Kaiser fixed his attention firmly on the trembling woman, his voice calm yet authoritative as he gently placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Breathe. Take your time. What exactly happened here?"

The woman trembled violently, visibly fighting to regain some semblance of composure. Her wide, terrified eyes flicked between Kaiser and Ivan repeatedly, as if unsure they were truly there. "A-are…are you the Liberators?" Her voice broke slightly, edged with a desperate hope.

Ivan nodded swiftly, trying to appear more confident than he felt. "We are. You're safe now—just tell us everything you remember."

Kaiser offered a small nod of his own, his expression unyielding yet reassuringly stable. "Yes. We are here because of the Tale your village sent to the Southern Liberatorium."

At those words, the tension visibly melted from the woman's shoulders. Her breath came out in shaky relief, eyes briefly closing as she whispered reverently, "Thank the Ten Hopes… they finally listened. I thought we were forgotten."

Kaiser kept his hand lightly on her shoulder, gently guiding her to sit down on a nearby chair. "Start from the beginning. Tell us exactly what happened."

She swallowed hard, her voice thin and quivering, fingers clutching tightly to her skirts as though anchoring herself. "It… It began a month ago. I—I helped write the Tale we sent to the Liberatorium. It should've reached the capital a while ago, but no one came… no one until you. We thought we were abandoned."

Ivan glanced anxiously toward Kaiser, but Kaiser's expression remained neutral, his crimson eyes sharp and unblinking. "What exactly changed?"

"The sky," she whispered softly. Her eyes drifted upward, filled with a haunting, distant look. "One moment it was daylight, ordinary as ever. Then suddenly, without warning, the sky became… this." She gestured weakly toward the window, toward the burnt-orange glow of perpetual sunset. "It hasn't changed since. Not once. Day and night have no meaning here anymore."

Ivan's face paled slightly, his voice hesitant. "Wait—you're telling me it's been like this for a week straight?"

She nodded silently, eyes now staring blankly at the floor, voice trembling. "We tried to leave, but none of us could escape. The paths kept bringing us back. And then… then they started attacking us. Those… creatures."

Kaiser's eyes narrowed in careful observation, his hand tightening slightly on her shoulder to steady her. "Describe them to me. In as much detail as you can."

Her breath hitched sharply, her voice dropping to a frightened whisper. "They look like animals… cats, mostly. Black, like ink come alive. But distorted. Too many eyes, teeth outside their mouths. Some just watch, and others—they attack without warning. And when we fought them and struck them down, they burst into ink and paper."

Kaiser didn't comment immediately, his mind absorbing every detail, piecing together a puzzle whose shape was still unclear. He hadn't voiced this observation yet, but as he listened, he felt again the unmistakable sensation he'd experienced outside—the sky itself was suffused with Sol. It was dark and grey, subdued but potent, an unnatural aura clinging to the horizon, twisting reality into this perpetual twilight. It had been difficult to discern at first, even for him, yet it was unmistakably there, woven subtly into the very fabric of the environment.

The pearls embedded in the frames around him now became clearer in this context. He'd suspected it earlier but now was certain—each pearl contained Sol, its color dulled to the same unsettling grey. The ambient presence of Sol made his senses feel crowded and slightly overwhelmed, though with each passing moment he found himself adapting, recalibrating to the surreal environment.

Ivan's uneasy voice broke through Kaiser's reverie. "Kaiser… does this even make sense to you? A sky frozen in sunset, monsters made of ink and paper?"

Kaiser merely nodded slowly, not offering more details than necessary. "It mostly fits the details we were given."

Ivan clearly wasn't reassured, but he nodded regardless, glancing anxiously at the woman. "Is there anyone else alive here? Are you alone?"

Her voice trembled again, eyes glistening. "I… don't know. We were scattered, hiding wherever we could. My husband… I haven't seen him for days. We're all trapped here. We thought you'd never come."

Kaiser's voice was firm, filled with quiet determination. "We're here now. We'll find whoever we can and get you out safely."

The woman looked up at him, desperately hopeful yet wary. "Do you… do you really think you can stop this?"

Kaiser met her gaze without hesitation, his crimson eyes burning with unwavering resolve. "Yes," he replied simply.

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He straightened, looking briefly toward Ivan, who, despite his fear, now stood a bit taller, emboldened by Kaiser's conviction.

Kaiser glanced again toward the pearl-laden frames, eyes narrowing further. Whatever had created these things had power, certainly, but it was also careless and arrogant. It had left clues scattered blatantly around, confident it wouldn't be discovered or challenged. Kaiser intended to correct that assumption.

"Come," Kaiser finally commanded, turning decisively toward the broken door. "We've gathered enough information here. We need to reunite to see who else we can save, and reunite with the others."

The woman rose shakily, her voice trembling yet hopeful. "Thank you… both of you. Please, stop whatever's happening. Save us."

Ivan looked at Kaiser, waiting for guidance, ready to follow wherever he led. Kaiser gave a curt nod, acknowledging both their trust and his own responsibility.

"We will," Kaiser assured her, his voice like steel.

As the three moved down the hall to exit the house, both Ivan and the woman avoided looking at the paintings, their eyes fixed firmly on the ground. Kaiser understood their reluctance, as each frame was unsettling, the inked visages eerily lifelike and distorted, but still, their obvious fear diminished them slightly in his eyes. They knew nothing useful, and further questioning the distraught woman seemed increasingly pointless.

Yet, she was necessary. Her survival was vital, not out of compassion, but because she represented proof, proof that Kaiser Dios had saved lives, something the recording Vizbots would undoubtedly capture. He was keenly aware that the Tale was being meticulously documented, which meant every action and decision was under scrutiny.

The realization shifted his strategy significantly: he had to be careful, precise, and, above all, avoid demonstrating his true capabilities—his regenerative abilities or his command of fire. Any slip could expose weaknesses or secrets he preferred to remain hidden for now.

He trusted, or at least had cautiously decided to trust, his new armor to absorb most threats, reducing the chance he'd need to expose his true nature. That was another risk carefully calculated.

As they reached the door, Kaiser's thoughts momentarily drifted to Milo. It was fortunate Celestine had facilitated their communication before they departed. Milo knew too much, his regeneration, specifically, and Kaiser had ensured his silence. Milo had assured him of his discretion and that of Erya. Still, Kaiser was well aware of lingering threats from scattered members of the Right Fist. Though they were likely in hiding and discredited, Kaiser understood that loose ends were best tied swiftly and permanently. If any of those survivors proved troublesome, he would not hesitate to eliminate them utterly.

Stepping over the threshold into the street, the temperature suddenly dropped drastically, a subtle but unmistakable shift. Ivan shivered immediately, pulling his cape tighter around himself, oblivious to the true source—Kaiser himself, unconsciously radiating a subtle chill that reflected his ruthless resolve.

Turning abruptly, Kaiser fixed his intense crimson gaze upon the woman. His voice was controlled, yet threaded with quiet urgency. "Tell me, is there anyone competent in this village? A former Liberator, a retired soldier, anyone capable of fighting?"

The woman hesitated, visibly nervous, eyes flicking towards the ground as she struggled to answer. Finally, she spoke, her voice shaking with apprehension. "There… there is someone. A former Liberator, but… I don't think you should approach him."

Kaiser raised an eyebrow slightly, prompting her with silence to continue.

She swallowed hard, steeling herself to share her fear openly. "He… he was imprisoned for forty years, for murder. It happened during a Tale, years ago. He was on some mountain during a fierce storm, and a family refused him shelter. He forced entry into their home anyway. When the husband tried to defend his family, the Liberator killed him. He didn't stop there—he killed the woman as well, taking all their supplies, making his Tale easier. He… he left their child alive, alone, starving, to slowly die."

Ivan visibly recoiled, his face twisted in horror. Kaiser remained expressionless, absorbing every detail as the woman continued, voice low and trembling.

"After he served his sentence and returned, he settled here in Logshare. Everyone in the Liberatorium shunned him, despised him openly, so he isolated himself completely. He took over a house by force—the owner was found dead shortly after. Nobody speaks to him; nobody dares. He's dangerous, unstable, and fiercely antisocial. Approaching him would be… a mistake."

Kaiser remained silent, his gaze steady, considering every implication, weighing every risk against potential usefulness. The darkness deepened around them as the sun dipped lower, casting elongated shadows that stretched across the village road. Kaiser's expression remained unchanged—cold, calculating, resolute—as he absorbed the unsettling revelation in silence, considering his next move carefully.

Kaiser stood in the middle of the road, the chill emanating from him like an unseen frost, suffusing the air. He surveyed the dimming village street, features impassive, the thoughts behind his crimson eyes far darker than any surrounding shadows.

Ivan shivered slightly, oblivious to the true source of the cold. "Gods, did it suddenly get colder again, or is it just me?" He rubbed his arms to ward off the chill.

The woman hugged herself tighter, eyes fixed anxiously on Kaiser. "Are you sure… you want to meet that man? He's dangerous. He has killed—"

Kaiser cut her off with a sharp wave of his hand, voice curt. "I heard you the first time. A Liberator—no matter how disgraced—is exactly who we need right now. Dangerous or not, he's useful."

Ivan cast a wary glance at Kaiser. "But what if he refuses to help? From what she said, he doesn't exactly sound friendly."

Kaiser turned, looking Ivan directly in the eyes, his voice steel-edged and calm. "I never asked for his cooperation, Ivan. I intend to use him, one way or another. If he's too unstable to comply willingly, there are other ways to persuade him."

Ivan paled slightly, opening his mouth but quickly shutting it again, clearly deciding that it wasn't wise to question Kaiser further. Instead, he tightened his grip on his sword, nodding in quiet submission.

Kaiser then returned his gaze to the woman, voice measured. "Lead us to him."

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