I carefully grabbed her head.
The moment my hand touched her hair, I felt it.
That black thing lurking beyond her gaze—
It noticed me.
A strange sensation crawled through my mind, followed by a mechanical voice that didn't belong in this world.
—Contact with —Unknown— confirmed.
—Verifying authority.
—Verifying eligibility to accept —Unknown— .
Something moved inside her.
"Kh…!"
Lena's body trembled violently as dark energy surged beneath her skin. Instinctively, she tried to suppress it, gritting her teeth hard enough to draw blood.
"It's okay," I said softly.
I gently patted her head.
"There's no need to resist anymore."
Her breathing shook.
For a moment, her emerald eyes searched mine as if trying to understand whether she could trust me.
Then slowly—
The tension left her body.
The instant she relaxed, the black thing reacted.
Like a starving parasite discovering a better host.
