Ryen's throat felt dry as dust. The words wouldn't come out at first — the sight of Rin's limp form drained all sound from him.
But someone had to speak.
"Who… who the hell are you?" Ryen managed, his voice raw and shaking.
The others stood frozen behind him — Professor Lena, Rachel, Leona, Kiera and Nora— every one of them instinctively keeping their distance.
The aura pressing from the masked man wasn't something a sane person would approach. It wasn't rage, or killing intent. It was heavier than that — like standing before something that wasn't supposed to exist in this world.
The masked figure tilted his head slightly at the question, as though genuinely curious why they were asking.
"[Who I am…?]" the voice echoed, calm and distant. "[Does that matter?]"
Ryen gritted his teeth, stepping forward despite the invisible weight bearing down on his chest.
"It does. You're standing over his body! You killed the boss, didn't you? What did you do to Rin?"
