Ren exhaled slowly and released her hand, though his touch lingered a moment longer than necessary—making sure she was steady before he stepped back. His voice became firm.
"…We should move."
"Move? You want to leave? Now?" Her fingers tightened around the wooden carving as if it were a lifeline. "But...it's dangerous outside. You heard him. If we go out there—"
"It's just as dangerous staying here," Ren cut in. "He still has control over this place. Over us. Sitting still just makes us easier to find."
Eva swallowed, throat clicking audibly in the quiet.
"So what do we do…?" She whispered.
"We search," Ren answered. "If we ever want to escape this city, we need to understand it. Find its edges, understand its rules. The longer we wait, the more the noose tightens."
Eva hesitated but didn't argue. She simply lowered her head and nodded.
Now at the main entrance of the building, Ren placed his hand on the door, listening. The rain outside continued to pummel down. With one steady breath, he pulled it open.
The chill of rainfall hit them in an instant.
Ren stepped out first.
Eva lingered only a second before following him—her hands trembling so badly she had to clutch the doorframe for balance. The rain struck her face like needles; the wind whipped her hair and dress, and she curled inward instinctively. Ren paused and turned when her heard her shuttering breaths.
Eva stood frozen behind him, shaking so intensely he could see it even through the downpour. Ink streaked down her cheeks in thin, trembling lines. Her shoulders quivered.
He didn't say anything—just unclasped the cloak from his shoulders and stepped toward her.
"Here..." Ren said, placing the cloak around her shoulders with care.
Her eyes snapped up, wide. "Ren—won't you be cold?"
He pulled the cloak snug around her, tying the clasp at her collarbones with slow hands.
"I can't feel it that much." He answered.
It was a lie. The cold was biting into him, sharp and relentless. His shirt was already soaked through before he even found her, chills sinking into his bones. But she didn't need to worry about that. Not now. Not when standing upright was already a struggle.
Eva stared at him—really stared—searching for the truth. Her brows pinched, uncertain, but she didn't press him. The cloak swallowed her small frame, hiding her trembling and giving her a fragile sense of weight she could hold onto. Even if the cloak was drenched itself, it offered more comfort than nothing at all.
"...Thank you."
"Stay close." Ren stepped beside her, scanning the flooded street. "If anything feels wrong, tell me."
"I will."
Rain hit the ground around them, loud enough to drown out their footsteps. For a moment, they simply stood together in the center of the street—two small figures against the city. Ren's eyes narrowed down the road.
"We should start by checking around these buildings. If we're fortunate enough, we'll find something—or someone—who can help us out on our way."
Eva's voice was soft behind him. "…And if we're not fortunate?"
"Then we keep moving without it."
"Alright then, lead the way."
And Ren did—taking the first step. He kept himself slightly ahead—not out of pride, but positioning. If something emerged from the shadows or the rooftops, it would hit him first.
Eva stayed close behind, cloak dragging heavy behind her as it soaked up water.
Ren glanced over his shoulder.
"…Eva," He called out. "Do you sense anything?"
She didn't answer immediately. Her head tilted, face tightening in concentration. There was a subtle shift in her posture—becoming more controlled, as she tried to focus harder.
Ren slowed his pace so she could walk beside him rather than behind.
"It's quiet...Before, it almost felt like the city itself was crying."
Ren narrowed his eyes at the darkened windows around them. No more glowing lanterns. The street they walked was getting darker and darker, different than the path he took there.
"And now?"
"I don't feel anything at all. The silence is so odd to me. This is the first time I—"
Eva stopped mid-step, breath catching.
Ren immediately turned toward her.
"What's wrong?"
"Two souls...But," She lowered her head. "One of them is almost gone now."
Her head snapped up to Ren.
"We have to move fast, or they're going to give in."
"Then take us to them. I'll follow behind you."
"Right."
Apartment buildings gave way, when a lone warehouse came to view in front of them.
"It's here...two of them are—"
BANG
A faint gunshot echoed from the warehouse.
'The hell?' Ren questioned. 'Was that a gunshot?'
"I...I only sense one now..."
Ren crouched, moving to position himself just beside the large entrance, waving Eva over.
Eva scurried to the wall, crouching behind Ren.
"Can you sense any intentions from the one left."
She shook her head.
Ren looked around the surrounding area, checking for any immediate threat.
"Will you stay here while I check inside?"
"Sure, just come back if something is wrong."
"I will..."
Taking a deep breath, Ren stepped forward, crouching low as he entered the warehouse.
Inside, the space yawned wide and hollow, crates stacked like barricades. Ink seeped from dark cracks along the wooden pallets, crawling like a living thing over the floor. The smell of wet wood and rusted metal mingled with something sour—blood? Or something worse?
Ren inched forward, moving between crates, careful to stay in the shadows. In the center, he could make out the figure of a man lying on the concrete floor. Sneaking closer for a better look, he saw the scene very clearly. A man, fully infected by the ink plague, darkened blood splattered from the side of his head.
'So it was a gunshot...But what could do something like this. The overseer? A monster? No, why would they have a weapon like that—'
His thought was cut short when a metallic weight pressed cold against his temple.