Aryan's hand froze over the straight box.
The metallic edges felt cold, and a faint hum vibrated through his fingers.
Then… the girl stepped fully inside the storage room.
His system warned:
[HIGH RISK DETECTED | Unknown Entity Nearby]
Aryan's heart raced.
Should I run? Should I hide?
But as she stepped closer, a strange feeling washed over him.
Her face…
He felt like he had seen it before, somewhere… though he couldn't remember where.
The girl's eyes locked on his.
Her voice was calm but firm:
"This… doesn't belong to you."
Aryan stammered, trying to explain:
"I-I… I just found it. I don't know anything about it."
She tilted her head, studying him:
"You don't understand… that box is dangerous. And it's not for anyone to touch."
Aryan frowned.
Then why was it here? he thought.
"I… I didn't mean to—"
Before he could continue, the system suddenly popped up in front of him:
[Mission Update: Host must become friends with this entity.]
[Reason: Unknown]
Aryan blinked, stunned.
"Friends… with her?" he whispered.
The box vibrated slightly in his hands, as if reacting to the new instruction.
The girl's expression softened just a little.
"Maybe… you're not completely useless," she said lightly.
Her tone hinted at mystery and authority, but also curiosity.
Aryan swallowed, gripping the box tighter.
Okay… so I'm supposed to be her friend. Great…
A faint hum escaped the box again, almost like a warning.
Aryan glanced around the room.
Empty, quiet… but something in the air told him this was just the beginning.