After awakening from a long unconscious state, Daro found himself in a large room. The cold ceramic tiles beneath him gave the place an eerie atmosphere, as if he were inside a hollow, silent cave—a space devoid of certainty, leaving him unsure if it concealed something terrifying or unimaginable.
"Ugh… my head… umm, where am I?" Daro muttered, his face puzzled. He lay on a soft but cold bed, a jarring contrast between physical comfort and emotional emptiness.
His body felt slightly fatigued as well.
There was a red stain at the corner of his lips, though he was unaware of it.
"Why is this room so dark… where's General Yumi?" Daro climbed off the bed, scanning his surroundings. The room was adorned with luxurious furniture crafted from sturdy teakwood. The air was cold, quiet, and dark.
The brown teak door creaked softly as it opened, revealing General Yumi on the other side.
"How was your sleep? Did you rest well?" Yumi's face radiated joy, though something hidden lingered beneath her expression.
Daro was still disoriented, his mind clouded from just waking up after passing out.
"Huh… Sleep?" Daro was confused. Losing consciousness implied a mental breakdown or poor health, so why did Yumi refer to it as sleep?
Yumi maintained her cheerful demeanor. "Yes, sleep, haha. Don't think too much about it. You must be hungry, right? Come, follow me to the kitchen."
Daro nodded, accepting her offer.
Yumi walked ahead, the white fabric of her long gown flowing along the red carpet like waves unhindered by obstacles.
"What's your greatest desire, Daro? Do you enjoy fighting, or something else?" Yumi asked in a soft tone, but her voice remained authoritative, reflecting her status as a military general.
"I want to be strong… so I need intense training and challenging battles. But I don't know why my fears always haunt my thoughts," Daro admitted nervously, his tone betraying a lack of confidence.
"Hey, you can become strong, you know. You just need to be loyal. When you devote yourself to someone powerful, you give them your soul—and in return, their spirit flows into yours, deepening your own strength," Yumi said with a warm smile, comforting Daro's troubled heart, weighed down by fear and emptiness.
"You'll need to develop a good symbiosis with me." She bent slightly to meet Daro's height, pinching his cheek playfully. "Besides, a cute boy like you will definitely get more attention from those around you," she chuckled.
Daro blushed, slightly flustered, but he took her words to heart, committing them to memory to manifest them in reality later.
"Um, thank you for the motivation. I really appreciate you… like an older sister," Daro smiled innocently, showing genuine sincerity in accepting her words.
Yumi felt a flicker of dissatisfaction at being relegated to the role of a sister figure. This 27 years old girl, the notion irritated her slightly, though she masked her frustration with a formal smile. "Alright, my cute little brother. I'll train you to become stronger," she said while gently ruffling his hair.
Meanwhile, Harith strolled toward a bar, scanning his surroundings. Behind him, Himzed followed closely, resembling a royal bodyguard protecting a prince.
"Tomorrow, you'll leave that house. But tonight, I want to take you to the bar for some gambling," Harith said coldly, his face devoid of emotion.
"I'll follow your lead. I trust someone as smart as you. Besides, you're the one who helped me—why would I refuse?" Himzed chuckled.
"Before that, I need some fuel."
Himzed looked puzzled and then alarmed. "Hey, what do you plan to burn?"
Harith smirked mischievously. "You don't need to know. This isn't about fire."
"Wait here."
Obediently, Himzed stayed behind, waiting like a loyal guard following his prince's orders.
The rough surface beneath Harith's steps creaked with each movement. He drifted far from where Himzed stood, now in an isolated area with few people around.
Harith approached a woman, holding a letter. "Big sister, can you give this letter to the man in that alley over there? He's my brother, and I want to prank him." A sly grin curled across Harith's lips.
The woman hesitated but responded kindly, seeing him as just a child. "What kind of prank? Do you want him to think I like him by giving him this letter?"
"Yes, exactly! It's a love letter. That's the prank I want to pull," Harith replied with an innocent smile.
"But your brother looks like a bandit. I'm a little scared to approach him," the woman said, doubt flickering in her voice. She worried it might be a trap that could lead to harm.
Harith smiled sweetly, calm and unflinching, showing no trace of deceit. "He is scary and bullies me often—that's why I want to prank him."
The woman still felt uneasy, but Harith's words seemed sincere. She searched for signs of dishonesty in the boy's face but found none. Reluctantly, she agreed. "Alright, I'll give the letter to your brother."
What a strange kid… but… should I really do this? What if it's a trap?
she thought anxiously, trying to calm herself. She took a deep breath and approached the bandit-like man.
"Hi, I have a letter for you," she said.
The bandit paused from smoking, looking her up and down. "A letter? From who?" He gave off a predatory vibe, making the isolated setting even more unsettling.
She kept a safe distance, glancing back to where Harith had stood—only to find him gone.
Anxiety welled up inside her, but she forced herself to speak. "It's a love letter… from your little brother."
The man straightened up, his posture predatory yet amused. "Oh, that rascal. This must be a prank—a failed one at that," he said with a sly grin, trying to make her relax and lower her guard.
"Yes… a failed prank. I'll be going now," she said, smiling nervously and attempting to leave, but the man grabbed her arm swiftly.
"Where do you think you're going?" he sneered.
"Let me go!"
The bandit quickly covered her mouth, dragging her deeper into the alley.
"Mmm!" She struggled, kicking and thrashing, aiming for his weak points—but darkness overtook her before she could land a blow.
"Heh… she's quiet now," the man smirked, carrying her further into the alley, away from prying eyes.
Meanwhile, Himzed sat on a wooden chair, munching on potato curry from a wooden bowl. Harith approached him, his expression cold.
"We can enter the bar now," Harith said indifferently.
"Harith, where were you? You took a while…" Himzed asked nervously, though he knew better than to press. "Haha, well, we're good to go now. Let's head inside."
With that, the two entered the bar together.
Up in the sky, Kyokai and Shinta laughed, amused by Harith's earlier antics.
"What's that kid doing? He's completely immoral," Shinta chuckled.
"This world really is broken. What kind of timeline is this? Still, the kid's pretty smart… but that woman was really dumb," Kyokai laughed.
"We'll have fun here for a long time. I want to see the dirty nature of humans in this world," Shinta added with a grin.
"Yeah, me too. There's nothing to worry about—no one can detect our presence or outsmart us."
The two siblings were arrogant, always feeling superior due to their knowledge, which rivaled that of timekeepers.
---
[8:30 AM]
Birds chirped joyfully, hopping from branch to branch. The clear blue sky, free of clouds, promised a warm day ahead. Yet the tension between Himzed and Harith stood in stark contrast to the serene morning.
"By 9:00 AM, you'll be free to leave. I'll lock the house afterward. I know exactly how everything works—like ants carrying food," Harith chuckled slyly.
Himzed nodded. "Alright. I'll follow your plan. I trust it'll be hard for anyone to counter it…" He smiled softly, completely entrusting himself to Harith, manipulated without needing a single persuasive word.
"Heh heh, you're the best. You'll see soon enough." Harith smiled, standing up from the wooden chair and extending his hand toward Himzed for a handshake.
"Impossible things can be broken with possibility," Harith chuckled.
"That's right," Himzed replied, shaking hands with Harith, sealing their trust and cooperation.