Karry hadn't slept.
He lay on the narrow bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind trapped on a single image—
Those eyes.
That presence.
No matter how many times he closed his own eyes, the figure standing in the ruins returned. Watching. Judging.
The door slid open quietly.
Arnold entered, followed by Sasha. She had changed her clothes, replacing her damaged gear with a clean uniform, but the tension in her posture remained.
"Karry," Arnold said, noticing immediately.
"You didn't sleep."
Karry let out a slow breath.
"No. I couldn't."
He glanced at Arnold. "How could you sleep after what we saw?"
Arnold paused.
"I don't know why," he admitted.
"But I do know one thing—sleep is necessary for the brain to function properly."
Sasha crossed her arms.
"I think we should tell him."
Karry looked at her sharply.
"Tell me what?"
"Do you two have some kind of secret?"
Arnold hesitated, then nodded.
"Yes."
He stepped closer.
"Do you remember when we talked about Kernel?" Arnold asked.
"He's arriving today."
Sasha added, "He's… rough. Not exactly easy to deal with."
Arnold sighed.
"So if he says something out of line—try to forgive him."
A sudden chill ran down Karry's spine.
That same feeling again.
As if something unseen had brushed past him.
Arnold straightened.
"Enough talk. Let's get to work. You ready?"
Sasha nodded.
"Yes."
Karry swallowed and nodded as well.
"…Yes."
They turned toward the main information screen.
And froze.
The display was filled with emergency alerts, red warnings overlapping one another. Images flashed across the screen—Henry's castle, now a crime scene.
Policemen—dead.
Units wiped out.
No survivors reported.
Arnold's expression darkened.
"This is bad," he said quietly.
"Who did this…?"
Karry's voice felt distant even to himself.
"What happened after we left?"
Before anyone could answer—
The screen began to glitch.
Static tore through the image. Symbols flickered—unknown, unreadable.
Arnold's eyes widened.
"…He found us."
The lights dimmed.
Outside, the sky shifted unnaturally.
A red, glowing star appeared above the base—motionless, watching.
A voice echoed, not through speakers, but through the air itself.
"Found you."
Karry felt his heart pound violently.
Then—
Another voice spoke. Calm. Cold.
"Do not use higher authority so carelessly," it said.
"You are only permitted one hour on Earth."
The first voice laughed softly.
"Don't worry," it replied.
"It won't take long."
The red star burned brighter.
One word echoed like a command carved into reality itself:
"Descend."
The ground trembled.
And the hunt truly began.
End of Chapter 9