"Chloe, are you leaving?"
On a quiet street stood two girls of similar age, around seventeen or eighteen. Sheele, with her purple eyes, looked at her friend, who was dressed in traveling clothes, with deep reluctance.
"Yes, Sheele. The capital isn't really the place for me."
"Thank you so much for everything. If it weren't for you, Sheele…"
Although her smile was the same as always, it seemed a bit forced this time.
Moreover, there was a hint of fear in the way she looked at Sheele…
Although Sheele was usually absent-minded and clumsy, she was surprisingly sensitive to certain things and immediately noticed the change in her friend.
"Chloe, are you afraid of me?"
Without any ulterior motives, Sheele asked directly, her tone calm and unbothered, as if she were discussing something ordinary.
Her friend was taken aback and silently lowered her head.
But her body was trembling slightly…
"Yes! I'm scared, really scared!"
"Why can you be so calm after killing someone? You didn't have to kill them, so why did you do it without hesitation?"
"I'm scared of you, Sheele!"
Her friend suddenly looked up, her face pale, and shouted with all her might. The emotions she had been suppressing burst out, and her eyes were filled with deep fear, as if she were looking at a monster.
"Chloe, I…"
Sheele didn't understand why her friend was suddenly like this or why she was afraid of her. She was completely confused, her face filled with anxiety as she tried to explain but didn't know what to say.
"It's enough, Sheele!"
"Thank you, really. Goodbye…"
Her friend seemed unwilling to say more. She forced a smile, bowed slightly, and turned to walk away from the capital.
"Chloe…"
Without much emotion, Sheele silently watched her only friend leave.
But deep down, she felt a sense of loneliness and loss…
She continued working at the tavern, but after her only friend left, no one spoke to her anymore. Before, the tavern owner and the kitchen staff would scold her for being clumsy and making mistakes, but after Lord Sora left, no one dared to criticize her anymore. Whether she broke plates or took the wrong orders, everyone looked at her with fear, just like when Chloe left…
She didn't know what she could do or what her purpose in life was. Day after day, she repeated the same mechanical actions and made the same mistakes. Life felt like a stagnant pool, unable to stir any ripples.
One evening, as usual, Sheele was walking home.
"Hahaha, the information was correct! This bitch passes by here every night!"
As she walked through a deserted alley, several young men armed with knives suddenly appeared in front of her. They surrounded her, their eyes filled with malice and a murderous aura.
Sheele showed no panic or fear. She simply stopped and calmly looked at them.
"You killed our comrades, bitch. Did you think this day would come?"
"Hahaha, don't worry, we just killed your parents, and now it's your turn!"
Without any pity or sympathy, the young men grinned with bloodthirsty cruelty.
Surprisingly calm, even after hearing that her parents had been killed, Sheele's expression remained unchanged. She quietly took out a small knife from her waist and slowly unwrapped the cloth covering it.
"Ha!!!"
Not seeing the fear or begging they expected, the young men were enraged by Sheele's calmness. One of them charged forward, raising his long knife to strike her down.
Sheele closed her eyes, gently sidestepped the blade, and with a flick of her wrist, her knife drew a long arc in the air.
Splat!!! The sound of blood spraying.
Thud!!! The sound of a body hitting the ground.
Gulp!
The sound of swallowing echoed as the young men stared in shock at their comrade, who had been killed in a single move, his throat slit and his body twitching on the ground.
"Let's kill this monster together!!!"
Someone shouted, and the group, filled with murderous intent, charged at Sheele with their knives raised.
Sheele opened her eyes, her purple gaze still calm and pure, without a trace of fear or hesitation. She charged forward to meet them.
Clang! Clash! Ahhh!!!
The sound of clashing swords and the agonized cries of enemies filled the air. A seemingly delicate girl transformed into a purple ghost, one by one, she ended the lives of the young men before her.
There was no bloodthirsty excitement, nor cowardly fear. The girl remained calm, as if the crimson blood could not taint her pure soul.
"Ah!!!"
With a final slash, accompanied by a scream filled with resentment and terror, the last enemy fell into a pool of blood.
The street returned to silence, as if nothing had happened. Only the corpses and the thick scent of blood remained, telling the tale of what had transpired.
A gentle breeze blew, lifting the girl's pale purple skirt, sending a chill down the spine of anyone who saw her. Standing still, she looked around, her face filled with confusion.
Yet, something seemed to have changed. Her once calm eyes began to shine with a dazzling light, growing brighter and brighter.
"I can do it too… I can do it too…"
She murmured repeatedly. At this moment, something within her soul seemed to be awakening!
Finally, Sheele had found it—something she could do, her purpose in life!
Looking at the small knife in her hand, still dripping with fresh blood, Sheele smiled—a bloodthirsty yet heartfelt smile.
"Monster!"
Suddenly, a voice filled with endless hatred roared from behind Sheele. A young man, not yet completely dead, struggled to his feet. With his last ounce of strength, he swung his long sword at Sheele, aiming to strike her down.
Staring blankly at the blade coming toward her, Sheele's purple eyes reflected the man's ferocious and insane grin. Instinctively, she prepared to block the attack.
But the fatal blow never came. Under Sheele's gaze, the young man's body split in mid-air, turning into a rain of blood.
"Yo, confused Sheele-chan, we meet again!"
A familiar voice brought Sheele back to reality, and a strange feeling stirred in her heart. A man appeared before her.