Chapter 156

The team gathered at the lobby of the hotel. Kurai was busy chatting with crowd about his achievements during his time with Atlas added in with a mix of loud laughter and applause.

Douma stood there taking a sip of his cup of water. Listening to Kurai's repetitive storytelling was getting mundane. Browsing through the variety of food at the buffet seemed way more interesting. He found it absolutely annoying whenever Kurai asked him a few questions about their missions and expected him to answer them right on the spot.

Meanwhile, Shinobu took a stroll down the halls of the hotel lounge. She stepped aside when she saw a group of chefs and waitresses heading towards her direction carrying large plates of desserts and several dishes on the table they were moving.

They smiled at her and proceeded to the buffet. Shinobu gazed upon the scenic view outside the hotel. Beyond the doors of the entrance contained a beautiful night sky that she had yet to discover during her time here.

The violette skipped towards the entrance and came to a stop when she saw the glittering night sky up close. Amongst the stars in the sky, a significantly larger star was blinking continuously, catching Shinobu's attention.

 In awe, Shinobu took in the vast colors given off by the sparkles of that particular star twinkling in the night sky. "That star is really pretty." Shinobu said to herself.

Outside the hotel at the exit closest to the parking lot, Douma flew up towards one of the higher levels and slowed down when he saw the gorgeous night sky and its myriad of stars.

Especially the larger star amongst its shimmering associates. Blinking and giving off rays of colors that could leave a stargazer speechless at its beauty.

"That's a gorgeous star right there." Douma said, flying around the hotel building and enjoying the closeness to this stunning view.

Because he was flying within the very same atmosphere as these gems that were spread out. Of course he'd have to fly further in order to reach them, but this feeling of closeness was enough for him to appreciate the scenic view. It was a way for everyone to push aside their worries for the time being. Atlas has a lot to deal with tomorrow.

~~~

In the quiet alleyways of Trastevere City that night, a boy and his golden retriever were chasing his older sister who had just ran away from home. The boy couldn't bear to see his big sister alone in the streets because of an argument that could've been settled if she didn't make the abrupt decision to leave.

He is going to bring her back even if she refuses to cooperate with him. Both of their parents were on the lookout for them, but it appears they had gone too far off which was a problem. These narrow walkways were unfamiliar to the boy and his big sister might be lost too.

The night was cold and nobody was around to assist the boy with his search. He took out his dog's leash and comforted the animal that displayed a sign of immense stress from its ragged fur. Patting his dog's head, the boy whispered to his companion to remain calm, they will find his older sister eventually. She couldn't have gone far.

But just as he was about to attach the leash to his dog's collar, it started barking in the opposite direction aggressively and immediately ran down that path.

The boy yelled and chased after his dog. "No come back!" He couldn't lose his best friend too. The boy was conflicted with his decision to run after his dog, he knew his big sister was out here in these narrow paths but he instinctively ran after their dog.

Despite trying to pull himself together and stop in his tracks, the boy couldn't. His body and anxiety made the decisions for him.

Apparently, his older sister had made a huge mistake which landed her on the blacklist. Hearing this news made their parents furious which is why she decided to leave so the problems wouldn't come after their family. But the boy wasn't going to let his big sister deal with these problems alone.

The boy found it pressurizing to follow the animal along these almost pitch-black alleyways. It felt as though the walls were closing in on him while he struggled to find his dog in the confined spaces. Moreover, he didn't know what to expect every time he made a turn, the air was still meaning the boy and his big sister were the only ones in this part of the city, but something at the bottom pit of his stomach felt that someone else was here. He swore he heard footsteps that aligned with his.

When the boy finally caught up with his dog that was standing in the center of the narrow path, he froze when he saw a large tall figure standing at the end.

He couldn't make out this person's appearance, they blended in with the shadows. Whoever this person was definitely saw him but they didn't move from their spot.

Given how dark it was, the boy wasn't sure if this person was facing them or the end of the narrow path. When he reached down to nudge his dog that barked at the figure, the boy heard someone stepping towards him. The dog snapped and started barking louder. He knew something was wrong because the dog had tracked down the person from the other end of this desolate place.

The person grew closer and the boy could see the man's features.

His dog backed away for a few seconds and ran past the man towards the path on the left. The boy shouted in panic for his dog to return but the animal never did.

This tall and lifeless man stood in front of him with an unreadable expression. The boy found it disturbingly odd that this man was out here all by himself in an outfit dated back hundreds of years ago. He tried to tell himself that maybe there was an auction or event which involved people wearing such distinct outfits. But something didn't feel right, especially with how the man didn't leave.

"Alone? Helpless? Naive? Don't worry I can take care of that." The man smiled grimly, watching the boy's horrified expression when a large monstrous creature appeared on his shoulder and bared its teeth at him like a stalking beast.

When the boy tried to make a run for it, he ended up tripping over nothing and staggering back in fear. His legs wouldn't move, they were frozen to the ground. Frozen from fear, this man wasn't a human he was a monster. One that came back from the dead and reeked of a violent hatred towards any living thing he saw.

Screaming in horror, the boy helplessly stood there as the monstrous creature closed in on him. It devoured him with howls and snarls that gave off the impression that more than one creature was feasting.

Huddled against the wall, the older sister sat there thinking about the argument she had with her parents. She felt so alone, her younger brother was looking for her. At some point she hoped to see him. Despite trying to avoid people for now, she found herself needing to talk to someone.

As she got up from the ground, she heard a loud scream coming from within the quiet empty place. What was that...? She looked around and saw no one but she was certain it came from these dark and grim alleyways that she regretted running to. They were creepy and isolated from the city. If only she had known what she was getting herself into, she would've considered running to a place where she had access to the help she needed.

Since her younger brother was looking for her, the older sister tried to convince herself that maybe he was shouting again but it got muffled by the cold wind. Throughout the retreat she did hear him calling for her, she just didn't want him to find her.

The older sister followed the source of the scream. It was challenging to navigate through these narrow paths. This entire place was a maze.

Something about that loud scream didn't sit right with her. That was the only time she heard it. Why would her younger brother fall silent all of a sudden? If he knew she was nearby wouldn't he continue looking for her?

"Hello?" Her footsteps were the only thing she heard in this dark alleyway, until she heard the sound of munching coming from the direction she was running to.

An animal? Hopefully, there was nobody here except the two siblings. Maybe their dog was given a treat. The older sister proceeded to the left at the corner leading to another narrow path.

"What is-" The older sister let out a bloodcurdling scream at the sight in front of her.

In the jaws of a large monstrous creature was the lower half of her younger brother's body slowly sinking into its throat.

His legs remained still and not a single cry for help came out of him.

The tall grim figure standing in front of the older sister grinned. Despite her immense fear from witnessing such unsettling things take a toll on the sibling bond dearest to her, the older sister tried to plead for her younger brother to be spared but her words came out as stutters. The manifestation of her own fear in the form of invisible hands strangled her throat.

Letting out a low threatening laugh, the samurai raised his arm signaling to the other monstrous creature to go after her. When it did, she tried to make a run for it but several roots rose from the ground and held her legs firmly.

"No no no!" The large monstrous creature closed in on her from above and opened its jaws wide. Another round of screams rang in the samurai's ears as his pets munched on their meals like the ravenous beasts they were.