Beyond a Shadow of Doubt

Kazami lay motionless, his breathing shallow, his battered form a stark contrast to the unwavering figure looming over him. His left shoulder was a grotesque sight—nearly blown away, with only a fragile sliver of bone and tattered flesh, keeping it connected to his body. Blood seeped steadily from the wound, staining the ground beneath him in the dark, spreading pools as they slowly evaporated into tiny diamond shards. The jagged edges of torn muscle quivered faintly with each laboured breath, a painful reminder of himself. "I'm… sorry… Hoyeon…" He mumbled to himself as the light in his eyes began to fade.

Esmeray advanced with deliberate steps, savouring the moment like a connoisseur relishing the final notes of a well-aged wine. "Such a pitiful dish with so much potential." He sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. "A bland imitation of strength, with no seasoning of originality. Did you really think your ever-changing toy of a Leere could match my refined palette of power?" He chuckled, low and cruel, as Kazami lay unresponsive, the insult seeping into the air like a bitter aroma.

Standing over the prone body, he tilted his head slightly, mockery gleaming in his expression. Before he could strike, the air around Esmeray shifted. His confident smirk faltered as he began to feel the air around him turning oppressive, pulling at him with unseen hands. His body sagged, and his knees buckled, forcing him to drop to the ground. "What in the hell?" he growled, the weight crushing down on him.

Esmeray scanned the environment, his keen eyes darting around until they locked onto a figure half-hidden behind a jagged rock. There, stepping into the open, was the girl with one eye glowing red. She held the giant shear out, its sharp edges catching the dim light like a predator's glint.

"My, my," the hunter purred, licking his lips with a twisted grin. "It seems another delectable course has arrived. I've been wondering when his friends would come out to play. Tell me, darling, do you always keep your guests waiting, or is this little act of yours part of the foreplay?" His voice carried an unnerving mixture of menace and playful allure, every word dripping with condescension.

Tang-Ji's expression remained impassive, her Leere shimmering faintly as the gravity around Esmeray slowly drove his legs into the ground. "Your feast is over," she said coldly. "The only thing left for you to taste is the bitter flavour of defeat."

Esmeray let out a light laugh, the sound brittle but defiant. "Oh, sweetheart, I'm afraid you've underestimated me." He flicked his wrist downward, and with a sickening ripple, the ground beneath him softened and swirled. The once-solid rock turned dough-like, malleable and yielding, nullifying the oppressive gravity as he regained his balance.

"Now this," Esmeray mused, brushing imaginary dust off his sleeve, "is more my speed. You see, I prefer to tailor the surroundings to my liking. And you? You're just another ingredient in my recipe for conquest." His gaze sharpened, locking onto Tang-Ji with the predatory hunger of someone who found delight in destruction.

Tang-Ji tightened her grip on her Leere, the air humming with potential energy. "If you're so confident," she said, her voice steady and sharp, "then let's see how you handle a fight that doesn't cater to your tastes."

Esmeray's grin widened, his eyes glinting with malevolence. "Oh, darling, I am the only one that should be deciding what meals cater to my taste—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Esmeray was cut off by a flash of blue energy that crashed into his chest. "Die!" shouted Decker, his voice dripping with arrogance. The raw, inhuman power behind the clothesline strike sent Esmeray flying backwards, tumbling over the surface of the water before coming to a halt, face-down in the shimmering waves.

Esmeray rose slowly, his fingers flicking upward like a maestri conducting chaos. A massive wave of water obeyed his gesture, slicing upward in a shining arc. It swallowed the cave in shimmering droplets, masking him in a liquid curtain.

"Decker! Don't be reckless!" Ji-Soon's voice echoed from the shore. He had one hand pressed to his temple. "Dammit, did that idiot even hear a single word we just said?"

"Oh, shut it," Decker shot back as he leapt towards the towering wave, leaving a faint trail of electric sapphire light behind him. "I've got this under control. Unlike you, who likes to twiddle your thumbs and sit in the back, I'm the type of guy who gets things done."

Ji-Soon groaned. "Fuck! Looks like we're going to have to follow up with that idiot." He whispered to his side as multiple shadows leapt out behind, dispersing in different directions.

Unrelenting, Decker charged at Esmeray again, landing a clean hit against Esmeray's jaw with a brutal crack. "How's that?" he taunted, smirking as Esmeray staggered.

"Cocky little pest," Esmeray growled, recovering faster than Decker expected. Just as Decker was prepared to throw a vicious uppercut, a greyish hand clasped around his arm like an iron vice.

"Still mouthing off?" The hunter hissed, glaring furiously into Decker's eyes. Before Decker could retort, he felt a hand around his metal throat as he was knocked backwards and slammed onto the water's surface. To his horror, he didn't sink but instead rested just above it, as if caught in some invisible snare. Esmeray leant over him, tightening his grip around the mechanical giant with one hand while he opened the other expectedly. As if on command, a long, curved object materialised above his free hand. "Let's see how much fight you have without your flashy moves."

"Let… go… of me!" Decker snarled, thrashing against Esmeray's grip. His defiance faltered as he felt Esmeray's overwhelming strength pin him down.

"You're all bark, no bite," Esmeray said coldly, raising what seemed to be a massive floating axe with a blade that glistened like glazed sugar. Its surface was rough and crumbly, resembling freshly baked cookie dough, with jagged chocolate chip clusters forming its serrated edges. Despite its absurd composition, it radiated an unnerving, ominous energy, as though the sweetness masked something far more sinister.

"You're... one to talk. What,... are you? Some kind of Disney villain... whipping up weapons from a lunchbox nightmare!" Decker spat as Esmeray's boot pressed harder against his chestplate. "Ape! Anytime now!"

A voice cackled from somewhere unseen. "Nice to hear you finally squealing for help." 

"Don't push it, jackass," Decker snapped. "Just keep hiding and leave the fighting to the big boys."

"That's rich, coming from the guy who's flat on his back," Kompto quipped. His invisible movements were punctuated by the sound of metallic clicks and splashes as tiny metallic beads began to surface around Esmeray.

"Enough!" He roared, releasing Decker before commanding the axe to swing around the area horizontally. But before it could hit its target, the naval mines detonated, sending water and shrapnel in every direction. Esmeray shielded himself with his axe, gritting his teeth as the explosions rocked the waters surface.

Decker coughed, now free from the hunter's grip, and used the chaos to dive down into the water. "Not bad for a monkey,'" he muttered, bubbles escaping the gaps in his helmet.

"I must have misheard that, or something—did you just compliment me?" Kompto's mocking voice pierced through the space, oozing incredulity. "I think I might faint."

Esmeray's crimson eyes narrowed, his expression a mask of fury. He could hear a voice, but the voice had no source, no anchor, floating in the chaos like a taunt from a ghost. 'Invisibility. The wretch hides like a coward in shadows, yet dares mock me?' His jaw clenched as he opened his palm, and suddenly the axe became fluid as if it were made out of clay.

Like an artist's poise before a masterpiece, Esmeray clicked his fingers as the large object split into multiple long rods before it was aimed downward towards the body of water. His irritation seethed beneath his elegant composure, the slightest twitch betraying his growing impatience. 'Those mines from earlier weren't used for dealing damage.' He looked down at his palm as his vision slowly became blurry. 'The shrapnel must have contained some sort of effect to dull my senses.'

A jet of water exploded from the rough waves. "Don't get used to it, monkey," Decker spat before landing on one of Emiko's floating paper talismans, which had been expanded to serve as a platform. 

Esmeray's sharp gaze followed, his lips pressing into a line as the talisman rippled under Decker's weight. He tilted his head, a faint sense of unease creeping into his mind. 'What sorcery is this? These papers... they're everywhere. They must be trying to restrict my movements.' He thought to himself before bouncing off the water's surface to the side in an effort to prevent himself from getting completely surrounded. However, there already were thousands of them. Floating like autumn leaves scattered by a cruel wind. He shifted his stance, which caught the eye of a shadow hiding behind a rock not too far away from the water.

From the shore, Emiko threw another talisman towards Decker. "Stop bickering and focus, both of you," she called out.

Decker scoffed, catching the talisman mid-air. "Guess the slut is giving orders now. Thought you'd just flutter those lashes and let someone else do the work."

Emiko's eyes narrowed. "Yeah, keep talking, dickhead. Maybe I'll accidentally blow your brains out," she mumbled.

"Oh, please. Like you could ever lay a scratch on me." The mechanical figure caught Emiko's voice, his metal frame rattling with a distant clank as smoke hissed from his spine.

"Guys!" Ji-Soon shouted, stepping in. "This isn't the time for petty insults. He's not going to wait for us to sort out our issues."

"Shuuuut uuup," Decker groaned, the blue lights on his mask flickered. "You've already proven you're useless in a fight."

"And you've proven you're a self-centred jerk," Ji-Soon fired back. "How about you try and stop being a pain in everyone's ass for once?"

Esmeray's laughter cut through their argument. "Such delightful chaos," he sneered. "Infighting already? You're making this too easy for me."

"We'll see about that," Decker growled, launching himself at Esmeray again. The two clashed in a dazzling display of speed and power, sapphire light colliding with Esmeray, who conjured mutliple green lines beneath his feet to deflect Decker's strike.

"What the fuck?!! Are these veggies? You really are a Disney villain," he jeered.

"Still running that mouth of yours?" Esmeray delivered a blow with his knee, aimed at Decker's abdomen, fracturing his armour. 

Decker dashed back quickly, leaving a short trail of mechanical parts spewing from his broken armour.

Meanwhile, Kompto worked in the shadows, planting explosives with surgical precision. "Oi, keep him busy," Kompto muttered, his voice barely audible over the din. "I'll give you an opening."

"Just don't screw it up," Decker called back, dodging the multiple brown rods that were coming from above. "And if you blow me up, I'll kill you!" 

"No, you wouldn't. Cause you would be dead, idiot," Kompto said with a smirk, unseen but obvious from his tone of voice.

Esmeray raised his arm high, the motion fluid and unhurried, like a dancer preparing for the final move in a flawless routine. "Do you truly believe such cheap theatrics will cage me?" 

With a flick of his wrist, dozens of brown rods descended—not towards his enemies but towards the water itself. The spear-like object carved through the surface like silk, sending out a ripple that grew into a towering vortex. The water surged upward, a pillar of liquid elegance, carrying the paper talismans high into the air. They fluttered helplessly, caught in the dance of the vortex.

He smirked, his head tilting slightly as he surveyed the ocean of flittering white. "A delicate display," he murmured, his tone almost admiring. "But ephemeral, like all things born of desperation. You won't trick me; as long as I keep my distance, my rods from above can neutralise your explosives."

Yet, even as he spoke, his sharp eyes caught movement—Kompto's invisibility flickered for just a moment, a faint distortion in the air. Without hesitation, Esmeray twisted his body, launching one of the rods in his grasp like a whirlwind of silver. The spear's edge sliced through the air where Kompto had been, missing by a hair's breadth as the invisible one darted away. 

Suddenly Esmeray stuttered, as he noticed his right shoulder beginning to twitch violently. Decker noticed the strange lines crawling up the hunter's arm, spreading like tree roots. "Looks like it worked," he muttered, smirking. "Our nerd got you good."

Esmeray's eyes darted towards the source of his aching: a small, mechanical fly buzzing near the back of his shoulder. With a quick clap, he crushed it. His gaze quickly found its target, a shadow of a figure not too far away, hinding behind a rock formation, his smile turning feral. "I've got just the dish for cowardly brats like you," he said, flicking his other fingers towards the rock formation around the shore.

"Junyo, move!" Ji-Soon shouted, desperation in his voice. But before the rods could strike, Emiko's talismans flew like missiles, wrapping around Esmeray and binding him in place.

"You've been walking into my trap since this fight began," Emiko continued. "Each step you've taken, each move you've made—every one of them helped me set this stage. You're not fighting me. Just like all men, you're fighting your own arrogance."

Esmeray's eyes widened as even more papers flipped around to reveal themselves. 

"Did you really think I would reveal all of them for your eyes to see?" Emiko's voice cut through the chaos, calm and unhurried, with a biting edge that made everyone pause. She stepped forward, her shadow long against the rippling water, her gaze steady and unyielding. "You saw these papers and assumed it was just to slow you down. How unoriginal."

Esmeray snarled, his frustration growing. "You think this can hold me?"

Emiko tilted her head slightly, the corner of her lips curving into a faint smirk. "No," she said coldly with an undeniable authority. "Not hold you. Strangle you."

At her final word, the talismans flared brilliantly, their faint glow intensifying into sharp, searing light. The air itself seemed to tighten as the enchanted paper began constricting, sinking into Esmeray's skin like invisible chains tightening around his soul.

Junyo activated his shield generator, bracing against the next wave of explosions. "Cover your eyes and ears," he barked. Decker activated the turbo thruster on his mechanical legs as he propelled himself out of the water. Kompto also dove into the water before his body was enveloped by a blue screen of energy. 

For a moment, it looked as though Esmeray might break free, but Emiko raised her hand in a graceful gesture, her fingers poised like a conductor leading a symphony. "And now," she said, her voice soft yet commanding, "you'll learn what it feels like to be devoured by your prey." An explosion rang out as everything went purple.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ukiyo pressed her hands against the curved wall of the bubble, her breath fogging its surface like a futile attempt to draw warmth. Below her, the lake no longer resembled water but a massive, grotesque cauldron—a simmering pot of horrors. The once-clear surface had turned thick and opaque, roiling with the viscous texture of boiling broth. Purple haze bubbled to the surface in furious bursts, rising like steam from an overworked kitchen. Shadows swirled within the depths, ingredients of torment and despair stirred by an unseen hand.

As she stared into the lake, the haze began to clear in fractured glimpses, revealing shapes trapped within the water. There were shards of a broken dining table, stained with phantom smears of red, bobbing like discarded vegetables in a sinister stew. Chairs, one with its legs askew as if it could still groan beneath a child's weight, spun lazily in the current. Ukiyo's gaze caught fleeting images—two identical figures sitting together, their reflections distorted, one clutching his stomach, the other looking on with empty eyes.

Bits of fabric floated up, torn and frayed, like overcooked meat clinging stubbornly to bone. They were clothes too small for a growing body, threadbare and pale; their colours leached as if washed repeatedly in hopeless tears. A knife glinted briefly beneath the surface, its edge catching the moonlight before vanishing again, swallowed whole by the broth of memories. The bubbles hissed as they rose, bursting with phantom whispers—a father's angry shouts, a mother's anguished cries, and the gut-wrenching sound of children's muffled sobs.

Even the moon above had become a prisoner to this grotesque concoction, its violet hue bleeding into the haze, casting a sickly light upon the boiling pot below. The lake seemed alive, its contents twisting and turning, a reflection of a soul that had been tossed into this cursed brew long ago. It was as if the lake itself was Esmeray's masterpiece manifest, a terrible recipe born of starvation, blood, and survival.

Ukiyo shuddered as she muttered to herself, her voice barely audible above the gurgling water. "How... how could anyone defeat this... this desire to destroy... this hatred..." Her breath hitched as she stared into the depths, where shadows began to coalesce into a singular, monstrous form, a harbinger rising from the depths of his own nightmares.

A sudden splash shattered the suffocating stillness. From the lake's surface, a figure vaulted into the air, droplets scattering like shards of glass in the moonlight. It was the shadow of a classy man, his drenched figure landing on the shore. "That ability of yours really saved my ass back there, Ji-Soon." His breathing was ragged, his wide eyes scanning for the others.

"Damn, man. I swear you people survive anything. Must be in your DNA or something." Decker's voice pierced the quiet. 

Kompto froze for a fraction of a second, his jaw tightening. But he said nothing, exhaling sharply. He turned away, his gaze sweeping over the others.

Decker leant against a jagged rock, his smirk barely concealing his unease. The others were scattered like broken dolls. Tang-Ji stood over Junyo, her sapphire eyes dimmed, taking on an almost hollow red. She whispered something, her voice barely audible, as Junyo knelt beside Kazami's crumpled form.

"Kazami…"

His body was a canvas of devastation. One shoulder dangled by threads of sinew, the other punctured with a gaping wound. His skin was a grotesque mosaic of charred flesh, cracked and flaking like the bark of a tree caught in an eternal blaze. He seemed less human, more an effigy of suffering.

Junyo's hands hovered over Kazami's wounds, trembling. He didn't answer Tang-Ji's question. He couldn't. Not yet.

"Junyo." Tang-Ji's voice cut through the tension. Her usual softness was gone, replaced by an unsettling edge.

He flinched but didn't look up. Her voice rose, slow and deliberate.

"Can you save him?"

Her blank expression betrayed nothing, but her eyes told a different story. The blue in them seemed to wane with each word she spoke, as if the light within her was being drained.

"I—" Junyo started but stopped, almost like the words were caught in his throat.

"Answer me!" Her voice erupted, startling everyone. Junyo recoiled, his knees almost buckling as he finally looked up. The raw intensity in her gaze left him momentarily speechless.

Ji-Soon stepped forward, his usually composed demeanour shattered. His hands grabbed fistfuls of Junyo's hoodie, dragging him closer. "Can you fix him? Tell me he'll be okay!"

Junyo's breath hitched. "I can… I can heal his body. His health points will recover. But the pain..." He hesitated, his voice faltering as he saw the desperation in their eyes. "The Pain Tolerance System—it's too high. His real-world nerves—I think they've been damaged. Even if his body's restored in-game, he might not wake up. And…" He paused, swallowing hard. "If his arms had been completely severed... it would've been impossible to restore them."

Tang-Ji's lips trembled, but she said nothing. Her sapphire eyes continued to dim, their colour fading to a pale, ghostly grey. Ji-Soon's grip on Junyo tightened.

"You're telling me you can't save him? You're supposed to be the healer, aren't you? Fix him!"

As Junyo stammered, Decker's voice cut through again, sharper this time. "Back off, cunt. We don't owe your friend anything. He's done all he can. If that's not enough, it's not our problem."

Ji-Soon's head snapped towards Decker, his fists curling at his sides. "Say that again, and I'll—"

"Stop it!" Kompto interjected, stepping between them. His arms spread wide, his drenched figure still dripping onto the scorched ground. He pointed behind them, his expression grim.

All heads turned. The purple haze was thinning, revealing a figure suspended above the lake.

"No…" Emiko's voice wavered, her fingers gripping against the rigid surface that she was leaning against. "No fucking way."

The figure hovered, wreathed in violet light. The moon's glow seemed to bow to him, casting long shadows that rippled across the water. It was the hunter. His presence was suffocating, a cold, oppressive weight that pressed down on them all. His eyes burned with an unholy light, and the air around him shimmered with latent power.

For a moment, no one spoke. Even the wind seemed to cease as if the world itself held its breath.

And then the wounded beast smiled.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hovering above the purple-stained lake, his silhouette stark against the violet-tinged moon that loomed behind him like a watchful eye. His coat and shirt hung in tatters, the fabric fluttering weakly before slipping away entirely, revealing his bare torso. The sight was grotesque and mesmerising—a canvas of flesh convulsing and expanding, his muscles rippling as if they were molten iron being forged into something monstrous. Then suddenly, a sound could be heard. It was a low, guttural groan, like timber splintering under immense pressure. The sound was sharp and grinding, like brittle glass shattering—sending chills to the eyes below. Rippling with an unnatural strength, his skin cracked apart like a crumbling clay pot.

"Aw, hell nah! I think I'm gonna puke." Decker stumbled back while holding his stomach, almost tripping over his own feet. His voice, loud and jagged, cut through the oppressive silence. "What is that? What the hell are we looking at?"

Tang-Ji's eyes flitted to the pulsating slash of ink etched into Esmeray's chest. She observed the back lines in between the ink slash moving slightly as if they were alive. It was the inky black mark—a crescent moon, its shape both delicate and menacing, as though carved by the blade of midnight itself. Encircling it was a Roman numeral, VI, the strokes precise and haunting. The first "I" stood firm like a solitary pillar, while the "V" spread wide, its angles sharp as broken wings. Together, they seemed alive, an inscription that pulsed faintly as though breathing. Her lips parted, but no words came. Her breathing grew shallow, her chest tightening as her gaze darted to the glowing green bar beside him. Not a single fragment of his health had diminished.

Junyo, standing frozen with his mechanical gauntlet half-raised, stammered, "That—that's impossible. The virus should've—"

Esmeray interrupted with a low chuckle, his voice thick with derision. "Should've what? Brought me to my knees? A clever attempt, child, but poison only weakens a body that fears death." He gestured to the black veins creeping along his chest, oozing faintly as though his flesh itself was corrupted. "The mechanical insect from earlier—it did more than sting. It injected a virus, one that sought to hollow me out from the inside."

With a deafening crack, Esmeray's skin split further, lines webbing out like fractures on a porcelain doll. Bits of the tough outer layer flaked off, clattering onto the ground. Under the grotesque exterior was a disturbing clarity—a flesh surface that shimmered like wet dough.

Shaking the water from the curly knots of his hair, he tapped repeatedly at his watch that was equipped on the inside of his wrist. His fingers trembled slightly as he stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he studied the hunter's transformation. "It's not just flesh. It's... something else. A reinforced layer." His voice was calm, deliberate. "It seems... almost like dough—hardened to an extreme, able to resist—"

"—almost any physical force," Junyo finished, his words tumbling out in shock. He gestured wildly at Esmeray, his fingers trembling slightly. "He can reshape it at will! This isn't just some freakish mutation—his Leere... it's turning food into weapons! Into armour!"

Esmeray laughed, the sound a rich, sardonic melody that filled the air. "Oh, how delightful. A pair of cooks deciphering the recipe while standing inside the pot. Tell me—do you plan to season yourselves before I devour you?"

His gaze swept over the group, his scorn cutting deeper than any blade. "You look like a pack of frightened hares at the edge of a butcher's table. Did you think you'd find salvation by nibbling at the corners of my power? No... you will be seasoned, basted, and served to the gods of this world." His eyes darkened, his voice dipping into a venomous snarl. "And if you cannot best me, you have no hope against the others. Their appetites... are unfathomable."

Ji-Soon's brow furrowed, his hand twitching to perform skill deployment. But deep down, he hesitated to attack again after their futile attempt. "The others? What are you talking about?" His gaze flickered towards the faintly glowing bubble in the distance and the mysterious blue figure within. Something about it gnawed at him, like a thread being pulled into the depths of his mind.

Esmeray smirked, the crescent moon on his chest seeming to glint with malice. "The mark on my body," he said, gesturing towards the Roman numeral VI, "is not merely decoration. It is a ranking—a symbol of my place among the elite. We are the Envoyers of Dusk, the sovereigns of this realm. Above me are five others; their power is so far beyond yours it's almost laughable. Pray you never encounter them, though your fate suggests otherwise."

Ji-Soon's fists clenched, his voice breaking the silence. "Number six? Does that mean..."

Esmeray's gaze snapped to him, amused.

"It means I am the second weakest. The ones above me? They'll make this little skirmish look like a picnic."

Esmeray's hair rose unnaturally, strands defying gravity, twisting in the stagnant air like a silent storm. His piercing scornful gaze swept across the group as he clasped his hands together with a sharp, reverberating crack.

"This world," he began, his voice dripping with disdain, "is not yours to save. Nor is it mine to destroy. It is… ours to consume." A blinding light erupted from between his palms, stretching and morphing until it became tangible, the illumination wrapping itself into a dark object—a book. Its cover was black as the void, embossed with the emblem of a crescent moon, mirroring the mark on his chest. "Behold," Esmeray intoned, his voice resonating like a death knell. "The true form of my Leere—God's Menu." The book hovered before him, flipping its pages as though eager to unleash its secrets before he was engulfed in a surge of purple energy.

The moon above turned fully violet, casting the landscape in an otherworldly glow. But before the transformation could fully consume him, Ji-Soon took a defiant step forward, his voice trembling with both anger and disbelief.

"What the hell do you want?!" Ji-Soon shouted, his voice bouncing off the vast realm of the underworld. With his hand clenched at his side, his eyes darted towards the bubble suspended in the air. Inside, the blue-haired girl hung motionless, her figure blurred by the faint shimmer of light. His gaze burned into her as if he could pierce the distance, drag the truth out with sheer force. "What's she got to do with this?" His voice softened for a moment, but his words carried a sharper weight. "Why's she so important to you?"

Esmeray chuckled, a low, condescending sound that dripped with venom. "Hmph. You're only scratching the surface of a fabric too vast for your feeble mind to grasp. Perhaps the Fates themselves have whispered in your ear." His grin widened, mocking. "Though I doubt they'd waste their breath on a pawn such as you."

Tang-Ji's voice broke through the charged silence, her hands clapping down onto her thighs, nails digging into them as if she wanted all the blood to be drained out. "This world—why did you give us these tools to fight back? Why are we here? Who are you people? And why do you speak like this place is more than a game?" Her sapphire eyes glinted, their colour fading ever so slightly, as if the weight of her words drained something vital from her.

Esmeray's eyes flicked towards her, his expression darkening. "Such naive questions," he sneered. "And yet, they have a certain charm, like the curiosity of a child gazing into a lion's maw. This world is exactly what it appears to be... and yet, it is so much more. You speak of reality and fiction as if they are opposites, but tell me, child—what is the difference between a cage of glass and a cage of iron when the prisoner cannot escape?"

Tang-Ji's fists clenched. "That's not an answer. Answer me properly; give me the truth!"

Esmeray's smirk deepened, his gaze growing distant, as though staring at something far beyond them. "The truth," he mused, his tone quieter now, yet no less condescending, "is a blade too sharp for your fragile minds. But I'll grant you this: a Leere is no mere weapon. It is... desire, distilled and sharpened. It reflects not what you are, but what you could be—your most twisted potential, a tool you forge from your own soul. It is not a weapon—it is a mirror. What you hold reflects who you are, what you crave, and what you fear. This world, like your Leere, is but a reflection of humanity's insatiable hunger. Now tell me, can a reflection bear the weight of salvation? Or will it shatter under the burden?"

Esmeray clicked both his fingers as a familiar fork-shaped item materialised. It shimmered ominously, the tines of the fork hummed with an unsettling resonance as crimson threads unfurled into the cave, each one slithering towards the group. He twirled the fork deftly in his fingers, as though he were waving a baton rather than a kitchen utensil, though the gleam in his eyes told a different story—a predator relishing the moment before the kill.

The threads pulsed, probing the air like sentient tendrils before latching onto each of their minds. The group recoiled instinctively, faces tightening with unease as they felt something stir deep within their chests. Esmeray's smirk deepened, his voice cutting through the silence with the precision of a dagger.

"You wear your masks well," he began, his tone smooth and sinister. "But the truth, ah… the truth always finds its way through the cracks."

He turned his gaze first to Decker. 

"Get off me!" Decker ordered as he tried to swat away the thread. However, his hand went straight through the thread, almost as if it were made of a mist.

"A heart bound by chains of fire and ice," Esmeray mused, his fork tracing lazy patterns in the air, "searing rage and freezing doubt—neither letting you love nor forget."

Decker's jaw tightened, but he said nothing, his eyes narrowing as though daring Esmeray to continue.

Next, the hunter's attention shifted to Junyo, who shrank back under the weight of the crimson light threading through his chest. Esmeray tilted his head, almost sympathetically. "A shadow that clings too closely," he said softly, his smirk turning wistful. "Whispering that you were never meant to stand in the light."

Junyo looked down, processing the strangely familiar riddle.

When his gaze fell upon Emiko, her eyes met his with a fire that burned through her fear. Esmeray's smirk grew sharper, as if he found her defiance amusing. "A bird in a golden cage," he said, his voice lilting mockingly, "wings clipped by trust broken, singing a song only she can hear."

Emiko's fists trembled at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. She glared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line, refusing to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

Kompto stood rigid, his face impassive but his hand hovering near his Leere. Esmeray's eyes gleamed as he studied him, leaning slightly forward as if savouring the moment. "Just who are you, Kompto or Creed? Kompto is who you are right now, right?" He murmured, his voice almost reverent. "A blade hidden in the sheath of a man. Dulled by grief, sharpened by duty—cutting yourself with every swing. "

Kompto's expression barely shifted, but his grip on his weapon tightened. A faint twitch betrayed the turmoil beneath his stoic exterior.

Esmeray's fork pointed next towards Ji-Soon, who stared at the ground, shoulders tense and breath uneven. Esmeray's voice softened, almost pitying. "A crumbling bridge," he said, the words hanging heavily in the air, "built on pillars of faith, trembling under the weight of the world you swore to carry."

Ji-Soon's head jerked up slightly, his lips parting as though to respond, but he faltered, his words swallowed by the oppressive atmosphere.

Finally, Esmeray's crimson gaze lingered on Tang-Ji, longer than it had on the others, as though drawn to something he couldn't fully grasp—or perhaps didn't want to. His smirk faltered for the briefest of moments, replaced by a flicker of something harder to define: curiosity laced with unease. He twirled his fork-shaped Leere absently, the motion slower now, less playful. The threads of crimson light that had entwined around the others dimmed, curling back into the weapon, leaving only the thread that tethered itself to Tang-Ji, pulsing faintly like a heartbeat.

Esmeray tilted his head, studying her with an intensity that made the air around them seem heavier. His fingers tightened on the Leere's handle, and his smirk returned, though it now seemed forced, like a mask hastily put back on. 

"A thread knotted by three unseen hands," he began, his voice softer now, tinged with an uncharacteristic hesitation. His gaze dropped briefly to the floor, then returned to her, his eyes darker than before. "Each knot is a choice you never made. Each pull tightens a noose you'll never escape."

Tang-Ji stiffened, her glare unwavering, but her hands curled into fists at her sides. Esmeray noticed and chuckled, the sound hollow and humourless. He lifted the Leere, letting the faint glow of its tines reflect in her eyes.

"You think you're defiant," he murmured, almost to himself. "That you can cut the thread, escape the loom. But..." He paused, his voice catching slightly, his smirk faltering once again. For a moment, he seemed almost... reluctant.

Esmeray exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as though trying to shake off the weight of what he was about to say. When he spoke again, his voice was lower, quieter, and yet somehow carried more weight than before.

"Your fate," he said, each word deliberate, "is not just cruel. It is merciless. The tapestry is woven for you—it will demand everything. Every step forward will cost you something precious. Every victory will carve deeper into your soul." He gestured vaguely with his Leere, as though trying to illustrate the unimaginable complexity of it all. "And when you finally see it, when the full pattern is revealed... you'll wish you hadn't. Because knowing won't free you. It'll only make you realise how tightly you've been bound from the start."

For a moment, he stood utterly still, his expression unguarded. There was no smirk now, no mocking glint in his eyes. Only a faint shadow of discomfort quickly masked as he leant back in the air, spinning the utensil like a wand once more.

"Strange," he muttered, half to himself, his voice barely audible. "Even I can't see it clearly... but I feel it. And it's... unsettling."

Tang-Ji's glare only deepened, though her breath hitched slightly, betraying the impact of his words. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came. Esmeray tilted his head again, the smirk returning, though it seemed more like a defence mechanism than a genuine expression.

"Take comfort, child," he said finally, his tone turning flippant once more, though his hand trembled faintly. "You're not even worth killing. Fate itself had already decided your future. Your pitiful, inevitable end. How I would love to see how you fall to your eventual demise. After all, every tragedy needs an audience. "

"My future has... already been set in stone.?"

"However," Esmeray straightened, twirling his Leere once more and letting the crimson threads dissipate like smoke. "As for your friends, the same mercy will not be given to them. Now shoo! Get out of my sight, girl," he flicked his hand at her as if he were telling a misbehaving animal to return back to its cage.

The silence that followed was thick, punctuated only by the faint hum of Esmeray's Leere and the laboured breathing of those he still had in his clutches.

Tang-Ji's lips parted as though to speak, but Esmeray raised a hand, silencing her. "Ask no more, little one. Truth is a poison best served sparingly." He turned his attention back to the group, his voice rising with finality. "And now, your questions no longer matter. The end has already been written."

Before anyone could respond, a familiar alarm blared in Tang-Ji's ears, the sound sharp and invasive. A notification flickered at the edge of her vision, stark against the purple haze:

Initiating Dusk Protocol.

The air grew heavier, the ground trembling beneath them as Esmeray raised his arms, the book hovering before him like an altar to his dominion. "I've grown tired of explaining; why don't you have a taste of this reality yourself?"