Four years after the first appearance of the horned man in Sea Fallen, Adam awoke in his bed feeling something from the room next door.
Gently stepping out from under the covers, he snapped his fingers quietly, summoning a shrunken version of his blade to his hand.
As he approached the entryway, he felt a chilling breeze from the doorknob before it suddenly ceased, not leaving a trace.
That's odd.
Below him, an envelope slid under the door as a strong gust of wind blew throughout the room, carrying it upward and into his hands.
Adam had gotten used to the unusual forms of communication, yet what was in his hand this time surprised him.
His expression darkened as he noticed the letter's color was a grayish-black with a crimson skull sealing it shut.
"So it's finally time…"
Sighing to himself, he walked back to his bed, tucking himself in and unfolding the letter.
…
The morning after, two siblings sat in their freshly renovated house, courtesy of Adam's recent promotion to a civil servant.
"Let's go see the fireworks!"
Tugging on his sleeve was eleven-year-old Olivia, whose eyes sparkled with the same fiery orange as his own.
"Uh… I don't think that's a good idea today, how about we watch from here?"
His expression was grim as he spoke with a strange seriousness.
Olivia pouted and punched his arm before mumbling.
"It's my birthday tomorrow, though!"
Adam furrowed his brow in response before sighing deeply.
"I almost forgot that it's your birthday tomorrow…"
He didn't say any other words to her; however, he took out a festival pamphlet that had been delivered to the city hall the previous day.
"Really!? Thank you, big bro!"
She smiled and laughed, yet when she looked at her brother's face for his usual kind smile, she saw an expressionless face that radiated shame.
…
Is this the right spot?
Adam wandered the streets of Sea Fallen until he reached a small alleyway that was shrouded in a gloomy fog.
As he entered the crevice, a feminine voice echoed out from the mist.
"You'll be my partner, eh?"
He spun quickly, ready to summon his blade at any moment; however, standing less than a meter away was a silver-haired woman with bright crimson eyes that glowed like blood.
She had a flintlock aimed directly at the top of his head at nearly point-blank range with an unyielding stare that told Adam all he needed to know about her intentions.
"You're the person the Master spoke about, correct?"
Her voice was soft but filled with frightening curiosity as if she would piece together his destroyed brain if needed, just to get the answers she wanted.
"Who are you?"
Adam spoke with a steady voice, subtly trying to snap with a twitch of his ring finger and thumb.
"It won't work, so don't even bother."
She spat out a response before lowering her gun and aiming it at his right hand, directly at the black ring that the horned man had given to him all those years ago.
She knows about the ring and its abilities. She might threaten my mission, but why is she talking like she is an ally?
The woman sighed and holstered the flintlock before he could even react, mumbling.
"That ring proves it. You are the Master's spy, correct?"
She looked at him before sensing his doubt and raising her right middle finger in front of him.
"See? I have one too. This makes us allies."
Adam looked at her warily, deciding to trust the silver-haired woman at least for now.
He began to speak, but she cut him off right away.
"I don't care about your silly questions. Tell me, can you complete this final task, or should I just kill you here?"
He flinched at her harsh words, complaining internally.
I didn't even ask anything…
Sighing, Adam stammered out a response, careful not to upset the woman anymore.
"I can do it, so tell the horned man that he just needs to uphold his end of the deal."
She listened intently before nodding while fixing her hair.
"Yeah yeah… That's obvious enough."
Before he had a chance to respond, she vanished into black dust, leaving him alone in the alleyway with more questions than he had started with.
Hopefully, I won't have to see her again. Wait, what was it that she called me at the start? Partner…?
With an inkling of what was to come, he groaned and checked his watch, noticing it was almost the time he scheduled to meet up with his sister for the festival.
"Well… All I have to do is make sure the door to the Great Sea Wall is unlocked tonight, though I don't know why that matters. It's not like it can be destroyed or even damaged by anything less than an apex terror."
…
"Can we get cotton candy?"
Olivia pointed towards one of the stands propped up against the edge of the square, where the cloud-looking dessert was being served.
Adam curled up his lips, talking in a kind voice.
"Be quick and don't get lost."
Hearing his reply, she smiled and ran off, not looking back at him.
I unlocked the door, but now what? I don't know what else I'm supposed to do or what's going to happen…
He sighed, turning to watch the nuns from the Church of Dreams set up the fireworks display on the beach.
"The faster we finish here, the faster I'll feel safe."
From the sweets stall, the red-haired girl ran towards him, holding two cotton candies with a grin plastered across her face.
"That was quick!"
Adam took the dessert from his sister, nibbling at it absentmindedly while keeping his enhanced eyes on the fireworks display.
As he stared into the distance, he noticed a dark pod of vessels approaching the shore under the cover of night.
N-Now? And by sea?
His mind immediately began to work with possibilities rushing through his head.
The other festival visitors had no chance of spotting the incoming fleet due to their average sight abilities, so the celebrations continued as if nothing was happening.
Isn't an attack by sea risky? Couldn't a Sea King… Wait… All five of them are in the Sea of Mystery right now…
Widening his eyes in realization, he truly understood the scale of what he had partaken in.
All that information I gave them… During the days of Sir Lepaie's absence, the locations of the patrol ships, the location of the Mausoleum of Dreams…
He shook his head in shock before turning his gaze down to his right, where his Olivia stood watching the fireworks being prepared for the finale.
She looked at him before furrowing her brow in concern.
"Why do you look so scared? Are you scared of fireworks? That must be why you didn't want to come today!"
She laughed and patted him on the back as if to reassure him.
"Don't worry, big brother, I'll keep you safe!"
Adam could only shake his head before exhaling loudly.
"Yeah… Sure, Olivia, I'm terrified of firework explosions."
He patted her on the head before turning his gaze to the festival behind him.
Looking around anxiously, his gaze caught on a figure that sat on a balcony overlooking the square.
Sitting in a small recliner was a tall man wearing an excellently tailored suit and a thin top hat.
The man carefully moved his hand to remove his tophat, revealing two protruding horns that sparkled in the moonlight.
Seeing this, Adam began to shake.
I-It's him…
To his side, Olivia traced her brother's sight before stopping at the balcony where the horned man was sitting.
"Wow, that person is really lucky to have such a good view of the fireworks!"
She laughed before taking another bite of cotton candy and turning back to the beach.
Adam caught his breath, glancing at his sister and muttering.
"I-It's an excellent view…"
Olivia smiled at her brother's words, and he turned back to the person sitting on the balcony.
She watched as the nuns finished their preparations, signaling that the show would begin soon.
"Ooooo! Adam, the show's starting! Stop staring at that balcony and watch the fireworks with me!"
She saw one of the nuns light a fuse with a delay, starting the countdown until they would begin.
Adam, however, was focused directly on the horned man who smiled at him from the loft.
In the background, he could hear the crowd cheering and counting down until the fireworks launched.
"3!"
The horned man stood up.
"2!"
He threw his top hat from the ledge, and Adam watched as it soared through the open air before spiraling down and landing just in front of his shoes.
"1!"
Looking up again, he saw the man trying to mouth something to him.
"Let the Festival of Blood begin."
The moment the words left his mouth, he winked at Adam before vanishing in a puff of black mist that floated gently through the square.
Cheers roared from the crowd as the first wave of fireworks launched through the air, exploding in the sky.
As they prepared a second volley of the show, a bright light burst forth from the platform.
Explosions.