Lira walked in front, her steps steady as she followed the blue dot blinking on her phone screen. As they moved farther away from the main road, the scenery slowly changed. The bright city lights were replaced by narrow, quiet alleys.
They entered a densely packed residential area.
The houses there stood close together, pressed against one another as if supporting each other. The buildings were simple, with wall paint that had started to fade and peel in some corners. The porch lights glowed dimly, casting long shadows that looked strange on the asphalt, while most of the other houses were already pitch dark.
Garin glanced to the right and left, her brows raised high as she observed the details of the environment that felt unfamiliar to her.
"Hmm…" she murmured softly, her voice breaking the silence. "So… this is what it feels like, huh."
Lira glanced briefly without stopping. "Feels like what?"
"Being in a neighborhood that's…" Garin paused, her eyes sweeping over the rusty iron fences, "…different from usual."
Arven did not respond. His gaze stayed fixed ahead, as if mapping the road inside his own head. But just as they passed an old warehouse belonging to one of the residents, tightly locked with a large padlock-
Arven's steps suddenly stopped.
Instantly, Lira and Garin stopped as well.
"What is it, Ven?" Lira asked, noticing the change in his behavior.
Arven did not answer right away. He stared at the dull warehouse door with a deep furrow in his brow. His eyes narrowed, as if he were seeing something invisible to the naked eye.
"…Strange," he murmured softly.
Lira watched Arven's expression, then shifted her gaze to the same warehouse. A tense silence surrounded them for a few seconds before Lira finally spoke in a low voice, almost like a whisper.
"You feel it too?"
Arven gave a small nod, his body slightly tense.
"There's a remnant… of something," Arven said. "Something appeared here."
His gaze sharpened further, locking onto the gap beneath the warehouse door. "And it wasn't long ago. The trace is still fresh."
Garin suddenly wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing the skin that had suddenly gone cold.
"I feel it too," she said quickly, her voice slightly trembling. "The aura… it's really strong. It feels awful, like there's a demonic aura."
She stared at the warehouse for a moment, then quickly turned her face away, unable to endure the heavy atmosphere pressing against her chest.
"Come on, don't stay here too long. Let's just keep going. This is creepy."
Lira was silent for a moment. Her eyes remained fixed on the old warehouse, as if calculating or confirming something in her mind. Then she took a slow breath, trying to neutralize the atmosphere.
"…It seems we didn't come here for nothing," Lira said meaningfully.
Arven glanced sharply at her. "What do you mean?"
"If something like this is around Sia's home," Lira continued calmly, though her words felt heavy, "then… the aura Sia carries will leave traces wherever it goes. And we can feel those traces. That will make it easier for us to monitor her."
Garin nodded quickly, agreeing with Lira's theory. "Exactly! That's why earlier I suggested visiting her. Then we can-"
"Walk," Lira cut in shortly, not giving Garin a chance to ramble further.
They resumed walking, though this time with much greater caution. Several minutes passed in the maze-like neighborhood. They stopped twice to ask directions from residents who happened to still be awake. After confirming the final direction, their steps ended in front of a simple house with a small wooden fence.
Its pale yellow porch light was on, illuminating the narrow front yard.
Lira stopped walking. "This is her house."
Garin and Arven stopped beside her. The three of them stood frozen, staring at the house in silence as if observing a mystery they had just discovered.
Garin examined the building from the edge of the roof down to the porch floor. Her usually playful expression turned a little more serious.
"This… is really her house?" she murmured, almost inaudibly.
Arven nodded slowly, realizing how contrasting this house was compared to the luxury they were used to seeing. "Seems like it."
Lira crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Simple. Far from eye-catching."
For several seconds, they simply stood there, judging without needing many words. Then, Lira turned to Garin with a commanding look.
"You knock on the door."
Garin pointed to herself with a shocked face. "Me? Why me?"
"Because you are the most... MOST capable of acting 'friendly' out of the three of us," Lira replied flatly, expressionless.
Garin narrowed her eyes, weighing the meaning behind those words. "…was that sarcasm or a compliment?"
"Just do it," Lira urged.
Garin let out a soft grunt, but did not argue further. She stepped forward past the small wooden fence and stood in front of the wooden door.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
She knocked with a rhythm loud enough to fight the silence of the night.
"Sia!" she called out loudly. "It's me, Garin!"
She glanced back slightly at Lira and Arven behind her, then shouted toward the door again.
"I'm here with Arven and Lira! We came to visit you!"
*
The atmosphere was completely different. Sia lay weakly on the bed covered in thin sheets. The blanket covered her body up to her chest. Her face was pale, and every breath she took sounded heavy, as if her lungs were being crushed by a burden.
At the foot of the bed, Asher sat casually.
His hands moved to massage Sia's leg with slow and steady motions, but the movement did not feel like warm care. It looked more like a... resignation born out of reluctance.
"This is your own fault," Sia muttered in a very weak voice. Her eyes were tightly shut, enduring the throbbing dizziness in her head.
"Quiet," Asher replied flatly.
But in the middle of that cold argument-
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sound of knocking at the front door broke the silence of the house. Both of them immediately fell silent.
Asher stopped moving his hands. Sia slowly opened her eyes, looking confused and wary.
"Sia!" A familiar shout came from outside. "It's me, Garin!"
Sia frowned, trying to recognize the voice that seemed to come from another world.
"Garin…?" she murmured in disbelief.
Sia tried to sit up, leaning her body against the headboard even though all her joints felt stiff and heavy.
Asher stood up from where he sat without making a sound. He walked to the window covered by a thin curtain, pulled it aside slightly to peek into the front yard. His expression remained flat, unreadable.
A few seconds passed as Asher observed.
"…There are three people," he reported briefly.
"Who?" Sia asked, her voice hoarse.
Asher shrugged indifferently. "Don't know. Maybe they're your school friends."
Sia immediately shook her head weakly. Disbelief filled her thoughts.
"No way," she said softly, more to herself. "I never gave my home address to anyone at school…"
"It's me, Arven, and Lira!" Garin's voice sounded again, clearer and more enthusiastic this time. "We came to visit you!"
Sia's eyes instantly widened. Her heart beat faster, pumping blood that felt hot from the fever.
"…Huh?"
Without thinking about her collapsing condition, Sia immediately tried to get out of bed.
"HEY-" Asher glanced sharply, his tone full of warning. "Your body isn't stable yet."
Sia didn't care. She ignored Asher's warning and forced her feet onto the cold floor. She stood up, swaying for a moment because her head spun, but she steadied herself and walked out of the room.
"You really are stubborn," Asher muttered in clear annoyance, but he did not stop her further.
Sia walked quickly toward the front door. Her breathing was uneven, cold sweat beginning to soak her temples. Her trembling hand reached for the doorknob and turned it with one pull.
Click.
The door opened wide.
The cold night air immediately hit Sia's burning face. And there, stood three figures she never expected to appear at her doorstep.
Garin stood in front with her usual wide grin filling her face. Arven stood slightly behind with a calm but alert demeanor, and Lira stood with her usual flat expression.
Silence reigned for a few seconds as they looked at each other.
"Sia," Garin said. This time her voice softened, her eyes scanning Sia's very messy appearance. "You… really are seriously sick, huh?"
Sia could only stand frozen at the doorway. Her body was still trembling, her breathing was not steady, and her body temperature was still high.
But behind the pain, her eyes showed pure surprise.
She truly did not expect it. In the middle of her loneliness and miserable condition, they had actually come looking for her.
"Yeah… I'm sick," she answered softly in a voice that was still hoarse and rough.
She looked at them one by one. "But… how did you know where I live?" she asked in confusion. "And you even went through the trouble of coming here this late…"
Garin grinned casually, as if sneaking into someone's personal data was a normal thing to do on a Thursday.
"We tracked you," she answered lightly, as if it were a successful secret mission.
Sia immediately frowned, her eyes widening. "Tracked…?"
"Yeah," Garin continued casually, stepping inside as if the house belonged to her. "That's what friends do. We can't just ignore a sick friend, right? That wouldn't be cool."
Arven gave a small nod, offering brief validation. "It's normal."
Lira crossed her arms, her eyes scanning the entire room. "There's nothing strange about it. Information is not difficult to obtain."
Sia was silent for a few seconds, clearly still trying to process how they had "tracked" her down. But she finally gave in to the dizziness in her head.
"…Come in first," she finally said softly as she stepped aside, making room for them to enter.
The three of them stepped inside. The interior of the house was very simple, but arranged neatly. The air inside felt much warmer than the biting night wind outside.
"Just sit down first," Sia said while pointing at the sofa in the living room. "I'll get some drinks."
Arven immediately raised his hand slightly, trying to stop Sia. "No need to bother. You're sick, Sia."
"It's okay," Sia replied quickly, trying to hide the tremble in her voice. "Just some warm tea."
She still forced herself to walk toward the kitchen, even though her steps looked unsteady and heavy. Garin dropped herself onto the sofa, then looked around again with great curiosity.
"Your house is cozy too," she murmured.
Lira did not answer. Her gaze moved sharply, observing every detail of the room carefully. Looking for something that might have been missed.
A few minutes later, Sia returned with a small tray containing three glasses of warm tea with thin steam rising from them.
"Here," she said softly while placing the glasses one by one.
"Thanks," Arven said briefly.
They finally sat together in a circle that initially felt a little awkward. Garin, as usual, was the first to break the silence.
"So… why do you have a fever? You look so pale," she asked, her voice slightly more serious now.
Sia only gave a small shrug, her movement weak. "Just tired, I guess."
"Just that?" Garin narrowed her eyes, as if interrogating a suspect.
Sia immediately avoided eye contact, her fingers playing with the edge of the teacup. "Yeah… more or less."
Arven stared at Sia for a moment. He knew something was being hidden, but chose not to force it. "If you need anything, just say so," he said in a calm, soothing tone.
Sia nodded slightly. "Thanks so much…"
Lira finally spoke, her tone still flat and sharp as a razor.
"You did look weak from the beginning," she said bluntly. "No wonder you collapsed like this."
Garin immediately turned to Lira with a look of disbelief. "That's how you show concern? Seriously?"
"I'm only stating facts based on observation," Lira replied coldly.
Sia actually smiled faintly, almost invisible but sincere. "It's okay," she said softly. "I'm used to hearing it."
The conversation slowly began to flow. Even if it was not too warm, their presence was enough to drive away the silence in the house. But-
Quietly, Lira glanced toward Sia's bedroom door that was slightly open. The wooden door… moved very slowly. Barely visible, as if an invisible hand were pulling it from inside.
Lira narrowed her eyes. She said nothing, but kept watching the door from the corner of her eye with full alertness.
Meanwhile, Garin reached into her jacket pocket with exaggerated movement.
"Oh right, I almost forgot!" she said suddenly. She took out a small elegant pink envelope. From Garin's point of view, pink was the most amazing color. She then handed it to Sia. "For you."
Sia blinked, confused. "What is this?"
"My birthday invitation," Garin answered casually. "The party is in a few days."
Sia accepted it hesitantly. Her hand trembled slightly as she touched the surface of the envelope.
"…Me?" she murmured softly, as if she could not believe her name was written there.
"Yes, you," Garin said firmly. "In fact… you're the first person I'm giving the invitation to directly."
Sia turned quickly, her eyes trembling. "Really?"
"Really," Garin nodded firmly. "I haven't even officially handed them out to the others yet."
Sia fell silent. Her gaze lowered, fixed on the invitation in her hand. There was emotion she was desperately trying to hold back. It showed in the way she gripped the paper a little tighter, as if afraid it would disappear.
"…Thank you," she said softly.
Garin grinned widely. "You have to come, okay?"
Sia did not answer right away. She swallowed before finally whispering, "…I'll try."
Time passed unnoticed in the middle of their conversation, until suddenly-
Click.
The front door opened.
"Mom's home…" Yana's gentle voice was heard from the doorway.
The woman stepped inside, then stopped suddenly when she saw her living room unexpectedly crowded. Her eyes widened in surprise.
"Oh… Sia has friends over?"
A warm and sincere smile immediately spread across Yana's face. "Hello," she greeted warmly. "Are you Sia's school friends?"
"Yes, ma'am," Arven answered in a perfectly polite tone.
Garin also nodded enthusiastically. "We just stopped by to visit her, ma'am."
"Wow, that's so kind of you," Yana said sincerely. She lifted her shopping bag a little. "I just bought some pears, they were on a big discount. Let's eat them together here."
"Wow, nice! Thank you, ma'am!" Garin responded quickly without any shame.
They sat together for a while. Yana's presence brought a much warmer and more normal atmosphere. But time could not be stopped. The clock on the wall already showed 21:32.
Arven glanced at his watch, then signaled the others. "We have to go home now," he said softly.
Garin stood up reluctantly. "Yeah, it's already late."
Lira also stood up without saying much, adjusting her glasses.
"We'll excuse ourselves now, ma'am," Arven said politely.
Yana smiled as she walked them to the front. "Be careful on the way, all of you."
Sia walked them to the doorway. She stood there, looking at her three friends with an unreadable expression.
"Thank you for coming," she said softly.
Garin waved enthusiastically. "Rest well! Don't wander around yet!"
Arven gave a small nod. "Take care of yourself."
Lira only stared at her sharply for one second. "Don't die before the exams."
Garin immediately gave an awkward grin. "Lira… could you soften your words a little?"
Sia smiled faintly at the small argument. "Yeah," she replied softly.
She kept waving until the silhouettes of the three of them were swallowed by the darkness of the street. She slowly pulled the door shut until it closed completely.
Click.
The house fell back into familiar silence. Sia stood quietly behind the door for a few seconds, absorbing the lingering presence of her friends.
Yana approached from behind, then gently rubbed her daughter's shoulder. "This is the first time I've seen your school friends visit you," she said emotionally.
Sia did not answer immediately.
"They are good kids," Yana continued with a smile. "And good friends too."
Sia lowered her head slightly, her fingers touching the surface of Garin's invitation envelope again.
"…Good friends," she repeated softly, almost whispering to herself. "Yeah… very good friends…"
***
The three of them walked along the same narrow road they had taken earlier. But after only a few steps away from Sia's gate-
Lira suddenly stopped.
Garin, walking right behind her, almost crashed into the girl's back. "Hey, why did you stop so suddenly? You scared me!"
Arven stopped too and turned, noticing something was wrong from Lira's expression.
Lira did not answer right away. Her gaze was fixed again on Sia's house, though now the building was blurred by the darkness of the night.
"…Something isn't right," she said softly, her voice carrying a high level of alertness.
Garin frowned, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck rise again. "What now? Don't scare me like that."
Lira narrowed her eyes, as if sharpening her senses.
"That house," Lira continued. "It feels… different. Very different from the houses around it."
Arven nodded slowly, agreeing with the observation. "I feel it too. Like there's a frequency that doesn't match."
Garin looked back and forth between the two of them with a frustrated face. "Can you two not start being supernatural detectives again?!"
Lira completely ignored Garin's complaints.
"It's not just the aura we felt at the warehouse," Lira said seriously. "Inside that house… something is being deliberately hidden. Something very big."
Arven looked at Lira deeply. "I couldn't see it clearly because something was blocking it. But… that object or creature is there."
Garin let out a long breath, trying to chase away her fear. "So what do you mean…?"
Lira finally turned to her two companions. Her eyes gleamed sharply under the dim streetlight.
"Sia," she said softly, emphasizing every syllable, "is not just a child influenced by a demon. She is also hiding something just as great."
Silence fell over them for a moment. The night wind blew harder, carrying a coldness that pierced the bones.
And without them realizing it, from behind the dark shadows of one of the windows of the house they had just left, something… was indeed watching them leave with an unreadable gaze.