"You couldn't even catch a kid!" shouted the short man holding a small knife. A strange mask covered his face — white in color, with black teardrop marks under the eyes and a red stain on the forehead.
"Tsk. The moment I grab him, he slips away!"
The other man looked the same. He wore black clothes and a similar eerie mask. A knife was in his hand, but it wasn't normal. Its steel looked like bone, and a faint glow shimmered across its edge.
Noctis had done everything he could to escape, but the obstacles blocking his path had forced him into a narrow alley.
There were two smugglers. They walked toward him with slow, deliberate steps.
Noctis was covered in wounds. The whites of his midnight-blue eyes had turned red like blood. Gritting his teeth, he stared at them in a strange stance.
The shorter man lunged at him. Noctis quickly dodged to the side, but the taller one stepped forward and kicked him in the stomach. Noctis was thrown back.
The glowing knife belonged to the short man. He rushed in and stabbed Noctis in the leg while he was still dazed. Noctis screamed in pain, but those who heard him didn't help — they only watched.
Slowly, Noctis felt something leaving his body.
He knew his soul was being drained.
That was why he endured the pain and kicked the man in the head with his other leg.
The knife remained stuck in his thigh.
The numbness kept spreading.
Noctis quickly pulled the blade out — instead of blood, a black shimmer flowed from the wound. For the first time, Noctis saw the color of his soul.
The moment he held the knife, its glow vanished.
Within a second, the tall man lunged at him.
Noctis gripped the knife tightly. With his wounded leg, he took a step forward.
The sharp pain ran through his bones, but he didn't lose his stance — he focused.
The tall man swung his blade.
Noctis dodged, but the other one was already behind him. With nowhere left to run, he had no choice but to fight.
The man behind him lunged forward.
Noctis chose to attack the one in front.
He stepped long, shifted his direction, and tried to kick.
Despite his wounded leg, Noctis increased his speed and grabbed the man's leg, dragging the knife in a straight line. The man fell to the ground instantly, screaming in pain.The wound wasn't deep, so he could still fight.
Noctis released him and turned around quickly — but the other one was already beside him. A blade came toward Noctis's stomach. He moved back purely on instinct, dodging before he even saw it, and punched the man's mask hard.
The man staggered back a step.
Noctis thought about finishing him, but the man on the ground kicked his wounded leg with full force.
The moment Noctis fell, he turned and saw the rushing attacker. He threw the knife.It didn't stab him — but that wasn't what Noctis wanted.The man shifted his position for a moment, and in that brief window, Noctis jumped up and limped toward the one on the ground.
The man tried to rise, but Noctis didn't allow it.
He instantly grabbed the man's throat and squeezed with all his strength.
Choked groans filled the air.
The other man ran toward them.
He glanced briefly at the knife on the ground but didn't stop.
The short man dove for the nearby knife.
The one in Noctis's hands took his final breath. The short man grabbed the blade and charged at him. Noctis immediately let go of the throat and tried to use the opening to escape — but he had forgotten his wounded leg. The moment he took a step, he nearly collapsed.
Noctis gave up trying to flee and tried to fight back. He had already thrown his knife, so he had nothing to defend himself with — only his wounded body.
There was about a meter between them.
The man swung his blade, and Noctis raised his hand to block. But the knife never reached him. The man suddenly began trembling where he stood.A red liquid slowly flowed from his chest — and the tip of a sword appeared through it.
The knife fell to the ground.
The bloody shock on Noctis's face was terrifying. As he took a step back, he felt something on his shoulder.He quickly retreated, coughing as he steadied himself.
Slowly, a man appeared in the open space.
He had dark honey-colored hair and green eyes. His skin was pale, and he wore a scale-patterned steel armor. He looked middle-aged, yet carried a strange charisma. Worry was written all over his face.
"Uncle Sylen?"
Sylen immediately approached him.
"Come quickly. I need to get you to a hospital."
The worry in Sylen's glowing eyes made it obvious how anxious he was.
Noctis slightly lifted his wounded leg.
His pale face had turned red, twisting in pain every time he moved.
"You know I can't go to a hospital."
Sylen took quick breaths. The black shimmer flowing from Noctis's leg had stopped, replaced by blood. Noctis slowly sat down and stretched his leg. He tore the rest of his ripped clothes and wrapped them tightly around the wound.
Sylen looked at him with a strange yet worried expression. He stood beside Noctis, his gaze shifting to the men lying on the ground.
"How many were there?"
Noctis spat on the ground.
"Three."
Sylen looked at him.
"You killed two of them?"
Noctis stayed silent and pressed on his leg.
"I didn't have another choice."
Sylen said nothing.
He slowly approached the tall man and tried to remove his mask — but it wouldn't come off.
"They're using enchanted masks too…"
Noctis spat again and rested for a few minutes. Sylen slowly grabbed his hand and helped him up. He took out his communication device and connected to someone. Stepping out of the alley, he looked at the people nearby.
He frowned. There weren't many around, yet he glared at every passerby with anger.
Ruined houses surrounded the area.
The streets were filled with trash and dried bloodstains, and the air reeked of rot.
Within minutes, someone arrived.
A middle-aged man with black hair looked at them, quickly moved beside Noctis, and then turned toward the alley, pointing at it.
Several men rushed over immediately.
The one next to Noctis placed a hand on his chest. Noctis flinched slightly, but the man kept touching him.
A strange yet pleasant sensation spread through Noctis's body. Slowly, the pain in his leg faded away. His wounds healed rapidly, and the numbness disappeared.
Noctis gave the man a small nod, and the man nodded back before turning to Sylen.
"This is the fifth incident this week. Their numbers keep increasing — especially in the exile zone."
Sylen waited for a few seconds.
"Reduce the number of Sinners stationed at the gate. Increase patrols within the district."
The man nodded and headed into the alley.
Noctis's body felt fine now, but his mind was heavy and tired.He felt strange for having killed people — but he knew that if he hadn't, he'd be dead instead.
The guilt that had echoed in his mind the first time he killed someone was long gone.
Over time, he had been forced to grow used to killing.When he was younger, he had killed someone to keep a person he loved from dying.
Sylen looked at Noctis. His face was still full of concern.
"I'll take you home myself."
Noctis stayed silent.
'Even if I said no, you'd still come.'
They slowly passed the ruined houses, walking along a road filled with cracks and decay. People around them changed their paths, avoiding the pressure of Sylen's magic.
Noctis's expression was blank.
The numbness inside him was gone, yet he felt sleepy.Deep down, an indescribable strangeness filled him — the same feeling a human gets after committing sin.
Slowly, they arrived at Noctis's home.
Noctis had black hair and pale white skin.
His eyes were the color of midnight blue.
He was generally thin, though a little taller than average.
He tore off the piece of cloth wrapped around his leg. The wound the knife had pierced was completely gone.
'Magic really is strange.'
They slowly arrived at his home.
It looked like a typical example of the other houses around — a weak door, two visible windows with deep cracks, and a roof that seemed ready to collapse.
Noctis slowly reached into his pocket.
He sighed deeply.
"I dropped the key."
Sylen lifted the lower part of his armor and reached out his hand, pulling out a key.
He smiled slightly.
"Your grandpa gave me one too… Since you don't have yours, take this."
He slowly opened the door, and they stepped inside.Noctis took a brief look around.
The ceiling was moldy, and the walls were lined with cracks.There weren't many items, yet everything somehow felt both in its place and completely out of place.
They walked in slowly and entered one of the two rooms.The room was full of cracks.
Several pieces of cardboard covered the concrete floor.Scattered boxes filled the corners, many of them containing food supplements. A water bottle sat on the only piece of furniture that still looked stable — a small table.
On a bed that seemed ready to collapse lay an old man.His hair was thick yet white as snow. His skin was pale.A piece of cloth was wrapped around his head, covering one of his eyes.
The visible eye looked damaged.
The old man was gazing at the sky through a cracked window. Slowly, he turned his head and smiled gently. His voice was like a creaky melody.
"Welcome."
The old man looked first at Noctis, then at Sylen. His open eye couldn't see much, but he recognized them. Sylen slowly approached, a sorrowful smile on his face.
"My older brother… How have you been? Did your soul crack again?"
The old man stayed silent.
Noctis's expression didn't change.
Every time he saw his grandfather, he felt a quiet sadness — but this time, his mind was tangled from what had happened. It wasn't the first time he'd faced something like this, yet it was the hardest one. Because his soul had flowed out for the first time, he felt strangely detached from himself.
What had happened tonight was the closest he had ever come to death. If not for the magical aura released by the knife, Sylen would never have known where he was.
Noctis slowly poured some water into a glass and handed it to Sylen. Sylen drank, then handed it back; Noctis drank afterward. The tap water tasted odd, but they had no other choice.
Noctis felt the old man's gaze on him but ignored it. He nodded to Sylen and left the two to talk while he went into the other room. It wasn't much different from the first — only the bed was in worse condition.
Noctis felt even sleepier. He slowly lay down. For a few seconds, he recalled what had happened.With each passing moment, his midnight-blue eyes opened and closed until he finally surrendered to the warmth of sleep...
When Noctis opened his eyes, everything was dark. He was staring at the sky. In the starless night above, a solitary moon shone brightly. Even with moonlight, there were no shadows anywhere — not even his own. It was as if his shadow had never existed. His eyes widened as his mind fell into silence.
He lowered his head slightly.Grass stretched up to his knees, and though it was dark, he could see clearly. Something caught his eyes — mountains larger than the city's walls. They were so immense that Noctis felt like an ant before them. On the other side, a small lake reflected the beautiful light of the moon.
When Noctis looked at the lake, he felt the urge to drown in it. Slowly, his mind began to clear. Then, in a sudden impulse, he turned around. There was another mountain behind him, but this one was different—it was covered in cracks.
Noctis slowly fixed his gaze on where the cracks widened. A massive fissure split the mountain open. It was dark—so dark that he couldn't even comprehend its darkness. His mind began to go numb.
He didn't want to look at it, yet his eyes refused to turn away. Deep inside, he felt a strange longing. Within a second, chills ran down his spine.
His feet began to move toward the crack. That was when Noctis came to his senses. He didn't know where he was or what he was doing, but he didn't care. The fact that his feet were moving on their own terrified him.
He took slow, trembling steps. Panic flooded him. He wanted to stop but couldn't. He threw himself to the ground again and again, yet each time he rose and continued walking. Noctis cursed under his breath.
With every step closer to the fissure, his breathing quickened. With every step, his fear grew. Still, he felt an impossible mix of longing and reverence for the darkness he couldn't comprehend. He was only a few steps away.
Noctis struggled with all his strength to stop himself, but it was useless. When only a single step remained, his legs froze. A strange sensation passed through his body. After that one moment of stillness, he took a final step forward.
'No... no, please stop...'