A room deep underground.
The room was deep.
The ceiling was low, making each breath sound louder.
Perhaps the lamp was running short on oil,
for the tip of its flame kept trembling.
The sound of the door closing rang out twice,
and the footsteps outside soon ceased.
Maho was leaning back against the cold stone wall.
Raen sat perched on the edge of a chair, swinging the tips of her feet.
An old map hung on the wall,
and the dry scent of ink lingered on the table.
When Rangnan entered,
the gazes of the three met in the same place.
“You’re here, Rangnan.”
Maho spoke without leaving the wall.
“I thought I’d grow old and die waiting.”
Beside him, Raen said quietly,
“Maho. Be serious.”
“I know.”
Maho answered shortly.
Rangnan took a seat.
“So.”
“You’re still here to—”
“I’m going to kill him.”
Maho cut him off.
“Roan, with my own hands.”
Rangnan said nothing.
Maho’s eyes sank darkly for an instant.
“I can’t stand seeing that softhearted bastard rolling around in such a miserable state.”
Maho paused,
then glanced briefly at Raen.
“He won’t listen to me anyway.”
Maho’s head lowered slightly.
“…It’d be better if I ended it myself.”
Rangnan looked at Maho in silence, then opened his mouth.
“Killing Roan won’t end this.”
Maho’s gaze shot up sharply.
“After Roan dies…”
Rangnan let out a short breath.
“the lunar spiritual power he carries will lose its vessel.”
The lamp flame swayed low.
“And it will scatter.”
Maho’s eyes narrowed.
Rangnan’s gaze slowly moved to the side.
Raen.
Looking straight at her, he said,
“And it will seek another vessel.”
Rangnan fell silent for a moment.
“This child.”
Rangnan spoke decisively.
“She carries a fragment of the moon.”
The corner of Maho’s mouth twisted.
“So?”
“What does that have to do with me?”
Rangnan said in a low voice,
“We don’t know what will happen.”
“The moon’s spiritual power cannot be controlled.”
Maho sneered.
“So.”
“I asked what that has to do with me.”
Those words remained in the room.
The longer the silence stretched,
the more it was not heat but words that pressed down on the room.
The lamp wick flickered with a soft pop, as if it might go out.
Raen wrapped her fingers around her own wrist.
There,
the mark from where Maho had dragged her along still faintly remained.
Though her throat was dry, she did not look for water.
If she moved now,
she felt she would only make herself smaller.
Maho did not avert his gaze,
but the edge of his eyes trembled toward Raen for the briefest instant.
As if that tremor had been discovered,
the corner of his mouth twisted even more.
Rangnan looked between the two of them,
quietly steadying his breath.
Then Raen quietly opened her mouth.
“Maho.”
Her gaze reached Maho.
“What if something happens to me?”
The air in the room stopped by the barest degree.
Maho’s eyes wavered for a moment.
Only for a moment.
“Bullshit.”
Maho tossed the word out.
Then he continued.
“…Even so.”
Maho let out a short breath.
“I’ll take care of you.”
Raen looked at Maho.
At that moment, Rangnan shifted his gaze.
“Raen.”
Rangnan spoke quietly.
“Why is this child with you?”
Maho’s eyes narrowed.
Raen answered first.
“Maho saved me.”
It was brief, but without hesitation.
Maho snorted.
“Saved you?”
“I told you.”
“I’m only taking you around because I need you to find Roan.”
Raen glared at Maho.
“Huh?”
Maho suddenly stopped speaking.
“…No.”
His gaze slipped away.
“Ha…”
Maho exhaled shortly, unable to choose his words.
Rangnan asked quietly,
“How is this child supposed to help you find Roan?”
Maho did not answer right away.
Silence lingered for a moment.
He glanced at Raen.
“…This one.”
Maho spoke curtly.
“She can sense Roan’s aura.”
The air settled in a subtle way.
Raen lifted her head.
“Yes.”
Raen spoke without hesitation.
“I can feel… where that person is.”
Rangnan’s eyes narrowed.
“If that child… can find Roan.”
Rangnan chose his words for a moment.
“Why did you come looking for me?”
Maho answered at once.
“Finding him isn’t the problem.”
His voice was tinged with irritation.
“What’s the point of finding him?”
“He disappears in no time.”
Maho exhaled shortly.
“That bastard doesn’t run away on foot.”
“He folds space.”
“In the blink of an eye, he’s gone.”
Maho closed his eyes and spoke.
“We need a more certain method.”
Rangnan turned those words over in his mind.
The look in his eyes changed slightly.
“…I see.”
He spoke low.
“So that’s why you sought me out.”
Maho’s gaze lifted sharply.
Rangnan added,
“You need something from me.”
Maho’s eyes flashed.
“…Yeah.”
The corner of Maho’s mouth twisted.
“Then think about it.”
“What should we do?”
His words were light,
but irritation clung to them somewhere.
Rangnan looked at Maho for a moment, then said,
“Who knows.”
He continued quietly,
“Why should I help?”
The next instant—
an invisible heat began to spread slowly through the room.
The lamp shook.
Maho’s gaze slowly sank.
“What did you say?”
The air in the room settled heavily.
Raen immediately stood up.
“Maho!”
Raen shouted, her voice edged with annoyance.
“It’s hot!”
The corner of Maho’s mouth twisted.
“The people here.”
“Should I burn them all?”
The words were thrown like a threat.
Rangnan did not react.
He simply looked straight at Maho.
Rangnan did not back down.
The heat in the room grew denser,
and the air became heavy, as if pressed down.
“Maho.”
Raen stepped closer.
“Stop—”
The moment Raen’s hand caught Maho’s wrist,
Sssst.
A thin wisp of smoke rose.
The back of Raen’s hand flushed red.
Maho’s gaze dropped in an instant.
“Hey.”
Maho roughly shook off her hand.
The heat snapped off.
The air cooled again.
Maho immediately took Raen’s hand.
“Are you okay?”
Raen pulled her hand away as though it were nothing.
“Shut up.”
Raen spoke curtly.
“I told you. Don’t threaten people.”
Rangnan said in a low voice,
“I won’t help you kill Roan.”
Maho sneered.
“Yeah? Then we’re done.”
“No.”
Rangnan cut him off shortly.
“We won’t kill him.”
“Instead, we’ll stop him.”
Maho’s eyes narrowed.
“What?”
“We’ll hold him in place.”
Maho glared at Rangnan without a word.
Raen called quietly,
“Maho.”
Maho propped his chin on his hand and muttered,
“…How are you going to bind someone who folds space?”
Rangnan did not answer right away.
“There is a way.”
“What way?”
Maho’s gaze deepened.
As if he were peering through Rangnan’s inner self.
“…What is it?”
“That little brat is the way?”
Rangnan did not answer.
The silence lengthened.
“But… we need time.”
Maho exhaled irritably.
“What time?”
“The night of the moonless moon.”
Raen’s ashen-gray hair trembled subtly.
“Moonless?”
Maho’s eyes flashed.
“That’s when that bastard Mirkin will grow stronger.”
“What kind of nonsense are you spouting?”
Rangnan did not waver.
“Yes. Mirkin will grow stronger.”
“But on that day, the moon’s spiritual power will also weaken.”
Maho fell into thought for a moment.
“…Even so.”
“If Mirkin grows stronger, what good is that?”
Rangnan spoke again.
“There is a way.”
This time, there was certainty in his voice.
Maho glared at Rangnan.
He read that the look in his eyes was not a lie.
A long silence filled the room.
“…Fine.”
Maho slowly rose from his seat.
“Once.”
“If it doesn’t go the way you say.”
Maho’s eyes sharpened.
“After that, we do it my way.”
“So,”
“when is it?”
Rangnan closed his eyes for a moment, as if calculating.
“A little over ten days.”
Maho smiled, baring his teeth.
“You want me to wait ten whole days?”
Rangnan nodded.
“Yes.”
“We prepare until then.”
“Prepare what?”
Rangnan did not answer at once.
Instead, he looked at Raen.
“Where is Roan?”
Raen closed her eyes for a moment.
“…He’s quite far right now.”
“North.”
“He’s moving.”
Maho said lowly,
“If he gets too far, she can’t sense him.”
“He has to be within a certain distance.”
Rangnan nodded.
“Then for the next ten days.”
“We stay near Roan.”
Maho shrugged.
“Yeah.”
“If he runs, we chase him.”
“We don’t take our eyes off him.”
Rangnan said,
“I’ll leave you a means of contact.”
Maho tilted his head.
“No surveillance.”
“If you need the location, I’ll tell you.”
Maho looked at Rangnan for a moment.
“…Right before the moonless moon.”
Rangnan gave a short nod.
“Good.”
After that brief answer,
the room grew quiet once more.
Raen covered the reddened back of her hand with her palm.
Maho rubbed his chin as if nothing had happened,
but his eyes were already looking outside.
Rangnan counted the days in his mind.
Ten days.
Not long.
The time remaining until just before the moonless moon.
If they could not prepare in that span,
there was no telling what would wait for them next.
And so this agreement now
felt as heavy as a single, final chance.
There was no turning back now.