Ryn's body reacted before his head did. Snow was halfway out of its sheath as he turned, stance shifting into a defensive angle despite the protest from his back.

"Tch…"

He forced the pain down and fixed his gaze on the source.

Ryn had to pray that the sound came from petty bandits or some weak monster. Fighting in his current state would just spell out his death sentence.

For a heartbeat, the ruins remained as they were.

Then someone stepped out from behind a broken pillar.

Ryn blinked.

It was a kid.

A boy, maybe twelve at most. Dark blue hair hung loosely around his face, slightly messy, like it hadn't been cut for a while. His clothes were plain and travel-worn, not torn or bloodied. But the thing that caught Ryn's attention the most was his piercing golden eyes.

He raised both hands slowly, palms open.

"I didn't mean to startle you," the boy said. "Sorry…"

His voice was quiet, but even from a few meters away, Ryn could hear it clearly.

Ryn didn't lower his sword.

A kid didn't belong here. Not this deep into ruins that even monsters avoided.

"Stay where you are," Ryn said, breath steady despite the ache running through his back. "This place isn't safe."

The boy tilted his head slightly, as if considering that.

"…Isn't it?"

That answer put Ryn on edge far more than defiance would have.

"You're injured," the boy added, glancing at Ryn's posture. "Your back, mostly."

Ryn's grip tightened.

"…Who are you?"

The boy hesitated for a fraction of a second, so brief Ryn almost missed it.

"My name's Kato," he said at last. "I'm an explorer. I like old places."

He lowered his hands, but didn't take a step forward.

"I didn't think anyone else would be here."

Ryn studied him carefully, searching for any hostility or killing intent behind his gentle expression.

Yet, he found none.

"You're not a dwarf," Ryn said flatly. "And the borders are sealed."

"...How are you here?"

Kato smiled faintly and politely.

"Well," he said after a moment, "things happened. I ended up here."

That wasn't really an answer.

"I don't really have anywhere else to be," Kato added. "So I travel. Sometimes I find things people are willing to buy."

"My Blessing is… sensitive," he replied. "It notices changes most people don't."

"That's how I found you."

Ryn let out a slow breath.

Snow slid back into its sheath with a soft click, though his hand lingered there a moment longer than necessary. The pain in his back throbbed dully as he straightened.

Though [Enhanced Senses] remained active at all times.

If this kid made a wrong move, he'd know.

"For now," Ryn said, more to himself than anyone else.

Kato noticed anyway.

He watched Ryn with quiet interest, head tilted just slightly, as if cataloging details most people would miss. After a moment, he spoke again.

"So," he said gently, "what about you?"

Ryn glanced at him.

"What brings you here?"

The question was simple and unassuming. Yet, Ryn had no concrete answer.

He considered deflecting the question, but decided against it.

"I'm following a lead," he said. "That's all."

Kato hummed softly, not pressing further.

Instead, his gaze drifted past Ryn, toward the arches and broken walkways stretching deeper into the city.

"You wouldn't be here if you didn't care about the past," he said definitively.

"Most people see ruins and think danger. Or treasure."

His eyes returned to Ryn.

"You're looking for stories."

"I can tell," he continued. "As we're the same in that regard."

Ryn kept silent, observing the kid before coming to any conclusions.

Kato smiled faintly again, that same polite curve of the lips.

"I've been here before," he said. "A long time ago. I just… felt like coming back."

He shifted his weight, hands clasped loosely behind his back.

"If you want," Kato continued, "I can tell you what I know about this place."

A pause.

"Care to walk with me?"

Ryn studied him for a long second.

"…You're setting terms," he said finally.

Kato shrugged.

"Was just an offer."

The city around them remained silent, as if listening in on their conversation.

Ryn exhaled slowly, then gave a small nod.

"Fine," he said. "Show me."

Kato turned without another word and started deeper into the ruins.

After a heartbeat, Ryn followed.

They walked in silence at first.

The city unfolded around them in layers. Narrow streets winding between collapsed homes, archways leading into small courtyards. Most of the structures were low and compact, built mostly by necessity rather than comfort or decoration.

Ryn's gaze moved constantly.

This place wasn't a storage or some kind of emergency bunker.

It was a place meant to live, and the details showed—with minute things such as various ramps for the disabled, along with lines that felt like they were used for transporting of goods.

"You've been here before," Ryn said at last.

Kato nodded, stepping around a fallen column without breaking stride.

"I've seen a few places like this," he replied. "They all tend to share the same signs."

Ryn raised an eyebrow.

"Such as?"

Kato gestured lightly at the surrounding structures.

"Everything's reinforced," he said. "Thick walls. Narrow entrances. Streets that mostly curve instead of running straight."

He paused beside what might once have been a doorway, fingers brushing the stone absentmindedly.

"That usually means people weren't trying to keep others out," Kato continued. "They were trying to keep something from getting in."

Ryn glanced around again, seeing it now.

"…So you think they were hiding."

"Mm," Kato nodded.

Ryn studied him out of the corner of his eye.

"That's a lot to conclude just from architecture."

Kato smiled faintly.

"It's not the buildings," he said. "It's the absence."

Ryn slowed.

"Absence of what?"

"Security," Kato replied. "Guard posts or places meant to be seen in general."

Ryn looked up at the stone ceiling far above.

"They weren't waiting for help," the kid said softly. "They were waiting it out."

Ryn didn't respond immediately.

The deduction was reasonable. Logical, even.

And that was what bothered him.

"…You sound pretty confident for someone just passing through," Ryn said.

Kato shrugged lightly.

"I might be wrong."

They walked a little farther before Ryn finally spoke again.

"If you're right," he said, playing the fool, "then whatever they were hiding from had to be catastrophic."

Kato slowed.

"…What kind of disaster do you think it was?" Ryn asked. "One that would make an entire city disappear like this?"

Kato didn't turn around right away.

When he answered, his voice was calm. Almost distant.

"One that makes creatures go wild," he said. "That twists them. Changes how they behave."

Ryn's steps faltered.

Kato glanced back at him, yellow eyes catching the dim light.

"The same kind," he continued, "that's happening in Moran right now."

The words settled heavily between them.

Ryn's grip tightened around Snow.

"…You knew."

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