A commotion could be seen at the gatekeepersâ side.
Watching that, I quietly waited.
Gubong, however, seemed restless, but it didnât matter.
I had his arm firmly in my grip, ensuring he couldnât run away.
âSir⦠What is thisâ?!â
He was flustered by my restraint, but I had my reasons.
âYou never know. You might try to run off. Just a precaution, you see.â
ââ¦Where exactly would I even run off to all of a suddenâ¦?â
âWho knows?â
And besidesâ
âIf you do run, itâs not like I canât catch you, but⦠thatâs just too much of a hassle.â
â...â
My frankness made Gubongâs expression instantly sour.
As we were engaging in what could barely be called an argumentâ
"Huh, whatâs that?"
"...Why are they here�"
The already cold and tense atmosphere sank even further.
Fear etched itself onto everyoneâs faces. The people nearby suddenly parted, making way.
It was voluntary, but their movements were closer to fleeing than anything elseâan obvious aversion to getting too close.
The unnatural, stiff air hung heavily over them.
And through the path they had clearedâ
Thudâ!
Someone was approaching.
A flag swayed atop a tall staff, accompanied by a dozen or so individuals walking beneath it.
I tilted my head as I looked at them.
âTheyâre different.â
It wasnât the white-clad family I saw yesterday.
They were the complete opposite, clad in pitch-black.
The peculiar thing was that all of them had their faces covered, making their appearances unrecognizable.