As the horse-drawn carriage began to move, its hooves striking heavily against the ground, the orange-tinted evening sky slowly faded, swallowed by the approaching night.
The warm hues of sunset disappeared little by little, replaced by a vast darkness adorned with countless stars and a silent, distant moon.
Moonlight seeped through the carriage window, casting a pale glow inside.
Within the carriage, Raymond sat quietly, his gaze fixed outside. Around him, people spoke in low, indistinct voices—conversations that blended together into meaningless noise.
His hair was messy.
His eyes were hollow—so empty, so deep, as if something inside him had already died long ago.
He stared at the night sky without blinking.
(Soft whispers filled the air.)
Yet no one knew what was happening inside his mind.
His body remained still, unmoving—detached from everything around him, as if he no longer belonged to this world.
Then—
a small voice broke through the silence.
"Uncle… Uncle…"
Raymond slowly turned his head.
A little girl stood before him.
She wore a simple dress, her hair neatly braided. In her small hand, she held a piece of candy. Her eyes shone brightly—filled with pure curiosity and innocence untouched by the darkness surrounding them.
"Uncle… why…?"
"Why do you look like a living corpse… like the ones my mother talks about?" she asked, her voice soft yet honest.
Raymond said nothing.
He simply stared at her.
Then—
a faint smile appeared on his lips.
Her mother, standing beside her, quickly stepped in.
"I'm so sorry… she doesn't know any better."
"Hey, apologize now, or I won't give you any more candy!"
The girl panicked immediately.
"I'm sorry, Uncle! Please forgive me! If you don't, Mom won't give me candy anymore…!"
Raymond didn't respond.
He only gave a small nod—slow and silent.
A quiet sign of forgiveness.
"Really… you forgive me?" the girl asked, her eyes widening.
"If that's true… thank you so much!"
She began jumping in place, unable to contain her happiness.
"As a thank you… I'll give you one of my candies!"
She extended her hand toward him.
A small piece of candy, wrapped in simple paper.
Nothing special.
Nothing valuable.
And yet—
it was the first kindness the world had ever given to Raymond.
"…So this… is what warmth feels like…?" he whispered quietly.
The girl returned to her mother's side, but only for a moment.
Soon, she came running back again.
"Oh! Uncle… what's your name?"
"My name is Alissa!"
"What about yours?"
She gently tugged at his clothes, asking again and again.
Raymond remained silent at first.
The girl puffed her cheeks in frustration.
"If you don't tell me, I'll take the candy back!"
A small smile appeared on Raymond's face.
"…Raymond," he said softly.
"Remember it."
He gently placed his hand on her head.
The girl smiled brightly, satisfied, before running back to her mother, laughing happily.
That simple moment—
filled Raymond's chest with warmth.
But at the same time—
it hurt.
Deeply.
"…Why… why, God…" he muttered.
Why wasn't he the one who could have something like that?
Why was warmth always something distant… something unreachable?
But that fragile warmth—
didn't last.
The sound of the horses suddenly stopped.
Then—
shouts erupted from outside.
"MONSTERS!?"
"All units, form defensive positions!"
"Commander, look over there!"
"Do not panic! Protect everyone!"
Raymond immediately turned toward the window.
Outside, the soldiers quickly formed a defensive line—
But in the next instant—
everything collapsed.
They were slaughtered.
Completely.
By shadowy figures that moved within the darkness—figures that could barely be seen, yet carried overwhelming killing intent.
"HELP!!"
"PLEASE—!!"
"DON'T FALL BACK! ATTACK THEM!"
The commander's voice echoed desperately.
But it was meaningless.
The monsters tore through the soldiers like they were nothing more than fragile prey.
Bodies were ripped apart.
Limbs were scattered across the ground.
Blood sprayed into the air, painting the night in a deep, horrifying red.
The atmosphere grew heavy—so heavy it felt as if the air itself was pressing down on everyone's chest.
Darkness was no longer just darkness.
It became something alive.
Something suffocating.
Something that swallowed everything.
A rain of blood began to fall—thick and endless—drenching the earth, the carriage, and everyone within it.
"PROTECT THE CARRIAGE—!!"
Chaos erupted inside.
Screams echoed endlessly.
People cried out in fear.
The mother and child clung tightly to each other.
"It's okay… I'm here…"
"Don't be afraid…"
(Cries filled every corner.)
(Screams rang out from outside.)
Inside his mind, Raymond whispered—
"What is happening…?"
"Is this still not enough…?"
"Does the world truly wish to break me completely…?"
Before his thoughts could finish—
The carriage shook violently.
"Agh—!"
"Ahhh—!!"
Bodies were thrown against one another.
Bones cracked.
People collided, crushed under the force.
Raymond himself was thrown aside.
"…Damn it… I need to get out…!"
Then—
after several long moments—
the shaking stopped.
Those who were still alive ran out of the carriage—
desperately seeking survival.
But they didn't realize—
they were running straight toward death.
Raymond knew.
Instead of running—
he moved toward the pile of corpses.
Before hiding, he grabbed the mother and child.
"Stop… it's better to hide…!" he said firmly.
But they didn't listen.
They ran.
Without looking back.
Raymond could only watch them through the window.
"…Humans truly are the most ungrateful creatures…" he muttered softly.
Moments later—
the shadows returned.
Faster.
More brutal.
Bodies were torn apart mid-run.
Some were crushed instantly.
Some were split in half.
Screams filled the night once more—
only to be silenced just as quickly.
The mother and child—
never made it far.
They died together.
A long, piercing weapon tore through both of them at once.
Their bodies collapsed, still clinging to each other.
Before the girl lost consciousness—
her eyes found Raymond.
Her lips moved.
She said something.
But no sound reached him.
And in that moment—
something inside Raymond twisted.
"…This is my fault…"
"I should have stopped them…"
"…I'm… weak…"
Those words echoed inside him—
but never left his mouth.
(Drip… drip… the sound of blood falling.)
(The wind whispered softly through the night.)
Time passed.
Slowly.
Painfully.
Then—
the shadows disappeared.
Vanishing back into the darkness as if they had never existed.
"…Is it over…?"
"…Am I… the only one left…?"
No answer came.
Only silence.
A suffocating silence that swallowed everything—
the screams, the cries, the chaos that had existed just moments ago.
It was as if the world itself had stopped breathing.
Raymond stood there, unmoving.
The smell of blood filled the air—thick, metallic, suffocating.
Each breath felt heavier than the last.
Slowly…
his eyes moved.
Everywhere he looked—
there was nothing but death.
Bodies lay scattered in unnatural positions.
Some torn apart beyond recognition.
Some twisted, broken as if they were nothing more than discarded objects.
Some still intact—but their empty eyes stared into nothingness.
The ground beneath him—
was no longer ground.
It had become a thick layer of blood, dark and glistening under the moonlight, spreading endlessly like something alive.
Step.
Step.
Step.
Each movement produced a wet, heavy sound.
Then—
he stopped.
His gaze fixed on something.
A small figure.
The girl.
Lying still among the corpses.
Unmoving.
Silent.
Gone.
Raymond's fingers trembled.
Slowly—
he looked down.
The candy—
still in his hand.
Unchanged.
Untouched.
"…Ah…"
A faint sound escaped him.
Something inside him shifted.
Not anger.
Not sadness.
Something deeper.
Colder.
"…So this… is how it ends…?"
His voice was empty.
The warmth he felt earlier—
gone.
Taken.
Erased completely.
As if it had never existed.
Again.
Raymond slowly lifted his head.
His eyes—
no longer held hesitation.
No longer held fear.
Only emptiness remained.
Cold.
Endless.
"…Fine."
If the world wanted to break him—
Then he would keep moving forward.
Even if nothing remained.
Even if everything would be taken from him again.
Even if he had to walk alone.
Forever.
Step...
Step....
Step....
He walked away.
Leaving behind—
the bodies.
the screams.
the warmth.
and the last fragile piece of his humanity.
Above him—
the moon remained.
Silent.
Cold.
Watching.