Based on the strength of the strange feeling assaulting her senses from its direction, Lusya had expected to find Levire in a worse state than any of the previous towns with devices. She could not, however, have anticipated the full extent of its situation.

  Elsewhere, there had been a haze of Malice in the air. Here, it was a fog so thick it hampered her sight. From the outside, it had almost looked like a solid violet dome surrounding the town. From the inside, it limited visibility to about twenty feet, beyond which all she could see at any given time was a violet void and the occasional flicker of orange flame from a lantern managing to pierce through.

  Given the situation, although it was daytime, there were a fair few lanterns lit. Perhaps fewer than would have expected in these circumstances, but the cause of that was clear enough: most of the people of Levire were in no state to light lanterns nor to keep them lit. The people of Snowhill had been in a stupor, but it was no exaggeration to say that many of the people of Levire were catatonic. They lay upon the streets, eyes open but unseeing, completely unresponsive. They did not acknowledge Lusya and the others’ presence in the slightest. Beldo attempted to rouse the first few they came across, shaking and speaking to them, but they still did not react, and he had given up by the time the buildings—and the people—grew denser as they moved farther into the town.

  Levire was not a proper city, but it was a rather large town that had cropped up around Count Rebran’s castle, and it had many traits and fixtures typical of a city as a result. The streets were paved with cobblestones and dotted with lampposts, buildings were close enough to form alleys, and they had already passed at least two competing inns and a tavern. It must have been quite bustling ordinarily. But the people filling it now were one step away from corpses. Only the subtle rise and fall of shoulders and chests betrayed that they were still alive, though perhaps not for much longer. The emaciated state many were in suggested they had been like this for quite some time. If left alone, it probably wouldn’t be long before they died. Rather, it was surprising they hadn’t already died of thirst, if they had been immobile for so long.

  Some of the townspeople were lying flat on their backs, others face down, still others were propped up against walls. Some had crates, tools, or even rotting fruit scattered around them, most likely what they had been carrying when they collapsed. Although—based on the healthier state some were in—they must have reached this stage at varying rates, it seemed that either no one had seen fit, or no one had been in any state to move those articles.

  Of course, it was possible some of the people indoors were better off, though Lusya doubted it. They had not checked other than to peer in through some windows, which had not been very illuminating. A few people were in a similar state, but most people indoors were out of view of their windows, especially with the fog obscuring the interiors as well.

  “I’d like to check on some of the people inside…” Beldo said as they passed another tavern. Lusya could sense several people within. “There might be some people who are still okay. Or some people who are worse. But…”

  “We do not have time for that,” Lusya said. “We will resolve this situation as quickly as possible.”

  “I know,” he replied. “I’m actually on your side there. The best thing we can do for these people is probably to clear away this stagnant Malice. We should head straight for the castle.”

  “Indeed.”

  Ariya shivered as she looked around. “This place is creepy.”

  Lusya cocked her head and blinked twice. “Do you wish to leave?”

  “No,” Ariya said with a shake of her head. “I wanna help these people.”

  “Very well,” Lusya replied. “Let me know immediately if you change your mind or begin to feel unwell.”

  Ariya nodded. “I will.”

  Fortunately, it appeared that even the symptoms brought on by this thick fog of Malice were not immediate. Other than some mild discomfort due to it being “creepy,” Ariya had not shown any negative effects from her exposure. If she did, Lusya was prepared to take her, leave immediately, and move on, no matter what Beldo said. There was nowhere safe to leave her outside of town, so, if being in town became harmful to her, they would just have to risk Beldo being right about the danger the situation posed rather than exposing Ariya to a more immediate danger.

  Although their destination was set as the castle at the center of town and the situation was urgent, they moved through the city streets slowly. Lusya could have already been there, but, considering the low visibility, she wanted to be cautious. Not to mention the distinct possibility that there was something important outside the castle. Something they might miss in the fog if they rushed straight there.

  And they did come across an unexpected surprise as they passed through a square, lined with stalls and shops. A figure emerged from the fog.

  “Someone’s up!” Beldo exclaimed. “Hey, you there! Are you okay?”

  The figure didn’t respond. It was a mere silhouette at first, but, as Lusya and the others got closer, it resolved into a woman.

  Lusya had expected to encounter some people up and about. She could sense two high-rank demons, likely the two who had fled with Count Rebran, and the count himself was likely at least in better shape than most of the townspeople. But this was just an ordinary human woman. There was quite a bit of Malice within her, but that was to be expected considering the state the town was in. There was nothing inherently noteworthy about her.

  Although she was standing, however, it was clear that she was far from unaffected by the fog. For one thing, she was just standing. Not walking. Not attending to anything. Just standing stock still in place. It wasn’t that she had stopped to see who was approaching either. She was facing away from Lusya and the others, and she neither turned to greet them nor attempted to flee as they neared.

  “Are you okay?” Beldo asked again as they neared. “Can you move? Can you speak?”

  The woman still did not respond. She lurched forward and trembled, as if straining against unseen restraints, before returning to the position they had found her in, her shoulders heaving as she drew in heavy breaths. A water carafe clutched in her left hand provided explanation enough of how the other townspeople were still alive. Those less affected had cared for them, though Lusya could not say what factored into how susceptible one was. Going by the conditions of those already collapsed, there didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to who had succumbed first. As a whole, no group seemed to have fared better or worse than any other. Not children or the elderly, not men or women. Who was in the worst shape and who the best appeared to be entirely random. Regardless, it seemed that even the most fortunate were reaching their limits.

  Lusya and the others circled around to stand in front of the woman. Her clothes were dirty and tattered, her hair wild and unkempt, and her face covered with both splotches of dirt and a sheen of sweat. Whether because she had lacked the strength or had been devoting that energy to helping the others, she had obviously been neglecting caring for herself for some time. Unlike the others, her wide eyes followed Lusya’s group as they moved. Still, that seemed to be about the extent of the reaction the woman was capable of. Her lips trembled, but she wasn’t producing a single sound, let alone any words.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  “Can you hear me?” Beldo asked. “Blink twice if you can.”

  Her gaze fixed on him, the woman blinked two times.

  “All right, that’s good,” he said. “Looks like you’ve been doing your part to take care of everyone. Great job. It couldn’t have been easy.”

  “He…Hel…” The woman finally managed to squeeze out those two syllables, before falling silent again.

  “I know,” Beldo said. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of it from here.”

  The woman did not respond, but a spark of hope flared up in her gaze. She had no reason to believe Lusya and the others could resolve the situation, but perhaps, given the circumstances, she was willing to grasp at any tiny chance of salvation she found.

  “Is she gonna be okay?” Ariya asked.

  Beldo nodded. “She will. As long as we can clear this fog.”

  “Then let us go,” Lusya said. “There is no more we can do for her than any of the others. We should not waste any additional time here.”

  Beldo smiled at the woman. “Sorry about her. You just stay strong. We’ll have all this fixed before you know it.” Of course, the woman, silent and unmoving, simply kept her hopeful gaze on him as he turned and nodded to Lusya. “All right. Let’s go.”

  They continued heading toward the castle, surrounded by prone townsfolk. There were a few more people like the woman along the way, but it seemed the vast majority of the town was completely incapacitated and had been for some time. Other than that, however, there was little of interest to be found. No device or anything else linked to this phenomenon.

  When they were close enough to the castle to see soft lights glowing high in the air from within its towers, they did come upon another predicament the townspeople were facing. About a dozen of them were lying in a heap in the street, haphazardly piled atop one another, with a few more scattered around. All were as immobile as most of the others. And, based on how many Lusya saw versus how many Malice signatures she sensed, it seemed a few were already dead.

  “Why are they like that?” Ariya asked, shuffling closer to Lusya in order to half hide behind her, clutching her cloak.

  Beldo grimaced at the sight and sighed. “They must have suspected Count Rebran had something to do with what was going on, or at least been upset that he wasn’t doing anything to stop it. They probably went to his castle to get answers and collapsed at the gates.”

  “So he piled them up here like garbage?”

  Beldo shook his head. “I doubt that was his intention. There’s no real reason to do that. I’d imagine he had them moved for their safety. But whoever he gave the job obviously didn’t share those concerns.”

  “Indeed,” Lusya said.

  It was true that Count Rebran had nothing to gain from this cruelty, and, from their brief encounter, he struck her as neither sadistic enough to order it nor apathetic enough to allow it knowingly. This was likely the work of subordinates. Regardless, his ordering them moved might well have sealed their fate. More than a few limbs were bent or twisted in ways they should not have been. At least some of the dead had likely died from injuries sustained during their careless placement into this pile, and it must have been harder for the few townspeople still mobile to care for the rest. Some might have died simply because the self-appointed caretakers couldn’t reach them, and either couldn’t move the others or wouldn’t for fear of hurting them. Or, perhaps, they could not bring themselves to touch the corpses.

  “They’re still pretty close to the castle, though,” Beldo said, looking up at the lights. He turned back to Lusya. “I’d like to move them a little farther away, so they don’t get caught up in what’s about to happen. Do you think you could wait?”

  “As long as you can make it quick.”

  He smiled and nodded. “Thanks.” He started toward the pile, then hesitated and looked over his shoulder at Lusya. “There are probably a few other groups like this. Do you mind if I circle the castle and take care of them too?”

  Lusya cocked her head and blinked. “That seems time consuming.”

  “I’ll be as quick as I can.”

  Lusya considered for a moment. “You have ten minutes. If you have not returned by then, we are leaving.”

  “We’re just gonna leave the place like this?” Ariya exclaimed.

  “We cannot afford to linger,” Lusya said. “We would be wasting time and risking your health.”

  “Couldn’t you help move them? That would make it go faster.”

  “I cannot afford to leave you unattended in this situation either,” Lusya said. “Otherwise, I would continue to the castle on my own while Beldo attended to this.”

  “But—”

  “This is not up for discussion, child,” Lusya said. “I will not jeopardize your safety.” She turned her attention to Beldo once more. “Ten minutes. No more.”

  He scowled, his gaze locked with hers. “That’s probably not enough for everyone.” He was silent for a moment, then he sighed and nodded again. “But I’ll do what I can. I can see you’re not going to budge.”

  “I will not,” she confirmed. “Get started. We will wait for you here.”

  He nodded once more and turned to the pile. He grabbed the topmost person off the stack and sped off with them.

  “Lusya?” Ariya asked.

  “Yes?”

  “I get that you’re trying to protect me…”

  Lusya nodded. “As I always have.”

  “…but what about everyone else?”

  “I do not care about everyone else,” Lusya said. “Surely, you have realized that by now.”

  “Yeah. But you could, right? Like Beldo. I know there are other people you care about.”

  “I never said there were not,” Lusya said. “I am merely selective.”

  “Couldn’t you…try to be less selective?” Ariya replied.

  Lusya cocked her head and blinked as she looked down at Ariya. “I could. I do not see any reason I should.”

  Ariya stared back up at her with wide, watery eyes. “Because I want you to. I don’t like seeing you let people get hurt. I don’t like when you talk about it like it’s nothing.”

  Lusya cocked her head slightly but considered that for a moment. It was clear her earlier comments had left Ariya upset. That was nothing new. Lusya knew Ariya did not care for such things, but the way she expressed her displeasure was unusual. There was typically more energy behind it. She shouted, threw fits, and plead in a plaintive tone. And she almost always focused on Lusya’s actions, or lack thereof, in the moment. Larger-scale discussion of Lusya’s nature and motives was rare. Now, Ariya’s voice was small and frightened as she pleaded not for Lusya to do anything now, but simply to be kinder in general. Perhaps it was a direct effect of the fog, or perhaps the unsettling nature of the environment had simply left Ariya vulnerable. Or maybe, after months together, she had thought of a more effective way to get what she wanted in the long term. Regardless of the cause, a careless response would only make things worse.

  “I can try,” she said at last. “However, I will not become like Beldo, nor like you, nor like my mother. I will never possess the general regard for others you do, nor do I wish to.”

  Ariya cast her eyes down and nodded. She hummed in thought for a moment, then looked up again, smiling.

  “Okay! I guess that’s fine. Actually, it’s better that way. You’re already awesome, so I don’t want you to stop being you. Just to be a version of you that’s a little nicer.”

  “Very well,” Lusya said. “As I said, I can try. I will make no promises regarding my success.”

  “Okay! As long as you try.”

  “I will.”

  Beldo continued moving the townspeople, rushing back after each one to get the next, while Lusya and Ariya looked on.

  “Are you still not gonna help now?” Ariya asked.

  “I will not,” Lusya replied. “Your safety remains my top priority. I will not leave you alone here.”

  “You could carry me and them at the same time.”

  “I will not split my focus while Beldo is also distracted,” Lusya said. “Once again, this is not up for discussion.”

  Ariya sighed. “Okay. I guess I get it.”

  They continued watching Beldo work until he had moved all of the humans, even the corpses. Lusya did not know if that was out of respect for the dead or to prevent Ariya from realizing some of the humans had died. It might have been both. After that, he did not return for some time. Presumably, he was circling the castle as he had said, looking for other people in similar situations to help. Either he must have found some, or he was very thorough in his search, because he was gone for the entirety of his allotted time. He returned just as the agreed upon ten minutes had passed.

  “Done,” he announced. “Sorry to make you wait.”

  “It is fine,” Lusya replied.

  “Did you find more people like that?” Ariya asked.

  He nodded. “I did.” He smiled. “And it was a tight squeeze, but I managed to move all of them. Now they won’t be collateral damage to whatever fight’s about to go down.”

  Ariya beamed. “That’s great!”

  Despite Beldo’s efforts, it was doubtful they would be able to avoid casualties among the townspeople altogether. There were more mortals in the castle than just the count. Likely any family he had, along with servants and other residents. If the count had found some way to protect himself from the symptoms the fog brought on, perhaps they were safe as well. But incapacitated or not, it was all but certain that at least some of them would be swept up in the coming conflict. And, of course, there was no guarantee things would be contained within the castle. There were still other mortals within the surrounding buildings and beyond at risk.

  There was no way to avoid harming all of them. In accordance with her agreement with Ariya, Lusya would try, but she was going to need to fight two high-rank demons, likely at once, who she doubted would make any such effort. There would only be so much she could do.

  “If you are done, then let us go,” Lusya said.

  Beldo nodded. “Right. No more delays. To the castle we go.”