Ren's breath shuddered out of him. His fingers curled into his hair, nails scraping his scalp as he fought the invasive pressure inside his skull. The voice hummed in amusement.
'Do you accept the terms?'
Ren's heartbeat slammed in his ears. Eva—lost somewhere in the plague-ridden maze of streets. People collapsing, screaming, crying. Ink pulsing under their skin like a second, parasitic heartbeat. If it reached her—he couldn't let himself finish the thought.
"Y-Yes, I accept." Ren gasped, almost choking on the word. "Just...show me where she is."
The voice melted into a satisfied purr.
'Then you shall surrender a memory I desire.'
Ren's blood ran cold.
'A…memory of mine?'
'An equal exchange of knowledge. You seek what only I know. So I shall take what only you know'
Ren's breath quickened, panic twisting into anger.
"Fine. Take it. Take whatever. I don't care anymore—just give her back to me."
A pause. The voice tasted his desperation.
'Very well...'
A sharp ringing pierced Ren's skull. His vision blurred, collapsing inward. He tried to lift his arms, to brace himself, but his body no longer belonged to him. The world grew distant—muffled by rushing wind, a pressure pulling him backward through himself. The rain faded.
And darkness swallowed everything.
Inside Ren's mind, a soft drip echoed.
DRIP
DRIP
DRIP
The darkness pulsed like a heartbeat.
A silhouette formed—a tall man with elegant posture, his long coat drifting behind him like fabric suspended underwater, swaying with an invisible current. He stepped through the void of Ren's mind with leisure, his voice intimate, like a whisper against Ren's ear.
'Let us see what you hide.'
Ren tried to move, but the man lifted a finger. An invisible force pinned Ren in place, holding him in place as if he were weightless. The man raised his hand out, and the void cracked open like glass. Colors bled through, visualizing the underground sanctuary of the forest through Ren's vision. How the wyvern's egg mimicked the moon ever so perfect. How the waterfall hit the basin with elegance.
'A beautiful place, is it not?' The man said in admiration.
Ren felt the old familiarity, the fake peace—and then the dread coiling beneath it.
He remembered how it all ended.
'Don't...make me see this again.'
'I am not making you see anything. You are simply showing me.'
The vision blurred forward.
Eva descended the last of the rough stone steps with closed eyes, one hand grazing the wall for balance. Even without sight, her steps were unwavering in their direction—toward Ren.
'So this is the little raven you search for with such desperation.'
The image of the sanctuary flickered.
To Ren standing over Nocstella's corpse, steam rising off shoulders, his hands caked with blood. Nocstella's form collapsed on the wall, blood flowing down from her wounded neck. How she desperately gasped for air as the life left her eyes.
'So...' The man's voice was soft, almost pleased. 'It really was you...the one killed Nocstella.' There was a pause in his thought. 'A shame indeed...Nocstella. Your pride, elegance, vain beyond measure. The creations you birthed with much care and nurture. A true mother... How interesting that your end came from such hands...If only you kept your end of the deal?'
'She gave me no choice. I had to...And if you—'
'Stop...' The man commanded, folding over Ren's voice. 'You mistake explanation for absolution. I do not require the former, and the latter does not belong to me...You fear I will condemn you, as Nocstella would have. But I am not her...And I do not see you as a threat, Ren...'
'Then what is it you want?'
'What I want is quite simple...Obedience.' The man continued, voice smooth as polished stone. 'You abide by rules, and we shall have no problems between us.'
Ren took a moment to respond.
'I understand. Just...tell me where she is.'
'Knowledge for knowledge...Memory for memory...' The man raised a finger and the image shattered like glass, back to the grayed out city pummeled by rain. 'And now that I have mine, it is time you received yours...'
A short vision.
In the center of the narrow room, a small silhouette was curled against the wall.
Long, black hair spilled around her like a pool of shadow. Shoulders trembled, as she pressed her head into her arms. A soft, broken noise escaped her. A silent sobbing.
Ren's breath caught.
"Eva—!"
He tried to lunge forward, but his body remained frozen in place. The vision wavered, blurred around the edges like water disturbed.
'She cannot hear you.'
The silhouette shuddered again. Her knees were drawn tightly to her chest. Her body rocked with each quiet shake, but her eyes—closed, always closed—were clenched tighter than he'd ever seen. Black trails seeped from the corners, dripping down her cheeks.
"What's happening to her? Where is that—where is that room?"
The man hummed, amused by the panic threading Ren's words.
'I showed what you've sought. Location is knowledge. Knowledge is the price you paid, no?'
'I—I just need to know she's safe. Just…tell me she's—'
'Safe?' The man repeated. 'Safety is a relative concept...By your human ideals, she would be considered fine. That should ease your trembling heart, shouldn't it?'
'Why won't you just tell me!' Ren shook his head. 'Tell me where she is. That was the deal!'
'I already have shown you.' The man gave a soft, almost indulgent sigh. 'I have now fulfilled my end of the bargain. The deal is closed.'
The vision of Eva was disappearing.
'What? No, you're twisting it. Don't take it away yet!'
'Everything has been placed before you. It is in your hands to find the lost bird.'
The edge of the room smeared into darkness, Eva's small shape dissolving like a dying flame. He forced himself to memorize everything he could. The small room's plain walls offered no secrets—just a chair in the corner, and a cracked lantern glowing. But he saw something outside the window. Rain streaked down the glass, blurring the world beyond. At first, there was nothing—just the gray wash of wet streets. And then he noticed it: a tower, dark and rising above the other buildings in the distance. It was sharp and angular, cutting against the storm. And then the vision was gone, the man's voice fading along with it.
He was alone again, standing in the city under the endless rain.
But now he had something—somewhere to start. As he stood, he gazed up to the cloudy skies. In front of loomed dozens of piercing towers, but one stood out to him. It held the same shape, darker than the rest, sharp and angular.
'The vision showed...that tower...from the left side...Which means...I know where to search.'