The Heart of Zero

The rain had finally ceased, leaving the air thick with the scent of wet earth. A cool breeze carried the aroma down dampened streets. The faint glow of the moon pierced through scattered clouds, casting a soft, misty light on the cobblestone path. Walking side by side, Riyugi and Shingin moved with quick, cautious steps. Though the chaos of earlier had settled, a tense silence lingered like a shadow.

Riyugi broke the quiet first. "What exactly happened back there?" Her voice was soft, tinged with hesitation and confusion. Her gaze lingered on Shingin's bruised face.

Shingin didn't answer immediately. He turned his head slightly, his lips forming a faint, unreadable smile. "Nothing. I just tripped," he said lightly, as if brushing off the fatigue and unease he couldn't fully hide.

Riyugi's skeptical eyes bore into him, but she chose not to press further. The silence returned, accompanied by the rhythmic sound of their footsteps echoing down the empty street.

The city began to unfurl before them as they progressed. Modest and unassuming, the town was a patchwork of low houses, aged red bricks, and slate-gray rooftops. The buildings stood quietly beneath the moonlight, exuding a rustic simplicity. Along the street, small, scattered shops lay dormant, their signs dim. Occasionally, a faint chime of a doorbell rang out, or a shopkeeper's muffled voice broke the stillness.

Everything about this town seemed ordinary. A dog's bark echoed from a distant alley. On the square ahead, a handful of late-night pedestrians hurried home. A weathered old man sat on a porch chair, gripping a wooden staff, staring at the road as if awaiting something unknown. The simplicity was almost too mundane—eerily so.

Riyugi kicked a loose pebble, watching it roll into a nearby puddle, creating ripples that mirrored her dazed expression. "It's so quiet here," she murmured.

Shingin offered no reply, his gaze scanning the surroundings. His pace quickened, and his posture tensed. Every corner, every shadow seemed to draw his wary eye. Even the faintest flicker of movement put him on edge.

They passed a small restaurant, from which faint laughter and the clink of cutlery spilled out. Its crooked sign, weathered and faded, barely displayed the words "Home-Style Cooking." Riyugi hesitated before suggesting softly, "How about we grab something to eat? It looks decent."

Shingin shook his head, already moving past the alleyway ahead. "Not now. We need to reach the Revolutionary Army's base," he said, his tone firm and unyielding. Riyugi sighed, reluctantly falling in step behind him.

The farther they went, the quieter it became. The streetlights, barely flickering after the rain, cast uneven shadows. The open skies seemed to press down, amplifying the emptiness.

Shingin's nerves were frayed. Blackened memories of earlier encounters echoed in his mind: A diversion, the shadowed figure had said. His jaw tightened as he scanned the dim alleys, determined not to let the enemy strike at Riyugi again. The base was their only refuge now; they had to get there fast.

They stopped at a crosswalk, waiting for the signal to change. Riyugi exhaled softly, watching cars idle on the road, relishing a moment's reprieve from their hurried pace.

The red traffic light blinked insistently before them, its vibrant glow soaking the scene in a surreal, ominous hue. Shingin stared at the light, his eyes narrowing as memories surged back—the severed arm of the shadowy figure, the blood erupting like a geyser. That deep, viscous red, vivid and unrelenting, clawed at his mind, dragging him into unwanted recollections of terror and violence.

The color felt like a harbinger, a warning. His breathing grew shallow, his chest tightening painfully. The image of crimson light mirrored the blood that haunted his thoughts. A wave of nausea rose, churning his stomach. He clutched at his mouth, trying to steady himself, but the pressure refused to subside.

Riyugi, noticing his pallor, touched his arm gently. "Are you okay? You don't look so good... Are you hurt somewhere?"

Shingin didn't answer right away. He forced himself to break free from the spiral of his thoughts, taking a deep, ragged breath. "I'm fine... just remembered something," he murmured.

The traffic light shifted to green, the color softening the moment's oppressive intensity. Shingin's shoulders relaxed slightly as if the green light offered a fragile reprieve. He gestured ahead. "The base should be close. Let's move."

Riyugi nodded, glancing at him with a mix of concern and understanding. "Okay. Let's go."

They stepped onto the crosswalk, their strides quick and measured. Just then, a figure passed them on the edge of their vision, almost brushing against their shoulders.

It was a boy, seemingly unremarkable. His crimson hair glinted faintly in the dim light. He wore a pristine school uniform and walked with an unassuming, easy gait. To anyone else, he would appear no different from an ordinary high school student, frail and forgettable.

Yet Shingin froze. His heartbeat seemed to vanish, leaving only silence in its wake.

The air turned icy, the surroundings muffled, as though sound itself had been devoured. The boy didn't glance their way, didn't speak, and yet an indescribable pressure radiated from him. It wasn't physical—it was a profound, suffocating dread, an unshakable sense of danger that gripped Shingin's very soul.

The boy's fleeting smile left no distinct impression, but its faint trace wormed into Shingin's mind, unraveling a balance he didn't even realize he was holding onto. It was as if the world had shifted slightly off its axis for the briefest moment before snapping back into place.

The boy walked on, disappearing into the city's shadows. Shingin stood motionless, unable to move or even breathe. The oppressive weight lingered like a phantom clawing at his chest.

Riyugi's voice pulled him back. "What's wrong now?"

Shingin said nothing, his eyes dark and unreadable. The green light flickered, prompting the automated chime to signal their crossing. He exhaled deeply and stepped forward. "Let's keep going."

They crossed the street and continued toward the Revolutionary Army's base. The city's neon lights flickered erratically, and the laughter of passersby rang hollow in Shingin's ears. His steps were brisk but uneven, while Riyugi followed, her pace intentionally slower, hoping to ease the tension she could feel radiating from him.

As the two disappeared into the maze of streets, the crimson-haired boy stood beneath a distant streetlamp, his shadow blending seamlessly into the night. The faint, chilling smile returned to his lips.

The hunt had only just begun.