These voices, in comparison to what Cyn must go through, are pathetic. Stop crying like an ungrateful bitch!

My left cheek stung in pain, almost filling my eyes. So did the palm of my hand, throbbing red from the impact. I gritted my teeth.

‘Things are better than I could’ve ever hoped for. There’s no reason for me to feel like this, this fear, pain, and frustration. This miserable. Cyn… just a little longer. I’ll see you soon.’ Or so I told the me in the mirror — one without a face.

Both my hands were covered in tattoos, nothing like how I looked only two days ago. One curled and sank into my heart; the other crawled for my brain. Parasites! I did not desire, yet I needed — to live and take care of my sister. But looking at them made me feel horrid, even more than I already felt before.

The blank face in the mirror giggled.

The mirror in front of me shattered, digging into my clenched fist. Shards flung past my face, shoulder, chest, stomach, my left hand. And few of them dug into. But pain, something I so desired to distract myself, never came. Perhaps it did, but my mind couldn’t bother with it.

I walked into the shower. Cold waters evaporated on my burning white skin. I could feel them freezing over my frost seal as the steam rose from my body. I let out a shuddering breath, trying to chain and cage the swirling darkness of emotions and memories in my mind — unnecessary. The only thing I needed, I desired, and I cared about was Cyn. I should not feel any other emotion, I did want to. Just love for my sister. I should only think about making Cynthia’s life better. Cynthia's little sister, that’s all I am. That’s all I want to be. Nothing else mattered. Nothing.

…..

Amaryllis walked out of the bathroom exactly seventeen minutes later. Dressed in a white shirt and black pants. Black shoes and gloves. Black leather gloves. A belt with a white buckle. The shirt felt great against her skin. Smooth and warm. Amaryllis couldn’t tell how they created clothes that fit her perfectly. If there was a coat, she’d feel like an office lady. They had provided even shirt stays to make sure her shirt stayed tucked perfectly. Perhap to make sure it stayed perfectly still if she had to wrestled in them.

Amaryllis appreciated the effort, and it made her mood slightly less sour. She’d have preferred to fold her sleeve, but, given Light’s advice, she should not show the frost seal to anyone.

Violet wore similar clothes, and Amaryllis had seen other assessees wear similar clothes on her way to her room.

Amaryllis stopped dead in her tracks, noticing Violet’s unnatural eyes. She tensed. “Thank you for waiting, I… Let’s go.”

“Have you eaten something?” Violet asked, not noticing Amaaryllis’s alarm. “Doctor Henneth suggested going to the cafeteria before her office, in case you’ve not.”

Amaryllis could feel Violet’s unnatural mana flow. Just a moment with her, and Amaryllis was sure Violet was not ordinary. But she didn’t comment on it.

“I’m not hungry,” Amaryllis said defensively. She was sure she’d throw up again if she tried to eat something.

“Still. You should. After this, you won’t get any chance to eat before midnight. The next phase of the assessment starts at five. And you look exhausted.”

“Fine,” Amaryllis said, her shoulder sagging. She felt numb more than exhausted. Still, her mind was clear, better than morning.

There was a first aid kit in the bathroom, which she had used to bandage her hand. Fortunately, none of the pieces had hurt her face. “I’ll take your advice.”

“Follow me, Miss Amaryllis. I’ll guide you to the cafeteria.”

“Amaryllis is fine. And I have no idea where my purse is, so I think…”

“Amaryllis, then. As for transactions,” Violet opened a drawer in the nightstand, which had a mask, a purse, and a watch. “You can use the card in the purse for all purchases here, and it uses points you’ve earned during the assessment.”

Amaryllis nodded. The watch was simple, black and heavy, cold to the touch, and smooth. With a click, it latched onto her wrist. And the purse wasn’t any less weighty. Inside, a few cards, none of which were useful, and a new black card, which had the letter S in fancy fonts. It belonged to The Soul Hunt. And a photo of her sister before she was afflicted with black frost. White hair falling like a milky waterfall, hugging Amaryllis front behind. They had gone to an amusement park on her birthday and took this photo.

Amaryllis smiled. Her heart soothed and warmed. She placed it back in the purse. She had thought it was gone. And last, a note of ten, all the money she held in the world.

“Who’s that?” Violet asked.

With a crisp snap, she closed the purse and tucked it in her back pocket. “My sister,” Her voice cleared she didn’t wish to talk about it. But Violet failed to understand that.

“You must love her,” Violet commented. Her lips were curled up ever so slightly.

“I do.”

“It must be nice. To have confidence in your feelings,” Violet’s voice was toneless, eerily robotic, but she spoke longingly. Or so Amaryllis thought.

Love issues? Amaryllis wondered. “It takes time, no need to rush it. You’ll have confidence when the time is right,” A vague and safe answer she had heard too many times. And if your lover is also in this place, then probably not at the right time.

Violet stared at her, “Thanks. Let’s go. Don’t forget the keys.”

Violet walked ahead, and Amaryllis followed behind her. Amaryllis was fine now. As fine as she could be. She knew it would only get worse from here on. As long as she got the money for her sister, it didn’t matter. She whispered in her mind. I am fine.

They took the elevator.

“Mi.. I mean Amaryllis. I heard you’re only a mana-blessed.”

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“Right.”

“Then, you must be one hell of a fighter to rank seventh in the leaderboard.” Violet looked at her impassively. Amaryllis had to wonder if Violet couldn’t express her emotions or if she was mocking her.

“Luck. That is all. I would be seventh from below if not for various factors contributing to my situation, none of which were under my control. Expect me to fall off hard. The fluke was a one-time thing. I won’t be anywhere near the top of the leaderboard after the next round.”

Violet nodded, not saying anything more. She had probably not expected this kind of answer. Amaryllis sighed, she hadn’t had the intention of turning the conversation into this awkward situation. Still, the truth was the truth, and she’d rather not have expectations that she knew she’d betray.

The elevator door opened. Amaryllis finally breathed. The eerie silence of Violet was painful. They walked out into a big dome-structured mall with every type of store — from clothes to alcohol. A metallic and silvery dystopia bubbling with white shirts and back pants.

The cafeteria’s sign was huge. It stood at the opposite end like a beacon for the lost.

“That’s for soul hunters, our cafeteria is that way,” Violet pointed to the left. A much more tame-looking place.

“Were you here before the assessment?” Amaryllis asked since she couldn’t imagine having time to explore this place after.

“Most people were here for a week before the assessments began. A few, even before that. Since the messengers bring us to this place soon after accepting the invitation.”

“Huh, I received the invitation the morning before the assessment began,” Amaryllis said, observing the crowd. Many injured. Some had dead eyes. But a few were full of blusterous smiles and tumultuous roars. “I thought you were Doctor Henneth’s assistant or something.”

“That I am. But I am also hoping to become a soul hunter to make Doctor proud. And she wants me to.”

Amaryllis nodded. Becoming a soul hunter to make someone proud. She couldn’t see anything in this sick place that would make her sister proud if she became a soul hunter.

A palace built upon the corpses of people. No matter the justifications, she couldn’t see a way that made The Soul Hunt a just entity. It had a twisted sense of morals. That was not to say she won’t be becoming one of them. The only thing she cared about was money, which made her no better than any soul hunter in this place.

The glass door opened as they stopped at the entrance. Circular tables were chaotically thrown all around the white hall. The sides were hugged by benches with cushions to make them comfortable. It was all silvery steel, or perhaps real silver, or maybe a magic metal.

Amaryllis could see it was all who could find a seat or snatch one. No order, not that she should’ve expected it from this place anyway.

“That’s.. Violet,” Someone muttered in a hushed voice as they passed the table. Amaryllis guessed Violet was famous and feared, which was not shocking since she was Henneth’s assistant.

“And… that’s,” Amaryllis turned sharply, obviously they were talking about her. The boy clamped his mouth shut, looking pale.

“Sorry, he’s just curious,” His friend said, raising his hand in surrender. If that’s what I get for rank seven, what would rank one get?

Amaryllis turned, chiding herself for reacting so dramatically.

“I guess, I’m famous.”

“Even more than me,” Violet said. “You’re held as the second coming of Light.”

“Light? Light from the medical wing?”

“Yeah. You’re the first mana blessed after her to enter the top ten.”

Amaryllis sighed.

“I think… I can wager my points that she’ll end the assessment within the top five.” A voice reached her ears. Amaryllis shot down the urge to look at the person. For some reason, she was the scary one.

“A wager?” Amaryllis slid closer to Violet, speaking in a hushed tone.

“Yeah. Even if you’re the weakest person in this world, you can, theoretically, still top the leaderboard, if you’re lucky enough to bet and win through a list of possible outcomes.”

“Of course, The Soul Hunt promotes gambling. Why am I not surprised?” Amaryllis scoffed.

“The Soul Hunt simply never bars any kind of activity. Unless it’s related to killing mortal races.”

At least the counter was clean, and the person behind it seemed alive. But not at all human. A shark-like being with diamond-like spikes protruding from its back and in between its gills.

“What can I get for you?” He asked. Showing his saw-wy smile. Even a chainsaw would look tame compared to jaws. But his voice was controlled, if a bit intimidating.

Violet tapped on the list of the things available on the menu hung in front of the counter, pointing at what she needed, “Should I choose for you?” Violet asked. Amaryllis nodded. She wouldn’t be able to read half the names on the menu without stumbling on her words.

“A bowl of red areti curry, bluemoon rice, and leceran syrup. And one coffee for Doctor Henneth.”

“That would be fifteen points.” He said professionally.

“Thanks,” Amaryllis handed him the card. He had a pair of fins and a pair of hands with diamond nails. She knew she, at least, had a hundred or so points if she remembered correctly.

“It’s cheap?” Amaryllis whispered.

“Not necessarily. That’s equal to risking your life to kill three monsters. Most people would consider that expensive.”

Amaryllis nodded. Her watch buzzed a notification to approve the transaction displayed on it. She tapped ‘yes,’ and it blinked off, displaying time again.

“Thank you for your patronage, and this is on the house,” He slid a wrapped chocolate with his fins. “Please find a seat, and we’ll serve your order. Or a takeout?”

“We’ll look for a seat. Thanks.”

Her eyes scanned the hall, which was massive and, if neatly arranged, enough to house everyone in half the space.

“There,” Violet pointed at an empty table at the far end of the hall.

“You didn’t order anything for yourself.”

“I had my lunch just an hour ago.”

“But eating alone while you watch will be awkward,” Amaryllis complained.

“Then, I can leave you alone while you eat.”

“That would be even more awkward,” Amaryllis looked around the room. But the idea was tempting. If this place had been empty, she would’ve taken Violet’s offer. “I’m sure you can eat something light.” It was a suggestion.

“Alright.”

And so, Violet ordered something stupidly named ‘Riren corn and white leaf Soup.’ To Amaryllis, it sounded stupidly poisonous. Then, they secured the table. The table painted a picture of two rabid dogs chowing down from a bowl.

“They’ll clean it,” Violet said, noticing Amaryllis's hesitation.

“Ain’t this my lucky day,” Amaryllis sighed.

They sat in silence for the next minute. Amaryllis made several observations regarding Violet at that time. First, her chest didn’t rise or fall even slightly. No, Amaryllis had no interest in staring at her chest. She was just sharp. So, either Violet used a special breathing technique, or she didn’t breathe at all. Her connection with a psycho doctor made the latter more likely. Second observation, Violet didn’t blink, which was eerie, as her eyes were fixated on Amaryllis the whole time. At least she did not comment about Amaryllis staring at her chest.

I hope she does not think I am a degenerate.

“Hello,” A third party took a seat. Placed two giant hammers for arms on the table, “Number Seven. Number one.” He spoke number one with less venom than seven, but it was far from friendly.

Of course. Amaryllis grimaced.