Whatever had taken them before had not left.
It was still watching.
And it was waiting.
Out of all the days that could have happened, this had to be the one.
Catia and Kame woke up in the same room.
On the same bed.
For a brief second, silence filled the air—thick, suffocating, and heavy with disbelief. Their eyes met, and instantly, both of them froze.
Absolute disgrace.
"How… how could this even happen?" Catia muttered, her face burning red.
Before either of them could panic further, the door creaked open.
Joshen walked in casually, carrying a tray with two freshly prepared glasses of lemonade. He placed them down with a calm expression that only made the situation worse.
"Master," Kame said, staring at him in shock, "you actually managed to do something useful for once—other than being a complete waste of space on this planet?"
Joshen raised an eyebrow.
That tone.
That sarcasm.
Something was definitely wrong.
"What happened?" Kame asked sharply. "And why are we together like this?"
Catia asked the same question at the exact same time.
Joshen sighed. "Nothing serious. You both drank way too much last night and completely lost control. Kame even managed to set his room on fire."
"…What?" Kame blinked.
"So we had to move you here," Joshen continued casually.
Both Catia and Kame released a deep sigh of relief.
But then—
Joshen leaned closer to Kame and whispered, just loud enough to sting.
"Though… something might have happened after that. After all, you both were totally out of control."
A teasing smirk appeared on his face.
Kame's soul nearly left his body.
"YOU IDIOT—" Catia snapped. "That wasn't even a whisper! I definitely heard that nonsense!"
Joshen laughed softly.
"Rest for now," he said, turning toward the door. "I'll bring something to eat."
Once outside, his expression changed completely.
He leaned into the shadowed corridor and spoke in a low voice.
"I told them exactly what you instructed me to," he said. "Now follow the deal. And never think of that again."
A servant passing through the corridor overheard him.
His face drained of color.
"T-that… no… it can't be…"
His voice faded as he hurried away, fear clinging to his steps—until it disappeared entirely.
Back inside the room, an awkward silence returned.
Kame rubbed his temples. "Oh great. That good-for-nothing master of ours definitely wasn't whispering. Catia, you heard it, didn't you?"
Catia avoided his gaze.
To break the tension, she spoke first.
"I had a dream last night," she said softly. "For some reason… I slept peacefully. Too peacefully."
Kame frowned. "Mine was strange. I saw the Crombus Compound again. And there was something else…"
He paused.
"'Shifter's ability.' I don't know what that means."
The door slammed open.
Joshen rushed in, panic clear on his face.
"Don't say that, you idiot—NOW!"
But it was too late.
The air twisted.
Reality shuddered.
The almighty black paper appeared once more, floating silently before them.
'The first phase is over.Now comes the real deal.'
The words were carved deep into its surface.
Before they could react, the paper tore through their consciousness.
Pain exploded.
This time, Catia screamed.
It was her first time.
She couldn't believe it—couldn't endure it. Tears streamed down her face as her mind felt like it was being ripped apart piece by piece.
Then—
Silence.
When their senses returned, they found themselves seated on separate chairs.
Across from them sat a man.
Tall.
Muscular.
Broad shoulders wrapped in a black jacket.
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes sharp and unreadable.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"So," he said calmly,"travellers… you finally came."