Chapter 2 - Born in Darkness

               A ship was drifting away, yet the waves of the sea never touched it. Its ocean was the sky itself, where it soared higher and farther, leaving behind a land steeped in sorrow, a city stained with blood, and sealed graves that would never again receive flowers, tears, or whispers...

               Ayun jolted awake, soaked from head to toe. Again. He blinked in confusion, still unable to distinguish between dream and reality. For a moment, he believed the figure before him was merely an illusion, a phantom of the past.

               The individual had an imposing stature, easily towering over the young boy. His entire body was covered in fur so black it seemed drawn from the very essence of night. Along his back, the fur bristled into sharp spines, while his prominent features and elongated fangs added to his fearsome appearance. His eyes, however, were a fiery orange, glowing like the flames of hell. His powerful body was complemented by long claws and pointed ears, akin to those of an elf, though his legs were bent in reverse, giving him an unusual look. He wore only a stained tank top and a pair of shorts, while two twin tails, ending in sharp blades, swayed menacingly in the air.

               His entire being seemed to radiate darkness. Though he bore some resemblance to the young noble Ayun had clashed with the day before, this creature was far more savage and dangerous. The only thing that slightly undermined his menacing image was the bucket he held in his hand, smiling maliciously.

               They stood on the deck of a ship caught in torrents cascading from the mountains, which had reached Tharym only a short while ago. Branches and mud piled on the deck awaited cleaning, though Ayun had deemed the ship's condition good enough. In the past, he had dealt with vessels fresh from battle, and mud was far easier to scrub away than dried blood.

               "You!" he murmured, barely waking up fully.

               It took him only a moment to understand why his clothes were drenched. Though the rude awakening was unpleasant, he felt a flicker of relief—had the port authorities caught him sleeping instead of working, he would’ve been in real trouble. Thus, he made no effort to confront the other, inwardly grateful.

               "Has life in Tharym worn you out?" the creature mocked, a sly grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.

               "I thought you only came out at night," Ayun replied, ignoring the mocking tone.

               Since arriving in the city, Ayun had rarely seen Hachyro in daylight. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation, so he tried to walk away, but one of the twin tails suddenly stabbed into the ship's railing, blocking his path. The other tail hovered threateningly near his chest. Any trace of amusement vanished from the fiery orange eyes.

               "Don’t toy with me, Ayun," Hachyro said menacingly.

               "When I have new information, I’ll come to you. The Tower Mages won’t arrive until next month. Maybe if you cooperated with them, we could learn more," Ayun replied, staying calm.

               The other growled, a terrifying, almost demonic sound.

               "The Guild’s executioners? I still don’t understand why you let them cast all those spells on you."

               "You know very well why. They want to help us, to find an answer to the past. A way to..."

               A powerful roar echoed from the depths of the city, sending a chilling reverberation through the air. It came from somewhere beneath the ship, within the canals connecting Tharym to the underground lakes. Ayun knew those canals were occasionally invaded by creatures drawn to the scent of prey. The dead fish swept into the sea by the damaged ship had now caught the attention of these beasts.

               In the moment of distraction, Hachyro had vanished. Ayun didn’t bother to look for him; his presence in broad daylight would only cause more trouble. Instead, the young man tensed and leapt over the railing, landing on the docks.

               He broke into a run through the city, weaving between passersby and dodging roadside stalls, ignoring the curses that followed whenever he stumbled into someone. He knew every corner of Tharym, every narrow alley and hidden refuge. The streets of the port city held no secrets for him anymore. Without slowing down, he slipped into an inn tucked away in a dimly lit alley, sneaking through a side door left ajar.

               The room was shrouded in semi-darkness, but Ayun hurried down the stairs, sliding along the cold, damp stone walls. The corridor that stretched before him was pitch black, but he didn’t need light. His confident steps revealed that he had traveled this path countless times before.

               The path led to a vast, damp chamber filled with stagnant air, where a massive iron grate, now lifted, served as the doorway. At the center of the room lay an underground lake, its surface shimmering faintly with the glow of thermal waters. Normally, it was an attraction for the inn’s customers, but those who vanished there mysteriously never got to fully enjoy this "privileged" destination.

               From time to time, the "explanation" for these disappearances would emerge from the dark waters. Massive tentacles, covered in suckers as large as windows, would rise from the depths, reaching hungrily for any unfortunate soul lingering on the lake’s edge.

               A few dockworkers, identifiable by their simple clothing, wielded spears to keep the beast at bay. Among them stood the nobleman’s son, his expression frozen in terror but laced with determination. Nearby, fresh bloodstains on a rock hinted that the monster had already claimed a victim.

               On the opposite side of the lake, the other young men, who just a day before had been brimming with courage, now stood paralyzed by fear. Among them, a boy with an abnormally long neck, barely more than a child, was visibly trembling.

               When Ayun burst into the chamber, all eyes turned toward him, filled with disbelief. The monster immediately sensed him and wasted no time attacking, its tentacles hurtling toward him. But Ayun was too quick, sliding along the edge of the lake with agility, dodging the massive strikes. One of the tentacles slammed down on the cowering group of youths, grabbing the smallest among them and squeezing with lethal force.

               An explosion suddenly erupted, filling the air with the acrid stench of burnt flesh. The beast let out a guttural roar that echoed ominously through the chamber. The injured tentacle withdrew sluggishly, much of it gone, the edges of the wound smoldering and smoking. With a pained groan, the creature sank beneath the surface, releasing its prey from its deadly grip.

               The boy was seized by Ayun's firm hand and effortlessly pulled onto the shore. Behind him, the others were rising, unscathed and still in awe of their miraculous rescue. As if by instinct, they all bolted toward the exit, abandoning the fight they had so desperately sought. That creature was far beyond their abilities. Yet the young man with emerald eyes stood motionless, showing no intention of following them. His gaze was fixed on the last person remaining in the chamber: the nobleman’s son.

               The youth was laughing maniacally, relentlessly stabbing the lake’s waters with his spear, convinced that slaying such a creature would bring him unimaginable glory.

               A faint sound echoed behind Ayun, but he didn’t even turn around. By now, he was used to the almost ghostly presence of Hachyro. He hadn’t come to help; he was drawn by the prospect of carnage. Typical of someone from the Arsien bloodline. Hachyro walked past the noble’s son, grinning broadly, his excitement written all over his face.

               “Close the gate,” he said sharply. “I’ll take care of the rest.”

               Ayun tilted his head slightly, feeling a growing unease.

               “If I close it, you’ll be trapped inside,” he replied, doubting deeply that Hachyro had any genuine concern for the city’s safety—or for anything beyond his own bloody amusement.

               Hachyro smirked, malice gleaming in his eyes.

               “Have you never wondered why the nobles are so eager to help you?” he asked, his fiery orange gaze sparkling with macabre amusement. “How they know about us... about what and who we are? This is the reason!”

               He gestured toward the boy, who, with a reckless enthusiasm, continued to provoke the monster. Ayun had suspected someone had spread rumors about them in the city, but he hadn’t even considered that this kid might be the source. Most likely, his wealthy family had access to information they had irresponsibly allowed to leak.

               “What are you planning to do?” Ayun asked, sensing the tension between them intensify.

               “Make sure he keeps his mouth shut,” Hachyro replied with a fierce grin, baring his fangs. “Care to join me?”

               Ayun gritted his teeth. Hrassin’s strict orders echoed in his mind, forbidding him from getting involved with the noble’s son again. Staying would mean disobeying those orders and getting into serious trouble. While he could try to protect the boy somehow, doubt gnawed at his thoughts—what chance would he have in a real fight against Hachyro? Perhaps giving the noble brat a good scare would be enough to keep his mouth shut.

               Although he pitied him somewhat, Ayun made his decision quickly. He activated the mechanism of the thick chain, and the iron grate fell with a deafening metallic crash, sealing off the room from the outside world. Without looking back, Ayun turned and walked away, leaving the outcome of the battle in their hands.

               The noble's son showed no sign of fear, even as the grate slammed shut behind him. His full attention was drawn to Hachyro, who had moved close enough to enter his line of sight. He had met him only twice, but unlike Ayun, whom he could tease daily, the arsian was a new, thrilling challenge. He still regretted the moment Ayun had unintentionally revealed his powers, only for the guards to intervene and cut the spectacle short. Now, nothing could interrupt the confrontation.

               The young noble picked up a large rock from the ground and threw it at Hachyro. It was a careless throw, not meant to hit but merely to grab his attention. The noise of the stone striking the floor was enough to prompt the lake monster to lash its tentacles toward the arsian. However, Hachyro did not budge, calmly observing the creature's sluggish movements.

               Suddenly, a sharp roar erupted from the depths of the water, far louder than before. The massive tentacle rose into the air, riddled with deep cuts that split its soft flesh. The noble's son frowned, unable to comprehend what had just happened, when Hachyro appeared in front of him in an instant, gripping his throat with inhuman speed and strength. The young man struggled desperately, but the gap in power was overwhelming.

               ”Da...mned... devil, he rasped, ” struggling to articulate a threat. ”I’ll... I’ll... ”

               But he never finished. Hachyro’s twin, blade-tipped tails rose behind him, slithering like lethal serpents as his orange eyes gleamed menacingly in the darkness. A cruel smile, dripping with sadistic delight, spread across his face as his fingers tightened with merciless pressure, until he felt the young man’s neck snap under his grip.

               ”Ah, I almost forgot, ” he said in a sinister tone, laced with a falseness so palpable it was impossible to believe. As his victim barely twitched, he continued with a wicked grin: ”I was only supposed to teach you a lesson, wasn’t I? ”

               He tensed, and with a brutal gesture, hurled the noble’s son into the dark waters of the lake. The boy’s muffled scream was swallowed by the echoing chamber. A guttural sound reverberating from the depths signaled that the lake monster had picked up where Hachyro left off — exactly as he had planned from the beginning: to kill.