A subtle, unsettling scent lingered in the air. Two faces, nearly identical in their expressions—Entity 001 smiled at Sylvia Blue, who returned the gesture. Yet beneath both smiles, anger simmered, palpable and fierce.
"Enough, 001. Let go of the past. We're all tied together now. Shake hands—this is life and death, so set aside personal grudges." Ethan Zhang spoke, his voice low and urgent.
Entity 005 stood between the two women, smiling as he spoke. Sylvia Blue stepped forward and extended her hand. In that instant, rage nearly erupted from Entity 001—her face twisted into a furious, contorted smile, her eyes narrowing to slits. Yet she still took Sylvia's hand.
"How long do you intend to keep grinding me down?"
"There's no way it could've splattered that far. No matter how strong the curse energy is, it just doesn't make sense physically. I'll investigate it thoroughly tomorrow. It's nearly dusk—we should all find somewhere to rest." Rachel Lan's voice cut through, authoritative and cold.
Agent Seven immediately sensed something was off and glanced at Sylvia Blue.
At that moment, Entity 001 turned around, her anger faded, replaced by a chilling smile. She chuckled, the sound echoing uneasily.
"As Forsaken, we become dormant at night—no consciousness, unable to defend ourselves. So we need to find a hidden place to shelter until sunrise. But even if we hide in this forest, these mindless creatures will track us by our aura. It's all pointless."
"Sylvia."
I called out softly, but Sylvia Blue seemed reluctant, her gaze lingering on Entity 001, still not fully trusting her.
Entity 001 pointed into the distance, toward the visible black curse energy.
"Soon this place will become a lonely island, so before the curse energy spreads, let's build a city—a city strong enough to resist these curses long-term. Then, I'll need an army. But since I can't stay awake at night, I'll need your help, Ethan Zhang."
I nodded, but everyone listening to Entity 001 wore uneasy expressions. Entity 001 raised a hand, about to act, but suddenly showed a pained look, then turned to Sylvia Blue.
Rachel Lan's supportive gesture was clear—her presence steady and unwavering.
Suddenly, Entity 001 screamed at Sylvia Blue, her voice thick with rage and humiliation.
Agent Seven could see what was happening and looked over at Sylvia Blue.
"So that's what it is. To be able to kill her at any moment, without giving her a chance, you left something inside her body when she refused to cooperate."
I suddenly remembered that day when Sylvia Blue fired a silver-blue bullet from her revolver—it hadn't entered Entity 001's body.
"Sylvia Blue."
I called out to her, but Sylvia Blue seemed hesitant, her eyes lingering on Entity 001, not yet ready to trust.