Conspiracy Hidden (Tower)

In a quiet residential area in the center of the city, a 12-year-old girl was hiding in the dark. Her bright eyes stared at a house on the opposite side like a wolf, as if she was waiting for a prey to come out.

At this moment, the house door was open, and a black-haired teenager about 13 or 14 years old went out with a bamboo basket, seemingly on an errand to purchase daily necessities.

Ingrid: Finally...I finally found you...Enoch...today is your doomsday!

Ingrid's malice was strong enough to startle the sparrows on the tree. Intimidated by her aura, they all fluttered away.

Ingrid: Why do I have to protect this guy? Are you kidding? Even if it's a prophecy of the Dreamland, I still can't accept it! I need to overthrow my fate!

Ingrid tailed Enoch quietly. When no one was passing by, she drew out a dagger and sneaked up on him, but the attack was a miss as Enoch happened to bend over to pick up a silver coin on the ground.

Enoch: A coin! Today is my lucky day—Whoa! Who-who are you? You showed up all of a sudden! You scared the hell out of me.

Ingrid: Who I'm is not your business. Just to tell you today you’ll be dead!

Enoch: Huh? Wh—Wow!

Not waiting for Enoch's reaction, Ingrid waved the dagger in her hand. Enoch could only dodge it, but a blood stain was still left on his cheek. At this moment, he finally realized that Ingrid really meant to kill him, and that was when Enoch started to take it seriously.

Ingrid: Tut! Why do you keep dodging! Stay put!

Enoch: Are you kidding me? I’ll be killed!

Ingrid: No worries! I’ll give you a decent funeral, and pray every year on your death date.

Enoch: No thanks!

Ingrid: Not an option—AHH!

Ingrid: “My body hurts...what happened…"

???: "...How dare you defy me...Punish...Haha...You shall be punished…”

Suddenly, several men came out from the dark; their eyes were hollow and their mouths were wide-opened unconsciously. It seemed that they were controlled by something as they slowly approached Ingrid and each of them pulled out their sharp weapons in an attempt to attack her. But she could not fight back nor avoid it.

Ingrid: “Ha, I probably deserve it.”

Ingrid accepted the destiny of her death, but what happened next was beyond her expectations— Scrape! The bamboo basket hit one of the men; Enoch took the gap and came to Ingrid, holding her hand, shouting.

Enoch: RUN!

Ingrid’s body was faster than her brain. She ran forward desperately with Enoch, until they could no longer see those men.

Ingrid, who knelt on the ground in exhaustion, raised her head and looked at Enoch, who was leaning against the wall and panting. Her beautiful, childish face became full of doubts. A question followed.

Ingrid: Why...why bother to save me! I was trying to kill you!

Enoch: ...I can't bear to see anyone die in front of me...So I...saved you…

Ingrid: ...Puff! Hahaha, really...You’re such a dumb, big idiot!

Enoch: Hey, this is way over...By the way, why did you want to kill me? Is someone threatening you?

Ingrid: I won’t tell you. Find it out by yourself.

Enoch: Huh?...Hey! Don’t go! I still haven’t—

However, Ingrid refused to listen. She leaped onto the eaves and walked away. From that moment, her mind had completely changed. She became more eager to accept her own mission—

Ingrid: “This pushover will get himself killed if I let it be. I have no choice but to protect him.”

For these four years, Ingrid had been secretly protecting Enoch. Although Ingrid had thought of letting him know, she was deterred when she thought of her fate.

Ingrid’s feelings for Enoch gradually became stronger with the passage of time, and eventually turned into love, until the gear of fate began to turn...

Sentimental memories began to fade; and the cruel reality became clear again. However, unlike the old her, Ingrid could now accept this unfortunate ending.

Ingrid: Sorry, for hurting you back then…

Enoch: No...I won’t forgive you even if you apologize...If you leave me first...I’ll never, ever forgive you!

Enoch roared in heartache; the tears in his eyes expressed his true affection for Ingrid. She reached out to touch Enoch’s cheeks very gently, wearing a feeble smile which was rarely seen on a tough girl like her.

Ingrid: Sigh, in the end I still make you sad. I used to distance myself from you because I don’t want you to get hurt...and feel sorrowful.

Ingrid: So I keep the confession in my heart, but now it seems meaningless…

Enoch: It’s totally meaningless...you fool...and I’m not any better...My heart is pumping fast whenever I see you; my heart feels painful whenever you suffer.

Enoch: I’m such an idiot for not understanding the reason earlier…

Enoch: It’s all because I’ve fallen in love with you since the very beginning...We’re meant to be together.

Enoch's words made Ingrid's eyes wide open at first, but soon raised a sweet smile as if she was the happiest person in the whole world. Tears of joy started to overflow.

Ingrid: So do I, Enoch...I’m destined to fall in love with you…

Enoch: I’ll never forget you, my love.

Enoch leaned over to kiss Ingrid’s lips tenderly and lingeringly, until her warmth faded. Then he pulled away and let the tears fall.

Hong Ai and others, who were confronting Tawil, burst into wrath instantly by the time they saw Ingrid’s death.

Hong Ai: This is outrageous! I must defeat you!

Dagda: I won’t let you get away!

Tawil: ...How foolish.

Xilocient: Ah...I...can’t move!

Tawil held off Hong Ai’s action with a wave, descending gracefully from mid-air. While Tawil was 10 steps away from Enoch, she reached out with a loving smile.

Tawil: Come to mother, Enoch. I’m doing all this for your own good.

After a moment of hesitation, Enoch gently put Ingrid down, picked up his staff and walked slowly to Tawil.

Hong Ai: ...Enoch, don’t go…

Regardless of her advice, he went straight ahead towards Tawil.

Tawil: Right, come over, my-my son—Urgh!

At a step away from Tawil, Enoch raised the staff to conjure elements and slash at her. Strangely, no blood, no organs were seen even if her face was cut into half, only a myriad of dark-purple worms were squirming inside.

Tawil: Why...why did you do this to me? I’m your——

Enoch: Stop acting! You’re not my mother Tawil! You’re my enemy!

The creature before Enoch was stunned, but her expression was wiped off, leaving only a blank face.

Tawil(?): ...Low species, I’d make it easy if you could just be my vessel. But you chose to go against me...Despair is what you deserve.

After speaking, an indescribable scream was sent from the center of the Pilgrimage. At the same time, huge tentacles stretched out from Monesis and slammed on the ground forcefully. The surface, which was already on the verge of collapse, began to crumble, resulting in a huge cavity.

Enoch: Ingrid!

The ground under Ingrid also collapsed inevitably. Enoch summoned heroic spirits right away to give himself a lift while leaping across the crumbling rocks, and caught the body in the nick of time.

Hovering in front of Monesis, Tawil(?) slowly blended into it. Then, blinding light illuminated the entire underground. The falling Enoch gazed at Tawil(?) who was about to be completely fused together with the main body.

Tawil(?): Insignificant species, struggle as much as you want to before your death.

Enoch: ...Of course, I won’t let you down. I’ll show you our willpower!