The light inside the Demon Gate was wrong.
It wasn't sunlight.
It didn't rise or set.
It simply existed—spreading across the broken land like a pale, lifeless glow that bent around objects instead of illuminating them. Shadows stretched in unnatural directions, trembling slightly as if they were alive.
The air felt heavy.
Not with heat… but with presence.
Something was always watching inside a Demon Gate.
And it was never friendly.
Ava stood quietly under that strange light, her back facing the vast, distorted horizon. The ground beneath her feet was cracked and uneven, fragments of black stone jutting out like the ribs of a dead world.
She looked calm.
Too calm.
Her upper garment hung loosely, slipping slightly off one shoulder as she stood there, absorbing the silence. Her long dark hair flowed gently behind her, untouched by any real wind—only the strange currents of the Gate.
But Ava wasn't relaxing.
She was listening.
The Demon Gate whispered in ways most people couldn't hear.
And she understood enough to know one thing—
They were not alone.
Behind her, a soft groan broke the silence.
Sunny stirred.
He lay sprawled on the ground, one arm covering his eyes as if trying to block out the unnatural light. His body felt heavier than usual, like he had been dragged through something invisible.
"…Tch."
He clicked his tongue lightly and shifted.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
The first thing he saw was the sky.
Twisted.
Wrong.
"…Yeah," he muttered under his breath. "Definitely not home."
He pushed himself up, stretching his shoulders slightly as he adjusted to the strange environment. The Demon Gate always messed with his senses for a few minutes after waking.
Then his gaze landed on Ava.
He paused.
Not because of embarrassment—but because she looked… distant.
Like she was already somewhere else.
Sunny frowned slightly.
"Would you like me to start training?" he asked casually, his voice still rough. Then he tilted his head. "Or do you want to start now?"
Ava didn't answer immediately.
Instead, she reached up and pulled her garment properly into place, covering herself without any sign of urgency. Only then did she turn.
Her eyes locked onto his.
Sharp.
Focused.
Dangerous.
"No," she said.
Her voice cut through the still air.
"We need to keep traveling."
Sunny raised an eyebrow.
"…Already?"
They had barely rested.
Even inside a Demon Gate, that wasn't exactly ideal.
Ava stepped forward slightly, her gaze shifting past him—beyond what he could see.
"I can sense a demon not too far away," she said quietly.
Sunny followed her gaze.
There was nothing.
Just broken land and shifting shadows.
"…You always say that," he muttered.
"And I'm always right."
He exhaled slowly.
She wasn't wrong.
Ava's expression grew more serious.
"We will need them."
Sunny blinked.
"…Need them?"
Her answer came without hesitation.
"The two of us alone can't conquer these Demon Gates."
That made him pause.
For a moment, the usual laziness in his expression faded.
He looked at her properly.
"…So that's how it is."
Ava didn't respond.
She didn't need to.
The truth was obvious.
Sunny ran a hand through his hair, letting out a quiet breath.
"Fine."
Silence lingered for a moment—
Then it was broken by a soft, cheerful sound.
A giggle.
Sunny looked down.
The baby lay on the ground beside him, tiny hands waving in the air as it laughed at absolutely nothing. Its eyes sparkled with a strange, unnatural brightness, completely unaffected by the oppressive atmosphere of the Demon Gate.
Sunny stared at it.
"…You again."
The baby giggled louder.
He tilted his head slightly, studying it like something he still hadn't decided to care about.
"This thing…" he said, glancing at Ava. "How do we feed it?"
Ava looked at him.
Then at the baby.
Then back at him again.
There was a brief pause.
"…Is it not obvious?" she said.
Sunny frowned.
"No."
Ava's gaze softened just slightly as it rested on the child.
"It's a relic."
Sunny blinked.
"…And?"
"It doesn't need feeding."
Simple.
Straightforward.
Final.
Sunny stared at her for a second.
Then slowly looked back down at the baby.
The baby looked back at him—
And smiled.
"…Right," Sunny said flatly. "Of course it doesn't."
He bent down and picked the child up with one arm, holding it without much care but not roughly either.
The baby immediately grabbed onto his shirt, laughing happily.
Sunny sighed under his breath.
"Yeah… you're definitely not normal."
Ava turned away.
"Move."
Sunny glanced at her.
"…That's it?"
"We're wasting time."
He looked around at the empty, distorted world of the Demon Gate.
Then back at her.
She was already walking.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
Like she knew exactly where she was going.
Sunny watched her for a moment.
Then shook his head lightly.
"Troublesome…"
Adjusting the baby in his arms, he stepped forward.
"Fine. Let's go."
Together, they began to move—
Leaving behind the place they had rested,
And stepping deeper into the Demon Gate,
Where unseen dangers waited in silence.
And just like that,
Their journey began.