When the Arcane Keepers returned to their headquarters, they found the entire place already trashed. Furniture was overturned, the walls were scarred by blasts, and smoke still lingered faintly in the air.
"What happened here...?" Hairo asked, stepping through the wreckage, his voice low with disbelief. His boots crunched over broken glass as he scanned the room, his usual confidence replaced by stunned silence.
On paper, the fight between them and Joker Roulette should have gone in their favor. They had the numbers, the strategy, the strength. But none of it had been enough. Numbers alone couldn't win the battle.
Their spirits sank lower as they took in the destruction. Seeing their home in this condition made the loss even heavier, pressing down on their shoulders like a weight they couldn't shake off. The silence between them was thick, each member lost in their own thoughts.
"Hey, I found Joey and Robert... bodies," a member called out after checking behind a collapsed wall, his voice shaking. He stepped back, face pale, as if hoping the sight would disappear if he looked away.
"Oh, God, they died too...?" Fiona asked. Her voice cracked, and tears began to well in her eyes. She turned her face away, starting to cry, her shoulders trembling as she tried to stifle the sobs.
"I need some time to think alone," Jasper said quietly, his expression unreadable as he turned away. His fingers flexed at his sides, the only sign of the tension beneath his calm exterior. "Can you handle the rest, Hairo? I'll be in the meeting room."
Hairo quickly nodded, his voice snapping to attention. "Right! Take your time, leader!" he said, trying to sound composed despite the turmoil inside him.
He watched Jasper walk off before exhaling sharply, running a hand through his hair.
"You too, Fiona," Hairo added, turning to her gently. His voice softened, trying to offer some comfort. "Why don't you take a rest for now?"
Fiona wiped her tears and nodded. "Okay," she said softly, then walked off without another word, her footsteps slow and heavy.
Hairo sighed, dragging his hand down his face as he looked around the ruined building.
"Why is this happening..." he muttered to himself. "I'll lose all my weight if things keep getting worse."
"Hairo," one of the members called out from across the room. "We found Gloria."
Hairo stiffened, his eyes widening. "Did... Did she die too?" he asked, hesitating.
"No," came a weak voice. Gloria stepped forward from behind the rubble, her clothes torn and dusty. She offered a thin smile. "I'm fine. I mean, probably not fine, but you know... alive. Where's the leader? I need to talk to him."
"Ah, he's in the meeting room," Hairo replied. "He requested to be left alone."
"I see," Gloria said, nodding. "Then I will meet him later."
"Wait!" Hairo said quickly. "Let me check with him first. He might actually want to talk to you."
"Alright," Gloria replied. "Let's do that."
Hairo turned and headed toward the meeting room. While Gloria waited quietly outside, Fiona returned and caught sight of her.
"Gloria?" Fiona said, surprised. "You're okay?"
Gloria gave a tired smile. "Yeah, barely."
"What are you doing here?" Fiona asked, stepping closer.
"I want to talk to the leader," Gloria answered. "What about you?"
"It's the same," Fiona said.
A few minutes passed in silence before Hairo returned.
"The leader wants to talk to you," he said to Gloria.
Gloria gave a small nod.
"Can I join too...?" Fiona asked, a bit hesitant.
"I think it's fine," Hairo said after a moment.
They walked together into the meeting room. Jasper was already there, seated in his usual spot with his arms resting on the table in front of him.
He looked at Gloria, his gaze steady. "I believe you're part of the group that was supposed to be defending this place, right?" he asked.
Gloria nodded. "That's right."
"And you said you want to talk to me?" Jasper asked.
"Please let me resign," Gloria said, her voice strained.
Jasper leaned back slightly. "Tell me what happened," he said calmly.
Gloria swallowed hard. "This is... just my assumption," she said carefully. "I'm not one hundred percent sure about what actually happened."
"Just tell me," Jasper said.
"Alright," she began. "I believe... the three prisoners we had have been planning to escape for a long time. And then, when our defenses were down, they took that chance and did it."
"When the prisoners broke out, all I could think of was saving myself," Gloria continued. "While you guys were fighting, I... I ran away. I didn't even try to stop them. I don't deserve to be here!"
"Come on now, don't be too hard on yourself," Hairo said, stepping in. "It's understandable that you were scared. These three were pretty dangerous, after all."
"But that's the thing," Gloria said, shaking her head. "I knew they were dangerous. I knew what they were capable of. And I didn't even try. Who knows what kind of evil things they're doing now that they're free. And part of it is my fault. Don't you think so, Fiona?"
"Wh-what?" Fiona looked startled, caught off guard by the sudden question.
"Let's not be too hasty," Hairo said, trying to calm the rising tension. "Can you give us more details on what happened?"
Gloria sighed. "My memory is a little jumbled," she admitted. "But I believe the big guy was attacking Robert, and the others were going after Joey. When they started running away from this place, Alexis chased after them, trying to bring them back."
"But I heard he ended up fighting with Joker Roulette," Gloria added. "I'm not sure what happened there because... I was just focused on running away."
Hairo nodded, his expression grim. "Unfortunately, he got killed by Joker Roulette," he said. "Probably ran into him by accident. They must've fought halfway through."
"Oh God," Gloria whispered, covering her mouth. "I'm sorry. It's my fault."
"No, no, don't say that," Hairo said quickly, trying to reassure her. "What do you think, leader?"
"I can't stop you if you really want to resign," Jasper said, looking at her seriously. "But nobody here blames you for what happened. In fact, this is all my fault. I should've seen this coming but my eyes were too focused on Joker Roulette. I'm sorry."
"Not you too, leader," Hairo said. "Let's not go around blaming ourselves, okay? We did what we could, and the only ones doing wrong were them. They are the criminals!"
"That's right," Fiona agreed. "I was frustrated too. Being toyed with by Joker Roulette and... Noah. But I don't think it's our fault when things go bad."
"Oh, little Fiona finally said something good for once," a woman's voice called out from the doorway.
Everyone turned toward the door at once.
Three people were standing there.
***