The first tremor hit just before noon.
It wasn't strong—no collapsing walls, no screaming alarms—but every rune etched into the Guild Headquarters flared at once, light rippling through stone like a held breath released too fast.
Kuro felt it before he heard it.
A sharp pressure bloomed behind his eyes, then slid down his spine like ice water.
He staggered.
Mika caught him instantly. "Hey—"
"I'm okay," Kuro said, though his voice wobbled. "Just… loud."
Lucien blinked. "That was loud to you?"
Kuro nodded slowly. "Not sound. More like… too many thoughts brushing past me at once."
[That's not normal background noise.]Elvastia said, tense.[That's probing.]
Mika's grip tightened. "We're moving. Now."
They barely made it three steps into the corridor before the second tremor rolled through—stronger this time. Dust shook loose from the ceiling. Somewhere deeper in the headquarters, a bell rang once. Then again.
Alarm.
Adventurers poured into the halls, weapons half-drawn, confusion sharp in their voices.
"What's happening?"
"Are the wards failing?"
"Did it breach—?"
Kuro's knees buckled.
This time, Mika didn't just steady him—he pulled him fully against his chest, one arm braced around Kuro's back.
"Kuro," he said low, urgent. "Stay with me."
Kuro clenched Mika's tunic, breath shallow. "It's… tugging. Not pulling hard. Just testing."
Lucien swore. "I knew it. I knew today was cursed."
[It's mapping you.]Elvastia hissed.[Learning what hurts.]
A scream echoed from the far end of the corridor.
Everyone froze.
Then—
A crack split the air.
Not the ground. Not the walls.
Reality.
A thin, jagged line tore open above the marble floor, bleeding shadow and pale starlight. Runes around it sparked wildly, struggling to compensate.
From the tear came a familiar cold.
And a voice that did not bother whispering anymore.
"You walk freely while I am bound."
Kuro gasped, pain lancing through his skull. Images flashed—endless sky, falling light, hands reaching for something torn away.
Mika drew his sword, stepping in front of him. "Lucien. Get the Guildmaster. Now."
Lucien didn't argue. He ran.
The tear widened.
A shape pressed against the other side—not fully formed, but massive enough to warp the air around it.
"You carry what is mine," the voice continued. "And still you cling to them."
Kuro shook, tears stinging his eyes. "I don't know what you want!"
The pressure intensified.
Mika gritted his teeth, pushing back against it with sheer presence, grounding magic flaring along his arm. "You don't get to decide who he is."
A low, amused sound rippled from the rift.
"Bold. Fragile. Familiar."
The words struck something deep.
Kuro cried out—not in pain this time, but in recognition.
[No—]Elvastia snapped.[Do not follow that feeling.]
Kuro clutched his head. "It's saying things I almost remember—"
"Don't," Mika said fiercely. "You don't need to remember anything right now."
The tear shuddered.
Then—
Gold light slammed into it from the side.
The Guildmaster stood at the far end of the hall, staff raised, every rune blazing white-hot. "By my authority, you are denied."
The tear screamed.
Not a sound—an absence. A void ripping itself closed.
With a violent snap, the rift collapsed, throwing everyone to the floor.
Silence crashed down after.
Kuro lay there, shaking, Mika's arms still around him. Slowly, carefully, Mika helped him sit up.
"It tried to take you," Mika said, voice raw.
Kuro swallowed. "…No. It tried to make me want to go."
That was worse.
Lucien returned, pale. "So. That just happened."
The Guildmaster approached, exhaustion etched deep into his face. He looked at Kuro—not with fear, but with grim certainty.
"We're out of time," he said. "Whatever you are connected to is accelerating."
Kuro met his gaze, heart pounding.
"…Then stop hiding it from me," he said quietly. "If this is my fault, I need to know why."
The Guildmaster hesitated.
Mika didn't look away from Kuro. His hand tightened, grounding, unwavering.
"If there's a truth coming," Mika said, "he won't face it alone."
And for the first time—
Kuro believed that might actually matter.