Rosie's Games

Chapter 295: Paying Respects

It was another dream, Rosalind thought when she opened her eyes inside the same dungeon where she saw that woman. She could hear the same sound of water. The path leading down was slick with moss and algae. The air was thick with a dampness that easily seeped into her bones, sending shivers down her spine.

What is going on? Rosalind asked.

Why does she keep dreaming of this dungeon?

"W— Why?" the woman's voice echoed against the walls. She knew it was that woman in chains.

"Why did you do this to me?" the woman asked.

This time, Rosalind composed herself and continued walking deeper into the dungeon. She was prepared to talk to the woman in her dreams, she was prepared to listen to her.

Soon, she quickly realized that she had been walking for what felt like hours and she never saw that clearing where the woman was located. Was she wrong after all?

Was this a different woman from the one that was currently inside her head? Rosalind tried to walk faster until she could feel the sweat on her back.

Then she opened her eyes and realized that she had woken up.

She got up and found something to wipe the beads of sweat around her body. What kind of dream was that?

She just spent it walking into the dungeon without seeing the woman. While it felt so realistic, she also felt helpless about it. Then suddenly she felt a creeping unease settle over her.

Was it the dream?

Or something else?

The air in the room felt thick and oppressive. It was as if…. Someone else was inside her room!

Out of nowhere, the windows which had been securely shut, flung open, the curtains bellowed in a sinister breeze.

Rosalind froze.

The room was unnaturally warm! How was that possible? The snow was still outside.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, and a sense of foreboding washed over her like a wave.

Slowly, she approached the window and peered out into the dark, her heart pounding in her chest. She stared at the dead trees that were still covered with snow.

Suddenly, she saw something!

In the distance, she could make out the silhouette of a figure running away from the tower where she was staying. The figure moved with a rather unnatural speed, as though it were gliding over the ground instead of running on it.

She stood there rooted for a few seconds before she used the dark mist around her body. Without second thoughts, she jumped out of the window and landed on the snow.

A crunch echoed as she took a step toward the shadowy figure.

'This was probably a bad idea,' Rosalind thought inwardly. She knew this was not the best idea, but she had a feeling that the figure wanted something from her. Her heart continued to pound in her chest.

She used her light Blessing to make herself faster. Her breaths came in ragged gasps as she struggled to keep up, her body could not help but protest with every step that she took toward the figure.

**BOOM**

A loud sound broke the silence.

Rosalind stared wide-eyed at the fire that hit the figure. She looked to her left and found Elias standing not far away from him. Next to him was Valentin who was clearly out of breath.

"Ah?" Valentin looked towards the fire that died on its own.

"Do you think you can defeat me with that meager ability of yours!?" the man in the cloak spoke. His voice felt like it was a mixture of three or four people's voices.

Rosalind heard it before!

However, before she could stop Elias, the latter already sent several large fireballs toward the man. This time, the man easily avoided it as if gliding in the air.

"Weak—" the man hissed.

"Weak!?" Elias responded. "Then let me show you what weak is!" With that, he raised both of his arms, and a large ball of fire that was almost twice his size appeared on top of his head.

He was preparing to throw it toward the man in a cloak.

"Wait!" Rosalind said. She quickly moved towards Elias and Valentin. "Wait a minute."

"What?" Elias asked, annoyed.

"Atior… Atior the Sorcerer." Rosalind held her hand towards the man in a cloak. "I remember your voice… it is you. Right?"

"Your memory is excellent. Although… it is not helping you choose the companies that you keep."

"Why are you here?" Rosalind asked. "Why are you in the North?"

"Do you know this person?" Elias asked.

"Are you talking about the same Atior that loves to kill people?" Valentin asked Rosalind.

"All sorcerers love to kill people!" Elias said.

"And yet you are claiming to be one!" Atior said. The chorus of voices on his body seemed to multiply. This time, it already sounded like an orchestra.

"Take it down, Elias," Rosalind said.

"Why would I!? This man could easily hurt us!"

"Sorcerers are not exactly powerful in duels like this. They are only good at killing when they are hiding," Valentin explained.

"You saw him move, he could disappear in no time!" Elias said.

"Then just make it smaller. It is attracting all sorts of attention," Rosalind said. This time Elias clicked his tongue and the size of the fire decreased.

"Good boy," Atior taunted. "At least your dogs listen to you."

"What do you want? I don't think someone sent you to kill me. You would not have personally come if they did."

"Very perceptive… I quite like it. However, this is not helping you choose the companies that you keep."

"Enough of that. Tell me what you want," Rosalind said. She was in front of a killer. She could not lower her guard.

"I came to see you," Atior said.

"So you came inside my room without my permission?" josei

"Do I need one?"

"You—" The fireball on Elias's hand increased in size again.

"I just came to see you. I had no ill will."

"And why would you want to see me… sleeping?"

"To pay my respects."

"What?" Rosalind, Valentin, and Elias spoke at the same time.

"To the only person that could use the darkness. To our new Goddess!"

...

Atior was from the earlier chapters the sorcerer who had a snake. Dorothy and Jeames tried to pay her to kill Rosalind.