The next morning Mani sat propped against the bed's wooden headboard, finally free from that suffocating dark void. The guards surrounded her, Leonard standing closest, the captain seated on a wooden chair, while the muscular guard and another officer remained on their feet. Questions came in waves about the guild, the massacre, how she'd survived.

"Wait, so you were unconscious the whole time?" the captain asked, disappointment creeping into her voice.

"Yes," Mani replied, meeting the captain's gaze.

The captain's shoulders sagged slightly. He'd clearly hoped Mani had seen the hunter's face. But Mani had seen it, she just couldn't say. The soul eater's warning echoed in her mind, forbidding her from speaking the truth. Part of her wanted to defy it, wanted this shadow hunter caught and dealt with, but fear of that thing inside her kept her silent.

"You said this is the same person who killed the vice-captain's sons before this happened?" The muscular guard's voice cut through her thoughts.

"Yes."

"Why didn't you report this sooner? Why did you hide it from us?"

Mani's fingers tightened on the blanket. "I was forced not to."

The guard's eyes narrowed, suspicion hardening his features. The captain leaned forward in her chair, wood creaking beneath her weight. "What do you mean? You can't tell me a mage like you was simply forced not to. Did they threaten you?"

Mani's throat constricted as she nodded. "Yes." The word came out barely above a whisper.

"There was another mage, far more powerful than me, far stronger. His name was Jason," Mani continued.

"Ah, right. The Vice-Captain's other son," the captain said, recognition dawning.

The guard standing nearby shifted his weight. "We found his body at the scene. His head was severed."

Mani's stomach churned at the image. "They didn't want me to report it because they wanted to kill the man who did it themselves. I gave them a description of what the person looked like, but even then, he was still wearing a mask."

When this happened, where were they exactly?" the muscular guard pressed.

"They were at the Crossroads base. That's where they met him again."

The captain leaned forward, voice low but firm. "So you're telling me he killed about seven members on his own before coming here and killing the rest. Why target the Black Cloud Guild?"

Before Mani could respond, the captain raised a hand. "I know you said you don't know earlier, but try to think of something. Why would he target your guild? You're not the only guild in Aria."

Mani shook her head, eyes fixed on the blanket in her lap. "I don't know. Even I don't know why he killed them. Only the vice-captain and captain knew—none of the others. They wouldn't tell me. I tried asking questions. They still wouldn't say anything."

Her voice faltered, trembling as her arms shook and she squeezed the blanket tightly. "In the end, I was almost killed for something I didn't even understand. And I... I..."

Leonard spoke softly, trying to ease the tension in the room. "Don't worry, nothing's going to happen to you. The important thing is that you survived."

He turned to the guards. "Gentlemen, if you're done with your questions, I believe I must excuse you. My patient needs rest."

The Captain stood and nodded. "Of course. We've asked plenty already. No need to repeat ourselves."

The muscular guard shot a lingering, suspicious glance at Mani, clearly unsettled by her claim of not knowing Tyler at all. The other guard echoed, "Right, we'll take our leave."

They exited the room and walked down the hallway, eventually stepping out into the town of Aria.

The muscular guard's face tightened, as if holding back troubling thoughts. Noticing this, the other guard asked, "What's wrong?"

"Don't you find it suspicious how she got spared?" the muscular guard murmured.

The Captain had already turned toward the Hunter Assessment Center, followed by the others.

The second guard responded, "Not really. She said she was unconscious inside the building when it was wrecked. In all the chaos, maybe the Shadow Hunter didn't see her."

The muscular guard frowned deeper. "I know, but why was she inside? She said the others went outside."

The other guard reminded him, "She's a crystal mage. Trauma could have made her stay."

"I honestly didn't know crystal mages felt that way," the muscular guard admitted as they continued walking, the tension easing slightly.

The other guard nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, I didn't know about the consequences of using that ability until about a month ago. Guess you can't really underestimate it, even if they only feel half of what the other person feels."

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The muscular guard frowned. "How come so many people don't know about this?"

"Well," the other guard explained, "crystal mages are pretty rare, and most don't grow that powerful. What really makes them famous is this life tracking ability and mostly what it does to them."

The muscular guard looked ahead, rubbing his chin. "I honestly didn't know about that."

He hesitated, then added, "But still, I can't shake this feeling. It's like she knows more than she's letting on."

The other guard nodded slowly. "Yeah, you're right. I also get that feeling, like she's hiding something. But then again, I don't think she's purposely keeping secrets. With how she looked… the poor girl is probably scarred for life. She may never fully recover."

The muscular guard glanced over. "Yeah, she probably won't be going on hunts again anytime soon."

The other guard looked up at the sky as if lost in thought, then smiled faintly. "How old did she say she was?"

"Twenty two," the muscular guard replied.

The other guard stayed silent for a beat, then grinned. "Twenty two, huh?"

Curious, the muscular guard asked, "Hey, what are you thinking?"

The other guard smirked and shrugged. "Nothing."

The muscular guard smiled knowingly. "Yeah, right. I know what you're thinking."

The other guard looked at him, feigning innocence. "What? No, it's not what you think. I swear."

He chuckled softly. "No need to deny it, after all, you did say you like the vulnerable ones."

The other guard shrugged. "Well, it's not often you see that in hunters."

With a sigh, the muscular guard said, "But seriously, what's with your interest in female hunters?"

The other guard smirked, "You wouldn't understand."

Their quiet banter continued as they followed the captain to the assessment building.

Meanwhile, inside the clinic room, Mani sat alone on the bed, still trying to process everything. Leonard entered quietly and approached her.

Mani looked up quickly. "Sir, if you don't mind me asking… You said the one who brought me here was a boy named Kai, right?"

Leonard nodded. "Yes, he found you unconscious at the scene and brought you here."

Mani replied, "Well, I'd like to know where he lives. I want to thank him."

Leonard hesitated, then said, "I don't really know where he stays. He doesn't have a home, he's a street kid."

Mani whispered, surprise flickering through her voice. "A street kid?"

Leonard nodded. "Yes. He was the one who found you unconscious at the scene."

Mani's mind raced. So he's a street kid without a home? Suddenly, the soul eater's voice echoed in her thoughts, sharp and commanding: "Interesting. This is perfect. We need to get him on our side as soon as possible. You need to leave this place, now."

Her eyes met Leonard's as he approached, holding a glass of water. She forced herself steady and asked quietly, "Does he live in this town? Or did he come from somewhere else?"

Leonard shook his head. "No, he's always been here. I found him here before turning this building into a clinic."

Mani's expression tightened with determination. "Do you know where I can find him?"

Leonard tilted his head, studying her closely. After a moment, he said, "You'll mostly find him at the marketplace during the day. When I buy supplies, he's usually there… though not always."

Mani's breath hitched as she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, planting her feet firmly on the cold floor. The urgency in her veins surged, and she said with quiet resolve, "I need to go see him."

Leonard's hand shot out to gently hold her shoulder. "Wait. No."

Her body jerked away sharply as she stood, meeting his gaze with steel.

"I'm sorry," Leonard said, his voice firm and concerned, "but you're not well enough. You haven't truly recovered."

Mani's voice was steady, though tension showed beneath the surface. "I'm fine. I'm not hurt anymore."

*That's because I healed your body," Leonard reminded her carefully. "But your mind… your spirit, they're still broken."

Her chest heaved with a mix of defiance and fragile hope. "I said I'm fine."

Leonard saw Mani's determined steps toward the door and called out, "Wait, I can't just let you go. What am I supposed to say to the guards if they return? Or if the vanguard shows up and they need to question you?"

Mani didn't look back. " Just say i left."

Leonard sighed but nodded. "Alright then, but wait."

He suddenly rushed past her in the hallway, catching Mani by surprise. As she moved further to the door, Leonard returned, carrying something in his hands.

"Here," he said, holding out a blue dress and a pair of shoes. "These belonged to my old patient. She left them here a long time ago. You should wear this your clothes were torn, so I had to change you into that white dress."

Mani's cheeks flushed hot at the realization that Leonard had changed her clothes.

Without thinking, she slapped him sharply across the face.

Leonard's eyes widened in shock as he turned his head away, rubbing his cheek.

"Why did you-?" he began, but Mani struck him again before he could finish.

Anger surged through Leonard's expression. "What the hell was that for? Are you seriously hitting me for helping you? Listen, I do this for all my patients. I can't help you heal every part of your body if I don't try, even if you don't consent."

Mani heard the soul eater's voice linger in the back of her mind, dripping with disbelief, "Seriously?" She knew it was directed at her, probably because of her defiant actions.

"I don't care," Mani muttered softly. "You didn't have to undress me."

Leonard opened his mouth to respond, but this wasn't the first time he'd faced such resistance. He'd dealt with similar situations, women reluctant to trust him after he'd cared for them. Clenching his teeth, he swallowed his reply, then extended his hand, offering Mani the clothes.

Mani took the blue dress and shoes, then stepped into the room the men had come from. She closed the door behind her with a sigh, as if releasing held breath.

The soul eater's voice pressed again in her mind, "You know, you could have just told him you needed to use the restroom and slipped away."

Flushing slightly with embarrassment, Mani snapped, "Don't talk to me."

She quickly changed into the sleeveless blue dress as Leonard stood outside, arms folded, still feeling the sting on his cheek from her slap.

It's fine, he thought to himself. Even if I let her go, they already finished questioning her. The vanguard isn't coming here specifically, they'll rely on the regular guards to investigate. Besides, she hasn't been very helpful so far.

His thoughts were interrupted as Mani emerged from the room wearing the blue dress. She cast a brief glance at Leonard, then stepped out into the sprawling streets of Aria.

Mani walked through the familiar streets of the town of Aria. Although she was becoming more accustomed to her surroundings, she knew she still had some distance to cover to reach the bustling marketplace. She was close to the Hunter Assessment Center, but it was farther away from her current path, so she continued along the cobblestone roads towards the market.

As townspeople passed by and children played near the street, Mani's thoughts returned to the soul eater's explanation. She remembered that for the soul eater to manifest within a crystal mage, ten related souls had to die within a single day, a grim condition met when the shadow hunter killed more than ten people in one day.

The soul eater had described in a twisted, maniacal tone how it consumed the souls and found them delicious, yet it was unable to consume the captain's soul, as if the soul had been erased from existence. It also told Mani that with every soul consumed, it grew stronger and hinted that this dark power would somehow help Mani grow stronger as well.

These grim recollections strengthened Mani's resolve as she neared the marketplace, preparing herself for the next step in her journey through the town.

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