The sudden disappearance of the violet light shattered Izumi's calm.
One moment it had been there steady, familiar and the next it had folded into nothing, leaving him stranded in a darkness that felt heavier than before. His breath hitched. His chest tightened. Panic crept in, sharp and unwelcome.
He stood still.
Even after surviving everything escaping the monster, standing unflinching before terror, merging with the Void he was still nowhere close to safety. From the moment he had entered this place, the violet light had been his only guide, his only proof that movement meant progress.
Now it was gone.
Izumi remained where he was, uncertain, surrounded by mist that swallowed distance and direction alike. The Void did not comfort him. It did not threaten him either. It simply was.
In the darkness, he felt like a burned tree standing alone after a fire no leaves, no flowers, no scent of life left to carry on the wind. Only charred bark remained, blackened and hollow. In the absence of light, even that could not be seen.
Just like him.
The mist shifted, Izumi stiffened.
At first, it was barely audible a low, uneven sound drifting through the darkness. He held his breath, listening. The sound grew clearer with each second, resolving into something unmistakable.
Voices.
His heart pounded. He could not see anything, but the sound was close enough to raise every warning inside him.
A monster?Another creature hiding in the Void?
His thoughts sharpened, but fear did not rush in the way it once had. Instead, a strange stillness settled over him the same quiet that had allowed him to stand unmoving before the monster. Whatever waited in the dark, he would not flee from it. He had already learned that running only gave the Void something to follow.
If it tries to kill me, he thought, what's the worst that can happen?
The question surprised him with its calmness.
With slow, deliberate steps, Izumi moved toward the sound. He watched every inch of ground beneath his feet, careful not to disturb the mist too suddenly. His body remembered the lesson—move without echo, without panic.
The closer he got, the clearer the voices became.
And something felt… wrong. Not wrong in the way monsters felt wrong but unfamiliar in a different sense. The voice was high-pitched, strained, trembling with emotion.
A young girl.
She was shouting words spilling out in frustration and anger, though he couldn't make out exactly what she was saying. Her voice cracked at the edges, heavy with blame and resentment.
Another voice followed hers, deeper and calmer. A man.
He spoke in measured tones, trying to soothe her, repeating the same reassurances again and again. But she wasn't listening. Whatever he said only seemed to make her angrier.
Izumi slowed further.
This isn't a monster, he realized.This is… people.
The thought felt unreal. He hadn't encountered anyone else since awakening in the Void. The idea that others existed here alive, speaking, arguing felt almost impossible.
Still, he approached cautiously. He did not want to be mistaken for a creature of the dark.
As the mist thinned, silhouettes emerged.
The girl stood a few steps ahead, her posture tense, fists clenched at her sides. Her hair fell loosely around her shoulders, catching faint traces of dim ambient light that Izumi hadn't noticed before. Even in the gloom, there was something striking about her presence an unpolished beauty that stood out against the dead stillness of the Void.
She was beautiful.
Not in an overwhelming way, but in a way that felt alive. Her features were sharp yet soft, her expression burning with emotion she made no effort to hide. Her eyes glinted faintly as she shouted, refusing to be calmed.
Beside her stood a man middle-aged, broad-shouldered, his stance firm and protective. He looked like a guard, the kind who had spent his life standing between danger and those he was sworn to protect. His clothes were worn but maintained, his posture disciplined even here, even now.
His gaze never left the darkness around them.
Izumi stopped at the edge of visibility.
He raised his hands slightly, making sure his movements were slow, deliberate, unmistakably human. His heart beat steadily as he stepped forward just enough for his presence to be felt.
The man noticed first.
His body shifted instantly one foot stepping forward, shoulders squaring, hand moving subtly as if reaching for a weapon Izumi could not see. His eyes narrowed, scanning the mist.
"Wait," the man said firmly, lowering his voice.
The girl continued shouting for another moment then stopped.
Her head turned.
Her eyes met Izumi's.
Time froze.
For a single heartbeat, the Void held its breath as the girl stared at him, her expression shifting from anger to shock then to something else entirely.
And that was when she noticed him.