Dust was still floating in the room.
Broken concrete floor.
Cracked walls.
Cold air drifting through the gaps.
And in the middle of it all stood a silver-haired guy, looking completely relaxed, like this destroyed building was his living room.
Yoru's claw was still active. Dark aura moved slowly around his hand. His eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?" he asked directly.
The silver-haired guy raised an eyebrow.
"Damn. Straight to the point."
He kept his hands in his pockets.
"Name's Ren."
"That's it?"
"You want my full biography or something?"
Yoru got more irritated.
"You think this is funny?"
"No," Ren said calmly. "You just look really tense."
Sairi stepped forward.
Her ice aura was weak, but she was still ready.
"What are you doing here?"
Ren glanced at the destroyed room.
"Honestly? I heard the noise."
"Then curiosity."
His eyes returned to Yoru.
"...And now interest."
Silence.
Yoru didn't like that line at all.
"Why is everyone interested in me?" he muttered.
"Because you're not normal," Ren said casually.
"Congratulations."
"Wow. Third time I've heard that today."
Ren let out a small laugh.
But there was something weird behind his smile.
He looked relaxed.
Too relaxed.
Like danger didn't matter to him at all.
Yoru studied him carefully.
No visible weapon.
No aura.
Nothing.
And still—
His presence felt strange.
Like Akira's.
Not the same.
But similar.
Sairi noticed it too.
"Are you with Eclipse?" she asked coldly.
Ren made a face right away.
"Ew. No."
"Convincing."
"I'm serious."
Ren sat down on a broken piece of wall like he had all the time in the world.
"Besides, if I was with Eclipse," he said while stretching, "I would've attacked already."
"Not helping," Yoru said.
Ren shrugged.
"Fair."
Silence fell again.
Yoru's claw was still active.
He was tired, but he wasn't lowering his guard.
Ren noticed that too.
"You can relax a little."
"Can't."
"Trust issues?"
"Current situation issues."
Ren chuckled again.
"You're interesting."
"Please don't say that too."
Sairi looked at Yoru.
"Be careful."
"I am careful."
"No," Sairi said slowly. "I meant him."
Ren put on a fake hurt expression.
"Ouch."
"You broke my heart."
"You have a heart?" Sairi asked coldly.
"Harsh."
Yoru looked between them.
"Do you two know each other?"
A short silence followed.
Ren's smile faded a little.
"Just heard the name."
Sairi didn't say anything.
That answer already sounded suspicious.
Yoru sighed.
"Great. Mysterious people everywhere."
"Welcome to the club," Ren said.
A low thunder rolled outside.
Rain looked like it was about to start.
The room felt even darker now.
Ren pointed at Yoru's claw.
"Your control improved."
Yoru immediately became alert.
"How do you know that?"
"It's obvious."
"Apparently it's obvious to everyone."
Ren ignored that.
"It was unstable before, right?"
Yoru froze for a second.
"You saw that?"
"Maybe."
"Maybe?"
Ren didn't answer directly.
Yoru got more annoyed.
"Why don't you ever give a straight answer?"
"Habit."
"Annoying habit."
"Thanks."
Sairi was still silent.
Her eyes never left Ren.
Finally, she asked—
"Why are you really here?"
Ren didn't answer right away.
Then his expression became a little more serious.
"Eclipse activity is increasing."
The room suddenly felt quieter.
Yoru asked slowly, "Meaning?"
"Meaning," Ren said, resting an elbow on the broken wall, "they're searching for something."
Sairi's expression darkened.
"So it has started already..."
Yoru frowned.
"What has started?"
Ren and Sairi both stayed quiet.
"Seriously?" Yoru said in frustration. "Can't you people use complete sentences?"
Ren sighed.
"Fine."
His eyes locked directly onto Yoru.
"Eclipse isn't after some normal target."
"Yeah, no kidding."
"They're searching for something called 'Origin.'"
Silence.
The moment Yoru heard that word, the voice inside him went quiet.
Completely.
He noticed it at once.
"…Origin?" he repeated slowly.
Ren watched his reaction closely.
"Hm."
"What does that mean?"
"Nothing."
"Why do you keep answering like Akira?"
"Because you're not ready."
"OH COME ON."
Ren actually laughed this time.
Sairi looked annoyed.
"This isn't funny."
Ren's smile faded a little.
"I know."
For the first time, his tone sounded genuinely serious.
Silence returned.
Rain finally started.
Water dripped through the broken ceiling.
Yoru slowly tightened his fist.
"Tell me something."
Ren looked at him.
"Hmm?"
"Why does everyone act so weird around me?"
No one answered.
Yoru's frustration kept building.
"Akira talks in riddles."
"You keep watching me."
"Sairi is hiding something."
His red eyes glowed faintly.
"And there's some random voice inside me that keeps calling me weak."
Silence.
Yoru lowered his voice.
"Seriously... what the hell is wrong with me?"
The room went quiet.
Even Ren's usual smile was gone.
He stared at Yoru for a few seconds.
Then he said slowly—
"Maybe the problem isn't what you are."
Yoru frowned.
"What?"
Ren's eyes shifted toward the dark hallway.
"The problem is..."
His voice dropped lower.
"...Eclipse already knows."
Suddenly—
BZZZT.
A sharp electronic sound echoed through the room.
Sairi's body tensed at once.
"Down!"
BOOM!
The broken window exploded.
A bullet hit the wall exactly where Yoru had been standing a second ago.
"Sniper?!" Yoru shouted.
Ren stood up immediately.
His lazy expression was completely gone now.
"Damn. They tracked us."
Another bullet.
CRASH.
Concrete exploded again.
Sairi raised an ice barrier.
"Move!" she shouted.
Yoru's heartbeat spiked.
"How many are there?!"
Ren peeked through the broken window.
Then he said quietly—
"…Too many."
Down on the street, black vehicles had stopped.
Armed Eclipse agents were stepping out.
Dozens of them.
Yoru's expression changed.
"You have got to be kidding me..."
A loud metallic sound came from deeper inside the building.
Then—
Heavy footsteps.
Slow.
Strong.
The whole building seemed to shake.
Everyone turned toward the hallway.
Something big was moving in the darkness.
Ren's face turned serious.
"...Well."
He looked at the cracking wall.
"This just became a really bad night."