Falling Down

Esvor's weapon clanged against Gale's mace, the collision lifting debris from the ground and sending dirt flying. The bushes were pushed back from the force of the impact. It was noon, but the sun was hidden behind thick clouds, creating a gloomy atmosphere. The weather seemed to promise rain, but the sky held back, as if it was waiting for the perfect time.

Gale spun around and swung her mace, but the Rebel-King deflected it with the flat of his sword and then shouldered her, knocking her to the ground.

"You're getting old, Gale," Esvor smirked, sheathing his sword.

"You don't say, King..." She replied, still catching her breath.

They were in the academy's garden. Two students sat in front of the charred cabin, talking about the Family Match. Nearby, a few others ate lunch at a broken fountain, its stone edges cracked and weathered.

"Just kidding, just kidding." He offered a hand to help her up. "How's Yuu?"

"He's doing okay." She took his hand and stood up. "Apparently, two of his students fought in the Family Match. He was fuming."

"Why? I thought anyone could join that weird match?"

"Yes, but Yuu thinks it's dangerous. Fighting against a champion is – well, I can see why he'd think that," Gale replied with a shrug.

"Yeah..." Esvor nodded, his playful demeanor disappearing as he considered her words. "So, how did they lose? I heard their opponent was Marcy, the Champion of Sirenar."

"They didn't lose, King. Marcy is dead – the referee said it was an accidental kill," Gale stretched her arms. "Ugh, I'm tired."

"Wait... they didn't lose?" Esvor's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh – who were these students?"

"I don't know much," Gale said. "I only know one of them was a teacher named Ran Ji-Hye."

"Wow... winning against a champion is something," He remarked, clearly impressed.

Esvor noticed the pink-haired girl over Gale's shoulder. She was sitting alone on a bench, doing nothing but staring at the ground. She seemed anxious and jumpy, her hands fidgeting in her lap. Every so often, she would look up and scan her surroundings as if expecting trouble.

He tilted his head toward the girl, then took a seat on a nearby bench.

"She said someone managed to resist The Topple's spell, right?" he asked, nodding in the direction of the pink-haired girl.

"Mm, yeah. I think his name was... ugh, was it Soul or Sol?" Gale replied, her brows knitting as she tried to remember.

"Soul," Esvor confirmed. "I wonder where he is right now. I'd like to ask him how he managed to resist a level four charm spell. Even you have a hard time resisting spells at that level."

"Maybe he was outside of the area spell? I'd doubt a student could resist it," Gale suggested.

"Yeah, maybe you're right..." Esvor said, glancing at the sky. "I think I miss Snow Fallen, too."

Just then, something caught his eye. High above, figures were plummeting from the sky, arms flailing as they descended rapidly. At first, he couldn't quite make out who or what they were. But as they drew closer, it became clear – they were people, tumbling through the air, heading straight for the academy grounds.

Gale followed his gaze, her expression shifting from casual to shocked as she saw the figures falling. "What in the world?" she muttered, backing away to avoid any potential impact.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" one of the women shouted as she plummeted from the sky. "Let's try that again!"

The ground was coming up fast, and the fall looked certain to end in disaster. But just before impact, the woman managed to open a portal. The energy materialized inches above the ground, and the falling figures disappeared into it, vanishing without a trace.

Esvor and Gale, who had been bracing for a crash, stood in stunned silence. The portal sealed itself, leaving no sign of the event that had just unfolded before them. They exchanged bewildered glances, their minds struggling to process what they'd just witnessed.

"What the fuck was that?" Esvor asked, eyes wide.

"I – I have no idea," Gale replied, still staring at the spot where the portal had appeared. "I think that was Ji-Hye. The one I told you about. The teacher that joined the Family Match with other students."

"That's... that was surreal. Why did they just drop from the sky?" Esvor asked, still trying to wrap his head around what he'd seen.

"No idea, Esvor," Gale replied, shaking her head in disbelief. "That was some weird crap." They both stood there, dumbfounded by the sudden and unexplained spectacle.

Soul landed on top of Hyun-Ki with a thud, their heads colliding painfully. Both groaned, reaching up to rub their sore spots. They found themselves on the streets of Redhaven, in the same market area where a recent murder had taken place. The streets, once crowded, were now mostly empty. Only a few guards remained, keeping a cautious watch as they patrolled.

Ōkora touched Soul and used a spell in the chaos, her hand brushing against his arm. Unnoticed by anyone, even Soul himself.

"Oh – someone teleported, Mom," a kid pointed out, tugging at his mother's hand. "Look, look."

"No, don't look at them. Come on," the mother replied, pulling the child away from the scene.

"Ugh," Ōkora grumbled as she stood up. "Do not... use teleportation magic again, you stupid teacher."

"You didn't have to say that..." Ji-Hye muttered, rubbing her temples.

"At least we are alive." Nia said, getting back up her feet. "We should go."

The group made their way through the streets of Redhaven, navigating the quiet alleys and avoiding the watchful eyes of the guards. They reached their destination, Icy Hearts. Without much fanfare, they entered, their presence drawing only passing glances from a few patrons.

They took seats at a table, settling into the shadowy corner of the inn. A waitress approached, and they each ordered a bowl of stew. After a short wait, she returned with their meals, and the group began to eat.

"Man," Hyun-Ki said as he ate a large spoonful of stew. "This is good. I swear –" He gulped. "The best inn in the city."

"I know," Nia replied, nodding as she ate. "Delicious."

"Hey," Ji-Hye said, her tone flat, "didn't you say you'd been to Golden Pussies, Ki?"

"Uuh..." Hyun-Ki paused, his spoon mid-air. "No. When did I say that?"

"At the temple. I heard you. Nia heard you," Ji-Hye said, her expression serious.

"It's... I lied." He let out a nervous chuckle. "Aren't I just the joker?"

"Mm…"

"So, Ur," Hyun-Ki said, trying to shift the conversation, "he won't do anything to us, right?"

"We can't be sure," Ōkora replied with a heavy sigh. "I think he might – he 'will' retaliate."

"His champion will definitely be coming after us," Lilith added. "We need to be ready."

"We?" Hyun-Ki turned to his sister, Ji-Hye, his brow furrowed. "Are we really in this 'killing all the gods so the Demon Queen can get her revenge' plan, sister?"

"I think..." Ji-Hye hesitated, her voice uncertain. "That it's the right thing to do. After seeing what my god -the god who blessed me- did to those poor people, it's…"

"It's bad?" Lilith interjected. "Yeah, it's bad. Worse than anything I saw in my time."

"I don't mean any disrespect, Demon Queen," Hyun-Ki said, his tone polite but firm. "But I have some questions."

"Go ahead," Lilith replied, crossing her arms. "Shoot."

"How did Hero-God... How did Take and the others ascend to being gods?" Hyun-Ki asked. "In the old books, it's written that there's only been one god, and it's Uinerva."

"I have no idea," Lilith shrugged. "I wish I did, though."

"There are like millions of theories about how they became divine beings," Nia said, her voice contemplative. "And they're all over the place. Some are just plain weird, while others are downright unhinged. But after seeing what Ur did to those people, I'm starting to think those unhinged theories might actually be true."

"Yeah, like they made a deal with the devil himself?" Hyun-Ki shivered, his discomfort noticeable. "Ugh. I hope it's not as unhinged as that."

"How about Minra?" Ji-Hye asked, her tone neutral. "Is she... an okay god in your eyes, Lilith?"

Lilith paused, considering the question. "I think so," she replied. "But I'm still going after her. I need to look her in the eyes and... I don't know. I haven't planned what comes after that."

"Another murder!" The inn's door crashed open. "In the market! In the same market!"

"Is it The Topple?" asked the waitress.

"Yes! He killed another girl." He said. "She was selling necklaces and bracelets. And then, all of a sudden – she died! Blood everywhere."

'No… no, It can be.'

Soul dashed through the door, leaving Icy Hearts behind as he sprinted toward the market. He ran with all his strength, his breath ragged as he moved through the gathering crowd. The atmosphere was unusually tense, with people stopping to watch something happening ahead.

As Soul pushed his way to the front of the crowd, he felt the intensity of their horrified whispers. People stood back, their faces pale with shock as they stared at the scene on the ground. When he finally reached the front, his eyes fell on the source of the commotion. Ruby, his sister, was lying on the ground, her body lifeless, her head severed and lying just inches from her shoulders. Blood pooled beneath her, spreading across the stone in thick, dark waves. The gruesome sight was more than he could comprehend at first, his heart stopped as he took in the horrific reality.

The crowd had grown silent, the usual chatter of the market replaced by murmurs of disbelief and fear. Some people covered their mouths, unable to look, while others were frozen, their eyes locked on the scene before them. Soul felt the world tilt, his breath catching in his throat as if the air had been sucked out of the space around him.

He knelt beside Ruby's body, his hands trembling as he reached out to touch her. The warmth that once filled her was gone, replaced by a chill that seemed to seep into Soul's bones

Soon, the rest of the group caught up with Soul. Ji-Hye, Nia, Lilith, and Hyun-Ki pushed through the crowd. Ōkora was missing.

"Oh, no," Hyun-Ki said, his voice filled with dread. "No, no, no."

Soul hugged Ruby's body one last time, holding her close. As he pulled away, he used his bloodied hand to smear the blood across his face. At first, no one understood why he did it. But then his laughter started, a low chuckle that grew louder and filled the quiet market.

"Soul?" Nia asked, her voice trembling. "S-Soul?"

"I remember," he said, turning toward the group. The blood on his face made him look fearsome, his smile weirdly out of place. "I remember my name."