Silence didn't last.
It never did around Kuro.
The chamber still smelled of burnt mana and gold residue, the air thick with the aftermath of whatever had almost broken through the guild's wards. The half-formed runes along the walls flickered weakly, like they were exhausted just keeping the room intact.
Kuro sat where Mika had helped him down, knees drawn close to his chest. His breathing had steadied, but the cold hadn't left. It clung to him—inside his ribs, behind his eyes.
The Guildmaster was the first to move.
He straightened slowly, leaning heavier on his staff than usual. For the first time since Kuro had met him, the man looked old. Tired. Not powerful—just human.
"…That projection shouldn't have been possible," the Guildmaster said quietly.
Lucien blinked. "You say that like it makes me feel better."
"It doesn't," the Guildmaster replied flatly. "And it shouldn't."
Mika's grip on Kuro's shoulder tightened just slightly. Not enough to hurt. Enough to ground.
"Kuro," Mika said softly, "look at me."
Kuro did. It took effort, like lifting his head through water.
"You're here," Mika repeated. "You didn't disappear. You didn't change. You're still you."
Kuro nodded, though his chest still felt tight.
[He's right, you know.]
Elvastia's voice was quieter than usual. Stripped of its sarcasm.
[Whatever that thing is… it didn't take you.]
"That voice again?" Lucien asked, glancing between them.
Kuro hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah… but it's calm now."
Lucien made a face. "Great. Love that for us."
The Guildmaster turned sharply. "It's still present?"
"Always," Kuro said, hugging his arms closer. "But… it didn't react when the figure appeared. It was like it was listening."
The Guildmaster's jaw tightened.
"That confirms it," he muttered. "This is no longer a passive resonance."
Lucien frowned. "You wanna explain that in words that don't make my brain hurt?"
The Guildmaster looked at Kuro instead.
"You are acting as a beacon," he said carefully. "Not intentionally. Not consciously. But something within you is… unfinished. Whatever followed you here sensed that."
Kuro flinched.
"Incomplete," he whispered.
Mika's expression hardened. "You don't get to label him like that."
The Guildmaster raised a hand. "I'm not agreeing with the entity. I'm explaining the danger."
Lucien crossed his arms. "So what—he's missing a piece? Like a broken artifact?"
Kuro shook his head slowly. "It didn't feel like something was taken."
"…It felt like something was sealed."
The room went still.
Even Elvastia stopped.
The Guildmaster's eyes widened a fraction. "Sealed… not removed?"
Kuro nodded. "When it spoke, it didn't sound angry. It sounded… impatient."
Lucien stared. "I hate that word."
Mika exhaled slowly, then knelt in front of Kuro so they were eye level.
"Listen to me," he said firmly. "Whatever that thing thinks it knows about you doesn't matter. You don't belong to it. You belong here."
Kuro swallowed. "How do you know?"
Mika didn't hesitate. "Because you chose to stay. You didn't go with it. And if it really was you—or something you were—you wouldn't be afraid of it."
Kuro's fingers loosened slightly.
[He's annoyingly right,] Elvastia muttered.
[If that thing were you, it wouldn't need permission.]
Lucien let out a shaky laugh. "Wow. Didn't expect the murder sword guy to be the emotional support today."
"Don't get used to it," Mika replied without looking away from Kuro.
The Guildmaster tapped his staff once. The runes along the door flared, then faded.
"The immediate threat has withdrawn," he said. "But this changes things. From now on, Kuro does not leave the guild grounds alone."
Lucien raised a hand. "Objection—"
"—ever," the Guildmaster finished.
Lucien lowered his hand. "Yeah. Fair."
Kuro looked down. "I'm sorry…"
Mika's hand lifted instantly, resting against the side of Kuro's head. Gentle. Protective.
"Don't apologize for surviving," he said quietly.
For the first time since the whisper, the cold eased—just a little.
But deep beneath it, something stirred.
Waiting.
And this time, Kuro knew one thing for certain:
Whatever had found him…
…it wasn't done yet.