"…And then, I found a stone cave. Beneath it, blue will-o'-the-wisps were scattered everywhere."
"And then what, old man?"
"Quiet. I'm telling the story."
The children gathered together, sitting and listening to a middle-aged man in a wheelchair. His black hair blended into the darkness, while his face was illuminated by the candle in his hand.
At this moment, Old Man Haller was telling the orphans about his younger days—about the many strange and fascinating things he had discovered in the world.
"Calm down, all of you. Let me finish. So I went down into that cave, holding a burning torch, and slowly approached those will-o'-the-wisps."
"Then I realized—they weren't will-o'-the-wisps at all. They were torches, lit with blue flames. Since, historically, no one except will-o'-the-wisps could use such flames, I still hoped to encounter them, so I went deeper."
"The cave was dark and damp. Wind rushed in constantly, but strangely enough, I felt an intense heat. I was young back then—full of reckless spirit—so I charged straight into the darkness, only to witness something horrifying… RON IRUS!! MY HEAD!!!"
A burning smell rose from the top of Haller's head, much like the fire burning in his heart.
(After having his hair burned off by Lunas one more time, Old Man Haller never grew his hair again.)
…
"You idiots are really planning to go into that cave?!"
"Well, not really. More accurately, it's just Ron. I don't have the time for that kind of nonsense."
Old Man Haller didn't bother listening any further. He was already tired of their antics.
"And you actually believed what I said? I remember you used to laugh, saying I was just telling fairy tales to those kids."
"Ask Ron. I don't know."
"…"
"What? Why are you staring at me? Is there something on my face?"
"There's a dog's face sitting on top of your head, you insolent brat."
"Tch!"
Clack—
"And who said you could drink my beer?! Who gave you permission?!"
"What's yours is mine. What's mine is mine. Simple."
"Simple my ass! You haven't even paid your rent yet!"
Haller snorted angrily, rubbing his bald head—where only a few strands of hair remained—and dragged himself toward his wheelchair.
"You heading somewhere, Old Man?"
"I'm getting some things for that kid. I've never gone deep into that cave myself. I was stopped right at the entrance, remember?"
"Oh? So you really were making things up."
"Quiet! I wasn't lying. I did enter the cave—I just couldn't go inside. That place was practically another world."
"Another world?" Lunas asked curiously as he pushed the wheelchair in the direction Haller indicated. When they reached the spot, he bent down under a cabinet and pulled out several items.
"Yes. Another world. Have you ever heard the story of a city beneath the ground?"
"No. There's actually a story like that?"
"Yes. I didn't know either—until I spoke with those will-o'-the-wisps. Though, now that I think about it, they probably weren't will-o'-the-wisps anymore."
Lunas pulled out a backpack. After receiving Haller's approval, he opened it and saw several items neatly packed inside.
"These are…?"
"What Ron will need. I've always wanted to return to that cave and explore it properly, but I never had the time. So everything I prepared was left untouched… until now."
"…So maybe it really is real?"
"…"
"Hey, don't you think Ron's been in the bath a bit too long?"
Only now did Lunas realize that Ron had been bathing for an unusually long time—especially strange for someone as inherently lazy as Ron.
"Why are you asking me? You've got legs—go check yourself."
Unable to argue, Lunas ran to the bathroom. There, he saw a corpse—no, a young man sleeping on the floor.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
In Ron Irus's mouth was a gold coin, nearly deformed by the terrifying force of his bite.
…
A/N: If you've read the previous version, The Vortexless Death, I recommend waiting a few days and skipping ahead to the newest chapters.
Thank you for reading this far ^^