Chapter 7
The knock did not come from the door.
It came from the shore.
Dino felt it before he heard it—a subtle disturbance, like a thought brushing against the edge of his awareness and retreating in fear. Not hostile. Not curious enough to be dangerous.
Just… hesitant.
Luna felt it too.
Her red eyes lifted toward the horizon where the fog thickened unnaturally, rolling in low and quiet. The moons above her shifted—Mirror Moon dimmed, Ancient Moon stirred faintly, then settled.
"Someone polite," she said.
Dino frowned. "That's rare."
They did not move to greet the visitor.
They waited.
Eventually, a figure emerged from the fog.
A man—or something close enough
walked slowly across the wet sand. His clothes were travel-worn, patched many times over. He carried no weapon. His hands were raised, palms open, fingers trembling slightly from cold or fear.
He stopped several dozen steps away and bowed.
Deeply.
"I seek shelter," he said. His voice shook, but not from deceit. "Not from enemies. From endings."
Dino's gaze pierced through him effortlessly.
No hidden intent. No malice. No ambition.
Just exhaustion layered over fear.
"You've walked far," Luna said gently.
"Too far," the man replied. "And not far enough."
Dino tilted his head. "Do you know where you are?"
The man swallowed. "The Black Shores."
"And do you know who stands before you?"
The man hesitated. Then shook his head. "No. Only that if I lie, I die."
Dino smiled faintly.
"Good instinct."
He stepped forward.
The fog recoiled.
Every sword within Eternum stirred—but remained silent. The silver-black bamboo at his waist did not hum, did not vibrate.
It did not need to.
"What did you lose?" Dino asked.
The man's shoulders collapsed. "My world."
Luna inhaled sharply.
"Not destroyed," the man continued. "Just… erased. Like it never mattered."
Dino understood.
Too well.
"You may stay," Dino said.
The words echoed farther than they should have.
The man stared at him in disbelief. "Just like that?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Dino looked toward the sea, where old footprints overlapped endlessly.
"Because no one let me," he said.
The man bowed again, this time trembling violently.
"Thank you," he whispered. "I swear I won't cause trouble."
Luna smiled. "You already did."
The man blinked.
"You reminded him," she said, nodding toward Dino, "of something he forgot."
They led the man toward the house. As he crossed the threshold, the structure expanded—just slightly—to accommodate another presence.
The island accepted him.
Above, the moons shifted again.
White Moon brightened. Gray Moon observed. Demonic Moon remained invisible but attentive.
That night, Dino sat outside alone.
Luna joined him silently, sitting at his side.
"They'll keep coming," she said.
"Yes."
"You won't stop them?"
"No."
She studied his face. "Why?"
Dino answered without hesitation.
"Because endings are heavy," he said. "And I've carried enough of them for one eternity."
They sat in silence as the tide rose.
Far away, unseen by both of them, something ancient and watchful took note.
The Black Shores were no longer empty.
And that was dangerous.
ARC QUOTE II — KINDNESS
> "Kindness is not weakness.
It is the courage to spare
what the world has taught you to destroy."
End of Chapter 7