The figure’s expression turned to one of shock and quickly morphed into one of anger as its arms began to shake, relentlessly trying to push the blade forward, to pierce even deeper into Kai’s neck. A hint of fear hid deep within its crimson eyes while watching Kai slowly get up, gradually breaking free of the lock it created on him.

“A useless struggle, cease your futile existence, you abomination!” It said with slight uneasiness, putting even more force into the blade in a last-ditch effort to drive it through Kai’s neck. However, the sword remained unmoving, and Kai kept on standing up despite the figure’s best efforts.

Fritz’s words rang true in his heart, vague memories and torn images flashed within his mind. But most importantly, his parents’ smiles, their voices, and their last goodbye as he stood kneeling in front of their illusion inside the necklace.

“Thank you, for opening my eyes,” Kai said through gritted teeth, gradually overpowering the figure, whose teeth ground against each other, cold sweat dripping down its neck while its pupils began dilating. Groaning, it did its best to retrieve the sword, however, it gasped in shock upon noticing that the blade stood motionless.

True fear finally appeared within its eyes as it looked at Kai, whose stature finally matched the figure’s. “You’re right, it’s like looking at a mirror.” His deep, confidence-filled voice resounded inside the dark room. Sliding his hand across the blade, his hand met the figure’s at the sword’s base, and his hands passed right through it as he clutched the hilt. “To think you’d be using my father’s sword against me.” He said, pulling it out of his neck before slashing at the figure, its soundless cry ringing in Kai’s ear as a tear slid down his blazing cheeks.

Cracks spread all over the figure’s body, and a sound akin to that of breaking glass filled the room as it shattered into a million pieces right before Kai’s eyes. “Thank you for showing me how foolish I truly was.”

Stumbling backward, he leaned against a wall before falling with a soft thump, the sword’s sharp, irregular clang accompanying him as it too fell to the ground, a purple luster shining through its newly found crimson coating.

…

Heavy breathing resounded in the room, the soft vibrations bouncing against the wall, rippling like a rock thrown inside a pond, sometimes broken by a weak sobbing sound and the occasional sniff.

Kai’s shoulders shook every so often, his hands bandaged with torn cloth wiped away his tears while the light-colored makeshift scarf around his neck turned a crimson, dark color as the blood dried up.

The sword lay bare next to him, unsheathed yet clean, its violet luster forever unchanged even as the dust settled on its blade. Next to it, Kai sobbed, holding his hands between his knees, just like before the doppelganger appeared. Now, however, his stormy mind became a typhoon as a cacophony of emotions coursed through his head. Countless thoughts, regrets, and memories flooded his brain. However…

What the fuck was that?!

Remained the main question of living rent - free in his mind. Although a vague idea had formed in his head, he found it extremely hard to believe it, regardless of how insane he believed himself to have become.

My wounds are real, the pain is real, the blood is real… everything was real except it… Was I about to… to end it?!

This question plagued his mind ever since the figure disappeared, unable to make sense of what had just transpired. I need to figure it out but… one way or the other… A light sigh escaped his lips, and he only stood up after a long time had passed. Putting away those thoughts the best he could, he stood up, finally deciding to look for an exit.

His gaze lingered on the sword for a brief moment before picking it up and placing it back into its sheath. Running his fingers across the smooth surface of the wall, he carefully made his way toward the outer wall, from where he had entered in.

After a short while, his fingers finally grazed the entrance wall, its texture not much different from the others aside from the cold feeling climbing up his fingertips.

How do I get out now… there has to be a way… hopefully not magic. He thought, carefully exploring the wall’s smooth surface and going back and forth a few times. His footsteps halted suddenly in a spot somewhere in the middle, and he gently pushed on a tile after feeling its slightly different, rougher texture. Almost instantly, a rectangular light engulfed the tiles around, which vanished completely after a few seconds.

The noon’s blazing rays of the sun descended upon Kai like raindrops in a thunderstorm, and it took him some time to adjust to the new surroundings after being stuck in darkness for such a long time. Nivero gradually reveals itself to him, now bustling with a different kind of activity compared to the nocturnal days.

Carriages and carts filled with materials, textiles, foods, and beverages were pulled by several types of animals, creating a small cloud of dust wherever they passed. The animals ranged from a scrawny Scarlet Horse and a featherless bipedal avian, to a magnificent deer-like creature, its translucent antlers and five legs making for a bizarre sight.

Kai squinted his eyes before walking in the direction the inn seemed to be in, his gaze fixated on the beautifully paved path whilst he tried to rearrange his mangled thoughts.

Although Lumiera restored some of my memories, some things are still incredibly hazy. I can’t remember Nevan properly… or my school life. Besides that, that Goddess- she… she said that… my parents… they…

Inhaling deeply, he raised his head toward the sky, letting the soft rays of sunlight hit his pale skin. Using the stinging sensation spreading from his neck downward, he tried to silence the Goddess’ echoing voice, instead thinking about the future and where he’d go from here.

A sudden thump awoke him from his thoughts, and his vision turned dark as something got in the way of the sun. Taking a step backward, his pupils widened in surprise upon seeing who it was that he walked into.

Two figures stood before him, their expressions as scary and imposing as their aura. To the left stood a man taller than anyone he had ever seen. He wore a dark, hooded cloak that concealed most of his features, safe for his curling mouth and piercing eyes. Strapped to his back was a massive, jagged-edged sword that gleamed with a malevolent aura, its unsheathed blade coated with dried blood.

Besides him was a woman with an equally foreboding presence. Her long, ebony hair cascaded like a waterfall down her back, and her pale skin shared the soft color of the moonlight. She wore a tight-fitting black leather outfit adorned with silver studs and carried an intricately crafted crossbow slung across her chest. Her chilly eyes looked at Kai, sending shivers throughout his body, and her lips curled into a chilling, sadistic smile.

Both of them wore a similar red badge and armband, in the middle of which stood the symbol of a dragon with a spear piercing through its chest.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Inquisitors!

Kai took a step backward, staring at the two with a racing heart, and cold sweat dripped down his neck as a chapter from the book his parents gave him flashed before his eyes.

<>

Quickly composing himself and heeding the warnings written in the book, he quickly bowed his head, turning as small as possible before saying in a soft voice “I’m terribly sorry, sir, ma’am!”

His tone quivered ever so slightly, his muscles contracting and expanding as overwhelming fear and anxiety coursed through his entire body. Shit, what is this feeling?!? Kai did his best to remain unmoving before the two executioners, his heart threatening to jump out of his chest.

The man let out a low grunt whilst the woman remained silent, not even giving Kai a second glance before walking past him.

A heavy sigh of relief escaped Kai’s lips as he straightened his back, taking a moment to calm his nerves before heading toward the inn. Before him, the woman halted in her footsteps and took a second look at Kai, a tinge of suspicion appearing in her eyes.

…

What the fuck is wrong with me… standing before those two, I felt… helpless… but how could I be so terrified of two people I’ve never met?

A shiver ran down his spine just remembering their faces, however, he anxiously continued walking toward the inn, his space gradually speeding up as the sunlight hit his bare skin with even more intensity than before. Ugh, it’s starting to hurt really badly.

Making his way through the busy streets, he tried to avoid direct sunlight as much as possible, walking in dark alleys and hiding in the shadows of the tall buildings. Taking this chance to observe Nivero closer, he noticed a lot of people there were not human, in fact, most merchants seemed to be a combination of animals and humans, some sharing more characteristics with one than the other.

Even demi-humans exist in this world? Oh yeah, she did tell me but… seeing actual ones with my own two yes… it feels surreal. Funny though… to think I only question these things now. He took a deep breath, inhaling the air mixed with dust and another dozen smells as countless people passed by him, sometimes giving his mask a few weird glances before going on their merry way.

As he carefully moved and sneaked through the shadows, he finally found himself in front of the beautifully decorated inn, the flower’s intoxicating smell inundating his nostrils as its door swung open. A few guests lodged around the lobby, their quiet whispering temporarily stopped as their eyes fell on Kai before resuming their mundane conversations.

Kai made his way to the counter, where the girl waited for him with a bright smile. “Greetings Dear Guest, what can I do for you?” She asked, her soft and pleasant voice filling the lobby.

“I’m just going into my room, I wanted to ask if my companion… caused you any problems?”

The girl stood silently for a second, her eyes widening in surprise as realization hit her. “Oh, so it’s you! Uhm…” She avoided looking at Kai, instead glancing at the place where Onyx had stood and seemingly inhaled the meat through his nose. “Not at all, your company behaved exemplarily.” An awkward smile creased her face as she said that, however nothing else was out of the ordinary.

“Alright… I see.” Kai acknowledged her words before turning and walking toward the room. Something is telling me she wasn’t one hundred percent honest but… If he didn’t cause any major trouble it should be alright.

Finally standing in front of the door, he swung it open, only to be met with Onyx jumping and licking his face, well, his mask. “Boy, get off of me!” He pleaded, doing his best to push Onyx away, however, it served little to no purpose as the Obborik didn’t budge an inch.

“Woaf!”

He barked, scratching at Kai’s chest for a few seconds before getting down, his stomach letting out a low growl while he yelped. “Oh, you must be hungry, right? Hmm… I guess I can order something for now?”

Promptly walking back out, Kai made his way to the restaurant inside the inn. Despite the sun still shining bright, a lot of guests and customers were already sitting at the table, eating from the dozens of different dishes and drinking alcohol. Kai gagged loudly, remembering what he had done last night, and tried to avoid looking at any alcohol for the time being.

Behind the countertop, the bartender and supposedly the one who took orders carefully poured another pint of ale, sending it sliding toward Kai, who had just sat down. The soft orange fire from the torches lit up her ebony dark hair, along with her eyes that shared the same color. A soft smile creased her lips, causing the mole standing right above her upper lip to move slightly.

“Welcome, watch’a ordering today sir?” Staring at the reflection inside the cup, Kai pushed it to the side and said.

“Definitely no alcohol for me today.” His sharp voice alerted the bartender, and immediately grabbed the cup from Kai as her face reddened slightly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Not with the mask and all that.” Sending it toward another customer, she handed Kai a menu and turned her attention elsewhere whilst he made up his mind.

Oh? It looks like they do have drinking laws… or at least morals… Damn Fritz, serving alcohol to a kid! Chuckling to himself, he took a better look at the menu, his eyes widening in surprise upon seeing the prices. If it weren’t for the money my parents left me… I would have starved…

The violent sound of doors being kicked awoke him from his thoughts, and his head snapped toward the source - A small group of five men dressed in light armor wielding a various assortment of weapons such as swords, halberds, axes… and a bow. One of them was taller than the door, his head almost touching the ceiling, and blood dripped on his dark skin from a large creature hanging from his shoulder.

That’s an entrance…

Whispering broke out almost immediately, the entire restaurant’s eyes fixated on the group as they made their way toward the counter, leaving behind a trail of blood and dirt as they passed.

“Hey, aren’t those the two star adventurers?” A soft whistle entered Kai’s ears, and, turning around he saw a few men that sat not that far away from him talk amongst themselves.

“Yeah… I heard they can kill Scarlet Bears in five seconds, and a small horde of pigelins aren’t enough for them to pick the meat between their teeth with!”

“That’s crazy! I can’t even kill one pigelin and they can take on a horde?!”

“A small horde.”

Whispers like these resounded in the dining room from every table, and the man leading the group walked proudly as the guests’ words of praise entered his ears.

He had blonde, piked hair, and brown eyes that stood in contrast to his white, albeit dirited and scarred skin. Faint pale, ivory patches covered his face and hands, however, they didn’t seem to bother him that much, and only served to deepen his mystery. A sword shining with a silver gleam hung by his waist, and next to it a dagger in a shabby scabbard. A half-sly half content smile creased his lips as he stopped before a small door leading to the back.

“Tell Swiss we’re back, and we brought quite a large haul.” His deep voice rang in the bartender’s ears, her cheeks turning slightly rosy as she quickly walked through the door.

The entire room burst into hearty laughter, excluding Kai and the man’s party, who held a stoic expression all the while. Shortly after the laughing died down, a short, fat man dressed in a cook’s attire walked through the door with a healthy smile, his lips parting under his already grey mustache.

“That’s an adventurer for ya! Even Old Man Swiss is treating him well. Not to mention the old man’s daughter is head over heels for him.” The man next to Kai said before taking a big gulp from his pint.

Adventurer… hmm… Kai pondered over that word, a soft smile creasing his lips as he remembered what that entailed. Doesn’t sound too bad actually…