No Return

'In life, the fear of the point of no return often holds sway over our decisions. We hesitate to act, to speak, to take risks, for fear of making irreversible mistakes. This fear can paralyze us, trapping us in a state of indecision and silence. We cling to the familiar, avoiding change and confrontation, as if by staying still, we can avoid the march of time and consequence.

And so, we choose silence. Pushing on through became the second – maybe the third option.'

Soul entered through the rift and scanned the area with his boring eyes, expecting to find the silver-haired girl where he had left her. However, she was nowhere to be seen, leaving behind only her fading footprints as a clue to her whereabouts.

"Hmm."

Soul followed the footsteps in silence. The desolate landscape had absolutely nothing but emptiness. It was almost as boring as Soul himself. Almost.

After ten minutes of walking, he finally saw the silver-haired girl. She was sitting on the ground, drawing something in the black, grotesque mud. He walked closer, his dull eyes locked on her as if he were waiting for something to happen. He didn't trust her one bit. Letting his guard down near another blood mage was the last thing he wanted.

The girl, seeing Soul, stood up and walked toward him with quick steps. She looked happy to see him.

"I changed my mind," she said, her tone filled with sadness and regret. "Get me out, please."

"I thought you wanted to forget killing those innocent people?"

"I do, but not like this. I feel like I might go crazy any minute. There was this house and – and the screams? The Void is scary."

"Hmm. Okay. Do you have a place to stay?"

"No. Can I crash at your place for a while? I could take difficult quests from the Guild. Payout is good with the A rank quests. Then – I'll be out of your hair."

"I live in a dormitory. A boys' dormitory."

"Oh. Then I'll find somewhere else. Just get me out of here. Please."

"Okay. I will. Just gotta check something first."

The ground began to ripple as if something beneath the black, grotesque mud was trying to surface. Slowly, the mud bubbled and churned, and from the muck, a house started to take shape. It was covered in the same dark, gooey substance, which oozed down its walls as it formed. The structure seemed to mold itself from the very essence of the Void, transforming into a two story building.

Soul watched impassively as the house took form. Once it was fully shaped, he walked toward it and reached for the doorknob, now slick with the same dark goo, and turned it without hesitation. The door creaked open, and Soul stepped inside, closing it behind him.

The silver-haired woman stood there in disbelief, trying to comprehend what just happened. She paced back and forth. "Gods – what is this..."

"P-please, sir!" a man yelled in the house. "I regret everything! I regret everything!"

Soul said something, but his low voice was muffled, and the woman couldn't hear anything.

"No! I swear –" the man squealed. "Please don't go. Don't leave me with her! No! No!"

Soul opened the door. "Now we can go."

The woman stepped through the rift and found herself in a back alley. Dogs scurried away upon seeing them, and cats began to hiss and hide. Soul closed the rift with a flick of his wrist and started to walk out of the alley. The woman, still looking around in bewilderment, quickly followed him as soon as she realized he was walking away without saying anything.

She slipped out of her coat and fanned herself with her hand. She couldn't have guessed Gum'n would get this hot.

"So hot... never seen Gum'n this hot."

Soul didn't engage in the conversation and simply kept walking.

"Where are we going?"

"We?" He stopped and turned toward her. "I thought you'd be going your separate way?"

"I don't know where we are." She said, "Can you at least get me to the Guild?"

"Fine."

"Thanks."

They began to walk in the opposite direction. The citizens of Redhaven eyed them curiously, likely due to their silver hair and Soul's recent fame from winning the Family Match.

"They must be siblings," a woman remarked, glancing at them curiously.

"What was the name of this boy? I can't remember," a man at a stall mused, scratching his head.

"Ugh – look at his dead eyes," a passing student muttered, shuddering slightly. "But the chick is hot."

"He's a Class D student, did you know that?" another student whispered to her friend.

"D? I didn't watch the Family Match, but he probably let his team handle all the heavy work. There's no way he could've beaten Marcy," the friend replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

"He and his team killed Marcy – shame on them," an older man spat, crossing his arms. "Gods take them."

"Did you kill Marcy in the Family Match? The Champion of Sirenar?" the silver-haired woman asked.

"Yes," he replied without breaking his stride.

"Was it a mistake?" She quickened her pace to keep up with him.

"Yes."

"Oh – okay. Shame."

"By which god have you been blessed?" he asked, turning his head slightly to look at her.

"I don't know." She answered. "You?"

"I'm unblessed," he lied, keeping his eyes forward.

"You can use blood magic and no god made you their champion? Huh…" She looked at him skeptically.

"Hmm… hey, I didn't get your name," Soul asked, glancing at her as they walked.

"Soul."

"I'm asking for your real name."

"No one gave me a real name. I was locked away since I was a little child." She shifted slightly, looking past him.

"Let's call you Hope until you find yourself a better name."

"Hope?" She raised an eyebrow, clearly intrigued.

"The cat you saw in the Void? Its name is Hope."

"Hope… I actually like that." She nodded slowly. "Hope. Good name."

"Hmm… you were locked away?" Soul asked, his steps slowing.

"Yeah. I guess we are part of the same tribe. Everyone is named Soul there because of the curse," she explained, walking a bit ahead of him.

"Why did they lock you up?"

"I accidentally killed the tribe chief's wife when I was a baby. I was little, had no control over my powers." She said, her steps faltering momentarily.

"Weird, I didn't hear about you."

"They kept me a secret. And by locked away, I meant I was stuck in a house. They didn't imprison me. They just didn't let me leave the house, no matter what." She shrugged, trying to make light of it.

"You weren't kept in a part of the Void?" he asked.

"What? No." She shook her head, puzzled.

"Hmm…" He stopped looking up at the building in front of them. "This is the Guild. See you later."

"Hey – thank you, Soul. I'll be sure to repay you back." She reached out and gently touched his arm.

"No need, Hope." He nodded. "See you later."