The moment the door shut behind them, the silence changed.
It wasn't empty.
It was watching.
Riser felt it immediately—like stepping into a space that wasn't meant for people, yet somehow knew they were there.
"...Yeah," he muttered quietly, "this is already worse."
Lyra didn't respond.
Her posture had shifted completely.
Gone was the casual, sharp-tongued girl from earlier.
What stood beside him now was—
Focused.
Precise.
Ready.
"Stop talking," she said softly.
Riser raised an eyebrow.
"...Wasn't planning to give a speech."
"Good."
The corridor stretched ahead of them, dimly lit by faint, uneven lights embedded into the walls. Shadows clung to the edges, moving slightly—not from wind, but from something subtler.
Riser's gaze swept the area.
No immediate threats.
But—
"...Something's off."
Lyra nodded once.
"It always is in restricted zones."
They moved forward.
Slow.
Measured.
Each step controlled.
Riser kept his breathing steady.
His senses sharper than before.
Not just looking—
Listening.
Feeling.
Then—
A sound.
Faint.
Almost unnoticeable.
A scrape.
Lyra stopped instantly.
Her hand lifted slightly—
A silent signal.
Riser froze.
The sound came again.
Closer.
Not footsteps.
Not exactly.
Something dragging.
"...Ahead," Lyra whispered.
Riser nodded slightly.
"I hear it."
The corridor bent slightly to the right.
Darkness pooled there.
Thicker.
Lyra shifted her stance.
Lower.
Balanced.
Riser mirrored her.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
The sound stopped.
Silence.
Then—
A shape moved.
Not fast.
Not sudden.
But wrong.
It stepped into the dim light.
Riser's eyes narrowed.
"...That's not a student."
The figure was humanoid.
Barely.
Its posture was uneven, like its body didn't fully belong to itself.
Its movements—
Delayed.
Unnatural.
Its head tilted slightly.
Too far.
Then—
It looked at them.
Riser felt it.
Not pressure.
Not killing intent.
Recognition.
"...What is that?" he muttered.
Lyra's voice was quiet.
"Construct."
"That doesn't sound better."
"It's not."
The thing twitched.
Then—
Moved.
Fast.
Faster than before.
It lunged.
Riser reacted instantly.
Stepping forward—
Not back.
His arm came up—
Intercepting the strike.
Impact.
"...Tch—!"
The force wasn't overwhelming.
But it was sharp.
Unstable.
Lyra moved at the same time.
Her foot pivoted—
A clean strike aimed at its side.
The hit landed.
The construct staggered—
But didn't fall.
"...It didn't react properly," Lyra muttered.
Riser pushed back, creating space.
"Yeah, I noticed."
The construct straightened slowly.
Its head tilted again.
Then—
Its arm twisted unnaturally.
"...That's not normal movement."
Lyra's eyes sharpened.
"They don't feel pain."
"Great."
It rushed again.
This time—
Faster.
Riser stepped aside—
Barely avoiding a direct hit.
Lyra slipped in from the other side—
Striking at its leg.
The joint bent—
Too far—
Then snapped back into place.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
The construct turned toward her.
Riser didn't hesitate.
He moved.
Closing the gap—
His hand shot forward—
Grabbing its arm mid-motion.
For a split second—
They locked.
Then—
Riser twisted.
Hard.
The arm bent—
This time—
Wrong.
A crack echoed faintly.
The construct jerked.
Lyra didn't waste the opening.
She stepped in—
A precise strike—
This time—
At its core.
The impact landed clean.
The construct froze.
Then—
Collapsed.
Silence.
Riser exhaled slowly.
"...Okay."
He released the arm, letting it drop.
"That was new."
Lyra didn't relax immediately.
Her eyes stayed on the fallen body.
Watching.
Waiting.
A few seconds passed.
Nothing moved.
Then—
She exhaled.
"...It's down."
Riser rolled his shoulder slightly.
"That thing was annoying."
"It was weak."
"You have high standards."
Lyra glanced at him.
"...You adapted fast."
Riser shrugged.
"I had to."
A faint pause.
Then—
"...You didn't hesitate."
"Neither did you."
Their eyes met briefly.
Something shifted.
Not big.
Not obvious.
But—
There.
The system flickered again.
[System Notification]Unknown Entity NeutralizedCombat Synchronization IncreasedAffinity Growth: Lyra ↑
Riser sighed.
"...Of course."
Lyra glanced at the notification briefly.
"...You see those too."
"Yeah."
"You're not surprised."
"I'm getting used to it."
She studied him for a moment.
Then—
"...You're weird."
Riser smirked faintly.
"I've heard worse."
They moved again.
Deeper.
The corridor widened into a larger space.
Less confined.
More open.
But—
That made it worse.
"...Too quiet," Riser muttered.
Lyra nodded.
"Stay close."
He glanced at her.
"...You worried?"
"I'm realistic."
"Same thing here."
A faint sound echoed again.
Not one.
Multiple.
Riser's expression shifted.
"...Yeah."
He exhaled slowly.
"That's definitely not good."
Shadows moved at the far end of the room.
Not one.
Several.
Lyra stepped slightly forward.
Her stance tightened.
"...We don't rush this."
Riser nodded.
"Agreed."
Because whatever those things were—
They weren't alone anymore.
And this time—
It wouldn't be as simple.