His body changed again right before he ran out of Solemn Bullets. The gun disappeared, his hands returned, and his body became a homogenous dark shadow with a pair of crimson eyes staring down at the ground.

His figure was hunched over, as though burdened by the weight of his past.

< "… I have always been listening to other hearts." >

< "But the ones I chose to ignore were the ones that would have stopped me from wandering astray." >

"You spoke evil. You saw evil. And now, my voice won't reach you, because you'll only hear evil." Frost recognized this pattern.

It followed the name of the Monkey Brothers who were employed to Corrupt the triplets.

And it was also the main vice that plagued them.

A pair of giant hands clasped at where his ears would be, and he did not move again. His body continued to ripple and morph unstably as Frost reached towards him.

He's going to become an Eternal Night Corrupted. The Leviathan will take serious damage if we're not careful. But it doesn't seem like he's going to attack. I'll eliminate him as soon as I detect a dangerous Skill.

//////// < WARNING > ////////

< Raoul's Corruption has progressed >

< ETERNAL NIGHT >

< THE ARBITER'S TRUMPET RESONATES >

The Mourning Light

< In our deepest sorrow do we realize that to live is to overstay our welcome >

ATTRIBUTE : Sorrow

< "I ignored exchanges of caution by believing in another voice. It would be best to close it all out and mourn in eternal silence." >

"Cer could only hear about her shortcomings despite being the most true to herself of your sisters. She heard everything, but never once strayed from that path. I watched her. I even doubted her because I thought she was the weakest of the triplets. But I could not have been more wrong."

Frost spoke into his mind.

"Ber couldn't speak about what she wanted to become. She never wanted to be a replacement for Res. Neither did she have someone to talk to about it. She was made to believe it was wrong. If you saw her now, you wouldn't believe she was the same person."

"And Res could only see a world scrambled by a CognitO Filter. She was also afraid of bloodshed, so she killed her senses to hide it. But she came to realize that the good and bad make the colors of this world."

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

"Raoul. What is it that you want? You still haven't told me your wish."

The twins stood just a few meters away from Frost. Their expressions hadn't changed, as though they didn't know why they had approached in the first place.

But their eyes didn't move away from Raoul's.

"… Is Raoul…"

"… Broken too…?"

"Raoul hearing…"

"… Tick tock…?"

"Again…?"

"… because of us…?"

"Because we…"

"… were taken into the Leviathan…?"

"It's because of himself. Don't you dare blame yourselves." Frost warned as a fluffy swan tail sprouted from behind her to wrap them up. "Raoul needs to face himself and come to terms with it. No matter how much he wants to scream, close his eyes, or shut his ears."

"… Raoul…"

"… is sad…?"

"He is. Won't you hold him when he returns?"

Frost felt something warm inside of his shadowy form. He was still in the middle of fully manifesting into his Corrupted form, as though his Ego was finally fighting back against the Shadows that tried to consume him.

Then, out of nowhere, Orth and Thras uttered something that caused Frost's train of thought to lapse.

"… Can't…"

"Because we…"

"… are not allowed…"

"Want to."

"For a long time."

"But…"

"Script said not to."

Frost turned her head. Blood drained from her face.

"Act X ordered you not to…?"

The coat of her feathers ruffled.

They were telling the truth.

If she had not become Tempered, then she would have been consumed by wrath that very instant.

< "My wish…" >

< "I can't wish anymore." >

< "All I can do is hope for the best." >

< "But hope cannot last forever." >

< "All stars are destined to die." >

His form steadily shrunk. But its presence grew astronomically, to the point where Frost noticed that she was feeling a crushing pressure around her hand. It didn't hurt, but it was not negligible.

It did not belong to a mere Eternal Night Corrupted.

< [The Wolf Without Light, Lacking Heed] >

< Misery knocks for me. Sorrow follows as its mistress. Despair shall come to whisk me off my feet >

< "Nihility… arrives when all hope is lost." >

//////// < EXTREME WARNING > ////////

< Raoul's Corruption will significantly progress >

The mysterious force that had previously pried Frost from Raoul did not arrive this time.

Whether it was because she was already in direct contact with Raoul, or because he had already Corrupted was something she'd have to ponder on later.

Because no sooner than this warning appeared–

< Raoul the Jester has been Suppressed >

– She tore her hand out from his body with a brilliant flash of light and killed him in an unceremonious fashion.

"I'm sorry Raoul, but I'd rather not have someone Corrupt into a Woe of the Fallen Star in the middle of the Nex Megalopolis. I understand you now, at the very least. But what happens from here on out will depend entirely on you. While I can guide people to follow the right path, I can't save you from yourself."

His body crumpled onto her shoulder. The Corruption disappeared without a trace, leaving behind Raoul's bleeding body.

"The only person you can really heed is you. I hope you learned something. Or at least have properly faced your vices. Abigail. Show me where I need to bring him."

"O-Oh… Y-Yes!"

Abigail hadn't realized she had been standing there, watching this all unfold in real time. She held a newfound level of respect for Frost.

"Follow me! I'll be quick!"

"Amalgam. Frost, if I may. Or Mother, if you prefer."

Acedia spoke.

"What is the purpose of fighting for someone who has given up on hope? Less to hold a conversation with a traitor? Raoul has caused major trouble for the Nexus. I've heard many Moons were killed during the War in Grandis. Is he not to take responsibility?"

"If we punished him alone for all of that, then we'd be making a scapegoat out of him. I want to hold everyone responsible for what they've done, not for what others have. Besides, I already explained that he's received his punishment."

The twins followed Frost like a pair of ducklings as she shadowed Abigail down the hatch.

"And Acedia. I don't think Raoul has given up hope. If he had, then he'd firmly be branded under the Sin of Acedia. He's their brother anyway. And he'll be your Repenter."

"I will try to understand." Acedia smiled.

"You will understand." Frost urged. "Have some empathy. That's the fastest way to reach me."

The white-haired Mimicry was left to feast on those parting words. She salivated at the thought, her mouth opening to reveal a trove of thousands of teeth and tiny eyes. But she then shut it and placed a finger on her chin.

"How do I gain empathy? Should I follow what humans do? But I don't see many humans sparing people, unless it's to eat them as humans do. Is keeping them as pet a form of empathy? Is patting Abigail's head empathy, or is that what humans call kindness? If it were to lick the insides of a person's throat, is that love?"

Acedia had no way to know, as these were concepts that accompanied such emotions. But if she did enough, then would it at least pass for the real thing? She had been trying these things on people whenever she had the chance.

Of course, they were enemies, so she had a valid reason to take these acts to the extreme.

"It would be easier to kill Raoul than to let him keep living. But that's why I'm still Acedia, and not 'you', Mother. Every day spent with you is a learning experience. I shall try it with my next training partner when we make our next stop. Reach for their eyes and pluck them. Shove my hand into their chest and stroke their heart. But would that also be a form of romance? I should ask Abigail."

She smiled as though she had reached an epiphany before descending into the hatch.

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