"wait why are we here? ken did you activate something like last time."
"nah, it seems that your soul somehow felt the lingering feeling of activation but messed up and activated the wrong thing."
"wait does that mean I can enter here any time I want."
"no, that's where your wrong like always, you need to have at least a minimum amount of energy, so If your exhausted you cant open the door to here, but their are also other conditions such as being unconscious well at least in the start."
the library shook uncontrollably once more, this time even longer than before.
his legs gave out. it was not because he tripped but rather because of the mental exhaustion of running for basically a full day.
"we really need to fix your physical condition, people in rank 5 could run for miles without even breaking a sweat, they could run what you ran in the matter of a minute, your truly pathetic."
"I know I know already, you poke at every one of my weaknesses."
"you wanna know why? its because you have to many!"
"find me, come to me, be one with me."
a voice resounded thought the library, it did not seem like a trick from ken seeing his flustered state.
'what the hell.'
he made one major mistake in that moment, it was not not taking action, neither was it thinking its was not ken playing a trick on him.
it was the uncouncess thought of looking up back to where the railing blocks the veiw from those bellow, where only empty shelves like the ones in the first floor. and with looking up he saw one thing and one thing only for a split second.
he saw a blinding light, brighter than the sun, brighter than anything he could ever think of or believe could be.
"AAAGGGHHHH!!"
"idiot stop looking at things your not supposed to!"
ken shouted as he was forcing rens head down to look at the floor, his other hands was causing some weird movements and then a snapping sound resounded through the library.
a crack appears across the library, once again reality seemed to crack and start to shatter. the book shelves expanded then folded in on themselves, and once again he was plugged into the dark sea.
ren eyes were closed, but either ways even if he had them open he would notice that ken was nowhere to be seen
The sensation returned, and it was not one he could ever truly get used to. It felt like existing without a body, like drifting in something that wasn't water, air, or anything he could name.
Weightlessness wrapped around him again, but this time it felt colder and more distant than before. There was no sense of direction, no sense of up or down, only the awareness that he was still somehow there.
Ren tried to open his eyes, but he wasn't even sure if they were closed in the first place. It didn't matter anyway, because even if they were open, there was nothing to see but endless darkness.
Ken was gone, and that absence was louder than anything else. It wasn't just silence, it was wrong, like a part of reality had been removed without explanation.
"…So you finally reached this point." The voice appeared without warning, calm and steady, as if it had always been there waiting.
Ren tried to speak, but nothing came out. It felt like his thoughts were being heard directly instead, like words were no longer needed in this place.
"…Pathetic, but expected." The voice continued without emotion, yet it carried something heavy behind it, something that pressed down on his very existence.
Ren felt something shift around him, not physically but conceptually, like the space itself had acknowledged him. It wasn't hostile, but it wasn't welcoming either, it simply observed.
"…You're still incomplete, and yet you've made it this far." The voice paused slightly, as if considering something, as if weighing his worth.
A strange pressure built around him, not painful but suffocating in its own way. It felt like being measured, like something was deciding whether he was worth keeping or discarding.
"…But you'll do, for now at least." The voice lowered slightly, not in volume but in intensity, like it had come to a temporary conclusion.
Ren tried to move again, but once more he failed. His will felt disconnected from whatever this form of existence was, like he was nothing more than a thought drifting in space.
"…Find me, if you can." The voice finished calmly, leaving no room for questions or resistance.
Silence followed immediately, heavy and absolute. It felt like the entire space had shut down, like whatever had spoken had simply left.
Then everything broke.
The darkness shattered without warning, not like glass but like reality itself was folding and tearing at the same time. Ren felt himself being pulled apart and forced back together in an instant, like he was being dragged somewhere he didn't belong.
Ren's eyes snapped open violently, his body reacting before his mind could catch up. Cold air slammed into his lungs, forcing a sharp breath out of him as he realized he was back.
Snow pressed against his face and arms, the freezing sensation grounding him instantly. His body ached everywhere, the exhaustion from before hitting him all at once like it had been waiting.
"…Ken?" His voice came out weak and uncertain, lacking the usual irritation or response he expected.
There was no answer, and that alone made his chest tighten slightly. It wasn't just silence, it was absence, like something that should have been there simply wasn't anymore.
Ren pushed himself up slowly, his arms shaking as they struggled to support his weight. Every movement felt heavy, like his body hadn't fully returned to normal yet.
"…Ken?" he called again, louder this time, but still there was nothing.
That uneasy feeling from before began to creep back into his mind. For the first time, he realized how much he had relied on Ken being there, even if he hated it.
Ren forced himself to stand, his legs trembling slightly under his weight. He steadied himself after a moment, taking a slow breath before looking ahead.
The village was still there, but now it was closer, clearer, and undeniably real. It no longer looked like a mirage, yet something about it felt completely off.
"…Alright…" he muttered to himself, more to keep his mind steady than anything else. He didn't wait for a response this time, because he already knew there wouldn't be one.
He started walking.
Each step felt heavy, but manageable. His body protested, but it didn't collapse like before, which meant he could keep going.
The snow crunched beneath his feet, but the sound felt too loud in the empty space around him. It echoed slightly, as if the world itself had gone quiet just to emphasize it.
As he got closer, something became painfully clear. There were no other sounds.
No voices. No movement. No signs of life.
Ren slowed down without realizing it, his instincts reacting before his thoughts could catch up. His eyes scanned the area more carefully now, looking for anything out of place.
The buildings stood intact, but lifeless. Doors were closed, some slightly open, and snow had begun to settle in places it shouldn't have if people were still around.
"…What…" His voice came out softer now, almost hesitant. He didn't like what he was seeing, and he liked it even less that he couldn't explain it.
He stepped into the village.
The silence became heavier the moment he crossed into it. It felt like entering a place that had been abandoned for far longer than it actually had been.
"…Hello?" he called out, his voice echoing slightly as it bounced off empty walls and structures.
No response came back.
Ren walked further in, his steps slower and more cautious now. His eyes moved constantly, checking every corner, every doorway, every shadow.
Still nothing.
No bodies. No signs of struggle. No clear reason for why the place was empty.
Just… gone.
"…Where is everyone…" he whispered, more to himself than anything else. The question hung in the air, unanswered and unsettling.
A faint creak sounded somewhere in the distance, likely a door moving with the wind. It was small, insignificant, but in the silence it felt overwhelming.
Ren's chest tightened slightly.
Something was wrong.
Not just wrong.
Completely wrong.
And somewhere deep in his mind, that voice echoed again, quiet but impossible to ignore.
"…Find me."