The door creaks as Tilus steps into the back room. Shadows stretch unnaturally in the dim light. A lone figure sits at a scarred wooden table, fingers tapping a lazy rhythm.
"Mortem," Tilus says, his tone guarded.
"You're the new guy." Mortem's voice was smooth, almost amused. "Tilus, right?"
Tilus stiffens. "Yeah."
Mortem leans back. "I've heard about you—running in like some hero to save your girlfriend."
Before Tilus can correct him, Jasmine shouts from the corner, "We're not dating!"
Mindy and Cindy, ever-watchful, stand silently behind Tilus while the others keep their distance.
Mortem chuckles, shaking his head. "That kind of thinking gets people killed."
Tilus snaps, "It's none of your concern."
Mortem's eyes narrow. "Maybe not. But you owe us—your life, and that girl over there."
He rises, stretching before stepping closer. "You're an unknown factor. That makes people nervous."
Tilus meets his gaze evenly. "And what do you think?"
A dangerous glint flashes in Mortem's eyes. "I think you might be useful."
Tilus smirks. "I'll pay you back what I owe—food or coins?"
Mortem waves a dismissive hand. "We don't need that. What we want is something else."
Tilus leans in. "And what is that?"
Cindy cuts in with a raised voice, "Mortem, are you really counting on them?"
Mindy steps forward, her tone crisp. "You saw it, Cindy. His speed—running from that Serpent—makes him exactly what we need."
Tilus teases, "So you need my speed?"
Mortem's smile. "Kind of. We have people to rescue."
Tilus arches an eyebrow. "You got a sub quest?"
Mortem grins. "Yeah, one should be appearing as we speak."
[Quest: Rescue Mortem's group captured by the Scavengers]
[Reward: 200 coins and group acknowledgement]
Tilus laughs softly. "So you know your way around sub quests."
Mortem shrugs, half-amused, half-annoyed. "Learned it the hard way. When the constellations care—or someone asks—you get a trigger. Saves me the long lecture."
Mortem leans closer "You know better than anyone: when someone takes something important, you protect it. Help me rescue them."
Tilus narrows his eyes. "Who exactly are our enemies?"
Mortem's expression darkens. "A group called the Scavengers—twenty desperate, resource-depleted bastards. They act sick just to ambush us and steal supplies. They're stronger than your average thug."
Lila, quiet until now, murmurs, "They are vessels."
Mortem nods. "Exactly."
Tilus smirks, a blend of mockery and resolve. "So, you're offering me this deal to repay my life debt?"
"Is that all?" TIlus still keep an eye on Mortem
"Yeah that would settle it, we don't supplies to take in more people"
"No, there is something you left out on purpose, everyone here except for you had no blessings, which mean that group didn't want the people here"
"Yep that why you two are valuable in our victories. There is someone I would definitely need to save so please help us"
Tilus smirked. "It's a damn high price, but saving someone important? I suppose I can live with that. When this is done, we will be on our way"
Later, in a quiet corner of the same building, Tilus sits cross-legged. The room hums with distant chatter while shadows twist around him. His battered journal rests open on his lap—a leather-bound relic bearing the faded sigil of the Qliphoth Tree. Only Tilus knows its secrets; the rest would rip it away like sharks to blood.
He flips through chaotic sketches and cryptic notes. One page shows a towering Blood Tree with skeletal branches that weep crimson sap and tormented faces emerging from its bark. His fingers hover over the stained edges before he moves on. Another page reveals an alien fortress scrawled with margin notes:
"The convergence is inevitable. But who sets the rules of this game?"
"Not all Stages are Trials. Some are traps."
A drawing of Verismon stares back at him, eyes that seem to follow his every move. Below, a warning: "The Observer—Beware the truths he speaks."
Jasmine leaned against the counter, watching as a group of survivors huddled around a makeshift fire. The faint crackling filled the tense silence, but she wasn't one for awkward pauses.
"So, who's got the best apocalypse survival story?" she asked, smirking as she picked up a dented can of food and tossed it between her hands.
Ethan,a burly man with a scar down his cheek grunted. "Best or worst?"
"Either. Entertainment's been dead for a while, might as well make do."
Lila who eye dark curls raised an eyebrow. "You think swapping horror stories is entertaining?"
Jasmine shrugged. "If we're gonna die, might as well laugh about it first."
That got a few chuckles. Ethan—a four eyes llanky teenager wrapped in too many layers—snorted. "Alright, fine. There was this one time I had to fight off a rabid dog with a frying pan."
Jasmine grinned. "And?"
"And I lost the damn pan."
Laughter rippled through the group. Even the scarred man cracked a smile.
"Not bad," Jasmine said, leaning in. "But did you ever outrun a horde of monsters while dragging an unconscious idiot?"
Cindy crossed her arms. "That idiot did save your life first tho"
Jasmine rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately, yes.You saw it ?"
"Well we were on the lookout on the rooftop. I could not see but Mortem did and told us about it"
The teenager grinned. "Bet you regretted it."
"Oh, absolutely," she deadpanned. "But he's still alive, so I guess I get bragging rights."
Ethan let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "You talk big."
Jasmine smirked. "I act big, too."
Mindy passed her a half-empty bottle. "Guess you're alright, new girl."
Jasmine took it with a cocky grin. "Guess I am."
Mindy leaned forward, her gaze sharp with amusement. "So, Jasmine," she drawled, "what's the deal with you and Tilus?"
Jasmine raised an eyebrow. "The deal?"
"You know." Mindy smirked. "He rushed in like a knight in shining armor to save you. Pretty dramatic. And then you dragged him all the way to us. People don't do that unless there's something… special."
The room quieted slightly, attention shifting to Jasmine. She scoffed, crossing her arms. "Please. Tilus? He's like a younger brother—an annoying one, at that."
Mindy's expression didn't change. "He risked his life for you."
Jasmine sighed. "And I appreciate it. Doesn't change the fact that he's reckless and stupid sometimes." She glanced toward Tilus, who was flipping through his journal, pretending not to listen. "I just have to make sure he doesn't get himself killed."
Mindy tilted her head. "That sounds pretty protective."
Jasmine smirked. "Someone's gotta do it."
Mindy hummed, watching her for a second longer before letting the subject drop.
The supermarket stood like a mausoleum of a forgotten world.
Its faded sign buzzed, flickering between life and death. Glass doors cracked, shelves visible inside—but no movement. No wind. Just heat, stillness, and something thick in the air that wasn't quite smoke or rot.
Mortem stared at it in silence.
"That's where they were last seen?" Tilus asked.
Mortem nodded. "Ariana sent the last signal from the back office. Lam and Julius were with her." His voice was steady. Too steady. "They might still be inside."
They weren't.
Tilus knew.
His Mystic Eye of Truth burned faintly in his right eye, a ripple of violet.
[Location: Supermarket Ruins – Echo Grade]
[Residual Aura Detected: Contaminated Hope, Type 4 Infection]
[Stage Activity: Dormant. 5th Hour Decay in Progress.]
He saw it all.
Broken footprints leading in.
None leading out.
A trail of items hastily dropped—an empty injector for the Pill of Life, a snapped wristwatch still counting seconds. 112,533 and climbing.
Jasmine caught up to them, breath hitching. "Why does this place feel… wrong?"
Tilus didn't answer. Mortem didn't need to ask.
He already knew.
But they had to move forward. The sun wouldn't stay up forever. Not in a world like this.
From behind them, low snarls echoed in the wind.
Three infected dropped from the rooftop behind a rusted bus, eyes glowing amber, mouths stretched too wide.
"Get down!" Mortem shouted.
The group scattered.
One lunged toward Mindy.
Too slow.
Tilus moved like smoke.
[Blessing – Pact of Azazel: Blood Price Initiated]
[Effect – Every enemy slain restores health. Current recovery: +10 HP]
His blade whispered through the air and took the infected's head clean off.
The second turned toward him. Tilus didn't flinch. He stepped forward, sword flashing again.
[+8 HP]
Tilus exhaled as the blessing stitched the shallow wound on his side shut like it had never existed.
He didn't say a word, but the corner of his mouth twitched. Just slightly.
The third infected jumped for Jasmine.
This time, she was ready.
She clicked her pen open.
Not a scream. Not a chant. Just ink.
It poured midair, writhed like liquid shadow, then solidified into glowing black chains that burst from the asphalt and coiled around the creature mid-flight.
[Blessing – Script of Binding Ideals: Inkbound Chains Activated]
[Effect – Bind and Stun up to 3 enemies. Bonus effect: Weaken agility for 6 seconds.]
The infected thrashed, mouth foaming, but couldn't move. Trapped.
Jasmine looked pale, but she didn't hesitate. "Strike it."
Tilus didn't move.
Mortem did.
He stepped forward, shield raised, and slammed it into the creature's head. It dropped like wet cloth.
Cindy's eyes widened. "What… what was that?"
Mortem's breathing was steady, eyes not even blinking.
[Blessing – Burning Hope: Mental Debuff Resistance Activated.]
[Fear: Negated.]
Of course. Tilus's Mystic Eye saw it clearly now.
Mortem wasn't immune to fear.
He just burned through it.
The infected were dead. The ambush was over.
But no one relaxed.
Because the supermarket still stood in front of them. Untouched. Waiting.
Mortem turned to Tilus. "Come with me. The rest should stay here."
He didn't ask. He knew Tilus would understand.
They were the only ones who could face what was inside.
Tilus stepped up beside him, eyes still glowing faintly as he scanned the doors.
[Vital signs inside: Negative. Aura signatures: 5. Infection Level: Critical. Anomaly Detected – Sentiment Attached.]
"They're might not be... alive," Tilus said.
Mortem didn't react.
He just took a deep breath.
Like he already knew what they'd find inside.
And he walked in first.