Chapter 88: The Disappearing Link and the Shadow of Merzerk
The morning sun over Athelgard felt artificial, filtered through the smog and the heavy magical barriers that protected the Inner City. Silas Thorne adjusted his silver-rimmed glasses as he walked through the pristine hallways of St. Jude's Academy for Girls. Unlike the grim, blood-stained stones of Rollv 13, this place smelled of expensive wax and old books.
Silas stood in the Principal's office, his presence like a cold shadow in the warm room. The Principal, a stout man with a nervous twitch, fumbled with a stack of student records.
"I've already told you, Mr. Thorne," the Principal said, his voice trembling. "We don't usually release student information without a court order."
"And I've already told you," Silas replied, his voice a low, dangerous purr. "I am representing a case involving a high-level Vane threat. If you withhold information, the Ministry of Justice will consider you a collaborator. Now, I'll ask one last time: Do you have a student named Miku in the 10th Grade?"
The Principal gulped and quickly flipped through a digital file. "Yes... yes, here she is. Miku... her last name is not listed, she was a scholarship student. But wait..." He squinted at the screen. "She hasn't been to school in two weeks. Ever since the incident at the Sector 7 border."
Silas narrowed his eyes. Two weeks. Exactly the timeframe when the Church of the God of Curses began its recruitment surge. "Give me her address. Now."
The Principal printed a small slip of paper, his hands shaking. "It's an apartment block in the Lower Sectors. But Mr. Thorne, she was such a quiet girl. Why is she involved in this?"
Silas didn't answer. He snatched the paper and walked out, his heels clicking sharply on the polished floor. Miku was gone, and she had left a trail of chaos in her wake.
Rollv 13: The Visitor's Gate
In the bowels of the prison, Ren was sitting on the floor, his back against the damp, cold wall. Hana was fast asleep, her head resting on Ren's shoulder. Even in sleep, her face was etched with pain, and every few minutes, she would flinch, her useless legs twitching slightly. Ren remained motionless, afraid to wake her, his own body aching from the heavy chains.
Suddenly, the heavy iron bars at the front of the cell echoed with the sound of approaching footsteps. Ren looked up, his eyes sharp even in his exhausted state.
Three figures stopped in front of the bars. They were dressed in the standard Academy uniform, looking completely out of place in this hellhole.
"Ren?"
It was Adam. Beside him stood Mika and Lira. Adam looked terrible; his usual stoic face was broken by a look of deep, agonizing guilt. Mika was fidgeting with her hair, looking around the dark corridor with disgust, while Lira stood with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable.
"What are you guys doing here?" Ren whispered, carefully shifting so he wouldn't disturb Hana.
"How did you get into this mess, Ren?" Mika asked, her voice cracking. "I mean, we heard rumors at the Academy, but seeing you in chains... it's real."
Adam stepped closer to the bars, his hands gripping the cold steel. "Ren... I'm sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn't reported the mission details so strictly... if I had just kept my mouth shut about the interference..."
"Shut up, Adam," Ren interrupted, his voice tired. "You did your job. I'm the one who drew a gun on you. I knew the consequences."
Ren gently leaned Hana's head against the wall, placing his coat behind her for support. He stood up slowly, the chains on his wrists and ankles clanking with a heavy, metallic rattle. He walked to the bars, staring his friends in the eye.
"You shouldn't be here," Ren said. "If the Higher-ups see you talking to me, they'll think you're part of the 'Forsaken' conspiracy. You're risking your careers."
"Careers?" Lira scoffed. "I didn't even want to come. These two practically dragged me out of the training hall. They said a friend was in trouble."
"At least someone here is honest," Mika snapped at Lira. "Adam felt like he was going to die from guilt, and I couldn't just sit there while you were being processed for a death sentence!"
"Stop it, both of you!" Adam shouted. "Look at him! Look at where we are! This isn't the time for your petty bickering."
Ren looked at them, a small, hollow smile appearing on his lips. "It's good to see you guys. But tell me the truth. Why did you come? What's happening outside?"
The atmosphere shifted instantly. Mika and Lira stopped arguing, and Adam's face went pale.
"There's a trial date," Mika said, stepping forward. "We heard that you got a lawyer from the Enoki estate. A guy named Silas?"
"Yeah," Ren nodded. "He's... intense."
"He needs to be," Lira said, her voice dropping. "Because the other side just brought in the big guns. Mika, you tell him."
"No, I'll tell him!" Lira insisted.
"I'm the one who heard it first!" Mika pushed Lira back. "Ren, the families of the people who died in the Church fire... they've joined together. They've hired the top lawyer in all of Athelgard. A man who has never lost a case in the Royal Court. His name is Mr. Merzerk."
Ren froze. The name hit him like a physical blow. Merzerk. The same name as the fallen King of Onyx Reach. "Merzerk? A lawyer?"
"He's more than a lawyer, Ren," Adam said, his voice grim. "He's a political powerhouse. He represents the elite families of the Inner City. And he's out for blood. He's going to argue that you didn't just 'interfere'—he's going to argue that you and your sister were working with the God of Curses to stage a massacre."
Ren gripped the bars so hard the metal groaned. "A massacre? What are you talking about? It was a church full of cultists!"
Mika looked down at her shoes, her voice trembling. "That's the bad news, Ren. There were others in that church. Innocent people who had been kidnapped from the Inner City. People with powerful last names. When the fire started... they didn't make it out. Total 47 civilians. And Merzerk is blaming you for their deaths."
Ren's world spun. 47 deaths. Innocent people. He thought back to the fire Adam had started, the orders he had given. He realized now that Silas Thorne wasn't just fighting a 'Forsaken' case anymore. He was fighting a death penalty.
"Who..." Ren whispered, his heart pounding. "Who exactly died?"
Before Adam could answer, a loud buzzer echoed through the visitor's hall. The lights flickered red.
"Time's up! Visitors, clear out!" a guard's voice boomed.
"Ren, we'll try to find more info!" Adam shouted as the guards began to push them back. "Just stay alive!"
Ren watched them being dragged away. He sank back to the floor, the weight of the "47 deaths" crushing his soul. He looked at Hana, who was still sleeping, oblivious to the fact that the entire city now saw her as a murderer.