Kashikari slowly opened his eyes.
There was a weight lingering from the night.
Not from exhaustion—
But from the silent war within him.
Jinwi… was quiet.
And that silence felt like a threat.
He stood up slowly and looked out the window.
The air was hazy. The sky stretched above like a gray veil.
Today… he thought.
Something is different.
The village was alive, as always.
Children ran through the streets. Elderly voices filled the air with small negotiations. A few villagers greeted Kashikari as he passed.
He acknowledged them with a slight nod.
Nothing more.
The weight in his chest hadn't faded.
Memories. Fragments. The curse.
All of it remained.
He reached Dorum's house and knocked.
The door opened.
"Kai… I was expecting you."
"I just… came to say hello."
"No," Dorum said quietly. "I felt it. There's something in you. Even when Jinwi is silent… it makes noise."
Kashikari smiled.
It wasn't real.
But there was effort in it.
He sat down.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Dorum poured tea slowly.
Steam rose between them, blending with the distant sound of birds.
Silence filled the room—
But it wasn't empty.
By the afternoon, Kashikari had returned to the academy.
Nyari was waiting in the courtyard.
A small book rested in her hands, her hair slightly unbound.
"You're quiet today."
"I'm always like this."
"No… today it's different. Something inside you is moving."
"Leave me space. I live in those spaces."
Nyari fell silent.
Her eyes studied him carefully.
Not judgment.
Concern.
They walked side by side without speaking.
That silence—
Was heavier than any argument.
That night, Kashikari lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
But his mind wasn't there.
It moved through past, present, and something yet to come.
Then—
Jinwi spoke.
"I feel it. Something is approaching. What sleeps… is waking."
"What does that mean?"
"Blood will come. Blood that is not yours."
Kashikari sat up instantly.
"…Dorum."