chapter 21: The eternal slumber

Chapter 21: The Eternal Slumber

Rin's body ached as if it had been crushed under a mountain. A dull throbbing echoed in his skull, and every breath felt like fire in his lungs. His senses returned slowly, the blurred surroundings sharpening into focus.

The first thing he saw was Engine, standing with his arms crossed, his ever-present red umbrella tapping idly against the ground. Ezra sat beside him, her face unreadable but her fingers tapping rhythmically against her knee—a telltale sign of mild concern.

"Awake already?" Engine's voice broke the silence, laced with amusement.

Rin groaned, pushing himself up. His muscles screamed in protest. "What the hell happened yesterday?"

Instead of answering, Engine tossed a folded newspaper onto Rin's lap. The headline was bold, the ink still fresh:

"A Mysterious Being Descends: The Urek Virus?"

Ezra picked it up, her sharp eyes scanning the article. She read aloud, "'Reports suggest a viral entity made contact with the Down World yesterday. The nature of this virus is unknown, but eyewitnesses describe its presence as overwhelming. Theories suggest it may have originated from the Sky.'"

Engine clicked his tongue. "Theories? Please. Urek wasn't some unknown phenomenon. He was just a bored idiot looking for a damn flower."

Rin's mind struggled to process that. "Wait… what?"

"You heard me." Engine smirked. "The all-powerful 'virus' came down because he wanted a flower."

Silence.

Ray, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke, his voice skeptical. "So, you're saying this thing—the Urek Virus—just wandered down here… for a flower?"

Engine nodded. "Yep."

Rin's stomach twisted. It was one thing to hear stories about the might of the Sky-born, but another to witness it firsthand. Urek had toyed with them, not even treating them as threats.

How strong must someone be for their actions to be dismissed as mere boredom?

Then another realization hit him. If Urek had come from the Sky, that meant he and Rin were the same.

Did they not know?

Rin glanced at Ezra and Ray. They weren't looking at him any differently. They don't suspect a thing.

For now, that was a good thing.

Later, Rin met with Engine alone. He had to know.

"You didn't tell them," Rin said.

Engine raised an eyebrow. "Tell them what?"

"You know what," Rin pressed. "That I'm from the Sky."

Engine's amusement faded, replaced by something colder. "Of course I didn't."

"Why?"

"Because you'd be dead."

Rin frowned. "They'd kill me?"

"Worse." Engine leaned against the wall, eyes sharp. "They'd use you."

A chill crawled down Rin's spine.

"You think Down Worlders hate Sky-borns just because?" Engine continued. "No. You're valuable. You'd either end up as a ritual sacrifice to whatever sick gods they worship, or worse, as a test subject in one of their 'scientific experiments.'"

Rin felt his stomach turn. He had known the Down World was brutal, but this was beyond what he expected.

Engine sighed, his gaze flicking to Rin's arm. "And about your Seven Tattoos—forget about merging them."

Rin looked down at the inked patterns on his skin. "Why not?"

Engine's expression darkened. "Because those tattoos belong to monsters. Each one was carved into a different powerhouse. You think you can just take them and make them yours? No. These aren't mere symbols, Rin. They carry power and will. Try to merge them, and you'll end up in pieces."

Rin clenched his fists. He wanted to argue, but deep down, he knew Engine was right.

I'm not strong enough yet.

But he would be.

His next step was clear—his father's lair. That was where the truth waited.

Yet, something inside him hesitated. Why?

Unable to shake his unease, Rin made a detour. He returned to the dungeon, this time dragging along silas—the troublesome disciple of the legendary thief, Lupin.

Silas had gotten himself into trouble again, harassing guild ladies. Rin had freed him, mostly out of curiosity.

The dungeon was not as they left it. The walls were cracked, half-collapsed, as if a great force had torn through the place. The air was thick with dust and the stench of decay.

Silas whistled. "Damn. Looks like a raid happened."

But Rin's eyes locked onto something else—a path that wasn't there before.

It led deeper underground, untouched by the destruction. And above the entrance, carved into the stone, was a symbol:

An upside-down building with a star and moon above it.

Silas stiffened. "Ah, hell no."

"What?" Rin asked.

"That's a church."

Rin raised an eyebrow. "A church?"

Silas nodded. "An old one. Traditionalists. Hate science, hate progress. They believe in the old gods."

Something inside Rin told him he had to go inside.

Against better judgment, he did.

The chamber was silent—too silent. Dust coated the floor in an unbroken layer, untouched for decades.

At the room's center was a coffin, its surface engraved with intricate symbols.

Silas took one look and backed away. "Nope. Not messing with that."

Rin, however, stepped closer.

A faint hum resonated from the coffin's seams, like something waiting… breathing.

Then, he opened it.

A sudden shockwave burst outward, nearly knocking him off his feet. The dust cleared, revealing a figure inside.

A man, yet not entirely human. His limbs were metallic, sleek and polished. His face was too perfect, like an artificial mask of flesh.

His eyes snapped open.

Silas cursed under his breath.

The figure sat up slowly, blinking as if adjusting to the light. Then, in a mechanical yet disturbingly human voice, he spoke.

"Designation: Gotham."

Rin exchanged glances with Francis. The cyborg… introduced himself?

Silas hesitated before asking, "Uh… you remember why you were locked up?"

Gotham tilted his head. His voice was eerily calm.

"A woman sentenced me to eternal slumber."

Rin frowned. "Who?"

Gotham's expression remained unreadable. Then, finally, he spoke:

"She punished me for my master's sins. For disobeying the rules of the Wall."

The Wall.

A cold feeling settled in Rin's stomach.

Silas, who had been half-joking earlier, now looked serious. "What the hell did your master do?"

Gotham closed his eyes. For a long moment, he didn't answer.

Then, in a voice heavier than before, he spoke.

"He tried to erase the boundary between the Sky and the Down World."

Rin's breath caught.

That was impossible.

But Gotham's existence… was proof that someone had tried.

And failed.