Chapter 10
It was just a few minutes before the owner of that voice appeared.
While listening to Adenhar, I had been thinking through every possible scenario.
After looking around, Adenhar spoke.
“Let’s try walking a bit more. I clearly remember every path I took to get here.”
“This is your first time here, and you remember all that? Wow, you’re really smart.”
When I said that honestly impressed, Adenhar replied shyly,
“It’s not that impressive. I think I just have a good sense of direction.”
“Still, that’s amazing.”
But even as I answered, bitterness crept in.
I knew that remembering the path wouldn’t mean much. This underground area was like a maze. The paths seemed to change constantly.
It was almost like the Backrooms.
Still, there was no need to crush his motivation by saying that now. The fact that Adenhar had managed to find me at all meant escape wasn’t completely impossible.
Just then, Adenhar carefully took my hand.
Startled by his warmth, I looked at him. He hurriedly added an awkward excuse,
“Just in case another monster shows up…”
His clumsy justification made me smile despite myself.
And at that exact moment, a shadow fell over us, and we faced the owner of a voice filled with killing intent.
“Let go of her hand. Now.”
“…!”
“If you don’t want to die.”
It was Sren.
The moment I met his blood-red eyes, soaked in murderous intent, my body froze. My heart felt like it dropped straight to the floor.
He reached out his hand toward me.
“Come here, Rachel.”
It was a gentle voice, yet unmistakably commanding, heavy with possessive dominance.
****
Sren was smiling.
But I knew better.
There was nothing kind inside that smile.
“Sren…”
“Come.”
The way he repeated it was chilling.
When I froze in place, Adenhar seemed to sense something wrong and quickly stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body.
Sren watched the scene without missing a single detail. His eyes narrowed.
Then he let out a quiet, humorless laugh and asked me in a tone filled with hurt and betrayal,
“Rachel. Why aren’t you coming to me?”
The air felt colder, as if the temperature had dropped. Tension tightened around us.
I should have stepped in to stop this, but I hesitated.
If things continued like this, Adenhar was in danger. But trying to block Sren would only provoke him further.
Yet if I obeyed Sren, I would be pushing Adenhar closer to death.
What was I supposed to do?
How could I calm Sren down and save Adenhar?
No solution came to mind.
Then Adenhar, who had been quietly watching the situation, spoke.
“Duke of Crochet. This has gone too far.”
“What has?”
“Rachel does not want to be here. Please release her now. I will take her with me.”
He spoke politely, but his voice was sharp.
Sren scoffed.
“Are you daring to give me orders?”
“It’s not an order. It’s a request. But if reason truly doesn’t work, then I can no longer show you courtesy.”
This was the first time I had ever seen Adenhar like this.
But Sren wasn’t shaken at all.
He stared blankly, then laughed softly.
“No courtesy? That’s amusing.”
“Yes. To protect someone precious to me, I have no choice. Even if I must use force to make you understand.”
The atmosphere was razor-thin, like glass about to shatter. It felt like bloodshed could erupt at any moment.
The two of them exchanged words calmly in that deadly tension.
My fingers fidgeted nervously. I couldn’t calm my heart.
Adenhar, please stop. If you provoke Sren any more, you’ll die.
I had to stop Adenhar first.
But before I could even speak, Sren spoke faster.
“Adenhar Seferta. Aren’t you afraid of the consequences?”
“If I were afraid of that, I wouldn’t be standing here now.”
A darker smile spread across Sren’s lips.
“Then I suppose I don’t need to hesitate anymore about executing someone who touched what’s mine.”
This was bad.
Suddenly, Adenhar’s body shook.
“Kh—!”
The man who had been standing just fine began coughing violently. He covered his mouth, but blood spilled through his fingers.
His face turned deathly pale.
He kept coughing, blood pouring from his mouth. My chest tightened in panic.
“Adenhar!”
Even then, he tried to wave me back, telling me not to come closer.
But blood began flowing from his ears as well.
“Hrk—!”
What was happening?
Sren hadn’t even moved a finger.
Adenhar collapsed to the floor, clutching his ears, writhing in agony.
“Aaaah!”
His body was rapidly becoming soaked in blood.
I couldn’t bear to watch.
At this rate, he would die.
“Sren! Stop it!”
But Sren didn’t listen.
Instead, he calmly walked up to Adenhar and stomped on his palm with his loafer.
Crunch.
The sound of bones breaking echoed.
“Agh!”
Then Sren spoke coldly,
“You know, I rather enjoy training beasts like you who don’t know their place.”
“Ghk—!”
“The more you learn fear, the more amusing it is to watch you crawl at my feet like a dog.”
The aura pouring off him was so dark that my knees nearly gave out.
Sren crouched down, met Adenhar’s gaze, and pulled out his knife.
He drew a straight line across Adenhar’s arm and whispered,
“Where should I cut first? Peeling off your skin might be fun.”
“…Ghk!”
“Or should I start with that filthy tongue of yours? That way, you’ll never say something so insolent to me again. Right?”
The smell of blood grew thicker.
We had finally found a Door Stone. We were so close… so close to escaping this mansion.
I was terrified that Adenhar would die.
I didn’t want him to die.
I rushed forward and wrapped my arms around Sren from behind.
Desperate, I begged,
“Sren, please stop. Please. Adenhar will die.”
I thought he would stop.
Sren had been lenient with me lately. I believed he would listen.
But what he said next shattered that hope completely.
“Rachel. Do you know something?”
“…!”
“This is the first time you’ve ever hugged me first.”
“….”
“You always looked at me like I was disgusting. But for Adenhar’s sake, you’re willing to do even something that repulsive?”
“Sren…?”
Only then did Sren stop moving.
Slowly, he turned his gaze toward me.
But the look in his eyes was colder than ice.
He brushed the corner of my eye with his fingertip.
“Don’t cry.”
Only then did I realize tears were streaming down my face.
“Don’t cry in front of me because of that bastard.”
Sren let out a hollow sigh.
His expression twisted with pain and sorrow.
“Ah… now I understand.”
He whispered softly, staring at me with empty eyes.
“Of course…”
“…!”
“You’re planning to abandon me and leave with Adenhar, aren’t you?”
His hand slid from my face to my neck.
There was no warmth left in his gaze.
When his cold fingers closed around my throat, my body trembled violently.
Staring at me with a face filled with betrayal, Sren muttered,
“I’ll never forgive you.”
His nails dug into my skin.
My breathing grew shallow. My vision blurred.
Then suddenly, he loosened his grip.
He laughed strangely.
“Don’t think you’ll die easily.”
“…Hah…”
“Watch carefully, Rachel.”
Leaving me collapsed on the floor, Sren walked back toward Adenhar.
He casually spun the knife in his hand.
Pointing the blade downward, he whispered,
“I’ll show you something special.”
“…W-what are you… doing…”
“He’s a precious doll you cherish. I can’t let it rot like this.”
My ears rang.
Did he just call Adenhar a doll?
As if confirming it, Sren grinned.
“Shall we begin?”
“…D-don’t!”
“Doll dissection ceremony. Watch closely, Rachel.”
After that, I don’t know what happened.
I don’t know when I lost consciousness.
What I do know is that it became the worst memory I never want to recall again.
