Let’s Block the Ruined Route in Advance

“My life is never going to be smooth sailing.” [KEEEEEEEEEE!!!] 

Eileen yanked at her hair as she watched the hide

ous creature scream.

 

The blackened lake rose with each struggle, and a stench resembling sulfur stung her nostrils.

 

It was only ten days ago that Eileen had vowed to never go near the lake after seeing the original story’s starting point, and yet here she was, standing in front of it. Flash forward to one hour ago.

  

* * *

  

Tommy is gone.

 “I’m sorry, sis. Uhhhhhhhh.” 

Isaac, who had been sneaking off to play in the woods with Tommy, lost him and came back down. The blood drained from Eileen’s face in an instant when he confessed that they had even played around the lake.

 “Why!” 

Cordelia, as well as the other children, had been told not to go to the lake in case they got swept away. But to the children, who were tired of the same old routine, it sounded rather funny.

 

‘I thought Cordelia was the only one who didn’t have to go to the lake…’

 

A new variable. Eileen chewed her lip nervously. She’d tried to avoid the worst of the ending by somehow continuing the fragmented future, but it felt like the original was trying to drag her back in.

 “No. Maybe today isn’t the day.” 

Eileen looked up at the sky, trying to calm herself. There was still an hour and a half until sunset. Anne had gone down to the village a little while ago to call for Gail, but the distance meant she wouldn’t be back before nightfall.

 

‘Even if we got there quickly, there’s nothing we can do against the demon, if this is the day…’

 

If anything, they’d be killed side by side.

 

Rubbing her forehead nervously, Eileen stared at the ceiling and took a deep breath.

 “Let’s just make sure Tommy’s at the lake and be back before nightfall.” 

Cordelia had just left to follow a child tending lambs at the village ranch.

 

‘It’s a good thing I finally got her to leave because she was trying to stick to me.’

 

If Cordelia had been here, she would have insisted on following her.

 

Eileen hurried up the woods path, having sworn to Isaac not to leave the building until Gail returned.

 

She wasn’t sure if today was the day, but she had a bad feeling. After running for a while, she caught the familiar smell of water mist. The lake was close.

 

‘It’s quieter than I thought.’

 

Normally she would have shouted for the child, but she didn’t dare raise her voice in case there were demons around. It was only when Eileen slowed to a trot that she began to search for the child in earnest.

 

A flock of hundreds of birds soared over the forest. Sensing danger, the mountain beasts began to evacuate in unison.

 “No!” 

Eileen’s worst suspicions were confirmed: the shadows cast by the flock of birds blotted out her face.

 

Dazed by the unreal sight, Eileen snapped out of her reverie when a feather fell and brushed her face. As her eyes scanned the chaotic surroundings for Tommy, a familiar voice called to her ears.

 “Sis!” “…Tommy!” 

Tommy burst through the bushes and crashed into Eileen’s arms.

 

 

“Are you okay?”

Eileen cried out as she wrapped her arms around his shaking body.

“Are you hurt?! Are you okay?” “I’m sorry, you told me not to go in the lake and I broke my promise..” “It’s okay, if you’re not hurt, you’re fine.” 

‘Yelling was not the right thing to do right now. At least I found him, so let’s hurry up and get away,’

Eileen thought as she hurried to scoop Tommy up. Tommy blew his nose and spoke again.

 “The dark-haired one helped me get away. Tommy got away, but he… Ugh.” 

The arm that was trying to lift the child gave out. She turned her head in the direction of the lake. She couldn’t see the lake directly, obscured by dense bushes and trees, but an irregular roar announced the presence of a demon.

 

Lucian.

 

He would be there, at the beginning of the Ruined Path.

 

“I love you too, Cordelia.”

 

For a moment, the image of the original Lucian, the one who had controlled and imprisoned Cordelia, flashed through Eileen’s mind.

 

It was right to abandon Lucian and run away. That way, Cordelia wouldn’t be awakened as an Elemental as a result of this, and she wouldn’t be dragged back to the duke’s house and trapped in a life of misery.

 

Demons in the Overlap did not usually leave their habitat. Gail and the villagers would call the Knights, and the orphanage would be spared.

 

But Lucian would surely die.

 “Hah…” “Sister?” 

Eileen grabbed the trembling child’s shoulder firmly and said.

 “Tommy, run straight ahead and don’t look back. When the teacher comes, you must tell her that a demon has appeared.” “What about sister…? Let’s go together!” “I’ll be right behind you. Now go!” 

Tommy hesitated for a moment as Eileen pushed off, then ran down the forest path, and Eileen turned around with a sigh.

 “I wonder if he’s going to braid if he sees this.” 

She wasn’t sure what she could do. But her heart wouldn’t allow her to turn back now.

 

The madman who had pushed Cordelia to her death was not the same Lucian who had helped Tommy. The Lucian of today was nothing more than a ten-year-old child whose trust had been betrayed.

 “Foolish, foolish.” 

Despite clicking her tongue, Eileen’s feet made steady progress toward the lake. She had always been weak to the small and young.

 [!!!!!!!] 

‘What’s that…’

 

The lake came into view as she broke through the trees. The once-blue waters were stained black, and a monstrous creature sat on the surface.

 

Its body looked like the head of a rotting fish hastily stitched together, with dozens of tentacles weaving from it. Eileen’s face went white with horror.

 

Lucian’s foot was caught by a tentacle and held upside down in the air.

  

* * *

  “Ugh…” 

Lucian shuddered,

forgetting to breathe. His ankle ached from the creature’s grip, perhaps from the acidic fluid on the tentacle’s surface. But what frightened him more than the pain was the creature’s eyes, which twisted in amusement.

 [Chhhhhhhhhhh!] 

It held Lucian upside down and shook him lightly like a clockwork. Each time it made a high-pitched sound, it sounded like it was laughing with pleasure.

 

Feeling the blood rush to his upturned head, Lucian glanced down at

the water. It was pitch-black, almost sunset-black, and the darkness waited for him, gaping.

 

‘Help me. Mom…’

 

The price of his young adventure to find a cure for his mother had been harsh. The child’s eyes squeezed shut as he realized his own mortality.

 [KEEEEEEEE!!] 

When Lucian didn’t respond, the creature, apparently bored, threw him to the ground. The tentacle holding him snapped like a whip, and Lucian’s body floated in a parabolic arc before plummeting to the surface.

 “No!” 

A blinding darkness enveloped him. The child choked. The water rushing in through his nose and mouth terrified him, but the total darkness that seemed to make it impossible for anyone to find him was the most terrifying.

 

‘Am I going to die here, and no one will ever know?’

 

He wanted to struggle, but his body was already exhausted from being thrown hard against the surface. Lucian despaired. It was all over.

 

That was the moment he thought.

 “!” 

He still couldn’t see anything, but something grabbed his hand violently. It was warm, unlike the freezing cold water, and Lucian reflexively grabbed it.

 “Gotcha!” 

Eileen watched

him plummet to the surface, then rushed to the shore. Luckily, the tentacle’s toss was close to shore, and once it hit the bottom of the lake, Lucian’s body was carried out to the shallows by the waves.

 

Without hesitation, Eileen dove into the saccharine water. There was no time to think.

 

As she watched the bubbles rising to the surface diminish, she flailed her hands desperately to find Lucian underwater. When her tiny hand finally caught it, Eileen squealed aloud.

 “Kaff! Kaff!” 

Lucian, whose head was pulled out of the water with her help, coughed desperately and violently.

 

Relieved that he was okay, Eileen’s expression of relief soon turned to anxiety as she watched the creature’s behavior. Fortunately, its attention seemed to have wandered away.

 “I know it’s hard, but can you get up? We need to get away now.” “On the bridge… Kaff! Kaff! Power.” 

Lucian, realizing the situation, tried desperately to hold back a cough and stand up. Eileen tucked her head under Lucian’s left arm for support.

 “Once we get away from the lake—” [!!!!!] “Argh!” 

The grotesque creature screamed. Eileen stared at it, bewildered by the ear-splitting sound, then froze.

 

It turned and looked at them, grinning from ear to ear.

 

‘Lucian was the bait?’

 

Lucian pushed Eileen away from the unthinkable.

 “Forget it, come on. Run!” “Ugh.” 

Eileen bit down hard on her lip and tasted the bitter taste of blood. It was too late to run. But…

 “What are you doing? I said run!” “I don’t know! Don’t move!” 

Eileen was not cool enough to actually leave the child who was shivering and telling her to leave him behind.

 

The creature flicked its black tongue and drew its bundle of tentacles together, transforming into a giant awl as it lunged at the two children.

 “Get away from Eileen! Get away from her!!!!!” 

Cordelia’s shout echoed across the lake.

 

At the same time, out of nowhere, a water-colored wolf lunged, tearing out a bundle of tentacles. The ripples from the wolf’s body expanded instantly, sweeping Eileen away.

 

A giant wave.

 

A furious one, at least. Eileen reflexively held her breath, and marveled.

 “Can you breathe?” 

The watery wolf ignored Eileen, focusing its attack squarely on the demon.

 “What the…?” 

Lucian’s mouth was wide open in disbelief. Apparently, he hadn’t seen the wolf.

 

Eileen’s ears caught the sound of a shout as she was distracted by the battle. Turning to the source of the sound, she saw Cordelia walking toward her, looking furious.

 

Her eyes were blue and glowing with lightning in the aftermath of her awakening, and her hair was transcendentally beautiful.

 

Cordelia grabbed Eileen’s shoulder harshly as she stared at her mesmerized.

 “Eileen, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” “It’s…” 

Fierce anger was in her voice. Cordelia squeezed Eileen’s shoulder with such force that Eileen wondered where the strength came from in her slender hands.

 “Eileen. You knew there were monsters in the lake, didn’t you? Isn’t that why you didn’t want me to go there?” 

Eileen’s lips twitched, unable to find the right words.

 “Sorry…” “It’s dangerous, and you’d be dead if I hadn’t come back earlier!” 

Cordelia’s eyes flashed with rage, the light slowly fading from them.

 

Anger, horror, fear, relief, regret.

 

Her eyes were bright red with a mixture of emotions. Eileen’s guilt gripped her as she looked into the wounded child’s eyes.

 

She hesitantly and clumsily wrapped her arms around Cordelia.

“I’m sorry,”

was all she could manage.

 

For a long moment, the two shared a silent warmth.

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