[POV Samo]
My spirits were at rock bottom.I walked with my head down through the crowded streets of District 01, while Kan tried to comfort me with his stone-heavy pats on the back.
"Come on, don't be like that, alright?" he said. "I don't know what you were looking for, but next time we'll definitely find it."
It's true—I hadn't told them those were the only clothes I had to wear. Still, I appreciated his effort to cheer me up.
Fortunately, nothing unusual happened during our patrol.
Later in the afternoon, we were walking down Rutz Avenue when a familiar figure appeared in the distance—an elf with white hair.
"Hey, hey..." I alerted my comrades. "Let's get out of here. Quick!"I turned on my heels and bolted in the opposite direction. Kan and Silas followed close behind, clearly confused.
"Gorynych..." I could hear the elf calling out behind us.No matter how fast we ran, each glance back showed him still staring right at us.
"Damn it... disappear already, you bastard!" I thought, pouring everything I had into my sprint. But it was no use. The bastard was faster.
I felt a grip on my shoulder, and when I looked back, Acrylas was there, eyes closed and wearing a suspiciously mischievous smile.
"Ah!" I yelled in fright, coming to a sharp stop and sliding across the cobblestone.
"You... pant... persistent bastard," I said, catching my breath as I stood back up slowly.
"It's been quite a while, Gorynych. Nice haircut," he said, as casually as if he were bumping into an old friend.
Haircut…
That word ticked me off more than I wanted to admit.
"Why the hell were you following me?!" I asked, jabbing a finger in his face.
"Because you ran... like prey," he answered, lifting his shoulders.
It didn't make a lick of sense. He hadn't changed at all—his hair, his face, that smirk, even his height was still similar to mine. Only the clothes were different. But now, even after just a few months of training, I could feel it.He exuded the same presence as Instructor Grant—the raw, caged-beast energy.
"So, what do you want?" I asked, brushing the dust off my clothes.
"Well, I'm just passing through. Actually, I'm on my way to Ygg."
The legendary Elven capital, Ygg. Built under the "Tree of Traces" in the East. It's the oldest city on the continent—an extremely secluded place, carefully protected by the elves. They say no stone is used in their buildings—only wood and leaves.A place I'd like to visit someday.
We chatted for a few minutes. Acrylas, being his usual outgoing self, quickly hit it off with Kan and Silas.
"Wait, didn't you take part in the archery tournament?" I asked.
"Not only did I participate," he said, lifting his chin so high it looked like he might take off flying, "I won the whole thing."
Honestly, it was impressive for someone so young to win that competition.
He turned and pointed to his back—a magnificent bow adorned with golden inlays, made from a dense black wood. Its ends shimmered with intricate carvings resembling coiled serpents or rising flames, perfectly symmetrical in shape.
"Vijaya. That's its name. I won it as the tournament prize."The arrogant look on his face softened into genuine pride. "And next year, I'll win again."There was certainty in his voice, as if he had seen the future and was simply following the script.
"Alright, I've got to go. If you ever need anything... don't come looking for me."And just like the first time we arrived in Zielitz, he turned and walked away.
"Son of a—" I muttered under my breath, not finishing the curse.
After our long talk with Acrylas, we decided to look for the other three in our team. Since we had been patrolling the southern part of District 01, we headed north.
From a distance, we spotted six other individuals—probably the ones taking the night shift.
"Well, if they're already here, that means our team is free to go," I thought, greeting the other squad as they passed. "Now we just need to find those three and head out."
But that turned out to be harder than expected. We couldn't find them anywhere.
Could they have returned to the Order without us? Possibly, but I didn't think Felicia or Oliver would make that decision.
"Should we split up to find them faster?"
No! We were already struggling to find three people together.
"Alright, let's head back to the Order."It might not be the best choice, but who knows? Maybe they were already there.
The other two agreed. When we reached the lobby, one of the attendants was getting ready to leave.
I approached her."Excuse me, did you see a group with a woman, a guy with a scowl, and a pervy blonde?"
She looked confused, one eyebrow raised.
"Well, based on your... colorful description, no. I haven't seen anyone like that."
Damn it! What could've happened?
"Alright, thank you very much," I said, returning to where the other two were waiting.
"I'm going back out to look for them. You two head to the dorms," I told them.
"Sure thing," Kan replied quickly, yawning and covering his mouth.
"Are you sure you want to go alone, Samo?" Silas stayed back—unlike Kan, he wanted to help.
"Don't worry. I'm the fastest on the team. I'll find them easily."I turned and took off running.
"Honestly, if I took either of them with me, they'd just slow me down."
I searched everywhere—seconds turned into minutes, and minutes into hours.The moon was at its peak when it illuminated something that caught my attention.
A child in a long, dirty white dress stared at me from a dark alley.
I shivered.
"What is that...? A ghost?"I approached the child, but the closer I got, the deeper she retreated into the darkness. And despite the fear, I followed her.
The alley reeked of alcohol and rotten trash. A few homeless people were sleeping, others chatting.But it seemed I was the only one who could see the girl.
It felt endless—a labyrinth of shadows. And she guided me through it, like she knew every step of the way.
Eventually, she stopped in the middle of a straight narrow lane.It was just her and me. She stood there, staring at a pile of toppled crates.I approached, and with each step, her figure faded.
I reached out, trying to touch her small shoulder.But my hand passed right through—she had vanished into the darkness.
I looked around.
Only me and the crates remained.I began rummaging through them, and the deeper I went, the stronger the smell became.The smell of... death.
I lifted the tenth crate. The putrid stench hit me full force, making me turn away briefly.But there she was—the same girl, her body already deep in decomposition.
A rush of emotions overcame me. But in moments like this, I had to be strong.
I took the cloth that wrapped Fäste on my back and used it to cover her, lifting her gently in my arms.
As I turned, I saw the girl—or rather, her spirit.Her messy brown hair covered most of her face, but a smile formed on her lips.
"Thank you so much."
No words came out of her mouth, yet I heard her clearly.
Then she vanished along with the darkness.The once pitch-black corridor now bathed in moonlight, and the labyrinth opened into a street exit.
I recognized the street immediately.
District 13.
I walked until I found the patrol squad—it was Squad 01, the same as Layla's.
The proper procedures were followed. The city guard was called. Cause of death?
Starvation.
"How exactly did you find her?" Layla asked, standing beside me.
Sitting on the cold ground, thoughtful... devastated, I replied:
"I didn't find anyone. She guided me."
Layla remained silent, respecting my grief.
That's the truth. The world was never a meadow full of roses and daisies like I once believed.Reality is grim—and cruel.