Single for Eternity
Chapter 52: Trapped

Chapter 52: Trapped

I sighed. "See, I have a lot of secrets, and I will not disclose them. But one thing I can be sure of is that I’m not a creature."

She gulped—like, swallowed really hard. "If you say so. But about your question, there isn’t anything like tips for it. You don’t choose your affinity; they choose you."

’Yeah... baldy said that too.’ I guess there really was no shortcut. Still, it was better to ask than to stay ignorant.

"Thanks," I said with a small smile.

Right at that moment, the other two stirred awake.

They took their sweet time, groaning and stretching, shaking off whatever strange sleep they had just woken from. When they finally settled and relaxed, I cleared my throat.

"Hello. Let me introduce myself properly this time. Einar Sanguis. Pleased to meet you."

Their mouths dropped open, and my intrusive thoughts screamed at me to throw something in their gaping mouths. But alas, I had nothing on hand.

Blondie—who was still blinking as if I’d just slapped him—stammered, "Wait... Are... y-you... an actual... Sanguis?"

’Huh?’

Then, like a candle flickering to life in my mind, realization hit. Hadn’t I just found the best possible cover for any future shenanigans? I was from the literal house of Lords of Aetherion.

’Fuck, I’m so stupid.’

I laughed, gesturing at my features.

That was all it took. Whatever doubts they had, whatever skepticism was lingering in their heads—gone. Just like that. The moment they really looked at me, their eyes snapped into sharp focus. Like clarity had smacked them across the face.

’Damn. Did they just ignore my handsomeness before?’

Whatever. The important part was that their suspicions were now off my back.

I coughed, getting back to business. "And you guys?"

They finally relaxed, though the stiffness in their posture remained. The blondie spoke first, his voice still holding a slight tremor. "Hello, Mister Sanguis. I’m Mael Biin."

’Noble... huh. Interesting.’

Next, the other guy—Ben—spoke, his usual rocky voice sounding slightly subdued. "Nice to meet you too. I’m Ben Shakl."

’Another noble.’

Then Flavia, who now seemed far more cheerful than before, piped up, "Hello, Einar! I’m Flavia Aloe. Pleasure to meet you too."

I chuckled. "Nice one, Flavia. And of course, I’d really appreciate it if you guys could get rid of all this stiffness."

"I’d rather we talk casually."

The boys scratched their heads, laughing awkwardly. "If you say so. Then you can talk to us normally too."

I laughed. "Of course. Don’t worry."

’You meant, don’t look down on us, right?’

Once introductions were done, I didn’t pry further into their backgrounds. Instead, I shifted the topic. "I looked for a way to get through the castle. It’s literally in front of us, by the way."

They nodded. No one seemed eager to dwell on personal matters.

’Good.’

I continued, "There are five different paths we can take, each with its own ecosystem. One is pure water, another is a desert, another a swamp, one is a plain—but it feels suspicious. And finally, there’s one with civilization."

Blondie—Mael—frowned. "So, you want us to choose a path?"

I nodded. "Basically, yes."

I let them stew over the options before adding, "Any of you have information about this realm?"

All three shook their heads in dismissal.

’Figures.’

Ben exhaled, crossing his arms. "If we had time, we could list the pros and cons of each path. But since we don’t have the luxury of information, let’s just go with the human civilization."

Flavia immediately spoke up, her voice tense. "What if that shadowy thing is there too?"

Ah. It seemed like that shadowy bastard really rattled her.

Mael placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Then we’ll face it together. Like a team. I know we don’t know each other that well, but I believe we can trust each other to watch our backs."

’So, they weren’t an established team, huh? Free information, I guess.’

I coughed, cutting in. "So, we’re heading there, then? We should move quickly before night falls."

They all tilted their heads up in unison. The light was already dimming; nightfall was coming fast.

A silent agreement passed between us, and we all stood up, glancing at the path ahead before moving forward.

The top of the mountain was eerily quiet.

Despite the high altitude, the air was unnervingly still. The usual chill of mountain winds was absent—there was no wind at all. And worse, there were no sounds of wildlife.

Nothing.

The place was dead.

The mercenary group noticed it too. Their wary glances said as much, but no one voiced their concerns.

’Suspicious.’

After traveling for two to three hours, we arrived at the mountain’s steep edge.

I turned to Ben. "Ladder."

He nodded. Without hesitation, he thrust his hands forward. White light condensed, and jagged icicles formed beneath us, creating a descending path.

One by one, we climbed down, slow and steady.

From our vantage point, we could finally see the settlement below us.

The murmurs of children and adults reached our ears—a stark contrast to the silence of the mountains. The village was lively. Smoke curled from chimneys. Houses—built from wood and cobblestone—stood in neat rows.

It looked... normal.

Suspiciously normal.

We reached the outskirts, standing before the village entrance. A familiar wooden sign hung between two stone pillars, marking the boundary.

Flavia broke the silence. "Should we go inside?"

The others nodded, but unease curled in my gut.

Something was wrong here.

Still, I gave a short nod, and we moved forward.

The very moment we passed through the entrance gate—

A thick black membrane erupted around us.

Like a cocoon, it enclosed the entire town.

I turned sharply, my breath hitching. The barrier was like an abyss, stretching far beyond what my eyes could see.

Mael rushed to it, pressing a hand against the dark surface. His fingers barely grazed it before the membrane pulsed, sending faint ripples across its void-like form.

His jaw clenched. "We’re trapped."

’Absolutely great.’