sight.

Never in their wildest imaginations did they expect to find a cohesive structure in this desolate land, yet there it stood... a metallic dome made from welded metal plates, rusted by the echoes of time. Adrian steps closer to examine the red handprints covering the structure, appearing to be fresh blood, only a few hours old. Noah points to the top of the dome, and the pair climb up to discover a hatch.

Adrian "I've read a few books about war, and this is eerily similar to the hatches used for fallout shelters during World War II. But this design is—

Noah "Fishy! Ha, get it? You know, with the fins on the handle... Sorry about that."

Adrian "All good. Let's crack this open and see what's inside."

Noah "Wait, what if there is another of those things in there?"

Adrian "Hmm... this entrance is pretty small, so whatever crept in is likely weaker than that angler monster. We should be fine."

Noah "But what if it’s the other way around? A huge monster could be trapped down there!"

Adrian "Calm down, Noah. There's a quote I remembered from one of my favorite books— 'Hone the fear and face the horrors of this world, as fear itself can be a weapon.' It sounds bogus, but in our case... we can take it more literally."

Noah "Fine, but we're running away if whatever we find is too much to handle."

Adrian "I accept so come on! Let's go in!"

Noah gulps as Adrian twists the handle of the hatch, revealing a pitch-black hole— there are no ladders leading down. The feature alone causes Noah to ooze out fear, but Adrian taps his shoulder, snapping him out of it. The Guardian grabs The Purger's hand, and they descend into the hole, one of them barely holding back a scream. Adrian takes a mechanical soap in his other hand and prepares for landing. One... Two... Go! He swings Noah onto his back and slams the device onto his chest, creating a bubble that slows their descent, allowing them to land safely.

Noah "Fuck! That was—

Adrian covers Noah's mouth and gives him a stern look, which Noah immediately understands. Looking around, the pair are surprised to see that the lights are still on. They find themselves at an intersection of two steel corridors, and a decision rests upon them. Without further thought, The Purger runs to the left and bumps into something... the path is a fake. He backs away only to touch something solid and realizes that the other path is also a fake. The optical illusion stuns the heroes as they ponder. Adrian is intrigued by why such a design would be chosen for the bunker unless someone deliberately wanted something hidden. Meanwhile, Noah's mind flickers and he notices an odd appearance on the wall leading up to where they came from.

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Noah walks over and reaches out... it is some kind of thin paper disguised as a wall. A red aura engulfs him, and he tears open the fake wall, interrupting Adrian's train of thought. With a sigh, Adrian follows his friend down a narrower corridor, but it is short. At the end is a small space, barely enough for Adrian to lie flat on the floor. There is a desk with lit candles on its sides, which don't seem to melt at all. In the center of the wooden surface is a blue sheet of paper written in red ink. The group decides to read it together...

Log number 50,

Today marks our 50th day exploring Evolan under orders from the King of Ordan, The Great Lord Omnistar. I am George Calar, and this is our daily report. So far... this place is a shit hole. Fifty days of searching and no sign of any unaltered Evolan. It feels hopeless, but it's our duty. I wish the others shared my resolve, but I can't blame them for thinking the king sent us here to die. We've lost half our crew, yet I still believe there's at least one unmutated Evolan out there. My hopes now rest on this bunker we've discovered. It looks pristine, and many of us believe it was recently built. There's no way monsters could construct something like this. We were cautiously optimistic. That's all for now; I'll provide another report a few hours into our exploration.

Noah "Nope. I'm out of here! I have seen enough movies to know where this is going!"

Adrian "Calm down, Noah. When push comes to shove, we'll make it through. Besides, we have dealt with much worse."

Noah "That argument doesn't work here since we are missing I don't know... NINE people!"

Adrian "Take a deep breath, Noah."

Noah frowns but complies with Adrian's suggestion. As he leans against the wall to catch his breath, it unexpectedly gives way, revealing another hidden passage and he tumbles into a hole.

Adrian "NOAH!"

Without hesitation, Adrian leaps into the hole, ready to deploy the same maneuver. However, the sound of rushing liquid gives him pause, and he can't activate the mechanical soap in time. Splash! He lands in a mysterious liquid that drenches his coat in a deep black hue. The Guardian tries to swim against the current, but the force is too strong. Just as he starts to lose hope, a hand catches his coat. Adrian turns to see Noah gripping the wall with his new weapon.

Adrian "Glad to see you're alright, bud!"

Noah "Worry about yourself! What do we do now?!"

Adrian "I got an idea but it might be a bit risky."

Noah "I don't like the sound of that, but just do it!"

Adrian carefully slams his shield against the wall, releasing a burst of ice that freezes the liquid beneath them.

Noah "Good job, but I don't think this ice will hold long. It's already melting."

Adrian "Yeah, my power tells me that it is some kind of ink."

Noah "Can your power suggest a way to get out of this mess?"

Adrian "Let me see... Wall... Wall... Wall— Wait a minute. The opposite wall indicates there's a hollow space beyond it."

Noah "Oh, really? Okay, leave it to me!"

With an anger stone in one hand, Noah switches back to an axe, his eyes locked on the opposite wall. He leaps and swings his burning axe against the wall, cutting through it like butter. Adrian follows after, and the pair find themselves in another small space filled with buckets of paint and strange blue canvases covering the walls. Upon closer inspection, the paintings depict creatures with grotesque shapes being worshiped as gods. Adrian uses his power to scan the area and discovers another note hidden behind a painting that features a purple heart with a blank eye.

Log number 50.1,

First, we stumbled upon a small room with only a lonely desk. Most of us were unfazed by the odd sight, but one of our privates began screaming out of nowhere, then stumbled into a false wall and fell into a pit. After much debate, we decided to follow after the poor sod and discovered the strangest sight— a corridor filled with black ink. The current was so strong that some of the newer recruits were swept away to an unknown location. We struggled to hold on, fearing a trap at the end of this current. However, luck favored us when my right-hand man proposed a daring plan. He suggested splitting up to search for false walls with our remaining strength. Most opposed, but I stood by his decision. It paid off when we found one further down the stream, leading to another narrow corridor that forced us into single-file. The journey felt like backtracking until we stumbled upon another room with the biggest surprise of all— an actual, non-mutated Evolan.

The strange figure was covered head to toe in blue wrappings, with only tired, red eyes visible. Initially frightened, he calmed down after some discussion and introduced himself as Zografos, a painter and the last normal Evolan. His lack of desire for strength or power explained his unchanged state. I expressed happiness at our discovery and reached my hand for a shake with a heavy breath but... he slapped it away. Before my right-hand man could intervene, I stopped him, urging everyone to give Zografos some space. Being alone for so long had clearly affected him. I offered Zografos a home in Ordan, promising all the painting materials he needed. I saw a smile under those wrappings as he asked for time to consider my offer. While waiting, I couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity when he slapped my hand— the texture of those wrappings was odd, yet strangely familiar.

Noah "... and then he kills the group! The end! Can we go back up now?"

Adrian "Noah... tell me what's really going on. You're not usually this scared."

Noah "Okay... you got me. Ever since we stepped into this place, I've felt like something's been watching us... following us. Ready to pull us into the shadows. Also, I might have a bit of claustrophobia."

Adrian "The latter sounds more believable. Hmmm, I've got an idea."

Noah "Why are you looking at the currents?! Hell no, we are not going to follow it—

Noah "Why are you looking at the currents?! Hell no, we're not going to follow it—

Without hesitation, The Guardian drags The Purger into the current, and they swiftly float away.

Noah "What the heck, Adrian? What are you doing? I'm pretty sure this doesn't count as pacifism."

Adrian "I'm doing this for your own good, Noah. The sooner we confront the source of your fears, the better it will be for all of us."

The stream leads to a waterfall, and the pair decides to jump off the edge. Adrian times it perfectly and manages to break their fall just in time, deploying the soap once more. As they descend into the darkness below, surrounded by the ink perpetuating the waterfall, a sudden impact pops the bubble, flinging them into a mountain of unknown objects. A loud metallic clang accompanies their landing, and the tall cylindrical space illuminates with spiraling torches that burn a brilliant blue. The lit space reveals that the mountain is composed of corpses, some adorned in decorative patterns that Adrian suspects the ink to be the cause. Noah readies his twelve-spiked flail and hides behind Adrian, who positions his shield toward the ceiling.

There is something there.

Noah "What the hell is that thing?!"

Adrian ["Quiet. My powers say that it is still sleep. It won't wake up unless a certain condition is met but away tell any more details."]

Noah ["Then why are we whispering?"]

Adrian ["Better be safe just in case. Now follow after me."]

Adrian spots a door buried under the sheer amount of corpses, with only the tip of its upper frame exposed. Noah also notices it and agrees to follow Adrian... he steps on one of the corpses' hands. The eyes of the mountain of corpses open wide, and their mouths shout in unison, "WE ARE CANVAS OF THE GREAT HEART!" over and over. Instantly, the thing on the ceiling crashes to the floor, revealing its horrifying features— a large mass of flayed sanguine arms of various sizes and shapes. It's difficult to imagine if this creature even has a main body.

It lunges at Noah, who is terrified by its sheer appearance. Adrian swiftly dashes in, blocking its writhing mass and freezing half of it, but the creature immediately detaches the frozen parts. Surrounding corpses drag the fallen part deep into the mountain, and a few corpses morph into additional hands, merging with the entity. Now recovered, the creature skitters along the walls and circles its prey menacingly. Noah gathers himself, gripping the anger stone tightly until his body bursts into flames, causing the corpses beneath him to scream in agony. Enraged by this defiance, the creature lunges again, moving with surprising speed. As it closes in, its body expands like a net, poised to ensnare its prey.

Noah "STAY BACK!"

The Purger swings his flail, slashing at the creature, but it continues to regenerate, pushing him back until he's pressed against the wall.

Frustrated, Noah decides to go for heavy swings, and in his fervor, he swings too hard. The attack slices the creature in two, but it recoils and two of its spikes embed into his legs, severing both legs and tearing the bottom half of his cloak. Fearing for his life, Noah swings his flail, causing black spheres to merge upon impact. The force sends the monster flying, slamming it into the opposite wall.

Seeing the creature slowly regenerate, Adrian quickly picks up Noah and bolts for the door. He assesses the corpses blocking their path and then looks at Noah. Understanding the urgency, The Purger carves through the corpses with his axe, creating just enough space for them to open the door and squeeze through.

Adrian closes the door and slams his shield into it, freezing the exit shut.

Adrian "Whew! That was close! And Noah, never try that again!"

Noah "I know I know... I'll be careful next time."

Adrian "Given its behavior, it seems like we can't kill it unless we dispose of all the corpses."

Noah "That would take forever!"

Adrian "Maybe there's something here that can help us."

The room is yet another small space, with a circle of lit torches in the center illuminating a piece of blue parchment. Adrian administers four syringes and recovers both of Noah's legs. In the corner, a backpack catches Noah's attention, prompting him to pick it up after recovery. Inside, he finds a pair of thick circular black tokens with golden outlines, each bearing a gold symbol resembling the back of a hand with its index pointing up. Meanwhile, Adrian examines the note, which repeats a phrase—

"FORSAKE OUR SKIN FOR WE ARE THE CANVAS OF THE GREAT HEART!!! FORSAKE OUR SKIN FOR WE ARE THE CANVAS OF THE GREAT HEART!!! FORSAKE OUR SKIN FOR WE ARE THE CANVAS OF THE GREAT HEART!!! FORSAKE OUR SKIN FOR WE ARE THE CANVAS OF THE GREAT HEART!!!...

The end of the passage depicts an illustration of Evolan's terrain, with a purple heart at its center adorned with a blank eye.

Noah "What the fuck doesn't this shit even mean?"

Adrian "I have a couple of theories, but right now, an escape plan is more important—

The two black tokens suddenly light up, and a text block appears before them, relieving their anxiety.