The gates of the Kingdom of Flaris stood tall as Hiroto approached, his steps slow but steady. By all means, he should have been collapsing from exhaustion. After a battle that had pushed him to the brink of death, even standing should have been impossible. And yet, he walked.
Not without pain—but far better than he should have.
"…this power…"
Hiroto glanced down at his hand as he moved forward. He could still feel it, that unnatural strength lingering beneath his skin. It wasn't just his imagination. Something had changed inside him.
He was stronger.
Faster.
Sharper.
But along with that strength—
There was something missing.
"…I don't like this…"
He clenched his fist slightly before relaxing it again as he neared the gates. The guards gave him only a passing glance, uninterested in yet another hunter returning from the outside. No one stopped him. No one questioned him.
Just another ordinary return.
"…good…"
The moment he stepped inside, the sounds of the kingdom surrounded him. Voices echoed through the streets, merchants called out, and metal clanged in the distance. It should have felt normal.
But it didn't.
Everything felt distant.
As if he were no longer part of it.
Hiroto didn't stop walking. He headed straight toward the guild, his pace calm and controlled.
"…act normal…"
He repeated it in his mind.
No one could know.
Not about the skill.
Not about what he had done.
Not about what he had become.
The guild doors opened with a soft creak as he stepped inside. The building was lively, filled with hunters talking and laughing, preparing for their next jobs. It was loud.
Too loud.
For a moment, Hiroto paused.
"…this place…"
It felt different.
Or maybe—
He was the one who had changed.
"Hiroto!"
The voice pulled him back.
Alice approached quickly, her expression shifting the moment she saw him clearly.
"You're late… and—" she hesitated, her eyes scanning his body. "You're hurt."
Gilbert stepped beside her, arms crossed as he looked Hiroto over.
"…you went out alone, didn't you?"
Hiroto stayed silent for a moment before nodding.
"…yeah."
Gilbert let out a quiet sigh.
"You've got guts," he said. "But also terrible judgment."
Alice stepped closer, concern evident in her gaze.
"You shouldn't push yourself like that," she said softly. "You're still new to this."
Hiroto gave a small nod.
"I know…"
It wasn't a lie.
But it wasn't the truth either.
Alice continued to look at him, her gaze lingering slightly longer than usual.
"…something feels off…" she murmured.
Hiroto's heart skipped.
"…did she notice…?"
Gilbert narrowed his eyes slightly, studying him.
"…yeah…"
For a brief moment, the air shifted.
Heavy.
Observant.
Hiroto felt it.
That quiet tension.
"…stay calm…"
He kept his expression steady.
"…don't react…"
Then—
Gilbert shrugged.
"Probably just tired," he said casually. "He looks like he got beaten pretty badly."
Alice blinked, then gave a small nod.
"…you're right…"
Just like that—
The moment passed.
Hiroto let out a quiet breath.
"…they're not suspicious…"
Alice smiled gently.
"Come on," she said. "Let's get those wounds treated."
Hiroto nodded and followed them deeper into the guild. Their presence beside him felt steady, unchanged.
Normal.
"…this is normal…"
And yet—
Something inside him disagreed.
After his wounds were treated, Hiroto sat quietly at one of the tables while Alice and Gilbert talked nearby. Their voices blended into the background as his thoughts drifted elsewhere.
To his hands.
To his body.
To that lingering feeling.
"…I'm stronger…"
There was no denying it.
But—
"…at what cost…?"
That question wouldn't leave him.
"Hiroto."
He looked up.
Alice was watching him.
"You should rest," she said gently. "You pushed yourself too hard."
Gilbert nodded.
"Yeah. Don't go dying this early."
Hiroto gave a faint smile.
"…I won't…"
Not yet.
He stood up slowly, ignoring the dull ache in his body.
"…I'll head to my room…"
"Good," Alice said. "Get some sleep."
He nodded and turned away.
The hallway was quiet as he walked through it. Lanterns flickered softly, casting long shadows along the walls.
Shadows.
Hiroto's gaze lingered on them.
"…Shadow Devour…"
The name echoed in his mind.
"…I can't let anyone know…"
His hand tightened slightly.
"…no matter what…"
He reached his door and stepped inside, closing it behind him.
The room was unchanged.
Simple.
Still.
Hiroto walked to the bed and sat down, staring at the floor in silence.
Then slowly—
He raised his hand.
"…just once more…"
A brief hesitation.
Then—
"…no…"
He lowered it again.
"…not here…"
Not now.
Not where someone might notice.
Hiroto lay back, his eyes fixed on the ceiling.
The silence pressed down on him.
"…I feel it…"
That emptiness.
Small.
But real.
"…how much will I lose…?"
No answer came.
Only silence.
He closed his eyes.
"…it doesn't matter…"
The thought came quietly.
Firm.
"…I need power…"
In this world—
There was no other way.
"…even if it changes me…"
His breathing slowly steadied as exhaustion took over.
And as Hiroto drifted into sleep—
The shadows in the room stretched ever so slightly.
Watching.
Waiting.
For the moment they would be called again.