8. Revelation

Almost twenty-four hours.

Those words echoed in Edward’s and Violet’s ears like someone had struck a heavy temple bell, sending a deep-rhythmic reverberation through their minds.

Twenty-four hours. A full day passed while I was asleep—or rather, unconscious. But I didn’t feel that much hungry when I first woke up... Edward looked at Violet, who seemed lost in the exact same line of thought. They both wondered if the man in front of them was lying or telling the truth.

Then, a sudden realization sparked in Edward’s mind. …Ah, it’s likely because of Tur. Yeah, every abnormal thing that has happened so far is probably due to that magical drug. It can knock you out, dissolve or remove bullets from a wound... it’s almost too efficient to be true. The initial lack of hunger is probably just a side effect, much like standard anesthesia.

As Edward gathered his thoughts to speak, Violet leaned closer and whispered, “Are you going to tell him everything?”

Edward taken aback by her. Why wouldn't he tell the others? Sharing information about their surroundings would only help them all escape.

Giving her a firm nod to her, indicating his willingness to cooperate, he turned back to Stuart. He explained everything: the bullet holes, his awakening with Robert, their brief journey, how he had killed the giant, and how he had subsequently met Violet. However, just as he was about to mention his enchanted bracelet, Violet shoot him a look.

Interrupting him, she said, “Enough. Let him talk. I am more interested in how you figured out twenty-four hours have passed. Do you have a pocket watch?”

Stuart, who had finally finished his hard bread, glanced between the duo. With a heavy sigh, he admitted, “This isn't the first time I've woken up.”

Both Edward and Violet were a little shocked by the revelation, but they remained quiet, letting Stuart continue.

“When I—well, when we first woke up, there were six of us awake, and two still sleeping. You were probably one of the men who was still out cold, Edward. After we gathered our bearings, we managed to break our cell's padlock. Don’t ask me how; it was tedious, gruelling work. Then myself, Heath, Rhythm, Quin, Kai, and Tamor. Slipped out of the cell and made our way toward this storage room."

“We noticed the left passage and what looked like another cell block, but when we spotted a strange pink smoke wafting under the lanterns, we decided not to entertain any fancy thoughts of exploring. Instead, we pushed through the wooden door into this room. We found the supply crates, but we also ran straight into the tall man and a short man. They ordered us to get back to our cells. Obviously, we fought back. But despite outnumbering them, we couldn’t win against guns.”

Stuart paused, a grim look fell on his face, “Rhythm got shot, He was bleeding heavily. After that, the big man tackled me, and the rest of us chose to stop resisting. Once we were all forced onto our knees, there was a sudden, incredibly loud bang. I don’t remember anything after that.” By the end of his sentence, his voice carried a heavy hint of melancholy.

Edward immediately caught an inconsistency. “One of you was bleeding heavily? But when I checked the other cell, everyone was breathing normally. I didn't see any mortal wounds.”

Stuart frowned, looking equally puzzled. “I found him breathing normally too when I woke up just now. I don’t know how it happened, but I'm just glad he's alive. We’ll have to wait for him to wake up to get answers.”

Violet brought the conversation back on track. “Then how did you calculate the time?”

Stuart lowered his voice. “The first time we entered this storage room, both guards were together, meaning they were likely changing shifts. Just a moment ago, I heard you mentioning that they were changing shifts again when you ambushed the giant. If we follow standard protocol, a normal guard shift lasts eight hours. If two full shift changes have occurred, that's sixteen hours, plus another eight-hour buffer for the time we spent completely knocked out. It totals roughly twenty-four hours.”

Edward and Violet were genuinely stunned by Stuart's analytical mind. Not wanting to let Stuart feel left out, Edward started some small talk. “So, what do you do for a living?”

Stuart blinked, caught off guard. “What do you mean?”

“What kind of work do you do? Are you a craftsman?”

Stuart had an epiphany. “Oh! You mean my profession?" Seeing Edward nod with a friendly smile, Stuart continued, "I work as an accountant under... a well... you could say an institute that provides financial loans on very short notice.”

Edward raised an eyebrow. “Like a bank?”

Stuart looked slightly perplexed, then nodded. “Yes… you could say I work at a bank.”

A con artist or a loan shark, … Edward thought to himself, though he kept his face completely neutral.

Stuart then turned to the woman. “And what about you, Ma'am? What do you do?”

Violet immediately turned her back toward him. “I don't want to tell you.”

Stuart was left with a thoroughly baffled expression on his face. Edward quickly stepped in to console him, patting his shoulder. “She’s just shy, don’t worry about her. Tell me, Stuart, what brought you to Sia County?”

As they conversed, Edward shared pieces of his own past. He told Stuart about joining the military, how his first deployment was right here in Sia County, and how their unit had been separated for a long time, after a successful but chaotic campaign. He explained how he had made new friends, repeated the gruelling cycle of deployment, and had finally served his full term. He was simply on his way home when everything went sideways.

Seeing Edward share his life story so openly, Stuart relaxed and opened about his own background. He described growing up in a well-to-do family, studying at a proper academy, and eventually securing his accounting job at his so-called "bank." He had just wanted to unwind with a drink at the tavern last night when he was abruptly abducted.

Seconds melted into minutes, and minutes turned into hours. Eventually, three more women from the opposite cell finally woke up. Violet greeted them first, immediately handing them spare unisex gowns to cover themselves. Once dressed, Edward and Stuart approached to introduce themselves. The women names were May, Betheny, and Soya.

May, it turned out she is a server from the very same bar in which Robert worked. She had short hair and brown eyes. After pulling her gown over her shoulders, a look of sharp anxiety crossed her features. “Did anyone find Robert? He was the bartender last night.”

Edward smiled reassuringly. “Oh, yes. I've met him.”

May relaxed significantly, her eyes lighting up. “Where is he now? Is he okay?”

Edward pointed toward the far corner of the room. May looked over at the stacked crates and frowned. “Inside the boxes?” She began walking over.

Edward chuckled. “No, he’s hidden safely behind the boxes.”

Edward walked over with May to the quiet corner. He gently explained the situation, telling her to stay calm; Robert was, drugged by the guards and would wake up on his own soon. Once May got reassured; they both returned to the central group.

As the newcomers began expressing their deep hunger and thirst, the remaining unconscious men—Heath, Quin, and Kai—started to wake up. They went through the exact same process: they were handed gowns, given water pouches, and offered loaves of hard bread. While nobody particularly enjoyed chewing on the stone-like rations, everyone was profoundly grateful for the water.