CHAPTER 44: CHAPTER 44 – ETERNAL NIGHT (PART 1)

Chapter 44 – Eternal Night (Part 1)

"E-Excuse me?"

It took Herman a few seconds to process the words that had just been spoken. His eyes went wide, his lips parting before he blurted out, his expression stunned beyond belief. The change was almost comical with how slow it was.

"You heard me," Sommeil said with an almost childish grin, as though he were suggesting something lighthearted and harmless. "I want this city to join our great clan."

The words fell into the air like stones dropped into still water, rippling through everyone who stood there. Silence followed. Every soldier, every survivor, even Evelyn and Lune—each stared at him as if their minds had simply short-circuited.

No one had expected such a thing. Shelter, perhaps. Food, supplies, maybe even an oath of temporary cooperation—those were reasonable requests. But this? This was a demand that not even the wildest imagination could have conjured.

"... G-Give you the city?" Herman stammered, his voice shaking. "How can I do that? I don’t own this city."

Sommeil clicked his tongue softly, wagging his finger in mock disappointment. "Oh, come now, silly old man. Of course, you don’t own it." He reached out, patting Herman’s shoulder in a way that felt more like mockery than comfort. "That’s why I’ll clean this city for you. Once I’ve purged it of the filth crawling in its streets, you’ll be in control again. A proper manager of this place. Then, and only then, you’ll join my clan."

"..."

"So?" Sommeil leaned in, his grin widening. "What do you think? Do we have a deal?"

The demand landed on Herman like a mountain collapsing on his shoulders. He couldn’t even tell if Sommeil was serious or simply toying with him. The man was too unpredictable, too whimsical, to read. His grin was playful, but his eyes... his eyes carried something sharp and dangerous.

Yet, someone among them did understand. Jack narrowed his gaze, studying Sommeil with a calm that belied his age.

’I see...’ His mind sharpened like a blade. ’That’s why he’s here. He’s trying to seize the city while the chaos is still fresh. While the blood hasn’t dried yet.’

It made perfect sense. The old powers of nations were falling apart, eaten alive by the onslaught of monsters. And in their place, clans would rise—strong, organized, and ruthless. To move quickly in such a vacuum wasn’t just opportunistic; it was necessary.

"I-I can’t!" Herman exclaimed, shaking his head furiously. "Sir, as much as I appreciate your offer, it’s not within my rights to hand over a city to a clan. The government would never allow such a thing."

Sommeil’s smile didn’t falter. Instead, he tilted his head, an eyebrow arched. "The government? What government?"

"Yes, the government of our nat—"

Herman froze mid-sentence. The words caught in his throat as realization hit him like a blade. His eyes went wide, his body rigid. His lips trembled as the truth set in.

What government?

The question echoed in his skull, ringing with a cruel kind of clarity. What nation? What power? All of it had already collapsed. The government wasn’t here, wasn’t coming, and likely would never return. Whatever fragmented remains still existed were being devoured by the tide of monsters.

The truth clawed at his chest: the government simply didn’t have the strength to protect them anymore. Compared to the overwhelming power of clans, the state was already a corpse.

"See? You figured it out yourself." Sommeil’s voice was soft, almost soothing. "This nation has already collapsed. No government will be able to regain control. The only ones left to build anew are those who have the strength to claim it. There’s no one left to punish you for disobedience. No one to command you. Only opportunity, waiting to be taken."

Herman’s lips pressed into a thin line.

"How about it, hm?" Sommeil leaned closer, his tone dropping to a whisper that carried like poison into Herman’s ear. "All I want from you is to keep this city steady until my clan arrives. Hold the borders, keep the order, nothing more."

Again, silence fell. The soldiers behind Herman looked on, their faces caught between fear and confusion. His orders had always been absolute, the bedrock of their will. But this? Could they follow him if he gave the city away so easily?

Sommeil’s voice slipped through the stillness like silk. "Think about the souls, General. Think about the innocents you’ll save by accepting my offer. The families hiding in basements, trembling in fear. The children crying for parents who may never return. Do you know how many are running this very moment? Scattered, terrified, moments from being devoured?"

The words sounded gentle, almost kind. But beneath the surface was venom. Herman shuddered, his lungs refusing to draw breath. He understood the hidden edge behind Sommeil’s plea.

’It will all be your fault if you refuse. If you let these innocents die when you could have saved them.’

The thought carved into him, heavier with every passing second. His chest tightened, his heart hammered like a war drum.

’S-Save them... If I accept, he can save them.’ His teeth ground together. Each second that ticked by meant another scream in the distance, another life extinguished. He didn’t have the luxury of time.

Loyalty to his nation clashed violently against his morals. His oaths, his honor, his entire career stood on one side, while the faces of countless innocents stood on the other.

And through it all, Sommeil smiled wider, watching his struggle with unrestrained delight.

"What an interesting individual," Lune muttered, her brows furrowed.

Jack’s response was calm, almost detached. "He doesn’t need to do any of this."

Lune blinked at him, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Herman’s unnecessary. If Sommeil truly wanted to cleanse the city, he wouldn’t need soldiers like these to maintain control afterward. Do you really think this bunch could keep it safe?"

Lune hesitated, then shook her head slowly. "No... they couldn’t. That means..."

"Exactly. He’s doing it for fun." Jack’s voice was flat, but his eyes glinted with cold insight. "He enjoys this. Watching a man choose between the ideals he’s sworn to uphold and the lives he’s sworn to protect—it’s amusement to him."

Cruel as it was, Jack didn’t find it surprising. Power tilted the scales, always. It didn’t matter if it was right or wrong. Those who held strength dictated reality itself, while the weak bent to their will.

’Those with power decide what’s wrong and what’s right,’ Jack thought darkly. ’And the weak can only abide. Always.’

As those thoughts churned in his mind, Herman finally exhaled a long, trembling breath. His shoulders sagged. His eyes, weary and broken, lifted to meet Sommeil’s.

"I... I understand," he whispered. "Save the city... and we have a deal."

"Sir?!"

"What?!"

The soldiers erupted in disbelief. Their gazes darted to their general, as if begging him to deny his own words. Herman had always been a loyal man, a patriot. To see him bend now felt like betrayal. But guilt, grief, and the crushing weight of the dead had eroded his resolve. He could not endure watching more innocents perish.

Sommeil’s eyes flashed with an odd, unreadable glint. He patted Herman’s shoulder with almost paternal approval. "Good man. You’ve made the right choice—throwing aside your loyalty for the lives of many. I’m sure The Clock will reward such a decision."

He straightened Herman’s attire with exaggerated gentleness, as though tidying up an honored guest, before turning back to Jack and Lune.

"Well then," Sommeil said lightly, as if they had just concluded a casual trade. "We have an agreement. I’ll clean this city. Shouldn’t take more than a few hours." He cracked his neck, the sound sharp in the silence. "In the meantime, I don’t know what you two intend to do. But I assume you have your own problems to solve."

Jack only stared back, his silence carrying more weight than any words could. Evelyn, too, said nothing, her eyes cold as she turned away.

"Ah, kids these days. Always so moody." Sommeil chuckled, unbothered. His gaze drifted upward, toward the endless veil of darkness covering the sky.

"Well," he whispered, his grin stretching wide, "time to make this night beautiful... and everlasting."

And just like that, he was gone. His figure dissolved into the shadows, swallowed whole by the night.

A long night had begun.