They arrived in front of a derelict cottage, its charred wooden planks bearing stubborn reminders of a fire long past. The structure sat isolated, slightly removed from the neighbouring ruins, as though even time itself had chosen to forget it.
"It's still all burnt up," Subaru muttered, eyeing the scorched remains that clung stubbornly to the blackened timber. Though years had surely passed, the essence of the blaze lingered, an echo of destruction etched into every board.
"Seems so," Nathan replied, his voice low but detached.
Unlike Subaru, Nathan wasn't concerned about the cottage's condition. His mind was fixed on something else entirely, on whatever secrets might be buried inside that could help him out.
A clue perhaps.
"Let's go in, shall we?"
Naturally, it was Nathan who led the charge. He always did. For most things, his certainty wavered, but here, he felt something firm beneath his feet, instinct, perhaps. A truth unspoken.
Subaru, on the other hand… Nathan had no illusions about him. In fact, he saw Subaru's willingness to let a teenager take point as nothing short of pathetic. A man with children Nathan's age, content to follow rather than protect. It was disheartening. And yet, somehow, understandable.
Nathan wasn't a father. He couldn't fully comprehend the weight that rested on Subaru's shoulders, but even so, he didn't need or want his guidance. Subaru's mere presence was all he'd ever expected, and for now, that would suffice.
They stepped into the burnt-out shell of the house, its eerie atmosphere greeting them like an old, unwelcome friend. Nathan entered first, fearless or at least appearing to be. Maybe there was a flicker of unease buried somewhere deep, but nothing visible. For someone his age, he carried his nerves with remarkable control.
Inside, the decay was overwhelming. Every corner whispered fragility, the building groaning with each of Nathan's measured steps. The floorboards creaked ominously beneath his feet, and the brittle walls looked ready to collapse with a sigh.
Light spilled in from scattered holes in the walls and ceiling, casting fractured beams across the dust-choked air. It wasn't much, but it was enough for the two of them to navigate the gloom.
Nathan moved slowly, eyes scanning his surroundings. Nothing of value, just scorched emptiness and the scent of old smoke. A perfect picture of desolation.
Still, something felt off. It clung to the room like eyes lurking just beyond sight. A sensation more than a presence. Cold, creeping discomfort that wormed beneath the skin.
"Uhm... all this creepiness is making me tense down there," Subaru blurted, voice cracking as he edged closer to Nathan.
"You can leave if you want," Nathan said calmly, unable to watch the older man squirm any longer.
"No-no, it's fine. I can hold it," Subaru insisted, though his words rang hollow, his discomfort written plainly on his face.
"I don't think you should. I read once that holding it in too long can lead to bladder damage. Something about internal pressure causing leaks or even rupture."
"Is… is that true?" Subaru asked, suddenly paler. "Then maybe I should go. But... will you be okay alone?"
Should Nathan have praised him for at least feigning concern? Maybe. But he didn't feel like rewarding a grown man's cowardice.
"I'll be fine. It's just an abandoned house," he replied, waving the man off.
With that, Subaru made his exit, fleeing the oppressive aura of the place with all the grace of a spooked dog. Nathan sighed, watching him disappear through the crooked doorway.
"So now what...?"
This was supposed to be his lead, his one real chance to unravel the mystery. And yet, what was he looking at? A dead ruin soaked in ashes. Was this truly all there was?
"Damn it," he muttered, fury bubbling beneath the surface. He clenched his fists, then struck the wall with one of them. Dust rained down in response.
He didn't want to die here. He didn't want to be trapped in this godforsaken tutorial phase, stuck between progress and retreat.
Stagnation, utter, maddening stagnation.
"Damn it! Damn it! Fuck!"
His voice bounced off the empty walls, swallowed quickly by the gloom. No response. No sign. No path forward.
In a surge of emotion, he stomped his foot hard against the floor. The wood groaned. Another stomp, louder, heavier.
Quickly, frustration had crept in. This was the one significant lead he had to find out whatever was happening to this town.
Nathan was no Sherlock Holmes. Without a clue here or another elsewhere, how else is he supposed to move forward? Where was he supposed to carry on? What questions should he ask to find significant hope in this dark abode?!
Questions came, ones that answers could not be provided to.
Tears welled in his eyes, just barely held back. He hated this. Hated Subaru's false confidence. Hated how little he understood. Hated being dragged into something that made no sense.
"I just want to go home," he whispered, the words small, broken. "Back to peace... not this... not this bullshit."
Then, with a final cry of frustration, he slammed his foot down once more.
BANG!
The floor gave way.
A sharp crack split the silence as Nathan's leg plunged through splintered wood. Shock overtook his expression. He twisted and pulled, struggling to free his trapped limb. Finally, with effort and a wince, he yanked his foot out along with several shattered planks.
What remained was a gaping hole in the floor. Not a shallow break, but something deeper, a tunnel, so it looks.
But an underground tunnel in a worn down cottage once home to a woman rumoured to be involved in a demon summon ritual?
Now that's something worth checking out.
Nathan leaned in, peering into the dark abyss beneath.
"This... could be something."
It was the first real clue he'd found, and suddenly, frustration gave way to curiosity. Excitement, even.
But then reality set in.
Go in alone?
Wait for Subaru?
The idea made him scoff.
Subaru wouldn't be any help, even if he did return. Nathan knew that. He'd known from the start.
Rory? That thought lasted all of a second. Ridiculous.
Marvelous? No. Off the table. Obviously.
No, at the end of the day, Nathan had only one person he could truly count on. One constant in the mess of unknowns.
Himself.
Not the villagers who pinned their hopes on him. Not the odd allies who came and went.
Just Nathan.
Always Nathan.