Entry 005 - Unease

[Devlog — February 3, 2025 – 6:23 PM]

I checked the code more times than I can count.

Minutes of debugging turned into hours, and at some point, I just gave up. I closed the program.

There's nothing—absolutely nothing—that should have caused that.

That stare. That smile.

It's burned into my mind now.

I didn't sleep until past midnight, and even then, I couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching me—just like Mira, eyes hollow, expression frozen. Eyes full of...

Nothing.

Every time I closed my eyes, I felt it. Something pressing down. A presence just beyond my vision. Every time I turned over in bed, my mattress dipped slightly, like someone had just shifted their weight beside me.

The room was silent, but I swear I heard something. Not words, not whispers, just... breathing. Slow and steady. Right behind me.

I don't even know why I'm writing this down. Maybe it's just to get it out of my head, to make it feel less real. Or maybe, deep down, I need some kind of proof for myself.

That I'm not imagining this.

That something is wrong.

...

Moving on.

Today, I'm proud to say that I finally whipped up a name for the project.

Wave your goodbyes to "The Kingdom Project" and say hello to "Ruins of Iniuria"—pronounced "i–ni–yur–ya."

It just sounds good to me. Has that otherworldly feeling, like an ancient civilization. It sounds so... right.

More info on the main storyline and the worldbuilding in future logs; I still don't have everything fleshed out yet, only rough ideas. The wait will be worth it, I promise.

I've been working on refining Chapter 2's event triggers. The transitions felt too stiff before, so I adjusted the pacing—slowed down the camera shifts, reworked some of the dialogue delays. I didn't want the cutscenes to feel robotic. Now, they flow better. More natural.

...But I can't shake the feeling that something's too natural.

I swear, when I was testing a scene, one of the background NPCs moved. Just slightly. Not a full animation, not a scripted action. Just a twitch. A shift in posture.

Like someone stretching after standing too long.

I reloaded the scene. They didn't do it again.

I'm trying to convince myself it was just my imagination, but even as I'm at my desk, that same unease from yesterday crept back in. That feeling.

That feeling.

...

I need to get some sleep tonight.

[Bug Report]

>> Issue: Background NPC moved despite no animation command.

>> Expected Behavior: Static NPCs should remain idle unless prompted.

>> Possible Causes: Am I seeing things?

>> Severity: This is mentally exhausting.

[To-Do List]

>> Adjust Chapter 2's event pacing.

>> Double-check idle animations for unintended movement.

>> Do something about Mira.

Oh, before I forget.

I probably won't be writing an entry tomorrow. I've got exams coming up, and I need to focus.

That's the plan, at least.

But if I hear anything tonight—

If I feel anything—

...

...I don't know. Maybe I'll need to write it down.