Rin noticed something strange.
No one crossed the boundary.
There was a clear point—where the inhabited area ended.
Beyond it... nothing.
No guards.
No signs.
No walls.
And yet—
No one dared to step forward.
Rin stood there for a long moment.
Watching.
Waiting.
People passed behind him, smiling, talking—
—but none of them even looked toward the darkness.
As if it didn't exist.
As if it shouldn't exist.
Rin exhaled slowly.
Then—
he stepped forward.
The moment he crossed—
The world changed.
The air grew heavy.
Thicker.
Harder to breathe.
The light behind him dimmed unnaturally fast, as if something was swallowing it whole.
Step by step—
It got darker.
Quieter.
Colder.
Until—
There was nothing.
Only darkness.
And the faint sound of his own footsteps.
Rin kept walking.
There was no path.
No direction.
Just forward.
Always forward.
Then—
movement.
Far ahead.
Something shifted.
A figure.
Walking.
Slow.
Unsteady.
Rin's eyes narrowed.
Someone else was here.
He moved faster.
Then faster.
Then—
He ran.
His footsteps echoed unnaturally loud as he turned the corner where he had seen the figure.
And stopped.
Someone was standing there.
Waiting.
Rin's breath caught.
His eyes widened.
The figure's lips were stretched into a smile so wide it looked like the skin might tear at any moment.
Its eyes—
wide.
Unblinking.
Veins visible.
Tears—
no—
blood—
slowly trailing down.
It tilted its head.
Still smiling.
Still staring.
At Rin.
It sprinted toward Rin.
"Yeah—nope."
Rin twisted to the side just in time, the thing rushing past him by inches.
It didn't stop.
Didn't even stumble.
It turned—
and charged again.
"Okay, that's just unfair—"
Before he could finish, it grabbed him by the shoulder and lifted him off the ground like he weighed nothing.
Rin choked, his breath cut off instantly.
"Great... super strength... love that for me..."
His vision blurred.
His body went weak.
For a second—
He thought he might actually black out.
"...not today."
With whatever strength he had left, Rin drove his foot straight into its chest.
THUD!
The thing staggered back just enough—
And Rin dropped, gasping as he hit the ground.
He scrambled back, coughing, dragging in air like he'd been drowning.
"...Okay," he wheezed, staring at it, "you're officially the worst ."
The thing just stood there.
Smiling.
Wider.
Rin wiped his mouth, staring at the thing in front of him.
That stretched—
unnatural—
smile.
He let out a small breath.
"...Man," Rin muttered, "I thought I had a bad smile."
The thing didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Just stared.
Rin raised his hand and waved lazily.
"Come here, you... smiley face."
It tilted its head.
Slowly.
Like it was trying to understand the insult.
Rin clicked his tongue and looked away for a second.
"...Yeah, that was bad."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I really can't properly tease a person."
Even though Rin felt a flicker of shame—
he ran.
Fast.
The darkness behind him felt alive, and he had no intention of finding out what else was in there.
Night was coming.
And this place...
was worse at night.
Strangely—
the thing didn't follow.
That bothered him more than if it had.
"...Yeah, that's not creepy at all," Rin muttered under his breath, not slowing down.
Then—
THUD.
He collided with someone.
Rin stepped back instantly, raising his head.
A man stood before him.
Dark violet hair.
Sharp green eyes.
and was in looked like in his 20s but looked old because of his beard.
Look like beggar.
Dressed in a traditional kimono-like outfit, calm and composed—
a sword resting across his back.
Not smiling.
Not wide-eyed.
Just... normal.
Rin's guard went up anyway.
The man looked at him, expression unreadable.
"What are you doing here?" he asked. "This place is forbidden."
Rin didn't hesitate.
"I got lost," he said casually. "Couldn't find my way to the market."
A pause.
The man studied him for a moment.
Then pointed.
"It's that way."
Rin nodded. "Thanks."
He turned and began walking away—
slowly.
Not too fast.
Not too relaxed.
Just enough.
"...Did he buy that?" Rin thought.
"Stop."
Rin froze.
A small sigh escaped him.
"...Of course."
He turned slowly—
already prepared.
His body tensed.
Eyes sharp.
Ready to move.
The man's hand went behind his back.
Toward the sword.
Rin's stance shifted slightly.
But—
instead of drawing the blade—
the man pulled something else out.
A metallic object.
An arm.
Mechanical.
Cold.
Precisely built.
The man stepped forward and held it out.
"The girl from your team," he said calmly, "the Techno... she asked the leader if there were any weapons here."
Rin blinked.
Caught off guard.
"...Wait. That's it?"
The man didn't react.
"Give this to her."
Rin nodded and walked away.