Bloodstained Piano

Faithless exited the room, heading toward the basement. But before he could descend more than a few steps, six guards stormed into the corridor.

They froze in place, shocked by what they saw.

The place was destroyed—furniture shattered, walls cracked, and the maid unconscious on the floor. The mayor's room looked as if a magical bomb had gone off. Everything was chaotic and strange.

The guards drew their swords. One of them shouted angrily, squinting his eyes in rage:

"Hey, clown! What the hell are you doing here?"

Faithless stared at them with tired eyes. Even his smile, once unnerving, began to fade—it now looked forced. He was exhausted… utterly drained by lies and the betrayal of those he once trusted.

"You bastard, I asked you a question! Why the hell aren't you answering?!" one guard shouted, stepping directly in front of him.

Faithless slowly raised his head and gave the man a weary, mocking look. That strange expression only enraged the guard more. He grabbed Faithless by the throat—and stabbed him in the stomach.

Another guard struck him in the head, while a third launched an explosive spell from behind, sending him crashing into the grand hall.

Faithless smashed into the piano. His head bled profusely, crimson streaks staining the piano's white keys like notes of suffering.

"You there! Go check the mayor's room!" one of the guards ordered.

The guard rushed off. But as he approached the room, he slammed into an invisible wall—something blocking entry. The barrier shimmered as though rejecting him.

Groaning in pain, he clutched his bleeding nose and stumbled back. Then he opened his eyes… and froze in horror.

"S-Sir… you… you need to see this." His voice trembled.

The head guard, fuming with anger, rushed upstairs. But before his foot could touch the upper floor, his eyes caught something… and he hesitated.

The invisible wall had transformed into something grotesque—an infernal gate carved with dozens of skulls spinning rapidly, glowing crimson like embers of the underworld.

"What the hell is this? Is that… is that a gate to Hell?"

Meanwhile, Faithless let out a soft, bitter laugh. He slowly stood up and sat on the piano bench once more. The guards stared at him in disbelief and confusion.

The captain descended, sword drawn, fury burning in his gaze.

He stood just meters from Faithless and growled:

"You pitiful clown… is this abomination your doing?"

Faithless began to play a haunting, slow melody on the piano. His voice dropped into a deep, solemn tone:

"I played on a bleeding piano… my fingers sought the evidence… but I pulled them away slowly. Why would anyone try to sabotage a clue?"

He paused for a moment, then shifted the melody into something darker, soaked in grief:

"I smiled… because I found myself not guilty… but then, I saw the guilty one… crying."

The guards stood frozen, uncertain, disturbed. They couldn't understand what this lunatic was talking about.

The head guard had enough. He grabbed Faithless by the collar and pressed the sword against his face:

"What the hell is wrong with you? Are you insane?! Answer me, yo—"

His head dropped to the floor before he could finish.

Blood sprayed onto Faithless's face.

He rose from the piano bench, laughing maniacally, clutching his head and shouting sarcastically:

"Oh God… this tragedy is way too heavy for me. I don't think I can handle it—oh nooooooo!"

He removed his hands and took a step forward—instantly appearing in front of the remaining five guards.

His eyes were now oozing blackness, his grin widening into something monstrous. Still speaking in the same deranged tone, he drove a dagger into one guard's stomach:

"Just kidding. This is the tragedy of Hermes… and it's so damn fun! Hahahahaha!"

The guards swarmed him, stabbing his chest and torso again and again. Blood spilled like a crimson river.

One guard looked up, staring into Faithless's face… and saw only madness.

Faithless seized the man's head and slammed it into the ground—hard. Then he spun and kicked another square in the face, sending him flying into the corridor wall.

A third guard tried to decapitate him. Faithless dodged, spun, and thrust his dagger into the man's eye. The eyeball popped out and hit the floor.

Only one remained… gasping, clutching his chest, heart racing like a drum.

Faithless stood in front of him, reached out with all five fingers…

And crushed his skull against the wall.

Silence.

Blood everywhere.

Faithless stood in the middle of the massacre, pulling the swords from his own body one by one. He looked around, panting. The pain inside him—unknown, yet unbearable—forced him to vomit thick, black blood.

Still breathing, he took out his monocle, and whispered coldly:

"Seems like… even a clown has his limits.

But there's just… one last thing I need to do… before this worn-out body collapses onto the barren floor…"