The moment Joshen stepped into Kame's room, something felt wrong.
"Kame?"
No response.
Kame stood motionless in the center of the room, his entire body trembling.
In his hands rested a single sheet of paper.
Black.
Not merely dark—
It was the same impossible black that seemed to swallow every trace of light around it.
Sweat trickled down Kame's face as his fingers tightened around the paper.
His breathing was uneven.
"...Kame?"
Joshen took another cautious step.
"What happened? What is that thing?"
Kame slowly turned his head.
His eyes were filled with panic.
"K-Keep your distance..."
But before Joshen could react—
The paper trembled.
A low vibration spread through the room.
Neither of them heard it.
They felt it.
As if something had reached directly into their minds.
The walls around them twisted.
The floor beneath their feet rippled like water.
A violent pressure exploded inside Kame's skull.
"...Gh!"
Joshen clutched his head.
"What... is..."
Reality cracked.
The room folded inward.
Sound disappeared.
Light vanished.
For a single terrifying moment...
There was nothing.
Then—
Darkness.
Kame's eyes slowly opened.
A cool breeze brushed against his face.
Instead of a bedroom ceiling...
An endless orange sky stretched above him.
He remained still.
Grass...?
Slowly sitting up, he noticed dry soil beneath his hands.
Fields of golden crops swayed gently in the distance.
Beside him...
Joshen groaned.
"My head..."
The two exchanged confused glances before hurriedly looking around.
Nothing looked familiar.
No mansion.
No factory.
No city.
Only farmland stretching toward the horizon.
The steady sound of metal cutting through crops echoed nearby.
Slice.
Slice.
A farmer worked calmly several meters away, harvesting grain with a sickle.
After a few moments, the man noticed them.
He stopped working and laughed.
"Well now."
"You two planning to sleep there all morning?"
He rested the sickle against his shoulder.
"Or did you drink yourselves unconscious last night?"
Joshen instinctively opened his mouth.
"We actually—"
Kame immediately grabbed his sleeve.
"Master."
His whisper was barely audible.
"...Please don't."
Joshen frowned.
"He'll think we're complete fools."
"...Fair point."
Kame stood and gave the farmer a respectful bow.
"My apologies for troubling you."
"My name is—"
"Henry."
The farmer smiled warmly.
"That's my name."
Kame nodded.
"Mr. Henry."
"We were traveling last night when a group of bandits attacked us."
"We became separated from our companions and wandered until dawn."
"I'm afraid we've completely lost our way."
Henry studied the pair for a few quiet seconds.
Then he let out a sympathetic sigh.
"That's unfortunate."
"You both look exhausted."
He pointed toward a dirt road leading away from the fields.
"My house isn't far."
"Come."
Neither Kame nor Joshen refused.
At the very least...
It was better than standing in the middle of an unfamiliar field with no idea where they were.
Henry's farmhouse stood quietly at the edge of the village.
It was modest, yet surprisingly well kept.
The wooden furniture had been carefully maintained, and the faint aroma of freshly brewed tea filled the room.
"Please."
Henry placed two cups on the table.
"Make yourselves comfortable."
Only after Kame accepted the tea did another person enter.
A young girl carrying a small tray.
Henry smiled.
"My daughter."
"Catia."
She quietly placed the remaining cups on the table before looking curiously at the two strangers.
Henry picked up his hat.
"I still have work waiting for me."
He looked toward his daughter.
"Catia."
"Show our guests around the village."
She gave a small nod.
"...Understood."
Once Henry stepped outside, silence settled over the room.
Kame smiled politely.
"Then..."
"I suppose we'll be in your care for a while."
Catia simply turned toward the door.
"Follow me."
Kame and Joshen exchanged a brief glance before following behind her.
Neither of them noticed...
That the black paper had completely vanished.
The village was peaceful.
Or at least...
That was Kame's first impression.
Children ran through the narrow streets while merchants arranged fresh produce outside their shops. A blacksmith hammered away at glowing metal, and the smell of warm bread drifted from a nearby bakery.
Everything appeared ordinary.
Almost...
Too ordinary.
Kame broke the silence.
"So, Ms. Catia..."
"You have a beautiful village."
He glanced around with a faint smile.
"I have to admit... it's much more peaceful than I expected."
Catia continued walking.
For several steps, she said nothing.
Then...
"Peaceful...?"
A quiet laugh escaped her lips.
"...I wish."
Kame's smile slowly disappeared.
Joshen's expression also stiffened.
Neither of them replied.
There was something about the way she had said those two words.
Not fear.
Not anger.
Resignation.
The conversation died there.
As they continued through the village, Kame paid closer attention to the people around them.
An old woman greeted them with a smile.
A merchant waved cheerfully.
Several villagers politely wished them a pleasant day.
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
Yet...
Something refused to sit right with him.
The smiles.
Every single one looked exactly the same.
The same gentle curve.
The same calm eyes.
The same polite tone.
Almost as if they had practiced it.
Kame quietly observed another passerby.
Then another.
Then another.
Not one expression differed.
"...Do you notice it?" he whispered.
Joshen gave an almost imperceptible nod.
"They're smiling..."
"...but no one's happy."
The realization settled heavily between them.
The villagers answered every question politely.
They laughed when appropriate.
They greeted one another warmly.
But none of it felt genuine.
It felt...
Performed.
As though the entire village had agreed to wear the same expression.
The longer they walked...
The heavier the atmosphere became.
Finally...
A massive structure appeared before them.
A castle.
Its towering walls overlooked the entire village.
Elegant stonework reflected the morning sunlight, while banners fluttered gently from the highest towers.
Kame stopped walking.
"...Was that always there?"
Joshen frowned.
"I don't remember seeing it."
Neither of them spoke again.
The castle dominated the landscape.
It should have been visible from the moment they entered the village.
Yet somehow...
Neither of them had noticed it until now.
Catia continued toward the open gates as if nothing were unusual.
The guards standing outside immediately noticed them.
Kame instinctively tensed.
They're going to stop us.
Instead...
One of the guards stepped aside.
"Welcome."
Another opened the gate wider.
"Please, come in."
Kame blinked.
"...They're letting us enter?"
Joshen didn't answer.
The three walked through the enormous gates without a single question being asked.
Not their names.
Not their purpose.
Nothing.
That silence was far more unsettling than any interrogation.
They had barely crossed the entrance when Kame felt someone behind him.
He turned.
Catia stood only a few steps away.
She looked at him with the same calm expression as before.
Kame forced an awkward laugh.
"You nearly gave me a heart attack."
He scratched the back of his head.
"I didn't even hear you walking."
He chuckled again.
"What are you?"
"Some kind of witch who can erase her own presence?"
Catia simply looked at him.
She neither laughed...
Nor answered.
Kame's smile gradually faded.
A hand suddenly grabbed his sleeve.
Joshen.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
"...You idiot."
"What?"
"You've misunderstood."
Kame frowned.
"The guards..."
Joshen slowly looked toward the castle entrance.
"...They weren't smiling at us."
Kame stared.
"They were greeting us."
The words struck him like a bucket of ice water.
His eyes slowly shifted toward Catia.
Then toward the guards.
Then toward the castle itself.
None of them had welcomed strangers.
They had welcomed...
Them.
Without another word, the two followed Catia deeper into the castle.
Marble pillars stretched toward the ceiling.
Golden chandeliers illuminated long corridors decorated with priceless paintings and elaborate carvings.
Every room reflected wealth.
Power.
Authority.
Yet with every step...
The air grew heavier.
The cheerful atmosphere of the village had completely disappeared.
Silence swallowed the corridors.
Even their footsteps seemed unnaturally loud.
Kame exchanged one final glance with Joshen.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them needed to.
Both understood the same thing.
Whatever was wrong with that village...
Its source lay somewhere inside this castle.
And they had just walked straight into it.