The village alley was quiet, almost too quiet. Ren leaned against the brick wall of an abandoned building, wiping sweat from his brow. The mark on his hand pulsed faintly, still glowing from the brief skirmish earlier.
Aeri paced in front of him, eyes sharp. "You overused it," she said flatly.
Ren groaned. "…Yeah, I know. But if I didn't, that creature would've eaten my face. And let's be honest, nobody wants to explain that to villagers."
She folded her arms. "It's not just about survival anymore. Every time you silence something, a piece of yourself disappears. Your memories, your instincts, your… humanity."
Ren blinked, the weight of her words sinking in. "…You mean… I'm basically a walking sacrifice to the god of forgetfulness?"
Aeri didn't smile. "You're going to lose more than memories if you keep going this way. You'll forget why you fight, who you trust, even your name eventually. And you won't even notice until it's too late."
Ren's shoulders slumped. "…Great. So, I get god-level powers, forget stuff, and still have to babysit my own morality. Perfect."
Aeri stopped pacing and studied him closely. "…You're not thinking clearly. You can't just rely on power. You need strategy. And you need allies you can trust."
Ren rubbed his temples. "…Allies. Right. Because trusting people always ends well in fantasy worlds."
"You have me," Aeri said softly. "Whether you like it or not."
Ren looked at her, incredulous. "…Whether I like it or not?"
Aeri's gaze hardened. "Yes. Because I'm not just your guide—I'm tied to this, just as much as you are. My divine half is fading, and it's because of the same forces hunting you. If you mess this up, I could disappear entirely."
Ren's jaw tightened. "…Wait, your divine half is fading?"
She nodded. "…And no, your powers aren't going to help unless you learn restraint. You've already silenced the wrong thing twice. Do you have any idea how close you came to erasing me?"
Ren froze. "…Erasing… you?"
Aeri's expression softened, tinged with sadness. "Yes. And every time you use your silence recklessly, it chips away at the bonds that keep me anchored here. I could fade completely, and you'd never know."
Ren felt a cold pit in his stomach. "…I… I didn't mean to—"
"You didn't think," Aeri interrupted gently. "And that's the problem. Silence isn't just power. It's responsibility. And responsibility means you can't hide behind sarcasm or luck anymore."
Ren ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "…Fine. I get it. No more random power blasts. I'll… think first. Probably. Hopefully."
Aeri smirked faintly. "…That's a start."
For a moment, silence stretched between them. Then, from the end of the alley, a ripple of golden light shimmered in the shadows. Something moved — deliberate, calculated, inhuman.
Ren's hand instinctively raised. The mark pulsed. "…They're here."
Aeri drew her dagger, the faint blue glow along its edge flickering. "Get ready. We can't afford mistakes."
Ren inhaled, feeling the weight of his power, and the risk it carried. "…Okay… together."
Aeri nodded. "Together."
A single step forward, and the shadow solidified into a divine enforcer — a humanoid figure cloaked in silver mist, eyes like molten gold, power radiating from its form.
Ren swallowed. "…This is going to hurt, isn't it?"
Aeri's hand tightened on her dagger. "Yes. But we survive, we fight, and we learn. That's all we have."
The enforcer's voice rang out, low and commanding: "Silent One… your time to awaken fully has arrived."
Ren gritted his teeth, feeling the familiar thrill of fear and determination. "…Alright… let's see what this silence can really do."
Somewhere deep in the city, the echoes of gods whispered in anticipation, and the bonds between Ren and Aeri — fragile but unbroken — would be tested like never before.
To be continued...
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