Chapter 6: Crime of Existence

Peace drew a heavy breath.

It was odd...

He wanted to speak the native language of this world, and his brain had flipped a switch or something, granting him utter fluency.

’Alright, I think I’m ready—’

Peace locked eyes with the man who had been asleep moments ago.

’Oh. Seems he heard me.’

The man’s expression twisted as he pushed off the desk and staggered backward, slamming into the wall and nearly knocking one of the display swords off its mantle.

His mouth opened and closed rapidly, but only quiet breaths came out.

Peace took a step toward him.

"Are you... okay?"

Tears streaming down his face, the man began shaking his head. Eventually, he managed to squawk out:

"Ahk— Erruag, agay, ahgahahh!"

Peace stopped.

"Uhh..."

’I should probably just go.’

Peace turned to leave when the man suddenly dove to the side, disappearing below the counter. A couple more crashes sounded from behind the counter before the man reappeared with a crude sword in hand and pointed it at Peace.

"Get back, you foul fiend!"

Holding up his palms, Peace took a few steps back.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, sir! Calm down!"

The man thrust the sword forward.

"I was there thirteen years ago! I know what you are!"

Peace shook his head while keeping his palms raised to show he was unarmed. Though perhaps that didn’t mean much when weapons surrounded him. There were even swords in a barrel right next to him.

As politely as he could manage, Peace asked:

"Sir, what are you talking about?"

The man, scared out of his mind, trembled as he slowly shuffled toward the door.

"Don’t play dumb! I see your red eyes and white hair! You’re a remnant of the Night Parade! I don’t know how you escaped capture for so long, but I know you’re corrupted trash!"

’Night Parade...? Thirteen years ago?’

Peace searched his mind for everything he knew about the Immortal Citadel and the game’s lore, yet nothing floated to the surface.

’Seriously...’

Was this how he was going to die?

Was he going to be mistaken for some monster?

Well...

Was it even a mistake?

Every question only begot another.

’Nothing is making sense!’

Peace looked to his left and stared into the flat side of a polished steel sword, probably the highest quality weapon in the shop. For the first time, he saw his reflection.

Indeed, just as the man had said, he had red eyes heavily accentuated by his dark skin. They almost appeared to be glowing.

He also had silvery-white hair that swept back and fell just above his shoulders.

Coupled with the cuts and blood across his face, those features made the man’s suspicion and fear understandable.

Keeping the sword pointed at Peace, the man slowly maneuvered around the shop, using it to ward him away from the exit until he finally reached the door. He then ran outside and screamed:

"Help! Help! One of the demons has returned!"

A chorus of screams immediately filled the streets as three guards clad in full plate armor rushed into the shop in record time and surrounded Peace.

’I’m so dead...’

Peace, his hands still raised, gave a pleading look to the guards, who stared at him with expressionless eyes through the grates of their helmets.

One of the guards muttered:

"By the king, it is one..."

The guard trembled as he brandished his sleek sword against the defenseless Night Elf.

"Look, I’m unarmed. I’m not one of them!"

Not that he knew who ’they’ were.

Still, even he couldn’t ignore the evidence that he was whatever one of ’them’ was.

Peace had often made his characters Night Elves; they were his favorite to play. But on the character customization screen...

’Was there an option for red eyes?’

’No...’

’No, there wasn’t.’

Nor could you give your character white hair unless they were older. And even though he was in the body of an elf, he could tell he wasn’t old by any means.

’Fuck!’

Peace shielded his eyes and fell back on his ass as one of the knights brought his sword down on him.

"Wait!"

The knight suddenly halted his attack and stared at Peace. Then he flipped up the visor of his helmet, revealing an intensely confused expression.

"Huh? You... what are you?"

The knight lowered his sword and looked back at the terrified shop owner cowering in the corner.

"I don’t think this... Actually, I don’t know what this is... It’s not one of the corrupted, I think? We should bring it in for questioning and experimentation."

’Exper... imentation?’

’Oh fuck no!’

Peace almost wanted to scream, ’No, no! I might be one of them!’ but kept that desire in his head.

Peace trembled, then forced himself to steady his nerves.

He wanted to ask a plethora of questions, but he knew that asking the wrong one might lead to his death. If he was seen lacking common knowledge, he’d be labeled a Soul Stealer and executed. And if he was seen as one of these ’demons,’ he’d either be executed or experimented on. So all he could say was...

"I’m not a remnant of the Night Parade. I was simply born like this."

While he had no idea what the Night Parade was, their connection to him was clearly based on his appearance.

The guard with the visor flipped up, who appeared to be the leader of the trio, sheathed his sword and easily hauled Peace to his feet by the arm.

"The inspector will be the judge of that... You’re coming with us."