Single for Eternity
Chapter 55: Cracked Mind

Chapter 55: Cracked Mind

The barmaid staggered back, her breath coming in short, panicked gasps. Her wide eyes darted between the twitching corpse and the blood dripping from my hand.

"What have you done?" she repeated, her voice strained, teetering between shock and anger.

I flicked the excess blood off my fingers and sighed. "I saved your life. You’re welcome."

Her expression twisted. Fear. Disbelief. Something else I couldn’t quite place.

She took another step back, pressing against the farthest corner of the room as if putting as much space as possible between us would somehow erase what had just happened.

I rolled my shoulders, already bored of her reaction. "So, are we going to pretend that wasn’t about to end with your throat getting slit, or are you going to start making sense?"

She didn’t answer immediately. Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, her lips pressed into a thin line.

Then, finally, her voice steadied. "You shouldn’t have interfered."

I raised an eyebrow. That’s what she took issue with? Not the part where I just exposed her not-so-human boss, but the fact that I stopped him from killing her?

I chuckled, shaking my head. "You’re welcome," I repeated, voice laced with amusement.

Her jaw tightened. "You don’t understand."

I took a step closer, tilting my head slightly. "Then make me."

Her gaze flickered to the body at my feet. The thing that had looked like a man but clearly wasn’t. The headless corpse still twitching. Not bleeding like a human should, but oozing—something thick, something putrid, something that wasn’t right.

She swallowed hard. "He wasn’t—he wasn’t supposed to—" Her breath hitched. "You—"

I sighed again, rubbing my temple. "Look, I don’t have time for whatever existential crisis you’re having. You knew something was off, didn’t you? You knew he wasn’t human. You’ve known for a while."

Her lips parted as if to deny it—but then she stopped. Because she knew I was right.

I watched as the fight drained from her expression, leaving only exhaustion.

She closed her eyes, exhaling shakily. "It doesn’t matter anymore."

I hummed. "Oh, it matters." I gestured lazily to the corpse. "Because whatever the hell these things are, I’m not convinced they’re the only ones in this town."

She flinched at that. Bingo.

I stepped closer again, voice dropping just enough to be a warning. "So if you want to keep breathing, I suggest you start talking."

She hesitated. A war waged in her expression—fear, defiance, uncertainty.

Then, finally, she whispered, "You’ve doomed us all."

I chuckled, tilting my head slightly. "And how exactly have I done that? Care to explain... Miss?"

Her grip on the hem of her dress tightened, knuckles turning pale. She ignored my oh-so-heartfelt question, her lips trembling. "You don’t know... what you’ve just done."

I leaned my head back dramatically. "Yeah? Then tell me, girly. Don’t make me lose my temper."

She flinched, her breath hitching at my sharpened tone. Then—

Tears.

’What?’

At first, just a sniffle. Then sobs, hiccups, a complete breakdown. Snot dripped from her nose, which she wiped across her sleeve, only smearing it further.

I watched, equal parts confused and amused.

"You... d-don’t know... how long... I-I’ve been doing... th-this..."

Her words came out broken, barely intelligible between her gasping breaths.

I crouched down, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She buried herself against me, gripping my clothes as if I were the last thing keeping her from drowning. Her entire frame shook with the weight of her emotions.

’She’s so big, yet she cries like a child.’

I gently ran my fingers through her hair, patting her back in slow, deliberate strokes.

Minutes passed.

Her sobs softened into quiet sniffles.

Slowly, I unwrapped my arms, tilting her chin up slightly. "Are you fine now?"

She didn’t respond, just nodded subtly.

I smiled knowingly. "If you’re fine, then... care to share some information? I can help you—if you tell me what’s wrong."

Her wide, teary almost a puppy like eyes met mine, uncertainty flickering within them. ’She’s so cute. Man... dogs are my weakness.’

I shook off my wandering thoughts.

She hesitated, biting her lip before finally whispering, "Can you really help?"

I assured her without hesitation. "Yeah, of course. I even have some other friends to help too."

Her dull eyes brightened—then dimmed again.

"Then... I’ll tell you everything. But promise me one thing."

I chuckled. "What?"

Her gaze flickered around the room, scanning every corner as if expecting something—or someone—to be lurking in the shadows.

"If I get attacked... save me. I don’t want to die."

I placed a firm hand on her shoulder. "Believe me, if you’re useful, I’ll save you before anyone else."

Her hopeful expression faltered, something in my words unsettling her.

"I don’t know what... but something feels off."

I waved my hands dismissively. "Nahh. You’re just imagining things. Don’t think too much about it."

She took a deep breath, her composure returning.

Her voice steadied as she finally spoke, "Six months ago... people started disappearing one by one in this town."

I hummed in acknowledgment, urging her to continue.

"At first, it was subtle. The disappearances were minimal—one or two a week. People assumed they had left the town for personal reasons or debts."

Her fingers gripped her dress tighter.

"But after two months... it got worse. Families started vanishing overnight—entire households gone without a trace. No screams, no struggle, just... gone."

My interest piqued. "So what did the townspeople think?"

"They panicked, of course. Rumors spread like wildfire. Some said it was black magic, others claimed demons were taking souls in the dead of night. Rituals, sacrifices... no one knew what to believe. But one thing was certain—whoever or whatever was behind this... it wasn’t human."

My lips curled into a smirk.

’Now this is getting interesting.’

She continued, her voice a hushed whisper. "By the fourth month, people stopped going out after sunset. Locked their doors, boarded their windows, kept weapons close. But it didn’t matter. The disappearances continued. People vanished even from inside locked homes."

I raised an eyebrow. "No forced entry?"

"None."

Now that was odd.

Her expression darkened. "By the fifth month... the town was nearly empty. Many fled, abandoning their homes, but even those who left weren’t safe. Some disappeared on the roads."

"No bodies, no blood, nothing left behind. And that was when the people who stayed started looking eerie like dolls, repeating the same sentence one by one, not reacting to anything or anyone."

I folded my arms, processing everything. "And the authorities?"

She scoffed bitterly. "They came. Sent investigators, guards, even hunters. None of them returned."

Now that was something.

"And now?"

She swallowed hard. "Now... we’re the only ones left."

I locked eyes with her. "Who’s ’we’?"

She hesitated, then finally answered, "The ones too afraid to run. Or the ones who have turned into something demonic."

’Yeah, pour everything on demons. Of course, classic fantasy people.’

A heavy silence fell between us.

’A town that eats its own people, a predator lurking in plain sight, and no one left to fight it.’

I chuckled under my breath.

This was going to be fun.

’I’m sadistic or becoming sadistic, one thing for sure.’

[ System: Now, you’re finally gaining some self realisation. By the way you’re both sadistic and masochistic. ]

[ 〜⁠(⁠꒪⁠꒳⁠꒪⁠)⁠〜 ]

I wasn’t even mad, system’s banter was actually helping me keep my sanity. ’If I had a mental condition window. It would probably show that I’m unstable.’

[ Mental State: Cracked Mind ]

’Ohh.’