"Shut up and follow me."
Loki didn't slow down.
Wal blinked, then hurried after him.
"O-Oh… okay."
They walked for hours.
The city slowly thinned out. Crowds disappeared. Noise faded. Even the air felt different—heavy, quiet, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Finally, Loki stopped.
Wal frowned.
"…Huh?"
There was nothing there.
Just empty space.
Then—
The air split.
Like a curtain being pulled aside, the outline of a massive structure revealed itself. A tall, silent building shimmered into existence—cold gray walls, sharp edges, no windows facing the street.
Wal's eyes widened.
The narrator's voice seemed to echo in the silence.
This building was their hideout.
An eight-storey structure hidden from the world.
Made invisible so no one—villains or civilians—could ever notice its existence.
Wal swallowed.
"Ooohh… this building looks amazing."
Loki glanced at him.
"I know," he said.
"Now leave him to me."
He adjusted Cris on his shoulder and stepped toward the entrance.
Wal didn't move.
"…No."
Loki stopped.
Wal took a step back instinctively.
"I don't want to come inside this weird building," Wal said slowly.
"There's something wrong with it."
Loki turned fully now.
Wal pressed a hand to his chest.
"I can sense something… a weird aura. Cold. Heavy. Like it's watching me."
Silence.
Loki stared at him.
"…Wait," he said.
"You can sense auras?"
Wal nodded.
"And you're still standing?"
Wal gave an awkward smile.
"Yeah," he said.
"I'm built different."
For the first time—
Loki looked genuinely surprised.
The building's invisible walls pulsed faintly, reacting to Wal's presence.
Deep inside, something shifted.
And far above them—
Unseen eyes noticed.