Until Dusk Protocol-Chapter 17: Into The Void

I ponder over the same day again and again, looking for a place for my selfish wish to belong. I wanted to be the light that tears apart your suffering, a light that can overturn destiny and unbind the knots of fate. However, my story is without a beginning or an end; instead, it is eternal, abstract, and a concept; that's how people will remember me.

I will walk to the ends of the earth for you. I hope one day you can break free of this dream and intersect our parallel lines, bringing with you that ungranted wish and my cowardly actions. I just wish that my voice could reach you in time, but then again, who am I kidding? I have probably already used up all my wishes. 

All humans are the same when it comes to making wishes; if given the opportunity to wish for anything, everyone would have the same tangential method to gain happiness. We are all wishing around the conditions that are preventing our happiness, whether you actively think of this or not.

This simple, ignorant thought process everyone uses is 'if this thing would happen or this one would change, then I would be happy.' This optimistic thinking that goes into making wishes eventually leads us down the road of corruption.

Humans are limited creatures after all; neither our being nor our mind has the capacity to truly know the entire situation around us. We can never know what outcome will result from our actions, but we wish as if we did. This eventually allowed our wishful thinking to become purposeful ignorance. 

"I don't remember you. Who are you?" The nameless asked, not knowing where she was from or her own name.

Her body was floating, floating seamlessly above a little round object in a tin box that was partially translucent. There wasn't anything particularly special about the object; it was just a plain-looking tin that was orbited by multiple golden balls of light.

"You say you don't remember me, but I could never forget you." A slightly high-pitched voice answered mysteriously. 

The voice was presumably a girl, judging from the sound of their voice; however, there was no one else there except for the nameless individual.

"We met long ago, in a distant world where all our wishes came true. A perfect world. A world that completely eliminated the concepts of violence, pain, and death. In a perpetual world that stopped the flow of time and fate, allowing all mistakes to be rewound and rewritten.

Back then, you and I were a singularity that lay at the pinnacle of the universe. However, despite how large of a role we played in our time living on earth, we still shared the one thing that most teenagers suffer from... the struggle to understand human connection." 

"A perfect world? Human connection?" The nameless asked, not knowing what she could be implying; however, at that same moment, a thought had struck her.

It felt like it was yesterday—a boy and another girl laughing in a flower field.

"They seemed to be so happy, and so was I." The nameless whispered, tears now streaming down her eyes, before another surge of memory engulfed her mind, flashing hell itself before her.

The sky was dyed a burning red in the mist, and broken, crumbling buildings could be seen from miles away. The nameless saw a world where everything had come to an end.

Blood flowed on the ground like water as a chilling sensation crawled over her entire body; it felt like the world had held its breath. There was a searing pain—a shockwave of agony—that rippled through her body.

Slowly, her body became a canvas for a grotesque masterpiece of poisonous mixtures. With their tiny legs, hundreds of them began to scuttle over her skin as if she were the last vestige of life in this desolate place.

Centipedes traced intricate patterns over her limbs, their segmented bodies writhing like a sinister tattoo brought to life. Scorpions, with their tails arched and ready to strike, crawled over her limbs, their stingers glinting like deadly jewels in the crimson light.

Fly pricks stung her flesh like needles as they buzzed around her, their wings buzzing with decay as they touched down on the soon-to-be corpse. They landed on her face, gnawing at her flesh with their minuscule legs as they investigated every nook and cranny of her lips, nose, and eyes.

Her flesh was repeatedly penetrated by their bites and stings, and hundreds of scorching points of agony spread like wildfire. It felt like eternity had passed as her body eventually became a dark nest for the insects. They continued to burrow into her skin, shredding through her nerves like jagged shards of glass tearing through fragile silk.

Waves of nausea and terror ran through her mind as her veins felt like they were on fire before slowly feeling nothing at all. The suffocating silence of the post-apocalyptic world drowned out her attempt to scream.

Time seemed to slow, and with each heartbeat, there was a thunderous echo in her ears. In her final moments, she looked up as her consciousness slowly began to fade away.

However, what awaited her wasn't the blue sky, but rather a catastrophe. Hovering above her was armageddon; its body was gigantic, covering the whole sky with crystal masses.

The mass began making sharp, laughing sounds, causing buildings nearby to swirl around it, burning like paper as they collapsed into the void. The monster seemed like it hated everything that mankind had made, demolishing everything with all its might.

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"No, I can't die here. Let me leave, please." Tang-Ji called out before her eyes fluttered open; her breath was quick and uneven. She found herself being carried on Kazami's back. His expression was one of concern, his eyes searching hers for any sign of distress.

"You're awake," he murmured, relief washing over his features. "You were thrashing in your sleep, Tang-Ji. I was worried."

She blinked, the remnants of the dream still haunting the edges of her consciousness. The forest around them was alive with the sounds of awakening life, a stark contrast to the nightmare that had just held her captive.

"Thanks, but can you put me down now?" She asked, trying to hide her embarrassment with a stern voice.

"Oh yeah, sure." He quickly lowered his body for her.

As Tang-Ji's feet touched the forest floor, her heartbeat gradually steadied, the reality of the situation grounding her. She mustered a weak smile, grateful for Kazami's presence.

"It was just a dream," she reassured him, though the memory of the vivid nightmare still clung to her like a ghostly shadow.

"Where are we now?" She asked, looking around, half awake.

"We should be arriving at the teleporter about half an hour from now."

"Hey, are you okay?" Ji-Soon asked, coming up behind them along with Kompto.

However, before Tang-Ji could reply, Kazami cut in. "Yeah, she would have been fine if you didn't go overboard and completely disintegrate the forest." It was obvious that Kazami was still upset.

"Hey man, give me a break, would you? I said I'm sorry. That jerk deserved it, though." Ji-Soon grunted, throwing spiteful glances ahead of him.

Just a couple of metres ahead was Decker, striding ahead with Ukiyo, who was leading the way to the teleporter. Decker suddenly raised his hand and gave Ji-Soon a middle finger without looking back, further adding fuel to the fire.

"That's enough out of you, stupid," Junyo yelled from the back of the line. "We would have been at the second Delve by now if it weren't for your massive ego."

Decker looked back at his partner, unimpressed.

"Shut up, mate; I get it already. Stop your yapping." Decker retorted before turning back to face Ukiyo. "Hey NPC girl, how much longer until we get there?"

"With the pace we're at, we should be arriving in approximately thirty-four minutes." She replied apathetically.

"Pffft... AYE!!!" Decker called out to the back, "Walk quicker, will you?"

Junyo sighed heavily, as if he were nearing his limit with his friend's antics. Junyo increased his pace to match Kazami's and leaned in.

"Hey, I'm very sorry for my friend's actions. Please don't hold it against him." Junyo came in closer to whisper, "He's a bit of a retard." His eyes motioned towards Decker.

Kazami's amusement was clear, and the banter continued as they walked through the forest.

"Heh!" he chuckled.

"Don't worry about it; I won't hold it against you. But that's an entirely different story for the guy in the back there." Kazami muttered, glancing towards Ji-Soon, who was trailing apologetically behind. "The one that should have the most common sense out of all of us."

"Yeah, yeah, you can yell at me more when we get to safety." Ji-Soon said it defeatedly.

Looking to change the topic, he began to strike up a conversation again. "So... Your Leere, Kazami... can it really be conjured into any sword you could imagine?"

Kazami continued onward. "Yeah, it can, but like I said before there is a limit. It will only work if I've seen the weapon multiple times."

"Oh, I see." Ji-Soon nodded, still looking somewhat unconvinced by his friend's answer.

Kazami frowned. "Okay, what is it now? I can tell when you want something when you give me that expression you always show."

"No, no, it's nothing like that." Ji-Soon panicked, tracing over his vision to activate the command for his pop-up menu.

Within a second of scrolling, he suddenly spun his index finger around, causing the menu UI to turn over towards Kazami, who stood confused about what his friend was doing.

"Uhh... What am I supposed to be looking at?"

The menu screen was displaying Ji-Soon's Leere stats.

"Huh? Why do your defensive and attack stats have question marks underneath them?" Kazami asked.

"Hmmmm... to be honest, I'm not quite sure. Probably because I don't have any of those stats on this Leere, but that's besides the point. Tell me, are all three of your Leere stats identical?"

"Huh? Why does that matter?" Kazami asked, looking perplexed.

"Because if all three of your stats are high at the same level, then your Leere is considered a special type."

Tang-Ji tapped Kazami softly on his shoulder and leant in. "A special type? What is that?" She whispered softly.

"A special Leere, huh? I haven't heard about that ever since the beta." Kazami mumbled to himself. "I heard only a few were chosen out at the time."

"You're curious too, right?" Ji-Soon paused, looking at Tang-Ji as if he knew what she was asking.

Ji-Soon stepped over a gnarled root, his gaze flickering between the dense canopy above and the uneven path ahead. The group moved in a loose formation—some ahead, some trailing behind—but he kept his voice steady, ensuring Tang-Ji could hear him over the rustling leaves.

"Shizukesa-san," he said, keeping his pace even. "Everyone has traits that make them unique. That's what sets people apart—their quirks, their instincts, the things that define them." His hands gestured absently as he spoke, brushing past low-hanging branches.

"Those traits aren't random. They come from something deeper—your mindset, your beliefs. And at the core of it all... it's about willpower. The stronger it is, the more unshakable you become."

"Willpower?" Tang-Ji asked, perplexed by what Ji-Soon was talking about.

"Yep, the game is designed to favour those with strong emotions," Ji-Soon answered.

Kazami exhaled sharply, stepping over a fallen branch as he threw a glance toward Ji-Soon. "Righttt... about that...." Kazami interrupted Ji-Soon's explanation.

"Doesn't it feel weird to you guys?" He gestured vaguely, eyes scanning the treetops.

"Like, how does a Leere actually work? We know the SSD messes with our senses, basically throwing our consciousness into some meta-verse-type world. But don't you ever wonder how it knows everything about us?"

Ji-Soon frowned but didn't answer right away. From the back of the group, Junyo's voice drifted through the leaves, slightly muffled by the distance. "Maybe it just takes time," he suggested.

"Like how computers need time to upload data. Our brains process information through electrical signals, right? What if that's how the SSD syncs with us?"

Kazami tilted his head, considering it.

Junyo continued, his voice carrying an edge of speculation. "And that announcement earlier... Kyushu probably wanted us to fight. Keep us in the game longer. Makes sense, doesn't it?"

"And all of this to—" Junyo stopped abruptly, coming to a realisation.

Kazami and Tang-Ji looked at him in confusion, eager to hear the rest of his sentence.

"To what?" They said it in unison.

"To gain access to everyone's private life." Ji-Soon interrupted, finishing Junyo's thought. "Maybe he is selecting high-power individuals to gain access to their memories. Blackmail, manipulation—something along those lines. "

"That's absurd." Kazami dismissed.

Ji-Soon shot him a glance, but Kazami didn't let up. "If that were the case, he'd be targeting the wealthy, not a bunch of gamers stuck in a prison disguised as a video game. If this was about money, he wouldn't waste his time on this setup."

He stepped over another root, his pace unfaltering.

"And let's say he cares more about quantity than quality—hoarding as much data as possible. What's the endgame? The second he makes a move, he becomes the most wanted man on the planet. Information theft only works if you don't get caught, and right now?" He gestured vaguely.

"There's no doubt this whole mess is being broadcast across the world."

As the conversation steered toward the strange nature of Leere, Tang-Ji caught movement from the corner of her eye. The man with braided hair, he had been trailing behind was slowly making his way towards them. Out of courtesy, she shifted slightly to the side, making room for him without a word.

"I couldn't help but overhear," he said, his voice even. His gaze settled on Kazami. "Kazami, right?"

Kazami gave a short nod, watching as Kompto moved ahead just enough to face him properly.

"You mentioned how ridiculous it is to trap only random people in the game. And while I do agree, I also see where Ji-Soon and Junyo are coming from." He let the thought linger before continuing. "There's something I want to point out—something that might give us more insight."

He flicked his vision upward, pulling up the pop-up menu with a practiced motion. His finger hovered for a moment before tapping the digital clock in the bottom left corner of the screen.

"You're probably closer to cracking Kyushu's real motive than I am," he admitted. "So I'll tell you all what I know."

"See this?" The man rotated his menu screen to the side.

Kazami titled his head.

The crunch of twigs underfoot barely registered as Kompto's voice cut through the forest's ambient noise.

"Doesn't it strike you as odd? The time zone difference—nearly twelve hours. How is that even possible?"

A silence followed, broken only by the rustling of branches overhead.

"I got my SSD right before the holidays," he continued, stepping forward just enough to close the gap. "Figured I'd spend all my time on it. Setting up the pod in my tiny apartment took forever, so when I finally got in, I lost track of time."

Tang-Ji glanced at him briefly, shifting her footing as she listened.

"I knew I couldn't afford to stay in too long—had work in the morning—so I rigged a real-time clock into my pod, just in case. That's when I noticed it. The time zone was... off."

His fingers hovered over the pop-up menu, tapping at the digital clock. "At first, I thought it was a bug. Then by the time I realised something was wrong, I tried logging out. Nothing worked. Not even the emergency voice command—the one that's supposed to force quit under any circumstances."

'Making any changes to such advanced technology is no joke; this guy is the real deal. That ain't just some knowledge that you can learn from reading a book. ' Ji-Soon thought to himself, debating whether or not to ask about his occupation again.

"So that was why you decided to lay low and wait for players in that forest." Ji-Soon continued, choosing not to pry into his private life.

"Yeah, I was hoping that it was just a system error until I heard that announcement. So I decided to collect more info on the monsters in this game to at least have some data to know what I'm dealing with." Kompto explained.

Tang-Ji formed a grim expression as she thought back to Kyushu's words.

She had been particularly quiet but soon found herself drawn into the conversation.

"Hey... Sir..." Tang-Ji turned towards the tall man with the dark complexion.

"What do you think is happening to our real bodies in the real world while we're here? Are they just lying in that place? Unconscious? If that's so, then how long can we really stay like that until bodies—" Tang-Ji mumbled her last few words; she was too afraid to say them out loud; however, everyone knew exactly what she wanted to say.

The questions reverberated through the group's minds, creating a collective uncertainty about the mechanics of their existence in this digital realm.

Kazami was stunned; he didn't know what to think anymore, while everyone else looked away, trying their best to ignore Tang-Ji's question. They had always known the answer, but they were too afraid to say it out loud.

'At this point, the truth might be even more simple than we thought.' Kazami thought to himself.

"The World Seed?" Kazami voice cut through the murmur of the group, dropping the words like a key turning in a lock.

A few of them glanced at each other, the weight of his statement settling in.

"It's the reason every gamer's here," he continued, voice steady, almost certain.

"Kyushu's creation. The AI supercomputer—the best there is. It can generate infinite data in a quantum world, bend time and space."

He paused, eyes glinting.

"It can even create entirely new worlds. Different time zones, different laws. Like you said, Kompto, things that shouldn't be possible. They bring it all to life through nanites."

Junyo leant in, his brows furrowing. "But we can't be sure it's the World Seed, since we've never really seen it in action before. It was only shown through advertising."

Ji-Soon crossed his arms, picking up on Kazami's revelation. "If that's true, then all the information and thought processes in our brains are probably uploaded into a computer of some sort. A supercomputer is capable of accessing not just memories but also thoughts and emotions."

"I mean, it kinda makes sense; I wouldn't put pass the idea," Kazami nodded, his gaze sharpening.

"After all, citizens in Kyoto are issued personal IDs embedded in holographic devices, which allowed the council to track them constantly, from public transport to private conversations. "

Ji-Soon's expression darkened before throwing his fist in the air in protest. "Those damn Voidrian Dolls!!! Figures they'd been pulling a few strings."

"Hmmmm, now that I think about it..." Kazami's eyes took on that familiar, distant look, the one Ji-Soon knew all too well.

Whenever he got caught up in his own mental detective work, there was no pulling him back. Ji-Soon felt a faint grin tug at his lips; even now, in this mess, a part of him trusted that Kazami's stubborn curiosity would somehow lead them out.

"If the council is somehow involved... then the only thing I can think of besides the World Seed is Minerva." He suggested before turning to Kompto, who blinked, uncomprehending, the name seeming not to register.

"Oh, right, you aren't from Japan. Minerva is the world's most powerful supercomputer; it's based in Kyoto and is monitored under our council, known as the Kuroi Order."

Kompto nodded. "Could Minerva be the one running this simulation?"

"No. Minerva's strong, but nowhere near strong enough to process the information extracted from millions of human minds. It stores data in drones, so I guess it might be possible if they keep adding more drones," Kazami explained.

"Something like that...," Ji-Soon murmured, his thoughts trailing off as he recalled an old story, his pace slowing slightly. His hand brushed against the rough bark of a nearby tree, grounding him as the idea started to form. His eyes snapped open, wide with realisation.

"Wait—of course!" he said, the answer hitting him like a sudden strike of lightning. "No ordinary computer could handle that much data... but what about having two of the highest degree techs combine?"

He turned to the others, his voice gaining momentum.

"It makes sense! Without the strings, a puppet could never move on its own. The World Seed was designed with the sole purpose of creating virtual worlds, while Minerva was made to store data! Together, like a puppet's strings and joints—one providing the structure for data loads, the other the movement for this floating theatre."

Kompto nodded, impressed by their deductions. However, he still felt like that analogy of the puppet was missing something—a lingering question about Kyushu's true intentions.

"So why does the puppet master allow his puppets to continue playing the game?" Kompto's voice cut through the air, his tone laced with frustration. He moved to the front of the group, taking a few steps ahead, his mind racing.

"Why give us an escape route, only to trap us like this?" His eyes flicked between the others, seeking answers.

"If it was all a lie, if there really was no way out, it would've been simpler just to imprison us in some green space—keep us alive until we rot. But no, instead, he gives us weapons that are tied to our emotions. It doesn't add up."

He paused, letting the words linger, then added, "If Kyushu isn't after intel on high-powered individuals... what is he really after?"

Kazami added another one of his own pieces to the puzzle, mentioning the rumoured sentience of the World Seed and its ability to grant wishes.

Junyo scoffed at this, dismissing the notion, "That's crazy talk; that stuff only happens in sci-fi movies where the plot becomes so convoluted that they needed to introduce some magic shit to cover up for their bad writing."

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As they walked deeper into the forest, the group was left with a complex web of theories and questions, each member contemplating their existence in this game that seemed to defy the boundaries of reality.

The enigma of the World Seed and its connection to their consciousness lingered, leaving them with an unsettling mix of curiosity and apprehension. However, those lingering feelings suddenly came to a halt when Ukiyo called out.

"We're here."

Ukiyo pointed towards a water fountain up ahead. The fountain was a work of art, ornately carved out of solid stone and lined with glimmering gold.

The fountain was three tiers tall, and at the top stood two young women, smoothly carved from the finest stone. They held up a floating sphere in their palms.

They seemed graceful but sad; parts of their faces were cast in shadow by the long, hooded gown they wore. The group admired its craftsmanship together, all but Ukiyo wearing the same awestruck expression

Ukiyo walked up to the fountain, admiring the statue that stood high above the rest of the world. She looked down at a small stone plaque carved into the base of the structure and touched her hands gently to it.

"We pay our humblest respects to the child of light, who guided our sorry souls to salvation. Let this fountain be a reminder of how her shattered soul saved ours," Ukiyo clicked her tongue.

She pushed in the plaque, the old, polished stone making a creaking sound as it moved.

Without warning, the ground around them began to shake, and the statue on top of the fountain began to dissolve into thin air, becoming tiny shards of rainbow crystals blowing in the wind.

The fountain itself followed suit shortly after, as its rigid structure began to slowly fold in on itself at the centre, leaving a pool of glowing purple liquid.

Eventually, the liquid began to drain, sinking lower and lower into the ground until all that remained was a pit where the fountain had once been, its walls lined with unlit torches and a spiralling cobblestone staircase.

Ukiyo looked down into the abyss, satisfied with the result.

"Come on. Let us continue onwards," she called bluntly.

She reached out to Decker, who stood just behind her, and began dragging him by his ear towards the entrance of the delve.

"Ow, OW!" Decker slapped Ukiyo's arm off of his head.

"What the hell are you doing, you NPC bitch?! Ya don't need to friggin' drag me along! I know where we're going! It's kinda the only remarkable thing in this whole place!" He pointed at the entrance.

Junyo ran up to Decker, wondering what the commotion was. "Woah, you guys found the entrance." He looked at Decker, who was rubbing his ear. "Jeez, you had me worried there. Guess you finally got put in your place," Junyo laughed.

Decker glared at him. "Not... funny," he grumbled.

"What's the big rush, Ukiyo?" Kazami asked, concerned.

"We can always leave tomorrow. I'm sure some of us are tired from the trip. Plus, it's getting dark anyway. It'd be safer if we left in the morning," he said, pointing at the setting sun.

"I disagree. I believe it would be better to make haste while we still have light," Ukiyo replied. "Who knows what kind of strong monsters are around an area of significance such as this? It is the only thing allowing us entry into the next delve after all."

Kazami thought about it for a few seconds but was interrupted by a large hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see that it was Kompto.

"I think we should go with Ukiyo's suggestion. We can't deny that Kyushu is cunning, so he could have very well set a trap for anyone lucky enough to survive the initial massacre," he said softly.

Kazami looked back at Ukiyo and nodded. "Lead the way then, Ukiyo."

Ukiyo turned back to face the mouth of the delve and began making her way down the steps, with the others trailing behind her in a single file.

The torches lining the wall, as if in response to their presence, suddenly lit up with a stunning blue flame. Tang-Ji stared down into the centre of the stairwell, and the darkness of the abyss stared back, causing her to recoil and back into the wall.

Slowly, the light from the entrance disappeared as the fountain reformed itself above them.

"It's dark," Tang-Ji mumbled, her thoughts still racing with disarray as each step seemed to dissolve into the shadows below.

Even with the blue lamps positioned along the staircase, she couldn't help but wonder if the deceptive radiance was guiding her into another perpetual night.

She looked around at the others to see if anybody else was scared out of their minds like her until her eyes landed on Emiko, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the last few hours.

Emiko was more guarded than usual and held her hands together, one in the other, fidgeting with them. She was also looking around, albeit more nervously.

Suddenly, she looked up and met Tang-Ji's gaze, causing her to panic for a split second. Composing herself, she put on her usual cheeky smile and waltzed up to Tang-Ji, now walking besides her.

"Soooo... I saw you talking to the boys earlier." Her tone radiated valley girl, irritating and too playful for her own good.

"What's the deal? You like any of them?" This caused Tang-Ji to immediately become flustered, her face turning a bright shade of red. Emiko smirked; her teasing had caused exactly the reaction she was looking for.

Tang-Ji did not respond, instead choosing to remain silent and attempt to hide her face. "Come onnnn, Tang-Jiiiiii~. You can tell me; I won't reveal your secret."

"I- I don't like any of them in that way," she murmured nervously, her voice somewhat muffled behind her arms.

Emiko grinned. "In what way? I never said you had to like them in a romantic way." She chuckled softly as she continued teasing Tang-Ji.

They continued down the narrow staircase, the dim light flickering overhead. Tang-Ji's voice cut through the silence, teasing as her steps echoed against the walls.

"Let me guess... It's Ji-Soon, right?" she smirked, her tone playful. "He's reliable, I'll give him that. Plus, he's on the student council. And he is quite the looker."

She glanced sideways at them, her steps light as she skipped a few stairs. "Ooh, ooh, or maybe you prefer blonde guys, like Decker?" She imitated dry-reaching as she mentioned his name.

"No judgment, but... his personality? Yeah, pretty shitty. Still, I'll admit—blonde hair, blue eyes? Kinda hot. Plus, he seems really into fitness too, so... bet he's got a nice body under all those clothes."

Tang-Ji shook her head profusely.

"Hmmmm... How about Junyo?" She added it after some consideration.

"I mean... he is pretty boring in terms of guys, but he kinda gives me a mysterious vibe, you know. But... I did hear that guys who seem boring tend to be wild in bed." She teased, winking.

"It can't be Kompto, Right?! Unless... you're actually into older men." Emiko raised an eyebrow.

Tang-Ji remained dismissive, and it was clear that Emiko was getting frustrated. "Ugh. Who do you like the most, then?" She huffed, pouting and placing her hands on her hips.

Tang-Ji's face flushed red once more. "U-um. Well, I guess if I had to say..." Emiko listened eagerly, leaning in closer.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

"I'd say Kazami is the one I feel most safe with, I- I guess..." Her voice trembled from embarrassment, embarrassment which she tried to hide again. It was too late; Emiko had already seen how flustered she was and began laughing.

"You feel safe with him, eh? Ooooohh, so it IS Kazami!" Emiko jeered.

"I can see why; he's pretty smart, and he's athletic too. He'd totally be your type!" Tang-Ji whined, her head tucked behind her arms, and continued walking.

Emiko directed her gaze to Kazami, who was talking to Ji-Soon, as if to analyse him.

"So how did you manage to escape the starting town, Ji-Soon? It was pretty chaotic back there," Kazami asked.

A smug expression made its way onto Ji-Soon's face. "Well, I used a hidden pathway that I saw in someone's playthrough of the beta. Pretty cool, right?"

"Lucky. We had to run like hell through the chaos. Eventually, Tang-Ji and I ended up at this creepy, haunted mansion."

Emiko shuddered. "Glad that wasn't me. I can't do horror."

"Speaking of the mansion, remember that letter we found, Kazami?" Tang-Ji pulled up her inventory, scrolling through until she found the letter, and presented it to the rest of the group.

"I was wondering if any of you knew anything about it."

Ji-Soon abruptly stopped.

With one hand resting on the railing, he skimmed the letter's contents. "Red Hood? What's a Red Hood?" He muttered. "And what's that writing at the bottom?"

"I think it's a signature. Like how people sign their letters to let the person they're sending it to know who wrote it. I think it says 'Sabastion Wicky', whoever that is," Kazami answered.

Kompto's ears pricked up from down below the staircase. "Where did you get that letter?!" He yelled, now fully turning around.

"U-Um... from the haunted mansion in the snow?" Tang-Ji replied, surprised by the sudden outburst.

"I found it in a player's bag."

Kompto's expression became painful. "Give me the letter. Now." Kompto's tone had shifted. He was wholly serious as he made his way up.

"Why? Do you know something about it?" Kazami said, getting serious as well.

"I don't want to have to use force," Kompto replied, preparing himself for a fight. "Give. Me. The. Letter."

Kazami answered by positioning himself into a fighting stance as well. Tension filled the air, and the world became silent and still as the pair stared each other down.

However, the staredown was cut short by shrill screams coming from the front of the line. The sounds were coming from Decker, Junyo, and Ukiyo, who were being swallowed by bright white light.

Before anybody could move or react, the light rose higher within the stairwell, enveloping the entire party in a sea of light. Now, the stairwell was empty, those once within it had vanished into thin air.