[Program initialized.][Structural resonance confirmed.][User detected.]
My eyes snapped open.
"What—?!"
The room was empty. Dark. Still.
Yet the voice hadn't come from outside.
It echoed directly inside my head.
[System activation complete.]
Silence followed.
Not the peaceful kind.
The kind that pressed down on my thoughts, heavy and absolute.
I lay there, heart pounding—not from fear, but from understanding.
"…So that's what you left me," I whispered.
Somewhere deep inside—
Something acknowledged my existence.
And then it vanished.
No screen.No explanation.No response.
No matter how hard I focused, how I pushed my mana, how I listened—
Nothing answered again.
"You didn't sleep much."
Tess said it casually, but her eyes lingered on my face.
"Huh?" I rubbed my eyes. "Guess not."
"You have dark circles," she added. "Were you thinking too hard again?"
"…Probably."
She studied me for a moment longer, then smiled faintly and let it go.
I didn't tell her about the voice.
I didn't tell her how I'd spent half the night awake, trying to summon it again.
Whatever it was—
It clearly wasn't meant to be used on demand.
POV: TESS
The air changed first.
Not colder. Not warmer.
Compressed.
Tess felt it close around her like an invisible shell.
She opened her mouth to call Rio's name—
"Rio—"
Her voice reached her own ears.
But the world beyond her didn't respond.
"…Silence," she breathed.
A sharp pain cut across her calf.
She gasped, staggering as blood seeped through her boot.
Wind cutter. Precise. Controlled.
She spun around, staff already raised. "Show yourself."
A man stepped out from behind the trees.
Leather armor. Guild colors dulled with dirt.
A familiar face.
"You're sharp," he said calmly. "Faster than yesterday."
Her brows knit together. "Yesterday…?"
He smiled. "Ah. You didn't notice."
Her heart skipped.
"You two are careless," he continued. "Splitting up. Same routes. Same times."
Her grip tightened. "Who are you?"
"Someone your friend pissed off."
Wind surged.
Invisible force slammed into her side, throwing her into the grass. Her staff skidded out of reach.
She rolled, reaching for her sword—
A kick sent it flying.
"Relax," he said. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be breathing."
She tried to form a healing spell. The silence disrupted her rhythm. Mana scattered before it could settle.
"…You followed us," she said, forcing calm into her voice.
"Yesterday too." He shrugged. "When your boy passed out."
Her eyes widened.
"I had my chance then," he continued. "But that slime kept popping up. Kill it, and I risk being noticed. Not worth it."
Her chest tightened.
"And at the gate?" she asked quietly.
"Same thing," he said. "Annoying little thing."
The realization hit her all at once.
This wasn't sudden.
It was planned.
Wind bands wrapped around her arms, slamming her back into the ground. She struggled, muscles burning, teeth clenched.
"You're strong," he admitted, watching her carefully. "But you panic when you're alone."
Rope followed. Reinforced with magic. Efficient. Tight.
She lay pinned, breathing hard.
"What do you want?" she demanded.
He crouched. "You."
Her blood ran cold.
"Sell you, probably," he said casually. "Traveling healer, close to a promising brat? Good price."
Her jaw tightened. "And Rio?"
A smile curved his lips. "Lesson learned."
A wet sound interrupted him.
Thup.
He froze.
"…What?"
The silence shattered.
A blue slime bounced into view.
And behind it—
"Tess!"
POV: RIO
The first sign was movement.
A ripple against the grass near the riverbank—too slow for wind, too deliberate to be chance.
I straightened immediately, hand drifting toward my dagger.
"…Don't tell me."
A blue slime bounced out from behind a stone.
Small. Glossy. Familiar.
I stared at it for a long second.
"You again?"
It didn't attack.
Didn't flee either.
Instead, it wobbled once, then bounced closer.
I stayed still.
Slimes were weak, yes—but this world had already taught me not to trust assumptions. Monsters didn't usually approach humans without intent.
I crouched slowly, keeping my mana low.
"…You followed me?"
The slime paused, then bounced twice in quick succession.
That wasn't random.
I reached out carefully and lifted it with both hands. It was cool to the touch, lighter than it looked. No hostile reaction. No acidic burn.
"…You're the one from yesterday."
The slime quivered, almost like relief.
Then it twisted in my grip, stretching one side of its body toward the trees—then back toward me. Repeatedly.
"…You're trying to tell me something?"
It bounced harder.
Urgent.
Before I could process that—
[System activation complete.]
My breath hitched.
"…Again?"
The world seemed to sharpen around me.
[New entity registered.][Requesting initialization.]
I froze.
This wasn't like last night. There was no emptiness this time—no waiting silence.
It was responsive.
"…Initialize," I said cautiously.
[Confirmed.][System designation pending.]
"…So you do have a name."
[Primary identifier: Eri.]
A translucent interface unfolded before my eyes, lines crisp and emotionless.
Name: RioAge: 12Class: Undefined
Below it—
Magic Affinity:Fire | Water | Earth | Wind | Light | DarkSpatial — [SEALED]
My eyes narrowed.
"…Sealed, huh."
At the bottom of the screen, smaller text appeared.
[Assessment: Raw S-Rank][Restriction applied: D-Rank equivalent.]
"…Figures."
No explanation. No justification.
Just a statement of limits.
The slime wriggled in my hands again, almost vibrating now.
I looked down at it.
"…This is about you?"
[Skill available: Monster Understanding.]Condition: Target must desire comprehension.[Accept?]
I hesitated.
This wasn't power.This was access.
"…Accept."
The sensation wasn't painful—but it was strange. Like a door unlocking in my head.
The slime's thoughts rushed in—not words, not exactly—but intent.
Danger.Her.Trapped.
My heart dropped.
"Tess."
The slime bounced violently, then leapt from my hands and landed on the ground, already moving toward the forest.
"…You're leading me."
Hurry.
I broke into a run without another word.
Behind me, the System interface vanished.
No guidance.
No map.
Just one truth burning in my chest—
I was already late.