Shadows of Betrayal

"That person... He wouldn't have done this...!" the Guildmaster stammered, his voice laced with disbelief.

"'That person'...?" Marcus muttered, tilting his head slightly.

His words drifted down to Rocco, who also blinked in confusion.

Just as the pieces of the puzzle seemed to click into place—

BANG!

The sharp crack of a gunshot tore through the air, loud enough to leave Rocco's ears ringing.

Unaccustomed to such violence, Rocco didn't immediately register the sound as a gunshot.

Only when his eyes drifted upward, landing on the Guildmaster who is collapsing in slow motion at the top of the stairs, did he grasp what had happened.

The blood sprayed from the Guildmaster's temple, vivid and unmistakable, as his body crumpled to the ground.

And then, there was silence.

In his previous life, Rocco had been a frail and timid boy, utterly sheltered in a peaceful world.