When they emerged from the house...
The village was gone.
The demolished homes had become mounds of wood and stone, and the streets were filled with black cracks that stretched from the great house to the very edges of the village.
But the creatures...
Had vanished.
All of them.
As if something had sucked the life out of them all at once.
The air grew lighter.
The corruption that had blanketed the place was gone.
And the silence...
Was no longer as terrifying as it had been.
Lyra walked slowly, leaning against the walls at times.
Cain had not uttered a word since they came out.
As for Sern...
Whenever he looked at Nir, he would quickly avert his gaze.
Because they had seen him.
They saw what he did.
And they saw the thing that was on the verge of emerging from that door.
But what scared them most...
Was that Nir no longer seemed like the same person.
His eyes were different.
Calmer.
Colder.
As if a part of him...
Had stayed there.
Behind the door.
"We have to go back," Sern finally said, his voice tense. "We must tell the Academy everything."
"And tell them what, exactly?" Cain retorted sharply. "That Nir opened a door to something we don't understand?"
He looked at Nir, then paused for a moment.
"...And that he closed it himself."
Silence descended between them.
As for the little girl...
She stood near the door of the collapsed house.
Looking only at Nir.
"What about her?" Lyra asked.
Sern gritted his teeth. "We can't take her with us."
"And why not?"
"Because she's dangerous!" he shouted at her. "Have you forgotten what she did?!"
The girl did not respond.
She only lowered her head.
But Nir...
Stepped forward.
He stood before her.
Then he said quietly:
"...She's coming with us."
"What?"
"If we leave her here..." He looked at her for a moment. "...She'll die."
"And that's better than—"
"No." Nir's voice cut Sern off directly. Cold. Sharp.
For the first time... Sern felt true fear of him.
"No one touches her."
Silence.
Even Cain did not object.
Because he knew... that if he tried to force him... he wouldn't be able to.
They began the journey back.
But every step was heavier than the last.
Not because of fatigue, but because of the sensation accompanying them.
They felt that something had changed.
Not in the village.
Nor in the door.
But in Nir himself.
Halfway through the journey...
He suddenly stopped.
"Nir?" Lyra said.
But he didn't answer. He slowly raised his hand toward the air.
Then... he clenched it.
In the next moment—
A small magical circle that was forming behind them vanished.
A man appeared.
Wearing a long black cloak.
His face was hidden, but his aura... was terrifyingly heavy.
"Impressive," the man said calmly. "You felt me."
Cain and Lyra retreated immediately. Sern raised his hand, ready to cast a spell.
But the man didn't care about them. He was looking only at Nir.
"So..." He smiled beneath his cloak. "...You are the new vessel."
Nir's grip tightened.
"Who are you?"
"Someone..." He took a step forward. "...Who has been searching for you for a long time."
The air around the man began to distort. Several magic circles appeared behind him. Complex. Massive. Stronger than anything they had ever seen before.
"But don't worry," he said with a cold smile. "I won't take you now."
He paused, then looked at the little girl.
"As for her..." The silence grew heavier. "...She is no longer needed."
Suddenly—
He vanished.
Then he appeared directly in front of her.
He raised his hand—
But before he could touch her—
Nir had arrived.
Their hands collided.
And the air around them exploded violently.
The man smiled. But this time... his smile was wider.
"Good..." He looked directly into Nir's eyes. "...Show me how much you can nullify."