5… 4… 3… 2… 1…
"Event Duration: Ended."
In an instant, the armored box around them vanished.
Jack and Rose were back in the open—rain still falling, but the chaos was gone. The bodies that had littered the playground were nowhere to be seen. Not a trace of blood or broken swords. Not even the Holy Knights.
Jack stared around, breathing hard. Of course. It made sense now—the bodies vanished because the event ended. Just like the Shadow Creatures, when the event stops, so does their existence… and the proof of their violence.
No wonder that guy earlier said his group just "disappeared." Some of them were probably eaten or destroyed completely.
Jack turned toward Rose. She was still on the ground, frozen in shock.
"If you want to die, that's fine by me," Jack said coldly, picking up Coco from the mud. "But if you want to live—grow up. This is reality now. People are gonna die. Just don't let it be you."
He turned away, gripping Coco tighter. "At least, that's how I see it."
Then—he ran.
Rose sat for a few seconds, her breath shallow, heart pounding. Then she wiped her tears, grit her teeth, and took off after him.
"Why are you running?!" she called, catching up.
"Because the event's over," Jack said without slowing. "That means the King has to roll again. If we get to him before that, we stop the next event."
Rose nodded. "That makes sense."
Both of them checked their maps. The golden dot—the King—was close. But…
"He's heading toward us," Jack muttered.
Then came the roar of an engine.
A sleek black car sped down the street, tires screeching in the wet, sending water flying. As it zoomed past, Jack locked eyes with the driver—a teenager with messy blond hair and sharp hazel eyes, grinning like a kid in an arcade.
He wore a white tank top, arms muscular and tanned.
Above his head, glowing like a goddamn video game title, floated a word in golden letters:
KING.
Jack's blood ran hot.
The boy smiled wider, nodded mockingly, and waved—taunting him—before speeding off, a swarm of cars, bikes, and even people on foot chasing him.
"That's him," Jack growled. "Our so-called King."
Then, without warning, a silver car screeched to a stop beside them. The window rolled down.
Behind the wheel sat an old woman with a mop of gray hair tucked under a leather biker jacket. Her earrings jingled as she smirked.
"Get in!" she barked. "You ain't catching him on foot!"
Without hesitation, Jack jumped in with Coco. Rose followed, slamming the door. Jack sat in the middle, Rose to his right, and Coco perched by the left window.
The old woman rolled it down slightly, letting Coco stick his snout out. He barked happily, tongue out, as if nothing was wrong.
The car tore through the streets, dodging civilians, swerving past wrecks, and just narrowly avoiding hitting anyone.
"So," the woman said, breaking the silence, "what's your name, boy?"
Jack blinked. "Jack. Jack Sanctuary."
She nodded, then looked at Rose. "And your girlfriend?"
"Oh—we're not together," Rose said quickly. It was the first time she sounded confident. Jack didn't say anything… but it stung a little.
"I'm Rose Evergreen," she added.
The woman chuckled. "Call me Eve. I'm old as dirt anyway."
Then she grinned at Coco. "And what about the mutt?"
In unison, Jack and Rose sighed. "Coco," they said in tired annoyance.
Coco barked in agreement.