The wasteland stretched on. A plain of rock and withered grass extending to the foot of the Helden Mountains. The sky hung low, gray clouds catching on the mountain ridges. The wind was cold, cutting across their cheeks as it swept through. Five days had passed since leaving the forest. Reon walked at the front. His 178-centimeter frame bore a travel pack as he trudged across the rough ground with steady indifference. Silver eyes confirmed what lay ahead, checked the shadows of rocks, scanned the color of the sky. He didn't stop. There was no room to pause. Riri walked three steps behind Reon. Her small 140-centimeter body pattered across the rocks in oversized boots. Her silvery-white hair swayed in the wind. Her face—was tired, but carried an expression slightly, just slightly, different from those early days. Baldo brought up the rear. Golden eyes confirmed what lay behind. The torchlight hadn't been visible this morning either. But Baldo understood the pursuers hadn't stopped. The three walked in silence. From the first day, Reon said nothing. Every morning, he woke before dawn and warmed water over the embers of the fire. When the pot's bottom grew faintly warm, he poured it into a bowl and placed it where Riri's hand could reach. That was all he did, then he sat on the far side of the fire. For the first two days, Riri didn't look at the bowl. She kept her back turned, clutching her blanket, rigid as a wall. On the third morning, the bowl was empty. Reon noticed, but said nothing. The food was the same. He'd shave half his dried meat and add it to Riri's portion. He did it silently. He offered no reason. When Riri asked "why," he'd only answer, "leftovers." Baldo knew immediately it wasn't leftovers, but Baldo stayed silent too. On the fourth night, Baldo offered to take the watch. "[serious]Brother, get some sleep" "[cold]No" "[serious]You've been up for three days straight" "[cold]I'll keep watch" That was the end of it. Reon continued giving Riri and Baldo time to sleep. He was either sharpening his blade beyond the fire or staring at the horizon—one or the other. On sleepless nights, Riri watched his back through half-closed eyes. (Why does he do that?) She didn't understand. She didn't know how to trust someone who wouldn't give her a reason. But—that back was different from any adult's back she'd seen in the Purification Institute. Everyone there had eyes that took things. This man's back carried no such aura. What that meant, she still didn't know. ＊ They reached the abandoned village at the foot of the mountains on the evening of the fifth day. There had once been about ten stone houses lined up here. Now half the walls had crumbled, and the roofs had collapsed onto the floors. Weeds grew through cracks in the stone, and dry leaves rustled with each gust of wind. No sign of people. It had been a long time since anyone was here. "[serious]We rest here tonight" Baldo checked each building and returned. "[serious]The third house is the best. Half the roof's still standing" "[serious]I'll take first watch. Baldo, start a fire" "[serious]Leave it to me" While Reon went to check the perimeter, Baldo began preparing the fire. Riri leaned her back against a crumbled wall and stared blankly at the ground. After a while, Riri began to move. She picked up several thin branches from the grass. She tore off a few long strands of grass from the ground. She sat down flat and began weaving with her fingers. It didn't go well. The edges frayed. The knots slipped. She tried again. The edges frayed again. Riri's brows drew tight. Her face looked ready to click her tongue, but her hands didn't stop. She'd never done this kind of work before. There'd been no chance to weave grass inside the Purification Institute. Baldo noticed from across the fire and started to speak, but seeing Riri's expression, he fell silent. It was the kind of moment where interruption wasn't allowed. It took about thirty minutes. What emerged was a small ring with a warped shape, three places where it frayed, and uneven thickness. By any measure, it was too crude to call a "bracelet." But Riri gripped it tightly. Reon returned. Riri stood and stepped in front of him. She didn't meet his eyes. Her gaze stayed on the ground as she extended one hand. The warped grass ring lay in her palm. Reon looked at it. He said nothing. Slowly, he reached out and took the ring. He slipped it onto his left wrist, positioning it just over the old burn scar. Riri kept her eyes on the ground. Her profile—relaxed, just slightly, just a little. Baldo started to say something from across the fire, but Reon gave him a single glance. Baldo shrugged and pretended to adjust the firewood. ＊ The night deepened. The fire had grown small, and the three shadows swayed on the walls. Baldo went out to take watch first. Riri lay wrapped in her blanket. Reon sat with his back against the wall, eyes narrowed. Just a little, he thought. Just close his eyes for a moment. How much time had passed? A low sound came. Riri was groaning in distress. Still asleep, her brow furrowed, she gripped her blanket. Perhaps she was dreaming. A bad dream. Reon watched with his eyes open. He thought it would settle. It didn't. Riri's hands began to glow. At first it was small. Just her fingertips tinged with pale blue. It spread. From her wrists to her elbows. Blue light seeped from beneath her skin, spreading slowly. The moment Reon started to rise— It exploded. BOOM!! One of the stone walls of the abandoned village was blasted inward. Shattered stone scattered into the night sky. The remains of the ceiling collapsed. Reon retreated, shielding his head with his arms. Riri woke. "——!" She looked at her hands. Blue light poured from both. Against her will. She couldn't stop it. The wood around her began to turn white. The stone it touched crystallized, glowing pale blue. Baldo burst in from outside. "[scared]What the——Riri!?" It exploded again. This time the roof flew away entirely. Baldo pressed himself against the doorframe pillar, shielding his face with his arms. Light spiraled, beginning to engulf the entire abandoned village. Riri screamed. "[crying]Don't come near!!" Reon took a step forward. "[crying]Don't come——if you get close you'll die!! Stay away!!" A wave of blue light struck Reon directly. His arm skin burned. He felt his cheek split. The burn scar on his left hand grew hot. Reon didn't stop. "[crying]Why are you coming!? I'm a monster!! If you get close you'll get hurt!! Why are you still coming!?" The more intense the light became, the more Riri's voice crumbled. Her crying, her screaming, her terror mixed together into a pleading wail. One more step. Something flowed into Reon's mind. A memory from his past life. A rainy intersection at night. Red asphalt. The afterimage of headlights. He'd reached out his hand. But his fingers didn't reach. They passed through. The sensation of fingertips growing cold. A face that smiled until the end. ——Please protect her, okay? He still didn't know who he'd said those words to. But. That hand overlapped with Riri now. Blue light burned his arms. Stone at his feet crystallized and shattered. Still, one step, then another. He stood before Riri. Both her hands trembling, pouring out light—Reon grasped them with both his hands. It was hot. It burned. His skin made a sizzling sound. He didn't let go. Riri froze. "[cold]……In my past life and this one, I know what I lose when I let go of a hand" His voice was quiet. Not shouting. Not forcing strength. Just a voice with certain, undeniable weight. "[cold]So this time I won't let go" Tears fell from Riri's eyes in streams. The light wavered. It undulated, large then small. Gradually it grew thinner. Reon's body heat transmitted through the grasped hands. Not hot, not cold—just the simple warmth of a human being. The blue light vanished. Silence returned. Only shattered stone and crystallized trees remained. Half the abandoned village had collapsed. But the three were alive. Riri pressed her forehead against Reon's chest and wept silently, her shoulders shaking. Slowly, Reon placed his hand on those trembling shoulders. He said nothing. There was no need to speak. Baldo stepped away from the doorframe pillar and turned his gaze outward. He said nothing. Only his mouth seemed to move slightly. ＊ After the rampage subsided, Riri looked at Reon's arms. Two red burn marks on his left arm. A small cut on his right cheek. Her face stiffened. She pulled bandages from the pack and sat before Reon without a word. She took his arm and began wrapping it. Her fingers, unfamiliar with the task, fumbled slightly. Her fingers touched the back of Reon's hand. Riri's movements stopped. One second. Two seconds. Riri's face turned bright red. Her gaze fixed only on the bandage in her hands. Feeling the heat rise in her cheeks, she rewrapped it without speaking. Baldo's presence came from the entrance. "[sarcastic]Well——" Reon gave Baldo a single glance. His eyes alone commanded silence. Baldo shrugged and turned his gaze back outside. When Riri finished wrapping the bandage, she pulled her blanket close without a word. Yet something was different from before. The hand that drew the blanket—was not as rigid as it had been. ＊ Dawn came. When the sky had turned pale white, Baldo went out to check the perimeter. His face was hard when he returned. "[serious]Brother" Reon stood. Outside, the landscape surrounding the abandoned village came into view. The trees crystallized by last night's rampage glowed pale blue across a radius of more than fifty meters. Even in the morning light, that glow didn't fade. If anything, it was more visible. From a distance, it was unmistakably an abnormal sight. There was no way to hide it. Baldo pointed at the ridge. "[serious]……That" Multiple points of light moved along the distant ridge. Torches. Not just one or two. At least seven, eight. Arranged at regular intervals. Formed in a column. The Purification Institute's pursuit unit. They'd seen the blue light last night. They were advancing toward this abandoned village. The distance was——several hours away. But the three were exhausted. They hadn't gotten proper rest. Riri was still depleted. Reon looked at Riri. Riri still held the bandages, her eyes on Reon's face. There were shadows under her eyes. Yet her gaze didn't waver. Her eyes were different from before. Reon grabbed his pack. "[cold]Let's go" Riri stood. She shouldered her pack. Baldo turned back one last time, looking at the glowing trees and the distant torches. Then he faced forward. The three left the abandoned village. They passed through the pale blue glowing trees and began walking the path that led to the mountain foot. Morning dew glistened on the ground. The sky shifted from white to pale blue. Riri walked one step behind Reon. Not three steps back as before, but one step back. Neither of them said anything about that distance. The torches on the ridge drew slowly closer.