Chapter 9

Night had fallen, and on a desolate old street in Liveria, a man clutched a wound on his abdomen as he stumbled forward. Blood oozed through his fingers, leaving a chilling trail of crimson behind him. "Help! Somebody, please help me! Open the door…" He shouted desperately, pounding on the shutters of the shops lining the street. Most of the stores were abandoned, awaiting demolition. There was no one to answer his cries. Suddenly, he felt a hot, rancid breath on the back of his neck. He slowly turned his head and saw a grotesque creature emerging from a crack in the wall, its hideous face just inches away from his own. The monster bared its jagged teeth with a macabre grin spreading across its face. Terrified, the man collapsed to the ground, unable to move. The monster didn’t give him another chance to escape. It leaped from the crevice and lunged for his throat with its jaw wide open. Just as its teeth were about to sink into his neck, a bullet tore through the monster’s throat. The force sent the monster flying backward. Thick, black blood splattered onto the man’s face. He was too scared to react, nearly fainting on the spot. A mysterious figure strolled forward, unhurried. He wore a cowboy hat that obscured his face, and the barrel of his revolver was still smoking. The monster writhed on the ground, its body swelling and distorting. With a deafening roar, it lunged at the gunman. The man in the cowboy hat sneered. "Noisy." With calm precision, he raised his weapon and fired. One clean and precise shot severed the monster’s leg in mid-air. As the monster writhed in agony, the gunman adjusted the hammer of his revolver, firing three rapid shots in succession. Each bullet struck true, shattering its limbs and leaving it immobilized on the ground. Black blood poured from its wounds as the monster let out a final, pitiful wail. The man in the cowboy hat walked up to the monster and said in a steady yet cold voice, "May your soul find peace and be free from suffering. This shot is my mercy." He raised his gun once more and fired, blowing the monster’s head apart. He holstered his weapon and knelt by the monster’s neck, retrieving a pitch-black crystal from its broken body. He examined the crystal briefly with a frown. Then, he pulled out his phone and approached the injured man slumped nearby. "Hey, your intel was wrong," he said into the phone that was pressed between his shoulder and neck, quickly tearing open the injured person's shirt to check the wound. "What's wrong? Didn’t you encounter a monster?" A voice came on the other end. "There was a monster, but it was just scout-level. Where’s the vanguard I was promised?" the man said. He crouched beside the injured man as he tore open his shirt, which scared the other party so much that he recoiled in fear. Upon seeing the cut on the man's abdomen, the cowboy-hatted man pulled a yellow charm from his pocket. "Search the area. This is a commission from the United Crusaders Guild; it shouldn’t be wrong," the person on the line said. "Sure. By the way, there’s an injured guy here. I’ll take care of him. And I’m selling this scout-level core for cash," the man replied. "You know that’s against the rules, Owen." The person on the other end of the phone sighed, but he knew that he needed money. "I know saying that to you won’t change anything. Just don’t bring this up on the comms next time." "Rules, rules. Whatever. I’m dealing with the injured now," he replied before hanging up. The man in the cowboy hat pulled a yellow charm from his pocket and slapped it onto the injured man’s forehead. The injured man felt a sudden dizziness, an overwhelming drowsiness washing over him. The man in the cowboy hat chanted softly, "All you’ve seen is but an illusion. When dawn breaks, you’ll forget everything…" The injured man succumbed to the sleep spell, unconscious. The man in the cowboy hat carried him to the side of the road and laid him down before turning back toward the monster’s corpse. He stared at the streaks of blood on the ground, lit a cigarette, and stood in silence. ... Meanwhile, back at Hudson’s home, the atmosphere was far more harmonious. Loewe had prepared a feast of his favorite dishes and, for once, Winona didn’t have to wait until late at night to eat in a cramped little room. It was a win-win situation. Of course, it would’ve been perfect if William and Loewe hadn’t been subtly probing them with questions the whole time. Luckily, Winona’s quick thinking and flawless acting saved the day. She answered every question smoothly, from how they met to how they started dating, weaving a seamless narrative. "You’re not secretly a spy, are you? With acting skills like that?" Hudson whispered to her at one point during the meal. She rolled her eyes. "It’s a survival skill." Loewe noticed the two of them whispering and chuckled. "What are you two whispering about? Share it with us!" Both of them immediately straightened up and went back to eating, their heads no longer huddled together. The atmosphere was lively, with Loewe recounting funny stories from his childhood, making Winona laugh so hard that she nearly fell out of her chair. In turn, Winona brought up how Hudson was so reserved in school that he froze up when called on in class, leaving the entire class anxiously rooting for him to say something. Throughout the meal, Loewe kept piling food onto her plate. Hudson noticed that Winona’s eyes grew a little red as if she were holding back tears amidst the delicious food and Loewe’s warm care. He couldn’t tell if it was genuine emotion or just another brilliant performance. Either way, it softened his heart. The atmosphere grew even more pleasant. Loewe finally asked, "Winona, what do your parents do for work?" The inevitable question. Hudson braced himself, figuring it was a sign Loewe truly liked Winona, hence the inquiry. To his surprise, Winona hesitated for a moment. Her fork paused mid-air, and her gaze dimmed. She said, "My mom passed away when I was very young," she said softly. "It was just my dad, working construction, who took care of me." Hudson thought to himself that she was really pulling out all the stops with this sob story. Was she trying to gain sympathy? However, Loewe’s expression immediately softened with pity and guilt. She was always a sentimental woman. She set her fork down and said apologetically, "Winona, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked that." "It’s okay, Mrs. Jarrott," Winona replied with a smile. "As long as you don’t mind my family’s humble background." "We’re not some wealthy family either, dear," Loewe said. "You don’t need to worry about that." The meal ended on a cheerful note. Even William relaxed and joined the conversation occasionally. Hudson watched his parents and Winona chatting and laughing, and he felt strangely out of place, yet deeply content. After dinner, Hudson and William washed the dishes in the kitchen while Winona stayed with Loewe in the living room watching TV. Laughter echoed from the other room, leaving Hudson bewildered. He thought that Winona was incredible for getting Loewe wrapped around her finger in no time. When they returned to the living room, Winona and Loewe were sitting close together, chatting like old friends, as if they were a mother and daughter reunited after years apart. By 9:00 pm, William and Loewe decided not to stay overnight since they had already booked a hotel. Before leaving, Loewe informed Hudson that they’d visit relatives the next day but would come back in a few days to cook for him again. Hudson wanted to ask them to stay, but it was clear that they’d made up their minds. He and Winona walked them to their car before heading back upstairs. Just before getting in the car, Loewe held Winona’s hand, urging her to eat more and take care of herself. Winona seemed genuinely touched by her kindness. She nodded quietly and hugged Loewe goodbye, just like a daughter would. The moment they got back inside, her demeanor flipped. She flopped onto the couch, grabbed a bag of chips, and started munching away while flipping through TV channels. Hudson couldn’t help but notice her skirt riding up slightly, revealing a glimpse of her legs. He sighed in exasperation. "Can’t you act a little more dignified?" he muttered. "You were all prim and proper in front of my parents, and now you’re back to this?"