Lein froze, unable to believe his ears.
«Wait, maybe he means something else. I shouldn't jump to conclusions just yet...»
"I saw you. For the second time already," said Kyle.
Lein gave a crooked smile.
«So...»
"You know everything..." he whispered.
Kyle sighed.
"Honestly... this is really strange," he told Lein.
Lein looked at him in surprise.
"What exactly?"
"That I remember things that... never happened?"
Lein fell into thought.
«So... he does remember those moments? If I think about it... how did the Mirror Demon get into my world? It must've come through me. That means... my dreams aren't just dreams. They're a gateway to... other worlds? Or maybe the past?»
Seeing Lein had gone quiet, Kyle continued:
"The first time, when I left Uncle Velv, I didn't notice you. But when you woke up... it felt like I'd seen you before. Long ago. I wasn't sure, though. But then... you told me you'd dreamed of me. Of when I left the tribe..."
Kyle trailed off.
They sat in silence for a while.
Then Kyle gave a faint smile, though no one could see it.
"And now, today, I suddenly remembered seeing you in that place," he said, voice full of sorrow.
Lein sighed.
"I see. Well... I don't know how it all works."
Kyle looked at him and asked the question Lein had hoped to avoid:
"Will my tribe really be destroyed? Or... did you lie?"
«So... I'm cornered. Back then, I didn't know he hated his tribe and was lying. Now... I have no choice but to tell the truth. Ah, lies never last. Sooner or later, the truth we're so desperate to hide finds a way out.»
"I lied," said Lein, voice even.
No sadness.
No regret.
No pride.
Before Kyle could respond, he went on calmly:
"I won't justify it. At the time, lying seemed like the right choice. Yes, I'm a liar, willing to sacrifice anyone's trust. A wretched man who schemes in the dark. But I... I'm still human. People lie, people get angry — but as long as they understand, regret, or feel guilt... they're still human. And you know what?"
Kyle shook his head.
Lein couldn't see it — but he knew.
"I didn't originally plan to get involved with your tribe. But plans changed. We'll use them as bait. Kill two birds with one stone."
Kyle didn't realize when a smile crept across his face.
"It hurts that you lied..." he said, bitterness in his voice.
"You're a real bastard. But damn it... you're still the best person I know."
Lein exhaled, relieved.
«Well... I was planning to use his tribe anyway. I won't find the mirrors otherwise. Speaking of which...»
"Kyle, did you get any sleep?" Lein asked, trying to change the subject.
"Of course," said Kyle.
Lein raised a brow.
"Of course what?"
Kyle yawned.
"Of course not..."
Lein shook his head.
«So he stood watch while I slept...»
Lein clenched his teeth.
«But I... I can't take watch duty. Even if I'm awake, I won't see anything. Only sound...»
"Get some sleep. I'll wake you in about an hour."
"No need, I still—"
"Stop talking. Don't waste what little time we have. We don't know what that demon's doing..."
«Though I have a few guesses. Just guesses.»
Kyle stood, grabbed a blanket from his pack, and sat next to Lein.
Lein listened to the world in silence, keeping watch over Kyle's sleep.
The fire's crackle, the scent of smoke and burning wood.
The soft rhythm of Kyle's breathing as he rested his head on Lein's shoulder.
The winter wind whispering through their makeshift shelter.
Even blind to this world, Lein felt its peace.
«If only Elisa or Rain were here. Or better — all of them... What a shame.»
...
To Lein, it felt like hours had passed.
He wanted to wake Kyle, but hesitated.
That peaceful breathing...
«But... there's no choice.»
"Hey, wake up. Time to go."
Kyle stirred.
"Rise and shine, Kyle!" Lein repeated, louder this time.
"Mmm... already? Just a bit longer?"
Lein smirked.
"You'll have plenty of time to sleep. Get up."
Kyle lifted his head from Lein's shoulder and stood, groggy.
Then he looked at him and asked:
"Where are we going?"
"To your tribe," Lein said bluntly.
"Huh? Do you even know the way?"
"No. That's why I've got you. Still half-asleep?" he teased.
Kyle sighed.
"Got it..."
He stood up, put out the fire, and packed the blanket.
"Done. Let's move. We head west."
Lein paused for a second.
"Isn't there a cliff that way?"
"There is. Below it lies a huge cave — that's where my tribe lives."
Lein stood up with a sigh.
Kyle took his hand and led him toward the cliffs.
"So I guess we need to find a way down?"
Kyle shook his head.
«Damn habit...» — he thought.
"No, we don't need to search. You forgot? I lived there. I know every path down."
"So how do we get in? Anything reflective?"
"No," said Kyle. "There's a hidden passage leading straight down. No reflections. Hardly anyone knows about it. That's... how I escaped."
Lein nodded.
They continued walking through snow and wind, talking along the way.
The journey was long. They took breaks. Sometimes they even ate.
To Lein's surprise, there were rabbits around — white as snow and just as fluffy, Kyle said.
And they tasted good, too.
Sitting by the fire, Kyle handed Lein a rabbit leg.
"Here. You liked it, right?"
Lein took it without argument.
And so, another day passed.
With every step, Lein's unease grew.
No sign of the Mirror Demon. No attacks. No people. No creatures.
Just... silence.
And that silence felt unnatural.
He had too little information to act on it — so he kept moving.
Despite fear. Despite doubt. Despite the unknown.
Yes, what made it harder was that he had to walk the whole way with his eyes closed — holding Kyle's hand and trusting him completely.
He couldn't remember ever feeling so helpless.
And finally, after several days, Kyle stopped.
"We're here," he whispered.
Lein nodded.
They had reached the hidden passage Kyle had told him about.
«Mirror Demon... What are you planning?»
This cave was a key part of Lein's plan.
Here, he could find plenty of mirrors.
There were people — to serve as cover.
And the demon, who was up to something.