As the setting glow of the sun painted the sky orange, Samael's figure could be seen treading his way towards the border of the southern forest.

His visage was solemn as he made his way towards the promised place.

There stood Ajax, arms crossed, as he bathed in silence. Noticing Samael's presence, he cast a sidelong glance.

"Ajax," Samael said.

"Report?" Ajax asked.

You could at least do a simple greeting, right? A sigh escaped his lips.

"Well, these past few days have been... uneventful. I didn't get much, but I did stumble upon a tricky situation," Samael replied.

"Tell me," Ajax ordered.

"It started the day you went to get the necessary items required for the southern forest raid. That night, I encountered a shadow leading the cattle away. However, I couldn't catch up in time and lost whoever it was," Samael said.

"The villagers suspected that it was someone among them, seeing as how the person in question knew their way around the village."

"The village elder helped me, but they're starting to doubt us. I also noticed something else..." Samael halted his words, measuring them carefully.

"I saw a bruise on the left knee of the elder, and I remember the culprit stumbling as he bolted away," Samael pointed out.

"You're saying the Elder might indeed be the culprit?" Ajax clarified.

"I-I'm not sure. I feel as though there is more to this story. I talked to the grandpa near the southern forest. He told me a few interesting things, one of which is that Eric is actually Verun's brother and that they swore an oath to never harm each other no matter what," Samael said.

"Do you trust the words of that man?" Ajax asked.

"I don't know anymore. I understand that believing the words of a single person seems a little foolish, but I... nevermind," Samael dismissed.

"We don't have much of a choice. All the evidence we hold currently points towards the Elder," Ajax said.

"Upon inspecting the situation, the disappearances follow a fixed schedule. At first it happened every month, but now it happens every week, and if I'm not wrong, today marks the end of this week," he pointed out.

"Come, let's unveil the secret laying in slumber within the southern forest," Ajax beckoned Samael to follow.

Samael gave a brief nod as he trailed close to Ajax.

Upon arriving there, Ajax took out a small device. It was a cube, with runes carved deep into its smooth surface. It released a soft, tantalising glow that gave the item a hint of mysticism.

"That's the atlas?" Samael asked.

"Yes," Ajax answered as he withdrew a small, corked bottle. It shone radiant blue as it swirled inside the glass container.

"And that's the Gyser?" Samael pointed out.

Ajax nodded in response as he rose to his feet. "Come, let's finish this," he said.

Samael dusted himself as he released a mouthful of air. It has finally come. It's time to unveil the secret lying in slumber within these towering trees.

"SAMAEL!"

Ajax and Samael cast a glance over their shoulders. Their gaze fixated on the silhouette of a girl.

"Ella...?" Samael muttered, his brows furrowed.

"The farmer's daughter?" Ajax asked.

"SAMAEL!" Ella called out, her visage drenched in sweat.

Samael swiftly approached the girl. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"And what's got you so riled up?" he resumed.

Ella gasped for air as she stumbled on her words. "I—the village! We need to hurry, now—"

"Calm down and tell us what happened," Ajax intervened.

"Breathe, Ella, breathe," Samael instructed.

Ella took deep breaths, steadily regaining her composure.

"Now, tell us what happened," Ajax said.

"The village! There's a commotion, and everyone is saying they found the culprit!" She revealed.

Samael's eyes widened, his brows arching upward. "They found the culprit?" he clarified.

"Yes! I'm not sure of the details, but I ran after you guys as fast as I could after hearing the news," she said.

Samael shifted his gaze towards Ajax.

"Let's go," Ajax ordered before storming off towards Irvel village.

"We'll be going now, Ella. Thanks for the news," Samael said before trailing Ajax.

As they inched closer to the village, Samael's ears picked up the sounds of chaos and screams.

They followed it, and it led them towards the village plaza, where a crowd of villagers flocked towards the centre.

"What is going on here?" Ajax's voice reverberated, leaving a trail of echo and at the same time garnering the attention of the mundane folks.

"It's the watchers!" A voice exclaimed.

"Finally! They're here to deliver punishment!" A woman's voice said.

"Took them long enough!" Another voice chimed in.

The duo pushed through the wrathful crowd, feasting their eyes on the cause of all this uproar.

Samael's breath hitched, his figure freezing in place. Situated in the middle of the vengeful flock is... Eric, the village elder

He was on his knees, his hands and limbs shackled in chains. His visage was pale, blood oozing out of his nose and mouth.

"A-Ajax! Samael!" He called— A fist connected with his jaw, sending his figure sprawling down the ice-cold earth, stirring the dust upon impact.

"Shut up! You don't get to talk!" A man interjected, his knuckles stained crimson.

"All of you, back away." Ajax's voice swept through the crowd, the atmosphere dropping a notch and sending shivers down the villagers spines.

Slowly, they stepped away in unison.

Suffocating silence seized the plaza as everyone dared not look at Ajax's figure.

A pained groan escaped Eric's lips as his chained hands trembled under his weight. Slowly, he sat down, facing the hostile glares of the villagers he once cared for.

"Tell me what happened here," Ajax commanded.

Whispers snapped in the air, and a man—the same person who escorted Sharon out of the clinic—came forward.

"We found the Eld—I mean, Eric—guiding the cattle of Susan an hour or so ago," he said.

"I'm telling you! I wasn't stealing the cattle!" Eric rebuked the claims.

"Shut up, filthy thief!" A voice roared.

"Don't speak unless you're spoken to, scum!" Another voice chimed in.

"Silence!" Ajax said.

"You caught him stealing the cattle?" Ajax asked once more.

The man nodded. "Yes, when we stopped him on his tracks, he said he was merely doing a favour asked to him by Ella. However, when the owner, Susan found out, she denied any knowledge of this "favour," the man said.

A woman dressed in simple peasant clothes came forward. "It's true! I had no knowledge whatsoever of this activity!" She said.

"See! Even Susan testified!" A man said.

"Piece of scum! To think he would use an innocent girl as a get-away!"

"Kill him!"

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

A woman clad in a red tunic ran forward, lunging towards Eric. Their figures collided as they slammed into the ground with a sickening thud.

"WHERE'S MY SON, YOU SON OF A BITCH?!" Sharon roared, tears staining her cheeks.

"I'm telling you! I don't know! Argh! Stop!" Eric pleaded.

Her hand repeatedly bashed Eric as the man hid behind his shackled arms, forming a makeshift shield.

"Take her away," Ajax ordered.

The villagers, reluctant at first, followed his words after earning a carving glare from Ajax's visor.

"UNHAND ME! LET GO!" Sharon flailed under their grasp as she was dragged away from Eric.

Ajax approached Eric, his steel armour gleaming under the sun.

"What were you planning on doing with Susan's cattle?" Ajax asked.

"Why ask him? It's obvious he wanted to steal them!" A man said.

"Yeah! Behead him!"

Ajax raised his fist in the air, swiftly silencing the crowd. "Tell me your side," he said.

"I-I was approached by E-Ella earlier this morning. She said she needed help with a small favour." Eric struggled to speak.

"Go on," Ajax said.

"She was my brother's daughter, and with Verun's disappearance, I-I couldn't get myself to refuse her," he resumed.

"What did she tell you exactly?" Ajax asked.

"S-She said she needed my help to relocate the cattle towards her barn," Eric replied.

"Liar! If Ella did indeed ask you such a favour, then where was she when we caught you?!" Susan roared.

"Yeah! I even saw her going outside to pick up some herbs for the upcoming festival!" The man who caught Eric added.

Samael's brows furrowed. Something feels off.

"I swear I'm not lying! Please!" Eric pleaded for mercy.

"Show us where you found him," Ajax commanded, breaking the villagers from their wrathful stupor.

"Alright, follow me," the man said as he led Samael towards Susan's abode.

"It's exactly right here where we caught him," the man said.

Ajax's visor darted back and forth. He walked a couple paces before crouching down, his hand hovering inches above the earth.

"It is indeed Eric's footprints..." he uttered.

The crowd erupted into chaos. Cusses, curses, and threats left trails of echoes in the air as their glares carved a hole in Eric's body.

"That can't be..." Eric's visage paled.

A small stone soared in the air, striking Eric's head with a bang. The once-loved elder fell to the floor as a myriad of pebbles, fruits, and plants rained down on him.

"Kill him!" They roared.

"Stone him to death!" Another chimed in.

"To hell with him!" A woman bellowed.

However, Ajax remained unmoving. Allowing the villagers to bend their rage towards the man.

Amidst the chaos, Samael watched as Eric begged for mercy. Yet he was pardoned none.

Was my hunch really wrong? Samael asked himself. He believed the words of the man near the southern forest. Was he a fool for doing so?

"Enough with this." A voice spoke, luring the attention of the villagers, Ajax, and Samael himself.

Samael's brows rose to an arch as he laid eyes on the newcomer.

"Grand elder...?" The doctor said.

"What are you doing here, Grand Elder?" Susan asked.

From the dust, a man with grey hair strode forward.

"You..." Samael muttered.

"Yes, quite the surprise, isn't it, boy?" The newcomer asked.

"Why didn't you tell me, Grandpa...?" Samael asked.

"Well, you never asked," he said, a chuckle escaping his lips.

He shifted his gaze forward. "Seize this madness," he said.

Susan came forward. "But—!"

"No buts." The grand elder intervened.

"Is this really how low we've stooped? Stoning a man to death with half-baked accusations?" he asked.

"The evidence points to him!" The man who caught Eric said.

"Silence yourself, Abel." The grand elder glared at the man.

"Are we so shallow that we'll kill a man without properly investigating both sides of the story?" he asked once more.

"Fools, you all are," he said.

Samael's gaze fell down. He himself didn't believe that Eric was really the culprit. However, every single clue they found led to him.

Is this really the right decision? He asked himself. He's unsure... but it is in such times that he must remain vigilant.

Remember Ajax's teachings. Samael thought.

He closed his eyes, leashing his thoughts as he examined every single detail once more.

The disappearances, the timing, the secrets of the southern forest, Eric's bruise, Eric's past, and his peculiar situation.

Samael clenched his jaws, his grip tightening. No matter how hard he tries or how much he examines it, everything goes back to Eric.

Samael shifted his eyes forward, fixing his gaze on Eric. Was he really the culprit?

Samael took a step forward—when a relaxing scent invaded his senses.

He took a whiff, a strange familiarity blooming in his heart.

What is this scent again? He asked himself. He knew it wasn't the time for such questions, but this odd familiarity lingering in his heart bothers him.

Just what is this scent? He questioned.

"Uru moss is a primary ingredient for regeneration potions.

Samael's eyes narrowed down. Isn't this... the scent of Uru moss? And if I remember correctly, Ella used to carry this scent...

Samael's eyes widened.

Wait... Then this scent?! Samael's gaze darted back and forth. Was Ella here before? But no one saw her...

"Liar! If Ella did indeed ask you such a favour, then where was she when we caught you?

"Yeah! I even saw her going outside to pick up some herbs for the upcoming festival!"

Samael's eyes quivered, his heart galloping like a stallion.

"I ran after you guys as fast as I could after hearing the news."

How did she know about the news when they saw her leave before the incident?

"Next time you meet her, make sure to advise her to be more careful. Last night she bumped into me, causing us to plummet towards the ground."

The silhouette and Eric's wound... Don't tell me...

"The villagers suspected that it was someone among them, seeing as how the person in question knew their way around the village."

The culprit left no tracks that night, and there were no tracks left when Ajax examined the scene... except for the elder

Samael's eye widened.

If the culprit was indeed the elder... Why make mistakes now and leave evidences that point against you?

Samael shifted his gaze towards the south.

And how did Ella know our location? ...Unless she didn't and her direction was simply... Samael paled, a shiver running down his spine.

"AJAX! IT'S NOT ERIC! IT'S ELLA!" Samael roared. With a forceful kick to the ground, Samael's figure darted forward.

The villagers stepped back in surprise.

Ajax swiftly propelled himself forward, catching up to Samael in no time.

"What do you mean, Samael?" he asked.

"Eric was never the culprit! It was Ella all along!" He responded.

"Explain," Ajax said, his tone heavy and grim.

"Her scent! Her scent was present in the scene! I knew what that fragrance was! It was Uru moss, the primary ingredient for healing potions!" Samael explained.

"I don't see how this concerns her," Ajax retorted.

"It does! Eric said that Ella bumped into her the night I saw the silhouette. I thought that Eric got his wound because he was the culprit, but it turns out it was his collision with Ella when she was escaping that caused all of it!" Samael said.

"It doesn't end there! That night, I saw no traces, no footprints, not even a strand of hair! In Eric's story, he mentioned Ella was there with him, yet the only traces we saw were of his!" He resumed.

"Why leave traces now?" Samael asked.

Ajax fell silent, lost in contemplation.

"Ella said she ran to us when she heard the news, but the villagers all said they saw her leave before they caught Eric! So how did she get hold of that information and our location?" Samael stated.

"Unless she didn't, and we were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time," Ajax muttered.

"Exactly!" Samael chimed in.

"It appears we were fooled," Ajax uttered.

***

The lone figure of a girl leisurely strode forward, surrounded by the towering trees and the eerie silence that encompassed them.

She stopped in front of a titanic tree. Its branches crooked, and its roots drilling deep into the earth.

The lingering stench of rot and iron permeated the air, accompanying the chilling stride of the wind.

She raised both hands, reaching out towards the tree.

A faint tremor shook under her soles. Before her eyes, the ginormous tree trembled, its elongated branches reaching out to her.

"I have given you what you wanted," the girl muttered.

"I have waited as you've told me," she said.

"I have patiently sat still until the day you promised would come."

"And you shall wait no longer..." A faint voice whispered in her ears.

Ella reached out for the branches of the tree when a voice resonated through the forest.

"Stop right there, Ella." Samael's voice left trails of echo.

Ella's hands balled into a fist. The branches reaching out to her stopped mere inches from her palms.

She shot a glance over her shoulders. "...Samael, it seems you've found out."

"Why are you doing this?" he asked.

Ella's gaze landed on Samael. "Why...? Because he has to pay," she said.

"What do you mean?" Samael asked, his figure inching closer.

"Don't come near me," Ella said, freezing Samael in his steps.

"You don't have to do this, Ella," Samael said.

"I HAVE TO DO THIS!" She bellowed.

Samael flinched, his arms gently hovering beside him.

"He... Eric has to pay," she said.

Eric? What has he got to do with this? Samael wondered.

"Pay for what?" Samael asked, his gaze shifting behind Ella, where a shadow lurked behind the towering trees, slowly inching towards her.

"For his sins that remains hidden even now," she said.

Samael took a step forward. "Ella, tell me; I'm here to listen. I understand you're feeling distressed right now, but doing this won't—"

"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! NONE OF YOU DO!" She roared.

She took a sharp breath. "Samael, did you happen to hear of the nun that guided this village once?" She asked.

Samael halted his steps.

"Her name was Evelyn. She was kind, compassionate, and pure. She helped this village, nurtured it, and taught it to avoid the dangers hiding beneath the woods."

"But that purity was defiled by a man who was under the influence of alcohol. All because of a fucking drink!"

"The nun vanished for a long, loooong time, returning only to perish and leave behind a child." Tears streamed down Ella's cheeks.

"A child no one knew the existence of, a child that was left to die alone. That kid wandered aimlessly, surviving off the scraps left by the villagers. She had to beg to live another day, only to repeat the same cycle of torture." Ella wiped away the tears staining her cheeks.

"Do you know who that child was?" Ella asked.

Samael fell silent, thoughts wreaking havoc in his mind.

"She vanished around the start of spring and came back around the end of fall, just before winter befell on us."

"She was bleeding, pale, and exhausted. I don't know what sort of disease she caught."

Samael's eyes widened. She... She was pregnant...

"...And the child she carried was you," Samael uttered.

"Yes, it was me. A child born of sin. The bastard daughter of the Elder, Eric," she revealed.

Samael's brows furrowed. "But what about Verun? Little Tori? What did they do to deserve this?" he asked.

"Verun...?" she asked.

"He cared for you! He treated you like his daughter!" Samael said.

"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!" Ella roared, her face contorting in rage.

"That man is no one to me! The same blood that runs in the veins of Eric flows in his! The mere thought that the brother of the person who raped my mother and left me to die took care of me sickens me!" She snapped.

"It wasn't my fault he was too nosy; if he had stayed in his room that night, he wouldn't have had to go like this," she said.

Samael's jaw clenched. "Then what about Little Tori? What did he do to deserve this?" he asked.

"Little Tori? If I can, I'll sacrifice all the kids in this village! They run around, laughing, but when I was their age, I was barely living!" She screamed.

"And if you're wondering how the watcher disappeared? He was a fool for believing everyone in the village. It only took a little bit of acting, a sleeping potion, and potatoes to end his pitiful life," Ella mentioned.

Samael's grip tightened, his knuckles white as snow. He understands the pain of barely living, having neither parents to care for you nor a roof over your head. But what she did was simply inexcusable.

He suffered, but he stood steadfast. Using the agony he experienced as fuel to strive forward. But she buckled under the weight and pressure. Taking the lives of innocent people who simply wanted to help her.

She was a monster.

Ella shifted her gaze back to the tree. "Oh, and don't bother with the small talks. I know you're trying to buy time for your mentor to stop me, but I'm no fool, Samael; you are."

Samael's eyes widened. He swiftly summoned Crimson Raven as he darted forward, onyx-dark steam gushing out of his soles.

"Ajax, he found out!" Samael roared as his figure zoomed forward.

"You're too late," Ella said, the elongated branches of the tree merely a breath away from her hands.

"NOOOO!" Samael's voice echoed as his vision was engulfed by a blinding light. Amidst the chaos, Ella's voice reigned alone.

"...And I shall have my revenge."