"So... here you are."
A deep voice echoed inside the darkness.
The space itself felt distorted, as if the air had stopped moving long ago.
Only shadows existed there.
Shadows... and eyes.
"The ant resisted for... longer than expected."
Silence followed.
Then another figure slowly kneeled before the mysterious being. Unlike the one seated above, this figure carried a humanoid form wrapped in dark armor-like flesh, corrupted veins pulsing beneath the surface.
"What are your orders?" The subordinate asked.
The shadowy figure leaned slightly forward.
"Bring her... alive."
It's voice carried calm authority.
Not rage.
Not haste.
As though the outcome had already been decided.
A faint ripple spread through the darkness before a small object emerged from the shadows and floated towards the subordinate.
"Go.... Traka."
The object stopped before him.
"Take this. It will come in handy."
Traka grabbed it silently and lowered his head.
"As you command."
Soon after, Several smaller corrupted figures began moving away from the darkness. Not a full army march.
Only a small group.
Meanwhile, others remained within the enormous dark dome hidden deep inside corrupted lands.
Waiting...
Watching.
Preparing.
Meanwhile, inside the safe zone...
Nobody slept.
Except one.
Limbo sat quietly outside the house leaning against the wooden wall as the faint barrier shimmered around the area.
The air itself felt heavier than before.
The peaceful feeling from yesterday was gone completely.
"Damn..." he muttered under his breath.
"This barrier almost drained me dry."
He looked towards the distant border where corruption rate had begun spreading.
The blackened pattern had increased overnight.
The safe zone was changing.
And rapidly on top of that.
"At this rate..."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"This place won't last long."
His thoughts became increasingly restless.
Should I leave?
Take Mora and adri with him?
Or leave them behind?
"Ahhh.... What's all this... Damn."
The guardian and Adri clearly knew each other. Whatever they were hiding, it was connected to everything happening here.
Adri also seemed familiar with the surrounding lands.
So..
She might know, the path unaffected by corruption.
Or worse—
She might know the truth that I didn't.
Limbo exhaled slowly closing his eyes for a moment while in deep thoughts.
"...What a mess."
Not far away, adri sat silently beneath the large tree near the house.
Outwardly, she looked calm.
Steady.
Unaffected.
But deep down inside —
Something disturbed her.
The Guardian's warning replayed repeatedly inside her mind.
Sooner or later... It will fall.
She had believed the sanctuary would hold longer.
Much longer.
But now even she could feel it.
Something was forcing its way inside.
And whatever it was—
It was searching for something.
Or someone.
Her gaze slowly shifted towards the house.
Towards Mora.
"...No," adri whispered faintly.
"It shouldn't have noticed her yet."
Morning slowly approached.
With a faint golden light filtered through the trees.
Inside the house, Mora slowly opened her eyes.
The moment she moved, a sharp pain spread through her head.
"Ah..."
Her body felt weak.
Exhausted.
As if something had drained her energy during the night.
Fragments of memories resurfaced immediately.
The voices.
The pressure.
The suffocating feeling.
Fear appeared on her face.
But beneath all that—
There was another voice.
Different.
Not hostile.
Nor the cruel.
It didn't made her scream like the others.
Instead...
It sounded distant.
Lonely.
Almost as if it was trying to guide her somewhere.
Or reach something... Through her, maybe not.
Mora lowered her head slightly.
"....Who..are you..?
She couldn't understand it.
But deep down, she knew it wasn't a monster.
Outside, Limbo suddenly frowned.
A strange vibration spread through his body.
Very faint.
Almost unnoticeable.
Then—
A system notification appeared before his eyes.
[ Signal interference detected.]
Limbo froze slightly.
"...Signal interference?"
Before he could think further, the notification vanished.
The mysterious object given by the Guardian remained silent afterward.
As if nothing had happened.
But the uneasy feeling only deepened.
The sanctuary continued changing every passing minute..
Trees once filled with life slowly daekned.
Leaves began rotting unnaturally fast.
The water inside the nearby well had become murky.
Dead birds could be seen near the forest edge.
Even insect had begun mutating under corruption.
The safe zone...
Was dying.
Not violently.
Not suddenly.
But steadily.
Relentlessly.
Something was overpowering it..
Adri finally broke the silence.
"Ruddi didn't disappear randomly."
Limbo immediately looked towards her.
"...what do you mean??"
Her expression remained calm, but her eyes had changed.
"They took him." Frustration and anger collided.
Silence followed.
".."Who?" Limbo asked quietly.
Adri shook her head slowly.
"I don't know, completely clueless..."
"But it wasn't an ordinary attack."
"They targeted him specifically."
Her hands tightened slightly.
"And after he vanished... the corruption began changing."
"Changing?" Limbo repeated.
Adri nodded faintly.
"At first it spread like a disease."
"But later...."
Her voice lowered.
"It started to catch like.... It's learning."
A cold silence settled between them.
Limbo's expression daekned slightly.
The corruption...
Was intelligent?
Before he could asked further —
Something caught his attention.
His eyes suddenly moved towards the barrier surrounding the house.
A strange chill crawled down his spine.
There—
On the transperant barrier—
Were marks.
Handprints.
Large.
Distorted.
As if something had pressed against it from outside.
Limbo stood up instantly.
"What happened?" Adri asked sharply.
But Limbo remained silent.
Because the moment he turned toward the forest —
Nothing was there.
No presence.
No movement.
No sound.
Yet those marks remained.
As proof.
Something had already reached them.
And neither of them noticed.
Inside the house, Mora slowly regained consciousness again.
Her eyes opened weakly.
Adri immediately moved towards her.
"Mora?"
For a brief moment—
The child's eyes turned dark.
Completely dark.
A strange smile slowly appeared on her face.
"Hehe..."
Limbo froze.
"So that's..."
The voice stopped midway.
The darkness vanished from her eyes instantly.
And mora looked around in confusion.
"...Grandma?"
Silence.
Neither Adri not Limbo spoke.
Only faint energy fluctuations lingered inside the room.
As if something had briefly contacted —
And disappeared.
Maybe someone noticed.
Or maybe...
Something finally confirmed the target.
Far beyond the corruption, forest...
A pair of glowing eyes slowly opened inside the darkness.
And a low voice echoed softly.
"...found you."