The bell rang softly as a door from a building named "Gelatteria Vittorio Emanuele" slid open.
From inside, Ascella slowly stepped out and the door began to close by itself. Ascella's eyes observed her surroundings. The streets were dark with several street lamps giving off weak light.
The building across from Ascella was already quiet, the windows covered by curtains holding back the light from inside. Ascella raised her head, looking at the moon in the night sky.
"It should only be a short while after the sun set though,"
So this is what this city feels like at night.
If there were no street lamps, this might already resemble a forest.
Quiet without people passing by, maybe people are in the western district.
Because many people in this city follow a religion that worships a goddess, maybe they are all at the Cathedral.
Ascella lowered her head and began looking at one of the streets beside her.
Time to go home.
It seems Ghyna couldn't lie to mother.
Maybe mother is waiting for me in front of the house right now, or maybe the worst possibility is that she's looking for me.
If it has already come to this, I can only apologize and promise not to repeat it.
After that, maybe mother won't want to talk to me for weeks, like that time.
A moment after imagining something, Ascella's feet began stepping toward the right.
If I pass through here, I should go through the eastern district, then pass the southern district and enter the special district. Maybe it would take 15 minutes if running.
"I should just walk," said Ascella.
Her feet began stepping through the winding streets. The road was not completely empty on the other side of the road Ascella passed, a person could be seen walking in the opposite direction.
The streets of the city that night were covered with thin fog. Moonlight followed by the light of street lamps reflected on the stone road.
After walking for a while, Ascella stopped before entering a crossroads, as if she realized something.
Several street lamps flickered briefly and their light began to weaken. At the same time, clouds moved to cover the bright moon in the sky.
Ascella observed her surroundings and realized that the streets around her seemed to be without proper lighting.
Ascella's pupils widened, the hairs on her neck stood up. Unintentionally her body reacted to something, her heart beating faster.
Ascella, who was a sorcerer human, unintentionally released Anima Eugenes. But quickly she performed an energy suppression technique.
Anima Eugenes was suppressed and remained in a balanced position. This condition made Anima Eugenes unable to be used for technique usage, because Anima Eugenes did not cover the outer part of the body, but remained exactly within the epidermis layer of the body's skin.
"This feeling...," Ascella said softly.
Her eyes began randomly turning to various directions until she stopped and directed her head to the left.
A reaction of energy usage, there is another sorcerer around here.
The Anima energy feels thin. It feels like a technique above is about to be released.
Its origin...from the left side of the road.
Ascella walked slowly at the edge of the road. When her steps stopped at the end of the road leading to the crossroads, her hand was seen half gripping the edge of a building wall. Her head turned slowly and one of her eyes began to look.
Observing around and that was when her eyes met the two figures, walking calmly on the right side of the road. Her eyebrows raised slightly as if Ascella realized who those figures were.
"Sinhart...and mother?" muttered Ascella who saw them.
Ascella's eyes narrowed and her forehead frowned. Thin fog disturbed her vision, but Ascella focused even more, as if she was still searching for an answer to her doubt.
"W-who is that woman?" Ascella whispered.
From a distance, the right side of the road from Ascella's direction. Sinhart and a woman walked calmly holding hands in the middle of darkness and fog. The woman held Sinhart's hand as if guiding his steps.
I am completely sure that boy is Sinhart.
But the woman holding his hand is not someone I know.
Her black hair...her face...then the black cloth covering her eyes.
She...looks familiar
Sinhart also looks very strange...without expression.
Is that really Sinhart.
The woman suddenly stopped walking. Quickly she turned toward the alley near her. The woman's hand moved quickly. Her body seemed to avoid something as she stepped backward.
But that reaction was too late. The sound of footsteps vanished. Everything returned to silence.
Ascella's shoulders lifted slightly. Her eyes focused even more as she searched.
Where did Sinhart and that woman go?
I am certain, just now that woman seemed to stop and move suddenly.
Within seconds Ascella thought. Something felt like it touched her herself. Making her realize something.
The feeling when my Anima Eugenes that I had already suppressed experienced instability.
The trace of energy when an Anima sorcerer activates a technique above.
Another sorcerer is around here.
The sound of a body falling softly was heard in that silence. Suddenly Sinhart and that woman lay without reaction, exactly where they last disappeared.
From inside the alley through the fog, a black robed figure came approaching, his hand waving the air in front of his face.
Seeing the black robed figure appear near Sinhart and the woman, Ascella began biting her lower lip, she stared at the black robed figure but her gaze seemed empty.
An attack...?
Sinhart and that woman suddenly appear unconscious.
For a moment I clearly felt someone's Anima energy.
Both of Ascella's hands began moving, wiping her forehead with her fingers.
What should I do?
The sorcerer who attacked used a strange technique that cannot be seen.
Anima technique attack... It should violate the Anima sorcerer code of ethics.
There is no one else here.
The sorcerer knight order headquarters is in the western district of the city.
Shouting...no that is not the right solution.
The black robed person with his hands began lifting Sinhart and the woman's bodies, carrying them onto his shoulder. Calmly the man walked back into the direction of the small alley.
Ascella's small movement stopped. Her feet remained in place, her hands slowly lowering to her sides, her breath held, one drop of sweat appearing, her eyes watching everything that happened without a single blink.
Mother...your words back then, now I understand.
But sorry...this time I will face it.
Right after the black robed figure disappeared into the alley. Ascella stepped forward. One, two steps moved quickly. Without sound with calm breathing. Ascella approached the entrance of the small alley.
Ascella's palm felt cold, her clothes rubbed against the rough wall. Slowly—Ascella's head tilted, peeking slightly into the alley. The black robed figure could still be seen walking slowly without rushing. But someone with a different appearance could be seen accompanying him.
Boots that looked oversized on the feet, long black pants that looked loose, a black top and a tall hat. Visible under the moonlight, walking calmly with both hands inside his pant pockets.
The sound of Ascella's exhale and inhale repeated softly.
My prediction was correct there are two perpetrators... the possibility if fighting them would be difficult.
The man with the tall hat is likely the Anima sorcerer who performed that technique earlier.
I think his sense of clothing is quite strange.
Ascella's breathing became calmer, her heartbeat felt slower, Ascella's gaze became more focused yet at the same time looked empty.
Ascella performed energy suppression again, but this time Anima Eugenes was truly very balanced within her body.
The basic technique performed by Ascella had reached very good mastery. But even so it felt like there was still doubt from Ascella.
Her feet began moving, her heels lifted with every quiet step, no sound was heard with each of her movements. Her shoulders slightly lowered with her body hiding within the shadows.
Slowly approaching and following the two people who carried Sinhart. The closer Ascella got, the more their conversation could be heard a little.
"You mean those people eat them...," that voice came from the man with the tall hat.
"But this is only a rumor don't believe it immediately."
The robed man lifted his shoulder slightly, the body he carried on his shoulder.
"If that thing is not a rumor, I would not want to take this job," said the man with the hat while glancing.
"But it could be true right?"
Moonlight was covered by clouds, the entire alley became almost dark.
"Think about it...what is the purpose of kidnapping children. If only women it might still make sense,"
"Yeah that's true, especially since that person only wants ordinary humans," replied the man with the tall hat.
"By the way is this really not a sorcerer?"
"Yeah those two people are not sorcerers, you can trust me,"
Step by step, direction by direction. Moonlight shone brightly again illuminating part of the dark alley. The sound of rats from behind the shadows. The sound of four footsteps complementing each other.
"But honestly. This woman is beautiful, you agree with me right?"
The man with the hat turned his head.
"Don't tell me you are aroused because of the woman on your shoulder,"
A small laugh was heard.
"...Sorry but I am not the type like that,"
Hearing him say that, the man with the hat only let out a small breath from his mouth.
After some time. From the end of the alley, the tall wall of the city could be seen slightly closer.
"Okay we have arrived." The footsteps of the two people stopped.
"Here?" asked the black robed person.
The man with the hat swept the alley road with his shoe. The moss attached to the stone road was partly cleared.
After sweeping the road for a moment he stopped.
"It should be...here."
White light shone faintly from the body of the man with the tall hat, Anima Eugenes covered his body, gathering quickly in his right hand.
With a quick movement, the air around broke as his hand pierced through it. The sound of stones colliding was heard loudly. The man with the hat moved the broken stones and began moving the road stones. A hole large enough formed.
"It really is here right? If the sorcerer knight order hears this noisy sound, we're finished!"
"Relax, you only need to listen to my words if you want this to finish quickly!"
Once again, Anima Eugenes gathered quickly in his right hand. Striking something hard. But this time, the strike produced no sound at all.
The hole that was previously shallow. This time looked like endless darkness. Deep as if swallowing everyone who entered.
The robed man who saw it also felt doubt.
"This is a lie right! This is not our escape route right!"
"Be quiet...give me the woman I will jump first. After going down I will catch you below."
Without thinking the robed man handed the woman from his shoulder. One hand of the man with the tall hat was under the woman's back and the other hand was under the knees covered by cloth from her pants.
"Three seconds after I jump...you jump too and do not drop that child." The man with the hat prepared himself at the edge of the hole he made himself.
"Alright...," replied the robed man.
Without the slightest hesitation he jumped, into the dark hole that seemed to consume light.
His body pierced the wind, their clothes fluttered. Anima Eugenes concentrated on both of the man's legs. His knees bent. Touching the surface. His shoes stepped into the yellow soil. That impact created a sound echoing between the walls.
Quickly the man placed down the body he carried. His head faced upward, waiting. His hands opened in front of his body, ready to catch.
"Aaaaa!"
The wind rushed quickly. The man's hands staggered downward. At that moment it was like a prince carrying a princess with a boy.
"You...are you alright," that gentle voice came from the mouth of the man with the hat, with round black glasses covering his eyes.
"...Thank you." Right after saying that his body shook the ground.
The robed man grimaced in pain while rubbing his butt for quite a while.
"There is no more time... Stand up and start walking." The man with the hat was already walking while carrying the woman in front.
The robed man followed him quickly. Their steps were now aligned again, the sound of every step echoing very loudly. The path they took was only one direction and its end could not be seen.
"So this is what you mean...the dead labyrinth?" asked the robed man.
"Correct. Not many people know there is a labyrinth beneath this city...,"
Their voices echoed between the bluish green walls. Those walls glowed faintly illuminating the corridor. The yellow soil was even able to reflect the light.
"You mean no one knows or actually what?" he asked again.
The man with the hat exhaled slowly from his mouth.
"Around 40 years ago this city was a village. However this labyrinth appeared without the knowledge of its residents. Then an overflow of energy from mindless creatures occurred. Those creatures destroyed the village, the city and killed many humans," explained the man with the hat somewhat quickly.
"Then how...I cannot imagine the ending,"
The eyes of the man with the hat glanced toward the wall towering upward.
"It is already obvious...a small village would struggle to receive help. We were so afraid we could not sleep, every day hiding in the forest, empty stomach bodies without strength, seeing friends and family die was a common sight."
"I cannot imagine how terrifying they were...mindless creatures. But honestly do not speak like one of the victims," said the robed man.
The man with the hat looked from the corner of his eye.
"The important thing is that it was very frightening,"
"But, you are an Anima sorcerer right old uncle, could you not give resistance. You know, release your hidden technique in critical moments...," said the robed man.
"The mindless creatures back then were far stronger than those now. Honestly if I was not saved by him I would not be here,"
"I am starting to doubt...this story is actually serious." The mouth of the robed man smiled sideways, followed by his eyes rolling.
"So where...can I find this savior of yours?" he continued.
The man with the hat stopped walking right beside a wall that was widely cracked and led upward.
"Unfortunately that person is already dead," he replied without glancing, while stepping into the crack.
Both entered in sequence, walking upward. Light could be seen shining faintly like moonlight. That light was absorbed into the yellow soil and flowed like water.
"The ship is close."
Both people came out of the labyrinth, their bodies touching the cold air blowing past them.
The sound of a surface—like thousands of small grains shifting softly when pressed. That surface became wet as water slowly covered it. The sound of trickling water could be heard like music there.