One month later, Toji was running laps around the village. His feet hit the ground in a steady rhythm, dust rising slightly with each step. At this point, he already knew every corner of the village—the narrow paths, the quiet spots, even the places where people liked to gather and talk.
Especially talk.
Even as he ran past them, he could hear their voices.
"Is that him?"
"The boy that stays with Yeng?"
"He looks harmless… but something feels off."
Toji kept running, a small smile on his face.
"…Say it louder," he muttered under his breath. "I know you want to."
He didn't stop. He didn't react. But he heard everything.
They always compared him to Yeng. Said they had the same kind of presence. Even when Toji smiled, they still felt uneasy around him.
Toji finally slowed down and stopped near a puddle. He stared at his reflection.
"…Still looks fake," he said quietly.
He stretched his lips wider into a smile.
"Maybe like this?"
He held it for a few seconds… then dropped it.
"…Yeah. Definitely fake."
His eyes stayed cold.
Deep down, he already knew the truth. He wasn't trying to be friendly. He wasn't trying to fit in. The smile was just something he used—to make people lower their guard.
To keep distance.
Because the real reason he was here had nothing to do with them.
"…I didn't come here to make friends," he whispered.
His expression darkened.
"I came here for one thing."
Revenge.
But lately… something else had been distracting him.
Yeng.
Toji turned his head slightly, as if he could see the building from where he stood.
"…A bookkeeper, huh?"
He let out a quiet breath.
"No normal bookkeeper moves like that."
He remembered the way Yeng walked—calm, controlled, almost too precise. The way he read books like he was studying something deeper than just words. And most of all…
The basement.
Locked.
Hidden.
And used way too often.
"To lock yourself underground for days…" Toji muttered. "That's not normal."
He crossed his arms and leaned back slightly.
"…What are you hiding?"
That question stayed in his head for days.
Until he made a plan.
"I've seen his routine," Toji said to himself one night, lying on his bed. "He leaves every Friday to get books."
He turned to the side, staring at the wall.
"…That's my chance."
For the first time in a long while, his thoughts weren't about his parents.
Not about revenge.
Just curiosity.
The basement.
---
That day came faster than he expected.
After finishing his usual run, Toji walked back home, his body slightly tired but his mind alert.
As he stepped inside—
He stopped.
The reception was empty.
No sound.
No movement.
"…He's not here," Toji whispered.
His eyes slowly shifted toward the basement door.
His heartbeat increased.
"…So this is it."
He walked toward it slowly at first… then faster.
Standing in front of the door, he reached for the handle.
Locked.
Toji frowned.
"…From the inside?"
He tried again.
Nothing.
He stepped back, thinking.
"I should wait," he said quietly. "If I rush this, I might mess everything up."
He turned around.
Took a few steps.
Then stopped.
Silence filled the room.
"…No," he said.
His eyes darkened.
"I'm not waiting."
He turned back sharply.
"This is my only chance."
Toji examined the lock carefully.
"…No key in sight."
He cracked his fingers.
"Then I'll just break it."
With one strong motion—
CRACK.
The lock snapped.
The sound echoed through the building.
Toji froze immediately.
"…That was loud."
He waited.
No response.
He exhaled slowly.
"…Too late now."
He pushed the door open.
---
A staircase.
Long.
Dark.
Going deep underground.
"…How far does this go?" Toji said under his breath.
He stepped inside.
As he walked, something strange happened.
Every twenty steps—
A blue torch lit up.
One after another.
"…So it reacts to movement," Toji said, looking around.
A small grin appeared.
"Interesting."
He kept walking.
The deeper he went, the quieter it became.
100 steps.
200 steps.
"…This is ridiculous."
He stopped for a second.
"…Should I go back?"
His voice echoed slightly.
No response.
He clenched his fist.
"…No."
"I didn't come this far to turn back."
He kept going.
Finally—
Flat ground.
Toji let out a breath.
"…So this is the first floor."
He looked around slowly.
Rooms.
A lot of them.
He entered the nearest one.
Inside—
Samurai armor.
Standing upright.
Perfectly arranged.
Toji walked closer and touched one.
Cold.
Heavy.
"…These aren't decorations," he said quietly.
He stepped back.
"…Yeng… what exactly are you?"
He left the room and continued down the hallway. It stretched far, but luckily it was straight.
"Good," Toji muttered. "At least I won't get lost."
At the very end—
Another staircase.
But this one…
Was sealed.
A barrier covered it.
Toji frowned.
"You've got to be kidding me."
He walked up to it and hit it.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
"…Open!"
But something felt wrong.
He paused.
"…Why do I feel…"
His breathing got heavier.
"…weird?"
He hit it again—
Then staggered back.
"…My energy…"
His body felt lighter… weaker.
"It's draining me…"
Cold air wrapped around him.
His vision started to blur.
"…No… no…"
He grabbed his head.
"I can't stay here…"
He took a step back.
"…If I pass out here, I'm done."
He turned around.
"I'll come back."
As he walked back, struggling to keep balance, something on the wall caught his attention.
An inscription.
He stopped.
"…What is that?"
He tried to read it.
But his eyes refused to focus.
"…Tch… I can't see…"
He shook his head.
"Forget it…"
Step by step, he climbed back up.
Slow.
Heavy.
Every step felt harder than the last.
Finally—
He reached the door.
His hand touched the floor.
And everything went black.
---
Toji's eyes snapped open.
He sat up immediately.
"…I was in the basement…"
He looked around quickly.
His room.
His bed.
"…How did I get here?"
He heard movement.
From the kitchen.
Yeng.
Toji lowered his head slightly.
"…Was I caught?"
His heart started racing.
"…Think."
"…Act normal."
Then—
"You're awake."
Toji froze.
His heart skipped.
He slowly looked up.
Yeng stood there calmly.
Watching him.
Toji forced a normal expression.
"…Yeah."
Yeng walked over and placed food in front of him.
"Eat."
Toji didn't hesitate.
He started eating immediately.
"How long was I out?" he asked.
"Three days."
Toji paused for a split second.
"…Three days?"
"I found you in the living room," Yeng said. "Your body was cold."
Toji blinked.
"…Living room?"
"I thought you were dead," Yeng continued.
Toji forced a small laugh.
"I was training," he said quickly. "Out in the fields. I got dizzy and came back to rest."
He kept eating.
"Next thing I knew… I woke up here."
Yeng didn't respond immediately.
He just stared.
Silence filled the room.
Toji kept eating faster.
Trying not to react.
"Woah," Yeng finally said. "What kind of training makes someone sleep like that?"
Toji shrugged slightly.
"…Intense one."
Another pause.
Then Yeng spoke again.
His tone different this time.
"…Well."
"That's not why I'm here."
Toji's hand stopped.
"…Do you care to explain…"
A short silence.
"…why my basement door lock was broken?"
---
Toji froze.
Completely.
His heart pounded hard in his chest.
His breathing stopped.
"…So…"
His thoughts echoed loudly.
"…I was caught."