Night was falling.
Inside an old, abandoned warehouse dimly lit by a few flickering lamps, one of the thugs from the inn was slammed violently to the floor. His breathing was ragged, his face twisted in pain.
Standing before him was a young man with white hair and dark green eyes, glaring down at him with contempt. He wore a black jacket and pants, and his hands were covered by gloves adorned with metallic spikes.
"P-please, Shirogane…!"
The boy didn't respond right away. He approached slowly, his gaze ice-cold.
"I told you to go get her," he said in a calm but menacing voice. "And what did you do? Got your asses handed to you by some brat?"
One of the other men, still collapsed on the ground, tried to explain.
"Boss, please! That guy was a monster! And we didn't know that girl was the one we were supposed to take!"
Shirogane stared at him for a moment… then slowly nodded.
"You're right."
A cold smile spread across his face. The thug relaxed—only for a second.
Before he could say another word, Shirogane's hand moved at terrifying speed, piercing straight through his chest.
"Gah…!"
Blood splattered across the floor. The man trembled for a few seconds before collapsing lifelessly. The other two were frozen in terror.
Shirogane turned toward them slowly.
"If you don't want to end up like him," he said coldly, "go to the inn. Tell Yume that Shirogane wants to see her."
He looked down at the corpse.
"And this time… don't draw any attention."
---
The Next Morning at the Inn
Sunlight poured through the window. Kaito's bed was empty.
Yume walked up the stairs with a tray in her hands and knocked lightly on the door.
"May I come in?"
No response. She opened the door slowly—then stopped in her tracks.
Kaito was in the middle of the room, doing push-ups.
For a moment, Yume froze, eyes wide.
"E-eh! Sorry, sorry!"
She spun around quickly, her cheeks slightly red.
Kaito stopped working out and calmly slipped his shirt back on.
"Don't worry about it. Actually, sorry for the scene."
"N-no, really! I brought you breakfast… I hope you like it!"
She set the tray on the nightstand, avoiding eye contact.
Kaito sat on the bed and grabbed a slice of bread.
"Thanks. So… how are you feeling after what happened yesterday?"
"I'm fine. People like that don't scare me."
Kaito watched her closely. (Too calm… she's hiding something.)
After finishing breakfast, he headed downstairs.
The innkeeper looked nervous.
"You alright? You look a bit pale."
The man looked up, visibly worried.
"Oh, Kaito… I just found out the supply truck broke down. I'm running out of stock."
"I can go for you, if you show me the way."
"Really?! Thank you so much! Yume, would you mind going with him?"
Yume nodded.
"Of course!"
The two left the inn and turned right. The street was quiet.
Kaito noticed a group of children playing with a ball, their mothers watching from afar. But something else caught his attention—the road was gradually becoming more and more deserted.
Suddenly, Yume turned to him.
"I know we've only just met… but I'd like to know what made you travel so much. I mean, you look like a real wanderer."
She asked the question hesitantly.
Kaito stopped and turned to her.
"I've got my reasons for going from town to town."
His eyes flickered with anger and hatred—then quickly returned to normal.
"But more importantly… how long did you plan on keeping up this act? You're not leading me to the supply truck, are you?"
At that moment, Yume's expression changed. A twisted smile appeared on her lips.
Behind them, the silhouette of a warehouse loomed. At its rooftop, a white-haired figure stood, watching them from above.
It was Shirogane.