There were bubble-shaped clouds in the sky, Luken thought, lazily throwing and catching the pendant while lying on the roof of his house.
Today, Luken had taken a leave from campus. He told everyone he was sick, but that wasn't really the reason. He was just bored—and more importantly, he had discovered something strange about his pendant.
Luken had started seeing things that normal people couldn't. Because of that, he suspected the pendant might be the reason.
He kept thinking about what happened yesterday to Mr. Forn. He had seen something being pulled out of him, like smoke drifting upward into the sky.
Deciding to go for a walk, Luken thought he could visit Mr. Forn. He had heard that Mr. Forn had returned home, and it wasn't very far from his house.
He told his mom and dad that he was going out for a walk. They replied, "Yes dear, be careful. And when you return, buy some vegetables from the shop."
"Yeah mom, sure. I'll be going now," Luken said. As he walked down the road, he wore the chain he had been playing with.
Down the road, he saw a silver-haired man playing with kids and talking to their mothers. As Luken crossed the path, the silver-haired man sensed something and looked in the direction Luken was heading.
The silver-haired man muttered, "So this is the guy she was talking about. Let's see." He took out a round-shaped glass and looked through it. "It's definitely him."
As he observed through the glass, he noticed something strange. Luken's presence was extremely contained—there was no leakage at all, like a compressed force.
"No wonder they couldn't find him. So he really has it."
Luken soon reached a road that split into two paths—one leading to the shop, the other to Mr Forn's house. He stopped there and thought, What should I do first?
"It's just a short visit back home anyway, so I'll buy the vegetables first," he decided, moving toward the shop. Eventually, the market appeared.
The shop was more empty than usual, probably because it wasn't the time people usually came to buy things.
He got tired of thinking about which vegetables were good or not and thought, I should just bring mom here for this.
Suddenly, a hand appeared holding a vegetable. "I think this one's good," a woman said. Near her stood a silver-haired man.
Luken said, "Hey, I know you. You're the one playing at the ground."
"Yes, that's me," the silver-haired man replied.
After buying the vegetables they picked, Luken said, "Thank you, both of you. I'm going now."
The man spoke again.
"Do you think it's an accident or a coincidence that we met here at this time, when everyone else is busy with their work?"Luken's eyes narrowed. "So you people know me?"
The woman spoke, "We know you. We've been following you for some time. So… can we talk in private? Just the three of us."
Luken nodded. "Yes." Then he looked at the sky and added, "I need some answers too."
They went to a lake surrounded by forest, where no one else was around.
Luken asked, "So why are you after me?"
Before answering, the man said, "We'd like to introduce ourselves first."
Luken smiled. "Oh yes, I forgot about that."
"My name is Lue Voirs," the silver-haired man said. "And this lady with beautiful brown silky hair is Vireya Liora. You can call her Reya."
Luken asked, confused, "Are you both a couple?"
"No, no, no! There's no way," Voirs said quickly. "We're just partners in crime—nothing like that."
"So the reason we're here is because of what you're wearing."
"You mean the chain?" Luken asked.
"Not the chain. The pendant," Voirs corrected.
Luken showed no shock. "I had a hunch it was something that didn't belong here."
Reya said, "We're not the only ones looking for you. There are more people on this island searching everywhere, but they can't find you because of your pendant."
"So it's an artifact?" Luken asked.
"Bravo, that's right," Voirs said. "But it's a special one. I can't tell you about it—no one can. But if you ever explore the outside world beyond this island, you might find your answers."
"There's a group called KEP. Two of their members were looking for you, but they beat up the wrong person thinking it was you. We helped him."
"That's kind of you," Luken said. "But you're after the pendant too, right?"
"Maybe," Voirs replied. "But there's another reason."
"What is it?" Luken asked.
Reya smiled. "Some things lose their value if spoken aloud."
"Don't worry," Voirs added. "We'll accompany you for a few days. We'll teach you some tricks using the pendant so you can protect yourself. Are you ready?"
A smile formed on Luken's face. "Now it's getting interesting."
"If you're accompanying me," Luken said, "then I have a job for you."
Reya and Voirs looked at him. "You're quite a guy," Reya said. "What is it?"
"Yesterday, during his class on campus…. He acted strangely. I saw something inside him pulling away—like he was losing his soul."
"That's interesting," Voirs said.
"What kind of class does he teach?" Reya asked.
"Artifacts," Luken replied. "He was very passionate about it. I think that's what led him close to death."
"That's almost interesting," Reya said.
Voirs looked serious. "If he spoke about something he shouldn't have, then it's dangerous."
As they followed Luken, Reya kept glancing at him. Voirs noticed and gave her a goofy smile.
"That's his house," Luken said. "Something's burning in his backyard."
"But this feels different," Voirs said.
Reya looked closely. "That's not just smoke."
"I think it's both smoke and presence," Voirs said.
"What the hell is happening?"
All three rushed forward.
What they witnessed was terrifying and unreal.
Mr. Forn was sitting on a chair, burning, emitting an enormous presence that drifted endlessly into the sky beyond.
"It's too late," Reya said softly.
Luken stood frozen.
Voirs spoke gently, "Bless him. Say, 'You will be fine.'"
Confused, Luken watched as Voirs tapped his pendant. Luken understood and moved closer.
He touched Mr. Forn's burning body and said, "You will be fine."
The burning stopped. The presence vanished.
Mr Forn took one last breath, his eyes looking at Luken before going lifeless.
Luken clutched his chest, overwhelmed, staring at an innocent man who lost his life to the unknown.
"Don't blame yourself," Reya said, touching his shoulder.
"You blessed him," Voirs added. "That made his end peaceful."
Luken looked at them both. "Are we really this powerless?"
"Maybe we are," they said. "But not you. You have a kind heart and strong will. There will be losses—but you must be ready. The outside world is far crueler than this island."
"So… we meet tomorrow?" Luken asked.
They nodded. "Yes. Now go home."
Luken returned home, placed the groceries on the table, and stayed silent. His mom asked, "What happened, dear?"
"It's nothing. I'm fine," he said, going to his room.
This time, he sat at the table, lost in thought.
Finally, he tapped the desk—like he had finally made up his mind.