Chapter 170 [Brightest Star] [Prelude]

Chapter 170 [Brightest Star] [Prelude]

The red sun balances, setting down, and in its waning light, the buildings appear to be ablaze.

A warm breeze blows down from the sun and fans through the roads—the roads on which I was riding my bike at full speed.

The two-way lane, which should have been filled with people, was now empty, with only a few moving vehicles.

The engine roared again as I cut through the few cars.

The lane narrowed as I reached the eastern part of the capital city. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Now, in the gold-and-crimson sunset, a medium-sized building came into view.

Slowing down the bike, I glanced around.

A group of bystanders was already present in front of the main gate, trying to peek inside.

Their murmurs were quiet, but the sheer number of people made it seem loud.

Looking around, I noticed something else.

'...Guards.'

I thought, recognizing the two distinct cars with the royal family insignia engraved on them.

Parking the bike against the side walls of the building, I quickly moved towards the main gate.

"Move," I said, shoving them aside, making my way through the group.

Some tried to stop me, but a single glare was enough to make them back off.

A heavy, strained chain blocked the pathway as soon as I opened the old, rusting gate.

A garden with dried-up plants came into view, filled with different toys for children.

A heavy silence that didn't suit this place lingered around.

Moving my gaze, I looked to my side, where I saw two patrolling guards standing in front of a caramel-haired girl sitting on a bench.

The girl, with her head bowed, gazed at her hands, her slumped shoulders trembling from time to time as I slowly moved toward her.

The guards quickly noticed me as one of them turned toward me.

"Sir, you are not allowed here," he said, his voice strained.

Ashlyn gently lifted her head, her puffy, bloodshot eyes looking at me.

She didn't greet me with her usual smiling face but with trembling lips, her face still marked with dried-up tears.

"...Az," she whispered softly, getting up and limping toward me.

Her steps were uneven, her hands trying to balance her body.

I rushed towards her, grabbing her arm to stop her from falling.

"...Az," she whispered again, swallowing to moisten her throat, "...They died...everyone died."

Her sunken posture, her head shaking as if she couldn't process anything.

She clasped her hands behind my back, her head pressed against my chest.

Even in such hot weather, her body was cold—like a dead body.

"...They were just playing in the morning...how...why..." She whimpered silently, squeezing her hands.

I reached out, running my fingers through her hair, trying to fix it.

I didn't know what I was doing, I didn't know what I should do.

I was confused. I had questions to ask, but I couldn't. My mind and my voice felt disconnected.

No words to comfort her came out of my mouth. All I could do was stand there, giving her something to lean on.

"They...are no more." I heard her voice again, the always cheerful voice now broken, "...what...why?"

Her knees gave in, her body slowly sinking down, away from my grasp.

I, too, knelt on the ground, her hands never moving, still clasped behind my back.

Her tears kept falling, soaking my shirt, as I rubbed the back of her head to keep her calm.

...But she kept on crying.

I tried to say something but couldn't, for fear of making her situation worse.

Another step.

Another mangled corpse.

The lack of light that felt annoying just a while ago now felt like something I needed.

Ignoring my anxious heart, I walked further, inspecting the dead bodies one by one.

They were all killed brutally, without a speck of mercy.

But by closely looking at them, I confirmed one thing—only one person is responsible for this.

Someone with a heavy and sharp weapon.

"....."

My stomach twisted in nausea as I looked at a child's body, around the same age as Willis, split into two halves.

'....I can't.'

I thought to myself.

It wasn't a pleasant feeling looking at all these dead bodies, but just to confirm one thing, I had to keep looking.

I roamed around the entire orphanage, checking every room, every corner, before returning to the entrance.

"She isn't here," I whispered softly, rubbing my temples roughly.

....Where did she go?

Tiffany was supposed to be here, but even after looking everywhere, I couldn't find her body.

'This doesn't make sense.'

Why was this orphanage targeted in the first place?

I don't remember anything special about this place except Ashlyn and Tiffany visiting regularly after both of them moved to the capital city.

Nothing like this happened in the game, nothing like this should have happened.

'Then why?'

Why was everyone killed here?

"Urghh."

I groaned in frustration as I roughly messed my hair.

"Hm?"

But my hands stopped moving as I felt a drop on them.

Bringing my hand down, I looked at it.

'...Blood?'

I thought, looking at the red, viscous liquid.

I slowly raised my head, along with my hand holding the burning stick, and looked upwards.

"....."

And felt my scalp turn numb.

With intestines and other body parts stitched with thin silver wire on the ceiling, a message was written using those body parts:

Bring Azariah with you and take your sister back.

Below it was an address, a place where I had spent most of my childhood.

"....."

I looked at it with a blank expression on my face.

....So, I was the reason for this massacre?

"....Uh."

I looked to my side, at the open door, as I heard a silent scream.

And...

...There stood Ashlyn.

Looking up at the ceiling.