Snow fell softly through the dense forest, blanketing everything in cold silence.
Duke walked ahead, a burning wooden stick held loosely in his hand. The flame crackled, its light flickering against the snow and casting long, shifting shadows between the trees.
Touka walked beside him, quiet as ever, her footsteps light against the frozen ground.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Duke glanced at her.
"Hey… why are you so silent?" he asked, his voice low, almost casual.
Touka didn't look at him.
"I don't know what to talk about."
Duke exhaled through his nose, a faint smirk forming.
"Hugh… you're always like this. Haha…"
The firelight danced across his face—
and then his expression changed.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"And I'm still wondering… how you survived."
Touka stopped.
The soft crunch of snow echoed as she turned toward him.
"Why? Are you not happy that I survived?" she asked.
Duke paused.
"No—no… it's not like that. I'm just…"
He looked away for a second, gripping the wooden stick tighter.
"…no one else did. In your squad."
A cold silence settled between them.
"It's pretty sad," he added quietly.
Then his gaze sharpened again.
"But you must've done something… to survive."
Touka held his stare.
"I ran away and hid," she said.
The wind passed through the trees, carrying a hollow whisper.
"And I was lucky as well… they started fighting among themselves."
Duke didn't respond immediately.
The fire on the stick flickered harder, as if reacting to the tension.
Then—
he turned and started walking again.
Touka followed.
Side by side, they moved deeper into the forest.
The flame burned between them.
And the silence returned… heavier than before.
The forest grew darker with every step.
Snow crunched beneath their feet as the trees thickened, swallowing what little light remained. Duke lifted the burning wooden stick slightly, but the flame barely pushed back the darkness.
"Damn… it's so dark," Duke muttered.
"I can't even see anything. The night feels… dangerous here."
Touka didn't respond immediately.
She tilted her head slightly, her gaze drifting upward—
toward the moon.
"Night…?" she said softly.
"That's what I was waiting for."
Duke felt it instantly.
A chill—not from the cold—
but something deeper.
Goosebumps crept along his arms.
He slowly turned his head toward her.
Touka casually looked back at him.
"What happened?" she asked.
"You look pale."
Duke didn't answer.
Instead, he reached behind his back—
and pulled out the axe he had taken earlier to cut wood.
His grip tightened.
The firelight flickered against the blade.
"Hey…" he said slowly.
"Can we talk?"
A brief pause.
"Or… if you want…"
his voice hardened slightly,
"…we can settle things right here."
Touka looked at him.
For a moment—
silence.
Then she let out a soft laugh.
"What are you talking about?"
Duke's eyes narrowed.
"You already know I suspect you," he said coldly.
"The white-haired masked woman."
His gaze sharpened.
"So stop playing with me."
Touka stared at him for a few seconds.
Then—
she turned away.
And continued walking.
"What's wrong with liking the night?" she said casually.
"Some people like the day."
Her violet eyes drifted back to the moon.
"I like the night."
The flame on Duke's wooden stick flickered harder as he followed.
"Suspecting someone of being a serial killer without proof…" Touka continued calmly,
"…and then telling others about it…"
Her voice dropped slightly.
"That's pretty awful."
Duke suddenly stopped.
"Tch—"
His expression stiffened.
"You heard that?" he muttered.
"When I said it to Jack…"
He clicked his tongue, frustration creeping in.
"Tch… that idiot ruined everything."
Duke quickly stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
"Hey, look… I'm sorry," he said, his tone softer now.
He exhaled slowly, trying to ease the tension.
"Let's not think about that right now."
But the night didn't feel any lighter.
If anything—
it grew heavier around them.
Touka slowed her steps.
"I thought you were a good person," she said quietly.
The words hung in the cold air.
"Despite me not being that social… you still cared for me."
A pause.
Her voice softened—almost disappointed.
"But it looks like… I made a mistake."
Duke's expression shifted.
For a brief second—
guilt.
Then—
his eyes flicked past her.
Something in the distance.
On a cliff, partially hidden by the falling snow—
a figure stood still.
A mask.
The same outfit.
Timberline bandits.
Duke's pupils shrank.
His breathing hitched.
"…So it's true."
Before Touka could react—
Duke lunged forward.
His hand shot to her throat, slamming her back against a tree.
The burning wooden stick fell into the snow, its flame flickering violently.
Touka's eyes widened—
then slowly…
began turning red.
"Is this your plan?" Duke snarled, his grip tightening.
"Bringing your team here to kill me off?!"
His voice cracked with anger.
"You think I'm stupid?!"
Touka struggled slightly, her fingers gripping his wrist—
but her expression…
wasn't fear.
It was changing.
Darker.
Duke glanced back at the cliff, shouting—
"Hey! You—!"
His voice echoed through the forest.
"Come down here!"
His grip tightened further.
"Before I kill her myself!"
The wind roared louder.
The figure on the cliff didn't move.
And behind Duke's rage—
something felt…
wrong.
Duke tightened his grip on Touka's neck and dragged her forward, forcing her into view of the masked man on the cliff.
"Look at this!" Duke shouted.
"Your teammate is right here!"
With one hand still choking her, he reached back and pulled out his axe.
The blade gleamed faintly in the firelight.
"I'll kill her!" he yelled.
"Come down here right now!"
Touka's fingers clawed weakly at his wrist—
her breathing breaking.
On the cliff—
the masked man didn't hesitate.
He reached into his coat…
and pulled out a knife.
The blade glowed blue.
Kendra energy pulsed through it, faint engravings lighting up across the metal.
Duke's eyes widened slightly.
"I'm serious!" Duke shouted again.
"I will really kill her—!"
The masked man moved.
In one swift motion—
he threw the knife.
Duke reacted instantly—
raising his axe to block—
—but the trajectory—
was never meant for him.
A sharp sound cut through the air.
Then—
silence.
Blood.
Dripping into the white snow.
Duke froze.
Slowly—
he looked down.
The knife…
was buried in Touka's back.
His grip loosened.
The axe slipped from his hand and dropped into the snow.
Touka collapsed to her knees.
"Aghh—!" she screamed, her voice tearing through the forest.
Duke staggered back, eyes wide with horror.
"…What…?"
His breath shook.
"Shit… I—I might have just made the biggest mistake of my life…"
His voice cracked.
"What if… she's not the white-haired masked girl…?"
He rushed toward her, panicking.
"H-hey—are you alright?" he said quickly, kneeling beside her.
He grabbed her shoulders, trying to hold her up.
"I'll protect you… I've got you…"
His hands trembled.
Then—
he looked up.
The masked man stood there still—
but now—
his hand was raised.
Blue Kendra energy gathered into a dense sphere.
Crackling.
Growing.
Duke's eyes widened in pure shock.
"…No way."
A surge of Kendra energy erupted from the masked man's hand.
BOOM.
The blast tore through the forest.
A violent shockwave ripped trees from the ground, shattered stone, and sent snow exploding into the air like a white storm.
"Cough—cough—!"
Duke skidded across the ground in the distance, barely managing to stay upright.
"…Barely made it," he muttered, breathing hard.
"I used my Kendra energy… grabbed Touka and dashed away… but that impact—"
His eyes widened.
"Where's Touka?!"
He spotted her near the edge of the cliff.
Struggling to stand.
Blood dripping onto the snow.
Duke sprinted toward her.
"Touka!"
He reached her and grabbed her shoulders.
"Are you alright? Stay with me—we're getting out of here."
His voice hardened with determination.
"I'll save you. No matter what."
Touka's breathing grew heavy.
"N… not again…" she thought.
"My head… feels heavy…"
Her vision blurred.
"T-that's right… the cold water… it's hitting me…"
Her thoughts staggered.
"But… not now…"
Duke's voice echoed faintly in her ears.
"I'll save you…"
Her vision faded.
Darkness closed in.
Her body went limp.
"T-Touka?!"
Duke caught her before she collapsed completely.
He checked her quickly.
"…She's alive."
Relief—but only for a second.
"Unconscious…"
A presence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Duke looked up.
The masked man now stood ahead—
just beyond the cliff.
Silent.
Watching.
Duke gently laid Touka behind him on the snow.
Then—
he stood up slowly.
He reached for his sword.
Shing.
The blade slid free.
He stepped forward.
Took his stance.
Eyes locked on the enemy.
"…Bring it on, bastard."
The masked man began walking forward—
slow… steady… unstoppable.
Each step echoed through the shattered forest.
Duke's grip tightened on his sword.
His hands trembled.
That Kendra blast…
It felt as strong as the Monk's… maybe even stronger…
A bead of sweat ran down his face despite the cold.
Calm down…
I'm stronger now…
I can beat him.
"Hey…!" Duke shouted, forcing confidence into his voice.
"Say something, you bastard!"
No response.
The masked man kept walking.
Then—
his hand began to glow again.
Blue Kendra energy gathered, pulsing violently.
He raised it—
and pointed directly at Duke.
Duke's eyes sharpened.
His sword ignited with green Kendra energy, the glow cutting through the darkness.
"AAAHHH!" he roared—
and charged.
The ground beneath them trembled.
Cracks spread across the cliff—
thin at first—
then widening.
CRACK.
Duke's eyes flicked downward.
Too late.
The cliff gave way beneath them.
Chunks of rock broke apart and fell into the abyss.
"Touka—!"
Her body slipped—
falling over the edge.
Duke reacted instantly.
He lunged forward—
and grabbed her hand mid-fall.
"Got you!"
His other hand slammed against the cliff's edge—
fingers digging into the snow and rock.
Pebbles broke loose, falling into the darkness below.
"Shit… shit… SHIT!"
Duke gritted his teeth, muscles straining.
He glanced down.
Nothing.
Just endless darkness.
Anyone who falls… dies instantly.
"No… no way…"
His voice shook.
This can't be how it ends.
Above him—
the masked man stood at the edge.
Silent.
Watching.
The ice beneath Duke's hand began to crack.
A thin, sharp sound—
crrk…
His grip tightened instantly.
"No… no… no…"
The fractures spread.
Fast.
Too fast.
"Hold… just hold—!"
CRACK.
The edge gave way.
Duke's hand slipped.
For a split second—
nothing.
Then—
his body dropped.
But his other hand—
still held Touka's.
Tightly.
Cold wind roared past them as they fell into the abyss.
"This is it…"
Duke's thoughts went silent.
"I'm going to die…"
He looked up—
just once.
At the cliff above.
The masked man stood there.
Still.
Watching.
Not moving.
Not helping.
Not stopping them.
Duke's grip on Touka tightened even more.
His teeth clenched.
"No…"
His breath trembled.
"Not just me…"
Guilt hit him like a blade.
"This is my fault…"
"She's going to die because of me too…"
Their bodies fell deeper—
swallowed by darkness.
Snow and broken ice followed them into the void.
Silence consumed everything.
And just before they disappeared completely.