บท 7: Betrayal of A Frail Heart
The entire atmosphere of the ghetto was dreadful, at some point, he stopped fearing for his safety and just felt pity for their situation. A single storm would wash away the barely standing "houses", some of which were just pieces of tattered cloth propped up on wooden planks.
"Is your guild really located here?"
"Yeah, we're not very far now--patience isn't a strong suit of yours, is it?"
"If you are asking if the guy who just got transported into a different world and is being dragged through the ghetto in the dead of night is patient, then no."
The somewhat clean, large shack sat at the end of the dirt road was unmistakably the guild. At the very least, it was built with consistent materials. Standing in front of it, however--his brain began to negotiate for him to walk the other way. There was not a semblance of light peeking outside of the guild house, only the ominous whistling of the nightly wind welcoming him inside.
"Huh--? Wait--"
Ren watched as Adelaide pushed through the entrance, disappearing inside without saying a single word. It felt like a test of courage more than anything, in which--he couldn't wimp out in front of Adelaide.
"--Fine then, here I come!"
He mustered up whatever strands of courage were stored within him, clenching his eyes shut as he stomped up the stairs formed of rotting, splintered wood. Conjuring the abrasive confidence of a delinquent, Ren pushed through the doors as a layer of dust greeted him. After the tickle of dust reaching his throat caused him to cough, he opened his eyes. It was as dark as he expected, unable to even see a step in front of him.
"Adelaide…?"
He asked quietly, nearly jumping out of his own skin as the doors closed behind him. The fact that his trousers weren't soaked with warm, golden liquid was already a commendable feat.
A pair of hands suddenly grabbed him and held his arms behind his body as a cloth bag was thrown over his head, the disgusting unison of stenches, composed of what smells like feet and mildew, pelted against his helpless nostrils.
"What the hell is going on--?"
Ren yelled out, left in total darkness as he was left to the devices of whoever was holding on. He could make out the heavy breathing and grunts of grown men, further confirmed by the heaviness of their footsteps against the faltering wooden planks below.
"Answer me--!"
He tried to ask again, this time earning a hit to the cheekbone as a response. It stung, but the adrenaline flowing through his veins subsided the pain as he continued to squirm, trying to free himself from the grasps of his unknown captors.
"--Adelaide! Adelaide!"
"Put him out, Abe! He's a fuckin' loud one!"
The rugged voice of the man holding him from behind called out, followed by another, stronger impact against his nose this time.
"--Ngh!"
Another hit followed, crashing against his already bruised chin, likely fracturing it as he felt something crack. That last hit caused his knees to no longer respond to him, giving out from underneath him as the lights in his head flickered.
--Two times in one day...what kind of scam of an otherworld journey is this…?
"--You didn't have to be so rough with him, you had him under control."
"He was being fuckin' loud, Ad."
He listened to their voices as they became distant, sounding as if he was floating farther and farther away until finally, it all went black.
Coming back to the world of consciousness, Ren was still left in darkness as the cloth mask was draped over his head.
"...ngh…"
It felt like a nail was being struck into his head by a hammer, although that was probably to be expected after being clobbered twice in one day. Attempting to move his hands, they were tightly roped behind the chair, squeezing the life out of his wrists.
--Seriously, if I didn't have CTE the first time, now I do.
"--Are you awake?"
A moment was needed for the groggy young man to realize it was Adelaide's voice, just hearing her voice was enough to somewhat relieve him.
"Adelaide? What's going on? Are you okay?"
"--"
"Adelaide?"
He could feel her presence in the room, but she wasn't responding to him.
"You're slow on the uptake, Ren. I'm not in any danger, and I'm not your ally here. There is no "Demon King", and you aren't some sort of chosen hero."
"--What? Adelaide, just tell me what's going on!"
The cloth was lifted from his head, revealing the room he was being held in. There Adelaide stood, surrounded by a couple of thugs who looked even scummier than the ones from the alleyway.
"Poor guy, look at his face! He must've thought ya' were fond of him, Ad!"
The goon on the left with a bald, scarred head, with a body like a gorilla, let out a hearty laugh.
"Be quiet, Klaus."
"Yes, ma'am."
The gorilla-thug, supposedly named "Klaus" quickly shut his mouth, listening to Adelaide like a loyal dog. As Ren was about to open his mouth again to demand answers, Adelaide kneeled down in front of him, gently pressing her delicate fingers against his forehead.
"--Eh?"
"Gaia--Heal."
A verdant light emanated from her touch, particles of mana danced about the air, falling into his skin soothingly. All of the pain that radiated through his body disappeared as he found himself entranced by the girl, as she kept her eyes closed while holding the spell.
"...I'm sorry, Ren."
She whispered to him as she slowly opened her eyes, the healing light dissipating into a thousand minuscule particles of green.
"Sorry for what? Just talk to me, Addy, please…"
Ren felt helpless as he saw that melancholic look in her emerald irises. Instead of an answer, she left him with a kiss on the cheek before she stood back up.
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