Chapter 40: Parasite/ The scarlet woman

The couple walked in silence for the remainder of the journey. The path to the centre was tricky, with many twists and turns, all of which may have spelt the end for the child had it not been for the glorious woman that stood beside him, protecting him from the many hands that reached out in a futile attempt to grasp the enchanting child, to make him theirs both in body and mind, to break him like a piece of fine china. Lust-filled gazes fixed themselves upon the odd pairing, with the men's falling upon the enchantress and her sensually swaying hips while the girls fell on the positively seductive figure of Arthur and his tempting mannerisms, that in reality were nothing more than the absentminded and necessary actions of a moving body.

The feeling was icky, disgusting. Arthur couldn't really describe it. He felt naked, as though the clothes he was wearing didn't exist like he was nought but a piece of moving meat. Arthur thought he would have enjoyed the women's lust-filled eyes. He thought they would validate his existence. Arthur wanted to be like those disgustingly perverted protagonists who would abuse their newfound attractiveness to sleep with any number of women, yet, no matter how much the boy tried to force himself to meet the gaze of the crowd, the only thing that reflected back at him was a faceless mass of torment, invisible hands clawed at the boy's shivering body. He was frightened. Arthur was scared. They weren't treating him like a person but as a toy that existed solely to satisfy their grotesque needs.

"Just ignore them," Arthur heard Luna's low purr guide him amongst the mass of noise. "After a while, you'll become desensitised to their calls", The woman continued. Her face was covered by a black veil similar to that of Vienna, shielding her from the lecherous eyes that would otherwise torment the beauty's unblemished body. Whatever face she was making evaded Arthur's curious gaze that promptly returned to the monotonous stone pathing that lay underfoot. Was it anger, annoyance? Arthur would never know, but he could tell something irked the unrivalled beauty.

Luna's stomach churned in tandem with every attack she had to prevent on the young child's chastity. She had never really been bothered by the lecherous gazes of the mass before, not for a while at least. Luna was desensitised to it, yet now, for some odd reason, it annoyed her. They felt slimy, gross against the beauties moonlight white skin. It felt wrong. Still, that wasn't all. Their gazes, despite being horrid, were nowhere near enough to evoke the level of annoyance that currently raged in Luna's brain. Something else angered the woman, and that was the other women of the red light district, the whores that dared to lay their filthy paws against her Arthur. They tainted him. They upset him, Luna could tell. Her heart, her blood, her everything all seemed to be aware of the child's current predicament. Why were they touching him? Wasn't she the only one allowed to do that? After all, Vienna had specifically left her in charge of her perfect servant for the month, the same Vienna that had so desperately cradled the broken body of the same boy that now skittishly waddled by her side had left her in charge of her one and only, to protect him, to help him, to guide him, yes, Luna's rage stemmed from nothing more than her duty to protect the precious peasant, or at least that's how the temptress rationalised her current feelings, after all, it would be impossible for Luna, the great pleasure queen to fall for such a child. Yep, impossible, it was definitely impossible. The constant palpitations of her heart were little more than a health issue. The great Luna was still detached from that mystical feeling called love, and she would remain as such until the day she died. She had sworn as much, so then why, why was she secretly happy to guide the enchanting child to her place of residence? Why did she want this sensation of warmth that continually assaulted both her heart and mind to stay for just a little longer? Why did Luna want this journey to never end?

{+3 Love (Luna Adeline)}

{+1,500 Affection points}

Yet alas, those sultry words would mark the end of their journey as Arthur's steps froze and likewise, so did Luna's. Despite possessing different origins, their gazes remained fixed upon the same structure, a building that stood proudly amongst the mass of monotonous "businesses" that lined the street. It was tall, frighteningly so, consisting of god knows how many floors; the building known as the scarlet woman towered over the land like the destroyed structure of babel, so much so that Arthur, with his short stature, couldn't even hope to catch a glimpse as to where the buildings treacherous journey to ascend the heavens ended.

Its exterior, despite sharing the same texture and colour as dark wood, possessed untold durability, durability that was currently being displayed to the enraptured peasant courtesy of one very drunk man, whose mana-enhanced fists collided with the walls of the sinful tower with enough force to crater the street. Yet they left nought but scratches against the building's unparalleled exterior.

Mismatched windows shielded by opaque curtains randomly jotted the brothel's many floors, appearing in places where they seemingly held no reason to exist, like in storage rooms and toilets, while they scarcely lined the areas where "business" was currently being conducted. Hordes of people lined the street, drunkenly swaying back and forth in their place as they waited for their turn to enter the sinful establishment, their faces masked by the clouds of multicoloured smoke that lingered in the area like a lust-inducing miasma. Vibrant lights beamed atop the establishment's entrance, highlighting one specific sign which shone in a brilliant, enrapturing scarlet. 'The scarlet woman.' Arthur inwardly gawked. He had arrived at the place he would call home for the coming month, his last place of residence if the system's warning rang true.

However, before Arthur even had time to comment on the somewhat cartoonish appearance of the renowned brothel, he was dragged past the many lines that plagued the street by none other than Luna. Gazes of envy, lust and anger all aligned upon the enchanting child's sensual figure. They were jealous. They wanted to skip the line like Arthur. They wanted to be in the company of the overwhelmingly seductive visage that was Luna, yet, even though such emotions transpired unanimously in the minds of the mass, none dared voice their anguish aloud. They couldn't. Their voices didn't work. They were frozen, unable to move, unable to think. The only thing they could do was silently tremble in their place, with beads of horrible sweat dripping profusely down their clammy skin, caking their reddening faces in a vile glaze. It was hot. The air around them felt as though it was alight with the brilliant flames of rage, as though their envy had been given form. The smoke that previously marred the obscured street now shimmered under the added heat, distorting the world around it to reflect only what Luna wished to see.

This was magic. Luna was using her fire magic. Arthur could tell, or rather, anyone could tell, given the sweltering circumstances. However, the reason as to why the twin-tailed seductress felt the need to make her presence known in such an aggressive manner eluded the child. Arthur couldn't comprehend the irking jealously that flowed with unparalleled vigour in Luna's befuddled brain. She was confused, angry, and most importantly, jealous of the stares that latched themselves upon the sensual boy's body, though she couldn't comprehend why. Still, Arthur didn't even attempt to understand the pressing circumstances of his accomplice. No, in this moment, Arthur couldn't have cared less about the beauty by his side. The only thing that now mattered in Arthur's intrigued mind was the heat that radiated from Luna's clothed body. How did she do it? What mana veins was she using to release such an aura. To put it simply, Arthur was enthralled by Luna's advanced usage of fire magic. This was something only a mage of her standing could do, something Arthur could only dream of accomplishing, given his current rate of progress. Hours could have passed with Arthur remaining entranced with the mere idea of someday performing similar feats of strength. However, Luna wouldn't allow such a future to transpire, as the very moment Arthur found himself on the precipice of falling for the woman's advanced magic, she began to move. Her steps were slow, filled with pride and a domineering grace so powerful it even put her fiery aura to shame. It was as though she wanted the mass to bow to her, to atone for their unknowing sins, to worship her like a god, yet, to the crowd, her villainous silhouette couldn't have looked more like a devil, the very polar opposite of what the bashful beauty envisioned, with Arthur appearing like a snatched child, one who would soon be whisked away to the very depths of hell. Her pitch black tails seemingly danced to the satanic tune of the couple's slow, methodical steps. The crowd parted, spilling out onto the main roads in fear of earning the seductress's ire. They were scared. How could they not be, but at the same time, they were intrigued, enraptured by Luna's almost devilish beauty. Her ruby red eyes shielded by her veil were dull, apathetic, and ignorant to the mass. Luna didn't care about them. To her, their existence posed little more worth than that of a cockroach, for she knew, no matter what she did, no matter what torment or torture she inflicted upon the crowd, they would always, always return to the incarnation of sin, the scarlet woman.

Like Moses, Luna split the waves of people, and with Arthur, as her loyal apostle, the pair walked in their wake, that was until they began to trespass into the scarlet woman's domain. The two guards stationed by the cartoonishly large building's entrance did nought but spare a fleeting curt smile towards their mistress while their previously stern gazes turned haggard as the realisation of the cleanup they would have to perform dawned upon them. Though the scenario Luna had enforced was rare, this wasn't the first time the temperamental seductress had taken to abusing her customers, and they knew it certainly wouldn't be her last. Luna was finicky and volatile at times, while at others, she seemed completely apathetic, cut off from the world around her. In such a state of emotional severance, Luna was capable of anything.

A chill went down the spine of the two male guards, who could only watch in suppressed horror as their master walked past them without so much as a passing nod to confirm their existence. The blazing heat that previously scorched the populated land now dissipated, replaced by a chilling silence. They could only watch as Arthur trespassed into the land of sin that was the Scarlet woman.

Immediately, Arthur felt his eyes tense in their sockets upon his intrusion into the sensual realm, not out of pain, disinterest, or revulsion but instead out of necessity. He couldn't see. The only thing that greeted the child's whimpering pupils was darkness, a darkness so thick, so palpable that it seemed to consume all. His eyes had to adapt to the darkened space around him if he wished to see the land he would call home for the coming month. The transition from the bright, boisterous streets of the red light district to the darkened realm of sin was jarring, disorienting, to say the least. It was confusing. Arthur couldn't understand how such an abrupt scene change could even be possible. After all, the door behind him still remained firmly open. Arthur could still hear the distant cries of the grumbling groups. The final drops of twilight should have illuminated the void-like space with their luminous grace, dying the empty realm in a pale golden hue, yet, it didn't. It was like this land was separated from the rules that governed the rest of the world.

Arthur didn't know how much time he spent in the infinite darkness. He had no way to gauge such a thing. He could only stand there, silent, unmoving, waiting for Luna to take the lead and guide him through this eternal night, an event that would never transpire. Arthur couldn't feel it anymore. He had lost the warmth of Luna's body. Arthur couldn't sense her. He couldn't touch her. When did this happen? At what point did the twin-tailed fox leave him for dead, alone and isolated in the very thing Arthur despised, the dark. In the past six months, Arthur had grown frightened of the very thing that previously acted as the sole companion to the isolated child. Arthur once found comfort in the form of shadows, at least in darkness, no one could tell him apart from the rest. In darkness, Arthur was normal. No one hated him. No one wanted to hurt him, to tell him that his life meant nothing, because darkness obscured all, it hid their flaws, it made everyone even, so then why, why did Arthur now hate the very shield he had used to protect his fragile heart.

And it was in this darkness that Arthur saw movement, a flickering motion, like that of a candle, like the dancing of a flame on the very verge of being extinguished. Instantly Arthur's eyes, still clouded by the infinite void, honed themselves in upon the illusory figure. It lacked colour. It was monotone. No candlelight matched such a description. What Arthur saw was not the brilliant dance of a flame but rather the solemn taunting movements of a spirit. Two spirits, despite having their faces masked by the darkness, Arthur could tell who they were. Of course, he could. They were always there to taunt him, mock him, point out the flaws in his character, and ensure he never enjoyed his ungrateful life. His parents, they had returned once again to extinguish the embers of comfort, of homeliness that Arthur was inadvertently attempting to kindle.

"You're still worthless, you worm," The scratchy, blood-wrenching call of his mother taunted, and with that mere act, Arthur felt his heart drop.

"In the end, you'll always be alone. You can delude yourself in the comfort of their current affection as much as you like, but you know what I say to be true, don't you. You know that when everything comes to light, they'll all abandon you," A gruff harrowing voice continued as Arthur's stomach gave an involuntary lurch. He hated them. Arthur felt his blood boil in his brain, destroying any sense of rationality the boy had built up. He wanted to tell them they were wrong, to disprove their claims, yet no matter how much Arthur raged or whimpered, he couldn't speak. His voice betrayed him, for it knew their words to be true.

"No one will ever love you for who you truly are. For you, Arthur, are the most disgusting, vile creature to ever grace both worlds." Arthur's mother continued. With every word spoken, every syllable uttered from the pair's illusory lips, Arthur felt the world around him crumble, yet, no matter how much Arthur felt his reality break and contort, his body still refused to heed his call. He still couldn't deny their claims.

"Every word you speak, every face you make, none of them truly belong to you. None of them have ever belonged to you. Your entire existence is nothing more than an act. No one will ever love the boy named Arthur. They may fall for your illusions, but they're just that, illusions, fickle bendings of the truth and fabricated lies, and lies will always be brought to light, no matter how long it takes, and when that happens, no one will be by your side." The father continued his aggressive deconstruction of the boy, who he refused to acknowledge as either his son or a human. With every second passed, Arthur felt his muscles grow stiff, his face wouldn't contort in the way he wished it, his eyes wouldn't shine with the light he falsely produced, even his thoughts betrayed him. Arthur didn't even think of rebutting their claims anymore. In fact, he didn't think about anything. Arthur just stood there, his face utterly apathetic, for there was nothing the boy could reflect. He had no need to mimic anyone to earn another's good graces. In this moment, Arthur was truly himself, a blank slate without either goals or ambition. A lifeless husk of the boy he previously was.

"You're not human. You never have been and never will be. No, you're merely a parasite, a gift from hell to ruin the lives of anyone you've ever interacted with. You will never be loved. No one will ever care for the boy you truly are because even you don't know who you truly are." The voices spoke in unison, their words echoing in the empty space of the crumbled world that Arthur stood motionlessly in, surrounded by rubble, decay and death, yet Arthur remained unfazed. He didn't feel anger, he didn't feel rage anymore, Arthur didn't feel anything. Their words couldn't inflict a greater wound than that which he had already inflicted upon himself.

"You're a heartless creature, whose only purpose is to live, you don't care about anyone, nor anything, you may pretend, you may act as such, but even you know this to be true, yet, despite having such cockroach-like tenacity, you have nothing to live for, you are empty, you are hollow, you are more dead than we'll ever be." The spirits continued as their corporeal form finally began to dissipate. These were their final words, their last jeer, the ultimate opportunity for Arthur to reflect upon himself, yet, he didn't. He just stood there, motionless, as he awaited the departure of his ghostly tormenters. It wasn't like Arthur wished to be like this. Arthur didn't like who he was, nor who he had to be, but it had to be this way, for they were right. Arthur was scared, scared of being found out, scared of dying, scared of letting the world discover what he truly was, a broken doll with a mirror for a face.

Seconds passed in the empty silence. Arthur's gaze remained ever unfazed to the world around him. Eventually, the ghostly apparitions of the people he had once fondly called his parents dissipated, and the shattered world around him began to reform. Giving wake to the infinite darkness he had originally hallucinated in, though this time, something was different, his eyes had finally started to adjust, and his body felt warm. Orange, from a distance, Arthur could spy the faint flickering light produced by a candelabra, fastened tightly upon an obscured wall. The flame danced, it cheered, yet the moment Arthur's apathetic gaze fell upon it, it froze. 'Ahh…' Arthur dreamily mumbled, snapping out of whatever trance-like state he had previously entered and returning to the stage he would be forced to dance on until his dying days. His facial muscles tightened, producing the resting face filled with childish glee that many had come to know and love. His mannerism returned to their usual bouncy lightness while his eyes regained the artificial light of life the boy so perfectly mimicked. The "Hero" Arthur had returned, though whether his mind withstood the torment remained unknown.

"Luna?" Arthur dazedly called, his tone similar to the whimper of a lost child. Without the seductress, Arthur appeared to be lost. He was helpless; he needed her, and whether Luna recognised it or not, she needed Arthur. Her heart pained when she felt the boy's hold turn cold when she failed to hear even the most gentle breaths exude from the child's plain pink lips. For a second, veiled by the cover of darkness, it was as though Arthur had died.

"Y-Yes?" Luna bashfully replied, her voice breaking mid-response, not from the usual feelings of lust she felt for the boy but from instinctual sadness. A single tear trailed down the beauty's veiled face. It burnt. It scorched every single pore it came across, filling the minute holes with the salty liquid. Luna didn't like this feeling, this sense of gut-wrenching sadness. She had no reason to feel such a thing. It wasn't like she was exactly close to Arthur, nor did she fully understand why his body responded to the darkness that was the entrance to the 'Scarlet woman' in such a way, she had only met him mere hours ago, yet, for some reason, Luna felt like she never wanted to part from the child ever again, whether it be in death, or in life.

'She's here? Did I just imagine her leaving me then?' Arthur dazedly remarked upon hearing Luna's heartwrenching reply. He could hear her sadness, feel her anguish, but the reason why she felt such a way still eluded the boy. Not because Arthur was dense to the love of those around him. Far from it, in fact, with the system, such a trope was impossible for the young hero to experience. No, Arthur couldn't understand what the aged seductress was going through simply because he had been unaware of his body's status throughout the entire illusory encounter with his former parents. Arthur hadn't felt his body turn cold. He had been unaware of the silent trembles he produced nor the stern hold he possessed over even his own breath because such motions were merely instinctual actions he took to protect himself from his peers, to protect the shell of an identity that was "Arthur".