Right after the midnight clock struck, Halo found himself dragged out of his room.

He wanted to put up a fight until he realized the owner of the inn was behind it all. They were fierce and seemingly dangerous, the scars across their bodies said that much. He was certain he could have finished them off without much effort.

Yet he endured as they humiliated him and laughed while the old woman simply followed behind, acting as though she was going to choke on her own breath.

"You think you are a big shot, don't you? All you had to do was like the meal."

Halo watched as they acted as though the world revolved around them. He was going to kill them without much thought of whether they intended to kill him. But what the old woman said gave him a glimpse of what was going on.

"Get him out there and let the Sinners eat his brains out."

The moment she spoke, she returned to her room.

Silas was the real moneymaker and everyone came for his cooking. Since Halo was the only lodger, the rooms generated no income. Now the owner blamed him for Silas's death and wanted him killed by Chaos Eaters, as if he'd forced the chef to transform.

In seconds, the two men hurled Halo and his luggage into the street. They stood there laughing smugly, like they'd won some grand fight, before locking him out.

Halo sneered and rose to his feet.

This was bad.

His mental discipline protected him from Chaos Eaters, but that wouldn't save him from mob justice. This place was eager to blame anyone but the real puppet master behind the Sinners. Once he drew attention, he'd be a target. His connection to Silas's death would give them all the reason they needed.

It felt as though everything was crashing down.

He'd anticipated a move from the inn owner and the people around her, but not this soon.

He scanned his surroundings rapidly, calculating his options. Escaping the land was too risky, guards would be posted at every exit. And if they had a hand in creating the Chaos Eaters, they wouldn't hesitate to kill him in the name of that mission.

After weighing his options, he decided on a gamble. He'd seek out Boss, the man was far too indifferent to concern himself with Halo's circumstances. But before he could take a step, a voice stopped him.

"Halo, come here…"

When he turned in its direction, someone was watching him from an alleyway. The figure beckoned urgently, gesturing for him to approach.

He was puzzled but sure the voice had spoken his name. Beyond Aeliana and Boss, Silas was the only one who'd known it. And Halo had killed him with his own hands.

As he debated whether to get closer to this mysterious person, he finally heard footsteps approaching.

Clearly troubled, he hurried toward this person. The instant he got a better look at the person, his expression darkened.

A girl with golden eyes, long dark hair, and a blue shirt stood before him. What struck him most were her doll-like features. He couldn't pinpoint why, but she seemed familiar.

Without sparing a moment, the girl gestured for him to follow.

"Follow me, please."

The words left her so politely, Halo couldn't help but comply.

He trailed behind her as they navigated from alley to alley, mysteriously evading every Chaos Eater. Finally, his confusion overwhelmed him.

"Who are you?"

He whispered.

"I'm sorry… can we chat once we get home?"

'Home?'

His confusion deepened with each moment. But he had nowhere else to be, and unless her deception surpassed his survival instincts, he was fairly certain she meant no harm.

They wandered deep into the citadel, nearing the luxurious and scenic streets reserved for the rich and powerful.

All the buildings around were identically structured, making it impossible for an outsider to tell which one belonged to them. Halo had been there before but hadn't stayed long after encountering a guard.

The mysterious girl brought him to a room with large arched windows of lattice-patterned glass. Sunlight spilled across richly patterned rugs layered over wooden floors.

The mantle held greenery, books, and various small ornaments, while above hung a shield and a framed painting. Bookshelves lined the walls, crowded with volumes and curiosities. A wooden table near the windows was set with simple tableware, as though someone had recently been eating.

If he didn't know any better, he'd argue this was for a royal.

But now, with the lanterns illuminating her face and the tension having eased, he got a better look at the girl and remembered exactly where he knew her from.

He'd met her at Mirror Steppe. He and Liam had been exploring when he tried to learn more about the cohort Vile of Hawks and ran into her. At first, he'd thought she'd pickpocketed him, but it turned out he'd had nothing in his pockets anyway.

A glance at the Halo, and the girl bowed.

"I'm very sorry for dragging you. My name is Iris."

He couldn't tell why she kept apologizing. But other matters needed to be addressed.

"How did you know my name?"

She turned to Halo, blushing a little.

"Uhm… I've been watching you for a while."

The moment she spoke, she realized how much of a stalker she sounded.

"No. Not like that. We share the same Purpose, so I made sure to keep watch."

Halo's expression softened with understanding. Still, he couldn't figure out how Iris knew they shared the same Purpose. Was he that transparent?

One glance at him, and it was as though Iris read his mind.

"I saw you at Mirror Steppe. When you showed up here again, it felt too convenient to be a coincidence… so I checked before assuming anything."

Halo's eyes narrowed a little.

"Sharp intuition. But how did you know I'd be kicked out tonight though?"

Her eyes bulged a little.

"Simple. You're too much trouble to babysit, so I planned. I figured there was a seventy percent chance you'd test Silas's meal and kill him, naturally. When I heard he was dead, I knew you'd be tossed out by nightfall."

Halo stared at her, baffled by her words.

"What about that was obvious?"

He observed her adopt the same look, her eyes widening fractionally as if she anticipated he'd recognize the meaning.

"You carried yourself with such steady confidence, almost dangerously calm. But when choosing food, you were surprisingly careful, bread, sugar-free snacks, anything simple. People with your kind of presence usually show off their taste… but you don't."

Halo had his mouth parted.

'I think I've got myself a worthy brain.'

Iris gestured for Halo to follow.

"It's late. Can we talk tomorrow, please?"

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