Welcome to the Innocent World - Chapter 61

Chapter 61: The Gruesome News

The theatre buzzed with life, Sophie’s voice soaring in a mesmerizing melody as she danced across the stage, enchanting everyone in the audience. Her presence was electrifying, drawing waves of cheers and applause from the crowd, including Athlea, who sat near the front, entirely captivated.

Outside, however, a heavy, chilling silence settled over the amusement park. The trees at its edge loomed like sentries in the darkness, casting long shadows that seemed to stretch toward me.

“Someone’s there….” I murmured.

I stood still, an unsettling feeling gnawing at my senses. Something wasn’t right.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed it—a pair of glowing red eyes, barely visible between the dark branches. I felt my body tense, instincts sharpening. My gaze remained fixed as the eyes moved forward, followed by the distinct sound of footsteps.

Step* Step*

A second pair of red eyes appeared behind the first. They advanced in unison, emerging slowly from the shadows until two figures stood before me, half-hidden beneath dark, flowing robes. One was a tall man with a cold, piercing stare, and the other a slender woman, her gaze just as fierce.

“Who are you?” I asked, my voice calm, yet edged with challenge.

The man took a single step forward, his eyes narrowing. “We are the First and Second Members of the Alliance,” he replied, his tone dark and resolute.

I cocked an eyebrow, intrigued but unimpressed. Memories of my previous encounter with Fluga flickered to the surface.

“Ah, just like Fluga?” I asked, my voice casual as I glanced off to the side, recalling the cocky third member of their little alliance.

“Yes,” the woman replied, her voice straigh, her red eyes glinting with malice. Unlike Fluga, though, these two had an unsettling seriousness to them. There was no bravado or arrogance—just a cold, unwavering determination.

“You must be here for more than just introductions,” I said, folding my arms, watching them closely.

“We’re here to deliver a message,” the man continued, his voice calm but laced with warning.

“Our boss has extended an invitation… an invitation to you, Zero. For your involvement in the death of our comrade, Fluga, and for disrupting the Alliance’s trade work.”

I chuckled, feigning amusement. “An invitation? Let me guess—your boss isn’t exactly pleased with me, is he?”

The woman’s lips curved into a tight, humorless smile. “To say the least. But he’s offering you a chance to make amends… or face the consequences.”

“Oh, how generous.” I let my voice drip with sarcasm, smirking as I leaned back, giving them a lazy, mocking look. “And where am I supposed to meet this boss of yours?”

“At Latros, by the port station,” the man replied, his gaze unflinching.

“Refuse the invitation, and we’ll greet this country in… another way.” His eyes darkened, and there was a palpable malice in his words that made me little…uneasy? Maybe.

I held his stare, feeling the tension building between us, neither of us willing to look away. These two were no joke. The aura emanating from them was powerful, far stronger than Fluga’s had been. I could sense it, like a coiled threat waiting to strike.

I tilted my head, smirking as if their words amused me, though a part of me knew they weren’t empty threats.

“Scary. Really,” I said, my voice low, sarcastic. “You two always this friendly, or am I just special?”

Silence fell, thick and heavy, as we sized each other up, the air between us electric with tension. I could feel their resolve, their utter seriousness. Whoever their boss was, he was no ordinary threat, and these two were fiercely loyal.

After a moment, I let out a sigh, my gaze still locked with theirs. “Alright,” I said, my voice calm but filled with an edge of steel. “Tell your boss I’ll be there. I’ll come to Latros… and when I do, I’ll wipe out every last one of you.”

The woman’s gaze didn’t falter, her expression chillingly composed. “We’ll be waiting for you, Zero.”

With that, a powerful gust of wind swept past, and just like that, they were gone, leaving nothing but the faint rustle of leaves in their wake.

I exhaled slowly, letting the strange silence settle around me once more, my mind racing with thoughts of what awaited at Latros.

Before I could process it all, I heard the faint sound of hurried footsteps and labored breathing. I turned, squinting in the darkness, and spotted a figure darting from the theatre’s side door—Athlea.

Her shoulders were hunched, her hand clutched around her phone as if it were a lifeline. Tears streamed down her face, and her expression was one of pure terror.

“Athlea?” I called, but she didn’t stop. Her movements were frantic, her breaths shallow and uneven as she stumbled forward.

I quickened my pace, weaving through the sparse crowd, calling her name again. “Athlea! Wait!”

But she seemed oblivious to everything, too consumed by fear or grief to hear me. Desperation filled her every step, and her sobs grew louder, carrying over the hushed conversations of the theatre’s lingering audience.

Without thinking, I lunged forward, reaching out to grab her arm.

“Athlea, stop!” I said, more forcefully, pulling her gently toward me.

She turned to face me, her tear-streaked eyes wide and unfocused, her lips trembling.

“Austin…” she whispered, her voice barely audible. Then, as if the last bit of strength drained from her, her knees buckled, and she collapsed, clinging to me.

“Hey, hey, what’s going on?” I murmured, my concern deepening. “Athlea, talk to me. What happened?”

But she didn’t respond. She buried her face in my chest, her shoulders shaking as fresh sobs wracked her body. Her phone slipped from her hand, landing on the ground beside us.

Crouching down, I picked it up, my stomach twisting with a sense of dread I couldn’t explain.

And then I saw it.

The screen showed a photo—a horrifying image that made my heart stop. It was a man’s face, pale and smeared with blood, lying motionless, the same red symbol around his body.

My mind went blank, and for a moment, it felt as if the world around me ceased to exist.

The man was Arno. Athlea’s brother, who had come to visit her just days ago.

I stared at the photo, my mind refusing to accept what I was seeing. The face, so familiar, yet now so lifeless, surrounded by that sinister symbol… My breath hitched, and I couldn’t pull my gaze away.