"Rynan, would you mind telling us what you know about the attacker..?" Xhan's voice was serious, more serious than Rynan had ever heard it before. The playful atmosphere from moments ago had completely disappeared, replaced by something heavy and dangerous. Even the air in the room seemed to have changed.
Rynan hesitated for a moment, but something clicked inside him as he looked at the people standing in front of him. He knew that these people here, right now in this room, were to be trusted completely. There was no doubt about it in his mind.
"The Blood Moon Knights..." Rynan started, and immediately he could see Xhan and Tarnillya's faces change to anxious looks. "The assassin told me this name, though I may not be completely sure—but I'll say this; what if I was right?" To Rynan, it seemed like they had previous experiences with this group, but he didn't bother asking about it.
"Then we'll be facing a very troublesome group..." Xhan sighed deeply, lowering his head and crossing his arms in obvious stress. The weight of those words seemed to press down on everyone in the room. You could practically feel the tension getting thicker by the second.
"Years ago, they were the ones that led the Ylza Massacre which lasted for a whole week of pure bloodbath." Tarnillya explained, sighing right after she finished speaking. Seeing Tarnillya this worried and anxious was bad news to Rynan—she had never lost her composure like this, not even in front of him. Her usual confident attitude had completely cracked.
―So this is a very troublesome group we're dealing with here... Rynan's mind raced as he tried to process the information. The name alone seemed to carry so much weight that it made everyone in the room uncomfortable.
Emi just stayed silent, wrapping a few strands of her blue hair around her right hand's finger nervously. Her usual bright energy had completely disappeared, replaced by quiet fear.
―She's scared... Rynan thought as he watched her.
Rynan felt like he needed to comfort her, feeling guilty for involving her in this mess even when she had done nothing wrong. Considering Emi's personality, right now all she was probably thinking about was him and his safety. The thought made his chest feel tight with worry for her.
"Emi, it's okay, you're protected by two of the largest guilds in Ylza Empire, there's nothing to worry about." His voice was gentle as he tried to reassure her. He wanted to reach out and hold her hand, but the others were watching. The words felt weak even as he said them.
"It's not about me, it's about you... what will happen to you!? Will you die!?" Her voice cracked with emotion as the words poured out. The fear in her eyes was so clear that it made Rynan's heart ache. She looked like she was about to cry.
"Hah! No I won't! I'll survive, in one piece!" Rynan tried to sound confident and strong for her sake. His voice was loud and determined, though deep down he wasn't completely sure himself. But he had to be strong for Emi right now.
"Glad you're feeling confident, Rynan, but this group... is a group that you shouldn't underestimate at all." Xhan interrupted, his voice full of warning and worry. It was unusual for him to worry about someone he had just met weeks ago—especially someone as powerful and dangerous as Rynan. The concern in his voice was genuine and deep.
Tarnillya just stood there in complete silence, lost in her own thoughts. Rynan didn't disturb her since it looked like she was thinking of something very important, maybe even a plan on how to deal with those guys. Her face was serious in a way he'd never seen before.
"I think... Rynan would be able to handle it much easier than we think..." Tarnillya's voice was quiet but firm when she finally spoke. Her words hung in the air like a bomb waiting to explode. Everyone could feel the weight of what she was suggesting.
Everyone stood completely silent, staring at Tarnillya with shock and disbelief. Xhan looked at her with wide eyes and dilated pupils, like she had just said something completely insane. The silence stretched on for what felt like forever.
"A-are you kidding me right now, Tarnillya!? This is the Blood Moon Knights we're talking about, you moron! Did you forget what we had to experience on that day!?" Xhan's voice exploded with anger and disbelief. His usual calm had completely shattered, and raw emotion poured out of every word. The pain in his voice was impossible to miss.
"YES! DO YOU THINK I COULD EVER FORGET THAT DAY!? WHEN LANCE HAD DIED!?" Tarnillya's scream echoed through the hospital room like thunder. Her voice was filled with so much pain and rage that it made everyone freeze. The raw emotion in her words cut through the air like a knife.
There was an awkward moment of complete silence between everyone as the wind blew through the open window. The curtains moved gently, a stark contrast to the heavy atmosphere in the room. Nobody knew what to say after that outburst.
―Lance..? Rynan thought confusedly, tilting his head slightly but staying completely silent. He didn't bother to ask a single question because it felt wrong to him. Whatever had happened to Lance was clearly very painful for both of them.
"I-I hate to admit it... but Rynan is the ONLY hope we have, Xhan!" Tarnillya's voice was quieter now but filled with desperate determination. The words came out like she was admitting defeat and finding hope at the same time. Her eyes were filled with a mixture of pain and desperate faith.
Xhan clenched his fists in frustration, but also in acceptance—it felt wrong to let a mere child take care of this dangerous matter, but he had no choice. The weight of their situation pressed down on him like a heavy stone. His pride as a guild leader was being crushed, but his desperation was even stronger.
Everyone's eyes widened as Xhan suddenly bowed down, hitting his head on the pristine, luxurious tiled floor with a dull thud. The sound echoed through the quiet hospital room like a gunshot. Nobody had expected to see the proud guild leader lower himself like this.
"P-PLEASE... RYNAN..." Xhan raised his head, looking directly at Rynan on the hospital bed with tears in his eyes. "KILL THEM!" His voice cracked with emotion as the words tore out of his throat. The desperation in his voice was so raw that it made everyone's hearts ache.
To Rynan, these words had a huge impact on him—so much impact that it changed his way of thinking completely. He felt saddened and guilty, but also a burning anger deep in his chest. The emotions hit him like waves crashing against rocks.
Not just sympathetic anger, but he could also relate to their experiences perfectly. Being weak and not being able to do anything was an emotion Rynan understood better than anyone else. It was a feeling that had haunted him his entire life.
It was at this moment that Rynan was reminded of the face of his own mother and a very gruesome memory. The image flashed in his mind like lightning, bringing back all the pain he'd tried to forget. His hands clenched into fists as the memories threatened to overwhelm him.
―Fuck. This is tiring, but I still want to help them. The thought crossed his mind as he tried to push away the painful memories.
―For enjoyment's sake. Rynan smiled bitterly at the thought, knowing that part of him was looking forward to the violence.
<-<-<-<-<-<-༒︎->->->->->->
It was already the next day, and it had passed faster than what Rynan had expected—he was looking forward to this. Even though it felt wrong, he thought that it would be fun participating in something like this. He certainly had changed suddenly, and even he could feel the difference in himself.
They were at a grassy field just in front of a giant forest that looked dark and ominous. Here, everyone was well prepared with wagons and tents set up everywhere—it was a very important raid to get revenge for those who had died in the Massacre years ago. The atmosphere was tense but filled with determination.
"Rynan, you ready?" Xhan asked, his hands in his pockets while wearing his complete battle equipment. A silver, light chest plate was strapped to his chest, then a shoulder guard that looked like dragon scales with golden, bright lining. And finally, a sword was strapped to the left side of his hip, still sheathed—for some reason, Rynan wasn't able to get a closer look at it, but he paid it no mind.
"Yeah." Rynan answered, his voice as calm as ever with a grin spreading across his face. The excitement was building up inside him, and he could barely contain it. His eyes had a different look to them now—something darker and more dangerous.
"Alright, you'll be joining this temporary party of ours." Tarnillya instructed, but couldn't help thinking about how much Rynan had changed from just yesterday's talk. The transformation was almost scary to witness. She wondered if they had awakened something inside him that should have stayed sleeping.
In this temporary party, the members were Xhan, Rynan, Tarnillya, Lina, and Quellene. Each of them had their own reasons for being here, but they all shared the same goal. Today would be the day they finally got their revenge.