Night in Eterna Kingdom felt different. Not as silent as the forest, but also not as bustling as the daytime market.
Oil lamps along the city streets cast a dim glow, reflecting the shadows of old brick buildings onto the cobblestone road. Arzael walked with a calm pace, though in his mind, plans and calculations kept spinning.
Beside him, Seraphina walked slowly, without a sound. The girl carried an aura of silence, as if her very presence could swallow all noise around her.
Her long white hair swayed lightly in the night breeze, her flat red eyes not looking at anything in particular.
They arrived at a modest inn that Arzael had rented since arriving in the Eterna capital. A middle-aged innkeeper wearing a worn apron greeted them from behind a wooden counter.
"Welcome back… oh?" His gaze hesitated slightly at the sight of Seraphina. But as soon as Arzael placed several gold coins on the counter, that hesitation vanished like smoke.
Arzael said, "Prepare hot water. And bring food for two. Women's clothing as well… medium size."
The innkeeper only nodded quickly and immediately disappeared into the kitchen.
Their room was on the second floor, simple: a wooden bed with a thin mattress, a small table, and a window overlooking the street.
Once inside, Arzael placed his leather bag in the corner, while Seraphina stood still in the middle of the room like a statue.
"The bathwater will be ready soon," Arzael said, "Do you… need time alone, or need help?"
"Alone," Seraphina replied.
"Alright. That's the bath over there. When you're done, wear the new clothes they'll bring."
Without a sound, Seraphina walked inside. Arzael pulled a chair and sat down, arms crossed. His mind wandered to the conversation at the black market earlier. Cursed, huh… This world loves to put labels on what they don't understand.
A few minutes later, the door opened. Seraphina came out with wet hair, wearing a simple blue dress that had just been delivered. She walked slowly, sitting at the table without the slightest expression.
"Eat," Arzael said, pushing a plate of chicken soup, warm bread, and a bit of roasted meat toward her.
Seraphina stared at the food for a moment, then began eating slowly. Her movements were careful, as if afraid the soup might burn her hands.
Silence lingered for a while, only the sound of a spoon against the plate filling the air. Then, without being asked, Seraphina began to speak.
"I've always been alone," she said, her voice flat, "Since birth… I was a problem. When I was born, my mother's body burned just from touching me. She died instantly."
Arzael didn't interrupt. He only looked at her calmly, letting her continue.
"My father… or whoever he was… threw me into an orphanage. I tried to live like the other children there. But one day… I accidentally touched another child. He screamed. His skin blistered. After that… no one wanted to come near me anymore."
She looked down, her fingers gripping the hem of her skirt.
"They called me a curse. Then… one night, the orphanage sold me to the black market. They said it was better than me causing trouble again."
"You were never directly blamed?" Arzael asked.
"No… because they didn't dare come near me. They just… talked behind my back," she replied.
There was a long pause. Arzael's gaze didn't change, but in his mind, a small ember began to grow. This world… truly disgusting. They create suffering, then bury it beneath sweet words like "protection" or "for your own good."
Finally, he said, "The world is cruel, Seraphina. But you… you never should have been treated like that."
"Why did you buy me? Aren't you afraid?" she asked.
Arzael smiled faintly. "Because I'm also a curse."
Seraphina looked at him for a long moment. No shock on her face, only a slight change in her eyes, a flicker of curiosity.
"How?" she asked.
"Touch me," he replied.
Seraphina hesitated for a moment, then touched the back of his hand. Nothing happened. No fire. No burning skin.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"…How?" she repeated.
"I told you, I'm also a curse. You can't burn something that's already been burned since birth," Arzael said.
A strange silence followed. Seraphina didn't smile, but her gaze shifted slightly, not warm, but no longer entirely empty.
"Oh, Seraphina, how old are you?" Arzael asked.
"Around fourteen," she replied.
Arzael nodded. "Then I'm probably a year older."
When Seraphina finished eating, Arzael leaned back in his chair, staring at the night sky through the window. In his mind, hatred toward the gods rose again. The same hatred he had sworn long ago.
They created this… all this suffering. They gave curses, then sat on their thrones and watched.
His burning hatred now blazed even more fiercely. It burned, but did not consume him. Instead, it gave him strength.
Night grew late. Arzael decided to sleep.
However, when he turned off the oil lamp and returned to the room after checking his equipment, he found something that made him stop in his tracks.
Seraphina had fallen asleep… in his bed. Right in the middle.
Standing at the doorway, Arzael watched her for a few seconds, then sighed.
"…Ah, forget it," he muttered, smirking. "Besides, I have another mission."
He took his cloak, checked his Crimson Edge, then stood in the middle of the room. In his mind flashed the image of the Demon Blackfire, a creature in Underworld Layer 1 that had nearly torn his soul apart.
"Time for a little revenge," Arzael said.
Calmly, he activated Gatewalk.
[Gatewalk Activated]
A glowing black portal appeared above him, wind swirling around, and in an instant, Arzael vanished from the room, leaving Seraphina sleeping peacefully.