They walked for a long time after turning away.
Or at least—
Haruto assumed it was a long time.
Time felt unreliable here.
The sun didn't move properly.
The shadows didn't stretch naturally.
And exhaustion arrived in uneven pieces.
But the stone field stayed behind them.
That was enough.
Haruto didn't talk.
Belial didn't either.
The silence wasn't uncomfortable.
Just occupied.
Eventually—
Haruto looked over.
"…you knew."
Belial kept walking.
"…maybe."
Haruto looked ahead again.
"…that answer is getting annoying."
Belial didn't react.
Haruto exhaled.
"…you knew there were others."
A pause.
Belial lowered its head slightly.
"…I knew there had been."
Haruto frowned.
"…difference?"
Belial walked a few more steps.
Then said—
"…people leave."
Haruto waited.
Belial continued.
"…traces don't."
That stayed in the air.
Haruto looked down.
His footprints appeared.
Then faded.
Appeared.
Then faded.
He watched them for a while.
Then quietly asked—
"…and Arthur?"
Belial didn't answer immediately.
"…I don't know."
Haruto glanced at it.
Belial kept looking ahead.
"…that's not avoiding the question."
A pause.
"…I actually don't know."
Haruto didn't respond.
That answer felt strangely honest.
They kept walking.
The heat became heavier.
Not hotter.
Just harder to carry.
Haruto rolled his shoulders once.
Then stopped.
His shoulders still felt empty.
His hand almost reached for the cloak again.
It lowered.
He kept walking.
Then—
he stopped.
Belial stopped too.
Haruto looked down.
His footprints.
They remained.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Still there.
His eyes narrowed.
He stepped again.
Five.
Still there.
Belial looked too.
Neither spoke.
Haruto turned.
Looked behind.
The older ones faded normally.
Only the recent ones remained.
Haruto stared.
Then looked ahead.
Walked again.
This time—
they disappeared.
His expression tightened slightly.
He stopped.
Made another step.
Stayed.
Another.
Gone.
Stayed.
Gone.
No pattern.
Belial quietly said—
"…don't."
Haruto looked at it.
"…don't what?"
Belial kept walking.
"…start checking."
Haruto frowned.
Belial continued.
"…people get weird when they start checking."
That sentence bothered him more than expected.
He followed again.
After a while—
they reached a small rise.
Not a hill.
Just enough height to see farther.
Haruto stopped.
Below—
the desert stretched.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing moving.
Except—
there was something in the distance.
Small.
Dark.
Not a shape.
Not a person.
Just…
something.
Haruto narrowed his eyes.
Belial stopped immediately.
Its ears lowered.
Haruto noticed.
"…what?"
Belial stared.
Didn't answer.
Haruto looked again.
It looked like a pile.
No—
a structure.
Tiny.
Too far.
Haruto frowned.
"…another ruin?"
Belial stayed quiet.
That was enough.
Haruto looked at it.
Belial finally said—
"…maybe."
Haruto stared.
"…you know."
Belial looked away.
A long pause.
Then—
"…I've never gone there."
Haruto blinked.
"…you?"
Belial nodded once.
Haruto looked back.
That didn't feel right.
Belial had felt prepared for everything so far.
Not confident.
But familiar.
This felt different.
Haruto looked ahead.
The thing in the distance remained.
Too small.
Too still.
He looked at Belial.
"…why?"
Belial stayed quiet.
Long enough.
Then—
"…because nobody comes back."
Haruto looked ahead again.
The structure remained.
Small.
Silent.
Nothing dramatic.
Nothing threatening.
Just…
there.
The wind passed.
Haruto watched the distant shape.
Then quietly asked—
"…how do you know nobody comes back?"
Belial looked at the horizon.
Its voice became lower.
"…because one day…"
A pause.
"…people stop leaving."
Silence.
Haruto looked at the distant structure again.
Then started walking.
Belial immediately looked over.
"…what are you doing?"
Haruto didn't stop.
"…I want to see."
Belial stared.
Haruto kept walking.
Then quietly said—
"…if I turn around every time someone says 'don't'…"
A pause.
"…I'll eventually become someone who only stays."
Belial looked at him for a while.
Then sighed.
And followed.
The distant structure remained exactly the same size.
And somehow—
that felt worse than if it had gotten closer.