The forest's noise faded behind them.
Yuta emerged through the bushes, carrying Aika in his arms, his shoes leaving marks in the dirt until they reached the cracked asphalt of the side street. The sun had vanished. Only the cold glow of twilight filtered through the power lines and the shadows of streetlights.
Aika said nothing. Her face still buried in his shoulder. Her hands clung tightly to his shirt.
Yuta breathed heavily. Cursed energy flowed lightly, trying to stabilize his body after the strain. His shoulder ached. His throat scratched. But nothing compared to the tension in his eyes.
'Safe area reached.'
DING.
The message echoed in his mind the moment he stepped onto the concrete.
[Emergency Mission Completed – Safe Area Reached]
[+10% Permanent Cursed Energy]
[New Mission Available – Check Panel]
Aika loosened her grip and slid down slowly until her feet touched the ground. Her legs still trembled.
Yuta didn't let go right away. Not until he was sure she was steady enough.
A few people passed on the other side of the street. An elderly man pushed a bicycle. Two women chatted with grocery bags. A child ran ahead of a small dog.
Their eyes turned toward the two.
Aika, with a dirty skirt and red eyes. Yuta, with a serious face, a torn sleeve, and a dirt-stained collar.
The gazes came. Judged. Tried to understand.
But no one said anything.
No one approached.
And as small towns do… everyone pretended not to see.
Aika took a deep breath. She tried to form words, but nothing made sense.
Yuta straightened his posture and began walking slowly. She followed beside him, silent.
The streetlights started to flicker on. Their yellow glow contrasted with the deepening blue-dark sky.
The school loomed distant now, a dark silhouette against the horizon.
Aika glanced sideways. Her eyes fixed on the ground, then her trembling hands, then Yuta.
He seemed calm again. Almost… normal.
But she knew what she'd seen. Knew what he was capable of.
And yet, she didn't pull away.
She grabbed his arm. Lightly. Just with her fingertips.
Yuta didn't react.
Aika held the touch for a few seconds, but her eyes… her eyes said something else.
Trust? No.
It was fear.
Mixed with curiosity.
And a question she couldn't yet ask:
'Who are you?'
They stopped at the corner. The school visible in the distance. The sky fully dark above them.
Aika let go of his arm slowly. She didn't run. She just needed space.
Yuta kept his gaze on the horizon, the school's silhouette standing out under the streetlights.
His breathing had returned to normal, but the weight of the past minutes lingered—in every tense muscle, in every second of silence.
"You probably want answers now. Or at least… to know what you just saw."
Aika didn't respond.
She did.
But she was afraid.
Afraid of what she'd hear, afraid of realizing the world was even worse than she imagined. Afraid of knowing it wasn't a delusion. That it really happened.
'Do I really want to hear this…?'
Her body still trembled inside. Her mind replayed the scream. The blade. The monster.
And Ryo's death.
Even if he was despicable. Even if he deserved it.
Aika looked at Yuta.
He was still there. Steady. Calm. As if he'd only done what was necessary.
But the silence that followed ached in her ears.
Yuta exhaled slowly, his voice steady, without raising his tone.
"This isn't the best place to talk. But since you saw… I'll tell you the minimum."
Aika kept her gaze on the ground.
"What appeared there… that thing… was drawn by Ryo."
Her eyes rose slowly. Her pupils quivered.
"He intended to use you as a sacrifice."
Aika froze.
"Maybe not the way you're thinking. But for that kind of entity, intent and action are almost the same. The curse came for him, not you."
Aika opened her mouth, but no words came.
"If you'd stayed there alone, even if I showed up later… it wouldn't have been in time."
She swallowed hard.
Yuta turned his face, finally meeting her eyes fully.
"You think Ryo just wanted to scare you. Or pull some stupid revenge. But what was growing inside him was something else. Something that drew that thing."
Aika hugged her arms to her body.
"I couldn't let that happen."
Silence returned.
Yuta didn't add more. Didn't lie beyond what was needed. Didn't offer explanations she couldn't process there.
Aika just stood still. Her heart pounded hard. Her eyes welled, but no tears fell.
Ryo's name lingered in her mind. The image of his body on the ground. The muffled sound of the blade. And the monster… that monster devouring.
Even if it was true… even if he deserved it…
Was this what Yuta did?
Killed.
And then moved on?
Aika didn't know if that made her want to run from him—or draw closer.
Yuta adjusted the strap of his backpack on his shoulder, his eyes still on her. His body still, waiting for her to decide.
"Want me to walk you home?"
Aika hesitated, then nodded.
"It's this way…"
She turned right, pointing to the cobblestone street ahead. Few streetlights lit the path. Most houses still had lights on, but no one paid attention to the two teenagers passing on the sidewalk.
Yuta followed beside her, silent. Their steps synced, no need for words.
Aika kept her eyes on the ground, but inside, her mind churned.
'I saw some kind of blade in his hand. It wasn't metal. It was like solid shadow. It pulsed. It felt alive.'
She hugged her arms tighter.
'He seemed used to it. To monsters. To death. Like it was normal for him. Like… part of his routine.'
She glanced at Yuta from the corner of her eye.
'And Ryo…'
She swallowed hard.
'Ryo was worse than I thought. He didn't just want to hurt me, force me into something. He wanted to kill me. Offer me to… that thing. Use me as a sacrifice.'
A soft breeze lifted dry leaves from the ground. Aika didn't feel cold. Just a different kind of shiver.
'If Yuta hadn't shown up… what would've happened to me?'
Her step faltered for a second. She steadied herself and kept walking.
'He saved me. It was him. Not the police, not the school, not the teachers. It was Yuta. A guy who, until yesterday, seemed like a background extra.'
She looked at him again.
'And today… he looked so strong. So… masculine.'
She blinked quickly.
'Stop thinking stupid things, Aika.'
She took a deep breath.
'Focus.'
But his face was still fresh in her memory. The firmness of his voice. The way he carried her. The way he said: "You're not dying today."
She clenched her fist.
'I won't let this mess with my head. But…'
She glanced again, without turning her head.
'…I want to understand who he is.'
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