Chapter 49: Insanity

Chapter 49: Insanity

Reinhard furrowed his brows, studying Ven’s confused expression. "What is the last thing you remember after we left?"

Ven blinked and scratched his head. "Well, Anasha stayed with me while Mom and Dad went back to work at the cafe. They came back a couple of hours later with food, and we all ate together in the room after convincing the doctor. Then Mom brought me new clothes, and I fell asleep." He paused, his expression growing troubled. "When I woke up, I wasn’t in my room anymore. I was near the exit with Anasha unconscious on the floor in front of me."

"How did the surroundings look when you saw that?" Reinhard asked as he furrowed his brows.

Ven trembled as fear flickered across his features. "There were claw markings everywhere on the walls. I thought a Phantasm Beast had gotten inside, so I quickly picked up Anasha and tried to run back to my room. The adults always said to stay in a room because the beasts won’t enter..." His voice dropped to a whisper. "But then, after running for a bit, everything went dark for some reason. Next thing I knew, I was waking up to see you." His blue eyes widened with worry. "Reinhard, did a Phantasm Beast attack me and Anasha?"

Reinhard forced a smile and shook his head. "No, it didn’t. I just found you both knocked out. I was trying to wake her up when you awoke as well."

Ven’s shoulders sagged with relief. "That’s good. I was so scared something had hurt her."

But Reinhard remained silent, his mind replaying the moment when the Werefang had reverted to Ven’s human form. Two realizations struck him, although he didn’t like them one bit, as a grim reality appeared.

First, Ven was definitely one of the transformed townspeople and one of the Werefangs that attacked him. Second, if Ven hadn’t fled when he did, Reinhard would have killed him, thinking he was just another beast.

I would have killed Anasha’s big brother...

The thought made Reinhard’s blood run cold. How many of the Werefangs he, Marie, and Joseph had fought last night were actually humans transformed against their will?

It’s something I don’t want to think abou

Anasha stirred in his arms, her eyelids fluttering. "Ven? Is that you?"

Ven’s face lit up as he jogged over. "You’re finally awake! I was so worried."

Anasha furrowed her brows in confusion. "Finally awake? What are you talking about? I should be asking where you were! I couldn’t find you in your room!"

Ven shifted uncomfortably, his gaze not quite meeting hers. "Would you believe me if I said I don’t know?"

Anasha stared at him blankly before a smile spread across her face. "I want to hit you."

Ven’s lips twitched. "Can you not be so violent to your dear big brother?"

Reinhard smiled as he watched the siblings banter, seeing Anasha’s stubborn pout and Ven’s defensive posture. It reminded him of Klein and Anna whenever they had their arguments against each other or towards him.

Or their attempts to convince him of things and their unified fronts when trying to change his mind. He could almost see their faces that were sometimes pouting, sometimes angry, and sometimes annoyed, all of which hid their affection for him.

Reinhard chuckled and stood up. "We should leave this place. It’s-"

Footsteps echoed through the corridor behind Ven.

Phineas emerged from the shadows, his white coat still stained with blood, but his posture relaxed and confident.

Reinhard frowned and pulled both Ven and Anasha behind him, Zenuken materializing in his grip.

Phineas raised both hands in a placating gesture. "Now, now. Let’s not be so hostile to each other. I’m sure you’ve noticed it?"

"That you turned them into beasts?" Reinhard’s voice was flat.

Anasha blinked as she gripped Reinhard’s shirt and muttered. "Turn them into a beast?"

Ven trembled before he wrapped his arm around Anasha as he stared at Phineas with a weary look. "Don’t listen, Anasha."

"But..."

Phineas laughed, the sound echoing off the clinic walls. "I know you’re trying to protect them, but lying is no good. The more you lie, the more excuses are needed and the bigger the consequence grows. And as the lies continue to pile up, sooner or later, the excuses will make no sense anymore."

"Then only do it until they’re old enough to understand the truth," Reinhard said softly.

Phineas tilted his head. "But lying to them for the next couple of years? You think they won’t feel betrayed?"

Reinhard opened his mouth to respond, but Phineas shook his head.

"Let me spoil it for you. They will feel betrayed and hatred toward you but also disgust at themselves for feeling that way."

"Has it happened to you, or did you go through what they’re going through?"

Phineas blinked, then laughed again. "So, you picked up on that? Well, it’s more like I went through what our dear fantasy maker did. And as someone who experienced the same thing, the first lesson I always remember is..." His expression hardened. "It’s better to know the truth than to be lied to."

He snapped his fingers.

Anasha collapsed immediately, with her eyes closing. Ven gasped and reached for her, but his body froze mid-motion, and then his eyes widened with terror as his body began trembling.

Reinhard grabbed Anasha and pulled her close while backing away from Ven, whose body had begun changing.

His fingers change into claws, fur sprouting along his arms in dark waves, and his face stretched into a bestial snout.

"As you can see." Phineas said casually. "When she falls asleep or is knocked unconscious, the true forms of the townspeople emerge. Of course, I can bypass that, but there isn’t much fun in doing it."

"Shut up!" Reinhard shouted, swinging Zenuken where Mimir indicated invisible threads. The blade severed them, and he immediately began shaking Anasha. "Wake up! Anasha, wake up!"

Anasha’s eyes fluttered open with a groan just as Ven’s transformation stopped and began reversing. Fur retracted, claws shortened, and his human features reasserted themselves as the second began passing.

"W-what happened?" Anasha asked groggily.

Reinhard bit his lip. "We have an enemy here. You need to run away with Ven-"

"Now, now, Mr. Herald," Phineas interrupted with a sigh. "You can’t do that. We need to shine the truth on her. If she’ll learn about it eventually, it’s better she learns it now-"

Reinhard hurled Zenuken through the air. The blade streaked toward Phineas’s chest, but golden threads yanked him sideways at the last moment.

"Let the truth be shown." Phineas declared, snapping his fingers again.

Ven began trembling violently once more, and he let out a painful groan. Anasha looked at him in surprise before breaking free from Reinhard’s grip and running to her brother.

"What’s wrong, Ven? Are you in pain? W-What is-"

"Stay away from me!" Ven pushed her back desperately. "Stay with Reinhard and-" He groaned again, his body convulsing.

Anasha’s tears began flowing as she rushed back to him. "Ven! Ven!"

Reinhard resummoned Zenuken and moved quickly, grabbing Anasha by the waist and pulling her away. She struggled against his grip, crying that something was wrong with Ven and that they needed to help him.

When Reinhard turned to flee, golden threads materialized across the corridor, creating an impassable barrier.

"Too late!" Phineas announced gleefully.

Reinhard scoffed and swung Zenuken at the wall instead. The blade cut through stone and wood, creating an opening to escape through.

Phineas blinked. "Huh. I wonder why I didn’t think about that? Oh well."

But Ven’s transformation had already begun. His body twisted and grew, muscles bulging beneath spreading black fur, with his face shifting into a wolf-like snout while claws extended from his fingers.

"No..." Anasha whispered, her voice barely audible. "There’s no way Ven could be... No way Ven could be a beast!"

She watched as shadowy wrappings materialized around Ven’s transformed body; it coiled around its mouth, wrapping its limbs, and around its waist. Reinhard frowned as he could guess what Anasha was thinking when she saw the shadow wrappings. It was the same Werefang that had chased her through the clinic, the one that scared her so much, and wanted to devour her.

"No..."

The Werefang threw back its head and released a roar that shook the clinic walls.

Anasha stood frozen as tears streamed down her face.