Kaine placed his palm against the door again, deactivating the magic he had used earlier until the surroundings slowly returned to normal.
The woman in the suit was still standing at the entrance of the dark alley, not moving an inch.
"No matter what happens, I'll stay here," she said firmly.
"Do whatever you want," Kaine replied flatly.
He opened the door and went back inside. Liliana was busy preparing lunch, while Mira was still in her room changing clothes.
Without saying anything, Kaine walked to his own room and lay down.
Using his power earlier had been enough to leave his body feeling drained, even if it hadn't exhausted him completely.
He locked the door, then stood in front of the calendar hanging on the wall.
With a single stroke, he crossed out today's date—a sign that the shadow of that mysterious place was still stuck in his head, and felt stronger than before.
What is actually happening?
There wasn't a single explanation he could find. That was what confused Kaine the most.
He didn't know how to stop it, and if it truly couldn't be avoided, he didn't even know where to begin.
He walked over to the bookshelf and pulled out a book about the host—those who received inheritances, whether from demons or spirits.
He had been searching for answers in these records for a long time, yet they still didn't give him what he needed.
The sudden sound of heavy rain pulled his attention away. Kaine opened the balcony door and looked outside.
At the same alley, the crimson-eyed woman in the suit was still there, now holding a black umbrella.
Her presence felt even more mysterious than before.
Does the organization she mentioned, NOX, know something about that place?
Kaine knew about NOX not because of the woman, but from news.
LUX, the organization that maintained global peace, labeled NOX as a criminal group that protected the host.
They accused NOX of acting recklessly, ignoring civilian safety, and carrying out operations without proper calculation.
There was plenty of evidence backing those claims—destroyed buildings and civilian casualties that destabilized cities.
Still, Kaine's thoughts shifted when he remembered NOX's main goal: hunting monsters.
In every battle, casualties and destruction were unavoidable. But compared to their role in protecting humanity, the sacrifices seemed worth it.
The fundamental difference between LUX and NOX lay in their worldview.
LUX believed the host were just as dangerous as monsters.
NOX didn't.
To NOX, monsters were monsters, and the host were weapons meant to fight them.
The woman lifted her head, her crimson eyes locking onto Kaine's position. Even though he was blind, Kaine's light-based sonar vision caught every movement she made.
She said nothing—just stared at him sharply.
Kaine remained firm in his refusal to join. To him, the life and power he had now were far better than getting involved with a dangerous organization like NOX.
He went back into his room, closed the balcony door, and pulled the curtains shut.
He spent the rest of the day inside, only going out briefly to visit the supermarket.
That night, they had dinner together in the dining room. Liliana cooked using the groceries Kaine had bought earlier that morning.
Mira talked endlessly about school, while Kaine and Liliana listened.
But for some reason, Kaine's head began to ache—a sharp throbbing at both temples, accompanied by an irritating ringing sound.
Before dinner ended, Kaine stood up.
"What's wrong? Are you sick?" Liliana asked, worried.
"Just a headache. I'll go lie down."
Liliana nodded. She offered him some medicine, but Kaine refused. He didn't think it was that serious and believed rest would be enough.
In his room, Kaine lay down on the bed. He tried to steady his breathing, but as the night grew deeper, the pain only intensified.
The image of that mysterious place now appeared far more clearly. What had once been a vague silhouette turned into the image of a massive castle floating above gray clouds, set against a star-filled sky.
Kaine saw himself standing at the base of a long staircase, facing a massive gate at the castle's entrance. Hundreds of steps stretched endlessly before him.
His real body was still lying in his room, letting out soft groans while clutching his head. But the Kaine in that mysterious place was a projection of his soul.
Even so, he could control it as if it were his real body.
What kind of place is this?
His curiosity peaked. He became convinced that the castle was the source of the pain in his head.
The only way to stop it was to climb the stairs and open the gate.
Slowly, Kaine began to move, climbing the countless steps one by one.
In the real world, golden light erupted from Kaine's body.
The glow was so intense that it pierced through the house, making the woman in the black suit outside the alley narrow her eyes.
A massive surge of power echoed through the area, startling her. Mira and Liliana weren't sensitive enough to feel anything—but the woman was different.
As a host, she knew exactly what that surge meant.
Danger.
LUX's detection systems would definitely identify it as mid-level monster activity. LUX personnel would be dispatched immediately.
That was what she feared most. If LUX arrived first, they wouldn't help Kaine—they would capture him, or kill him on the spot.
"Code red. Target is in danger. Requesting nearby NOX personnel to move in," she said through her communicator.
Without hesitation, the woman moved. She forced her way into the house, shocking Liliana and Mira, who were still in the dining room.
"Who are you?!" Liliana shouted.
The woman's crimson eyes flared as she released her power. In an instant, Liliana and Mira collapsed unconscious.
With the problem downstairs handled, she rushed to the second floor and entered Kaine's room.
Blinding golden light shined from Kaine's body, accompanied by a crushing aura of power.
"This Ascension can't be delayed. I need to buy time," she muttered.
She pulled the handle of her umbrella—revealing a slender rapier hidden inside.
She threw open the curtains, pushed the balcony door wide, and stepped forward, ready.
The momentum Kaine was releasing was on par with a Ascension caused by a demonic contract.
She assumed Kaine had made a deal with a mid- or high-ranking demon, even sacrificing his eyesight in the process.
But the golden light was different.
Not red. Not purple. Not maroon or black—the usual colors of demonic power.
"So who did he actually contract with?" she whispered.
Moments later, a convoy of military SUVs appeared from the direction of the city center. Not a single NOX unit had arrived yet. Her focus snapped to the vehicles.
Another massive shockwave erupted. The pillar of golden light now shot straight into the sky, drawing the attention of everyone nearby—LUX and NOX alike.
Strong winds whipped against her face. She realized it instantly.
"That's not demonic momentum…"
Her eyes widened.
The military SUVs screeched to a halt in front of the house. Without waiting, the woman leaped from the balcony and launched herself at the LUX troops, armed with rifles and tactical gear.
The fight exploded instantly. Her rapier pierced through enemies, its blade coated in flames that made the wounds burn and refuse to heal.
"NOX!" the LUX soldiers shouted.
In Kaine's subconscious, he finally reached the gate of the cloud castle.
The moment his palm touched it, the massive doors opened, revealing thousands of rooms beyond.
The sight reminded him of a hospital from the past.
"What place is this?" Kaine murmured.
"Your age and body are finally sufficient to fully control this power," a voice answered.
A man stepped out from one of the rooms. Kaine turned—and froze.
That face was painfully familiar.
The last face he had ever seen before losing his sight.
"You're… the man from ten years ago?" Kaine asked, stunned.
"He asked for my ears," the man replied calmly. "I never thought he'd ask for your eyes."
"Who?"
Seeing the confusion on Kaine's face, the man sighed softly.
"I don't have much time. I'll explain everything. I hope you can understand quickly."