Chapter 10 : Bride 

Chapter 10 : Bride 

"It was the happiest moment of my life—our honeymoon. That night was pure passion, a memory I'll cherish forever..."

[...]

"January 5th

Kendrick's been acting strange lately. I suspect he might propose tonight! Though my regular readers won't be surprised; I've mentioned our relationship in previous columns. But I digress—tonight I plan to explore Swanflok's local cuisine. Despite the biting cold, I'm determined to try their famous ice cream. They craft it using special ice and rare edible crystals sourced from Prismara, the capital of Aurelius. The signature dessert comes shaped like a swan with a delicate heart nestled in its center—quite the romantic treat among couples. I hope my readers get to experience this someday."

[...]

"March 2nd

We've encountered the indigenous people of this secluded island, a community largely untouched by modern civilization. Kendrick's behavior has become increasingly erratic since we arrived. I tried explaining that I'm here purely for my column, to sample their traditional cuisine, but I can't deny the island's romantic appeal for couples..."

[...] 

"Hold still—let me treat those cuts on your hands. I warned you to be careful on this island..."

[...]

"Previously the column was discontinued due to the author's unwillingness. A new column by Dr. Matt Crawford about the culture overseas will replace it. We are hoping readers will support our efforts to bring something new to Daily Aurelius Times." 

From outside, the Feud Residence looked peaceful—perhaps too peaceful. Surrounded by beautiful Jasmine flowers in their well-maintained and decorated garden, with trees not native to Prismara. A red chimney could be seen from the cobblestone street, and a gate that was neither too tall nor too small marked the entrance. A newlywed couple had recently moved in after returning from their honeymoon. Some people reported that the owner, Mr. Feud, was an odd man who sometimes lost control when his wife talked with others for too long. The newlyweds didn't like to invite others to their house. Nobody knew if it was true, but Mrs. Feud had once been a popular writer for the Daily Aurelius Times newspaper columns.

Conrad and Anira crossed the worn cobblestone road that served as an invisible boundary between the Valor and Feud estates. The night air hung heavy with unspoken questions.

"Kendrick Feud," Conrad mused, his voice barely above a whisper. "How does a man sleep soundly while his wife is missing?" He paused, catching himself. "Though perhaps I'm rushing to judgment. There could be another killer—someone else entirely responsible for his wife's disappearance."

"My lord?" Anira's voice carried a note of careful consideration.

"What are your thoughts?"

"You raise a valid point about his suspicious sleep patterns. No one rests easily when their beloved is missing—unless they know exactly where that person is. Kendrick might indeed be an Essentia."

"I'm inclined to agree, as there had been no known investigation or anything. It's like there is nothing going on." Conrad nodded. "But one piece eludes me: why would his wife hide in our kitchen closet? More puzzling—she was alive. Alive mere moments ago."

Anira's silent nod confirmed she shared his confusion.

"Come," Conrad said. "Let's get going."

The clouds gathered like a thick blanket across the night sky, slowly smothering the moonlight. A gentle rain began to fall, releasing the earthy perfume of petrichor—that distinct aroma of dust and soil meeting the first raindrops. Conrad and Anira stood in the Feud family's garden, surrounded by what should have been a peaceful display of beautiful flowers. Yet under these circumstances, even the elegant blooms seemed menacing, like thorny sentinels ready to ensnare them at any moment.

Now that Conrad was close to the house, his senses were giving him an unsettling feeling. Perhaps it had been the range issue before—

Anira may have sensed it earlier, or maybe not. But this garden was creepier than it had appeared from the outside—Conrad thought to himself.

For some reason, he couldn't feel at ease among these flowers. They were just... too quiet.

"These flowers, what kind are they? I've seen them used in weddings... or maybe not?"

"These are called Night-Blooming Jasmine, my lord."

"Is that so..." Conrad took a deep look at the nearby flowers. They were white, pure white, like the first snow on some eloquent winter night. His blue eyes fixed upon them, something pulling him toward their allure. His Brahman fluctuated around him as if manifesting without his consciousness.

The petals looked like wedding dresses, and on closer inspection, each had a tiny face. Conrad looked around carefully.

As the moon emerged from the clouds, moonlight suddenly illuminated the area around him. "This is..." His eyes widened. His mind could now see clearly—all the flowers were tiny human faces wearing wedding dresses, so small that one could easily mistake them for normal blooms.

His legs began to shake, but he tried his best not to appear weak. He took three deep breaths, then cut through all the flowers with his sword. It was an awkward swing but powerful enough to slice through them as if they were made of air. A mist filled the area with each cut.

"That felt good. I don't know how to handle a sword, but I can cut if needed," Conrad said half-jokingly as he turned to Anira. To his disappointment, she remained the same as usual, blinking at him with her emotionless crimson gaze.

After cutting through the flowers, Conrad cautiously approached the door. He knocked and asked, "Is anyone inside?"

There was no answer, but there were clear signs of life within. At least two people. The mechanical rhythm of a spinning fan, the constant ticking of a clock, and above all, human breathing could be heard from inside.

"Why aren't they answering? Are they so deep in sleep they can't hear?" Conrad whispered to himself. He turned toward Anira and asked, "Shall we enter without permission?"

Anira looked at him and replied, "What's your order?"

Everything seemed abnormal, but the main problem was the possibility of hallucination or being misled. If they opened the door and everything proved normal, how would he explain to his sisters what he was doing at night at Mr. Feud's house? But he had to make a decision. His sister's safety was on the line.

"Let's break in," Conrad said, his heart thumping at the thought. It felt like he was doing something illegal.

Ability: Mist Teleportation

As Conrad finished his sentence, his sight instantly changed. He was now inside the house.

At 1:04 AM, Monday, 9th July, inside Feud's Residence.

Conrad's eyes darted around in confusion, as if seeing something unexpected. The house was two stories tall, with two wooden staircases connecting the floors—one from the left and another from the right, spiraling with a slight bend to the second floor. The center was largely empty save for some guest seating. A looming darkness, so dense it was hard to discern the actual structure, shrouded the second floor.

"From outside, it didn't look this spacious. It's almost like a huge manor."

Multiple rooms with brown doors were numbered in Heraphant, starting from 300 all the way to 325.

Conrad remained vigilant, repeatedly reminding himself not to lower his guard. His hands stayed on the mist sword as if it were a natural extension of himself.

"My lord, you can relax a bit. Keeping a tense mind in a fight where Brahman Efficiency is required can be lethal."

You say that, but how would Ms. Overpower know what it means to be in my shoes? I've never been in this kind of situation.

"Okay... Anira... Thanks for reminding me."

Anira gave Conrad a warm smile. As they explored the manor-like house, examining room after room, Conrad spoke up.

"Strange, why is no one here? Didn't we hear breathing?"

"Oddities can cause strange phenomena."

"Do Oddi—"

Before Conrad could finish his question, they heard something. A sound, not too loud but clearly audible from the first floor, emanated from above.

Kashh Kashh Kashh

This oddly familiar sound in an unfamiliar place might have given Conrad a heart attack, but he maintained his composure now. His overtime practice with Brahman and confidence in Anira's strength kept him calm. The sound seemed to have been going on for a while, filling the otherwise silent house with an eerie rhythm.

That sounds like someone writing on rough paper...

Conrad tightened his grip on the sword. As he stepped forward, something fell where he had been standing moments before. He hadn't even consciously reacted. A huge chandelier crashed to the ground, shattering into pieces, but he had already moved from that spot.

How did I move? Must be the teleportation ability Anira used before...

"My lord," Anira's voice came from behind, "your senses can tell you things related to Brahman, but they cannot detect incidents or abnormalities caused by it. You need to polish your battle intuition, reaction speed, and action speed. Even Essentarii have lost fights against well-trained swordsmen."

"I'll keep that in mind." Conrad took a deep breath, his eyes focusing. He had been a well-trained martial artist in his previous life, and he tried to recall and manifest that feeling—what fighters called the 'Flow state.'

I need to focus. No matter how much I remind myself, it can only happen through practice and experience, just like those days in the gym when I was weak.

Conrad's Brahman fluctuated inside him, but with a more constant rate and less vibration. He felt more at ease. His deep blue eyes seemed to pierce through the darkness. Raising one hand, he summoned a small amount of energy that illuminated the area.

A dark vortex-like face, almost twelve feet tall, was bending over, standing very close to Conrad and staring directly at the light he had summoned. She wore a wedding dress.

"My lo—" Anira tried to shout, but her voice cut off immediately.

Conrad froze, staring at this behemoth figure. Her limbs were long, perhaps too long for any living being. Her dress had blood on it, but it seemed more like decoration. She opened her dark vortex-like mouth, and a gray tongue, split down the middle, emerged from her non-existent mouth. She licked Conrad's finger that held the Brahman energy illuminating the area. The light instantly vanished, and darkness engulfed them completely.

What is this? Is this an Oddity? Where is Anira? What is she doing? I am feeling something wet on my fingers? Is somebody licking them?

Countless thoughts rushed through Conrad's mind in a second. But amidst all of them, one thought surfaced clearly when he felt something like a tooth against the tip of his finger in the suffocating silence and darkness, a warm feeling only felt inside someone's mouth filling his fingers. 

Am... I... being... eaten alive?

As this realization struck him, fear took hold. His heart thumped like thunder in stormy weather. His sweat glands were too shocked to even react. His body heated up quickly. In the cold, rainy weather, he felt as if he were standing in a desert, waiting for his demise.

"By mine lord's will,

A world that none should ken..."

A voice rang out from a dark corner, illuminating Conrad's mind with hope. The voice continued—

"A world cloaked in nameless mist,

A world governed by The Eye,

A world yclept Arcane Veil."

Conrad's eyes suddenly found themselves in a familiar place surrounded by darkness as eternal as time itself. The infinite length and width of the place couldn't be measured by infinity itself. A living mist surrounded the place as if it were its only resident. A girl who was the embodiment of darkness and night itself stood there in all her graceful corset dress.