Chapter 164 The scream [1]

Chapter 164 The scream [1]

The insides of the bunker were large.

Despite there being hundreds of people, it didn't seem like that at all. Clearly, it was designed to fit at least a few thousand people. Looking around, I was able to spot the other cadets alongside the Guild delegates. They were currently doing a head count.

At the very end of the bunker, windows lined up on the walls. From there, I could see the outside world and the faint outlines of the buildings which were still covered in a Crimson Shade.

I stopped in my tracks and looked at Aoife.

Feeling my gaze, she turned back and I spoke,

"Can you find it...?"

"Find? Are you talking about the information that you requested me?"

"Yeah."

"I would've been able to before, but..."

She looked around.

"....I don't think it's that simple anymore. There might be a library here, but I doubt it'll be any better than the Guild library."

Frowning, I pondered for a moment.

We couldn't afford to waste any time. Every second felt like my last, and despite the momentary sense of peace that had enshrouded us, I still didn't feel safe.

In fact, it only added to the tension.

It felt as though a dangerous veil was cast upon me, slowly driving me to the corner in the process.

'No, it's fine. I can figure this out.'

Clenching my teeth slightly, I took a deep breath and asked,

"Can you ask someone?"

"....As in?"

"Some of the higher members of the Guilds? Is there a way you can have them talk?"

"....."

Aoife stood still for a moment, carefully observing my face. Eventually, seeing how serious I was, she nodded her head slightly.

"I can."

"Do that."

The information was vital.

"I'll also try."

Leon added from the side. I looked at him before nodding my head.

"....It doesn't matter if what you find is worthless. Just try to look for anything related to it. It's very important."

"Understood."

"Good."

Taking a deep breath, I looked towards the 'The Order of the Silver Seraphs' area which was easily distinguished due to the flag that was hanging by the center of the area. Seeing my group in the distance, I closed my eyes for a moment before making up my decision. Uptodated from n0velbIn.(co/m

"Let's split up for now."

I could already envision myself getting a good scolding from them, but I knew the situation would get troublesome if they were to think that I was still missing.

The same was true for the other two.

Especially Aoife who had a rather important status.

"If you find anything, just tell me."

I looked around.

".....It's not like we have anything to do here, either way."

We split off from there.

Staring at their backs for a short moment, I finally picked up my pace and headed for the Guild area.

"There's several missing members!"

"....Are there any results?"

"No. We are also missing a few cadets."

"What? How is that possible? They should've just come off training. Did they sneak out?"

Overhearing the conversations that were going up ahead, I tried my best to keep my face composed before heading in.

Immediately, the eyes of many of the members fell on me.

"You."

And I was stopped by one of them.

He wasn't tall. In fact, he was rather short. With soft brown hair and green eyes, he looked at me with a frown.

"Who are you? State your identification."

".....I am one of those cadets that have gone missing."

"Uh?"

Stunned, the man blinked several times. Before he could say anything else, a hand pressed against his shoulder, and a familiar face appeared before me.

With a soft smile on his face, his blue eyes paused on me.

"I've been looking for you all over. Where have you been?"

"The library."

I answered truthfully. I didn't see the need to lie. In fact, it would only make me look more suspicious.

"The library?"

"Yes. I wanted to learn more about the monsters. Since I didn't have access to the Guild library, I had no choice but to sneak out to read for myself."

"....Couldn't you have gone with a group?"

"A group?"

I looked at him.

"....Would there be any group that wants to go to the library?"

"I guess you're right."

"If you'll let me."

Though Evelyn wasn't sure why he wanted such information, she could see how serious his expression had been when he had asked her.

And it wasn't as though she had anything else to do.

"....Okay."

In the end, Julien nodded his head.

The way he looked at her also changed a little. Though subtle, his face grew a little softer. It was a very subtle change that Evelyn picked up and she bit her lips.

"Thank you."

He really...

***

"Phew! Phew! Phew!"

Leaning back against the hard ground of the bunker, Kiera blew the bangs away from her face.

"Phew! Phew...!"

She went on like this for the next few minutes.

"Phew!"

Her boredom had reached peak levels. To make matters worse, she didn't even have any cigarettes with her. It wasn't as though she had smoked much over the last few weeks, but it certainly would've helped her alleviate her boredom.

"....I'm bored."

Even saying she was bored was boring.

Everything was boring.

"Haa..."

Turning to the side, she continued to blow on her hair.

"Phew. Phew...!"

As she did, she started to think of a certain someone and the corner of her lips curled slightly.

"He'd get annoyed if I did this, wouldn't he?"

Thinking about the face he'd make, Kiera cracked up a little.

"Kakaka."

Her strange laugh aroused the eyes of those around her. She didn't let that bother her and continued to blow on her hair.

"I'm bored~"

She was now singing.

It was out of tune, and the people near her looked at her with even stranger gazes.

Not that it bothered Kiera much.

"Hyooo~"

In fact, it only ignited her will to sing further.

"The world is red~"

To her, it sounded good, but to those around her, each and every one of her notes sounded like broken glass being cleaned up. Many of those around her distanced themselves, some even glaring at her in the process.

That only made her want to sing more.

"All is red~"

Her song was also original.

'Fuck, I'm good.'

She felt less bored after seeing their faces.

"Smoke tree—"

"Hiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak—!"

Her song was abruptly cut by a sudden scream coming from near her. Immediately, Kiera's eyes flung up and she sat up straight.

"What? Stop exaggerating. My singing isn't that ba—"

Kiera stopped speaking halfway through her sentence.

Her gaze fell on Johanna, a cadet she only knew the name of due to the fact that they had been in the same Guild orientation group.

With short black hair and a small stature, it was hard to not remember her.

Currently, she was holding onto her hair while looking up at the ceiling.

"Hiaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaak—!"

Her scream reverberated throughout the bunker, swallowing all the noise alongside it.

It was a scream that seemed to come from the depths of her soul, and Kiera felt her hand tingle.

The screams continued.

It pierced through the bunker.

"Ah! Haaaaaaaa!"

It was as if she had lungs made out of steel. But that wasn't the part that gathered Kiera's attention. As of this moment, Kiera's gaze was fixed on Johanna's eyes.

They were completely white.

Her pupils had disappeared.

"Ha."

Kiera moved back.

At that moment, her entire body shuddered.

Chills ran down her spine as Johanna's scream continued to reverberate throughout. It lasted for a few more seconds before eventually,

Thump!

She fell face flat on the ground.

A dreadful silence enveloped the surroundings.

One that felt entirely suffocating.