Tower of Paradise

Chapter 120: A ghoul (2)

The smell of death and rot hit me like a wave, forcing me to cover my mouth and nose to keep from vomiting. My legs trembled as I tried to process what I was seeing.

There were dozens of naked bodies hanging one after another in a macabre display straight out of hell. Their dead, dry, and putrefied bodies bore signs of inhuman tortures beyond imagination; each was missing some part of their body: a leg, an eye, half their ribs. The descriptions were endless, while severed heads were placed in large glass containers as if they were a luxurious collection. Each face’s expression was more horrific than the last, frozen forever in a silent scream of agony.

On a table, the halved body of an elderly man was bound from head to toe, his organs spilling onto the metallic surface. In a water tank, the naked bodies of several women floated, showcasing the worst of humanity. Others were locked in cages with vacant expressions, as if they were nothing more than broken shells.

Daphne’s family, those people who had welcomed me with open arms, who had treated me with kindness… were monsters hiding this pandemonium beneath their perfect facade. A shiver ran down my spine as I felt my worldview crumble before my eyes.

—W-what the hell is this? —My voice trembled more than ever, unable to fully process the horror I was witnessing.

—It’s the work of a Ghoul. These are humans who, in exchange for great power, have been transformed by an Apostle into evil abominations —Anastasia explained with a calm that could only come from someone accustomed to seeing humanity’s darkest side.

As I listened to Anastasia’s words, feeling more lost and disoriented than ever, I noticed Daphne trying to escape silently, taking advantage of our distraction.

—Aren’t you asking for too much, trying to run off like that? —Anastasia said, roughly grabbing Daphne’s hair as she screamed in pain.

—Did the owners of this place do this? —I asked, though part of me already knew the answer.

—That’s right. They lure people from Danafor with sweet words, torture them, and play with them until they die. This is the truth of Sherazade. A family of sadists, complicit with their lord, who take on the guise of good Samaritans. The guards kept silent about it, so they’re equally guilty, —Anastasia confirmed, not letting go of Daphne.

I knew it… but I still didn’t want to believe it. I didn’t want to admit I had been so easily deceived. My mind filled with questions and doubts, trying to understand why it happened and how it could have occurred. I felt betrayed, as if the ground had vanished beneath my feet, leaving me without support or stability.

I had naively believed I was doing the right thing, but it turned out I was only defending one of the world’s greatest atrocities. The feeling of being used was deeply painful, and anger surged as a defense against my vulnerability and powerlessness. My analytical view of the world wavered in the face of this revelation.

—It’s… It’s a lie! I didn’t know there was a place like this! —Daphne looked at me with pleading eyes, clinging to any chance of survival—. Will you believe the one who helped you or this assassin, Reinhardt?!

I turned slowly to look at Daphne, her face now transformed by the fear of being exposed. The pieces of the puzzle were starting to fit together, revealing an image I could never have imagined. How many of these atrocities had she witnessed? How many had she helped perpetrate?

—I must cleanse your sins —Anastasia declared, her sword still in hand, slowly preparing to end Daphne’s life.

This time, I didn’t try to stop her. The sound of the sword slicing through the air was the last thing I heard before turning away. I didn’t need to see more. I had learned a valuable lesson: in Sherazade, nothing was as it seemed. Appearances deceived, and true monstrosity often hid behind the warmest smiles.

***

—So you’re back —Leo, with his hands in his pockets and a bored expression, turned to look at us—. It’ll be dangerous if we run into the SID.

I observed Leo as he pulled a watch from his pocket.

—Where’s the leader? —Anastasia asked, looking around with curiosity.

—He already left, told us to wait for you here —Leo shrugged with an indifference I couldn’t quite interpret. Was it confidence or simply disinterest?

—You’re late! What were you doing? —Alice, with her arms crossed, began scolding with a grumpy expression that didn’t go unnoticed by me—. And who’s this kid?

Her eyes fixed on me with distrust and disdain. I felt a pang of irritation but held it back. This wasn’t the time to let emotions cloud my judgment. After what I had just witnessed, I needed to keep a cooler head than ever.

—From now on, he’s one of us —Anastasia replied simply, shrugging.

—Wait a second, Anastasia. I don’t recall you asking my opinion on this.

—Oh? Didn’t I tell you?

—Ugh! You didn’t even get the Captain’s permission! —Alice shouted at Anastasia. She seemed genuinely angry and annoyed. Then she turned and glared at me with a look that made me slightly uncomfortable.

—Unqualified —she stared at me for a moment before finally crossing her arms and looking away dismissively—. He doesn’t look at all like he’ll be able to work with professionals like us… Just look at his face!

I felt my blood boil; there were limits to my patience, and this girl had just crossed them.

—What?! What was that, you spoiled brat? —I felt genuinely offended.

I knew I was just a kid, but it wasn’t that bad. Even the brat talking down to me was only a year or two older and acted like she was a big deal, looking down her nose at me.

—Don’t take it personally. Alice is like that with everyone. —Anastasia simply sighed.

We were both mages, but it seemed we couldn’t get along.