The End of our Time: A Tale of Lie

“Sigh...”

A quiet, exhausted whisper escaped Alina's mouth as she stared at the closed door. Surprisingly, she didn't seem too anxious, almost as if she had grown used to this sort of thing.

“How are you so calm?” Nuri asked, grabbing Alina by the shoulders and shaking her violently. Her hair suffered irreversible damage.

“Stop shaking me!” Alina pushed his hands away. “You're acting like this is the first time something like this has happened!” She stared at him hopelessly. “Ever since you came out of that temple, everything has been going wrong! You shouldn't even be surprised anymore!”

Nuri froze. She had a point. In fact, she had a very good point. His luck had been so terrible recently that it was actually becoming hilarious.

“...You're right.”

Thump. Thump.

Both siblings slowly looked toward the stairs. Great. Not only were they trapped... they were trapped up here with whatever had been making those ominous sounds.

Alina sighed. “Well, I guess we have to keep moving.”

They began climbing the stairs. It was the only option they had.

Eventually, they reached the second floor. Unlike the first floor, this place was an absolute mess. It looked as though nobody had cleaned it in years. Cobwebs covered the walls, and dust coated almost every surface.

The moment they stepped inside, both siblings began coughing.

“Ugh...” Alina covered her mouth.

Almost all the objects that should have been downstairs seemed to have been stored up here, but they were in terrible condition. Some were broken in half; others looked scratched, damaged, or completely ruined.

“We have to open a window somehow.” Alina covered her nose. “It smells so bad. It feels like someone bought fish and then left it to rot.”

Nuri stared at her. “What is with that stupidly accurate description?” His face twisted in disgust.

“You got a problem?”

“No.” Nuri immediately looked away. There was no point fighting her. He wasn't going to win anyway.

Thump.

The sound echoed through the hallway. But this time... it was closer. Much closer.

Nuri's expression changed, his body going rigid. No. He slowly turned around as memories came rushing back.

And there it was, standing in the darkness.

The monster.

Its shape was vaguely humanoid, but there was nothing about it that could be mistaken for a human. Its body was twisted and riddled with unnatural proportions, hunched low on four limbs. Most of it was hidden within the shadows, making its true appearance almost impossible to distinguish.

Stolen novel; please report.

But Nuri didn't need to see all of it. Even a glimpse was enough.

Its eyes were black, completely hollow. And yet they could still be seen clearly in the darkness, staring directly at him.

Nuri couldn't move; he couldn't even breathe properly.

Meanwhile, Alina hadn't noticed anything. She looked around, then noticed Nuri standing completely still.

“What the hell are you doing standing there?” She grabbed his hand and ran.

Nuri was dragged along before he could even react. Alina had never run this fast in her life, her short hair whipping wildly behind her as she sprinted through the corridor.

She glanced over her shoulder. The creature was following them, and it was getting closer.

“Damn it!”

At this rate, they were going to be caught. Alina knew it instinctively, they were too weak to fight something like this head-on. She suddenly made a sharp turn, dragging Nuri along with her.

“Hey! Do something!” she shouted desperately.

“What am I supposed to do?!” Nuri looked behind them. The creature was rapidly approaching, its long limbs moving in a way that made his stomach twist.

“Use your light!” Alina shouted. “Blind it temporarily!”

Nuri didn't waste another second. Sweat dripped down his forehead, and he could feel Alina's hand trembling. And yet, just like always... she kept running.

Nuri gathered his magic. A brilliant burst of light exploded from his hands. The creature recoiled, its hollow eyes completely overwhelmed by the sudden brightness.

“Now!” Alina immediately pulled Nuri toward the nearest room and shoved the door open. Both siblings rushed inside, and Alina slammed the door shut and locked it.

She immediately slid down against it, her breathing heavy. “What the hell was that?” she whispered, careful not to make too much noise.

“You think I know?!” Nuri whispered back.

“Well, you know most of the stuff!”

“That doesn't mean I know everything!”

The two went silent, listening closely. Nothing. For now.

Nuri slowly stood up and looked around the room. It appeared to be some kind of dining hall. Unlike the rest of the second floor, this room was surprisingly large.

And strangely enough... the decorations were still completely intact. Nothing had been damaged, no dust covered the furniture, and everything looked almost untouched.

Nuri frowned. “How strange...”

Alina stood up as well. “There must be something here.”

Nuri looked around. “There has to be.” He glanced toward the door. “I really don't think that creature could have gotten out of this place.”

Alina's expression changed. “So you think last night was a trap?”

Nuri nodded. “Maybe the sounds were meant to alert us, to make us curious enough to come here.”

“And then...” Alina looked toward the hallway. “We willingly walked straight into her trap.”

Nuri nodded grimly. “Exactly.”

Click.

Both siblings flinched. Nuri's hand immediately went toward his magic, but then he stopped. That sound... it wasn't the sound of the creature. It sounded more like

Click.

Heels?

Nuri's eyes widened. HEELS?!

His face immediately contorted as a vein practically appeared on his forehead. What is he doing here?!

Alina looked at him. “What?”

Nuri didn't answer. He already knew.

Of all people... why did it have to be him? Since when had he become this irritated simply because of someone's presence?

Actually... it was obvious. It was because it was Lucien. He wouldn't feel this way about anyone else. Yes, that was definitely the reason.

“Why are you making that face?” A familiar voice came from behind them.

The siblings turned. Lucien stepped out from a doorway leading into another room, his golden eyes looking completely calm.

“Lucien?” Alina's eyes widened. She hadn't expected to see him here at all. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, well...” Lucien twirled his hair. “I imagine I got trapped here just like you guys.” He gave a small sigh. “I was originally summoned here to help the young master, but then I somehow got dragged into this.”

His expression made it seem as though he had been terribly wronged.

Young master? Nuri's eyes narrowed. Was that supposed to be a hint?

There was no way Lucien had simply gotten trapped here by accident; he had most likely come here willingly.

Nuri fell into thought. Alina nudged him. “What?” He looked at her, but before he could say anything, he realized something.

Lucien was gone.

Nuri blinked and looked around. Nothing.

“He disappeared...” Alina stared at the empty doorway. “I blinked for a second and he was gone.”

Nuri's face twitched. “...Come on!”

Did that man seriously think this was fun?