"Rin, do you think Sora has moved on from your mom's death?" Lucy asked quietly, worry heavy in her voice.
Rin shook his head, eyes downcast. "No. He's only smiling because it was Mum's last wish."
"Guys, guys! Hurry up before the ship leaves!" Sora called out, waving as he ran toward the shore.
They barely made it aboard before the ship set sail.
IN THE EVENING
Sora stood alone at the edge of the deck, staring out at the endless sea, hoping the sound of the waves would calm his mind. Memories of his mother flooded back—her smile, her voice, her warmth. Tears slid silently down his cheeks.
Lucy stepped beside him. "Sora… are you alright?"
"Yeah," he replied softly.
Lucy hesitated, then spoke, her voice trembling. "Iknow how that feels. I lost my mom when I was six. I blamed myself for not being strong enough to help her."
Sora clenched the necklace in his hand. "Today was supposed to be my mum's birthday," he said quietly. "Guess luck wasn'ton her side."
His voice cracked. "I was too weak… and I'm still weak."
Sora dropped to his knees, sobbing. Lucy knelt beside him and gently pulled his head against her shoulder, letting him cry.
A loud chime echoed through the ship.
"Attention all passengers. We will be stopping at the next town to rest for three days. Please prepare for your stay. Thank you."
THE NEXT DAY
After a long journey, they arrived at the town. Laughter filled the streets, merchants shouted cheerfully, and the place felt alive.
Rin watched Sora quietly. "Hope he smilesfor real this time", he thought.
"Hello there. You look like travelers," a voice said suddenly. "And I assume you're looking for a place to stay."
A mysterious bald man stood before them, appearing out of nowhere.
"Yeah. Can you help us?" Rin asked.
The man scratched his head. "Use yourcommon sense, young man. Why would I ask if you didn't need a place?" He waved them over. "Follow me. I have a house for rent."
When they arrived, Sora stared at the building, mouth hanging open.
"Hey, old hag—there are huge holes in the roof! How do you expect us to stay here?"
"Come on, child," the man replied casually. "It's only twenty gold coins."
"No way," Sora said flatly. "Five gold coins."
"Fine, fine! Five it is," the man said instantly, grabbing their hands and shaking them forcefully. "Pleasure doing business."
Rin sighed and sat on the floor. "Oh… it's already 4 p.m."
The man froze. Fear drained the color from his face.
"What?" he whispered. "It will come… it will come…"
He turned and ran.
All around them, villagers rushed indoors, slamming doors shut without a word.
Lucy grabbed a woman. "What's wrong?"
The woman shook her off and fled.
"Get inside your houses before it comes!" a man shouted, clutching his children as he ran.
Within moments, the streets were empty.
Not a single soul remained outside.
The silence felt wrong.
Sora stood at the doorway, eyes scanning the empty street. No wind. No footsteps. Even the lantern flames barely flickered.
"This town feels… unnatural," Lucy whispered.
Rin nodded slowly. "Yeah. It's like everyone disappeared at once."
A faint thud echoed from somewhere far down the street.
All three froze.
Another sound followed—dragging, slow and uneven, like something scraping against stone.
"Please tell me you heard that," Rin whispered.
Before anyone could answer, a scream tore through the night. It was short.Too short.
Sora's eyes widened. "Someone's out there."
Lucy grabbed his arm. "Wait! The villagers said—"
"I don't care," Sora snapped, stepping forward. "If someone needs help—"
The lantern outside suddenly went out.
Darkness swallowed the street.Sora staggered back, teeth clenched. "Tch…!"
"Sora!" Lucy cried.
From the darkness, something laughed.
Low. Mocking.
"Heh… humans really never learn," a distorted voice echoed. "Every night, one of you stays behind."
Rin swallowed hard. "Sora… that thing—"
"I know," Sora said quietly.
The sound of footsteps approached.
Slow.Unhurried.Sora's breath caught. The pressure in the air thickened, pressing down on his shoulders like an invisible weight.
"Why did it stop moving…?" Rin whispered.
The lantern beside the doorway flickered back to life on its own, its flame burning an unnatural shade of blue. Shadows stretched across the street, twisting into warped shapes that crawled along the walls.
Sora took a slow step forward.
A sudden crash erupted from the far end of the street. Something large smashed through a wooden stall, sending splinters flying into the air.
Then— a Laughter was heard."Oof! Easy there, big guy!" a voice shouted. "You're gonna break the town dammit !"
Another crash echoed, followed by hurried footsteps."Hey! You're supposed to chase me, not the buildings!" the voice complained. "Honestly, where's the fun in that?"
The monster roared in response, its cry shaking the ground beneath their feet.A shadow streaked across the rooftops, leaping from one building to another with reckless ease. For a brief moment, Sora caught sight of long white–hair flowing behind the figure before they vanished into the darkness again.
From somewhere above, the voice spoke again—but this time, it was different.
Cold.Flat.
"You're done running," it said.
The monster howled.
A blinding flash lit up the street, followed by a thunderous impact that cracked the stone road beneath it. Dust and debris shot into the air, obscuring everything.When the dust began to settle, Sora strained his eyes to see. A figure stood at the center of the destroyed street, back turned to them.The demons shadow writhed at the figure's feet, no longer moving.
The figure tilted his head slightly.
"…Huh?" he muttered. "Looks like we've got an audience."
"Sora faced the darkness tonight… but the adventure has only just begun! If you enjoyed the chaos and can't wait to see who shows up next, why not leave a Power Stone? Every stone helps me bring more action, surprises, and laughs straight to you 😎✨ Let's see how far Sora can go!"Thank you!