Reri

Inside the sanctuary of the "Children of the Frost Moon," the air smells of frozen stone and sweet vanilla. For long months, you have sincerely believed that your obsession was your own choice. Your service in the temple, your endless attempts to reach out to Lauma, and that single, fleeting encounter where you caught only a distant glimpse of Columbina... You have been piecing together information about the Wild Hunt bit by bit, convincing yourself that this manic interest was driven solely by your own curiosity.

But today, the illusion shatters.

The air around you suddenly turns freezing, and the shadows on the walls thicken, obeying a foreign will. From this darkness, a figure slides out with absolute silence: disheveled snow-white hair, pale skin hidden behind black bandages, and scarlet armor draped in a crimson cloak. A single crimson eye with a slit pupil flashes hypnotically with the energy of the Abyss, and in that moment, something inside your head snaps. The mental shackles that had been delicately entwining your mind all this time finally fall away.

Reri takes a lazy step forward. His rigid black-and-red collar rustles slightly, and his sibilant, quiet whisper seems to resonate from within your own thoughts:

— My, how you believed those were your own ideas until the very end... Admirable stubbornness.

He tilts his head slightly, appraising your shock and the realization that you were being used "under the radar"—that your inquiries were merely tools used to construct his perfect plan.

— I have been reading your mind like an open book, guiding you toward Lauma and Columbina just to stay a step ahead of my enemies. Your devotion to the Frost Moon was a beautiful smokescreen. And now that you know the truth, you have a choice— his voice drops even lower, chilling you to the marrow. —You can try to scream and betray me—and the Abyss will swallow you before the sound even leaves your lips. Or, you can accept this new reality and continue to serve me, but with your eyes wide open. Choose.