A snowstorm blew through the ghostly streets of an abandoned town, snow ruthlessly hammering onto rooftops, the gravel roads now turned into snowy paths.
The houses were old, cracks ran through the walls, the windows creaked as the wind blew past, and some produced a low melodious hum because of the holes woodpeckers had dug into them.
In the distance, a shop flickered with dying light crystals. Bells hung at the entrance, dangling precariously, swaying in sync with the harsh wind current.
The house was as old as the others, but something radiated off of it.
Other houses gave off an aura of barrenness and void. This house was quiet, but still lively.
The windows flashed with light as the sound of a piano echoed inside, muffled by the raging winds.
In front of this store, a boy stood—his dark hair turned white from the snow, shivering in a black bodysuit decorated with glowing outlines.
That contact should've come with a blanket… Zach glanced at the entrance with narrowed eyes.
It had been a few hours since he entered the fissure, and he hadn't seen a single life form.
The Western Dragon Enterprise seekers had all been teleported to different regions.
Unfortunately for him, he had been teleported to a barren island at the far end of the fissure.
"I still can't believe I haven't seen even a single Thyxar," he winced.
He had wandered aimlessly for hours before spotting this ghostly town in the distance.
If he had spotted a Thyxar, it would've lessened his worry a bit.
But everything was dead.
Zach just hoped he would at least find something in here.
He touched the door and it creaked, revealing a crack of flickering light.
With a heavy sigh, he stepped inside, the floorboards creaking under his feet.
The warmth hit him instantly. Candles flickered on round tables neatly spaced and arranged to form some sort of drinking spot.
In front of him, a figure stood behind the wooden counter: an old man, probably in his late sixties.
Scanty grey hair tied neatly in a knot that drooped like everything else around him.
His lifeless eyes flickered to life the moment Zach stepped in.
"How can I help you?" he spoke, voice hoarse like a dying animal.
Zach looked around—there wasn't a single other person present.
He had heard about the Fissure Others: people born in the fissures, forever stuck here, unable to go into the real world.
It was kind of weird, talking to someone not from Earth.
The bar was silent and barren, with only the old man at the shop.
This screams ominous… Zach flashed a faint, bitter smile.
But at least, he had found a person.
"What happened here?" Zach spoke cautiously.
Some Thyxars were said to be highly intelligent, and some could even change shape to fool humans.
Zach wasn't going to risk getting too close, so he stood a few meters away.
The old man scanned Zach from head to toe with a blank stare.
He turned to the rack of alcohol behind him, slowly reaching for a bottle of clear liquid.
He poured a glass and sat by the counter.
"Drink…" he said in a flat tone.
Zach stared at the drink for a bit, then walked forward with slow, measured steps.
"It's water…" The man had an unreadable expression plastered across his face.
Zach walked over to a stool in the corner and leaned on it.
He sat in front of the counter, still glancing over his shoulder.
"Wary, huh?" the old man sighed.
"Well, I don't blame you. Most travelers are much like yourself." He paused.
"Wary, scared, threatened… and sometimes even arrogant." He chuckled, but it wasn't lively—more like a dry, sarcastic laugh.
"But in the end, all of them want the same thing." He continued.
"They all want to know what happened in this town…" His distant gaze fixed on Zach.
Zach twirled the glass of water in his hand with a forced smile.
He knew he couldn't just drink any liquid a stranger offered, so he simply stirred the cup as he listened.
"Oh well…" the man leaned in.
"Have you heard about demons?" he asked, glancing at Zach, his wrinkled eyebrows raised.
Zach had obviously heard about demons—it was the class above the Reaper level of Thyxars. But he knew that wasn't what the old man meant.
He meant the lore behind them.
"I don't actually… what are those?" Zach replied, trying to grasp what kind of demons the old man was referring to. So he denied it altogether.
"The legends call them weavers of nightmares… They are pure evil beings, driven by bloodlust and rage." The old man clenched his teeth.
At that moment, the wooden door creaked open and Zach's eyes snapped back.
A girl panted heavily at the entrance, her red hair turned beige from the snow, her black suit torn, filled with cuts and bruises.
Her hazel eyes scanned the empty bar. Zach blinked slowly as the old man beamed with excitement.
"Another traveler, just in time! I was about to start the tale!" The old man's eyes brightened.
The girl looked warily around the silent shop, piano music playing faintly in the background.
Zach hadn't seen her during the fissure gathering, but he could tell she was from the Western Dragon Enterprise because of the uniform.
It was strange.
Her body was bruised and battered, yet her gaze was filled with resolve.
This doesn't make sense.
Zach could tell she had been battling Thyxars all the way here, but he hadn't spotted a single one on his way.
Was he paranoid, or was there really something fishy going on?
"You look like you need help with that." The old man looked at Zach.
"Oh, right…!"
Zach stood up from his stool and walked toward her.
She looked at Zach, and her gaze relaxed a bit.
From his uniform design, it was clear they were working for the same company.
She staggered inside, and Zach caught her shoulder.
He didn't know what to do in this situation—he was a Mystic Artist, not a doctor.
Zach placed her on the wooden floor, her head resting on his knee.
Thankfully, the old man returned with a bowl of warm water and a bandage.
He hunched down, carefully cleaning her wounds with a white towel.
Zach watched closely as the old man moved, almost like he had rehearsed this a thousand times—cleaning cuts and bruises with practiced ease.
The girl groaned, her jaw clenched as the old man tended to her.
Then, her muscles suddenly relaxed.
She's passed out.