Nam froze for a moment. He had no acquaintances…? Or was this someone who knew the previous owner of his body? With some effort, he turned around.

Luth was smiling at him. His long, black cloak swayed slightly, and his head was tilted to the side. He wore gloves that reached his wrists. Underneath, he had dark-colored pants that didn't restrict his movements and lightweight yet sturdy boots suitable for long walks.

Nam's fear faded. But… wasn't Luth supposed to have cancer? There was a chance he could recover, sure, but the odds of him dying were much higher.

Luth lowered his hand and asked with a curious expression, "Hmm? Is there something on my face?" He began wiping his face.

Nam rubbed his eyes before responding, "N-No, I'm just tired."

Luth walked up to him, looking slightly concerned. "Are you really okay?"

Nam started walking. "Yeah, I'm fine."

Luth followed behind, raising his head slightly as if deep in thought. "What should we do this time?" His gaze shifted, noticing a chain peeking out from Nam's pocket. Without hesitation, he grabbed it.

Nam couldn't even react in time and could only grumble internally, "He's even worse than Acchi!"

Luth's eyes sparkled as he examined the pendant. "What a beautiful antique! Where did you find it?"

There were many shops around—tailors, bookstores, restaurants, and more. The streets were lively, filled with finely dressed people and children running around.

Nam didn't know what to say, so he went with the most classic excuse. "It belonged to my grandfather. He gave it to me."

Luth continued inspecting the pendant. "Your grandfather must've had an eye for antiques."

Nam scratched his cheek. "Is that so?"

Luth flipped the pendant over, raising an eyebrow when he noticed the sword emblem was broken. "Why would they design the sword to be broken?"

Nam had never thought about that before. Why was it broken?

"I don't know." After saying that, he took the pendant back and stuffed it into his pocket.

For the rest of the day, Luth dragged Nam all over the place. By the time they finally sat down on a bench, Nam was out of breath—he had never walked this much before. Meanwhile, Luth seemed completely fine.

Stretching, Luth stood up and casually said, "Well, I'm off!"

Nam forced a smile and waved. "Is he insane? Who walks around this much?"

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Nam got up, realizing once again that he had no idea how to get home. But… maybe it was better not to be home right now.

~ Shadows shift beneath my feet, As echoes start to break, A fleeting dream, a silent cry, A past I can't escape. ~

~ Tell me, tell me, can you hear, The voices lost in time? Or am I drowning in the dark, A fate no longer mine? ~

~ If I step beyond the veil, Will the stars still shine? Or will I fade into the dusk, A ghost of my own mind? ~

Nam heard the song again. He quickly looked around, but it seemed to have ended. The melody alone was enough to hypnotize someone, but Nam wasn't going to fall for it.

He hurried out of the street, picking up a nearby pipe as he kept moving. The area was still empty. Nam stopped, a sense of unease settling in his chest.

Meanwhile, elsewhere—

Larod was still deep in thought. There was almost nothing he could do. What could he even try? All his abilities were sealed—even flying was impossible.

The only thing he could do was trust Nam.

Alright, first, I need to head south before the timeline shifts.

Wait.

Why… why isn't it working?

Is there a mistake?

Se—

Nam glanced around. There was no one in sight, yet he still felt uneasy. As he kept walking, he could hear faint noises—mostly animal sounds.

And then, right in front of him, stood Reina again—this time, looking even angrier.

She drew her sword and took a combat stance.

Nam tightened his grip on the pipe in his hands. He knew he couldn't win, but… if he could find a way to slow her down, maybe he had a chance.

There was a restaurant nearby. Without hesitation, he dashed inside.

Reina hesitated for a moment before lunging after him.

Nam ran into the kitchen, grabbing whatever oil he could find. He shattered a window, jumped out, and quickly moved to the side.

A second later, Reina burst through the wall.

Nam hurriedly poured the oil onto the ground.

Would this be enough to stop her? He had no idea. But it was the only thing he could do right now.

Then, he ran.

He made sure to take the narrowest paths he could find.

Reina was right behind him. The oil on her shoes slowed her down, but not by much—she was still fast.

Nam scanned his surroundings. There was nothing but stone and brick.

At this rate, he was going to die.

Reina lunged forward.

Nam barely managed to throw himself to the ground in time.

He had nowhere left to run.

Reina pressed her sword against his neck.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

The same question again.

Nam smirked. "Why? I was just passing through."

Reina applied more pressure to the blade.

Nam remained calm. "If you kill me, it'll only be bad for you. Do you really think we're the only ones here?"

Reina knew he was right. If she killed him, she'd only cause trouble for herself.

She pulled her sword away and took a few steps forward.

"…Reina," Nam muttered. He was a little surprised, but then added, "Nam Larod."

Reina walked a few more steps. "Tell me everything you know about this place." Her voice carried a threatening edge.

Nam stood up, dusting himself off. "All I know is that we're trapped here."

Reina started walking again. "Follow me."

Nam stumbled after her.

Meanwhile—

Larod was still floating in the void, growing more frustrated by the second. There were random objects around him—a book, a pen, a pillow…

"I wonder what Vaelis is doing…" His voice was weak.

"Damn those Eonhuld bastards…!" His temper snapped as he clenched his fist and punched the emptiness around him.

But punching the void was no different from punching air.

Back with Nam and Reina—

They continued walking. Not a single person was in sight. And yet… it felt like someone was watching them.

As they walked, Nam suddenly asked, "Have you ever heard a song?"

Reina shook her head.

That was strange. It was impossible for her not to have heard it.

Nam reached into his pocket, checking his pendant.

For some reason… it was even more broken than before.

He didn't dwell on it. Instead, he simply kept moving forward.