"So…you sure about me calling you by your name, master~"
The hair on omens hands shivered as he gave the girl beside her a bombastic side, knowing full well that this was her revenge for staring at her for too long.
'I didn't do it on purpose!' One wanted to protest but knew it was better to just suck it up.
He coughed out loud as he said righteously, "I don't believe in slaves–"
"Neither do I think of you as one." His lips twitched as he continued, "Besides, you can't be serious about living by my side your whole life, can you?"
Unfortunately for Omen, asking that question was a hit on his own toe as the girl gave a smirking nod, scaring the shit out of him.
They continued walking down the broken pathways silently, the silhouette of a dense forest visible at the end of the ruins.
Omen still hadn't understood if this was a den for Ghouls like 'him' or just a ruin he'd coincidentally found Lilith in.
They continued their walk through the ruins. The broken marble beneath their feet crunched softly as the warm wind carried dust across the eerie landscape.
In the distance, the faint shape of a forest appeared, its dense trees stretching toward the sky like dark towers.
Even from afar, Omen could feel something about that place was…off.
The air seemed thicker the closer they got, and the smell of old bark and moisture replaced the dry, dusty scent of the ruins.
Omen's mind wandered as they walked. He still couldn't tell what kind of place this was.
Either way, he didn't want to stick around long enough to find out.
He kicked a small stone down the path, his hands shoved in his pockets as that walked silently .
"Lilith," he called after a while.
She hummed lightly, not turning her head. "Hmm?"
He hesitated for a moment, then finally asked, wanting to know how the game operators took this thing around.
"Do you…know anything about the system?"
That one word made her freeze.
Lilith stopped so suddenly that Omen walked right into her. His chest bumped against her back before he could react, and he stumbled lightly.
The first thing he felt was her skin, soft, but ice cold, like touching snow that didn't melt.
Omen instantly backed off, his ears burning. "S-sorry! I didn't mean to—"n
But Lilith didn't even move.
She stood still, staring straight ahead into his eyes, her crimson eyes reflecting the faint light that slipped between the cracks of the broken ruins.
Omen froze as everything seemed to still.
When the girl finally spoke, her voice wasn't playful anymore. It was calm, but there was something heavy in it.
"The system," she said slowly, "I've… heard of it. My parents spoke about it once. They said it was something ancient…something that existed before the world fell into chaos."
She looked down for a second, as if searching her own memories. "But even they didn't know what it truly was. Only that it would appear again when the second calamity takes place."
Omen blinked, processing her words. "So, even you don't really know what it does?"
Lilith shook her head. "No. Only the elders and the gods of the old age might have known. But they're gone."
"I see…" Omen whispered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I'm not the only one confused then. I've only heard of it too," He said, clearly lying.
Lilith turned her gaze towards him, but said nothing, instead, she started walking again, her long hair swaying behind her. "Let's go," she said simply.
"We can talk once we're inside the forest. It's not safe to linger here."
The ruins slowly faded behind them, replaced by the shadow of towering trees. The light dimmed as they entered the forest, sunlight piercing through gaps in the canopy like scattered shards of gold.
It was eerily quiet.
No birds.
No insects.
Just the sound of their footsteps and the occasional creak of old branches shifting in the wind.
"This place gives me the creeps," Omen muttered, glancing around.
Lilith didn't respond. Her red eyes scanned the surroundings, alert and sharp. "Be careful," she murmured. "This isn't an ordinary forest. It's said that the trees here remember the dead."
"The dead?"
"Yes," she said, her voice low. "They say if you listen closely… you can still hear their voices."
Omen gulped, not sure if she was serious or just trying to mess with him again.
But then, he heard it.
A faint whisper.
At first, he thought it was the wind brushing against the leaves. But as they moved deeper into the forest, the sound grew clearer.
It wasn't random, no.
Soft, broken whispers seemed to echo from all directions.
"We should cripple him…"
"You're righ~"
Different voices started rushing inside Omens head, almost like they were talking about his insecurities and fears on a broken record.
What made him creep out, however, was the fact that these voices seemed very familiar to him.
Before he could think more, Lilith stopped walking again as her figure stiffened.
Omen looked around nervously. "W-What happened?"
"The echoes, they're getting louder." she whispered.
"We need to move faster."
The air grew colder the deeper they went.
The trees, once still, began to sway as if breathing and a faint mist rolled across the ground, wrapping around their legs.
Omen's heart thudded in his chest. "Lilith…"
Before he could say another word, a sound cut through the silence, the crack of a branch snapping behind them.
Both of them turned instantly.
There, in the dim light, between the trees, something moved.
At first, it looked like a shadow. Then, slowly, it began to take shape, a tall figure, its limbs unnaturally long, its eyes glowing faint blue through the fog.
Omen took a step back, his throat dry. "What…what is that?"
Lilith's crimson eyes darkened. She raised her hand slowly, the black mist around her fingers swirling like smoke.
Her voice was calm, but cold enough to freeze the air itself.
"One of the dead."
The figure let out a low, distorted growl, half human, half beast and began moving towards them.
Omen's breathing stopped for a second as he could feel the pressure in the air rising, the forest itself holding its breath.
Lilith stepped forward, her body shielding his.
"Stay behind me," she said quietly.
The creature's mouth opened wide, revealing rows of jagged, and ugly yellow teeth.
Its voice barely human.
"You shouldn't have come here…"
And before Omen could even react, the shadow jumped.
***