Cultists

Floating.

Lylie felt as if he was floating in a warm and comfortable bathtub. His blurry consciousness enjoyed the feeling. It was as if every single pore on his body were born anew. The warm current lightly brushed against him repeatedly.

But the heavenly experience didn't last long, the warm and comfortable bathtub quickly turned into an ice-cold bath. The freezing sensation managed to stir Lylie's mind, and he slowly opened his eyes.

'Cold…'

Still in his reverie, Lylie leaned forward, however, his legs didn't follow him. It was as if he was chained to the floor. He giddily kept trying to move his legs, but it kept refusing his commands.

Half-awake, he looked around himself. Glints of moonlight were reflected on his eyes, but what reflected most was a dark object.

'A…robe?'

Lylie's still foggy mind tried its best to identify the object. Until he finally realized that the dark object was not just a robe, but a robe worn by someone. And it's not just a person, many people around him were wearing robes. He tried to scrutinize the robes but failed, it was clear that the moonlight wasn't capable enough to assist him.

'…I am…still dreaming?'

'Where am I?'

'Why are all of these people gathered here?'

'What is this…smell?

'And why can't I move my legs?'

He moved his line of sight until a faint luminescence entered his vision. The burning wick was swaying, bringing its flame along with it. The candleholder below was made out of something reflective, and the floor around it was of rough and uneven wood.

Lylie's mind was still submerged in the bathtub, showing no signs of it getting out soon.

The illumination brought light to the object lying on the floor. Lying to the left of the candle was a round object. It had a gaping hole and something was bulging proudly on top of the hole, it even has something sticking out of the object.

'Some kind of a…ball?'

Lylie was taken aback, and he quickly realized his mistake. There was no way for that thing to be a ball. Because as far as his knowledge goes, balls don't have holes and had no objects bulging out of them.

Dazzled, he focused his sight once more. Only to realize…that he was looking at a severed head.

'What!?'

He should've screamed the moment he saw the severed head, but for some reason, his lips were tightly shut like it was knitted together. The severed head had a hysterical expression like it experienced a nightmare moments before.

The knife sticking out of her forehead was reflecting the flame, and the handle was stained with dry blood. It was something that would probably be exhibited in a haunted museum.

'T-this!?'

Lylie's mind was forcefully pulled away from the bathtub, and couldn't be any more awake. He felt his stomach churn and retched violently.

'Urgh?!'

It was fortunate that his stomach had no contents, and that his mouth was still knitted to each other. But he still tasted the sourness of his vomit and had to swallow it down, creating tears on the corner of his eyes.

Horizontally across the severed head were the remaining parts of her body. The floor beneath was covered in mysterious symbols. He didn't notice it at first, but the symbols were plastered all over the floor, surrounding the flickering candle.

'I have to get out from here!'

In a panic, he tried to gather his strength and find an exit. But his legs weren't able to move, he can even hear the illusory sounds of chains clanking together. And to his dismay, his arms were also tied together to the sides of his body.

'My body won't move!?'

With no way to move his body, Lylie can only turn his head around violently, looking for an exit.

"..."

Although panicking, his mind was now working perfectly. He could now register his surroundings more clearly. The robed group of people was standing like bamboos around the candle.

Even without understanding the murmurs, Lylie can already tell that they were praying to a certain…being of sorts. Their zealous voices were enough for him to deduce that. He can already imagine every one of them moving their mouths rapidly with their bloodshot eyes.

Fear grabbed his heart, his shivering body was now covered with cold sweats.

'Murderers?! Cultists?! Maniacs?! Did they kidnap me here?!'

In this room illuminated by a bright red and dim blue, these…cultists were muttering with their bloodshot eyes. Lylie was spectating…no, he was together with the cultists. His rapidly moving eyes were desperate to find a way out, but it never reflected the exit from this party.

Over time, a deathly feeling was infused into the cold air. Lylie wasn't able to feel it at first, but now he can feel that something is about to happen. A drop of tear flowed down from his face. A mix of despair and fear were brought forth, but they were useless, for he still can't move his limbs.

'I…am I going to die here…?'

The cultists' mumblings were becoming louder and louder, creating an odd harmony. Lylie's guts and brain were cursing at his body, but it was as if his body wasn't a part of them.

He was about to give in to despair, when he heard someone yell.

"Heretics, now is your demise!"

[-Bang!]

The wall across the room shattered, creating a gaping hole and cracks all over the place. The now broken walls revealed a group of people wearing a green uniform. Their appearance dispelled the deathly feeling and the bindings that bound Lylie's body.

Despair and fear were abruptly transformed into stupefaction. He stood like a statue for some while before regaining his wits.

'Calm down, calm down, calm down…'

He took deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself, but his heart kept on leaping inside his chest. The timely appearance of this group of people brought relief inside his chest.

'Now that they're here, I am safe now.'

This thought was dispelled as quickly as it appeared. This group of people should be here to arrest these cultists. But Lylie's current appearance was screaming the word [Cultist]. He was also wearing a dark robe. Anyone with a healthy mind would assume that he was a part of this cursed group of people.

Yells were thrown everywhere. He was unable to see what was happening properly, but the gap to freedom was wide open. He suppressed the desire to leap out and waited for the scuffle to be even more uncontrolled.

Seconds of waiting didn't do anything to calm his leaping heart. Lylie can feel the blood flowing through every single corner of his body. The color of blood was illuminated by the unrestrained moonlight, creating a disproportionate feeling.

'Now!'

Bloodsheds later, Lylie finally sprung into action. He put strength into his legs and leaped to the exit. A second felt like five to him. Just as he was approaching the broken wall, something entered the corner of his eyes.

'W-what!?'

The cultists' pupils were covered by a red-blood hue, and the uniformed people also had their eyes covered with a green hue. Just a leap ago, Lylie couldn't see their faces. But now that he approached the broken wall, their colorful pupils naturally entered his vision.

'What's wrong with their eyes?!'

"What!?"

His legs staggered, and he almost fell face first. He blindly swung his limbs around in an attempt to save himself.

'Don't fall!'

At that moment, the ground cracked. Inside was a green root wriggling like earthworms. Lylie's mind couldn't register what was happening in front of him, and the root didn't allow him to. It plunged itself to him.

He tried dodging the root, but it wrapped itself around his head. After securing its spoils, it pulled itself back to the crack where it came. Naturally, Lylie's head was brought together with it.

[-Tschak!]

'Damn it… what…was…that…?'

In the end, he failed to prevent himself from falling face-first to the ground.