Aren and the purple-haired girl left the cave at the same time. Once they were outside, Aren paused and turned to look at her.

"Alright," he said, "let's discuss this thing you want to do. I'm not really comfortable with someone following me, especially someone I don't know."

She looked at him and tilted her head to the side, like a puppy trying to understand what he was saying.

"There isn't really anything to discuss," she replied. "Either I follow you with your permission, or I stalk you and make things even more difficult for you."

Aren groaned deeply and ran a hand over his face.

"Fine. First things first, what's your name?" he asked.

"Zero," she replied.

"Huh?" Aren frowned. "What did you say?"

"My name is Zero," she repeated.

"What kind of name is Zero?" he asked.

"There's a reason for it," she said.

Placing both hands behind her back, she started walking ahead, swinging her legs freely as she moved.

"And what's the reason?" Aren asked, following behind her.

"Well," she began, "I'm not a full awakened."

"Huh?" Aren said. "What do you mean by that?"

"Let me put it in simpler terms," she said calmly. "I'm not the same type of human as you."

She glanced back at him.

"I'm not really supposed to tell you what I am, but I guess it's fine. It's not like you're going to tell anyone my secret. After all, I know you are Shadow."

"Wait, what?" Aren stopped short. "How do you know that? I didn't tell you i am Shadow"

She shrugged. "People don't just get that angry at someone for using someone else's name. You lost it because that guy was bearing the name 'Shadow.' That's personal."

She continued walking as she spoke.

"So I put two and two together. I know you are shadow. Plus, every ability you use is black or related to shadows. That, combined with your strength, makes it obvious, unlike that guy," she added casually.

Aren let out a sigh.

"Yeah… I guess it is pretty obvious."

He looked at her again. "So what exactly are you?"

She smiled brightly.

"I'm a hybrid experiment of sorts," she said. "My mom was a trueborn, and my dad was a scientist from the real world. She was one of the very few allowed to leave the domain and come to the planet, the real world."

She paused, then continued, still smiling.

"During whatever experiments my dad was doing, with her involved, I guess, something happened. They fell in love, and they had me. A hybrid. I was born with trueborn capabilities, but I'm still able to awaken and participate in the trials."

She finished proudly.

Aren stared at her in shock.

"I feel like I just listened to something extremely illegal," he said slowly.

There were no records of hybrids existing anywhere in the world. None at all. If beings like her truly existed, then that information had to be heavily classified.

And yet, he had just been given it, just like that.

"Yup. It's pretty illegal," she said, "but you wouldn't tell anyone."

"Yeah, definitely," Aren replied. "I don't want to get mixed up in whatever this is."

He paused for a moment, something bothering him.

"If you're a trueborn, then why participate in the trials at all?" he asked. "Even if you can, it's just a killing fest. None of our lives are secure, and everyone's scared to die."

"Because I have to," she replied.

Her tone suddenly changed, solemn and pained, as if something was hidden behind all the smiles she'd been wearing.

Aren looked at her.

"Why?"

"I need to save my mother," she said quietly, lowering her gaze. The pain was clear on her face. "I have to help humanity succeed in the trials. That's the only way to save her."

Aren heard her words, and he could see the sadness practically oozing from her. He wanted to ask for more details, wanted to understand, but when he looked at her again, he could tell this wasn't something easy to talk about. They barely knew each other.

So he didn't pry.

"Whatever it is," he said instead, "I'm sure you'll find her at the end."

She looked up and cracked a small smile, her eyes slightly teary.

"I guess I will," she replied.

She wiped her eyes and kept walking.

"It's because of my father that I became so invested in learning about things from the domain," she said after a moment. "Every experiment, every curiosity, it all came from staying with him for too long. I didn't get to be with my mother much, so barely anything of her rubbed off on me."

"I see," Aren said. "That explains your obsession with experiments."

He paused, then added, "But that being said, I'm not from the domain. So why are you following me?"

"Because I'm curious about you," she replied. "I don't know how to put it yet, but it is what it is. I'll have to observe you to figure out what exactly is pulling me toward you."

"Tsk. Fine," Aren said.

She giggled, smiling brightly.

"That's better," she said. "Now I don't need to stalk you."

Aren let out a tired sigh and kept walking.

Soon, they emerged from the forest, and the city of Raven came into view ahead.

"Alright," Aren said, "once we get in, I'm probably going to sleep and handle some other things. You don't plan on following me to my room, right?"

"Oh, no no no," she said quickly. "I'm not that crazy."

Aren was just about to sigh in relief when she added,

"But I'll book a room directly opposite yours, so I can know whenever you try to sneak out."

She said it with an innocent smile.

"…Fuck me," Aren muttered.

She let out a giggle and continued walking, he watched her walk of a little then followed behind.

They got into the town and he went to submit the egg and collect his rewards. Then the both of them went ti get some food before retiring for the day when the skies got darker.

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