Extra's Descent

Chapter 84  Voices of the Chord [3]

[Disclaimer: This chapter may contain some sensitive scenes. It might be tame to some of you, and might even disgust others. So please read with an open mind.]

Tzz—

Maneuvering through the forest, Brandon swiftly avoided the Mana Beasts his way.

"Hehehe."

The sound of children's laughter was nearing close.

'A bit more.'

But that was until…

"Hurrrr—"

A horde of Mana Beasts blocked his path. Just up ahead, the cabin was visible.

If he were to finish his task, then the Mana Beasts would surely disrupt him.

Swoosh—!

Swinging his sword, a beast was cut in half.

Spurt—!

And blood splattered in the forest. [You have slain a Mana Beast!]

[+EXP 20]

Unlike Wraith Beasts—whose blood was black, Mana Beasts' blood was pure white.

After killing the second beast, Brandon followed it up with another swing of his blade.

Spurt—!

Waving his hand, flames materialized and engulfed the other beasts from behind him.

Voooosh—!

This persisted, an ice sword in one hand, and flames in another to deal with the beasts jumping him from behind.

He had other elements to use, sure.

But for now…

He had to get used to this sight.

To get used to the flames.

[You have slain a Mana Beast!]

[You have slain a Mana Beast!]

[You have slain a Mana Beast!]

.

.

.

"Hooo…."

Taking a deep breath, Brandon walked towards the cabin.

Step—

Each step felt heavy, and he could feel like his chest was getting heavier and heavier.

Just the choice of doing it himself was already weighing down on him.

But there was no one else up for the task.

He couldn't ask any of the main cast to do it.

Not like he had actually planned on letting them in the first place.

"Haa…."

Each step towards the cabin had made it hard to breathe.

"H-haaa…. Haaa…. Haaa…"

It wasn't because of the Mana Beasts he had dispatched.

No, it was because of the act that he was about to do.

"Hehehe."

The sound of laughter was getting closer and closer.

Step—

"Hehehe."

Step—

"Hehehe."

Step—

Until…

He made it to the cabin's entrance.

Looking ahead, a doll stood on its own two feet, just at the door frame.

"..."

It was eerily creepy.

But…

Now that Brandon knew just what it actually was…

"Hoo…"

His heart,

It hurt.

They were nothing but lost souls.

Children who strayed too far and entered the forest. Only to be met with their fate.

It was a gruesome thought.

"Haa…"

Brandon closed his eyes.

A flame gradually materialized in his hand.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck fuck, fuck."

Voosh—!

"Hyaaaa—"

The sound of a little girl screaming rang in the air.

The doll continued to burn down, and down, and down.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck."

His stomach started to churn.

"Hyaaaaa—"

All of a sudden…

"..."

A memory etched in his mind.

It was…

The child's last moments.

"...Fuck, why am I seeing this?"

.

.

It was a cold day.

Just like everyday in Everglade.

A little girl with bright blonde hair and blue eyes.

—Verina, take a picture with the snowman.

A voice rang, a woman. It was the little girl's mother.

The little girl's name was Verina.

Brandon wasn't sure what year the vision was. But by estimation, it was within six years before the present timeline.

—Like this?

—Yes, Verina, say cheese!

—Cheese!

Verina posed with two of her hands up. A peace sign.

Click—

The picture was taken.

—Hehe, can I play now, Mom?

—Hmm… Don't stray too far, okay?

—Okay.

Just like that, Verina strode off.

It became apparent to Brandon that there were no strange rumors in Everglade yet as of this time.

There was a sense of youthful excitement from the little girl, a sense of adventure.

He watched her play.

He watched her smile.

He watched her laugh.

.

.

—Mom…!

He watched her die.

"Haa… Fuck."

The memory ended there.

It was at that moment when Brandon realized…

Verina was the first victim.

With wide open eyes, Brandon's eyes started to moisten.

"Why, why am I seeing this?"

A Wraith's curse on the dolls?

What kind of sick joke?

But knowing a Wraith, it was possible.

They liked to feed on one's sorrow and agony.

"Haa…."

Brandon slumped down on both knees, both hands on the ground.

"Fuck... I can't..."

But he knew that if he didn't, then more lives would be taken.

"Fuck, fuck..."

With such thoughts, Brandon got up.

"Hehehe."

Looking up, the dolls had already gathered before him.

"..."

A sick joke.

"Hehehe."

Their laughter echoed in his ears.

But that laughter,

It gripped on his heart tightly.

With his hand on his chest, he clenched his chest.

"Haa…"

The air was cold, it was clear, and yet it felt like it was getting harder and harder to breathe.

"Haa…."

He suddenly recalled a previous memory.

The past conversation with Sarah.

—Don't let that thing near me.

—Oh? Is Mr. Ranked One afraid of a little doll?

—I'll burn it.

Looking up, he started laughing to himself.

"Hahaha."

Clenching his fist, he started to regret muttering those words on that day.

Vooosh—!

The sound of flames echoed in the air. Smoke protruded and filled the entire surroundings.

[You have slain a curse doll!]

[+30 EXP]

And what stood in the center of it all was a man with pale-white hair, and ice-blue eyes.

—Hyaaaa!

Their screams.

—Please, please!

Their plea.

—Huaaa…

Their cries.

—I don't want to die!

Their fear.

—Dad, please help me!

Their sorrow.

—Noooo!

Their suffering.

Their pain.

Their agony.

Torment.

Anguish.

Despair.

Dread.

—Akh!

Their youth, gone, just like that.

As if their lives never had any meaning in the first place. They were treated as if they never mattered.

Path of Ascension.

'A sick book by a disgusting author.'

The novel closely followed Raven. But the journey was never this bad.

The fact that a scene like this would happen someplace else in the novel made Brandon's stomach churn.

"Fuck, fuck."

The memories of the children's last moments continued to surface in his mind.

Every detail.

He felt it all as if he had followed them closely from behind.

From the youthful start, until the very end of their lives.

With each doll he burnt, another memory would overlap the other.

All happening at the same time.

"Hahaha."

He started laughing again.

"Hahahaha."

And again.

Drip. Drip…!

As tears started flowing down.

Vooosh—!

Until…

The one memory he had never wanted to see had finally surfaced.

A little girl, with black hair and lavender eyes, with strikingly similar features to Sarah.

Brandon could tell that Sarah looked like her when she was younger.

—We're going to visit your Sister today!

—Really?

—Yes, I know how much you missed her.

Roaming around the city, Emma and her mother spoke to each other. Stopping, just outside the gate, her mother leaned down.

—Emma, wait here.

—Hm? Why?

—Hehe, I have a surprise.

Just like that, her mother left, seemingly about to get something.

Emma stood there alone for a few minutes.

But that was until something caught her attention.

—Hmm?

From a distance, a doll sat on the grass, just outside the forest.

Emma walked towards it and picked up the doll.

She was raised to be courteous. Emma looked around to see any signs of the doll's owner.

But that was when she saw a peculiar man, standing just by the bushes.

There were strange rumors about the forest. And Emma had heard about it as well.

Thus, Emma decided to ignore him.

—E-mma…?

The man called out to her.

Emma was alerted.

Thus, she decided to ask the question.

—How do you know my name?

—E-mma… It's me… Y-our… Fa-ther."

The man's voice was hoarse, as if he was dehydrated.

Emma skeptically raised her brow. That can't be, Mom said Dad was gone.

But…

'Gone.'

It didn't mean he was dead.

That was when Emma thoroughly scanned the man's features.

And in fact…

He had the same lavender eyes as her and her older sister, Sarah.

Emma was curious. Was the man saying the truth?

And that was when the man lifted a doll up for Emma to see.

It was a poorly made one.

However, it looked oddly similar to the doll that her older sister had when she was younger.

It had the same style and pattern.

Could it be?

—Dad?

—Y-es… E-mma.

With that confirmation, Emma decided to approach the man.

And it was at that moment, when Brandon screamed out under his breath.

"Don't you go there!"

But it was futile. It was nothing but a memory.

Minutes passed and Emma was brought to a small cabin.

The man had nothing prepared. No food, no water, nothing.

Yet it looked as if he hadn't aged for years. Just that his hair was gray and disheveled, with dark circles in his eye.

As Emma looked around, the place was filled with dolls.

The man turned to look at Emma.

—Do y-ou… Want a d-oll…?"

—Uh?

Emma tilted her head.

Before she could react, the man had started knitting a doll.

A few minutes passed and he handed it over to her.

The doll was poorly made, but the man gave it to her with a warm smile.

—T-thank you?

The man flashed her a warm smile.

And that was when…

Threads started coming out from the doll.

Swoosh—!

—Akhh!

She screamed out in agony.

The threads loomed over Emma and coiled around her torso, immobilizing her.

—Stop, stop!

The man pleaded, as if he was talking to himself.

"Huh?"

Brandon was taken aback. Was David's consciousness still in there somewhere?

Yet the threads didn't stop.

Spurt!

The threads loomed around and pierced Emma in the right eye.

Drip. Drip…!

Her right eye had started bleeding profusely like a fountain. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The threads continued to loom around and pierced through her skull.

Spurt!

Just like that, her body had become limp.

Emma was dead.

A button that was attached to the thread was being pulled towards Emma's eye. It seemed like it was replacing her eye.

—Stop, please!

The man screamed out once again, but his tone was a contrast to his actions.

It was like he had no control over anything besides his speech.

Spurt!

Another thread pierced through Emma's other eye, and a button replaced the eye.

The threads gruesomely pierced through her torso, thoroughly ripping the little girl apart.

And before Brandon knew it, Emma was being pulled inside the doll.

And that was the last thing Brandon saw.

"Haaa… Haaa…. H-haaa…"

Drip. Drip…!

Down on both knees, Brandon took deep heavy breaths as tears started flowing down.

"Why, why, why."

Looking up, a familiar notification appeared in his view.

[Secret Conditions met!]

[You have unlocked the Curse Affinity!]

"..."

Brandon was speechless at the sight.

"...Is this a joke?"

What happened to all the children had deeply imprinted itself in his mind.

Memories that he would never forget until he died.

"Brandon?"

A voice called out to him.

Looking up, a figure stood from a distance.

Flames filled the entire surrounding. Amidst those flames, he could see Sarah.

Standing behind her were the others.

No, for some reason, everyone was there.

Everyone but Oliver.