The Dark Assassin force, led by Cronker, was busy in the town of Flendon. They were moving as fast as they could around the city to deliver the news.
The Dark Magus had woken up. They were informing the key members in town who would care, and Cronker had sweat running down his face.
He quickly burst into one of the restaurants, the door swinging open. When the guests turned to look at the door, they could see no one there.
"Kizer!" Cronker shouted, placing both hands on the table.
Kizer erupted into a fit of coughing as the large piece of meat he was eating got stuck in his throat.
"The Dark Magus is awake! We are to meet at the town hall immediately!" Cronker said.
"Did you really have to jump out like that? Can I at least finish my food? Since he's woken up now, it's not like he's just going to disappear or anything." Kizer, lifting his fork, looked at a large piece of meat and went to stab it, but suddenly, the plate had disappeared and his fork hit the wooden table.
"You don't understand! Alba rushed out immediately and told me to inform everyone as soon as possible. That's why I'm going everywhere trying to tell everyone. Something must be happening," Cronker said.
Kizer could tell from the look on Cronker's face that he was serious, but was it really a big deal? What could have happened in the short time since he woke up?
"Alright, alright, I'll go. As for Froma, I haven't seen her, but someone said that guy... what was his name, Fixteen, has been looking after her in one of the houses out front. If you find him, he should know where she is," Kizer answered.
As quick as that, Cronker had left the restaurant, leaving Kizer on his own.
"Did he have to take the food?" Kizer grumbled. "He's going to owe me ten steaks after this."
Everyone who was a guard at the wall knew who Froma was. She was quite recognizable with her small size and rosy cheeks.
It wasn't just her appearance though; everyone felt like they owed a bit of their life to her.
She was part of the reason for them being alive, which was why when Fixteen had asked one of the guards if they could use their house next to the wall, they had given it without hesitation.
They said they could live at their parents' house for a while and to take as long as they needed.
Fixteen had entered one of the small homes, about fifty square meters in size, carrying a crate filled with specific ingredients.
"Reno said all of these should help... I just hope I can do a good job," Fixteen said.
The sound of loud screams could be heard coming from the other room. Immediately, Fixteen rushed inside.
He could see Froma on the bed, holding her shoulders, clawing at them. The sheets were covered in blood, and she continued to scream into the air.
"Make it stop, make it stop! I don't want to remember, I don't want to remember, please!"
Fixteen rushed over and grabbed her, holding her hands to stop her from hurting herself.
"I'm here, I'm here, don't worry... look, this world is real, look, you can feel this," Fixteen said as he pulled her hand away and started to draw circles in her palm.
She started to calm down slightly, sniffling away, but still looked in agony.
Eventually, when she was calm enough, Fixteen tried to pull away, but Froma quickly pulled his hand slightly.
"I'm not going anywhere, I just need to reach for the medicine," Fixteen explained. He grabbed a bowl on the side, stretching out his hand, and eventually brought it over.
He helped her drink the strange-colored liquid inside, and she closed her eyes, leaning her body up against the wall for a moment.
'The poor woman, the weapon must have taken a large toll on her body... When she fell, I didn't think twice about catching her.'
'I brought her in here while she was still passed out, and now... I'm doing this,' Fixteen thought.
Every couple of hours or so, the screams would continue from Froma, and she still hadn't left the house.
Right now, Fixteen was the only one who could really help her.
"Thank you for doing all of this for me," Froma said. "I know we're not close, but I appreciate it... You're a really good man."
"It's not a problem, but don't you want the Crimson Crane to try and help you?" Fixteen asked.
"I can't, I can't drag them down with my problems. Besides, it's not like I can get rid of this. I'm not even using the bow, and I'm still right now... I'm sure I'll be better in a few days."
As she said those words, though, the tremors and thoughts returned to her mind. She pulled tightly onto Fixteen's clothes.
He quickly started to draw circles in the palm of her hand again.
"No, it's filling my head again. I need something stronger, a stronger feeling," Froma said, starting to pull at Fixteen's shirt, even ripping part of it.
"Hey... I don't think this is..."
Fixteen was pulled until his face was next to hers. He could feel the heat from her breath, and her red cheeks were turning brighter by the moment.
"I'm sorry, but you're kind enough to forgive me, right?" Froma said as she pulled Fixteen in and pressed her lips against his.
She continued, as the sensation coursed through her body, trying to forget those thoughts and needing to feel something real.
At that point, Froma's body was weak, Fixteen knew this. It wouldn't have taken much for him to push her away, and that was because there was one main thought that was running through his head.
'This feels kinda… nice.'
"Froma!" Cronker shouted, breaking through the front door and immediately turning into the bedroom. "There's an... emergency..."