The cloaked figure transformed into a shadow, seeping into the cracks between the rocks on the road. Those who saw it were transfixed, while Syne, with no other choice, could sense how dangerous the figure was.
"Come out, Naethys!" said Syne.
Syne mastered the role of "Conjurer," who could summon supernatural beings, cast curses, and see everything. For example, she could summon a phantom named Naethys.
She could "borrow" the phantom's form, accessing about twenty percent of its total power. When the transformation occurred, she created a space formed by grey mist with a maximum radius of 30 metres from her body. After summoning Naethys, "death" existed as a living entity within that space.
All living creatures entering that area immediately lose their life status, no matter how strong they are.
Every time he forcibly absorbs his target, part of himself is also trapped within that space, waiting for the extracted soul to be given to his Phantom.
"Don't just stand there... Run at least thirty metres away from here!" Syne shouted.
Kyle didn't know what he was talking about, but seeing the three of them running, he had no choice but to follow.
His companions and Kyle had run away from him, and Syne observed every corner, seeing shadows coming out through small cracks in the rocks on the road, forming the body of the cloaked figure.
Just by looking at it, Syne concluded that the person in front of him was a man around twenty-five years old, or perhaps his age.
Beside him, a terrifying creature appeared in the form of a woman. She had four wide black wings and two purple horns on her head.
Phantom. Named Naethys. Syne smiled at its appearance, while the cloaked figure was amazed, staring open-mouthed at the phantom.
Seeing Naethys' form, the cloaked figure chose not to deal with Syne, panicking, but he was still determined to fight it, to finish what had not been finished.
Naethys' form suddenly disappeared, turning into a purple wave, flowing and entering Syne's body standing next to him.
Syne's body faltered slightly. After that, two black wings appeared under his shoulders, accompanied by a grey mist that appeared after the union, confusing the robed man, who did not have time to react.
Thirty metres away from Syne, a space of "death" formed, surrounded by grey mist that confused anyone who entered it.
The robed figure was confused for a few seconds before his body stiffened completely.
A strange sensation rose from the top of his head, travelling down his throat, and just as it reached his mouth, the robed man screamed in pain, crying for help, but no one heard him except Syne.
"Ah..." He scratched his head, unable to bear it. A few seconds later, his entire skin turned blue, his body and soul slowly disappeared and vanished.
Syne's body staggered for a moment, then left the room, half of it trapped inside, while the other half had taken on the form of a two-winged phantom.
At that moment, Syne transformed into a beautiful young woman with black hair and bright red eyes shining in the darkness of the night.
From behind, Ren realised that the woman was Syne, and he rushed over there with Kyle, who didn't know what to do.
"Hey. Are you okay?" Ren asked worriedly, extending his right hand, trying to help Syne stand up.
"It's okay," she said, her voice soft like silk that soothed wounds.
Kyle's eyes widened, and he said, "Huh! How did she do that?"
"And how did she make two black wings appear under her shoulders?" Kyle murmured softly.
Kyle had been staring at him the whole time. Syne knew he was shocked by his current form. He tried to stand with Ren's help, though his body felt weak.
He approached Kyle and said, "Hey, is there something you want to ask?" Syne tilted his head, waiting for an answer.
Kyle was still hesitant to answer. In the end, he chose to ask, "About the previous issue, what do you want from me?"
"What about the cooperation? I know you'll definitely accept it." He paused for a moment, then continued, "You came here, surely to find the man in the cloak? Don't worry, we all want to catch him too."
Kyle was silent for a moment, then said, "How can I trust someone I've just met?"
The atmosphere turned silent. The four of them stared at Kyle without saying a word. Finally, Finn broke the silence. He remembered the moment when he was caught off guard and Kyle saved him.
Finn stepped forward, standing right in front of him.
"That attack almost killed me, if it weren't for your help. I owe you my life," he said calmly. "Therefore, I hope we can work together... more than that, maybe as friends."
Finn held out his hand, waiting for Kyle to shake it. The other three were a little surprised. Meanwhile, Kyle was still hesitant, having no one he could trust in this world.
"There's no harm in trying," he said softly, shaking Finn's hand afterwards.
Finn glanced at his palm and smiled afterwards. Meanwhile, from behind, Havio saw that his strange nature had disappeared.
"Does he want to thank him for saving him?" Havio muttered softly.
Ren stepped forward, supporting Syne's weak body on his shoulder, approaching Finn. Havio shook his head and followed him from behind.
Their four-person mission to find Kyle was complete, and he also brought Kyle to the temporary headquarters south of Shrie, so that Kyle could trust him.
Midnight. 21 October. Tuesday.
They had all arrived and were looking around the buildings surrounding the headquarters. The location in the south was different from Kyle's neighbourhood, and after arriving here, he felt calmer.
He didn't know what was really going on. At the doorway, Finn stood staring at him in surprise and said,
"Is something wrong? By the way, what's your name?"
Kyle looked away, staring at Finn who was standing not far from him.
"Just call me Kyle," he replied briefly.
"That's a nice name. Oh, my name is Finn. Nice to meet you."
Kyle wanted to answer, but for some reason his mouth wouldn't open. He remained silent, seeing Finn's signal for him to quickly enter the headquarters, the meeting room.
The headquarters building was very large. Kyle didn't know what this building was before, and he couldn't remember when it was built.
He walked down the hallway with Finn, heading to the right to the meeting room, where the members of the "Hollow Hunters" gathered.
Shortly after, they saw the door to a room open, with the light from a lantern illuminating part of the hallway.
They entered the room and saw Havio sitting alone on one of the sofas, contemplating and waiting for the others to arrive.
Finn walked up to him and said, "Where are Ren and Syne?"
Havio shook his head, not knowing where the two of them were. On the other hand, he told them both to sit down and wait for the latecomers.
Meanwhile, the two of them were in the bathroom, relieving themselves. Ren waited with a furrowed brow, already aware of what had happened after his transformation.