By the time Aiden returned, the sky had already begun to dim.
The city lights flickered on one by one, casting a soft glow across the streets as the day quietly gave way to evening.
The noise of the crowd had not lessened, but it had changed, shifting into something calmer, more subdued.
Aiden walked through it without pause.
The events from earlier still lingered faintly in his awareness, not as something overwhelming, but as something settled, something that had already taken its place within him.
The system remained silent.
But not inactive.
“Synchronization: 38%”
Stable.
Unchanged.
Waiting.
“…Still the same.”
For now.
Aiden reached the building and stepped inside, the familiar quiet of the hallway greeting him as he moved toward his room.
His footsteps were steady, controlled, carrying none of the tension from earlier, though the weight of it had not fully disappeared.
He stopped at the door.
Just for a second.
Then opened it.
“You’re late.”
The words came immediately.
Not sharp.
Not angry.
But certain.
Aiden stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
“…I said I’d be back.”
His younger brother stood near the table this time, arms crossed lightly, though the posture lacked any real firmness.
His gaze moved quickly over Aiden, checking, searching, before settling again.
“You’re hurt again.”
It wasn’t a question.
Aiden glanced down briefly.
The marks were faint, barely visible unless someone was looking closely.
“It’s nothing.”
“That’s what you said before.”
The response came faster than expected.
Aiden paused.
Then walked further into the room, setting his things aside before sitting down.
“It’s already dealt with,” he said.
The explanation was simple.
But incomplete.
His brother hesitated for a moment before stepping closer, his expression tightening slightly as he reached out, his hand stopping just short before finally resting lightly against Aiden’s sleeve. The source of this chapter is g.com.
“…You always say that.”
Aiden didn’t pull away.
Because he understood.
“…And it’s always true.”
This time, the answer came quieter.
More deliberate.
The boy looked at him for a moment longer, as if weighing the words, before letting out a small breath and lowering his hand.
“…You’re going out again tomorrow.”
Aiden didn’t respond immediately.
“…Yes.”
It wasn’t something he could avoid.
The system would move again.
Sooner or later.
His brother looked away slightly, his expression shifting into something harder to read.
“…Then at least tell me before you leave.”
Aiden’s gaze softened just slightly.
“…I will.”
That was something he could do.
The tension in the room eased after that, not disappearing, but settling into something quieter, something more familiar.
Aiden leaned back slightly, his attention drifting inward as the silence stretched.
For a brief moment—
Everything felt normal.
Then—
The system flickered.
Aiden’s gaze sharpened.
The interface appeared without warning, clearer than before, but still carrying that faint instability at its edges.
“System Notice”
Synchronization threshold approaching
Additional functions will unlock upon reaching 40%
Warning: Core data remains incomplete
The message lingered.
Unusual.
More detailed than before.
Aiden read it once, then again.
“…Forty percent.”
Close.
Closer than it had ever been.
But—
“Core data remains incomplete.”
Still unresolved.
Aiden exhaled softly, the faint tension returning beneath the calm surface.
“…So something is still missing.”
Or hidden.
Before he could analyze it further, his brother’s voice broke the silence.
“…What are you looking at?”
Aiden blinked once.
Then the interface disappeared.
“…Nothing.”
The answer came naturally.
His brother frowned slightly, clearly unconvinced, but he didn’t press further.
“…You do that sometimes.”
“Do what?”
“Look at something that isn’t there.”
Aiden paused.
Then—
“…It’s nothing important.”
Not yet.
The boy studied him for a moment longer before sighing quietly and stepping back.
“…You always say that too.”
Aiden didn’t respond.
Because there was nothing he could say.
Night settled fully soon after.
The room grew quiet, the outside noise fading into something distant as the hours passed.
Aiden remained awake longer than usual, his thoughts moving steadily beneath the surface, tracing the events of the day, the system’s changes, the reaction of the breach.
And—
Arthur.
Edward.
“…Not random.”
Their appearance.
Their involvement.
The system had guided him there.
Which meant—
They were part of it.
Or would be.
Aiden closed his eyes briefly, letting the thought settle without forcing a conclusion.
There was still too much he didn’t know.
But one thing was certain.
The next time—
Would not be the same.