The village didn't calm down.
If anything, it got worse.
No one was shouting or panicking, but that almost made it more uncomfortable. Everyone had stepped back slightly after hearing that the elder was being called, but they hadn't left. They were still there, still watching, still whispering to each other like I was some kind of rare creature that had wandered into their lives by mistake.
Which, to be fair, wasn't completely wrong.
"…I feel like I should charge an entry fee at this point," I muttered.
No one laughed.
I sighed. "Tough crowd."
Mira didn't react either. She was still standing close to me, her hand firmly gripping my sleeve like it was the most natural thing in the world. At this point, I was starting to wonder if she even realized she was doing it.
"…You're still holding on," I said quietly.
"I know," she replied.
She didn't let go.
"…Right."
Before I could say anything else, the crowd shifted slightly, creating a clear path through the middle of the village. The whispers died down almost instantly, replaced by a tense silence that made it obvious something important was happening.
"…I'm guessing that's the elder?" I asked.
"Yes," Mira said.
A woman stepped forward.
She looked older than the others, her long hair streaked with silver, her posture straight and steady. There was nothing flashy about her appearance, but the moment she walked into view, everyone's attention shifted to her completely.
Even the atmosphere felt different.
Calmer.
More controlled.
Which, honestly, made me even more nervous.
Her eyes landed on me immediately.
And just like everyone else…
She froze.
It wasn't as obvious as the others, but I saw it. That brief moment where her composure cracked just enough to show surprise.
"…So it's true," she said quietly.
I raised a hand slightly. "Hi. Yes. I exist."
Her gaze didn't leave me.
"…You speak."
"Still a person," I replied. "I'm starting to feel like I need to keep repeating that."
A few people in the crowd shifted uncomfortably, but the elder didn't react. She simply studied me, her eyes sharp and focused, like she was trying to understand something that shouldn't be possible.
"…Come closer," she said.
I didn't move.
Not because I didn't want to, but because Mira's grip on my sleeve tightened instantly.
"No," Mira said.
Her voice was calm.
But firm.
The elder's gaze shifted to her. "…Mira."
"He's with me," Mira replied.
"I can see that," the elder said. "That is not what I am asking."
"He's mine."
"…We are really going to keep saying that, aren't we?" I muttered.
Still ignored.
The elder's expression didn't change, but there was something in her eyes now. Not anger. Not frustration.
Concern.
"Mira," she said carefully, "you do not understand what you are saying."
"I do," Mira replied.
"You don't," the elder insisted. "If what he is… is real, then this is not something one person can claim."
Mira didn't hesitate.
"I found him first."
There was that logic again.
I rubbed my face slightly. "That is not how people work."
No one acknowledged that.
Again.
I was really starting to feel like background noise in my own situation.
The elder let out a small breath, then looked back at me.
"…What is your name?" she asked.
Finally.
A normal question.
"Ren," I answered.
She nodded slightly, as if committing it to memory.
"…Ren," she repeated. "Do you know what you are?"
"…Not even a little," I said honestly.
There was a brief pause.
Then she stepped forward.
Mira's grip tightened again.
"Stay behind me," she said quietly.
"I already am."
"I mean it."
"…That sounds serious."
The elder stopped a few steps away, clearly aware of Mira's reaction.
"I am not here to take him," she said calmly. "I only need to confirm something."
Mira didn't respond.
She didn't move either.
She just stood there, between me and everyone else.
"…Ren," the elder said, her gaze steady. "May I approach?"
I hesitated.
"…You're the first person to ask," I said.
"That is because the others are not thinking clearly," she replied.
"…Fair."
I glanced at Mira.
She didn't look at me, but her grip loosened slightly.
Just enough.
"…Okay," I said. "Slowly."
The elder nodded and stepped closer.
Carefully.
Deliberately.
Like she was approaching something fragile.
Or dangerous.
When she finally stood in front of me, she didn't speak right away. Instead, she raised her hand slightly, pausing for just a moment before reaching out.
"…I'm going to assume this is safe," I said.
"We will find out," she replied.
"…That's not reassuring."
Her fingers touched my arm.
And instantly—
Everything changed.
The same warmth from before exploded into something stronger, spreading through my body like a surge of energy I couldn't control. It wasn't painful, but it was intense, like something inside me had been triggered all at once.
The elder's eyes widened.
"…Impossible," she whispered.
[Ding.]
The sound rang louder than before.
Clearer.
Stronger.
Multiple messages appeared at once.
**[Bond Formation Detected]**
**Target: Village Elder**
**Emotional State: Curiosity → Recognition**
**Energy Type: Devotion (Moderate)**
**[System Notice]**
**Singularity Influence Active**
**Emotional Amplification Detected**
**[Warning]**
**Multiple Targets Entering Devotion State**
**Instability Risk Increasing**
"…Oh, come on," I muttered.
Because I could feel it.
Not just from her.
From everyone.
The air around me felt heavier, charged with something I couldn't see but definitely felt. It was like being in the middle of a storm that hadn't fully formed yet.
The elder pulled her hand back slowly, her expression completely different now.
"…It's real," she said.
The crowd reacted immediately, whispers spreading again, louder this time.
"What does that mean?"
"Is it really—?"
"A man…?"
The elder raised her hand slightly, and the noise died down.
"…He is not just a man," she said.
Great.
That didn't sound good.
"He is something more," she continued.
"…I feel like that's worse," I said.
Still ignored.
Mira stepped closer to me again, her hand tightening around my sleeve like she was reclaiming something.
"He's mine," she said.
The elder's gaze shifted to her.
And for the first time…
There was tension.
Real tension.
"Mira," she said slowly, "you need to understand what you are dealing with."
"I do," Mira replied.
"No," the elder said firmly. "You don't."
For a moment, neither of them moved.
The air felt heavy.
Thick.
Like something was about to happen.
And right in the middle of it…
Was me.
"…Yeah," I muttered quietly. "This is definitely getting worse."
And the worst part?
I had a feeling this was only the beginning.