Tenebrous Wolf
Chapter 81: The Silence Between Us

Chapter 81: The Silence Between Us

Following their introduction and explanation of their abilities, the time finally came for them to rest. Naturally, someone had to stay awake and keep watch.

Considering that the tall hill was surrounded by a crimson sea, with its depths unknown and potentially hiding unseen threats, this was the most logical decision. After a brief discussion, Seraphim volunteered to stand guard. With her dark affinity, she had no trouble seeing in the pitch-black surroundings.

Klaus initially thought that Briar’s tamed ghoul could serve as an alert system if anything approached. But then again, the Blackmane Stalker wasn’t capable of speech or understanding human language. It was, at its core, still a creature.

Moments later, Klaus lay on his back, staring silently into the darkness, listening to the distant, rhythmic rumbling of the waves. InIn this fleeting reprieve, fragmented memories from the past few days surfaced in his mind. But exhaustion weighed too heavily on him to dwell on them.

He was warm, full, and, at least for now, safe. That was enough.

’Ah, this reminds me of times where I would go on camping trips with my parents. My mother would always hum a soft melody while preparing the fire, and my father would tell old legends passed down in our family. The scent of burning wood, the comforting warmth of the flames, and the quiet crackling sound... It was nothing grand, but those moments felt like home.’

Before the accident, this has certainly been their way of life. Thinking back, those were the times he was truly happy and naive to the harshness of the world. But that was a lifetime ago. A past that felt more like a distant dream than reality.

Inadvertently, his hand stretched into the sky above as though trying to catch something unseen.

... Maybe. Just maybe. If he dreamt hard enough, would he be able to remember those old faces again?

With a sigh, he lowered his hand, and his spirits sank as those precious memories slipped further from his grasp, fading like embers scattered by the wind. From the very start, it had been a delusion. The dead could not be resurrected, just as the past could not be rewritten, no matter how much one wished otherwise.

This was simply a ’weakness’ that he had yet to bury.

No matter how much he longed for it, time would not grant him mercy. The dead remained dead. And all he had left were memories that grew fainter with each passing day.

Determined to chase away those depressing thoughts, Klaus shifted his gaze towards the group. The others had already settled in. Adrian’s soft, steady breathing indicated he was fast asleep, while Briar was curled up like a ball, sleeping besides him. The Blackmane Stalker was seated near the Hill’s edges in a crouching position like a monkey of sorts, staring into the crimson shores.

What a lonely guy.

Perhaps they should give it a name. Considering it was Briar’s first tamed creature, that seemed only fair.

But what kind of name suited a monster?

’Hmm... Its species is called a Stalker, so maybe just... Stalker? No, that’s too lazy. What about Jimbo?’

He cringed.

’No, absolutely not. That’s way too cute. Jimbo sounds like the name of a pet squirrel, not a terrifying shadow beast. Ugh. This is much harder than I thought and I’m too tired for this.’

Naming something like a pet or even a tamed beast, wasn’t exactly easy, and Klaus’s spirits had dropped too low to bother with it now.

With a quiet sigh, he shifted his gaze toward Seraphim, who was keeping guard at the edge of their camp, motionless and ever so distant. With her silver hair and fair skin, she looked almost like a statue carved from alabaster. No... more than that, she had the presence of a war maiden who had long prepared herself for some sort of inevitable battle.

Watching her, Klaus couldn’t help but wonder what kind of tragedy had shaped her into the person she was today. The loss of her clan, perhaps. Though she still had her sister, Yuki, such an event must have been nothing short of devastating.

But why had the two of them been the only ones spared?

And now that he thought about it, there was something odd... Why did Yuki have a Japanese name while Seraphim had an English one?

It didn’t quite make sense.

’I doubt she would answer if I ask.’

Was there a way to ask without making her uncomfortable? Perhaps he wouldn’t be this careful he was ignorant about the Luminous Clan destruction.

Klaus shook his head. He was really helpless.

After a bit of thinking, he stood up from his resting spot and moved close towards Seraphim before taking a seat besides her. Sensing his arrival, the silver girl looked a bit surprised. Her eyes regained their composure upon remembering he could see in the darkness.

Then, as if deciding his presence wasn’t worth questioning, she turned her attention back to the horizon.

Klaus shifted his gaze from her and looked down, watching the restless crimson waves churn below.

"I figured you could use some company," he said casually.

She didn’t respond right away, but there was no irritation in her expression, only quiet contemplation. Eventually, she murmured:

"You should be resting."

He shrugged.

"Could say the same to you."

She replied curtly:

"I don’t need it as much as you do."

Klaus huffed a small laugh.

"Right. Because you’re a war maiden, or whatever."

Seraphim blinked at him, visibly caught off guard.

"...A what?"

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

"A war maiden. You always look like you’re waiting for a battle, even when nothing’s happening. Like you don’t trust the peace will last."

She was quiet for a long time, her gaze ever distant. The waves below filled the silence, a rhythmic pulse against the shore.

Finally, the lithe girl said:

"I don’t. Peace is fragile. It never truly lasts. It’s better to be prepared at all times then face the uncanny silence."

Scratching his cheek, Klaus murmured:

"Guess I can’t argue with that logic."

The silence stretched between them again, but this time, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Klaus tilted his head back, looking at the sky. Here, in this strange land, there was only a sunless, cold and distant void.

After a moment, he hesitated then asked:

"Can I ask you something?"

Seraphim gave a small nod.

"Your sister’s name. Yuki. It’s Japanese, right?"

She didn’t react, but he felt the air subtly shift.

"And your name, Seraphim, is English," he continued. "It just seems... different, that’s all."

Seraphim remained still, with her expression unreadable.

For a second, Klaus thought she wouldn’t answer. But then, she spoke softly, almost hesitantly.

"Our names were given to us by different people."

That wasn’t the answer he was expecting.

"...Different people?"

Seraphim nodded.

"I was named by my parents. Yuki was named by someone else."

Something about the way she said that made Klaus pause. There was no warmth in her tone when she said ’someone else.’ In fact, she frowned deeply, as if saying something she hated the most.

Before he could ask more, she shifted her silver gaze onto him.

"Can I ask you a question in return?"

Klaus inadvertently shifted his weight uncomfortably.

"Sure, I’m all ears."

Seraphim stared at him.

"What is your relationship with... my sister?"

That’s it? Actually, what was I expecting her to ask me? It’s not that I’m one big shot back on Earth.

"Yuki is actually someone I have known for a while. An acquaintance or friend perhaps. Well, I don’t really know if she sees me as her friend, but she used to help with my study of chaos runes after my Tactical Survival classes."

Seraphim blinked.

"What...? Tactical Survival?

Klaus raised an brow.

"Tactical Survival. It’s a course in the academy. You didn’t know?"

The lithe girl looked skeptical.

"No. Is there really such a course? I haven’t heard of it."

He shrugged.

"That much is expected considering your status. Apparently, the course seems to be an afterthought for rich people or those with good background, but it’s different for me. Ah, I didn’t tell you this but I ended in a Forsaken Cavern housing a terrible Tyrant. If it wasn’t for those Tactical Survival lessons, I would have never found my way of that damn cavern."

Filled with bitterness, Klaus clicked his tongue once.

On a rare occasion, Seraphim looked completely bewildered. She rubbed her wrists thoughtfully.

"Sorry. I didn’t know."

Klaus grimaced, realising the venom was slipping from his words. Then, he wore a light-hearted smile and spoke in a casual voice:

"It’s alright. All that matters is that I’m alive and well."

Curious, Seraphim asked:

"You said you encountered a Tyrant? How did you escape?"

Klaus smiled wholeheartedly.

"I didn’t escape. I killed the damn abomination."

To prove his point, he tugged at the collar of his form-fitting, black armored shirt, revealing a glimpse of its intricate design. There was no hesitation in his actions, no fear of exposing one of his greatest assets. After all, when an Ascendant perished, their equipped Nightmares vanished along with their souls, leaving behind only an empty shell. The only way to acquire another person’s Nightmare was through temporary lending.

Even so, it was an impressive feat. Not many Striders could boast about slaying a Tyrant — a creature three levels above their rank — especially on the very first day of their descent.

Come to think of it, it almost seemed too impressive for someone like him.

Klaus scratched the back of his neck, his gaze dropping slightly.

"Actually... it was already wounded. Two of its Spirit Cores were missing. What I killed was an Awakened Tyrant, not a fully Corrupted one."

Seraphim’s response, however, was unexpected.

"A kill is a kill. You survived. That’s what matters."

I wasn’t on my own though. Briar was there with me. He thought, but showed no intent of telling her that.

After that, she fell silent, seemingly having nothing more to say. Klaus also found himself at a loss for words until a thought crossed his mind.

"Hey, if we make it through this, can you thank Yuki for me?"

Seraphim raised an eyebrow.

"Why? If you have something to say, why not tell her yourself? ...Or are you not planning on surviving?"

Klaus blinked, visibly taken aback.

"What? Of course, I plan on surviving! Where did that come from? Do I really look like some suicidal maniac that devalues my own life?!" He let out a sigh. "I just figured you see her more often than I do. We’re not exactly close. We’re more like distant acquaintances. Apart from rune language study and taking care of the cat. There’s no relationship between us. It just makes sense for you to pass the message along since you’re her sister."

Seraphim didn’t react right away. She simply turned her gaze back to the horizon and, after a pause, murmured:

"I’ll pass it along."

Klaus offered a small smile but said nothing more. Instead, he let his eyes drift toward the crimson waves of the Blood Sea. Despite its eerie color, the water moved with a quiet rhythm, almost... soothing.

For a fleeting moment, he entertained the thought of diving in. He had always been a strong swimmer. If he were bold enough, maybe he could cross the sea of blood by himself.

...But no. He shook the idea from his mind.

There was no telling what lurked beneath the surface. And besides, he doubted he’d taste good anyway.

The ridiculous, intrusive thought made him chuckle under his breath. But before his mind could wander further, Seraphim suddenly spoke again.

"Can I ask you something else?"

"... Yes?"

Hearing his acceptance in the from of a question, Seraphim, once again, turned to him and, after a long pause, raised a question:

"What do you think about my... sister?"