Chapter 54: Please, end our suffering
Everyone stood ready within the hall. Their armour gleamed under the soft light of the lanterns.
Jaden, Selina and Arden wore silver-plated armour, which provided both protection and mobility with swords strapped at Jaden’s waist and Selina’s waist, with a bow resting on Arden’s shoulder.
Navin wore heavy armour made for defence, as a shield and spear rested on his back and left hand.
Shelly wore a dark armour made mostly for mobility with two daggers strapped at her waist. Jamie wore an armour similar to Jaden’s, but his had fewer silver plates, allowing him more mobility with two swords at his waist and a bow resting on his shoulder.
"You want us to wear those cloaks?" Navin questioned as he pointed at a dark, full-body cloak.
Jaden nodded at his words and replied.
"It will make it harder for others to spot us."
Everyone nodded at his words, and Jamie stepped forward as he spoke with a wide grin.
"Time to see blood, heh."
Everyone looked at him with a deadpan look before heaving a sigh and slipping the cloak on.
"Let’s go," Jaden added as he stepped out of the house with a serious expression.
Everyone followed behind him, and their eyes fell on the deserted street before him. All of them turned to look at Jaden, who stood there with a wide grin.
"Ignore that and continue."
He said before walking forward. The others looked at each other and shrugged before continuing on their way. Jaden, who was already a couple of steps ahead of them, turned back and added.
"Quicken your steps, things won’t stay like this for long."
Jaden was ready to sacrifice the galewolves if it was needed for them to leave this damned city, but he still wanted to save them, as they could prove to be useful later on.
A few moments later, the church came into his view and with it came the statue. He stared at the statue for a moment before gesturing to others to stop. All of them stopped, and Selina questioned.
"What’s wrong?"
Jaden pointed at the church’s gates and spoke sombrely.
"The guards... they are still here."
"What now?" Selina questioned, and her worried face became visible due to the moonlight. Jaden looked into her eyes for a moment before looking back at the gates.
"I’ll take care of them."
Jaden stepped forward and called out to his grimoire. Selina stepped forward to stop him, but Navin placed a hand on her shoulder and shook his head.
All of them just stared as Jaden became invisible.
"There’s nothing we can do to help... yet," Navin added with a bittersweet smile as he lowered his head. He bit his lower lip until it bled. Others were the same, but they couldn’t do anything about it. Shelly also had her fists clenched as she lowered her head.
Jaden heaved a deep sigh as he walked towards the guards. Just as he did so, the sound of their chatter reached his ears.
"Are you sure we shouldn’t go and check what’s wrong?" the guard standing at the left questioned with a worried look, and the guard at right, who Jaden knew quite well, answered.
"You know we can’t even if we want to."
The left guard’s expression turned dark as he mumbled in grief.
"Why did our ancestors listen to the words of that damn witch?"
Hearing those words, Jaden stopped in his tracks and focused on the guard’s chatter.
"Andy! We can’t speak of that."
Andy looked at his friend and bit his lip as he mumbled.
"I am sorry, David..."
David walked towards him and patted his back with a reassuring look as he spoke.
"It’s alright... everything would be fine."
Andy turned towards David and asked darkly.
"Do you really think so?"
David’s expression turned dark as a few words slipped out of his lips.
"I do..."
Jaden had already reached behind them, and he was ready to knock both of them out. His body became visible as he lifted his hands and attacked them with the [Shattering Fist ★], much to his surprise, however, both of them dodged it.
Andy raised his eyebrow and looked at Jaden, who stood there with widened eyes, before narrowing his eyes and questioning.
"Lord Jaden... what are you trying to do?"
David also parted his lips to question him, but then his eyes fell on the slightly visible gleaming chestplate. He took out his sword and stepped towards Jaden as he questioned with a faint smile.
"Lord Jaden, have you broken your chains?"
Jaden looked at David’s faint smile, but he could also see the melancholic eye that hid behind that smile.
He replied to him with a short nod.
"I see..." David mumbled as he turned to look at Andy and spoke, "Andy... I am sorry."
Andy turned towards him with a frown as he opened his lips to question, but before he could say anything, a sword pierced his heart. Andy looked at his friend with blood dripping out of his lips as he mumbled.
"W-what...?!" his body fell with a thud as blood flooded out from it; his face, however, had a slight smile on it.
Jaden’s eyes widened. He turned towards David and questioned.
"Why did you kill him?"
Suddenly, the place turned colder as white mist began to seep out from the cracks within the stone bricks.
Jaden took a step back upon seeing that mist.
’It’s the mist of mistwraith...’
Right then, he heard David call out to him.
"Lord Jaden."
Jaden looked at David, who had tears flowing down his face. David gave him a bright smile as he lifted his sword and spoke.
"Please, end our endless suffering."
Jaden felt a pang in his heart and opened his lips to respond, but suddenly the mist moved towards David, as if it had gained life; however, before it could reach him, David pierced his own heart with the sword.
His body fell with a thud, and his last words echoed in Jaden’s head.
"Please... end our suffering."