Hina stood in the cold snow.
Her breath stung her throat from the sheer cold. Around her, people were talking, forming groups, preparing for the search. She stood beside Aiko while Ivan chatted with random strangers, and Asim stared off into the distance, lost in his own world.
Then, she saw him.
A tall, broad figure stood ahead—his long coat swaying in the wind, his entire body swallowed in black, as if made from the void itself. Only two small white dots marked where his eyes should be.
"He's the highest in the division," Aiko said flatly.
Hina flinched slightly at Aiko's sudden words.
"Don't stare too long," Aiko continued. "He hates eyes on him."
Hina quickly looked away, awkwardly.
"Why—" she began, but Aiko cut her off before she could finish.
"Most who reach a high level in the divisions gain a power they can't fully control. It's like the void consumes them entirely."
Aiko glanced at her. "Some go mad. Some control it. It depends on the person."
Hina was shocked by her tone—cold, emotionless, yet… there was a faint warmth beneath it. Something human.
"SEPARATE!!"
The void man's roar echoed, and the groups split up. Hina's team — Aiko, Asim, Ivan, and her — moved into formation and started their journey.