They both placed their hands against the cold, weathered slab.
Something in the air began to glow.
New texts emerged from the golden, mesmerizing light suspended before them, unlike anything that had appeared before.
Ren stepped back, but Caren remained still.
His eyes were sharp and cold.
Deep down, however, he was excited.
He had to face Ren, and only one of them could survive.
It was cruel.
But Caren had realized something he hadn’t understood before.
In this world—this cruel world—he had to be cruel too.
He couldn’t trust anyone anymore.
No one cared about him.
So he had to become selfish as well.
The glowing letters settled into place, becoming readable.
Show your love to great ufhefhh
Shown love: 2/2
Love is enough
Are you sure you want to leave?
Ren didn’t hesitate.
She confirmed it with a mental command.
Caren did the same.
It was as if his encounter with Darkness had changed something deep within his subconscious.
The moment they both agreed, the previous message disappeared and new words replaced it.
Welcome, Ren Leywin
Welcome, ???
Caren tilted his head.
Why didn’t it show his name?
Was it connected to the fact that his father didn’t recognize him?
“It’s annoying.
It’s acting as if I don’t even exist.”
Ren glanced at him from the corner of her eye before returning her attention to the texts.
A clicking sound echoed through the room.
The Darkness receded from the temple’s corner, revealing a hidden door.
They exchanged a glance before moving forward.
One step.
Then another.
They continued until they reached the door.
It was made of smooth, brown wood, without a single scratch—a strange contrast to the rest of the ancient structure.
Maybe the Darkness had protected it for a long time.
That would explain why it looked so new.
“Since when is a Darkness that can hug you supposed to be logical?”
Ren glanced around before turning toward Caren.
“I can finally go home!”
Caren smiled gently, but the expression never reached his eyes.
What had the Darkness done to him?
He had been certain that he needed to kill Ren, but since when had he wanted to do it this badly?
“Damn Darkness.”
Ren pushed the door open.
It swung outward with a long creak.
For a moment, neither of them breathed. You are reading on g.com, the official source.
Their way out of this hell was just beyond it.
And now, it was open.
A corridor stretched beyond the doorway, its walls made of dark stone.
Unlike the rest of the structure, there was no Darkness here.
That alone put Caren on edge.
What could be waiting beyond the corridor—something even the Darkness didn’t dare to enter?
Ren’s hands began to tremble.
She turned toward Caren, uncertainty written across her face.
“I…
don’t know if it’s safe.”
Caren raised an eyebrow and sneered.
“Then I guess you don’t want to go home.”
He continued forward, his expression serious, deliberately acting as though he intended to leave her behind.
Ren pouted and hurried after him.
“You suck.”
Caren said nothing.
This was the end of her journey, so she could act however she wanted.
Suddenly, Caren shivered.
The corridor was freezing, but that wasn’t what had caused it.
He could barely make out an open doorway ahead.
Beyond it was a room filled with blinding light.
Even from a distance, staring into it made his eyes ache.
“Ugh…
that’s going to hurt.”
He took another step.
A cracking sound came from behind him.
Something had broken.
His foot.
Caren’s eyes widened as he turned around.
A crimson creature stood in the corridor.
Its hands were covered in blade-like edges, with no fingers at all—only sharp, jagged points.
Behind it stood Ren, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry.
Only one person can leave this place.
It wasn’t my decision.
Unfortunately, I have to kill you.”
She paused.
“Because I want to leave.”
The monster lifted its foot off Caren’s.
The monster lifted its foot from Caren’s chest and turned toward Ren, waiting for her to say something.
“Maybe you’re wondering why I’m being this cruel and selfish.
Aren’t you?”
Caren clenched his teeth but remained silent.
He didn’t want to anger Ren.
This time, he didn’t have Death Cheater.
It was his last chance.
Ren smiled.
“I’ve been here for about a year.
I came from somewhere far from here.
Caren frowned.
“We haven’t even formed our first Water Core yet, so I couldn’t enter those areas.
There was an invisible barrier preventing me from going any farther.”
He parted his dry lips, confusion evident in his voice.
“What is an Upside Downer?”
Ren narrowed her eyes.
“Are you mocking me?!”
Her annoyed expression quickly gave way to a smile.
“Well, that’s okay.
This place has a mental effect that makes people more violent and savage.
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have wanted to kill you so easily.”
She tilted her head.
“You felt it too, right?
That desperate urge to survive and fight for your life.
How easily you were able to accept someone’s death.”
Ren smirked.
“I thought you deserved to know this before you die.
Don’t worry.
I won’t die, so your death won’t be in vain.”
She glanced toward the room waiting beyond the doorway and spoke softly.
“Kill him.”
The monster raised its hand, ready to finish Caren with a single blow, but…
Ren screamed.
The creature immediately turned toward her before rushing in her direction.
Dead Guide was there, chewing on something.
Ren lay on the ground, clutching the place where her foot had been.
Blood streamed from the wound, dripping onto the floor.
Caren didn’t stop to think.
He made Dead Guide disappear and ran.
He limped forward, dragging his broken leg behind him as he desperately tried to reach the room.
“Come on, come on.
Just a little farther.”
Caren stumbled.
His balance gave way, and he collapsed.
He tried to push himself up, but his body refused to cooperate.
Digging his fingers into the cracks between the tiles, he dragged himself forward.
“I’m almost there.
I…
I can do this.”
His head struck something.
Caren looked up and saw a pedestal.
A flower rested on top of it.
A red rose.
It had somehow grown directly from the stone.
There wasn’t any soil around it.
Caren glanced over his shoulder.
His breath caught.
The monster was standing there, carrying Ren over its shoulder.