After leaving the room, Jack made his way back to the cafeteria. The moment he stepped inside, he was met with the same chaos he had left behind. The air was thick with fear and confusion; voices clashed with one another, echoing off the cold stone walls. Nobody knew what was happening, and the sight of Jack storming out earlier had only worsened the panic.

For the soldiers and survivors gathered there, their only pillar of hope had looked shaken, almost alarmed. If even Jack—the one who had kept them alive thus far—seemed unsettled, what did that mean for them? In a world where death lurked in every shadow, that kind of uncertainty was enough to send hearts into freefall.

Jack didn't let himself be swayed by their fear. He forced his tone steady, clear, and commanding as he raised his voice above the commotion.

"Listen, everyone." His gaze swept over them like a blade, silencing most of the murmurs. "We still don't know what exactly happened to those people. But what I am certain of is that this isn't a coincidence. Every single one of the victims was in the gymnasium when we found them. That means something must have attacked them—something caused this situation you all saw."

His words struck like sparks on dry tinder.

"What?"

"Something attacked them?"

"What could that be?"

"Is the monster still here with us?"

"Or is it a virus?"

Fear blossomed in the crowd. Whispers turned into frantic mutters, their voices overlapping in waves of panic. Some turned pale, others clenched their fists in denial. The image of their loved ones, frozen and broken, weighed heavily on them.

Jack raised a hand and continued in the same calm, unwavering tone.

"Please. Listen carefully." His words cut through their noise. "I don't yet know what we're dealing with, but I do know one thing: your loved ones are not dead. They're still alive, and they will remain alive."

He shifted his gaze toward Lune for the briefest of moments. She gave him a subtle nod, a silent confirmation. It was enough.

Death required time, and in this fractured world, time itself had no grip. That much he understood. If nothing else, it bought them a chance.

"What we need to do now," Jack pressed on, "is find the cause and reverse it. But for that, I need your cooperation. Do not touch them. Do not try to move them with your hands. If you do, you'll end up like those who already tried—look at their frozen limbs."

He gestured to the injured, their arms and hands marred with unnatural frost. The reminder drew a collective shudder.

"Until we know more," Jack said firmly, "do not touch them."

For a moment, silence held. Then came the inevitable questions.

"When are you going to figure it out?" someone asked, desperation lacing their tone.

Jack exhaled slowly. "I don't know yet. I'll need time to study this. I'm still a fairly new Chronist—I won't pretend I have all the answers."

"Then… are you certain you can save them?" another voice cut in, trembling.

Jack's expression hardened. He didn't answer immediately, staring instead at the man who had spoken. That question weighed on him more than any other. It wasn't one he could dismiss lightly. Even Lune, powerful as she was, had looked skeptical.

The truth was simple: the task ahead was nearly impossible. But Jack wasn't someone who measured himself against the impossible.

'I know who I am. I know what I can do.'

He thought of his mother, her face, her words. The vow he had made to save her burned through his doubts like fire.

'Being special isn't enough. I need to reach further, exceed everything I am, until there's nothing left to hold me back.'

When he finally spoke, his voice was steady, resolute.

"I can't promise you that. It would be childish to claim I can save them when I don't know the full truth yet."

Gasps spread across the cafeteria. Disappointment, even anger, rippled through them.

But Jack wasn't done.

"What I can promise," he continued, his tone sharp as steel, "is that I will try everything in my power. And that should be more than enough." His eyes burned with conviction. "Now, we'll move the victims to a safer place."

Someone hesitated. "…How? You just said we can't touch them."

Jack's lips curved into a thin smile. "Who said you need to?"

The solution came swiftly. Under Jack's orders, people brought thick blankets and spread them out beside the victims. Carefully, cautiously, they used the fabric to scoop the afflicted bodies and transport them. It was a strange and solemn procession, but it worked.

One by one, the victims were moved into a quieter section of the building where twelve beds had been hastily arranged. The room grew heavy with the sound of shallow, frozen breaths.

When the task was done, Jack chose two soldiers. "You'll guard this room at all times. No one goes near them unless I say so. Not for any reason."

"Yes, sir."

Jack turned away, his mind already racing ahead. "Where's the general?" he asked the nearest soldier.

The man fidgeted, looking uncomfortable. "We… we tried to summon him, sir. But he's… busy."

Jack's eyes narrowed. "Busy?" His gut tightened with unease. "He should know what's happening already. What could possibly keep him now?"

Evelyn crossed her arms, suspicion flickering in her sharp gaze. "Then we'll go to him ourselves."

Jack nodded. "Agreed."

The general's office lay in its own sector, protected by thick stone walls and guarded heavily by soldiers. The closer they drew, the more Jack noticed the change. The men stationed here looked different. Their jaws were tense, their eyes darting toward shadows, their hands gripped their weapons a little too tightly.

Unease hung in the air like a storm cloud.

Jack exchanged a brief look with Evelyn but said nothing. Together, they reached the heavy door and pushed it open.

The sight that greeted them made both of them stop cold.

"Heya~!"

Sommeil's cheerful voice rang out, utterly out of place in the suffocating room. He was sprawled casually in the general's chair, smiling as though he owned the place. Herman, meanwhile, stood stiff on the other side of the desk, his face flushed with barely contained fury—as though he were being strangled by invisible hands.

Jack narrowed his eyes. "So. You finally decided to come back."

Sommeil tilted his head with a grin. "Ah, yeah. My bad. Things outside got… more interesting than I expected. Cleaning up the city took longer than planned. But hey, it worked out."

"Did it?" Jack muttered, recalling the ominous sky above them. His tone hardened. "Then tell me—what exactly did you do to the sky?"

"Oh, that?" Sommeil waved a hand like it was nothing. "Just one of my little tricks." His lips curled mischievously.

"Little tricks?" Herman slammed his fist against the desk, his voice trembling with rage. "Changing the sky itself is a small trick? This wasn't what we agreed on!"

Sommeil's grin widened, unbothered. "Oh, but it was, general. I told you this city would become part of the Eternal Night domain, and you accepted. Happily, might I add."

"You didn't tell me the specifics!" Herman barked.

"And you didn't ask." Sommeil clucked his tongue like a disappointed parent. "Come now, general. You're not a child, are you? Don't blame me for your lack of caution."

"You—!" Herman's rage boiled over.

"Calm yourself." Sommeil chuckled, wagging a finger. "Shouting's not good for your health."

"You—!"

"Wait." Evelyn's sharp voice cut through before the argument spiraled. She stepped forward, her gaze locked on Sommeil. "Enough of this nonsense. What happened to the city? We need to know, now."

Sommeil blinked. "Hm?"

"A wave of energy swept through not long ago," Evelyn pressed. "The surviving monsters became stronger. Was that your doing?"

Sommeil rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Aaah, that. Yeah, that's part of the change. Consider it step one. The world's shifting too quickly now—essence is spreading everywhere, faster than it should. I just… hastened the process for this city."

The room fell silent.

Sommeil's grin lingered, bright and careless. "What's with those faces?"

Jack clenched his fists. This guy… is he a genius or an idiot? Or both at the same time?

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