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You don’t know how long you’ve been working on this case, honestly. All you know is that it’s been far too long, and the constant nagging from your higher-ups are really starting to get on your nerves. All this, despite you being one of the most patient and stoic people among your fellow Executors.
As an Executor, your job is to identify and eliminate any abnormalities in the places you are assigned to. This case was no exception - you’ve been assigned a case at a small town beside a supposedly cursed forest, where several people have gone missing seemingly without a trace. That was approximately 4 months ago, and since then, your investigation had gotten some headway.
You realized, early on into your investigation, that the people who went missing had lived harsh lives and experienced extremely harsh losses. A man raised in a family rife with conflict, where its inhabitants seemed ready to stab him in the back when the opportunity presented itself. A refugee from a neighboring town, from which she is the only survivor of a large bandit invasion. A young man who had to watch his family get killed in front of his very eyes - by who, however, it was never known. And most recently, a young woman who was the sole survivor of a hunting group she was part of, eviscerated by some beast in the wilderness. All of these and more.
The next thing you realized as you talked with the inhabitants of the town is that these missing people all ventured into the neighboring forest at some point before their disappearance. Now, venturing into the forest in itself wasn’t exactly the oddest thing in the world - most people would do so to forage for berries, herbs, and other edible plants. However, those who have interacted with the missing people have noted that they’ve seemed much happier and at peace after their ventures into the forest.
Naturally, that meant your next step was to investigate the forest - and that was where you met the man guarding the verdant wilderness for the first time. He called himself Lantern, and though he seemed rather withdrawn, he was willing to share what he knew. “The forest is my sanctuary,” he stated, “and I, its master. I know everything that goes on in here.”
Lantern told you that he did meet these missing people several times. He provided them a place for rest from their rough lives. He let them cry under the tree he usually sat under, his signature lantern namesake emitting a comforting, teal glow. And eventually, he told stories to them - of hopes and dreams, of happy endings, of a life well-lived - and these people inevitably disappeared not long after he told those stories. “It’s the least I could do for them, you know, even if they ended up going missing eventually? Aid them in their pursuit for comfort - heh, did you catch that little joke I made, with your name, Pursuance?”
You scoffed. You did introduce yourself to him with your codename, Pursuance - a name that stuck to you because you never gave your targets any quarter. “Your sense of humor never once fails to elude me, Lantern.”
“Ah, I thought you’d get that one. Oh well.” Lantern shrugged easily as he adjusted his position on his regular tree. The man was undeniably stunning - clad in a dark hood the shade of tree bark, you could barely make out the head of brown hair underneath the hood, tied into a messy ponytail. He had a pair of glasses framing his amber eyes, and what seemed to be a leather eyepatch covering his right eye. He had hints of stubble around his lips - a sign, perhaps, that Lantern is far older than you. Yet he was sharp as ever as his eyes looked up at you, remaining unreadable to you as always. “But I’m going to be serious here for once. Something’s been bothering you, right bud?”
You grunted out a confirmation. Because, well, he’s right about that. Your investigation has led you to suspect the very man you’ve been spending a lot of time with, and subsequently caught feelings for. And yet, you may have found Lantern attractive, but that wouldn’t be enough to hinder your pursuit for the truth, for justice to be served. But at the same time, you sure as hell weren’t going to reveal your suspicions of him right now , with him right in front of you.
Lantern hummed soothingly as he patted a part of the tree trunk right below where he was seated. He smiled, gentle and comforting, and you find the tension slowly leaving your body, your emotions settling. He always had that effect on you when you talked to him - no matter how heavy or serious the topic of conversation was, he always made you feel at ease. And always, you’d leave Lantern with a sense of clarity, knowing what your next course of action was.
You gave him company and companionship, he returned it with affection and clarity. He cared for you unlike anyone had ever done in your life, considering you’ve undergone intense training ever since you were young to become an Executor. Was he able to sense your loneliness? You couldn’t be sure.
The irony of this potentially potentially leading you to condemn Lantern himself was not lost on you. And yet Lantern remains oblivious as he allows you to lean your head on his legs, his fingers carding through your hair comfortingly.
“Hmm…how’s about I read you a tale, bud?”
You hurriedly masked the shock you’re feeling so that it won’t be visible to Lantern. Does he know? About my suspicion, about the stories and the missing people?
But you weren't going to refuse the offer anytime soon. Was it out of common courtesy? A desire to spend more time with him? You supposed it was both.
So you nodded, and you allowed yourself to be immersed in the story Lantern had for you.
“Once upon a time, there was a young boy who loved wandering into the woods…”
Magic is a fickle thing.
Everyone is able to wield magic - that much was taught to everyone in this world. But the true extent of how much you’re able to wield magic safely differs from person to person. Some people had a natural talent for magic, being able to use it to their full potential without much issue. Others required more practice and patience in honing their craft, tapping into the deepest reserves of the mana coursing in their veins to be able to unleash even the slightest hint of magic. And yet, if there was one thing in common between every magic user in this world, it’s that prolonged and uncontrolled magic usage runs the risk of someone becoming corrupted.
Mana is a free-flowing energy. Let a little bit out at a time, and you’ll end up with a steady stream of it, safe and usable. However, letting it out a lot at a time runs the risk of your mana reserves depleting much too quickly, leaving you exposed to dark energies. Dark energies can be found everywhere, but several places seem to have a naturally higher amount of it. The forest that Lantern resides in seemed to be one of those areas, for example.
Any area with large amounts of dark energies is particularly dangerous to individuals without any mana reserves. As the body tries to replenish all lost mana from its reserves, it will take in energy from any and all sources available to it. With dark energy being essentially a different form of mana, it will get absorbed by the body, akin to water being absorbed by a dry sponge. And it corrupts, turns those affected by it into a twisted version of the magic they wield - the transformation in itself becoming far quicker on people with unstable psyches.
Unfortunately, you realized too late that this is what happened to Lantern.
“So, you’ve put two and two together huh, bud. I expected this.”
“Then you understand why I’m here, Lantern.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to let go, Pursuance? You’ve lived a rough life - I can hear your loneliness. I can give you the comfort you seek.”
“If I were to let go, I’d leave behind the people who rely on me. I cannot do that.”
(Moreover, I simply cannot leave you to suffer in your self-inflicted, self-sacrificial solitude, Lantern. You added - in silence.)
“...I see. You’ve come to save them too, hmm?”
“Yes.”
“Then you’re too late…they’ve all been captivated.”
“...?! This energy- Lantern, don’t tell me-”
A burst of malevolent energy from the teal lantern above him is enough of an answer, as you watch his body mutate into something far more malevolent. The air grows thick with a dense, purple miasma, and your eyes strain against the fog. You can barely make out the form of a tree without its foliage, but Lantern himself is nowhere to be seen. When the worst of the miasma dissipates, however, you see why.
He is cocooned within the tree where you often find him sitting. Branches twist and turn around his form, obscuring the faded teal of his ragged shirt and white of his baggy pants. Another branch obscures his eyes, acting like a blindfold. All traces of him are gone, and if it weren’t for the fact that you saw his transformation right before your very eyes, you’d have no way to know that this monstrous tree attacking you is Lantern.
You’d manifested your own magic then. A golden laurel crown, glowing with light energy, adorns your head as shards of light form wings behind your back. It dispels what little darkness the remaining miasma had wrought upon, and with your vision cleared, you take up a fighting stance. You gather light around your fists as you prepare to parry the branches flying into your position. And as much as it pains you, you have to fight him, seeing as he’d lost all reasoning the moment the dark energies eroded him.
It’s all you can do to stop him from accidentally killing you, at this point.
Once upon a time, there was a young boy who loved wandering into the woods. This, despite countless warnings from his family that the woods is a dangerous place. He’d venture into deeper and deeper parts of the forest, letting the fairies and spirits accompany him to some of the most secluded areas within the woods.
Why did he do that, Lantern?
Because he had grown tired of living with his family. He came from a family of renowned mages, and he simply didn’t have the same capability for magic like the rest of his family. His father outright ignored his existence, while his mother forced her impossibly high hopes onto him. Only his sister still cared for him, but even then, he always supposed she was equally disappointed in him.
So…he went to the woods for solace?
Yes. It was his little paradise, secluded from the rest of a world that seemed so ashamed of him. But a paradise simply cannot last forever now, can it?
Lantern’s attacks are irregular and brutal. He sends up roots and branches, erupting violently from below the ground in an attempt to pierce you. Thankfully, you’re quick on your feet, and you manage to dodge the worst of it. Yet several times, your clothes may have gotten pierced by those branches, narrowly missing your flesh.
He isn’t fighting to kill, though. Your investigation led you to believe as much. He’s fighting you because he wants you to see things through his eyes - that by giving yourself up to him, he’ll be able to let you rest. He can lead you to a life without any pain and suffering, where you can continue living in bliss. He will do everything for you - all you need to do is to let yourself become enamored in the world he dreamed up for you.
But that would entail you losing your consciousness, allowing yourself to become cocooned within the trees of the forest. That would entail falling into an eternal sleep, never being able to interact with anyone else in your life - Lantern included.
That would entail leaving Lantern all on his own, to continue suffering in silence.
You cannot allow that. Your love for the other man simply would not allow you to do that.
And so, you are left with two choices:
Kill Lantern, or free him from the darkness surrounding him.
Was the latter even possible, however?
…no, it can’t. Nothing lasts forever, no matter if it is good or bad.
Exactly. And for this young boy, it came in the form of his mother, who figured out that all of the times he was supposedly honing his magic, it was spent in the woods. And so, she punished him, for betraying her trust.
Punished…how?
She placed a curse onto the young boy. That no matter what happens, he’d be forever banished from the town they lived in, forever confined into the woods. And he was powerless to stop her from casting the curse - as his magical prowess wasn’t as strong as hers. So, he accepted his punishment, retreating into the very woods that was his sanctuary. There was nothing he could do in the end but accept the fact that he’d continue living in solitude, until Death claimed him.
…that is a rather harsh punishment, especially one given to a young boy.
Heh. You think so too, huh?
I would assume most people would think so.
Common sense isn’t quite as common sometimes, I suppose.
That’s…quite alarming.
You think, hmm…? Heh. Well, back to the story…
You remember the results of your investigation after Lantern told that story of his.
There was a family of four that lived in the village several years ago. They were known to be a family of powerful sorcerers - the Samsa family, a man going by the name of Jia Huan mentioned. The family consisted of a father, a mother, an elder brother, and a younger sister. They were a mysterious bunch, only ever leaving their abode to obtain and purchase their necessities. Even then, the Samsa’s elder brother never once was seen outside the house, even as the family left without a trace. An investigation into the now empty house revealed traces of curse magic within the house, leading deep into the forest behind the house.
You couldn’t help but note the similarities between the story of the Samsas and Lantern’s own story.
And as you continue to parry Lantern’s wayward branches, still hesitant to attack him ( where should you attack, and should you focus on incapacitating him or killing him?), you can hear several voices trying to reach you.
“...n’t hurt him, please…”
“Save…save him. Just like he has saved us.”
“Lantern’s lonely…he’s in pain.”
“Please save him, Executor. Free him from his suffering.”
You felt your eyes widen at that last voice. It was a distinctly male voice, gentle yet desperate. Yet, somehow his unique accent reminds you of Jia Huan: the man who’d told you so much about the Samsas, and the man whose younger brother went missing a long time ago.
You’ve struck gold, then. And now you know your next course of action.
“I will, Hong Lu. Mark my words - I will save him. ”
The young boy found his way back to the fairies and the spirits of the woods. He remained there, eventually learning their spells and magic alongside them, even as they died off one by one. Not like he had anywhere else to go, anyways. But if there’s one thing that he’d never expected, it’s the fact that he had the natural talent to master the sort of magic they wield.
Hmm. That is…rather peculiar. What is the type of magic these fairies and spirits wield?
…the best way to describe them would be empathy magic, I guess. Influencing other people's emotions through words and stories.
A powerful, yet terrifying sort of magic.
Can’t argue with you on that. ‘s a matter of fact, he had half a mind to use his newfound magic to exact revenge on his own family, for abandoning him in these woods. But by this time, he no longer sensed his family’s mana signature near the village, so he’d assumed they left him for good.
A shame. I would have agreed with his decision, for justice to be served.
…can’t say I expected that from you.
Is that a bad thing?
Nah. Just…unexpected, I guess. But back to the story - it was also around this time he realized just how insidious the curse his mother put on him truly was. Because not only did it limit him to the forest, it also acted as a constant blanket of dark energy surrounding him, getting ready to corrupt him at any given moment.
That…
At a loss for words, aren’t you? But yes, there are people who can manipulate dark energy like that. I’ve seen such magic in action, and they’re not pretty.
…did he end up becoming corrupted by the curse?
No. Because he found a new purpose with his magic - to become a sanctuary for people in need, much like the fairies and spirits have become for him. You could say the positive karma had kept him from corrupting for the longest time.
Will he ever become truly free from the curse, however? Will he ever be safe from the corruption?
I- I can’t say. I would like to hope he can be freed, but to my knowledge, there is no way to break such a curse.
So what you’re saying is that there is no happy ending to this story.
…
You’ve managed to inch closer and closer towards the large tree that housed Lantern’s corrupted form. Redirecting your light magic onto your fists, you then take to the skies, high enough to avoid Lantern’s sweeping branches. You maneuver effortlessly between the root spikes he pierces up towards you - messy and uncoordinated, you take it as a sign he’s tiring out. Setting your sights onto the trunk that is holding Lantern’s human form captive, you take a deep breath.
His distinct mana is quickly draining away, slowly being replaced with the dark energies from his curse. It seems to be focused on his chest, his heart slowly pumping all those dark energies throughout his entire body. You know now where to focus your magic at, and you get ready, eyes narrowing at your target destination.
“Do not worry, Lantern. I shall free you.”
You fly at breakneck speeds towards Lantern. At the speed you’re going, his branches and root spikes bounce off your form effortlessly, failing to slow you down even the tiniest bit. It’s only a matter of time before your outstretched hand finds purchase onto the trunk encasing his chest, and you let your light magic flow into your palm. You hear Lantern let out a distorted scream of pain, feel him thrash about at your magical assault, but you pay him no heed.
“I shall pray for you, so that you shall surely…”
CRACK!
I would like to believe there might be a happy ending to his story eventually, Lantern.
…hm? What makes you say that, Pursuance?
His curse forces him to replenish all lost mana with dark energies, is what I can gather from your story. But if there is one thing that can dispel dark energies, it’s light magic.
Because light dispels darkness?
Simply put, yes.
…heh. It would be nice if he could find someone who can utilize light magic to save him, then. Maybe then he’d have a truly happy ending.
It would…it truly would.
You’ve been carrying Lantern’s unconscious body for so long, you’ve lost track of time.
He should be alive. You made sure of it, made sure to only dispel the curse that kept him connected to the forest. You ensured that your magic only singed off the root of the curse, and made sure the shards of bark and trunk didn’t come close to any of his vitals. Even the four people you were tasked to save, emerging from several trees within the forest, made sure of it before returning back to the town - all of them setting aside well wishes and messages for the unconscious man once they could feel the faint pulse on the inside of his wrist.
But why isn’t he waking up?
“Lantern.” You murmur as you sit down once again, taking another break from running. You had to take him far away to keep him safe - who knows what could happen should his mother return to a Lantern without the curse on him. You are in a race against time to keep him safe, yet dark thoughts questioning whether it is all for naught continue plaguing your mind. “Lantern, talk to me. Wake up, please.”
No response, except for his shallow breathing.
“You are no longer cursed, Lantern. You can find your happy ending now, and live the free life you’ve never had.”
He remains unconscious. You feel an ache in your chest.
“Hong Lu, Rodya, Sinclair, and Yuri. They all said thank you, for giving them comfort, however brief it may be. They thanked you for giving them the strength they needed to live on, and they apologize for having to leave you. But they still wish you well, and want to someday meet you once again.”
Still nothing. Does Lantern think he no longer has any obligation, so he no longer feels the need to wake up? That it’s fine for him to shuffle out his mortal coil?
(Even though you need him? You need him, and his companionship to fill the loneliness in your heart?"
“They may no longer need you, but…”
You feel yourself choking up, your words getting caught in your throat. But you persevere, because you need to express your feelings regarding the other man, somehow .
“Lantern. You’ve kept me grounded and became one of my closest companions for the longest time. You…”
You take a deep breath.
“I care about you deeply, Lantern. You, who became my one and only companion in my loneliness. So please…”
You press your lips on his forehead. It’s still warm, but you can feel his warmth slowly slipping away. Fear takes hold in your heart - don’t let him die, please.
“Wake up, Lantern. I need you. ”
Because you don't know what you'd do if he were to die like this.
One day, the boy, now a man, met a light mage who was wandering the woods. This light mage somehow managed to worm his way into the man’s heart, and they ended up spending their days together. And this light mage, being so close to the man, had taken notice of the young man’s curse. So, he made an offer - to dispel the curse at risk of him never waking up, or to kill him and end his suffering.
That sounds grim for a simple tale.
Aish- be patient, I’m not done yet! Anyways, the man thought of letting the mage kill him, because he truly didn’t have anything significant to live for. He might have given several people sanctuary, but they’d all leave him in the end. Who is to say that the mage wouldn’t do the same? Besides, the curse will end up corrupting him one day. He simply could not risk it, risk hurting everyone around him-
You’re not making it any better-
-but the time he spent with the mage was the happiest he’d ever been, and he was still selfish. Because no matter how happy he was giving people some semblance of a happy life, nothing changed the fact that he was still lonely - and that the mage had mostly dispelled the loneliness in his heart. He wanted to spend more time with the mage, so he asked for him to break the curse. The mage agreed, so he got to work.
…
It was painful. To the man, it felt like thousands of flaming hot nails were forced into his heart, and the pain was sharp and burning. He thought, maybe this is what it feels like to die. But he trusted the mage, so he let him burn away the curse. Or, at least, he hoped the mage burned away the curse completely - he passed out not long into the cleansing, the pain too much for him to handle.
…I apologize. I did not know how excruciating the pain was to you.
Nothing to apologize for. I came out alright, didn’t I?
…you did, eventually. And now, you are able to live on, safe and free.
And with someone I can count on. Unless…you’re planning on leaving me too, Pur-
No. We’ve already exchanged names - is that not a mark of trust and companionship, Gregor?
…heh. Guess that’s true, Meursault. Hope you won’t get tired of me, though.
I don’t see myself growing tired of you, Gregor. Do not worry - I will stay with you.
…thank you, Meursault. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.
It is my pleasure, Gregor.
(…and they lived happily ever after.)