In the Emerald Lost Forest, when the night blanketed everything within… there was calm, and peace wrapped around the place. But not every silence means an ending; sometimes, it's the beginning of something else.
Faithless and Marianne were sitting on a tree trunk, eating, laughing, and speaking softly…
"You know, the funniest thing was your madness when you fought that clown… You became a different person," said Lady Marianne as she ate.
"Don't remind me. I saw myself as nothing but a beast in a human body. Also, that lunatic's way of fighting and moving made me completely lose control," Faithless replied, placing his hand on his forehead and speaking in an amused tone.
"I hope we never face someone like him again… he could become a major obstacle for us," Marianne smiled as she spoke.
Then she added in the same tone,
"So we won't have to see your crazy side again."
Both laughed. Marianne looked ahead, the wind playing with her hair. Faithless glanced around and asked with a questioning tone:
"That's true… where are the forest creatures? There's no trace of them once night falls."
"Oh right, I haven't told you the other fact. The creatures of the Emerald Forest disappear at night because of a curse placed by an unknown person… They only reappear at dawn and sunset," Lady Marianne answered calmly.
She continued in the same calm voice:
"That's why the forest might sometimes be attacked by criminals during these hours—ones who are hunting for people hiding here—but it's rare."
"Oh, I see."
"Don't tell me you're scared of them," she said playfully, tapping his shoulder gently with a charming smile.
"Does my face really show fear? Hahaha." Faithless replied cheerfully.
A warm laugh spread between them. Marianne looked ahead again, the wind still teasing her hair. Then, with a deeper expression, she asked:
"I know this might hurt to bring up… but do you miss your family?"
Faithless looked at her with deep surprise, then lowered his head and stared ahead where the moon appeared, as if standing on the edge of the mountain.
"To be brutally honest, I only miss my mother and brother. As for my father or the rest of them… there's not a shred of warmth left in me for them," Faithless spoke with a broken tone, trying to let out the buried sadness inside.
He continued,
"It's true that the Emperor's palace is huge and magnificent, filled with anything you could ever want in life… but what's the use of having everything when you lack the happiness that brings a smile to your face?"
"When I lost my mother… and saw her head dangling from that bastard's hand… I lost the last piece of humanity inside me. But a wise man once told me that clinging to the past won't help you walk toward your future."
Then he looked at Marianne, who was completely absorbed in his words, and said:
"I thought of building a new future with a beautiful family like yours. And I'm trying not to lose you all… because I can't bear the stab of loss twice."
"I didn't know you were this sad and melancholic… Seems like we all share something in common, haha," Marianne let out a sad laugh, remembering something from her own past.
Faithless looked at her face, sensing that she remembered something she'd long tried to forget. He placed his palm gently on her shoulder and said with a soft smile:
"Come on… I think we're on a picnic, not attending someone's funeral."
"You suck at making jokes."
They both laughed, and the atmosphere shifted from sorrow and darkness to light and joy…
"It seems the moon is bowing above the trees, like the night is getting ready to drop the curtain," Marianne said as she stared at the leaning moon.
She added,
"Let's get some sleep. Tomorrow we're heading to the Lost Emerald City."
Faithless was surprised when he heard that name…
"The Lost Emerald City? It shares the same name as the forest."
"That's right. It's a small city, but the people there suffer from poverty. It's ruled by a mayor under Lucia Kingdom's control…" Marianne answered with calm expressions.
She continued,
"The people there are simple, but rumors say the mayor is a bit corrupt."
Faithless smiled when he heard about the city and spoke with excitement:
"What a city… it sounds like it's hiding surprises."
"That's true. And the best part—"
Before Marianne could finish her sentence, a girl wearing a short black dress with a long sword and a sharp yet beautiful face sat next to her.
Another girl sat near Faithless, wearing a red dress and wrapped her arm around his. The girl in black spoke with a mocking tone:
"What a sweet couple's gathering… why don't you give us everything you've got and we'll let you go in peace?"
Faithless looked at her with a cold expression:
"And what if we refuse?"
The girl in red answered:
"Then you get this."
She pulled out a long, sharp dagger and stabbed him hard in the chest. Both Faithless and Marianne were shocked by the sudden move. Faithless began to feel suffocated—it was likely the dagger had poison. Both girls were laughing mockingly.
Then, the girl in red froze when she saw Faithless glaring at her with sharp eyes. Before she could move, he grabbed her by the neck and threw her violently into a tree.
'Something strange is flowing through my body… it must be poison. Most likely Antrois destroyed it.' Faithless muttered to himself.
Marianne summoned a bloody rope from her hand, wrapped it around the other girl, and threw her beside the red-dressed one.
"Looks like this picnic is about to become a bloody event," Marianne said in a sharp tone as she touched a strand of her hair.
Faithless placed his palm on his neck and pulled out the knife. His eyes gleamed fiercely in the darkness.
"Seems like peace is forbidden for me… lost from fate."