"Hm. I see," Kael said quietly.
"You are not ready yet," Sera replied. Her voice carried no warmth. "First, put your worldly affairs in order."
Kael stiffened. "What do you mean by that?"
"It means exactly what you heard." Her gaze felt heavy, as though it could peel him apart layer by layer. "The truth cannot be found in this tainted, diluted world. When the time comes, we will come for you."
Kael studied the figures standing before him. They were strange—too sharp, too distant—yet they didn't feel misplaced. It was as if the world itself had accepted them long ago, and only Kael was late to the realization.
"You'll be staying with Note from now on," Sera added. "Think of him as your personal bodyguard."
Kael's eyes shifted to the boy standing slightly behind her.
Short. Quiet. Unassuming.
And yet—
There was something wrong with his eyes. Not in shape or color, but in depth. They were the eyes of someone who had seen endings. Too many of them.
"Note… I see. Nice to meet you," Kael said.
In response, Note stepped forward sharply, standing straight like a soldier answering a call.
Kael blinked, flustered by the sudden formality. After a moment, he forced a small smile.
Guess everyone has their own story, he thought.
Then, without warning, Sera and the silhouettes beside her vanished.
No sound. No distortion.
They were simply… gone.
"Hm. Just like that, huh," Kael muttered.
He turned to leave.
And froze.
Note was gone too.
"…What? Is he gone as well?"
An uneasy feeling crept up his spine.
Kael scanned his surroundings. The alley felt different now—longer, deeper, darker. Though Sera had disappeared, shadows still lingered in the distance.
"One… two… three…" he whispered."…eleven."
His breath hitched.
"Who are these people…?" His voice trembled. "Are they… flying?"
He turned sharply, trying to change direction—
CLAP.
The sound struck like thunder tearing through the sky. Kael's legs locked in place, fear flooding his body.
"So… you have been awakened, #$$$%^."
Kael's head snapped up. "What—what was that sound?"
It felt as though the stranger had spoken a name at the end—but the word twisted, breaking apart into a language his mind refused to understand.
Another thunderous clap echoed.
"Now you die."
The speaker stood at least a hundred meters away.
With a single, casual flick of his hand, the air screamed.
Kael was launched backward before he could even think to react.
When the wind finally settled, the alley was gone.
In its place lay a massive crater.
Between Kael and the stranger stretched nothing but a pitch-black abyss.
"Next will be you, #$$$%^."
Cold sweat drenched Kael's body.
Run.
Every instinct screamed it.
This is bad. I need to survive—somehow.They don't want anything from me. There's nothing to negotiate. No leverage.
What do I do?
The hand rose again.
"There."
Kael leapt aside.
For one heartbeat, he thought he had dodged it.
Then the ground vanished.
The entire area was erased.
"Oh shi—"
He closed his eyes.
…
He wasn't falling.
Kael opened them slowly.
He was floating.
Beside him sat a short figure, calmly cross-legged in midair, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.
Kael stared, stunned. "What… what are you doing?"
Note looked at him, expression neutral.
"Should I eliminate them all?"
Kael swallowed hard. "W-What? Yes—yes! Eliminate them all!"
"I'll be back."
Note vanished.
He returned only a few seconds later.
"Done."
Without effort, Note lifted them both onto the rooftop of a nearby skyscraper.
Kael looked down.
The bodies below lay motionless, scattered like discarded pieces on a broken board.
His hands trembled.
Hm… he thought grimly.Can I really survive this ordeal?
Far above them, unseen, something ancient stirred—and watched.