THUD!

  “It’s all because of you!”

  The teenage Somnu crashed into the ground, not even bothering to touch the swelling side of his face. He hadn’t even tried to defend himself.

  “Because of you… and your reckless actions!” Mo, his adopted brother, was standing over him.

  Mo had waited in front of Somnu’s home for hours until the sheriff had driven the punk there. Said punk had been responsible for the recent war gang, having confessed to it all in hopes of getting imprisoned along with the murderer he had been after.

  Instead, all that had amounted to was…

  “She’s in the hospital, crying herself to sleep from the burns on her body!” Mo knelt down and grabbed his troublesome brother by the collar. “What do you have to say for yourself?!”

  “...” Somnu turned his head away, his faint, lightless eyes looking far away, not even the full moon reflected any gleam in them.

  “All we did was care for you! We gladly welcomed you into our family and all you do is run away from us!” Mo tightened his grip on the collar, his teeth clenched between the words coming out of his mouth. “Why did you do this?! Why did you let her follow you there?!”

  He hadn’t known. Leyna, his adopted sister, had managed to track him into the warehouse where everything took place. When she heard the commotion, instead of running away, she snuck in to try and rescue her brother.

  However, the whole building was lit up on fire, as planned.

  Hearing her shouting his name from inside the raging flames, Somnu had attempted to jump back in, but the sheriff who had been called along with the authorities, quickly stopped him.

  Thankfully, the firemen had managed to save Leyna in time, but not before her lungs filled with smoke, and her back was covered in burns.

  She was rushed into the hospital, while Somnu was arrested. A few days later, Leyna woke up, and Somnu was let go.

  Beside his confession, no evidence was found that could prove him guilty, despite having prepared a few himself. In the end, Mr. Emberlyn, the most respected man of the community, vouched for him and he was sentenced to house arrest instead.

  Despite still being underage, they could not bring him back to his adopted family, nor to a home where he could be a danger to other children. Therefore, it was decided to send him to his old home that he stubbornly escaped to every night anyway.

  And that is what led to the current scuffle with Mo.

  “Say something!” Mo bellowed, raising one of his tightly clenched fists again.

  Still not receiving an answer, he punched.

  And then again, and again. Until his white knuckles were covered in blood.

  His once brother was looking absentmindedly at the distant moon.

  “You stay away from my family! Don’t ever show your face in front of my sister again! You’ve been nothing but a nightmare to everyone around you!”

  Just when he went for another punch, someone grabbed his arm.

  “That’s enough, young man.”

  “?!”

  “You should have been the one to stop this, sheriff.”

  Eamon Emberlyn had appeared out of the darkness of the night, walking right into the silver moonlight’s path, his snow white horse not far behind him.

  “The boys needed to hash it out.” The sheriff, leaning on his car nearby, remained unmoving and let out a long yawn instead. “God knows that kid needs a beating or two for what he did.”

  “...”

  “Sir Emberlyn…”

  “Get up, son.” Eamon supported Mo up, taking him off Somnu. “You’re a good kid. We all get angry at times, but a man should never allow rage to cloud his judgment.”

  “... You’re right. I just…” Mo scowled unintentionally, gritting his teeth.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “Go on.” Eamon gently tapped him on his back. “There will be time to mend this later. Your sister needs you now.”

  “... Right.” Mo glanced at Somnu’s emotionless, now bloodied face one last time before taking a few steps toward the sheriff.

  “Get in, kid. I’ll drive you to the hospital.” The sheriff gestured to Mo, then turned to the old man. “Eamon, he can’t leave his home and I don’t feel like-”

  “I’ll take care of it. You have my gratitude, Will.” Eamon cut him off, standing over the boy and looking at him with slightly narrow eyes.

  Soon, the other two had gotten in the car and driven away, leaving only the boy and the old man under the lonely moonlight.

  “I won’t ask you anything, or reprimand you for not taking my advice.” Eamon let out softly. “You might think your life is worthless or that you won’t amount to anything in this life, but I promise you, if you keep picking yourself up and pushing onwards, the sun will dawn on you again. You just have to be ready to welcome it.”

  “... Sure, old man.” Somnu strained his battered body to sit up, keeping his head hung low. “I need to sleep now…”

  “Yes… Yes, you do.”

  Eamon stepped back, watched the boy get up and walk to the door a few meters away.

  “I’ll see you around, Mr. Emberlyn.”

  “You’ll be seeing me every day, kid.” Eamon said, following Somnu as he opened his door and walked inside. “I’m not going to give up on you.”

  “...”

  Without a response, the door closed behind him.

  And it hadn’t opened for anyone for quite a while after that.

  Not to Eamon, not to Mo or Leyna, no one.

  Neither that door, nor the one inside his heart could be opened any time soon.

  ***

  Running towards the growing structure in the distance, Somnu’s memories came rushing back.

  That had been the last time he had faced his siblings, if it could be even called that. No matter how many times they came to talk to him, he ignored them.

  However, he had now made up his mind to mend his relationship with them, to reestablish his bonds with his siblings, despite everything he had done, the misery he had caused.

  He just needed to apologize and make it up to them the best he could, even if it meant spending the rest of his life trying.

  Because that would be a much better life, than one spent cooped up in his room, waiting for the loneliness to eat him alive.

  “Dear?”

  “Tell me again, Carmella.” Somnu controlled his pace, letting the blond woman keep up with him in her long heel boots. “Were they really doing fine?”

  “No, I’m not saying anything until you do as I say.” Carmella retorted, huffing and puffing from behind.

  “You’re starting to refuse me now? Now we’re getting somewhere-”

  “Call me your Magpie! Say it and I’ll do whatever you want!” Carmella activated her powers, letting her soothing voice send shivers in the scarecrow’s body.

  “Why would I do that?!”

  “It was the nickname my mother gave me! I haven’t allowed anyone to call me that again, but if it’s you, dear…”

  “No, thanks.”

  “So harsh…” Carmella pouted. “Why are we even running? We can just stop here now while we’re alone before we get there and-”

  “Master! Allow me to eat this tramp right now!”

  “Enough, both of you.”

  Somnu picked up his pace a bit, putting a few extra meters between him and the blond woman. It was true, he was running for multiple reasons, and one of which was to not remain alone with Carmella.

  Another reason was the fact that his siblings needed him, and that he wanted more than anything to be reunited with them again.

  However, there was one more thing he needed to get out of the way before he got to the Mirewalker Fort.

  “Carmella.”

  “Yes, your little Magpie here, dear.”

  “Carmella.”

  “...”

  “Mag…pie…”

  “Yes, dear?”

  “Tell me everything you know about this fort.” Somnu asked, letting out a long sigh.

  “Well, beside the Fortmaster and his folk, there are plenty of Sleepers walking around the place.” Carmella explained, bringing a finger to her lips as she tried to recall more details. “Many go in and out of the place to meet their requirements of this Layer, but many live in fear of the constant murders.”

  “I know all that already.”

  “There is a lot you don’t know, dear. For example, one thing is that Sleepers can find jobs in the fort and remain there, just like that cutie of a sister you have, Leyna. She makes and mends clothes for anyone who needs them, for a price of course.” Carmella touched the fur on her shoulder and smiled. “Now we will be family-”

  “Yeah, about that.”

  “!”

  Somnu stopped and turned his feet in Carmella’s direction.

  “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about what’s coming.” He furrowed his brow and tensed up his face muscles.

  “Of course.” The blond girl approached him with slow steps. “What is it? What can I do?”

  “We will head to the fort together, but as soon as we enter the place…” Somnu trailed off for a moment. “We’ll be enemies.”

  “?!”

  Carmella’s feet stopped in place, her entire body shuddering under the effects of [Hollow Gaze].