The door loomed ahead.

They were taller than Ryn remembered, probably because he was stuck in a kid's body, but the sheer grandness of it all never escaped him.

Outside.

The hunters gathered in a loose line near the entrance.

Most of them looked unwell.

Pale skin, sunken eyes, and slow movement. Some coughed quietly into their sleeves, others leaned too heavily on their spears. They wore layers and layers of protective cloth and hardened leather, charms tied around their wrists and necks, small talismans clinking softly whenever they took a step.

At the front stood the hunt leader—a broad-shouldered man with graying hair and a scar running down one cheek. He moved stiffly as well, but seemed to be handling it better than the rest.

"We're not staying out long," he said, voice carrying easily. "But we're not coming back empty-handed either."

A few hunters straightened at that.

"There's been movement near the eastern ridge," he continued. "Large tracks. If we're lucky, we bring down something big."

Mazin frowned immediately.

"That's a bad idea," he said.

The leader glanced back, unimpressed. "What was that?"

"Big game's risky," Mazin replied. "We should split up. Go for smaller animals. They're more plentiful, and they don't attract attention."

A few of the hunters exchanged looks.

The leader snorted. "We're not chasing scraps."

"It's not scraps," Mazin said, irritation bleeding into his voice. "Most of the smarter animals are already corrupted. Big ones don't stay alone."

"I've been hunting since before you could lift a spear," the man snapped. "We need meat. Two large kills minimum."

Mazin opened his mouth to argue—

—and stopped.

His jaw tightened.

Ryn saw it: the moment Mazin realized his words would never reach the man.

Kato hadn't spoken at all.

He stood near them yet slightly apart, spear held loosely at his side, eyes fixed on the doors, like he was trying to hype himself up.

The hunters began adjusting straps and checking their gear. One man muttered a short prayer under his breath.

Ryn glanced down at himself, and then to the other two boys. No armor or charms, just the spear in his hands.

Ryn felt the Evernight pressing faintly against his senses even through the stone, dull and oppressive but…familiar.

So this really is what Kato meant, Ryn realized.

Adaptation.

He exhaled slowly, tension easing from his shoulders without him noticing.

The leader raised a hand. "We move together. Stay alert. And listen when I give orders."

Mazin's fingers twitched at his side.

Then he nodded once.

"Fine," he said.

The doors began to slide open.

Ryn took one last look back at the city behind them, the ruins that he'd come to see just a few hours ago, then stepped forward with the others.

Into the Evernight.

For the first few seconds, Ryn had slightly expected his veins to darken and his mind to be flooded with voices, the usual symptoms of the Evernight.

However…none of it did.

The air felt heavier, like breathing through damp cloth, but it didn't burn, no pressure clawing at his throat.

Ryn blinked.

He flexed his fingers once. Then again.

Nothing.

Around him, the hunters shifted uneasily.

One of them coughed, doubling over for a moment before straightening with a grimace. Another rubbed at his forearm where faint discoloration had already begun to spread beneath the skin.

Ryn glanced down at himself.

Still normal.

Mazin rolled his shoulders, testing the weight of the spear in his hands. "See?" he said quietly. "Told you."

Kato said nothing, but his breathing hadn't changed. His steps were steady, unhurried, as if the Evernight were nothing more than a light rain.

Ryn watched him closely.

No reaction at all.

The realization settled deeper than he expected.

They moved forward.

The ground beyond the doors sloped gently downward, stone giving way to hard-packed earth. The sky above was the same as he'd seen countless times, almost ingrained into his memories at this point.

A pitch black, like someone had doused paint all over the sky, so much so that even stars couldn't shine through. The only saving grace that kept them going was the moon and its dim light.

Ahead of them, the hunting party spread out, movements cautious but practiced. They lowered both their spears and their gaze.

The leader raised a fist, signaling a halt.

Ryn's gaze followed the man's line of sight.

At the edge of a clearing, something moved.

A deer stepped into view.

It looked… normal.

Its coat was intact, eyes clear, no visible blemish on its fur or any deformities on its limbs. It sniffed the air, unaware—or uncaring—of the danger that was creeping toward it.

A low murmur was exchanged between the hunters.

The leader grinned before turning back to throw an off-hand comment at Mazin.

"Told you."

The leader lowered his fist, already moving as he made a hand signal for the rest to approach.

"Circle it," he said. "Nice and slow."

The hunters spread out, boots crunching softly against dirt. They angled their spears upward, grips tightening as they fanned into a loose half-circle in the deer's escape path.

The three boys, along with the hunt leader, remained at the front to fight it head-on.

Ryn moved with them, heart steady.

The deer lifted its head, ears twitching. It took a step back, but didn't bolt.

Mazin frowned.

"…Something's off," he muttered.

The leader shot him a look. "You see corruption?"

"No," Mazin replied. "That's the problem."

The man scoffed. "It's prey."

He raised his hand again. "On my mark—"

Ryn glanced sideways.

Kato had stopped.

He wasn't watching the deer.

His gaze had drifted past it, deeper into the treeline beyond the clearing. His grip on the spear tightened.

Then, quietly—

"…There."

Kato lifted his chin slightly.

Ryn followed his line of sight and saw it.

At first, he saw nothing.

Then the darkness behind the trees shifted.

Something massive adjusted its weight.

A hulking silhouette of a monstrosity emerged from the shadows, its fur matted and warped, its body too large to be mistaken for prey. Multiple eyes glinted faintly as its head lowered, teeth flashing white as it knew that the prey had been caught in its bait.

"Steady," The leader raised his hand again. "Go!"

"NO—WAIT!" Ryn shouted, arm snapping forward.

But it was too late.

The bear charged out from its hiding spot and plowed straight through the front line. A hunter disappeared underneath its weight, with a wet thud. Another was sent flying, his spear snapping uselessly as he slammed into a nearby tree hard enough that he didn't get back up.

Shouts exploded across the clearing.

"Scatter—!"

"No, hold the line—!"

Too late.

The bear swung one massive forelimb, claws tearing through cloth and bone alike, bodies thrown aside like broken tools. A man screamed once before the sound cut off abruptly.

Ryn stumbled back, shock freezing his limbs.

He tried to move his body, but it felt heavy, like he was no longer in control of it.

The leader shouted orders that no one followed. Hunters broke formation instantly, panic ripping through them faster than the Evernight ever could.

Then—

—the deer screamed.

Ryn's head snapped around.

The deer convulsed where it stood, legs buckling as its spine arched violently. Its hide darkened, fur peeling back in strips as bone cracked and stretched beneath it.

Antlers tore their way out of its skull, splitting, twisting, growing into jagged branches slick with blackened ichor.

What stood there a heartbeat later was no deer.

It stood on two legs, joints bending the wrong way as it lurched upright.

Then it pounced.

A hunter barely had time to turn before it landed on him, claws punching through his chest as it lifted him off the ground. The body was thrown aside like a discarded toy as the creature let out another blood-gargling scream.

The clearing became chaos.

Two monsters.

No escape.

Ryn felt someone grab his shoulder—Mazin.

"MOVE!" Mazin shouted.

They ran.

Behind them, the bear smashed through another hunter, crushing him against a boulder with a dull, final sound. It lunged after the others, tearing through the scattered group with terrifying speed.

The raid leader stumbled, trying to back away, eyes wide.

"Hold—hold your ground!" he yelled, voice cracking.

But there was no one left to follow his commands.

The bear turned toward him.

The leader raised his spear in shaking hands.

It snapped like a twig.

The bear slammed into him, jaws closing once before a big eruption of blood and gore flew into the air.

Ryn skidded to a stop, chest heaving.

When he looked back, the clearing was still.

Because there was no one left screaming.

Blood darkened the ground where the hunters had fallen. The bear stood over the leader's body. The deer lurked nearby, antlers scraping against the trees as it tried to find them

Only three figures remained standing at the edge of the carnage.

Ryn—Nico.

Mazin.

Kato.

They all threw their hands up to cover their mouths, afraid that just a single breath…

Could get them all killed.

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