The Void's Whisper
In a pitch-black room with not a single light on, Zeron poured cheap whiskey into an on-the-rocks glass. Crack. The satisfying sound of the round ice splitting apart. Zeron tilted the glass and wet his tongue. Smokiness with a hint of peat. The faint sweetness hidden within it, and the sharp sting of alcohol that pierced through. Mixed with the buzz from the beer he’d drunk with the kid earlier, the taste wasn’t half bad.
He swirled the glass. Clink. The ice scraped pleasantly against the glass. Pale moonlight spilling in from the window cast a soft glow over the whiskey.
“Maid.”
As soon as he spoke, he sensed a presence outside the door.
“Yes. Is there something you require?”
“Come in for a bit. Want to have a drink with me?”
Creak. The door opened with an odd sound. He glanced over and saw the maid’s silhouette faintly outlined in the moonlight. Straw-colored hair and green eyes that resembled a thicket. But somehow, they weren’t vibrant green—they felt inorganic, almost mechanical.
“I’m on duty, so drinking is not permitted.”
“What kind of duty do you even have besides waiting on me?”
“I have work tomorrow as well.”
“Well, I’m not going to force you.”
He took a sip and unwrapped the macarons he’d brought. The maid glanced at the macarons, then quietly approached and sat across from him.
“Want something to drink?”
“Anything except alcohol.”
“Hmm…”
Zeron stood up. When he opened the refrigerator, he saw sparkling water, orange juice, cranberry juice, milk, and a bottle of Baileys. He grabbed the orange juice and poured it into a glass. While he was up, he also snatched a bottle of Amaretto liqueur. When he returned to his seat, the maid was quietly nibbling on a macaron.
“I didn’t say you could eat those.”
“If you invite someone to drink with you, you should at least provide snacks.”
“Fair enough.”
Zeron chuckled and set the orange juice down in front of her. Then he opened the Amaretto and poured it into his whiskey at roughly a 3.5:1 ratio. He gave the glass a light swirl to mix it. Godfather, complete. He took a sip. Not bad at all. As expected, ‘Gray Label’ made for a damn good Godfather base.
“By the way, is something the matter?”
“No? Why?”
“You usually dislike it when I enter your room.”
The maid’s eyes scanned the space. Empty liquor bottles and glasses scattered everywhere. Clothes were strewn messily near the bed. Still… it was messy, not filthy.
Zeron drank while using the moonlight and macarons as his only company.
“It’s not like I have anything specific. Just felt a bit lonely drinking alone. And I kinda like having you around.”
“If this is you trying to hit on me, I must decline.”
“It’s not that… this feels weird now.”
When Zeron let out a low laugh, the maid gave a faint smile. It was the first time he’d seen her smile.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t even know your name. What should I call you?”
“You’ve been calling me ‘maid’ this entire time without issue.”
“Anyway.”
“And when asking for someone’s name, it is proper etiquette to introduce yourself first.”
“You already know my name.”
“The mood is different.”
Oh, so she had a sense of romance after all? Zeron smirked and held out his glass.
“I’m Zeron.”
The maid smiled faintly and raised her own glass.
“I am Lunalind.”
Clink. The glasses met with a clear ring. It was the finest bell sound to echo through the quiet night. This late-night drinking session, which had begun as a way to chase away loneliness, turned out to have its own charm. Lunalind was a surprisingly good drinking companion.
The next morning, Lunalind informed him that there was a faculty meeting, so he threw on some clothes and left his quarters. The meeting was being held in the Chief Chancellor’s office. As he headed toward the Magic Department building, he saw students bustling about.
“They sure work hard.”
He stuck a cigarette in his mouth and lit it. The nicotine jolted his still-sleepy brain awake. He exhaled slowly, staring blankly at the smoke drifting away in the wind, and soon arrived at his destination. He ground the cigarette butt under his heel and entered the building.
When he climbed the stairs and stepped into the Chief Chancellor’s office on the third floor, the people already there greeted him with intense stares. Should I just rip their necks off? As he pondered that, a cheerful voice flew toward him.
“Whoa, Instructor Zeron! It’s been forever!”
“Umm… Professor Adelia, was it?”
“It’s Iris!”
“Yeah, sure. It has been a while.”
Since he’d never stopped by the faculty office, this was indeed his first time seeing her since the entrance ceremony. Zeron casually dropped into a nearby seat. Soon after, the Chancellor announced the start of the meeting in a solemn voice.
“The reason I called this emergency meeting is because a Void appeared within our academy.”
“What?!”
“A Void…”
“Oh no…”
Amid the varied reactions from the faculty, only Zeron wore a blank expression.
So what the hell is a Void?
He looked at the Chief Chancellor with a face that clearly demanded an explanation. The Chancellor glanced at him from the corner of his eye and opened his mouth.
“It seems there is someone who doesn’t know, so I’ll explain first.”
According to Chief Chancellor Corwen’s explanation, the Void were remnants of destroyed worlds. They were bizarre entities born at the moment when every living thing in a world had lost its breath and the world’s own life force had finally dried up. They stole the world’s energy. Until its pulse finally stopped. And once they had drained every last drop and the world truly fell into ruin, they would cease all movement. There was no set time limit. They would only act again the moment they sensed energy worth stealing. In other words, when a ruined world connected with one that had not yet been destroyed.
“In short, a Rift is like a bridge connecting a ruined world to the continent we live on. It can be one-way or two-way, and there are also cases where fragments of a fragile, ruined world become bound to ours.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Did you understand?”
“More or less. So what’s the conclusion? We just have to be careful, right?”
Whispers of This guy! How rude! stabbed at his eardrums. Zeron picked at his ear and stared straight at the Chief Chancellor. After a brief moment of eye contact, Corwen nodded.
“You’re right. There is no other method yet.”
He took a sip of the tea in front of him and continued.
“However, it would be problematic to speak of this matter recklessly. Of course, those who need to know already do, but if rumors spread among the common people, it could cause unnecessary chaos.”
“Hmm. Yeah, sure.”
I should tell David about this.
Zeron nodded vaguely and let the rest of the conversation flow past him. Fortunately, the meeting didn’t drag on too long. Everyone was a busy person, after all.
Once the meeting ended and Zeron left the Chief Chancellor’s office, someone approached him with light, quick steps.
“Instructor Zeron! Instructor Zeron!”
“What?”
“Are you free today?”
“I’m busy.”
“Liar.”
“I’m serious.”
He stepped outside the building and lit another cigarette. Iris didn’t seem to mind and simply hovered around him.
“This is a date invitation. You’ll regret it if you turn me down.”
“I feel like I’d regret accepting.”
“Ah! Why are you suddenly speaking down to me? Should I do the same?”
“Do whatever you want.”
“Hmph… You really are an iron wall of a man.”
Iris kept chattering away nonstop until their paths finally diverged.
“Well then, take care! See you next time!”
He gave her a half-hearted wave. She squealed with delight and skipped away. Her energy was so chaotic he almost unconsciously threw a punch.
“Something feels off about her.”
Zeron stopped in place for a moment and stared intently at the spot where Iris had disappeared. But no matter how long he stared, he wasn’t a detective. There was no way he’d figure anything out.
“Tsk. Whatever.”
Zeron dropped the cigarette butt on the ground and crushed it beneath his heel.
…Just then Lunalind, who had come to meet him, caught him and nagged him for quite a while.
- Void? Yeah, I know about them. They’ve been around for over a year now.
“What the fuck? Then why didn’t I know?”
- I definitely told you last time. Pretty sure I mentioned it at least three times.
“Ugh.”
Zeron grumbled as he threw himself onto the sofa. Well, there was no way David, with his wide information network, wouldn’t have known.
“Oh, right. But that thing was weird.”
- What was?
“The Void. After I killed it, my body felt a bit better.”
- What…?
The voice coming through the communication device grew serious. The man muttered to himself, Maybe because of the energy the Void had accumulated… In a way, it could be considered life energy… before continuing.
- …Do you need the location data?
“This bastard’s getting all serious again. I told you not to.”
- Of course I have to get serious. Who do you think is responsible for your body ending up like this?
“Responsible? It’s not anyone’s fault. This is just what happened after living my life.”
Zeron grimaced and poured liquor into his glass. Balmore 12 Year Sherry Cask. A personal favorite. It also held meaning for him. He remembered buying it because the bottle looked pretty. Suddenly, that red hair brushed across a corner of his memory.
- …Anyway, I’ll look into the Void’s locations. Tell me anytime if you need it.
“Yeah.”
- And don’t rely too much on alcohol or cigarettes. It’ll only ruin your body more.
“Are you my dad? I’ll take care of myself, so just rest.”
- Alright…
Click. The communication cut off.
Zeron silently downed the drink. For some reason, the alcohol tasted especially bitter today.
Bright red hair. Yes, that nostalgic red hair. But why… How dare some bastard…
His words caught in his throat. Unbearable rage surged all the way to the top of his head. The hand gripping the sword trembled violently.
This damned dream.
Zeron stared clearly at the horrific sight before his eyes. No matter what this dream truly was, he swore he would not leave a single person connected to that tragedy alive.
The Sword Demon made that vow.