Morning arrived quietly over the valley.
The waterfall continued its endless descent from the cliffs, filling the warm air with its familiar roar. Sunlight spilled between the trees, turning the mist above the stream into a veil of gold.
Everything looked peaceful.
But Lunaria was already awake.
He stood alone on the balcony, staring toward the distant mountains.
His long silver hair moved gently with the breeze, the strands falling down his back. His expression was calm, but his eyes were different.
They were watching.
Waiting.
Behind him, Ash slowly opened his eyes.
For several seconds, he remained still.
Then he noticed the empty space beside him.
"Lunaria?"
Ash sat up.
The events of the previous day immediately returned to his mind—the strange voice that had entered their thoughts, the black slit that had appeared in the sky, and the unsettling words that had left even Lunaria silent.
Ash quickly got out of bed.
He walked toward the balcony.
There, he found Lunaria standing motionless.
"You've been awake for a while," Ash said.
"Yes."
Ash stepped beside him.
"What are you looking at?"
Lunaria didn't answer immediately.
The mountains appeared completely normal.
Birds flew between the trees.
Clouds drifted slowly across the blue sky.
Nothing seemed unusual.
And yet Lunaria's eyes remained fixed on the horizon.
"Something is wrong," he finally said.
Ash frowned.
"Another monster?"
"No."
"An enemy?"
Lunaria's expression became slightly colder.
"Possibly."
Ash looked around.
"I don't sense anything."
"You aren't supposed to."
Ash turned toward him.
"What does that mean?"
Lunaria finally looked at him.
"It means whatever is watching us doesn't want to be detected."
Ash's expression changed.
"You think we're being watched again?"
"Yes."
A faint pulse moved through Lunaria's body.
His aura didn't explode.
It barely appeared.
Instead, it spread outward like an invisible wave.
The trees remained still.
The waterfall continued flowing.
The birds continued singing.
Then—
Crack.
Ash's eyes widened.
The air above the valley distorted.
It lasted less than a second.
But Lunaria saw it.
"So," he murmured.
Ash looked up.
"What?"
"It's still there."
---
The sound of footsteps came from inside the house.
Kael emerged first, already dressed and carrying his weapon.
"What happened?"
Riven followed, still rubbing sleep from his eyes.
"Why does everyone look like we're about to fight a god before breakfast?"
Juno came last.
He took one look at Lunaria's expression and immediately became serious.
"What did you detect?"
Lunaria pointed toward the sky.
"Observation."
Juno's eyes narrowed.
"Again?"
Ash looked at him.
"You noticed it too?"
"I suspected it."
Juno walked onto the balcony.
He studied the mana around them carefully.
After several seconds, his expression changed.
"It's not ordinary surveillance."
Kael frowned.
"Then what is it?"
Juno hesitated.
"Something is observing the entire valley without physically entering it."
Riven crossed his arms.
"So we're being watched through some kind of invisible window?"
"Something like that."
Kael's hand moved toward his weapon.
"Can we destroy it?"
Lunaria answered.
"No."
Kael looked at him.
"No?"
"It isn't here."
Riven's expression darkened.
"Then where is it?"
Lunaria looked toward the sky.
"Somewhere we can't reach."
Silence followed.
Ash stepped closer to Lunaria.
"Then why haven't they attacked?"
Lunaria's eyes narrowed.
"Because they're studying us."
Juno slowly nodded.
"That makes sense."
Kael frowned.
"I don't like being studied."
Riven gave a nervous laugh.
"Neither do I."
Lunaria turned away from the balcony.
"Then stop behaving like prey."
---
They moved into the clearing outside the house.
Lunaria instructed them to spread out.
Ash stood near the waterfall.
Kael positioned himself near the trees.
Riven disappeared into the surrounding forest using concealment.
Juno remained near the house, observing the mana currents.
Lunaria stood in the center.
"Don't attack," he said.
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"I want to know what happens when we do nothing."
They waited.
One minute.
Five minutes.
Ten.
Nothing happened.
The valley remained peaceful.
Then Juno suddenly looked upward.
"Lunaria."
Everyone turned.
A tiny black point had appeared high above them.
It was almost impossible to see.
But it was growing.
Slowly.
Like an eye opening.
Ash's heartbeat accelerated.
"That…"
Lunaria lifted his hand.
"Don't move."
The black point widened.
The sky seemed to bend around it.
No thunder.
No explosion.
No attack.
Just an enormous darkness staring down at them.
Then the voice returned.
Not from the sky.
Not from the ground.
Inside their minds.
"You have grown."
Ash's body stiffened.
Kael immediately drew his weapon.
Riven emerged from the trees.
Juno's face became pale.
The voice continued.
"Yet you still do not understand what you are."
Lunaria's eyes narrowed.
"Show yourself."
The darkness remained silent.
Then—
"You are not ready."
Lunaria's aura flickered.
Ash grabbed his arm.
"Don't."
Lunaria looked at him.
Ash shook his head.
"That's exactly what it wants."
For a moment, Lunaria said nothing.
Then his aura disappeared.
The voice seemed amused.
"Interesting."
The black opening in the sky grew slightly larger.
"The Abyss has found an anchor."
Ash felt his stomach drop.
Lunaria stepped forward.
"Leave him out of this."
The voice laughed.
Not loudly.
Not cruelly.
Almost affectionately.
And somehow that made it worse.
"You still don't understand."
The darkness began shrinking.
"I am not threatening him."
Lunaria's expression hardened.
"Then what are you doing?"
A final sentence echoed through their minds.
"I am telling you what will happen."
The opening disappeared.
The sky returned to normal.
The birds resumed singing.
The waterfall continued flowing.
But no one moved.
Ash finally broke the silence.
"What did it mean?"
Lunaria stared at the empty sky.
"I don't know."
Juno's eyes narrowed.
"You're lying."
Lunaria looked at him.
Juno didn't retreat.
"You know something."
Lunaria remained silent.
Kael stepped closer.
"We've trusted you this entire time."
Riven nodded.
"So if you know what that thing is…"
Ash finished quietly.
"Tell us."
Lunaria looked at each of them.
Then his gaze stopped on Ash.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Finally, he spoke.
"There are things older than this world's guilds."
The others listened.
"Older than the ranking system."
His voice became quieter.
"Older than the monsters."
Juno's eyes widened.
"And older than the System?"
Lunaria nodded.
"Yes."
The four hunters exchanged glances.
Kael's grip tightened around his weapon.
"Then what are they?"
Lunaria looked toward the mountains.
"I don't know what they call themselves."
Ash stepped closer.
"But they know you."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Lunaria's expression became distant.
"Because whatever I am…"
He paused.
"…they remember it."
A cold wind passed through the valley.
Ash stared at him.
"You said you barely remember your past."
"I don't."
"Then how can they?"
Lunaria didn't answer.
The silence became uncomfortable.
Then Riven suddenly spoke.
"So what's the plan?"
Lunaria looked at him.
Riven shrugged.
"Something ancient is watching us. Something stronger than the System might be coming. We obviously can't stay here pretending nothing happened."
Kael nodded.
"We leave."
Juno looked toward the house.
"And where do we go?"
Lunaria answered immediately.
"The central cities."
Ash frowned.
"Why?"
"Because if they're watching us, hiding in the valley won't change anything."
He turned toward the house.
"We go where everyone can see us."
Kael smiled.
"Finally."
Riven laughed.
"I was getting tired of waterfalls."
Juno sighed.
"We've only been here a short time."
"Exactly."
Ash looked at Lunaria.
"And you're coming with us?"
Lunaria looked at him.
"Where else would I go?"
Ash smiled.
"Good."
Lunaria's expression softened.
Just slightly.
---
That evening, they began preparing.
Juno organized their supplies.
Kael checked every weapon.
Riven inspected their route.
Ash gathered clothing and food.
Lunaria stood quietly beside the house, watching the waterfall.
The place had become their home.
It was where they had trained.
Where they had fought.
Where they had learned to control their killing intent.
Where they had discovered their berserk states.
Where Lunaria and Ash had grown closer.
Leaving felt strangely painful.
Ash eventually walked over.
"You're going to miss it."
Lunaria looked at the waterfall.
"Yes."
Ash stood beside him.
"Me too."
Neither spoke for a while.
Then Ash smiled.
"We'll come back."
Lunaria looked at him.
"You're certain?"
"Yes."
Ash reached for Lunaria's hand.
"We're not abandoning this place."
Lunaria looked down at their hands.
Then gently held his hand back.
"We'll return."
Ash smiled.
"Promise?"
Lunaria nodded.
"Promise."
Above them, the stars began appearing.
But far beyond the valley—
Something watched.
Something ancient.
Something patient.
And somewhere in the darkness beyond the world they knew, an unseen presence opened its eyes once more.
This time, it wasn't looking at Lunaria.
It was looking at Ash.
A voice whispered through the darkness.
"So that is the one who makes the Abyss hesitate."
A pause.
Then a quiet laugh.
"Interesting."
The darkness closed.
And the next chapter of their journey had already begun.