Chapter Cornelia: Crescent Sun

Ravishing Flower - Blazing Blade

[Eiros' POV]

"If I remember correctly... These are the paths I've walked last time." I reexamined the caves I'd marched on back then. To think they've managed to clear the rubbles here in such a small amount of time...

In any case, I walked and walked until I saw a familiar figure.

Oh, look. It's the same, dusty old red carpet from before. He's still here hanging, despite the entrance's collapse that was purely my fault. It felt a bit nostalgic seeing it, not gonna lie.

After I flip the red carpet leading to the first area of their base, the same horror that stung me elapsed into my mind once again.

"I'm back guys..." I whispered to myself while I remain here idly dumbfounded. They're all doing some form of labour, same as before.

Some are carrying large wooden crates of food, others are patrolling the surrounding area with their heavy and tired bodies. I continued walking as I look around me. No matter which corner I gaze unto, all I see are malnourished, thin children working with their teary eyes and the rest of the thugs punishing and commanding these innocent kids. It's only been a while since I last visited this place yet it feels like it had gotten way worse than before.

"Hey, kid," I called to one of them. And when I did, she quickly turned in my direction, her face clouded in intense fear and anxiety. "How long have you been here?"

She tried speaking with her gasping voice. As soon as I quickly noticed this, I hurriedly asked her to stop. Her lips were drier than dried dead leaves. Her body is full of scars and wounds left untended. Despite this, she still carries a basket handwoven from dried leaves. Said basket is filled with fruits, the poor girl must've been having a really difficult time being forced to work while staring down at that one thing you needed the most.

"Well, look who decided to show up all of a sudden!" a low-pitched voice coming from behind us howled and echoed throughout the cave. The little girl I was talking to quickly fled when she heard that very same voice. I can clearly see in her that she was very afraid.

As for me, I turned around at the source of the voice. "Hm?"

The man who shouted was accompanied by a comrade of his. Both of them wore bandanas of red with different shades, both fashioned by a scimitar resting on their belts, and both adorn some form of jewellery as accessories from their head to their fingers.

"Ya got a pair of heavy balls of steel for you to manage to haul your ass back in this wretched place, cunt," he spoke to me again.