The first scream didn't echo.
It was cut short.
Like something had swallowed it whole.
A ripple tore through the air just outside the inn.
Not wind.
Not sound.
Something else.
Something wrong.
Then—
it split.
A jagged distortion opened mid-street—
and from it—
a creature fell.
It didn't land.
It slammed.
Stone cracked beneath its weight.
Its form twisted—
too many limbs.
Too many angles.
A body that refused to settle into something natural.
For a brief second—
everything froze.
Civilians stared.
Unmoving.
Uncomprehending.
Then it moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
"MOVE!"
Sora's voice cut through the street as he lunged forward.
His body reacted before thought could catch up.
Aether surged through his legs—
he closed the distance in an instant.
The creature's limb shot forward—
aimed straight at a frozen man.
Sora intercepted.
A sharp impact—
his arm blocked the strike just in time.
The force pushed him back half a step—
but he held.
"…You're not touching anyone," he muttered.
The creature shrieked—
a sound that didn't belong to any living thing.
It attacked again.
Faster.
More erratic.
Sora moved with it—
dodging, countering—
striking when he could.
Behind him—
people finally began to run.
Good.
Meanwhile—
Johan stood still.
Watching.
His eyes tracked every movement.
Not just the creature—
but everything around it.
The timing.
The angle.
The rhythm.
"…It's not random," he murmured.
The creature shifted—
its attention snapped toward him.
Then—
it lunged.
Fast.
Direct.
Lethal.
Johan stepped aside.
Barely.
The attack missed him by inches.
No panic.
No urgency.
Just precision.
His hand moved—
a short, controlled strike—
landing at the creature's joint.
A crack.
The limb bent the wrong way.
The creature staggered.
Johan didn't follow up.
He watched.
"…There's a delay," he said quietly.
Sora, mid-fight, glanced at him.
"…What?"
The creature attacked again—
but Johan had already moved.
Like he knew it would happen.
"…Between intention and movement," Johan continued.
"…Something is guiding it."
Sora blocked another strike, gritting his teeth.
"…You're saying it's controlled?!"
"…Yes."
More distortions opened.
Not one.
Not two.
Three.
Creatures poured out.
The street shifted from panic—
to chaos.
Sora clicked his tongue.
"…Of course it's not just one."
He pushed forward—
faster now.
More aggressive.
Each strike heavier.
Each movement sharper.
But there were more of them now.
Too many.
One slipped past him—
lunging toward a fleeing child.
Johan moved.
No hesitation this time.
He appeared in front of it—
intercepting its path.
A single motion—
his hand struck its core—
not the body—
not the limbs—
the center.
The creature froze.
Then—
collapsed.
Gone.
Sora blinked.
"…You—"
Johan didn't look at him.
His gaze had shifted.
Up.
Across.
Beyond.
"…They're coming in waves," he said.
Another distortion opened.
"…And from different points."
Sora exhaled sharply.
"…Yeah, I can SEE that."
"…No."
Johan's eyes narrowed.
"…It's organized."
A brief pause.
"…This isn't instinct."
A creature lunged again—
Johan stepped aside—
struck—
ended it.
"…It's control."
Far from the battlefield—
inside the Aether Inquisition—
silence reigned.
"…Again," Eldrin Vaelor said calmly.
The remains of a creature lay on the table.
Cut open.
Studied.
"…No natural core structure," he continued.
"…Aether flow is artificial… redirected."
Myra Solenne stood beside him.
Eyes closed.
Hand resting lightly on a fragment.
Her Aether activated.
Memory Trace.
A flicker—
a vision—
broken—
unstable—
Darkness.
Space twisting.
Something opening—
not fully—
but enough.
And behind it—
A presence.
Still.
Watching.
A faint curve—
like a smile.
Myra's eyes snapped open.
"…There's someone," she said quietly.
Eldrin didn't look surprised.
"…Of course there is."
"…But not just one point," Myra added.
"…I felt multiple anchors."
A pause.
"…A network."
Eldrin's eyes sharpened slightly.
"…So it's confirmed."
He turned.
"…This is not an outbreak."
"…It's a system."
Back in the city—
steel clashed.
Stone shattered.
Voices shouted.
Sora's breathing grew heavier.
"…They just keep coming!"
He drove his fist into a creature—
forcing it back—
but another replaced it instantly.
Johan stood still again.
Not because he couldn't fight—
but because he was thinking.
Everything aligned.
Waves.
Timing.
Spread.
"…They're dividing the response," he said.
Sora blocked another attack.
"…Speak human."
"…The stronger forces…"
Johan's gaze shifted toward the distant center of the kingdom.
"…are being pulled away."
A pause.
"…Leaving something unguarded."
Sora's expression tightened.
"…You mean—"
"…The center."
Silence—
just for a second—
amidst chaos.
Then—
Johan moved.
Forward.
Not toward the creatures—
But past them.
"…We're leaving," he said.
Sora's head snapped toward him.
"…Are you insane?! There's still people here!"
"…Others will handle this."
"…That's not the point!"
Johan stopped.
Turned slightly.
His eyes—
calm.
Sharp.
Certain.
"…If I'm right…"
A pause.
"…something worse is coming."
The weight of his words lingered.
Another distortion began forming nearby.
Bigger.
Heavier.
Sora clenched his fists.
"…Tch."
A beat.
"…Fine."
He exhaled sharply.
"…But if you're wrong—"
"…I won't be," Johan said.
Then—
they moved.
Not away from danger—
But toward something deeper.
High above—
far beyond sight—
He watched.
Riguta.
His gaze followed them.
Not the chaos.
Not the destruction.
Them.
"…You see it," he murmured.
A faint smile formed.
"…Good."
His fingers moved slightly—
as if adjusting something unseen.
"…Then don't disappoint me."
A pause.
His eyes narrowed—
just slightly.
"…Let's see if you can keep up."
Below—
the kingdom burned in controlled chaos.
And two pieces—
had just stepped onto the board.
Unaware—
they were already part—
of the design.