Haruto turned the stone over again.
Nothing.
Just rough surface.
No hidden message.
No second line.
Only that one word.
Continue.
He stared for a while.
Then put it back.
Belial watched.
"…that's it?"
Haruto looked over.
"…what?"
Belial tilted its head.
"…you're not gonna think deeply about it?"
Haruto looked at the stone.
Thought.
Then shrugged.
"…not really."
Belial blinked.
"…seriously?"
Haruto stood.
Dusted sand off his hands.
"…someone left a word."
He looked around.
"…good for them."
Belial stared.
Haruto glanced over.
"…what?"
Belial looked at him strangely.
"…you usually think too much."
Haruto looked ahead.
Thought.
Then nodded.
"…fair."
The wind moved between the stones.
It sounded different here.
Not quieter.
Just interrupted.
Like the stone cut the emptiness into smaller pieces.
Haruto walked around.
The place wasn't large.
Maybe enough for several people.
Maybe not.
Hard to tell.
The layout didn't feel planned.
More like—
someone started placing stones.
Then stopped.
Then came back.
Then stopped again.
No center.
No symmetry.
No decoration.
Just enough.
Belial slowly followed.
Haruto looked at a section of stacked stone.
Uneven.
Too low to block wind.
Too deliberate to be natural.
He crouched.
Touched it.
Nothing.
Cold.
He moved to another.
Same.
Then another.
His eyes narrowed.
Belial noticed.
"…what?"
Haruto stood.
Looked around again.
"…someone stayed here for a while."
Belial looked.
"…because of the ash?"
Haruto shook his head.
Pointed.
"…look."
Belial stared.
Haruto walked to another pile.
Then another.
Then another.
Belial followed.
Haruto stopped.
Turned.
Looked around.
Then quietly said—
"…there are paths."
Belial blinked.
Haruto pointed.
Small gaps.
Spaces between stones.
Natural walking routes.
Not obvious.
But there.
Belial stared.
Then slowly looked around again.
Its ears twitched.
Haruto looked ahead.
"…people don't build paths unless they expect to walk them again."
Belial stayed quiet.
Haruto looked around.
Then quietly added—
"…or expect someone else to."
Silence.
The wind passed.
Haruto looked toward the old ash.
Someone sat there.
Moved there.
Walked here.
Repeated.
Not survival.
Routine.
He looked up.
The sky remained empty.
Then quietly asked—
"…Belial."
Belial looked.
Haruto kept looking ahead.
"…how old do you think this place is?"
Belial stared.
Then answered honestly.
"…I don't know."
Haruto nodded.
That answer didn't bother him anymore.
After a while—
he sat beside one of the stone walls.
Not because he was tired.
Just because he wanted to.
Belial slowly walked over.
Sat too.
Neither spoke.
The silence stayed.
Eventually—
Haruto asked—
"…do you ever stay anywhere?"
Belial blinked.
Looked over.
Then looked away.
"…sometimes."
Haruto nodded.
"…where?"
Belial thought.
Long enough.
Then—
"…places I know."
Haruto looked at it.
"…and then?"
Belial shrugged.
"…I leave."
Haruto stared.
"…why?"
Belial didn't answer immediately.
Its eyes moved over the stones.
Then quietly said—
"…because if I stay too long…"
A pause.
"…I start expecting things."
Haruto looked at it.
Belial kept staring ahead.
"…I don't like expectations."
Haruto looked around.
Then quietly asked—
"…because things disappear?"
Belial didn't answer.
That answer was enough.
The wind passed.
Haruto leaned back slightly.
Then laughed quietly.
Belial looked over.
"…what?"
Haruto looked at the stones.
"…this place is weird."
Belial blinked.
Haruto shrugged.
"…someone made all this."
He looked around.
"…then left."
Belial nodded.
"…yeah."
Haruto looked ahead.
"…that's kind of cool."
Belial stared.
Haruto continued.
"…they didn't carve their name."
He pointed.
"…didn't say remember me."
Pointed at the ash.
"…didn't preserve the fire."
He looked around.
"…they just left enough for somebody to notice."
Silence.
Belial looked away.
Then quietly—
"…that sounds lonely."
Haruto thought.
Long enough.
Then shook his head.
"…I don't think so."
Belial looked over.
Haruto looked at the old ash.
Then said—
"…if they wanted to stay…"
He pointed at the stones.
"…they would've made walls."
He pointed at the paths.
"…if they wanted to be remembered…"
He looked at the hidden message.
"…they would've left a name."
Silence.
Haruto leaned back.
Looked upward.
"…I think they just wanted whoever came next to continue walking."
Belial stared.
Then looked at the old fire.
Quiet.
After a while—
it quietly asked—
"…do you want that?"
Haruto blinked.
Looked over.
Belial kept looking ahead.
"…when you leave things."
Haruto looked away.
Thought.
Long enough.
Then smiled slightly.
Small.
Tired.
Real.
"…I don't know."
He looked at his hands.
Then quietly said—
"…I think…"
A pause.
"…I just don't want to disappear before I stop."
The wind moved again.
Neither spoke.
The stones stayed.
The old ash stayed.
The tiny hidden message stayed.
And for the first time—
Haruto didn't feel like he was walking through someone else's remains.
It felt—
briefly—
like people had survived here.
Not forever.
Just enough.
As the sunless sky slowly dimmed—
Haruto stood.
Looked at the old fire.
Then quietly said—
"…let's make dinner."
Belial immediately looked up.
"…YOU HAVE DINNER??"
Haruto looked at it.
"…no."
Belial stared.
"…THEN WHY DID YOU SAY IT LIKE THAT?"
Haruto started walking.
"…felt right."
Belial stood.
"…THAT IS NOT HOW DINNER WORKS."
For the first time in a while—
Haruto laughed.
And the stones stayed silent.