Sleep didn't come easily.
Every time Elios closed his eyes—
he heard the whispers again.
Faint.
Unclear.
But there.
Sometimes they sounded distant.
Sometimes they sounded right beside him.
And every single time—
the black flow inside him reacted.
Elios slowly opened his eyes again.
Moonlight still spilled through the window.
He hadn't slept at all.
"…Tch…"
His body felt exhausted.
But his mind refused to rest.
The cave remained inside his thoughts constantly now.
The deeper chamber.
The creature.
The distortion.
And worst of all—
that feeling.
The feeling that part of him wanted to go back.
Not for revenge anymore.
Not even for survival.
Something else.
Elios clenched his jaw hard.
"…What the hell is happening to me…"
No answer came.
Only silence.
Then—
a knock.
Soft.
Elios turned slightly toward the door.
"…Brother…?"
Mira.
Her voice sounded hesitant.
Careful.
That hurt more than he expected.
"…Come in."
The door opened slowly.
Mira stepped inside quietly, holding a small bowl of food in both hands.
She stopped near the doorway again.
Still keeping distance unconsciously.
Elios noticed it immediately.
But this time—
he looked away first.
"…Mom said you should eat something."
Her voice remained soft.
Elios stayed silent for a moment before taking the bowl.
"…Thanks."
Mira nodded slightly.
But didn't leave immediately.
The silence between them felt strange now.
Not hostile.
Unfamiliar.
Mira looked at him carefully.
"…Are you going back?"
Elios' hand stopped slightly.
"…What?"
"…The mine."
Her voice became quieter.
"…You're thinking about it again… right?"
Silence.
Elios didn't answer immediately.
Because the worst part was—
she was right.
Even now—
part of him wanted to return.
The cave called to him.
Not literally.
But something inside him felt incomplete away from it.
"…I don't know."
It was the first honest answer he had given in days.
Mira lowered her gaze slightly.
"…Brother…"
Elios looked toward her again.
And froze slightly.
Fear.
Very small.
But there.
Hidden behind her eyes.
Not fear OF him completely.
Fear FOR him.
And somehow—
that hurt even more.
"…I'm fine."
The lie came out automatically.
Mira didn't respond.
Because neither of them believed it.
She quietly turned and walked toward the door.
But before leaving—
she stopped.
"…Please come back this time too."
The door closed softly behind her.
Elios sat silently afterward.
The bowl in his hand suddenly felt heavy.
For several long moments—
he simply stared downward.
Then—
the black flow stirred again.
Not visibly.
Internally.
A pulse beneath his skin.
Elios' breathing slowed slightly.
And suddenly—
the food smelled wrong.
His eyes narrowed immediately.
The scent filling the room no longer smelled normal.
Weak.
Almost tasteless.
His stomach twisted painfully.
Hunger.
Violent hunger.
Elios immediately stood.
The bowl fell from his hand and shattered across the floor.
His breathing became unstable instantly.
"…No…"
The hunger felt different this time.
Stronger than before.
His body almost hurt from it.
The black flow pulsed harder beneath his skin.
His vision flickered slightly.
For a split second—
the broken food on the ground looked rotten.
Then normal again.
Elios grabbed the side of the wall hard enough to crack wood beneath his fingers.
"…Stop…"
The hunger worsened.
And then—
a smell reached him.
Blood.
Fresh blood.
Elios froze instantly.
His senses sharpened violently.
Too sharply.
Outside—
someone nearby had cut themselves slightly while working.
That tiny scent reached him clearly.
And for one horrifying second—
his body reacted instinctively.
Move.
Elios' eyes widened immediately.
"…What…"
Fear crawled across him slowly.
Not fear of monsters.
Not fear of death.
Fear of what his instincts had just done.
The black flow pulsed harder.
The whispers returned faintly.
His breathing became rough.
And suddenly—
the room felt too small.
Elios immediately turned and opened the window violently.
Cold air rushed inside.
He stepped outside without thinking.
The night wind hit his face hard.
But even that didn't calm the hunger completely.
"…Damn it…"
His hands trembled slightly now.
Not from weakness.
From restraint.
Elios looked toward the distant mountains.
Toward the cave.
And the moment his eyes landed there—
the hunger eased slightly.
Just slightly.
That realization terrified him immediately.
Because now—
he understood the truth.
The cave wasn't just changing his body anymore.
It was changing what felt normal to him.
And deep inside—
Black Veil responded quietly.
Almost happily.
End.