The nameless young man struggled in silence, his face contorted as veins bulged with the pressure of resisting the agonizing pain. His teeth clattered as if in sync with the rapid pounding of his heart, while his blood raced wildly through his veins, pulling apart his flesh and nerves with excruciating intensity.

The eerie black magic melody continued to drift through the forest, played by a girl with long brown hair who hid among the trees. Perched on her shoulder was a cuckoo bird, the totem of the Midnight Melody Tribe, while her flute notes pierced the two young men like poison.

Each note of the flute seemed to echo in the nameless young man’s head, twisting his sanity and replacing his calm with violent whispers.

“You are a beast! Kill! Kill that person from the Horned Guardian Clan! He deserves to die!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!”

“Bro! Bro, what’s wrong with you?!” Casildo shouted as he shook the nameless young man’s shoulders. He had no idea his friend was fighting the overwhelming beast-like instincts overtaking his mind.

The nameless young man turned his head sharply, his black eyes burning with bloodlust. The melody had completely overridden his reason. His stare was no longer the calm, detached one Casildo knew, but that of a predator locking onto its prey.

Without warning, his hands lashed out and gripped Casildo’s neck tightly.

Casildo, gasping, struggled against the tightening grip. “Damn, Bro… I know I can be annoying sometimes, but killing me seems a bit extreme!” he muttered hoarsely, coughing as his airways constricted. The grip only tightened, and Casildo realized his friend had completely lost his sense of reason.

“Don’t hold a grudge for this, Bro!” With a great heave, Casildo shoved Kairav’s limp body off the nameless young man’s back and struck him with a fierce punch.

Smack!

The nameless young man was thrown back just as the flute’s melody abruptly stopped. His sanity slowly returned as the eerie whispers in his mind faded. Sitting up, he groaned, holding his aching head.

“Damn it, how much do you hate me?!” Casildo grumbled, massaging his bruised neck.

The nameless young man’s dark eyes scanned the surroundings as he slowly regained clarity. “Where did the flute go?” he asked as he rose to his feet.

Casildo frowned, rubbing his throat. He realized the melody that had been tormenting them had vanished as well. “Yeah, what happened—“

Suddenly, a cuckoo bird flew out from the trees, catching Casildo’s attention. His eyes narrowed as he spotted a figure in the distance.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

The nameless young man noticed her too—standing behind the trees, wearing tribal attire: a brown cloth wrapped around her chest, a skirt down to her knees, and a headband adorned with cuckoo feathers. He recognized her immediately. “Nada Rhea...”

Casildo’s face twisted in irritation. “Of course! Galen’s whore!” Casildo glared at her with irritation. “You think just because you’re the girl my friend likes, I won’t hit you? How can the peace and warmth of a sunrise love something so dark, gloomy, and terrifying as midnight like you?!” He shouted, rolling up his sleeves as he started toward her.

But Nada Rhea, with her blank, emotionless blue eyes, raised her flute once more. The agonizing black magic melody resumed, hitting both men with the same torment as before.

The nameless young man’s sharp instincts kicked in. He yelled over the rising pain, “Use your Subterranean Escape technique, now!” Blood streamed from his ears as the music tore through him, but he still managed to hoist Kairav onto his back once more.

Casildo didn’t waste a second. He punched the ground hard, and the beach sand split with a rumbling sound. An underground space opened, and Casildo leaped in, followed closely by the nameless young man carrying the unconscious Kairav.

As they descended, Nada Rhea stepped from the shadows and chased after them. The nameless young man turned and hurled several fireballs toward her.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Nada leaped skillfully, dodging the explosions aimed at her with swift, agile movements. She kept advancing until she was forced to stop at the edge of the hole where the men had disappeared into the underground space Casildo had created.

She stood before the sandy entrance, which quickly solidified, sealing off access like a sturdy door.

From inside the underground space, the nameless young man’s sharp eyes caught a glimpse of Nada’s blank stare through a small gap just before the sand fully closed them off. He noticed her lips moving, seemingly whispering, “See you later, our dog…”

He paused, puzzled by her words, trying to make sense of them, but was soon interrupted as the painful melodic waves of black magic reverberated from above ground, sending him into another fit of pain. He groaned, fighting to keep his sanity intact.

With gritted teeth, he summoned a small fireball in his palm, using it as a light source. “Head east! The portal’s that way!” he instructed Casildo, his voice strained.

Casildo spun to face east, quickly slapping the nearby wall. In response, the ground split open like an elevator door, revealing a long tunnel that stretched towards the portal.

Grind… Grind… Grind…

“Move!” Casildo sprinted ahead, leading the way as the tunnel expanded with every swift motion of his hands.

The haunting black magic melody followed them, echoing above ground, making the nameless young man wrestle even harder with the savage instincts rising within him.

“Just hold on, bro!” Casildo urged, glancing back at his friend, who was grimacing in agony.

“We’re less than twenty steps out!” the nameless young man shouted through clenched teeth.

Casildo gave a nod of acknowledgment, and after a few more strides, he swung his hand again, causing the tunnel’s outer layer to crumble. Bright sunlight spilled into the tunnel from the other side, momentarily blinding him.

The intense light distorted Casildo’s vision, leaving him unsure of what lay ahead. He relied on his companion’s command when the nameless young man said, “Jump now!”

Boing!

Swoosh…

“You bastard! You could’ve warned me about the abyss!” Casildo bellowed as he plunged into the steep ravine below, unprepared for the sudden freefall.

He crashed through thick reeds at the bottom, greeted by the glowing white light of the portal as his bulky frame smacked into the dense vegetation.

Bzzzt…