"What is this 'treasure hunt'?" Astha asked, his tone flat but precise.
Sian didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on the forest ahead before he spoke.
"It's not just a game," he said. "It's a reward system. Clear the level with enough points… and you get something valuable."
Silence settled over the group.
Then Sreyan stepped forward, eyes locked onto Riju.
"Then why lie?" he asked, voice tight. "Why pretend to be a newcomer?"
Riju didn't respond.
Sian exhaled quietly and answered in his place.
"For advantage. A newcomer gets overlooked—less suspicion, more freedom to move."
Sreyan's jaw clenched. "Or more freedom to use us."
Sian's eyes flickered, but he didn't deny it.
Kiupa suddenly snapped.
"You bastard—!"
He lunged forward, only to be held back by others.
"I didn't want to use anyone!" Riju spoke at last, voice unsteady. "No one asked me anything. Everyone just assumed… I just went along with it."
Silence again.
Heavy. Uncomfortable.
Sian broke it.
"Do you have healing medicine?"
Riju shook his head. "No."
Without a word, Sian tossed him a vial.
"Use it."
Around them, most were injured—badly. Torn sleeves, bloodied skin, limping steps.
Only Astha, Yug, and Sian stood relatively steady.
Astha walked up to Yug.
"You're injured."
"It's nothing—"
Astha caught his wrist before he could pull away.
His movements were efficient. Detached. He cleaned the wound with steady hands, tightening the bandage just enough to sting.
"Careless people are inefficient," Astha said with a little tease, a faint dimple appearing.
Yug let out a quiet breath—almost a laugh.
"…Give me your hand."
Astha paused, then did.Yug placed something in it.
A chocolate.
Astha's eyes lit up instantly—small, bright, unguarded.
Then—His gaze shifted.Something…caught his attention.
Nearby, Sreyan and Xingxing were bickering again—sharp, quick, like claws meeting mid-air.
Others avoided Riju completely.
Kiupa didn't.
He stared at him.Unblinking. Burning.
Riju lowered his head, shrinking into silence.
"It's getting dark," Sian said. "Let's move."
They had barely gone far when they noticed Astha.
He stood beside an old man struggling under a heavy load.
"Grandpa, here," Astha said, stepping forward. "Let me help."
The old man blinked in surprise, then relief.
"Ah… thank you, young man."
Astha took the weight without hesitation.
In return, the old man handed him a few sweet potatoes.
After a moment, he studied Astha more closely.
"Are you new here?"
"Yes."
"And… you came from the jungle?"
"…Yes."
The old man froze.Something like fear flickered across his face.
"Young man," he said quietly, voice dropping, "be careful. You remind me of my grandson."
A pause.
"Don't ever go there again."
He hesitated, then added—
"Ever since Mia disappeared… nothing has been the same."And then he left.
Quickly.
Like staying longer was dangerous.
Astha returned, holding the potatoes.
Everyone "_"
"…What were you talking about?" Yug asked.
"A child," Astha replied. " Named Mia. She disappeared."
Sian's eyes sharpened.
"Then we must investigate it. It might be a clue "
He glanced at the others.
We'll find out who she is. And who her family is."
A pause.
"But first—we rest."
Without another word,they headed toward the west side of the villa.
As they entered the courtyard, the elder was already waiting.
His gaze swept across them—slow,
deliberate.
No one spoke.
"I heard," he said, voice cold, "that you went into the jungle."
A few shifted. Others avoided his eyes.
Sian stepped forward. "We needed information."
"And you thought risking your lives was the way to get it?"
No answer.
His gaze lingered on their injuries—the blood, the torn fabric, the exhaustion.
"Foolish," he said quietly. "Reckless."
Then his eyes moved—
And stopped on Astha.
For a brief second, something unreadable flickered there.
"…Inside," the elder said. "All of you. Clean up. Dinner is ready."
The dining hall was warm.
But the atmosphere wasn't.
Utensils clinked softly. Someone hissed in pain when they moved wrong.
No one spoke much.
Kiupa sat rigid, anger still burning beneath his skin.
Across from him, Riju sat in silence.
His food untouched.
"Tomorrow," Sian said, breaking the quiet, "We'll go to the villagers again."
No one argued.
Later—
The villa fell silent.
Rooms closed. Lights dimmed.
The night outside was still.
Too still.
Astha stepped into the courtyard alone.
Cool air brushed against his skin. Leaves rustled faintly in the distance.
He walked without urgency.Just moving.
Thinking.
Then—
He stopped.
A small figure stood near the edge of the courtyard.
A little girl.
Still.
Head tilted slightly, hair falling across her face.
And her eyes—Empty.
Just… hollow, as if something had scooped out everything inside and left only the shape behind.
Empty in a way that didn't belong to the living.
Astha looked at her.
Unmoved.
"…You shouldn't be outside," he said calmly.
No response.No movement.
"It's late. Wandering around like this is not good."
Still nothing.
Astha stepped closer.
Close enough to see—Dust on her clothes.
Bare feet.
And those eyes—Not just empty.Watching.
He crouched slightly, lowering himself to her level.
"Do you understand what I'm saying?"
A pause.
Then—
"…You can see me?"
Her voice was thin. Fragile. As if unused for a long time.
Astha didn't react.
"Yes."
Silence stretched.
Then—
Something changed.
The air dropped colder.
Sharply.
The shadows behind her—
moved.
Not with the light.But on their own.
Stretching.
Crawling.Reaching—Toward Astha.
The girl's lips parted slightly. Not into a smile.
Not into anything human.
"Then go home," he said simply. "Don't wander around at night like a rough little munchkin."
A faint pause.
"Grow up well—become a good girl."
He placed the chocolate in her hand.
"I didn't even try this flavor."
The girl stared at it.
Then at him.Unblinking.
Astha gently pushed it toward her.
"Eat."
He patted her head before walking away.
Behind him—
The girl remained still.
Chocolate in her hand.
Eyes fixed on his retreating figure.
Slowly—
A thin line of blood slipped from her eyes.
Trailing down her pale face.
But she didn't blink.
Didn't move.
Only watched.
:
Astha stepped into the room just as someone approached him in the hallway, holding a neatly folded set of clothes.
"Elder sent these," the person said.
Astha took them without question. "Okay."
A moment later, he entered his room.
—
The door creaked open again.
Xingxing walked in—
—and stopped.
Astha was already on the bed.
Not lying properly. Not even trying.
He was stretched across it—horizontally, occupying the entire space as if it naturally belonged to him.
Xingxing blinked slowly.
"…What are you doing?"
Astha didn't look at her.
"Resting."
"You're blocking the entire bed."
"Yes."
A pause.
"…Move."
"No."
Xingxing stared at him, disbelief clear on her face.
"You cannot be serious."
Astha finally sat up.
For a brief, hopeful second, Xingxing thought he'd move.
Instead—
He adjusted the pillow.
Then lay back down.
Even more comfortably than before.
Xingxing:
"…Wow."
Silence stretched.
Then Astha sat up again, as if remembering something.
"I'll go take a bath."
Xingxing frowned.
"…Okay?"
He stood and walked toward the bathroom without the slightest concern for her existence.
At the door, he paused.
Turned his head slightly.
"Do not disturb my arrangement."
Xingxing's eye twitched.
"…YOUR WHAT??"
The bathroom door closed.
Click.
Silence filled the room.
Xingxing slowly turned toward the bed.Empty.Wide.Free.
For a moment, she just stood there.
Then—
She took a step forward.
Stopped.
That blank, emotionless face flashed in her mind.
The calm voice. The absolute audacity.
Her expression darkened.
"…Unbelievable."
Instead of climbing onto the bed—
She dropped onto the floor.
Hard.
Arms crossed. Back against the bed.
"I'm not touching that," she muttered under her breath.
"Who knows what kind of cursed logic comes with it…"
She leaned her head back, glaring at the ceiling.
"…Let him keep his precious 'arrangement.'"
From behind the bathroom door, water began to run.
Xingxing scoffed softly.
"…Emotionless freak."
But she didn't move.
Not even when the bed sat right there—perfectly empty.
Astha stepped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him.
For a moment, he just stood there.
Still.
Quiet.
As if… thinking.
Then, slowly, he closed his eyes and began removing his clothes, his movements calm and unhurried—completely indifferent to everything outside.He turned the tap.
Water rushed out—
Then—
Something changed.
The atmosphere shifted.The air grew cold.
Unnaturally cold.
Astha's hand paused.
The sound of water… felt wrong.
He opened his eyes.
The water flowing from the tap—
was red.
Thick.
Dark.
Blood.
It poured into the bathtub, spreading like something alive.
For a second, the room felt suffocating.
Silent.
Watching.
Astha stared at it.
Unblinking.
Then his expression darkened slightly.
Annoyed.
He raised his hand—
SLAP.
He hit the tap sharply.
"Brat," he said flatly, irritation clear in his voice.
"Don't you have any shame?"
The air trembled faintly.
"Don't peek while someone's bathing," he continued, his voice cold.
"That's perverted."
The moment his words fell—
The tap shuddered.
The red liquid flickered—
—and instantly turned clear.
Normal water flowed again, as if nothing had happened.
The coldness disappeared.
Silence returned.
Astha watched it for a second longer.
Then, without another word, he continued as if nothing unusual had occurred.
—
A while later—
The bathroom door opened.
Astha stepped out, hair slightly damp, expression as blank as ever.
He didn't look around.
Didn't acknowledge anything.
He walked straight to the bed—
—and lay down.
Claiming it entirely once again.
Xingxing, still sitting on the floor, turned slowly.
Her eye twitched.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
No response.
Astha had already closed his eyes.
Peaceful.
Unbothered.
As if the world—and everyone in it—was irrelevant.
Xingxing clenched her fists.
Her anger rose."…Unbelievable."
She glared at him.
At the bed.
At his completely calm face.No response.
Not even a reaction.
That made it worse.
Xingxing flopped back onto the floor dramatically.
"I'm surrounded by insane people…"
Astha remained still.
Silent.
Asleep—or pretending to be.
Xingxing fumed in quiet frustration, staring at the ceiling.
"…One day," she muttered,
"I'm throwing you off that bed."
Astha, eyes still closed:
"Unlikely."
"…YOU WERE AWAKE?!"
_
At midnight, when the entire villa lay swallowed in silence, someone walked into Astha's room.
Tap… tap… tap…
Soft footsteps echoed against the cold floor, slow and deliberate—too careful to be accidental, too steady to be afraid.
The figure moved closer.
Tap… tap… tap…
Astha lay still on the bed, his breathing even, as if untouched by the presence creeping toward him. Moonlight slipped through the curtains, casting thin silver lines across the room—just enough to reveal a shadow stretching unnaturally long along the floor.
Then the footsteps stopped.
Right in front of his bed.
Silence.
A heavy, suffocating silence.
The figure stood there, unmoving… staring at him.
The air turned colder.