The Founder's POV

Chapter 25: Tragic Stories

(POV: Jin)

We all sat at a single wooden table, with an oil lamp burning in the middle.

Night had fallen outside, and we used such a lamp to create a cozy atmosphere among comrades.

(Note: It's always DARK, but the time had passed sunset.)

Most of the dolls outside had already lost their minds or preferred to use their rest time to sleep. These conditions forced us to become some sort of friends.

Something like comrades-in-arms, and it wasn't all that bad.

In a way, I preferred this to us being just a military group that dedicates 100% of our time to training and honing our skills.

Of course, Gilbert made sure our skills didn't rust since those at this table were the core of the group, but he also made sure we grew closer.

There's no harm in adding another reason to fight besides freedom...

"We used to do this every time a new member joined our group. We stopped due to some circumstances, but Lyra forced us to come this time," Gilbert said, his eyes clearly tired. I remembered he had a hunting job tomorrow.

"If your story isn't interesting, it's going to be really bad for you!" spoke Asher, a burly man with a semi-shaved beard, and some of his hair had already turned white with age.

If I had to guess, I'd say he was around his fifties.

Everyone looked at me at that moment, and I felt some hesitation.

No one knew about this story except maybe Loana, and even she didn't know many details.

Because of the paranoia that had grown inside me, I didn't want to tell anyone about myself for fear that this information might be used against me one day.

I couldn't think of a way this information could be used against me, but I didn't want to take the risk.

Fortunately, they noticed my tension, and no one insisted.

"Since you're so hesitant, I'll start first." Asher spoke again, his presence here really benefiting me.

I had spoken to him several times before, but I didn't know much about him.

I only got close to Lyra and Gilbert, leaving Asher and Elara without much effort. Just some casual interactions here and there.

<<Asher>>

I wasn't a main character like some people here, but my story has a few interesting points.

Since everyone except Jin has heard this story, I'll make it as brief as possible.

–

I lived in the east near the coast. My father enjoyed looking at the nearby Mountain every morning at breakfast and telling me stories about it.

I grew up knowing the sea and its dangers. My mother taught me how to avoid the sea and how to swim if I ever fell in. She used to tell scary stories about it daily.

On the other hand, my father taught me a lot about fishing with the intention of making me like him one day. He taught me how to handle nets and steer boats.

My father and grandfather were fishermen, so you could say I came from a humble family of fishermen without much status.

On a random day, a storm unlike any other hit our modest village, making the sea more turbulent than ever. Many boats capsized and were wrecked even on the shore.