John didn't have time to think about Kim Jung-han's final words. He let out a broken, wretched scream and burst through the door, leaving Kim Jung-han alone. The earlier words echoed repeatedly in the hollow underground space.
"The seal... the Siren King...
"The Siren King..."
At the southern end of the town, the mercenary squad pushed eastward. Moving in tactical formation and covering one another, they fanned out through the streets.
With every flash of muzzle flare, a sprinting figure collapsed in the rain—whether they were fish-men or members of the Winter family.
They slaughtered everything in their path.
"Don't kill me! Don't kill me, please, I beg you!"
A member of the Winter family was dragged out from beneath a grocery stall. The man's clothes were disheveled, and his pale lips trembled so violently he could barely speak. He had just watched these mercenaries shoot his uncle and slit his younger sister's throat with a dagger.
In the man's eyes, these highly trained, experienced killers were like demon kings from hell. Ordinary people had no hope of resisting them.
White Snake aimed her gun at the man. Lone Wolf knelt down and drove a dagger straight into the man's thigh. Before the man could even howl in pain, a pistol was shoved into his wide-open mouth.
"I talk, you answer."
A cold, emotionless voice came from behind the combat mask.
The man was so terrified by the icy barrel radiating killing intent that the pain in his leg seemed to vanish. He nodded frantically like a chicken pecking at grain.
Falcon stepped forward, pulled out a photo of two children, and waved it in front of the man.
"Have you seen these two brats?"
The man shook his head instinctively, but seeing the coldness in their eyes, he quickly added, "I—I don't know where they are, but they must be local children, right? If they're from the town, they'd definitely be at the schoolhouse right now! I saw two girls leading them away to hide, just over there!"
The man pointed toward the east.
Then, he forced a fawning smile. "I can lead you there! Don't kill me, I'm from the Winter family. I can give you lots of money!"
The only response he received was White Snake's cold gaze and a gun barrel pressed against his forehead.
A gunshot echoed through the grey sky for a long time. Beneath the old bell tower, inside a schoolhouse, children huddled together in fear, weeping softly into their hands. Not long ago, they had witnessed their parents being torn apart by lunging fish-men or falling to the guns of strangers.
Fear saturated the cramped room. Seeing the children crying, Amy felt the situation was becoming difficult. She looked toward Tang Xin. The latter wasn't comforting the crying children; instead, she walked calmly to the window to observe the surroundings. After confirming that no one had noticed them yet, she closed the windows and shutters, plunging the classroom into darkness.
The four of them moving together would be too large a target. Shanshan was chronically ill and had difficulty moving; taking her along would only invite trouble. She had to stay in this classroom with the other children.
Amy walked over to Tang Xin's side. "Is this really okay?"
"There isn't a better way," Tang Xin said. "If you want to convince Baker to go find the anchor points with you, we have to make sure Shanshan is taken care of, right?"
Tang Xin didn't even realize she was mimicking the blonde girl, analyzing the situation from the perspective of interests.
Amy wanted to tell the girl not to push herself if things got dangerous, but she knew Tang Xin was incredibly stubborn about certain things.
Hearing their conversation, Shanshan huddled fearfully behind Tang Xin, clutching the girl's waist. Baker prepared to leave with Amy to find clues regarding the anchor points. Before leaving, Baker looked back at the children in the classroom, his gaze finally resting on Shanshan behind Tang Xin.
A maturity beyond his years appeared on Baker's face. He wanted to tell them that they had to protect his sister, but the words stuck in his throat. Did they really have that obligation?
His past experiences had made him steady and calm, allowing him to understand the weight of interests, obligations, and value even at such a young age.
In the end, he simply said, "I'll be back as soon as possible."
After the two left, the children in the classroom continued to cry. The chaos made the place feel like a large-scale abandoned orphanage. Tang Xin was reminded of her time back in the orphanage.
The children who were initially stronger were soon influenced by the others' wailing. Their noses twitched as they joined in the sobbing. Shanshan, who had been trying to comfort them, was now at a complete loss.
On the podium, a girl in a doll-like dress looked on with disdain. "What a bunch of babies. All they know how to do is cry. It's so annoying."
She averted her gaze haughtily and quietly sized up Tang Xin beside her.
This big sister is so pretty. She looks just like she does on TV, and she's so quiet.
The girl sat down next to Tang Xin, swinging her legs. "Big sister, my name is Shu Tong. I know who you are. You're a big star from the city. I listen to your songs every night."
"Shu Tong..." Tang Xin murmured.
"Shu as in comfortable, Tong as in sycamore," the girl added.
"Aren't you going to comfort them, sister? If they're this noisy, they'll draw those crazies over here, right?"
Tang Xin was surprised by the girl's mental fortitude. She said nothing and shook her head. In a situation like this, it was impossible to calm children who had just lost their families with mere whispers and soft words. Nor did she think that shouting at them or acting fierce would work; it would likely have the opposite effect.
"Sister, how about we just leave them all behind?" Shu Tong asked. "Just take me with you. I won't cry, I promise. I'm very well-behaved."
Tang Xin: "..."
It seemed her own state of mind was being outmatched by a child.
Tang Xin shook her head and asked, "Is there a song you'd like to hear, Shu Tong?"
A guitar appeared in Tang Xin's arms. Her fingertips brushed against the strings, and the familiar sensation stirred many emotions within her. The last time she had played this piece was in her small apartment room.
The two of them began to chat naturally, like a little fan meeting her idol.
"Anything is fine. As long as you're the one playing, I'll like it. I can only fall asleep every night by listening to your album."
Tang Xin recalled the melody.
Shu Tong observed Tang Xin from up close.
Big sister's eyelashes are so long. Her eyes look peaceful yet a bit melancholy, and she has such a nice aura. She looks much better than she does with makeup on TV.
"Then, I'll begin," Tang Xin said.
A calm, peaceful melody echoed through the classroom, flowing slowly in soft notes. It was like a pair of gentle hands soothing the children's grieving and anxious souls, leading them away from the world of suffering and making them temporarily forget their sorrow. Gradually, the children who were initially crying and anxious stopped, staring blankly at the girl sitting on the podium.
Tang Xin's deep blue hair fell over the guitar's strings and her fingertips. Her youthful greenness was fading as she grew, replaced by a strength and stubbornness deep within her eyes. She knew that everyone had their own code of conduct. As long as it didn't harm others, one should simply do what they believed was right.
If everyone were perfect, if everything were right, and if everything happened exactly as people hoped, then there wouldn't be so much injustice in this world. There shouldn't be so much sadness.
Must the hallmark of growth always be pain?
Does growing up always mean losing something?
If only she were stronger. Strong enough to change this world, strong enough to change everything before tragedies occurred, so that fate wouldn't dare play tricks on people.
Rather than just sitting here, using her songs to comfort children who had just lost their loved ones.
The sorrow forgotten for the moment would one day rise like a tide, submerging everyone.
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