Night had fallen. A hush blanketed the testing grounds, broken only by the quiet footsteps of two figures walking away from the dormitory buildings. Serena and Hoh carried their bags slung over their shoulders, the soft glow of moonlight guiding their path.
They had made their decision. They were leaving the Tower behind.
Just as they reached the edge of the compound, a voice called out from the shadows.
"You're not even going to say goodbye?"
Shibisu stepped into view, arms crossed and eyes weary.
Serena paused, her back still turned. After a beat, she glanced over her shoulder.
"I have no regrets."
Then, with a soft, self-deprecating smile, she added, "Actually… that's a lie. My life is nothing but regrets."
She turned to face him fully, her eyes honest and open in a way they rarely were.
"But I've decided to stop running. I'm going to try living with everything I've got. Maybe then, I'll finally understand why I'm still alive—maybe I'll find something worth holding onto."
Shibisu's expression softened.
"You think you can't find that here?"
Serena exhaled, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. "I want a life where I can breathe. A peaceful one. One where I don't have to worry about turning on my friends or leaving them behind just to survive."
She stepped forward and pressed something into his hand. It was her knife.
"Promise me you won't die, Shibisu."
He looked down at the weapon, then back at her. With quiet resolve, he nodded.
"Yeah. I promise."
Serena smiled—an earnest, almost serene expression—and lifted a hand in farewell.
"Later."
With that, she and Hoh turned and continued into the night, their silhouettes shrinking into the distance beneath the pale moonlight.
Shibisu stood there for a long moment, the knife clutched tightly in his hand, the unspoken weight of what had just passed lingering in the silence.
---
Night had fallen over the desolate, rocky expanse of the Floor of Tests. A cold wind stirred loose gravel beneath the shadow of jagged cliffs, where Instructor Yuga stood alone beneath a dim sky lit faintly by the stars.
He was speaking quietly into his Pocket, his voice calm and measured.
"The test is over," he said, absently kicking a pebble down a slope. It bounced once, twice, and disappeared into the dark.
"The results aren't official yet, but he'll pass. As for the other boy I mentioned... perhaps he does have potential. I'll run more tests—subtle ones."
A pause.
"Don't worry. In the next trial, I'll retrieve both the Green April and the Black March from—"
He stopped mid-sentence. A voice cut through the silence behind him.
"What are you whispering about in the shadows, Yuga?"
Yuga froze. Slowly, he ended the call and lowered the Pocket. His posture stiffened.
From the gloom stepped Yu Hansung, his hands in his pockets, his expression unreadable beneath the soft glow of his own Pocket.
"Or should I call you Royal Enforcement Division Unit #67 of the Lo Po Bia family—Ren?"
Yuga turned, and something changed. His mouth parted in a grin that glimmered with unnatural light—his eyes no longer human, glowing faintly in the dark.
"How long have you known?" he asked, his voice low and even.
Hansung tilted his head slightly. "Yuga is always five minutes early. Today, you were exactly on time."
Ren chuckled. "I see. You were allowing me to act freely. A mistake. I suppose I'll have to eat you now."
As he spoke, the ground beneath them rippled—and from the shadows slithered a monstrous Shinheuh, its massive body glistening with moisture, its presence suffocating.
As a member of the Lo Po Bia family, Ren could control such aquatic beasts—creatures spread like veins throughout the Tower's many layers.
Hansung regarded it with mild amusement.
"What a cute pet."
Ren's voice was sharper now. "I've always wanted to fight Yu Hansung—the Deep-Sea Fish of Evankhell's Floor."
"Fight?" Hansung repeated, calmly.
Suddenly, the Shinheuh lunged from behind, its mouth opening wide as it aimed to swallow Hansung whole.
But before it could strike, a second creature erupted from the shadows—sleeker, faster—and with a single vicious snap, it bit Ren's Shinheuh in half. Blood and steam misted the air.
Hansung remained still, not even a ripple of concern in his voice. "Against me?"
A heavy silence settled over the scene.
Ren stared at the remains of his beast for a moment, then smiled. "This is perfect. I've been so bored… no one dares confront me anymore."
Hansung exhaled softly, as if disappointed.
"Confront you? Don't be ridiculous. I have no intention of fighting one of Jahad's Rankers."
He turned slightly, his voice level. "Your mission is the recovery of the Green April and Black March… and the elimination of Anaak Jahad."
Ren narrowed his eyes. "So what if it is?"
"I'll help you," Hansung said casually.
Ren blinked. "What?"
Hansung smiled politely. "Here on this floor, I decide who might become a threat to the Tower. I am the deep-sea predator that devours anything which disturbs the peace of Jahad's realm. Feel free to tell your captain that."
Then, turning to leave, he added with a faint grin, "Once you've finished your report, come to my room. I've brewed some coffee."
With that, Hansung walked away without looking back, his coat fluttering lightly in the breeze.
Ren stood motionless, staring at the man's fading silhouette.
"…What's his deal?" he muttered under his breath.
The stars above offered no answer.