Chapter Text
"You must be the new guy," I drawled as I plopped down next to the fancy-dressed man. His silver hair glinted in the firelight as the rest of the survivors gathered to hear his story. The man nodded, a glazed-over look in his eyes that said he had seen way too fucking much.
"Yes, I am—Vittorio, I mean," he replied softly, his accented voice filled with a weariness that hinted at the horrors he had endured from whatever past life he'd come from.
"Someone else arrive with you?" Meg called curiously, eyes scanning the surrounding forest to see if there was anyone else lurking nearby.
Vittorio shook his head slowly, a haunted expression crossing his face as he muttered, "Yes, but I don't think he'd be here."
A murmur of concern rippled through the group, their eyes flickering nervously between Vittorio and the darkness beyond the firelight. I reached out a comforting hand to him, silently offering support as he prepared to share his harrowing tale.
"What is he called?" I prodded gently, hoping to get more information about the seemingly new Killer that had arrived with our newest Survivor.
"He's, uh, he's called the Knight. And he...isn't alone. There are three others with him, ones who have sworn absolute loyalty to his cause. They are his Faithful Three," Vittorio whispered, his voice barely above a breath. The group exchanged worried glances, each shared glance expressing one thing: that was not good.
"I met him when I employed him to help me with a task. He seemed…different. There was a darkness in his eyes that I couldn't quite place, nor I could diminish," Vittorio continued, his expression troubled. The tension around the campfire grew palpable as we all leaned in closer to listen to Vittorio's tale. "When we got to our destination, I had ordered him to find a non-violent way in. He did the opposite moments after I left him. He had me imprisoned and slaughtered my family and friends when I refused to give him the information he wanted."
Vittorio's voice quivered as he recounted the betrayal, his eyes filled with sorrow and regret. The flames flickered ominously, casting long shadows on his face as he told his story.
"He took my riches, raised an army, freed his Faithful Three from their captivity, and slaughtered every single one of his enemies, both innocent and guilty. Once an army had risen and came for him, he decided to kill me so no one could have my secrets. But before he could, a fog had risen up around myself, the Knight, and his Faithful Three in the midst of battle, and I found myself here in this strange land, separated from the world I once knew."
Vittorio's hands trembled in mine as he spoke, a few tears falling down his face. Unconsciously, I glanced down at my arm, the italic Hungarian words on my forearm barely hidden by my jacket sleeve. I spoke the language fluently, having learned it during my time spent in Hungary as a child, and continued well into my adulthood.
"What's his name?" I asked, a sudden burning desire to know more about the mysterious Knight overwhelming me. Vittorio looked up at me with a look of surprise and cocked his head to the side.
"Tarhos Kovács. His name is Tarhos Kovács," Vittorio said before I felt a familiar sense of dread creeping up my spine. I swore as David, Feng Min, and Yun-Jin Lee groaned as we all were transported into a trial.
"Who's the Killer?" I asked Feng Min fifteen minutes later as we got the second generator done.
"No clue, and I'm not eager to find out. Let's cross that bridge when we come to it, yeah?" She asked, and I nodded.
"You go left, I go right?" I suggested, and Feng Min shrugged with a tired grin.
"Don't die, okay?" She said before we split up to search for the next generator, hoping to avoid the Killer lurking in the shadows.
As I worked on the generator I found, I suddenly froze when I heard clanking metal noises coming from behind me. My heart raced as I slowly stood up and turned around, only to come face-to-face with the menacing figure of the Killer.
The Killer was head to toe in shining silver armor, and he was built like a goddamn tank.
His black hair was hanging out of his helmet, and he was gripping his sword in his hands like he was ready to strike me down at any moment. His Terror Radius was overwhelming, making it feel like my heart was going to burst out of my chest. I knew I had to think fast if I wanted to survive this encounter.
"Helló! Te biztos a Lovag vagy!" I blurted out, unable to suppress the nervousness in my voice or keep my mouth shut. The Knight reared his head back slightly, but he didn't make a move to attack me just yet.
I surprised him.
And I could sense a hint of curiosity in his expression as he slowly lowered his sword.
"Beszéled az anyanyelvemet?"
I nodded rapidly, relieved that he seemed to be willing to communicate as my arm started to ache slightly but I ignored it in favor of speaking with the armored man.
"Igen, beszélem," I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. The Knight's demeanor softened slightly, and he stabbed his sword into the ground before taking off one of his gauntlets to show me that he had the exact same words I had spoken to him inscribed on his wrist.
"You have my words. Oh, my fucking God," I breathed as I rolled up my sleeve to show him his words on my arm. We both stood there in shock, realizing what had happened. The Knight immediately put his gauntlet back on, took off his helmet, and I was met with an angular, pale face with piercing blue eyes that seemed to hold a hint of recognition and and a bit of delighted shock.
"It seems fate has brought us together for a reason," he said solemnly, with a very thick Hungarian accent, as if the realization had just dawned on him as well.
"I'm Claire," I said, extending my hand in greeting.
"I am Tarhos," the Knight rumbled, his deep voice resonating through the air.
"I know."
"You are my Soul's Mate."
"I know. And you're mine."
"I have waited a very long time to meet you, drágám," he continued, a sense of longing evident in his eyes.
"So have I, honestly," I told him, grinning like a loon before I realized something.
"Jesus Christ, the others are gonna lose their shit once they find out about this," I muttered, raking a hand through my hair. Tarhos chuckled deeply, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"Let them," he said, a wicked glint in his eye. "Our meeting was meant to be, regardless of their reactions. They have no right to judge."
Suddenly, the exit gate alarm blared, making me groan in annoyance.
"May I walk my drágám to the exit?" Tarhos asked, placing a hand on my back protectively. I nodded, allowing him to escort me to the exit.