CARL'S POV
"What the hell are you doing? Why are you blocking us? Aren't you supposed to be one of the Masks?" one of the soldiers demanded, his voice laced with confusion and fury.
Tch!. Should I waste my breath on him? Explaining myself would only lead to more questions, more accusations. These men—if their minds are already closed, they’ll never grasp what I’m doing or why.
Up on that rooftop, Demon and Venom are fighting for their lives. I can almost feel the intensity of the battle from down here. But it’s not about them. It’s about something bigger. A promise. A chance to change this godforsaken country.
"The Mask is supposed to protect us—Ackkk!" His voice cut off as my spear drove through his throat, silencing him in an instant. His body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
What do they know about being a Mask? They talk as if they understand, but they don’t. They’re just pawns, blind to the real game being played here.
The others stared at me in shock, their weapons raised but hesitating. I could see the question in their eyes—*Why?* Why am I turning against them?
To them, my actions are betrayal. But to me, they’re a necessary evil.
I’m not doing this because I’m siding with Demon. I don’t care about her survival for her sake. But I need her alive. She made a promise—one that could bring peace to this cruel, twisted country. A promise to change the very fabric of this society drenched in blood and horror. And that’s a promise I can’t afford to let die with her.
They don’t understand the weight of that promise. To them, she’s just a monster, an enemy. But to me, she’s a means to an end. A way to stop the cycle of violence and horror that has plagued this land for too long.
"Coward!" another soldier yelled, charging at me with his sword raised high. I sidestepped him easily, driving my spear into his side. He crumpled, his blood pooling at my feet.
They’re just following orders, too blind to see the bigger picture. They don’t realize that they’re the ones being used, just like I am. But unlike them, I’m aware of the strings pulling me, and I’m choosing which ones to cut.
"Why are you doing this? We trusted you!" another voice cried out, desperate and pleading.
I didn’t answer. What would be the point? They wouldn’t understand. Not now, not ever.
To them, I’m a traitor, but in my mind, I’m the only one who sees the truth. This country is rotting from the inside out, and Demon—despite all her flaws and the blood on her hands—holds the key to stopping the decay.
So I will stand here, at this entrance, and I will cut down anyone who tries to get past me. Because up on that rooftop is not just a battle for survival—it’s a battle for the future of this country. And as much as I hate it, as much as I detest her methods, Demon is the one who can bring the change that we so desperately need.
Even if it means making me the villain in their eyes.
---
The air was thick with tension, the stench of blood and sweat hanging in the humid night. The soldiers in front of me shifted uneasily, their hands gripping their weapons tighter. They had every reason to be nervous—I wasn’t just any opponent. I was a Mask, trained to be lethal, efficient, and above all, calculated.
I didn’t need to kill them all. Just enough to make the rest reconsider.
They charged as one, a wave of bodies crashing toward me. They were trying to overwhelm me with numbers, hoping sheer force would do what skill couldn’t. *Idiots.*
