Traitors…

Kidnappers…

Self-righteous noblemen…

…

Ugh…!

‘I’m so upset, I can’t think straight, but... I can’t keep beating myself up, I didn’t know any better.’

I lay on my back at an awkward angle.

I’m stressed, I feel betrayed, and... I’m sad, but wallowing in pity won’t change anything.

Think!

When I first met Karth, he was afraid of me. I helped him recover and he grew to trust me.

When we tried leaving, there was a big ogre. They killed it, but then Silver was the only one who attacked me.

When I woke up the next morning… someone took care of me. Who was it?

Everyone treated me like an animal for a while, because they didn’t know me. I was even electrocuted a couple times by this abominable collar.

In my world, something like that was used on cattle or friendly monsters that go somehow savage. Was it the same here?

Maybe, but this collar also turns me into a beastborn. Do beastborn come from monsters?

…

All of this happened because I could not speak their language.

Karth tried to help me, but… I still can’t quite get over my fear of people.

I tried hard to push through it, I was terrified the whole time, worried that if I did something they didn’t like, I would get beat up or yelled at.

How long has it been since they left?

I should probably just take a nap. I’ll feel better later.

***

There’s movement from within the house.

A door opens. It’s just the human’s sister.

I don’t think she will hurt me.

These peoples have been trying to help, kind of, but I still can’t trust them yet.

Her feet are pounding slowly towards me.

It’s good to always remain alert even when trying to sleep. I could hear her loud footsteps long before she gets close to me.

She changed direction, grabbed something from the weapon rack in Karth’s room.

‘Wait…! Why is she taking a weapon???’

She’s getting closer.

‘She’s not planning to hurt me, is she?!’

I wait until she draws near and rely on my hearing to make out her position.

She’s standing above me with the weapon in hand.

Her breaths come out heavy. The air is thick with tension.

Her heart pounds, she grips the knife firmly, and I can feel waves malice pouring out from her.

‘She’s really going to kill me!!’

The woman shifts her body, moving to strike. I twist around and avoid the path of the blade.

It slams into the floor, and I bolt out of Karth’s room.

‘Why is she trying to kill me?! I figured she didn’t like me earlier, but murder?’

“Ah!”

She lets out a surprised gasp, before yanking the blade out of the floor and chasing after me.

‘What do I do? What do I do?’

Like a psycho, the human chases me around the house with the knife.

I’m not familiar with this environment and end up knocking over their dishes and eating utensils.

In seconds, the kitchen is a mess, yet it doesn’t stop her.

She trips over several objects to get at me.

‘Give up, please!’

She tries to chase me into one of the bedrooms again, to corner me and close the door, but I’m not falling for it.

I keep her running circles in the living room and kitchen.

It sounds like she might be getting tired, hopefully.

Now she’s throwing things at me.

Dishes, furniture, knives…!

‘She wants me dead!’

Knowing how much she disliked me getting blood all over the place, I thought of something risky to get back at her.

I would not lay a hand on her, but I could certainly make her life miserable in other ways.

As she threw knives and other sharp objects at me, I intentionally let the blades graze me.

They cut my arms, my legs, my torso, and my face.

Her throws were so bad, I had to step into a few of the projectiles for them to cut me.

The whole time, I ran everywhere, making bloody prints.

There was a change in her emotions.

At first, it was just pure rage, but slowly, it became a mixture of frustration, guilt, and sorrow.

The kitchen and living room are painted in my blood.

‘If you’re feeling bad, please, stop this!’

She started moving furniture to cut off certain paths, and then she had me…

As much as I was terrified of the woman, I took a small amount of pleasure in knowing her actions would cost her in return.

Though, I may have gone too far.

My movements become sluggish, muscles are sore, and some were torn when I miscalculated some of the projectile's paths.

I just have to wear her out and hope that Karth returns soon…

However, the human was able to force me back into Karth’s room.

She slams the door behind her, heaving for air as she glares at me.

‘This is the end!’

I try to do the same in Karth’s room, forcing her to run in circles as I get my blood all over the place, but I refuse to approach the man’s bed.

‘It hurts. Why is she so relentless? I thought she was just a peaceful civilian, but maybe all peoples act the same way about monsters.’

As much as I want to discourage the woman from chasing after me, I do not want to ruin Karth’s bed. He doesn’t deserve it.

The woman throws his weapons to the floor and scatters them around.

It’s even more difficult to evade her now.

My stupid idea of coating the floor in my own blood, backfires on me quickly.

I slip in some of the blood and slide right into the point of a spear.

The blade pierces into my leg.

“AAAaaaa–!!”

“Stop squirming!”

I barely dodge her next attack, as she wildly swings one of Karth's swords around.

I dive away into a corner, then hear her slip and let out a panicked gasp.

Watching the woman fall in slow motion, I quickly realize she is about to accidentally run herself through with the sword.

Kicking off the wall as hard as I can, I slam my body into the human, altering the path of her descent.

She completely misses the blade, landing in some of my blood and dirtying her clothes.

That last action caused me to tear up some of my already damaged muscles.

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There was no way around it. As much as the woman terrifies me and wants me dead, I would prefer to be the one dead rather than have a person die because of me.

I had tried to move around the many obstacles swiftly and avoid putting much pressure on any of my limbs, but that last burst of strength really messed me up.

I crawl to a corner of the room, far from Karth’s bed, and lean against the wall.

My bloodied clothes cause me to slide flat on my back.

My strength is failing.

The woman gets to her feet, picks up a knife from the weapons, and approaches me slowly.

She’s tired and winded, but unharmed.

I can see her face clearly now.

Fear, anger, sadness.

Emotions war within her heart.

She crouches beside me, watching me as I pant heavily, gasping for air.

‘Please, give up…’

The blade is raised high above her head, with both arms, then it swings down.

I catch her hands and slow the blade.

“This is all your fault!”

She’s screaming at me.

The blade approaches my throat, but I manage to redirect it last-minute.

A line is carved along the side of my neck.

‘It hurts!!!’

I want to scream.

“Just die, you MONSTER!”

She yanks the knife back out of the floor and prepares to strike again.

‘Ah… I recognize those words. That’s how she’s thought of me this whole time… It’s no surprise, everyone else sees me the same way.’

A waterfall of tears that I’ve been holding back, flood my eyes, nearly blinding my vision.

I have to rely on my hearing to help me determine where her hands are, as the knife is brought down upon me again.

I catch her hands once more, pushing back with all my might.

I’m losing.

My hands are slick with my own blood, making it more difficult.

I could try to use my dull claws to get a better grip, but I don’t want to risk hurting her.

She’s really going to kill me…

Desperate to cling onto life, I cry out in her tongue, words that I’ve heard hundreds of times during my time in this world.

“Help me!”

Her strength falters for a moment. I see a flash of pure guilt and worry in her eyes.

I have to continue.

“Please, don’t do this! I don’t want to die!”

I don’t know what the words mean. I really am just a monster, imitating a person.

Tears begin to well up in the woman’s eyes now.

The blade isn’t getting any closer, it stops with the tip nearly digging into my skin.

Her hands shake fiercely and her voice quivers.

“No… s-stop talking…”

“Someone! Anyone! HELP ME!!”

I cry and plead, screaming at the top of my lungs.

“Sh-sh-sh-shut … u-up…”

I’m at the end of my limit, I can’t keep up against her strength.

Yet… the blade moves away, with my feeble attempts.

Did she give up? No… I can’t trust her yet.

“Please… help me please…!”

Now, my voice is failing me. I’m dying.

A pool of blood forms around my weary frame.

My hands finally let go of the woman and drop to the floor.

The knife hangs still in the air for a moment longer, before she tosses it aside and quickly picks me up out of my own bloody mess.

She’s crying.

Why…?

----------------------------------------

“Are you telling me to commit a crime?”

Karth stood frozen in shock, he couldn’t believe what was happening.

If he wanted to save Alice, he would have to kill someone else?

The mage did not respond.

She put on a business-professional smile and gave Karth a short bow before walking through the living room, towards the front door.

He quickly follows after her.

“Wait wait…!”

She froze in place, standing at the front door.

“I… I’ll do it.”

Adelle turns back around and approaches the man, until she stands face-to-face with him.

Karth can’t help but feel like he’s making a deal with the devil, given her sudden eerie nature and calm demeanor.

“W-who is it?”

He sounds defeated, but desperate; the perfect target for exploitation.

“Aleksandra.”

“Y-yes Ma’am?”

A voice comes from the other side of the front door.

It opens without the use of a key.

“How…?”

“You didn’t close it.”

A young woman enters the apartment and closes the door behind her.

She has purple, puffy pigtails that flow off her shoulders and she’s dressed in a really strange outfit.

It looks like a black, sleeveless wetsuit, but the material is a very fluffy wool.

The life mage gives the young woman a curt nod, as she enters back into Leina’s room.

Karth wants to follow Adelle, but the woman known as “Aleksandra”, grabs him by the hand and pulls him back rather firmly.

“Put this on.”

She said plainly, while shoving a sack of clothing into Karth’s hands.

“Wait, but Alice–”

“She’ll be fine. Now put it on.”

“Give me a moment, I just need to–”

The young woman’s form quickly changes.

She looked human, but some form of magic transforms her into a being of living stone.

All of her color fades to different shades of granite gray, horns jut out of her head, a tail sprouts from her backside, and a pair of wings flap wide open.

Each motion sounds like grinding stone, despite her smooth, polished appearance.

“G-g-g-gar-goyle…!”

A gargoyle monster. They’re physically stronger and heavier than even half-giants.

Aleksandra forcefully undresses the man in his own home.

He struggles to resist, but her strength exceeds most monsters he fought so far.

Karth has not yet encountered a gargoyle, but he’s heard a lot of stories about them; none of which where they can change shape or talk.

“Aahh!”

“Be quiet. I’ve seen a lot of naked men before. There’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Wh-what?”

Karth’s face turns a shade of red, as the young woman dresses him into a strange outfit.

All dark clothing, a cloak with a hood, a mask to cover his mouth, and several daggers attached to a belt on the waist.

“What am I wearing?”

The style is similar to that of one of the great heroes’ special equipment. Foreign, but unique in its own sense.

“Awww.. I always wanted to dress up an edge lord~”

The young woman fawns over Karth in his peculiar uniform.

“A what? What kind of game are you playing at?!”

Adelle returns to the living room and collects his previously worn clothes.

“This isn’t a game, Karth, take this seriously.”

Her assistant explains excitedly,

“The outfit you’re wearing is magical, it’s supposed to conceal your identity. Even if you are really close to a person, or talk with them for a long time, they will NEVER know it was you!”

“How?”

“Think of it like changing your face and voice, without actually doing that. Just don’t say something or act in a certain way that will lead people to link you with your secret identity.”

“You… you had this all planned?”

Adelle lets out a disappointed sigh.

“Karth. I told you before, that I would be needing your help, however, things changed after your friends went snooping around town.”

“What do you mean?”

“When I first heard of your escape from the mid-level floors, alone and mostly unharmed, I was planning on just using you for small tasks here and there without giving you much explanation. But then I overheard something that caught my interest. You care about this girl, the catilyss. Aleksandra is human but cursed to turn into a demimonster. I assume you have no problem with that, right?”

“... I guess? But what does that–”

“Then you will fit in with us perfectly.”

“Us?”

“I’ll leave the rest to Aleksandra.”

“Wait, is Alice alright?”

“She’s fine. Resting now. Your sister looked like she could use a nap too.”

“What did you do to Leina?”

“She would only get in the way.”

“This is all happening so fast…! First, Alice gets hurt and nearly dies, then you’re telling me to blindly agree to murder. This is ridiculous!”

“Karth…”

Adelle approaches him impatiently and presses her hand against his cheek.

An ice cold energy spreads out from her fingertips, and into his brain.

There is no pain, but Karth can feel his frustration and anger melt away in an instant.

“Everything is fine.”

She whispers softly.

The gargoyle watches on with awe.

“Your sister and friend are safe and sound, they will be fine when you get back. I need you to follow Aleksandra now, and do as she says.”

Karth nods numbly and the young woman transforms back into a human.

“Whoa, you’re good at that. Did you hypnotize him too?”

“Hy-hypnotize?!”

Karth takes several steps away from the mage.

“No, he’s normal. I just helped calm him down. Now, get going.”

Aleksandra grabs the man’s hand and practically drags him out of his own apartment.

“Where are we going?”

“Quiet, we’re not supposed to draw attention to ourselves.”

Even though she tries to appear serious, her amethyst eyes sparkle with excitement.

Karth turns back around, and watches Adelle close the door to his apartment slowly, smiling and waving goodbye.

“Wai–”

The younger woman straps a device around his mouth, over his face mask.

“You talk too much. Time to be dark and mysterious.”

It’s a gag. He can’t speak or breathe through his mouth anymore.

He lets out a grunt through his nose.

‘Fine. Best to get it over with already, and fast.’

The woman leads Karth into the elevator and taps the button for the top floor.

‘Going up, not down?’

She taps her foot impatiently, as if expecting an interruption.

As the doors do begin to close, one of the tenants turns a nearby corner and quickly tries to enter the elevator.

“Wait, hold the doors!”

Aleksandra clicks her tongue in annoyance, then produces a massive sword from seemingly nowhere.

She thrusts the sword overhead, carving a deep line through the ceiling in the process, and points it at the man with one hand, causing him to stop dead in his tracks.

“Back off!”

“Aaaaa–!!”

He shouts in surprise and runs far from the elevator.

The doors close and her weapon wisps away into sparks of energy.

‘It’s a good thing I’m in disguise, I wouldn’t want to be caught anywhere near this psycho or even affiliated with her.’

When the elevator begins moving, Aleksandra’s mood lightens again.

She talks as if the threatening exchange never took place.

“While in uniform, you are no longer Karth. You are Agent Kae.”

‘Huh?’

“We will be meeting up with your partner for this mission, so hold off on any questions until then.”

When the pair reach the top floor, Aleksandra leads Karth up another set of stairs onto the roof.

The view above is wild. Streets are lit with magical lampposts and there are dozens of buildings that tower above the rest.

The tall buildings, that were built from Genath's designs, often belonged to large companies or guilds.

There were other buildings that had unique mixed designs, but most were made for public use, often something that the king wanted for his citizens.

Karth has been up here a few times every so often, but it’s been a while since he last took the time to look at the night view.

He follows Aleksandra to the south edge of the roof and the woman points outwards.

“Over there is where we’re going, I hope you aren’t afraid of heights.”

‘What?’

The man’s eyes go wide with fear at the thought of falling off.

Aleksandra transforms into a gargoyle again, this time it’s a lot less frightening, compared to her previous statement.

She removes his gag, lifts him up in a princess carry and then kicks off the roof, extending her wings to soar high above the city.