The streets were draped in darkness, cordoned off as the Phantom Bureau's recovery team cleaned up the remaining nightmare residue. The atmosphere was suffocating, heavy enough to make it hard to breathe.
Ethan leaned against a half-collapsed wall, hands in his pockets, watching the busy team. A faint, almost imperceptible weariness lingered in his eyes.
Karl stood a short distance away, silent, his gaze fixed on the empty ground for a long while, as if lost in memories.
Ethan glanced at him and finally spoke:"That expression… looks like you owe me money and have no intention of paying."
Karl ignored his dry humor and said softly,"You know… I almost became like that."
Ethan raised an eyebrow, the smile on his lips fading slightly."What do you mean?"
Karl didn't answer immediately. Instead, he slowly walked to a stone block at the street corner and sat down, pulling a small pocket watch from his coat. Its surface was cracked, and the second hand had long since stopped at a fixed moment.
He stared at it, his voice low and heavy:"Three years ago, during a mission, I was consumed by a nightmare. It crawled into my body like a venomous snake gnawing at flesh. I thought I was going to die."
Ethan stepped closer, leaning casually against the wall, remaining silent.
"I could hear it," Karl continued."My heartbeat went erratic. Visions appeared in my mind. Someone called to me, whispering that if I let go, I could be free. At that moment… I almost gave in."
He paused, breathing slightly trembling, a shadow flickering in his eyes.
"But someone pulled me back. The Bureau's medical department—they performed some kind of… 'cleansing' using the residue, forcibly stripping the nightmare from my body. The cost was—"
Karl lifted his sleeve, revealing a deep scar, a mark that looked scorched into his skin.
"Since then, I've avoided getting close to ordinary people. Because I don't know… if some part of it still lingers in me."
Silence fell, broken only by the distant footsteps of the cleanup team.
Ethan stared at the scar, a complex mix of emotions passing through his mind. He whistled softly, feigning ease:"So… you're basically a half-price undead? No wonder you always look like everyone owes you a favor."
Karl glared at him, silent, but his eyes softened slightly.
Ethan shrugged and continued,"Seriously, you shouldn't keep this to yourself. Do you know what I'm best at—"
Karl's voice cut him off coldly:"Joking?"
"Wrong." Ethan waved a finger,"Surviving. You nearly died once. You should learn my survival philosophy: laugh when you can, play the fool when you must. Because compared to dying… losing a little face isn't a big deal."
Karl fixed him with a look, lips twitching as if he wanted to smile, but in the end, he just shook his head."You're really crazy."
"Crazy is better than being a corpse," Ethan replied, his smile enigmatic.
After a brief moment of ease, neither spoke again. The wind swept through the corner, rustling broken tiles and dust.
Karl put away the pocket watch and said quietly:"I'm telling you this not for sympathy. I just want you to know… the nightmare's corruption is closer than you think."
Ethan didn't answer, simply looking up at the night sky. Stars were obscured by black mist, almost invisible.
He finally spoke softly:"That's good. At least you're still alive. Because—"
He turned, smiling as casually as ever, but with sincerity shining through:"If even you were gone… I'd truly be alone."
Karl froze for a moment, the coldness in his eyes finally melting away a little.
In the night, the two of them stood side by side. Words were unnecessary—the silence itself had forged a hidden bond, subtle yet unbroken.