In the capital city of Sanerva, the morning air was thick with steam rising from the surrounding factories, while the dense crowds passing through the streets made the city's atmosphere feel suffocating. A man and his companion walked through the crowd with solemn expressions, as though the heavy burden they had carried for so long was finally beginning to lift.
After traveling for several days from Semilir City in Havanuheta Province, they arrived in the southern part of Sanerva, specifically in Kauman.
As soon as they entered a quieter neighborhood, they turned into an alley together and stopped for a moment in front of the one-meter-high fence of a house to talk.
"How are the preparations?" Evan asked, seeking confirmation.
Ferrera Ammense let out a long breath, longer than usual.
"I'm counting on them," he replied quietly.
Cathal glanced at him, thought for a moment, then said, "Those four? Even I can't act alone, not even with that person involved, the one who was captured by the Church."
Natasya listened carefully to the conversation. She knew this search would be extremely difficult, especially now that they had become aware of the existence of humans with supernatural abilities.
At first, she had dismissed the idea as nothing more than a children's fairy tale. However, after witnessing those events with her own eyes, every trace of doubt within her vanished completely.
She and her companions had discovered that truth when they arrived in Raffes City, where a 'Hollow' had been caught by the Church while committing his atrocity, standing before a man whose internal organs had been scattered in every direction.
Simply recalling that moment made them feel nauseous, especially since one of them, Evan, had reported the incident to the authorities. Yet, unexpectedly, representatives of the Church, who had long been hunting that man, arrived at the scene.
"He was captured without putting up any resistance. That's only natural, considering how many holy figures had surrounded him."
"Why do you say that?" Evan looked at Natasya, asking her to explain her words.
The four of them, Cathal Baleska, Ferrera Ammense, Evan Chamittle, and Natasya Willienne, reflected on that incident, remembering how the man had threatened to capture and torture them so brutally that they would not even be able to find freedom through death itself.
The threat had felt terrifyingly real; the chilling air and the sensation of breath against the back of their necks still lingered, even though two days had already passed.
"There's no point dwelling on it anymore. Besides, we're already far away from that place now..."
Ferrera tried to ease the awkward atmosphere and the tension that had suddenly arisen.
"And coming here is one way to stay out of that man's reach," Ferrera continued, holding his breath as his gaze briefly swept across each of their faces before signaling to his colleague when their eyes met.
None of them objected. After all, Ferrera was the one who had brought them here, a place that served as a sanctuary where they could turn over a new leaf and begin their lives again.
The destruction of Moran City was not something that could be taken lightly; the survivors were searching for everything essential to sustain their lives, and Evan and Natasya were no exception. Since joining the investigation team at Coordination 15 Refugee Camp, the two of them had discovered something they had previously overlooked: the realization that beyond the world they knew, there were forces waiting for their arrival, while others rejected them.
The fact that the incident had been erased from people's memories was a crucial aspect of their investigation. It was astonishing how people could forget such a catastrophic event when it had happened only a few months earlier.
Strange, yet undeniably real.
"Are we still investigating the destruction of that city?" Evan asked, realizing just how far he had traveled from his hometown.
Ferrera blinked instinctively.
"No," he answered firmly. "We'll stay hidden for a while first, and remember this rule: none of you are allowed to leave the apartment at night."
Natasya's shoulders instantly tensed, and the corners of her lips twitched uncontrollably.
"I-Is there a specific reason for that?" she murmured, asking for a further explanation.
Cathal responded with a serious expression, knowing the information from what his friend had secretly told him.
"We don't want to lose you. We've searched for the other survivors, but our people said that they..."
"...Vanished from the face of the earth," Ferrera finished without blinking.
"...How is that possible?" Evan exclaimed in shock.
'Am I going to end up like them?'
After pushing the thought aside and taking a deep breath, realizing that panic would only make everything worse, Evan decided to press them for more details.
"Out of the eleven survivors we know of, how many are left? Are you two certain about the source of this information?"
Ferrera hesitated; his expression darkened because the information itself sounded strange, especially coming from his own friend.
'I've been thinking about this ever since we parted ways with those four. Could this have something to do with the entity that altered people's memories, or with people's memories being erased by a supernatural ability?'
He did not know for certain, but he vividly remembered a man whose face was impossible to recall, yet strangely familiar, who had given him that information.
He had kept it hidden all this time and had never shared it with his companions. But now, he decided to reveal everything that had been weighing on his mind.
"I was once exposed to the spiritual energy of a supernatural being," Ferrera said. He realized that his words had created tension among the three of them, except for Cathal.
There was nothing particularly extraordinary about the statement, judging from their indifferent expressions. They knew that spiritual and supernatural entities coexisted alongside humans, yet remained invisible because of the fundamental difference in the nature of their existence.
The incident in the city square that had once shaken Tezny District was only one of many supernatural events deeply etched into their memories.
'Oh? No wonder they seem so calm. How foolish of me to expect a certain reaction, considering the two of them live in a place where supernatural phenomena have already become an inseparable part of everyday life.'
Realizing that his carelessness could damage the trust between them, Ferrera knew exactly how to repair it.
"Because I am... a Hollow."
The confession was so shocking that the air, already laden with substances harmful to human respiration, seemed to grow even heavier as their breaths caught and their minds froze in astonishment.
Cathal, who had always considered himself close to Ferrera, struggled to process the truth. The moment was utterly astonishing: in the blink of an eye, a tiny creature resembling an infant, though not truly a baby, appeared and floated before its contractor. Two seconds after receiving a command, it transformed into a beautiful and adorable young girl so the three of them could clearly see its appearance.
"Since... when have you been doing this...?" Cathal asked haltingly, his lips trembling violently.
Ferrera's expression turned sorrowful; the calmness that usually radiated from him disappeared, replaced by a long, heavy sigh that echoed through their minds.
"Since I decided to leave that church," Ferrera answered, his voice filled with sorrow, yet without a trace of regret for his decision.
"...What was the price of that contract?" Cathal asked, his voice nearly rising as the trust he had placed in Ferrera made the burning sensation in his chest intensify.
That night, the world no longer seemed as beautiful as it had in his childhood memories.
The group from the previous gathering at the refugee camp located at Coordination 15 was facing a sudden crisis: Aurora Chevalya had fallen ill with a mysterious disease. Amid all of that, Ferrera lost his will to live, overwhelmed by despair.
A thought, born from the horrifying ordeal of surviving the Demon Horse's rampage, crossed his mind that night as he walked alone along a deserted road where insects competed in song.
He left the hut, searching for a secluded place where no one would see him. It was noon at the time.
He sat there for quite a while with one knee raised, his right hand resting on it while his left supported his weight. He gazed at the beautiful night sky; the silence of the place seemed only to strengthen the turmoil growing within his mind.
'Should I really do this? But what price must I pay that creature to descend from the spirit realm?'
After carefully considering the cost, Ferrera stood up and wiped his cheek. The night air brushed against him as the rustling of bushes and leaves played a constant melody while he walked farther away from the village.
After reaching the river that sustained the villagers' daily lives, Ferrera stared at his own reflection, strengthening his resolve.
He glanced behind him; his weary face and tired eyes swept across the surroundings.
"There's no one here," he whispered.
After that, he stepped away from the riverbank, leaping across large rocks with measured movements. The rocks were extremely slippery, and with thorny bushes all around, he nearly lost his balance and fell into the rushing current.
He let out a sigh of relief once he reached the footpath. Then he took two steps forward, returned to his starting point, and repeated the movement three times. Afterward, Ferrera stepped twice to the left from where he had originally stood and repeated the same sequence of movements.
A pitch-black circle formed, giving off a mixture of fragrant perfume and a sharp, pungent odor as it enveloped the movements Ferrera had just performed. Realizing the process was not yet complete, Ferrera stepped into the center of the circle and sat cross-legged with his eyes closed and both fists resting on his thighs.
As he silently recited the summoning incantation, the wind around him began to howl violently, as though something was rushing to answer his call!
Ferrera did not waver; instead, his concentration grew even sharper, even as strange whispers pierced his mind, voices that seemed to signal the ritual was about to be completed.
Within the spirit realm, a supernatural entity known as Recipestele heard a human's plea to form a contract. No other Recipestele answered the call; only this one responded.
Descending from the spirit realm through the gateway opened by the incantation and the movements of his hands, the shadowy figure of the Recipestele materialized directly before Ferrera's face.
"Payment... there is a price that must be paid for this contract," the Recipestele said calmly, yet that very calmness made Ferrera's body tremble violently.
Ferrera shut his eyes even tighter, slowly parted his lips, and gave his answer.
"Ah, humans truly are fascinating creatures," the Recipestele exclaimed with burning enthusiasm.
The Recipestele regarded that payment as a fair price for the agreement. A moment later, the entity released a wave of spiritual pressure that forced Ferrera out of his meditation and made him open his eyes.
Ferrera held his breath, unable to hide his astonishment after witnessing the creature's true form.
The corners of his lips curled upward, forcing a false smile to conceal his fear.
Back in the present, standing before the gate of the house with a small garden behind it.
Ferrera stood silently, as though that simple question weighed heavily on his mind, when in truth he was wondering whether his answer would unsettle them.
"I can no longer feel either sadness or anger," Ferrera replied, forcing a false smile to conceal the fear he felt over that very fact.