***
He opened his eyes.
"…Is it morning already?"
His voice came out hoarse, heavy with sleep. For a brief moment, he expected dawn— gray light, snow melting, the usual routine.
But when he fully opened his eyes, he realized it was still night.
Midnight.
The world was drowned in darkness.
The fire that had burned steadily before was gone, reduced to a faint red spark barely clinging to life. The Safe Zone still hummed softly, an invisible pressure against his skin, but the warmth was fading.
Si Hon blinked slowly, letting his eyes adjust.
That was when something moved.
A shadow shifted near the tent.
It wasn't loud, or fast, it was deliberate.
The shape slipped behind the tent, melting into the darkness like it had never been there.
Si Hon froze.
"…Huh?" he murmured. "Am I hallucinating?"
He didn't move right away. Panic was useless here, panic gets people killed. Instead, he focused on his senses.
The air was colder than before.
Too cold.
The fire had died faster than it should have.
Hana was still clinging to him, wrapped around his torso like a koala, her breathing slow and even. She hadn't noticed anything.
Carefully— slow enough not to wake her, Si Hon shifted, gently easing her arms away. She mumbled something incoherent but didn't wake.
He sat up.
The campfire was dead.
Si Hon stared at it for a long second.
Then he nodded to himself.
"…Yeah. I'm not dumb, why would I check that out."
Whatever was out there wanted him to investigate.
So he wouldn't.
He reached for the spatial bag, dragging it closer, and adjusted it above his head like a crude shield. Then he pulled the blanket back over himself and Hana, wrapped an arm around her, and lay down again.
Eyes closed.
Breathing steady.
Something brushed against his foot.
Light.
Brief.
Si Hon ignored it at first.
Then—
SNAP.
Something bit into the blanket.
The fabric was yanked hard and dragged away into the darkness.
Si Hon jolted upright.
"ha?!"
The cold rushed in immediately.
Hana was still asleep, but now she was curled in on herself, hugging her arms tightly, searching for warmth that was no longer there.
Si Hon didn't hesitate.
He leaned down, scooped her into his arms, and moved fast toward the tent. He ducked inside, laid her down carefully, took the old blanket and pulled the blanket back over her.
But the moment he stepped back, he knew the blanket wouldn't be enough, the tent felt colder, thinner, like the warmth it offered had already faded. Si Hon clenched his jaw. "…Damn it."
He stepped outside and scanned the area carefully, until his eyes caught something behind the Tower— the edge of the blanket peeking out from the shadows, half hidden against the stone. His gaze sharpened, and he moved toward it slowly, cautiously.
Then—
Something massive stepped out.
A huge dog, three times the size of a normal one, emerged from behind the Tower, its sudden presence making Si Hon flinch back instinctively.
His heart jumped.
He turned and ran toward the tent.
"…Shit—where did I put the katana?" he muttered, frantically scanning his surroundings.
Then—he stopped.
Silence. No heavy footsteps. No charging breath behind him. Si Hon slowly turned around, tension coiled tight in his chest.
The dog wasn't attacking.
It was sitting perfectly still, head tilted slightly to the side, watching him with nothing but quiet curiosity in its eyes.
"…Huh?" Si Hon muttered. Now that he looked properly, white fur, black polka dots, massive body that could crush him if it wanted to… and yet it didn't move.
Around its neck hung a worn tag.
Si Hon squinted, reading the engraved name. [Sixxy] "…Sixxy?" he said aloud. The dog's tail wagged once against the ground.
The dog then began to move.
Slowly. Deliberately.
Si Hon flinched, muscles tensing—only for the massive creature to pass right by him and suddenly lick his cheek, warm tongue rough against his skin.
"…What?" Si Hon said, completely stunned.
A short, breathless laugh escaped him. "Am I… dreaming?"
He hesitated, then carefully raised a hand and patted its head. The dog's tail wagged harder, thumping against the ground like it had been waiting for permission.
Si Hon exhaled, some of the tension going away. "Wait," he muttered, eyes narrowing as a thought struck him.
"We're inside the red circle… so how are you in here?" The dog only stared back at him, tail wagging, completely unconcerned with the logic of whatever is the logic in this world.
"Hah… well," Si Hon sighed, rubbing its head again, "you're not trying to kill me, so I guess that's a win."
Then the dog froze.
Its fur stood up and a low growl rumbled from its chest as it turned sharply toward the treeline beyond the Safe Zone.
"Bark. Bark."
The sound was sharp, aggressive, nothing like before.
From the darkness, massive shapes began to emerge. [The MUNCHES.] One by one, they pressed their grotesque heads against the invisible barrier, faces distorted as they tested it.
The dog barked furiously, muscles coiling as if it is ready to lunge.
"Hey— hey!!" Si Hon said quickly, wrapping his arms around the dog's thick neck from behind. "wjaybt the fuck? Don't. Don't be stupid. They can't come in." He pressed his forehead briefly against its fur, steadying both of them.
"Sit."
The dog hesitated… then walked in a small circle and sat, head lowered, tail still twitching.
"Good boy," Si Hon muttered instinctively.
The dog barked at him. Loud. Offended.
"…Huh?" Si Hon blinked. "I praised you."
Another bark, sharper this time.
Si Hon paused, then cleared his throat. "…Good girl."
Instantly, the dog lowered her head and went quiet.
"Oh," Si Hon said softly.
With a tired sigh, Si Hon dropped down beside the dog and shamelessly used its massive side as a pillow. The fur was warm. Too warm.
"…What kind of dream even is this," he muttered drowsily. "At this point, I don't even know if I'm asleep or awake."
The dog responded by licking his face once.
That was the last thing Si Hon remembered before drifting off.
And! He slept
***
"DAD?!"
A sharp, panicked shout ripped through the camp.
Hana burst out of the tent, stumbling over absolutely nothing as she ran, only to freeze when she saw Si Hon leaning comfortably against something huge.
"D— Dad!!!!" her voice cracked, a sob slipping out as she sprinted toward him. "I thought you abandoned me!"
She crashed straight into him, burying her face in his stomach, fists clutching his clothes. "You idiot… I really thought you left me…"
"Huh?" Si Hon mumbled groggily, still half-asleep.
Then Hana felt it.
Something soft.
Warm.
Breathing.
She slowly lifted her head and peeked behind him.
A massive dog wagged its tail.
She jumped back instantly, hands raised in a shaky fighting stance. "D-Dad, c-come here, that's a—!"
"Aren't you powerless?" Si Hon muttered lazily.
Hana ignored him completely, grabbed his hand, and yanked him upright before stepping in front of him protectively. Her voice trembled. "I-I'll… I'll handle it. Just hide behind me."
Si Hon blinked, then gently patted her head.
She froze. "What?"
"Relax," he said calmly. "It's safe. Remember? This is the Safe Zone. Hostile monsters can't enter."
Hana slowly lowered her hands.
"…Oh."
The dog wagged its tail harder.
Si Hon let out a tired sigh and plopped down beside the massive dog once again. He reached out, took Hana's hand, and gently pulled her back, wrapping an arm around her so she was held snugly in front of him.
"I'm too lazy," he muttered. "And Sixxy's warm. Let me rest a bit more."
"Sixxy?" Hana asked quietly, her voice muffled against his chest.
"Yeah," Si Hon said. "Her name's Sixxy. I still don't really know what happened last night. Everything just… happened all at once."
Hana was silent for a moment. Then she spoke, her voice small.
"…You're right. I remember we were by the campfire last night. But when I woke up, I was inside the tent. And… and…" Her voice cracked a bit, and she sniffed. "You weren't there. I thought you left me."
Si Hon reached up and patted her head gently.
"Meh. Don't worry," he said. "I'm not going anywhere."
His gaze drifted to the massive form beside them, the dog's body rising and falling slowly as it breathed.
"…I still don't know what kind of dog this is," Si Hon muttered. "Or why it's even allowed inside the Safe Zone."
Hana stiffened slightly.
"It's an Ursa Canis," she said. "One of the dangerous monsters from my homeland."
"Oh, cool." Si Hon replied. "That… sounds ancient."
"It is," Hana continued. "They're called Ursa Canis because of their size and how destructive they are. Most of them don't even have fur like this one. This one's… different."
"Ohhh," Si Hon said slowly. "…I see."
He didn't actually see and get it. But he nodded anyway.
Then he frowned and muttered, "System. Tell me what this thing is."
"I already told you—" Hana started, then bit down lightly on his arm in protest.
A familiar blue window flickered into existence in front of them.