Back at the inn, Mirei slammed the door shut behind them and immediately locked every bolt, latch, and chain.
Lucien flinched. "Whoa— are we expecting it to knock politely?"
"If it knocks," Mirei said darkly, "we're already dead."
"…Cool. Nice. Comforting."
They gathered in the largest room — a cramped space with two beds, a bench, and a table that wobbled when Lucien breathed near it.
Mika planted Kuro on one of the beds like he was a fragile vase.
Kuro huffed. "I can sit down on my own, you know."
"You didn't look like it," Mika muttered, crossing his arms.
Lucien whispered to Mirei, "They're doing the weird almost-flirting thing again."
Mirei whispered back, "They're always doing the weird almost-flirting thing."
Kuro glared. "I can hear you."
Lucien froze. "Oh gods— now I'm the problem? The literal shadow demon was chasing us five minutes ago—"
Mirei raised a hand. "Enough. We need information."
She looked at Kuro. "Start from the moment you felt it."
Kuro swallowed, nodding slowly."I… I felt like something was watching me. Before it showed itself."
Mika's jaw tightened.
"Anything else?" Mirei pressed.
Kuro hesitated.
Elvastia's voice drifted in:
[You can tell them. They already know you're cursed; this won't make it worse.]
Kuro inhaled."…It felt similar to the voice from the gate."
Mika snapped his head toward him."What?"
Lucien made a strangled noise. "THE GATE ONE?! The creepy 'you were chosen' guy??"
Mika glared at him. "Lucien—"
"What!?" Lucien threw his hands up. "Am I wrong?!"
Mirei stepped forward, face serious. "Similar… but not the same?"
Kuro nodded. "Yeah. Like… cousins? Evil cousins."
[Mm. That's one way to put it. Very poetic.]
Kuro flinched at the voice.
Mika immediately moved closer. "What did he say?"
"He called it 'evil cousins,' basically."
Lucien blinked. "…You know, someday you're going to tell me how you're holding a three-person conversation while none of us can hear a third voice."
Mika shot him a look. "Not now."
Kuro continued. "Whatever that thing was… it knew me. Or it knew of me."
Lucien sank slowly into the wobbly chair."So… something from another world is hunting Kuro because of an ancient semi-awake magical gate that tried to drag his soul into darkness?"
Kuro weakly raised a hand. "Correction: almost dragged my soul."
"That does not make me feel better, Kuro."
Mirei paced. "This is beyond a normal monster. It's tracking you. Which means it's connected to your curse."
Kuro's heart dropped.
"…I thought the curse was dormant."
Mika stepped in front of him — solid, protective, furious at the world.
"Then we'll force it dormant again."
Kuro blinked. "How?"
"I don't know," Mika said. "But I'll figure it out."
Lucien tilted his head. "That was sweet and terrifying at the same time."
Mika didn't look away from Kuro."I mean it."
Kuro felt his cheeks warm.
Then—
[Oh, for the love of— would you two stop making goo-goo-eyes at each other? There's a shadow horror trying to kill him! Prioritize!]
Kuro choked.
Mika's eye twitched."What did he say?"
Kuro waved his hands quickly. "N-Nothing! Nothing important!"
Lucien whispered loudly, "It's definitely important."
Mika leaned in suspiciously. "Kuro."
Kuro panicked."H-He said— he said— we should prioritize safety!"
Lucien snorted. "That's definitely not what he said."
Kuro buried his face in his hands.
Mirei clapped sharply. "All of you sit. Now."
Everyone obeyed instantly.
She pulled out a map and smoothed it on the table."The monster ran the moment civilians appeared. That means it's bound by limitations — maybe even conditions."
"So… it can't attack in public?" Lucien offered.
"Or it didn't want witnesses," Mika said quietly.
Kuro paled."So it'll come back tonight."
Mirei didn't deny it.
Lucien groaned. "Fantastic. So none of us are sleeping."
"Oh, you can sleep," Mika said. "I'll stay awake."
Lucien shook his head violently. "No. Because if you fall asleep, we're doomed. And if I fall asleep, we're also doomed. Therefore—"
He spread his arms dramatically:
"—we all stay awake and suffer together."
"That's the worst logic I've ever heard," Mika muttered.
But no one argued.
Because they all knew:
If the creature came back tonight…
Kuro wouldn't survive alone.
—
Two hours later.
The room was dim, lit only by a single candle.
Lucien was curled up in a blanket fort.Mirei was sharpening knives she didn't technically need.Mika sat beside Kuro on the bed, arms crossed, eyes sharp.
Kuro leaned against the headboard, staring at the window.
[Don't panic,] Elvastia whispered.[But I can feel it again.]
Kuro's breath hitched.
Mika instantly turned to him."Kuro? What now?"
Kuro pointed at the window, voice trembling.
"…It's here."
Mika's hand tightened around his sword.
Lucien sat up in his blanket fort. "NOPE—?!"
Mirei stood, magic already crackling.
A long shadow slithered slowly across the window from the outside—
Claw-like fingers dragging across the glass.
Lucien whisper-screamed:
"WHY DOES IT MAKE NO SOUND WHEN IT MOVES—"
Mika raised his sword.
Everyone held their breath.
The shadow paused.
Then it spoke…
"Ku—ro…"
A whisper.A calling.A promise.
Mika stepped forward, fury radiating off him.
"You picked the wrong room."
And the window—
The window slowly began to open.