It was a waxing gibbous moon lighting the cold night. The sky was full of stars, and the waterfall flowed quietly. But the appearance of that man marked the beginning of the disappearance of the peace they had been living in, the unraveling of the harmony of this quiet, safe place.
The man looked at Mei with interest."Huh… You are such an interesting thing."
Mei and Zen were already standing, gazing at the man fiercely.Mei spoke, annoyed, with a mocking smile."Excuse me? Calling me a 'thing' is very rude, isn't it? And if you say that again, my knife won't miss its shot!"
The man responded with mockery."Yes? I am sure of that. But I'm here to speak with your boyfriend, Zen, please."
Zen, careless and annoyed, scoffed."Who are you calling a boyfriend? Right, Theo?"
The man—Theo—smiled as if nothing had happened."At least you remembered my name correctly! Though it's rare—pretty much impossible, actually—to see Kuroi Zen, the dark man with a dark past, near a woman… enjoying his time."
Mei, denying it immediately, tried to explain."Wait a minute! Don't jump to conclusions, sir! I wasn't enjoying his company. That's disgusting. But there's something more important—how did you enter this place?"
Theo looked at Mei, then laughed deeply."Well! You're right. But I see you're also like me. Yes, this place drives people who follow the rules insane! Luckily, I don't follow the rules. That's why I came here."
Mei's voice turned cold and piercing."Don't compare me to a crazy bastard like you."
Theo stopped her with his hand."Let's delay our talk. I have to speak with Kuroi Zen right now."
Zen rolled his eyes and sighed."Another annoying presence… What brought you all the way here searching for me? Did you miss me? Or do you want me to mark your face with my sword this time?"
Theo smirked, an evil glint in his eyes."Well, I came with a task from our tribe. I guess you have the time, considering you were enjoying a conversation with a thing like her."
Mei was about to jump and slap him, but Zen stopped her, looking at her."Wait."
Zen crossed his arms."Let me hear you."
Mei, annoyed, glared at him."Since when do you intervene in my actions? Don't try it again, or you'll regret it!"
Theo, still wearing his psychotic smile, spoke seriously."I'm glad you chose to hear me. Well, I need you to find our original master."
Zen's brows furrowed in confusion."Excuse me? Your original what? Isn't this so-called original master dead already?"
Theo shrugged."Well, that old lady who pretends to know the future told me that the master will be near Kuroi Zen. So, I came with a task."
Zen thought to himself.Finding the Silphium Tribe's original leader, based on the words of an old woman who keeps spouting nonsense myths, is a pretty impossible task.
Theo interrupted his thoughts."I know you'd say that! But what if you got a huge bag of fortune?"
Zen scoffed, mocking him."No, I refuse. I changed my mind. This tribe should have no leader. Even their so-called master gave up on them in the past. So I think you should move on and live with it."
Zen thought again.An old lady again? This is no coincidence.
Theo pretended to think before saying,"You're right! But let's change the deal. If you let that girl be mine, maybe I'll change my mind."
Zen, careless, raised an eyebrow."Let her?"
Mei moved fast, landing a strong kick straight into Theo's face. He didn't even realize what happened before he was sent crashing into a tree.
Mei stepped back, annoyed."I am not this black-haired bastard's property, you crazy donkey! Watch your words unless you want to mess with me!"
Zen facepalmed, muttering in a low voice."That girl who seemed more in control… Can't you feel his danger?"
Mei primped her hair."I can. And I know exactly what you mean. But I can't go against my pride. He deserved it."
Theo wiped the blood from his mouth, smiling."You said pride? A woman has pride? That's the first time I've heard of such a thing."
Mei thought to herself.I won't let him get closer to the cave.
Theo smirked mockingly."Won't you interfere, Zen? She's starting to push my limits."
Zen's eyes darkened as he glared at Theo.
Theo, still smirking, taunted him."I like that look. That's why I'll make you lose your cold state."
Mei suddenly realized something.What was I thinking? He said 'Master of Silphium'… That must be related to the mark I have. If I use it, I might get revealed!
Before she could react, Theo moved, pushing her to the ground.
A cold steel sword was pressed against her neck.Zen sighed, annoyed."What were you thinking, you stupid girl? I hate fighting, really…"
Mei glared at Theo."Don't touch me!"
Theo, still holding her down, grinned."Now I see… You're worth a fortune."
Mei, Dauntless , glared back at him.
Theo pressed down on her arms to keep her from moving."This strength and attitude… A mistake for a woman."
Mei smiled Challengingly "Is that so? Well, I'd rather be a mistake than be treated like a slave."
Zen silently counted five seconds before stepping in.
Mei used all the strength she had left and headbutted Theo away. Blood dripped down her forehead.
Theo, smiling crazily, suddenly vanished.
Zen's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He shouted,"Watch out!"
Theo reappeared, beating Mei's lower stomach with his leg and sending her flying back.
Zen caught her just in time.
At that moment, a sword from the cave flew straight into Theo's shoulder.
Zen sighed."He's going to kill me for this…" He could feel it right away.
Inside the cave, Roy and Lumina woke up.Lumina, worried, said,"Someone's outside! I removed my barrier!"
Roy, serious, nodded."I feel it too. He might be very, very dangerous."
Lumina shivered, taken aback."This feeling… He's powerful. I think this presence is from the Silphium."
Roy hurried to join Mei and Zen.
Lumina stopped him."Wait! Don't rush in! He's crazy! Don't show your mark or use it. He'll expose everything, and it will turn into a disaster!"
Roy, pissed off, snapped."Mei and Zen are outside! I can't wait!"
Lumina's voice turned firm."I'll join you! Let's go!"
Roy pushed her back."No need! I'll handle it. You stay here. If they see you, , more trouble will come. Don't reveal yourself. Stay here."
Roy carried Lumina inside and placed her in the inner part of the cave.
Lumina shouted,"Roy! Have you lost your mind?! Without my help—"
But Roy had already rushed outside, throwing his sword the moment he noticed Mei injured.Roy looked at Zen."I thought you were supposed to protect her!"
Zen, looking up at the sky, muttered."I was about to… until your sword came flying."
Roy, worried, kneeled beside Mei."Mei, open your eyes!"
Mei opened them, saw Zen holding her, and immediately shoved him away, then slapped him."How dare you touch me, black-haired bastard?!"
Zen, stunned, rubbed his cheek."Ouch, that hurt! What's wrong with you? I just helped you!"
Roy glared at Zen."Take her inside the cave!"
Mei, annoyed, objected."I'm still able to fight! I won't leave you alone with this man! And don't touch me—it's disgusting!" She glared at Zen.
Zen sighed, angry."Just take her! I'll deal with this guy."
Roy carried Mei inside despite her struggling.
Zen turned to Theo, gripping his sword tightly."I hate fighting, Theo… But you'll regret making me use my sword."
Theo grinned, indiffirent, as he touched his bleeding shoulder."Hah! Another interesting man. And he actually stabbed me. You've gathered quite the fascinating group, Kuroi Zen!"
Roy's anger boiled over. A powerful energy surged around him—both
Theo and Zen felt it.Theo Smirked malevolently."Is that your girl? Maybe I should steal her—where did this power come from?"
Roy's eyes flashed dangerously."If she heard you, she'd puke in your face. And you'd deserve it."
Zen gripped his sword tightly, turning to Roy."I'll handle him."
Roy, serious, stood firm."No. We will."
Theo clapped, amused."Two against one? What an honor."
Zen, unshaken, let his blood drip onto his sword. The air around him turned darker.Then—he disappeared.
Roy, unable to use his mark, charged in directly, swinging his sword relentlessly—just to land even a single cut on Theo.The real fight had begun.
Zen disappeared into the shadows, launching hidden attacks while Roy countered swiftly.
But even though Roy managed to scratch him, it still wasn't enough.
Zen's attacks were simple, predictable even, but what frustrated Roy the most was how Theo kept healing himself using his mark.
Annoyed, Roy increased his speed, his strikes becoming sharper and faster."It's no use!" he muttered under his breath.
Theo, enjoying the fight, laughed."What's wrong, Zen? Have you lost your sense of fighting? Where is your whole destructive era?!"
Zen smirked, unsouciant."I don't need such high energy to beat you, though."He was trying to provoke Theo—to make him use more power, to push him into a reckless state where he could take him down.
Meanwhile, inside the cave, Roy had sealed Mei and Lumina with a blood-marked wooden barrier. If they touched it, fire would ignite to protect them.
Mei, annoyed, huffed."That lazy brother of mine, pretending to protect me! Isn't there a way to get out of here? Or at least help them?"
Lumina, lost in thought, ignored Mei completely. She sat motionless, like a lifeless soul.Mei clenched her fists and punched the wall in frustration."
He thinks I'm injured! Just because I have some blood on me? And since when does he even know how to use his mark properly?"
Lumina, still deep in thought, finally spoke in a soft, distant voice."Roy is a genius… A fast learner. He can create or master anything in just a minute…"Then her voice changed—her usual regal pride resurfacing."But how could he treat me this way? I am still a princess!"
Mei rolled her eyes."But why are you upset?"
Lumina, still fuming and talking to herself, muttered bitterly."Even though I was the one who taught him that… He shouldn't have used it on me! How dare he do this?! You stupid Roy, I hate you!"Then, without even realizing it, she stood up.
Mei, dumbfounded and frustrated, exclaimed, "You were the one who taught him this?!"
Lumina snapped back to her senses, quickly composing herself. With a firm and confident tone, she replied, "Yes, but I never expected him to use it on me. I'm disappointed in him! Am I this useless that he has to protect me?"
Mei sighed. "You're right, but if they find out about you here, it'll be a massive problem. He thought it through."
She then looked at Lumina seriously. "Is there any way to help them from here?"
Lumina answered firmly, "No! We don't even know their exact location. And the barrier Roy made doesn't match my blood."
Mei suddenly got an idea. "What about using arrows? I have a bow here!"
Lumina looked confused. "Arrows? I was bad at throwing them properly! Since I learned how to fight in secret, my teacher told me to train with them. However, I always failed!"
Mei, determined, said, "But if there's a way, I'll use it!"
Lumina immediately denied it. "No! I can feel it—he's from the Silphium tribe! You'll expose yourself!"
Mei realized the truth. "Right... His name is Theo. He seems to know that black-haired bastard from before, and he asked him for a task—to find their lost master. The son of their old leader, I guess!"
Lumina fell into deep thought. "He said 'master'... They're looking for the descendant of the legendary man. But I thought they said he was dead… And you said Theo?"Her eyes widened in realization. "Listen, we have to help them! That Theo… he follows no rules. That's why he's crazy! He doesn't care about anything!"
Mei focused. "But this legendary master… Who is he?"
Lumina, her voice firm, shut down the thought. "It's not the time to think about this! We have to act!"
Mei nodded. "You're right. But how?"
Lumina's gaze hardened with determination. "Can you help me shoot an arrow?"
Mei wondered, "Yes, I can, but why?"
Lumina smirked. "I've never used this before, but in my tribe, it's called Blind Location. It's risky, but worth it. I'll draw a circle outside, close my eyes, and use a drop of my blood to locate them. After that, we'll fire the arrow right at Theo!"
Mei raised a brow. "And then?""He won't die,"
Lumina explained, "but he'll lose his sight and be frozen for an entire day. That will give us the chance to escape!"
Mei frowned. "But he'll remember us!"
Lumina shrugged. "Erasing memories is harsh, even for me. But Roy or Zen… I think they can do it. So let's start!"
Mei then hesitated. "What about Roy's door?"
Lumina explained, "I can cross it. Theo isn't from the same tribe as Roy."
Mei exhaled. "Fine, I get it."
While they were preparing their plan, Zen was beginning to tire from using only his basic strength.
Theo was still smiling at him. "Now that I think about it… I'm sure our original master is near you somewhere."Then he chuckled darkly. "Remember… ten years ago, two parents who raised a child were executed because they forced a kid—one who did not share their tribe's blood—to be one of their own. Do you remember that story? And a dragon—"
Zen cut him off. In a flash, his sword was at Theo's neck, his eyes darkened with rage.
Roy, suddenly worried, called out, "Zen? Don't listen to his shitty stories!"
And then, Mei's voice echoed through the battlefield."ROY? BLACK-HAIRED—MOVE AWAY RIGHT NOW!"The three of them heard her voice at the same time.
Theo immediately tried to escape, but Roy blocked his path with his sword.
Roy's voice was firm. "Zen, move! You have to!"But Zen still refused.
He was ready to cut Theo's head off.
Roy, now annoyed, shouted, "Zen! Zen, come back to your senses!"
At that moment, the arrow was flying straight toward Theo, but Zen still wouldn't move.
Roy gritted his teeth.Then, without a choice, he jumped at Zen, pushing him out of the way just as the arrow struck!
The arrow lit up as Theo remained frozen in place.
Roy glanced at him cautiously. "Is he alive?"
Zen, now drenched in water, stood up. "He is."
Roy, annoyed, huffed. "You lost yourself!
At least I was the one who saved you.
And now you're soaking wet—you should freshen up in this cold!"
Then, as he processed the situation, he muttered in disbelief, "Even though… it's amazing what they did."
Zen sneezed. "Yeah, I didn't expect that!"
Roy, narrowing his eyes, teased, "Don't tell me the great Kuroi Zen is gonna be sick?"
Zen rolled his eyes. "No way!!"Roy's tone turned serious. "Let's hurry inside. We should leave this place."
They entered the cave. It was calm and quiet—too quiet.Roy called out, "Mei? Lumina?"Getting no response, he rushed to the sealed door he had placed for Lumina's protection. He removed it—only to find Mei and Lumina collapsed, unconscious.
Roy's eyes widened with worry. "Mei! Lumina! What happened to you?! Is it because of the door I made?!"
Zen, checking on them seriously, reassured him, "Don't worry. They just collapsed because of what they did to that man. It has nothing to do with your door."
Zen sneezed again.
Roy clenched his fist and punched the stone wall in frustration. "I ended up receiving help from them again! How useless am I?"
Zen, still shivering from the cold, spoke seriously, "We have to leave this place. But carrying two women is going to be too obvious."
Suddenly, Mei groaned and woke up. "Oh my god, what power was that?! My head is killing me!"
Lumina, unable to open her eyes, spoke in a weak voice, "I lost my vision for a few hours… Ehem, ehem… You can leave without me."She coughed before continuing, "I'm sorry… I pushed Mei too much. I drained her energy because I tried to erase our image from Theo's visual memory. Now, he can't remember our faces—for the moment. But I had to use Mei's energy to do it."
Mei, despite her exhaustion, spoke with a firm tone. "We are not leaving this place without you!"
Roy, feeling a deep sense of guilt, clenched his jaw. "I'm sorry, Lumina… I had no right to unlock you here…"
Lumina smiled, eyes still closed. "No need to apologize. You did it to protect us."
Roy, determined, responded, "Don't worry! If you can't see, at least you can walk. I'll help you!"
Lumina slowly stood up, leaning against the stone wall, still unable to open her eyes. "I guess you should go… I have no energy to walk quickly, and we don't have time to waste. I'll join you once I've rested a bit."
Mei immediately denied, "No way! You're leaving with us! Me and that black-haired guy will gather things, and Roy will help you! But carrying you on his back is too revealing…"
Lumina scoffed. "What are you talking about?! Of course it's revealing! And why is it always Roy who has to carry me?!"
Roy shrugged. "Because I'm the only one who can carry you! Mei and Zen are exhausted."
Zen smirked and suddenly pulled out a large bag. "What if we put her in here?"
Lumina, still unable to see, frowned. "Where? Where?!"
Roy, amazed, nodded. "That's a great idea!"
Mei scratched the back of her neck, unsure. "I… I'm not sure about that… In a bag?"
Lumina, completely shocked, shouted, "Did you just say bag?! Am I hearing right?! No way! I am Princess Lumina! I cannot be carried in a bag! Do you think I'm some simple thing?"
Roy, confused, tried to reason with her. "Why are you so frustrated? It's a wide and big bag! And you're small—you'll fit easily. No one will even notice your presence!"
Zen suddenly burst into laughter. "Pffft! Yes, Princess Lumina! You should listen to Roy's advice—you're small!"
Lumina, frustrated and still unable to see, fumed. "You said small?! I am a normal size for a woman my age, you stupid Roy!"
Zen coughed and sneezed again.Roy immediately noticed and turned serious. "Mei, Zen seems to have caught a cold."
Mei smirked mischievously. "Is the mighty Kuroi Zen really sick? That's strange!"
Zen, annoyed, grumbled, "After all, I'm human, right? …Though, it probably happened because I used up too much energy…"
Zen kept coughing and sneezing.Roy, worried: "You're not okay, Zen!"
Zen, coldly: "I'm fine. It's nothing I can't deal with."
Roy glanced at Mei.Mei, annoyed: "What? Fine! I'll check his temperature!"She stepped closer to Zen, reaching out to touch his forehead.
Zen immediately moved away. "Are you crazy?! I hate it when people touch me!"
Mei, just as annoyed: "You think I'm happy about it?! Roy, you do it!"
Zen, frustrated: "This is annoying! What's wrong with you two?! It's just a cold! I am fine—is that so surprising?!"
Lumina, irritated: "If I could open my eyes, I would come check for you myself, my future husband…"
Roy stepped closer to Zen.Zen slapped his hand away. "I told you—I'm fine!"
Mei, angry: "Stop acting like a child!"
Before Zen could react, Mei jumped up, pressing her hand against the stone ceiling for balance, then swiftly placed her other hand on his forehead.Mei, serious: "You have a fever."
Zen rolled his eyes. "Not something new. It'll disappear."
Roy sighed. "But you need to rest. Let's move quickly. Mei, is there anything we can use to help him?"
Mei, serious: "He needs tea made from different plants and honey, but right now, we don't have time to prepare it. At the very least, you should wet your head with cold water."
Zen shot Mei a cold look. "You haven't even treated your own injuries. Take care of yourself first, then let's move. I'll wet my head like you said."
Roy turned to Lumina and lifted her into his arms.Lumina immediately panicked. "Who is holding me?!"
Roy, smiling: "We should put you in the bag."Lumina's face turned red in embarrassment.
Roy, worried: "What's wrong? Do you also have a fever?"
Lumina, calming herself: "I'm fine."
After a few minutes, they were all ready to leave the cave and head toward the harbor—toward the place Lumina had asked them to visit.
Leaving Theo behind, the four of them traveled with mixed emotions, unaware of what fate was hiding from them as they faced the present.