'Where are we?'
This creature... is communicating with me telepathically!
"I don't know," I told it. It must be that it cannot speak because it's newly born, and that's why it uses telepathy. But how did it even learn human language to begin with? Also, I'll have to speak with it out loud—I don't know how to communicate telepathically… or if I even can.
'Danger incoming!'
After it told me that, I saw a metal fist about to hit my face, but Arthur fired his weapon at the fist and pushed it away just in time for me to retreat.
We got out of the water and onto the ground immediately. The man with the fist was about to attack us again, but Ank used ice to block him with a thick ice wall.
"Thank you both. I have a great idea."
I took off my soaked shirt and rushed toward the ice wall. After the man broke through the wall, I threw the shirt at his face. The moisture made it stick to his face, which would obstruct his vision.
Then I struck his neck with the hilt of my sword to knock him out.
I stood for a moment to catch my breath. Then I looked at the man's body.
I removed the shirt from his face, and honestly, calling him a man isn't accurate. He looked like a boy our age.
"I'm sorry. I acted on my emotions and ended up bringing us here."
Acting on emotion makes me feel incredibly weak.
"It's okay. Many people would've done the same." Ank said.
Even though what she said is true, I shouldn't be one of the "many people."
Arthur stepped forward after checking his gun's ammo.
"First, put your shirt on. Seeing your muscles like that might kill some girls. Second, since when do you have a pet?"
I'm not even handsome to begin with…
"This creature is another story. Right now, we should focus on getting out of here and saving Kafka."
"Stop calling me creature or I'll bite you. My name is Esteliora."
Her name really is Esteliora. But it's way too long.
"I'll call you Ella for now." She then hid in my pocket.
A voice suddenly appeared.
"Well, well, well, dear children! Let's see what we've got. A boy with a sword who seems to be from a middle-class family. A boy with guns who looks handsome enough to call noble, but noble families don't use weapons like guns, so I'll assume you're either middle or poor class. And finally, we have..."
The man went silent for a moment, but then quickly spoke again with excitement and madness.
"Oh my God, oh my God! My luck must have run out, because Princess Ankvorena herself is right here before me, flesh and blood, with her life in my hands! I heard a lot of rumors saying you became an adventurer, but I didn't believe them until now. Have you really fallen into such despair and weakness?!"
Before I could open my mouth, Ank fired a sharp piece of ice that pierced the speaker and completely froze it.
I turned to look at Anke, and for the first time, I saw a mix of disgust and annoyance on her face. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes slightly wide.
"If you're really a dog that bites, then come out now."
The voice returned.
"You pierced it? Froze it? A biting dog? You know how to make jokes, Princess of Luxaria. But your joke lacks some logic. And as a princess of Luxaria, I don't think that behavior suits you. The correct thing is that you're the dogs… stray dogs, to be precise."
Where is this bastard really speaking from?
"If you have eyes somewhere here, then you should know we don't have all day for you," Arthur said, annoyed.
The man replied, "Why don't you both be like the sword boy? He hasn't said a word or shown any expression. When I was your age, my mother would slap me hard if I spoke to adults like this."
"Not our problem that you were a masochist." This guy really has a disgusting voice.
Silence fell, but not for long.
A door behind us in one of the walls opened, followed by the man's now calm voice.
"Get out of my sight."
I don't think this is the exit, but whatever it is, it's better than hearing this lunatic's voice.
I felt the air rushing out of the door like it was escaping—I felt like the air itself needed to breathe. Doesn't make sense, right? That's exactly what I mean. The air's behavior was unnatural.
And with every step we took, we inhaled a breath that pushed us forward.
Kafka, you must be nearby.
Kafka... why am I thinking of him this way? Why am I so determined to save him? I even rushed in and threw myself in here for Kafka, who I've only known for a few days…
Am I starting to get attached to others this quickly?... this easily?
Do I feel the same way about Arthur and Ank?
This is going to cause a lot of trouble.
We stepped through the door, and it shut behind us.
We're in a circular room that's neither wide nor narrow.
There are seven people here, including Kafka.
He grabbed my arm and spoke immediately, with signs of anxiety and uncertainty on his face.
"Ethan! I woke up because of a loud sound and went out to check the situation, but everything became darker, and then I found myself here. What should we do?.."
Were Kafka's hands really this strong?
Can someone this anxious grab a friend's arm with such strength?
I felt like my hand was being squeezed, but not to a painful extent. I slowly pulled his hand away—if he kept holding my hand, it would've started to hurt.
"It's okay. Here we are, reunited once again."
A new voice appeared. A more serious voice.
"The first phase of Eternal Est has begun."
Writings appeared on the wall in front of me.
Written: "Choose your guide. There must be two guides. Each guide has four allies."
We are only four people. Which means someone else we don't know will join us. But the more important thing is, who will be the guide? Me, or Arthur?
My thinking didn't last long as Arthur spoke.
"I choose you as the guide, Ethan."
After him, Ank and Kafka also chose me.
Arthur spoke again.
"Before someone joins us, what is written at the end of the sentence on the wall?"
Kafka replied: "The wizard."
Wizard? That's not what I see.
Ank said: "Written, the auditor."
Each person sees something different at the end of the sentence?
Arthur said: "The third eye."
It must be that these are… "Support roles for the guide."
Then a boy with silver hair and gray eyes stepped forward and spoke.
"You must be the guide. I choose you as the guide too. What is written for me at the end of the sentence is, the reaper."
He extended his hand and shook mine.
A new sentence was written on the wall. "The wizard, the auditor, the third eye, and the reaper. These are the guide's allies' roles."
Just as I expected.
The wizard, the auditor, the third eye, the reaper, and finally I am the guide.
But I wonder… why is there a word written in the air in front of me. A word I remember every curve of.
The Clown.