The night was not so dark anymore, but it didn't feel like morning too. Everything outside was gray, the kind of color that makes you think maybe the sun forgot to rise or just too scared to come up. Coker woke up slowly, his eyes half-shut, still feeling the cold from the floor. His fingers touched something hard beside him—it was that old wooden box he had dragged with him yesterday. He didn't remember why he brought it anymore, only that it felt important. His back was hurting, and there was a strange buzzing inside his ears, like someone whispering from very far.
He looked around. The walls of the ruined building were shaking a little because of the wind, but it was quiet, too quiet. No birds, no voices, no nothing. Coker sat up and rubbed his face. His coat was dirty now, red color not so bright like before. He looked at his hands. There was a mark on his left wrist. He didn't remember getting hurt there, but it looked like a small burned line in shape of a circle with a dot in the middle. His heart started to beat fast again. Was it the curse again?
He stood up fast and looked outside the broken window. The street was still empty. No shadows, no sounds, but something didn't feel right. His skin was cold, but his chest was warm like something inside was awake. He turned around, and suddenly he heard it—a soft voice. Not loud, not clear. Just a whisper.
"...Coker..."
He froze. Nobody was in the room. He turned left, right, behind him. Nothing. His breath became slow, shaky. Was he dreaming still? Was someone playing with him? His hand moved to his chest. The warmth was spreading from there, deep, deeper than his heart. It felt like something was trying to come out, but not with pain—more like memory.
He walked outside the building, his boots kicking stones. The street was long, foggy now. Trees bent to the side like they were hiding. And in the middle of the road, there was something—no, someone.
She was standing still. The silver-haired girl. Her back facing him. Her hair moved gently in the cold air, like water in a river. Coker's lips moved but no sound came out. He tried again.
"H-Hey..."
She turned slowly, her eyes glowing faintly. She didn't smile, but she wasn't angry. Just... calm. Like the sky before a storm.
"You followed me," she said, voice soft like rain.
Coker didn't know what to say. His feet moved without thinking, walking slowly toward her. Every step made the silence louder. He stopped just in front of her, their eyes locked for a second that felt like forever.
"I... I didn't know where else to go," he said finally, eyes looking down.
She moved closer, just a little. "You heard the whispers too?"
Coker's eyes lifted. "So it's not just me?"
"No. They're getting louder. It means the curse is waking up. It remembers things, Coker. It remembers names."
His chest felt heavy. "Names?"
She nodded. "And if it remembers yours, it means it will come looking."
He swallowed hard. His mind didn't know what to do. "Why me? I don't understand."
"Because your name wasn't written in the Book of Silence. You were nameless before. That makes you... outside the rules."
Coker stepped back, confused. "What book? What rules? I don't want this. I'm not... I'm not strong."
The girl reached out and placed her hand gently on his chest, where the warmth was.
"But you were chosen by the curse, Coker. It didn't fall on you by mistake."
Her hand was warm. His heart beat faster. Her face was close. Too close. He looked away fast, face red.
"I-I don't know what I'm supposed to do," he whispered.
"You're supposed to survive. And remember. Before it takes everything."
Suddenly, the ground shook a little. A low rumble came from under the earth. Coker grabbed the girl's arm, not thinking. She didn't pull away.
A shadow moved across the road. Fast. Silent. It didn't have a face, just long arms and glowing red eyes. Coker's heart jumped.
"It found us," she said calmly. "Don't let it speak. If it speaks your name, it will bind your soul."
Coker stepped back, his legs shaking. The shadow moved like smoke, circling them. He held onto the girl's hand tight, eyes wide.
"What do we do?!"
"We don't listen. We run."
"But—"
"Run, Coker!"
He turned, pulling her hand, both of them running through the foggy road. The shadow followed behind them, gliding without feet. It was fast, faster than anything. And then, it spoke.
"Cooookeeeer..."
Coker screamed and fell, grabbing his head. The voice didn't sound like a man or woman. It sounded like death itself. The girl stopped and knelt beside him.
"Don't listen! Don't answer!"
The voice came again.
"Cooookerrr... the cursed name... the forgotten name..."
Coker was shaking, tears in his eyes. "It... it knows me... how?!"
The girl covered his ears. "Because it remembers. The curse remembers who you were before you were nothing."
The shadow came closer, reaching out a long black arm. But suddenly, the girl stood and raised her hand. A silver light flashed from her palm, blinding for a second. The shadow hissed and pulled back.
"We need to go," she said.
"But... but what was that light?" Coker asked, still on the ground.
She didn't answer. She just pulled him up and whispered, "Come."
And they ran again. Deeper into the village. Deeper into the cursed land. Behind them, the shadow watched quietly. It didn't follow anymore. Because it already knew something.
It had spoken his name.
And the curse... never forgets.