Chapter 3
Music: Forgotten Angel
Beneath her eyes…
Beneath her wings…
Beneath her light…
She warmed the planets…
She warmed all living beings…
She warmed my very heart…
But then, one day…
My wings were torn away…
Her crown fell from grace…
Her light was extinguished…
And the people turned their backs on her…
She was forgotten…
Or perhaps… she chose to forget herself.
She was forgotten…
Or perhaps… she chose to forget herself.
She was forgotten…
Or perhaps… she chose to forget herself.
She was forgotten…
Or perhaps… she chose to forget herself.
She was forgotten…
Or perhaps… she chose to forget herself.
And then her wings collapsed…
And then her wings collapsed…
The darkness consumed her…
Dragged her into the abyss…
Dragged her into the abyss…
And drowned her for all eternity…
Until her body, once divine, twisted into nothing more than a black stone.
---
Somewhere in Tokyo…
Through endless tunnels infested with rats… past the underground railways… a faint light flickered within a hidden facility known as Site 13. Bright corridors stretched endlessly, filled with scientists and guards moving briskly with purpose.
Inside a conference chamber, the most powerful voices of the organization gathered—the Council of Thirteen. The atmosphere was suffocating, heavy with discipline. The voice of 13_1 spoke first, cold and severe.
13_1
> According to the report submitted by our research division… Stone No. 139 was originally crimson in color.
Her face, like all the others, was cloaked in shadow—no one had ever seen the true appearance of the council members. Even their cameras only caught glimpses of static and distortion.
The footage on-screen was timestamped: May 5th, 2016, 23:22:15.05. Only 0.2 seconds of corruption had been logged, a flicker almost invisible. In that moment, surrounded by dozens of staff in hazmat suits, Stone 139 quietly shifted hue—changing into a red no one noticed.
Slowly, 13_2 raised his hand, speaking with grave intent.
13_2
> And the current state of the subject who made contact with Stone 139?
13_6 adjusted the microphone before answering, his voice resonating across the chamber.
13_6
> According to reports from Site 17, the subject is now contained… after a brief but violent outbreak.
---
Within Site 17, blood painted the floors like a grotesque mural. Corpses of soldiers lay in heaps—some with necks snapped backwards, others with entrails spilling across steel tiles.
The alarms had already fallen silent, yet every camera pointed at one place—at the girl.
Sora slowly released her grip on Shion, who stood dazed, staring blankly at her own blood-stained hands. Her mind swam in haze.
Sora stepped forward with an angelic smile, resting a gentle hand on Shion's trembling shoulder. She knelt, pulled out a small handkerchief, and tenderly wiped the blood from Shion's face. Her voice came soft, almost motherly—yet tinged with something corrupted, something unsettling.
Sora
> Oh… what a beautiful scene this is.
She pressed her hand against the blood-soaked floor, then raised her fingers to her lips—tasting, savoring, before speaking again in that twistedly affectionate tone.
Sora
> Like tomato sauce, scattered everywhere… delicious. Though… a little messy, don't you think?
Shion blinked vacantly, dizzy, pressing a hand against her head as fragments of memory flashed. Her eyes scanned the massacre she had caused, unable to reconcile herself with it.
Meanwhile, Mei and Qu rushed over. Mei froze, instinctively cautious, while Qu knelt beside Shion and pulled out a device to scan for anomalies. Suddenly, the machine exploded—tearing Qu's arm, burning flesh and exposing bone. Yet Qu ignored the agony, pressing his remaining hand against Shion's forehead. Warm… normal… no irregularities.
But Qu's face twisted in disgust. He glanced at Sora.
Qu
> …Do you smell that?
Sora had already sensed it—her body shivered as she tore respirators from fallen soldiers, wiping blood carelessly with her sleeve before strapping one on. She shoved the other mask into Qu's trembling hands.
The stench worsened—rancid, sour, like rotting tofu soaked in iron. It clung to Shion's skin like a curse.
They carried her quickly through dim corridors, into an elevator, drawing glares from every staff member they passed. Finally, they burst into the women's bathhouse.
Sora stripped Shion without hesitation, tossing her into steaming water before diving in herself—her own clothes peeling away without shame. Qu's face burned red as he turned away.
In the haze of steam, Sora pulled Shion into her arms, lathering soap into the girl's hair as if cradling a child. Qu slipped outside quietly—only to be pulled into a sudden kiss by Mei. Their tongues tangled desperately as Mei pressed closer, stripping Qu's shirt—
A cough.
A pair of emerald eyes blinked from the shadows. A blond boy, cherubic yet severe, stood at the entrance. His voice carried a curious blend of playfulness and gravity.
Lucas
> The two of you… are twins, aren't you?
Qu's face flushed scarlet, Mei tensed in fury.
Mei
> Lucas! What the hell are you doing here? This is the women's bath!
Lucas chuckled sheepishly.
Lucas
> Hey, relax. I'm still outside the door, aren't I?
The teasing grin only deepened Mei's irritation. She slammed her fist against the glass, cracking it.
Mei
> Then why the hell are you staring into a women's bathhouse?
Lucas clapped softly, amused.
Lucas
> Don't worry. This door only faces the washbasins, not the bath itself…
Before Mei could retort, the door opened. Steam rolled out.
Sora emerged—hair damp, wearing a panda-print pajama set. Beside her, Shion stumbled out, dressed in cat pajamas, still dazed.
Lucas froze, his lips twitching as if suppressing laughter.
Lucas
> Sora… seriously? You, of all people… I always thought you were the serious type.
Sora's golden eyes narrowed. Step by step, she approached, pulling a knife from the very blood that had once clung to her. She pressed it to his throat, her expression innocent yet disturbingly blissful.
Sora
> Tell me, Lucas… what do you think about the heart? Doesn't it feel lonely…
She giggled, pressing the blade tighter.
Sora
> …when it's torn from the chest, still beating, slowly growing weaker… never to return home again?
Suddenly, every light in the facility bled crimson. Sirens echoed. Doors sealed one by one.
The voice of the AI cut through the chaos.
AI
> Containment breach detected.
[To be continued]
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Music: Crown
Follow the darkness…
Across endless rivers…
Drift with the cold current…
Until a castle rises, grand and terrible…
Its halls lit with flickering lamps…
Haunted shadows wandering aimlessly…
And upon its walls, seven black stones gleam.
One stone shatters.
Istaroth has returned.
Istaroth has returned.
Istaroth has returned.
Istaroth… has returned.