I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

"This place is the Smiling Sanctum. To us, it's just home."

Nico spoke, placing his hand firmly on Raiden's arm as they faced a weathered gothic structure made of sand-colored stone, its towers lined with slim windows while the building extended far into the distance.

"It used to be just runes and far worse-looking, until someone kindly donated the funds to turn it into what you see now." Nico added.

Raiden had heard of this Smiling Sanctum before; some of his comrades had trained here recently. But with his fractured thoughts beyond his control in this state, the memory eluded him.

After a brief pause, Nico led him toward a black wooden door at the building's entrance. As soon as it opened, a cold wave swept over them.

A large room stretched before them, packed with tables and chairs where people sat with artificial smiles, conversing among the furniture while their auras glowed in various colors.

The people turned toward Raiden and Nico with puzzled expressions, but while Raiden absorbed his new environment, Nico pulled him left toward a counter.

Before Raiden knew it, he found himself facing a man whose hairline was receding, most teeth gone, and the remaining ones clearly were rotting through his bright grin. He had on a stained blue shirt with rolled-up sleeves and carried a rag on his shoulder.

"I found this poor lost man in Purple Land, and he had nowhere else to go."

Nico said and gestured toward Raiden. "They said he's been lost for months, Mr. Black… he needs shelter before it's too late."

Black's dark eyes narrowed, staring directly into Raiden's golden ones. "And… who are you?"

Raiden's face fell, a strange pain and discomfort spreading across his chest. That earlier feeling about his identity was back.

This time, though, he felt it deep inside. He could become whoever he chose. His past didn't have to define him in this broken state—unless he wanted it to.

He could be anything, anyone: a hunter, an assassin, the old Raiden, a thief, or even this world's devil. Every choice would be his alone, his own purpose, something to define him and make him truly happy.

However, before he could speak, Nico hurried his words. "He's Hero."

Raiden and Black both turned to face him with puzzled expressions.

"Are you sure?" Black asked, "They said someone called The Black Raven is on the loose… slaughtering entire towns and villages."

He shook his head, "We have to be careful."

Raiden and Nico shared worried looks. Whoever was fabricating these stories knew their stuff, and they hadn't just identified Raiden as Raven—they'd even added a moniker, The Black.

Mr. Black then turned to Raiden, his scary smile appearing once more. "What's your full name?"

Nico then hurried his words with the only genuine smile in the room. "Hero… it's just Hero."

Black paused, apparently waiting for Raiden to speak, but after a moment of receiving only silence and an indecipherable look, Mr. Black sighed.

He pulled a heavy, brown book from beneath the counter and slammed it down, sending up clouds of dust that filled the space between them and made Nico cough. The coughing fit grew worse as he started turning the ancient pages.

"In Smiling Sanctum, we are all family." Mr. Black said and began reaching for an ink pen to his left. "Even in the toughest times… a single smile can still warm the heart."

He locked eyes with Raiden. "Smile, no matter what… and one day, happiness will find its way into your heart."

At the word "happiness," Raiden's heart stuttered. He nodded reflexively, muscle memory dragging his mouth into what should have been a smile.

But the expression sat wrong on his face—too wide, too empty, a grotesque mimicry that his dead eyes refused to join.

Mr. Black's features twisted with revulsion for a heartbeat, then melted into resignation with a deep, tired sigh. A smile followed, carefully arranged across his lips.

"Well, you are on the right track… for now." he shook his head. "But that is one hell of a smile. Don't go flashing it around too much."

Mr. Black scrawled the fake name across the yellowed pages, then ducked down for a key. But as he straightened to pass it over, his movement stalled, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.

"By the way, all of this will be paid for… with your service." He locked eyes with Raiden once more. "You'll pay for it by fighting berserk, Corrupt Crest Bearers."

"Okay, okay..." Nico said and began dragging Raiden to a stairwell to their left.

"Room 27," Mr. Black added as he walked and Nico took Raiden up the stairs.

The upper level revealed three corridors—forward, left, and right—each illuminated by rows of muted lanterns.

The lights wavered inconsistently, some maintaining their glow while others flickered on and off in brief, unsettling intervals.

"You won't have to fight if you stay with me, Hero." Nico urged, pulling him along the corridor upfront while that eerie smile remained fixed on Raiden's face.

They came to a halt before door 27, its number written in dark ink that had begun to blur with age. Nico pushed it open and placed the key in Raiden's palm.

"You must be hungry," he said and began backing away. "I will get you some food."

In his trance-like state, Raiden's eyes followed Nico's retreating figure until he vanished into the dim hallway. After a moment's hesitation, Raiden crossed the threshold.

A cramped single bed occupied the far wall, with a mirror and sink stationed to the left. Above the bed, an unshuttered window yawned wide, allowing flies to drift lazily through the opening in endless, buzzing cycles.

The room was little better than a prison cell, but Raiden had traveled far in search of happiness and purpose. If they claimed simple smiles could deliver what he sought, then perhaps his journey was simpler than he'd imagined.

There was something almost alive in his movements now, a stark contrast to how he'd walked through Noor until this moment. Yet even this spark of life made him barely more than a walking dead man.

The bed received his weight as fatigue settled over him like fog. His eyes grew heavy, his body pleading for sleep, but these sensations felt distant, muffled. He remained motionless, simply waiting for Nico's promised meal.

Within minutes, Nico entered carrying stale bread that shed crumbs across the grimy floor, and a cup of liquid that barely qualified as water but looked more like diluted cocoa.

He handed them to Raiden, and with a big grin, he held his waist. "Once you've eaten, get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll head to the nearby cities and pick up some clothes for you."

Raiden stared at him for a few minutes and automatically nodded.