Ariel Kirzian.
She came from one of my earlier projects, [Daylight Reckoning]. While the graphics of the game weren’t anything noteworthy, and back then I had only been part of the programming team, I could still recognize the character when I saw it.
From her lustrous silver hair and striking features to the small mole resting beneath her eye, everything about her stood out. More than that, the abilities I had just witnessed matched what I knew from the game. She, too, had abilities that allowed her to control other characters.
It was, in fact, one of the main selling points of the game.
’Yeah, there’s no doubt in my mind that this is probably Ariel. Fuck...’
A sudden premonition gripped me as I stared at the woman before me. If it really was her, then I wanted no association with her.
If Myles was a rat, then she was something far worse — A full-blown psychopath.
In fact, I would even go as far as preferring the rat over her.
’He may backstab people, but at the very least, he’s not full-blown crazy like her.’
Ariel was unpredictable in many ways.
Not because she was outwardly crazy, but because of her ability. She was extremely manipulative by nature.
’...At least, I can’t be blamed for her behavior.’
I was only responsible for the programming. Her game design and everything else had been handled by a separate team.
Her sudden appearance raised several questions in my mind.
’What in the world is she doing here? Why is she working for the cult, and what sort of link does she have with Zoey and Myles?’
For a moment, I had almost forgotten about the fact that Myles and Zoey both came from games that I had worked on. Ariel was the third character, and despite having searched for the other possible ones, I found no mention of them.
It now became clear to me.
’Just like Ariel, they might be hidden around the world.’
I wanted to know what the reason behind their appearance was, but before I had the chance to think about it more, the surroundings started to quake.
Rumble—! Rumble!
"....!?"
I grew alarmed, my head raising to look at the chandelier on top as it swayed.
’You should brace yourself. The place is crumbling apart.’
I didn’t move despite hearing the Conductor’s voice. Something... still didn’t sit well with me. I turned my attention towards the group on the floor, and then to Ariel.
’...Including me, there are 71 sacrifices. But is this really the reason behind the number in the book? Or is there more to it than I know?’
The more I thought about the number, the more unsettled I grew. I had a feeling that I had merely scratched the surface level of things. In the end, however, I was never able to figure things out as—
Crash!
Like broken glass, the world before me shattered.
By the time my vision cleared, the first thing I saw was a pair of dimples staring back at me.
An annoying voice came right after.
"Welcome back."
***
A few moments prior.
"You all might not see it, but to me, it’s very clear that he isn’t Seth."
The faceless figure stood before Myles as he stared at it calmly. He showed no hint of fear, no trace of flustered nerves. If anything, he seemed to relish the moment. Especially when his gaze fell on the book in Seth’s hands.
"....."
A tense silence followed Myles’s words, the faces of the group shifting subtly in response. Yet despite the revelation, none of them looked flustered. They all appeared to remain cool-headed as they exchanged brief glances, then frowned.
Was he being for real...? Or was he causing trouble because of what happened just a little bit before?
The atmosphere turned even tenser.
On the other hand, the Seth in question looked calmly in Myles’s direction.
"Do you hate me because I punched you? Is this how you repay me for saving you? Or are you that petty that you would try to make things difficult for all of us because of the punch that I gave you? No, rather..." Seth paused, his eyes narrowing, "Maybe I wasn’t able to save you."
Despite the words, the dimples on Myles’s face never faded. Instead, they only grew more pronounced. He seemed to take pure joy in the situation.
"It’s neither of those."
Myles’s gaze flickered, his eyes turning a deep shade of white as his first and second nodes churned at the same time.
[Basic Node: True Sight]
[Basic Node: Node Transfer]
The moment his skill activated, the eyes of everyone present turned a uniform white. Seth’s true appearance emerged before them, and the expressions on their faces shifted in unison.
One of the main reasons Myles was among the most sought-after recruits was his two skills. Those tied to the Hunter Decree were vital within any team, but someone who could extend that power to others was invaluable. Especially when facing anomalies that thrived on masking themselves in plain sight.
Despite the sudden turn of events, ’Seth’ remained completely stoic.
He looked unfazed by everything. Or rather, it wasn’t capable of showing fear or any other emotion.
After all...
It wasn’t human.
Myles’s gaze remained glued to the book in the anomaly’s hands, his eyes narrowing at the sight of it. The more he looked at it, the more curious he became.
’If that’s truly the key to bringing Seth back, then...’
His lip dimples faded for a moment. But only for a moment, as they returned a few moments later.
’...Then I have to do my best to help him out.’
He turned his attention towards Seth’s group. He just looked at them, but the moment he did, they all sprang into action.
Min was the first to move, his massive frame barreling toward "Seth." Moments later, Mia followed, her node flaring as she locked the anomaly in place. Joanna, Nora, and Niel joined in soon after, striking without hesitation.
Their movements were precise, with no ounce of hesitation. They carried themselves like a seasoned unit, as if they had already weathered hundreds of gates together.
"Keep him in place!"
"...Min, stay in position!"
"I’ll take it from here."
Watching the group handle the anomaly with such seamless coordination, Myles’s dimples slowly faded, his expression threatening to twist into something else.
"Why...?" He muttered under his breath, fists tightening as a surge of hot jealousy churned in his chest.
Why did he get such a group?
What had he done to deserve a group like that? Why wasn’t it him? He had been the star of the first year, yet here he was... not a Squad Leader like Seth. His team was strong, yes, but he didn’t lead them.
Just why did they favor him so much?
Why not him...?
Myles’s teeth ground tightly together. But soon, he stopped.
"Done!"
He fixed his gaze on the faceless figure, still held in place. His heart pounded, pulse hammering in his ears as he settled on the book.
’Right, I can change that. So long as I can get the book...’
His lips began to curl, but before the expression could form, a sudden shift occurred. The anomaly’s appearance changed, turning into one they were all used to.
Myles came to a sudden stop, his face freezing over.
"Huh...?"
"Did the skill wear off? Or is this really the Squad Leader?"
"Squad Leader...?"
As confusion rippled through the group, Myles smiled. He was the first to move as he appeared before Seth, a large smile plastered on his face.
"Welcome back."
From the outside, he looked genuinely happy at Seth’s sudden appearance, but if one looked closely, they’d notice his clenched fists trembled as the nails cut into his palms, blood slowly welling.
"...It’s truly nice to know that you’re back."