Rain of Betrayal, Descent of Wings
"That's not a dog! It's something wearing the form of a dog!"
"Have you sensed any strange auras around here lately?" The voice seeped through the rain like damp chill. The old woman's gaze was fixed on the leather pouch that had fallen into her lap. The heavy weight of the silver coins pressing into her palm throbbed harder than her aged heart. Reason sank deep beneath the cool touch of metal.
"Strange auras? In this rundown orphanage? No such thing would..."
"We're looking for a child. If you have any leads, I'll double what's in that pouch."
The old woman's fingers, stroking the silver, froze for a moment. A sharp glint flashed over her dull eyes. She licked her dry lips and lowered her voice to a rasp, as if squeezing out bone dust.
"...Come to think of it, there's this silver-haired brat huddled in the end room who's been giving me the creeps."
"What about her?"
"Lately, things around that girl have been getting downright weird."
The director's breath grew shallow. "Hoo..." Her wrinkled throat twitched nervously. For the past few days, she hadn't slept a single full night. The shadows in the hallway swelled wildly every evening, and in her dreams, blood-red eyes tore into her skull like ripping eardrums. Sleep deprivation gnawed at her nerves, spilling out like a waterfall from her lips.
"Yes! That brazen thing demands extra food and snaps at me, and ever since she came, I've been tormented by horrific nightmares every night—my bones ache from it. And that brown-haired girl always stuck to her side drips this uncanny bad vibe everywhere she goes."
Silent gazes intertwined amid the rain-soaked robes. A subtle nod of the chin. The slope of shoulders. That was enough. Through the old woman's excited breaths echoed faint traces of the unidentified magic that had shaken the Asphodel Club.
"If you're taking those girls, we've fed and raised them with care, so just a bit more money..."
The old woman's thin lips curved into a smile. In that instant, the merciless rain battering the old front door faded into distant echoes. An unnatural silence choked the air. As the old woman frowned and started to lift her head—
Crack! A dull snap, like a waterlogged branch forcibly twisted and broken. A shadow shot from the hem of the pitch-black robe like a striking viper, piercing the old woman's wrinkled neck in one thrust.
Her scream boiled up from her esophagus and died. Focus scattered in her grotesquely bulging dull eyes. The leather pouch slipped from her convulsing hands.
Clink! Silver coins rolled across the floor as dark red blood poured down like a torrent.
Workers emerging from the darkness with lamps froze at the pool of blood.
"Wh-what... Aaaagh!"
"Help—gurk!"
Screams faded without piercing the rain. Dozens of shadow blades split from the floor, slashing viciously through the air. The old hallway crumbled into a slaughterhouse carpeted in red. Thick metallic stench swallowed the damp earth smell and rose stickily.
"This way. I sense something alien."
"Let's go."
The robed figures trudged indifferently through the blood-slick boots toward the end room, melting silently into the darkness.
Rumble!
"Ugh... so noisy."
I woke to the massive thunder shaking the window. I rubbed my eyes and tossed in bed. The rain was pouring so hard I could even hear droplets plinking from the old ceiling.
"Yawwwn..."
I stretched with a huge yawn and—pop! Sparks flew.
"Huh?"
The rainbow yarn from playing with Elia earlier was still wound tight around my finger.
"Eek... it's stuck."
Gotta untangle it. Falling asleep mid-play? Embarrassing for an adult.
'Wait, am I an adult?'
Thinking about it, I'm a girl now. Should I act grown-up? Nah! This is a novel world. I'm a 10-year-old girl body... yeah, gotta be mature. Might meet Elia, and that Roën kid too. Can't lose ground. As the adult, I gotta take the lead. But how?
"Nngh... tricky..."
Lessons from my office worker days flickered just out of reach. So hard.
Suddenly, soundly sleeping Kkamang bolted upright.
"Grrrrr..."
Kkamang bared teeth at the door crack.
"Kkamang? What's wrong?"
"Grrrng..."
Even to my question, Kkamang growled low and menacing. Her black fur bristled. Something like red round eyes blinked inside it.
'Did my Kkamang have this power?'
Some special ability, huh.
'Why's Kkamang mad?'
I blinked sleepy eyes toward the door. Outside, splash-splash sounds. Heavy boots stepping in puddles, approaching. A fishy, musty smell hit my nose.
"Ugh... guests?"
I mumbled sleepily, fiddling with the yarn on my finger.
Then it happened. The quiet blue chat window in my vision suddenly glitched wildly.
The chat flashed red again. Cradle sis was mad. The others reacted like it was fun. As I tilted my head—
Bang!!
Splintered wood sprayed into the air like screams. Beyond the shattered doorframe stretched long, red, sticky trails. Ragged wet breaths crumbled into the rain. Pitch-black robes steeped in fishy air melted into the darkness.
Cold gazes swept the beds. Elia's thin shoulders shuddered at the explosion and the horrors outside. Beside her, Chloe just stared blankly into space. Her amethyst innocence remained eerily serene even before the intruders.
The men's eyes, forged in thick magic, first locked on the silver-haired girl. At the end of senses delving into the abyss: transparent void. An inner shell sweetly empty like sugar sculpture melting in sunlight. A blind idiot's husk that even magic's principles couldn't touch.
"That child's an empty vessel. Not a speck of mana."
"The old hag babbled nonsense. Then..."
The men's steps shifted. They halted before Elia, trembling like aspen leaves.
Silence. Jaws under robes hardened in unison. On their magic-veiled retinas gleamed the blind light flowing through the unassuming girl's veins. Overwhelming, majestic divinity too vast for her thin skin.
"...Found her."
Joy and murder oozed thick in the man's suppressed voice.
"That wench is the next saintess bud."
"Lucky. Tracking the club's magic led to a saintess, of all things..."
Bluish magic bloomed like frost from their fingertips.
"Eliminate before the church notices."
As strangling shadows stretched long—
"Yip!"
A small furball burst through the dark. Kkamang, crouched at Chloe's feet, flew at the robe hem with tiny teeth bared.
The man's hand swatted like brushing a pesky bug, slicing gracefully through air.
Thud!
"Kyaaang!"
With a dull rupture, the broken body spun and crashed into the wall. Blood seeped red and mournful from soft fur into wood grains. Her pitiful breaths crumbled into the rain.
"Kkamang!"
Color drained from Elia's lips. The door's carnage and crushed blood textures overlaid cruelly on her wet retinas. Death's terror choked her breath. Yet the girl didn't step back.
Elia thrust out her trembling arms, ready to shatter.
'I-I have to protect her!'
That thought alone filled her mind. Because of the horrific scene beyond the open door.
'They might hurt our orphanage friends too!'
Elia fully shielded the blankly seated Chloe behind her cool back.
'What do I do?'
But Elia could do nothing. Only one thing.
Before the advancing black shadows, tears streamed as she clasped thin hands desperately. Beneath wet lashes, primordial light from her soul's depths—never learned—burst as prayer.
"Please... help us!"
Her green eyes split blood-dark, piercing air brilliantly.
"Heavenly radiance!"
"Ugh? Kkamang!"
I jumped when Kkamang slammed into the wall. Not content with smashing our door, these bad guys kicked my cute Kkamang!
Definitely thieves or bandits. I clenched my fists to confront them.
'Mess with me and Kkamang'll bite ya!'
But Elia suddenly hugged me tight, hiding me behind her back. Her little back trembled.
"Heavenly radiance!"
Then she bawled, clasped hands, and chanted nonsense!
'Heavenly radiance?'
Oh, the god name in Argentia? I strained my sleepy brain.
That instant—
Kaboom!!
Eardrum-shattering roar exploded.
"Ugh! My ears!"
Too loud, I clamped my ears—and wow.
"Whoaaa!"
The orphanage roof blasted off whole! "Kyaaa!" "Mommy!" Other kids screamed awake. Pitch-black stormy sky split open.
But more shocking: a massive dazzling golden pillar struck our room like lightning.
Kabang!
"Whoa! Fireworks!"
I shielded eyes with yarn-wrapped hand, mouth agape. In blinding gold, huge dove-like golden wings flapped slowly down. A beautiful female angel descended in holy glow.
I was awed.
'Whoa! Total cliché!'
Chloe's awakening now. To villain raid! Saintess cutscene in crisis. Adult knowledge nailed it. Generic rom-fan has guardian spirits standard. Timing: early plot.
That cool angel'll punish the baddies now.
"Filthy minions of the abyss!"
The angel drew flaming sword, declaring coolly at intruders.
"To dare extend your foul claws to the Lord's pure lamb... I won't forgive you!"
Whoa, holy flames! Fire raced blade. Room warmed instantly. Baddies didn't yield.
"Mere low angel... think you block abyss power?!"
They spewed purple flames from hands.
Huh, not just bandits? Magic means evil org. I clapped with yarn hand.
"Whoa... fight!"
Cliché, angel and Elia win, right? Chat agreed.
'Whoa! Scale's huge!'
As I innocently admired, fiddling yarn—
"Hah... hah..."
Something soft and warm touched my calf. Looking down: Kkamang, squished against wall moments ago, rubbed against my leg, tail wagging.
"Huh? Kkamang! You okay?"
Kkamang licked my hand innocently, like nothing happened. Immortal cheat pet! I scooped her up, excitedly watching the roofless rainy room.
"Win! Win!" I decided to cheer.