While Rin's mind still raced from the strange encounter with the masked man earlier, he knew rest was necessary. Still, something in his gut told him to stay alert.
He glanced at Nariku, who sat close by, staring at the flickering fire with tired eyes.
"Let's take turns sleeping tonight," Rin said. "We'll wake each other if anything happens, alright?"
Nariku, still shaken from the earlier events, nodded softly. "Yeah..."
Moments later, Nariku curled into his blanket and drifted off, his breathing slowing into the calm rhythm of sleep.
Rin stayed seated, watching the dying campfire. The forest around them whispered with the sounds of night—crickets chirping, wind rustling the trees, a distant owl hooting.
Then—everything stopped.
The forest fell into total silence. Not peaceful silence, but the kind that presses in on you, heavy and cold. Even the wind stopped.
Rin's eyes narrowed.
Something was wrong.
His eyelids began to droop. Not just from tiredness—something unnatural, like a wave crashing over his mind. He blinked hard and rubbed his temples.
No… not now. Stay awake.
He stood, pacing around the campsite, trying to fight it off. But his limbs felt heavy. His mind fogged. His knees buckled slightly. It was like something was dragging him into unconsciousness.
Suddenly, a sharp chime echoed in his ears.
[System Notification: Mania Activated]
Rin's eyes snapped open, and a rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins.
His exhaustion vanished.
But something was wrong—very wrong.
His lips curled into a wild, stretched grin. His pupils dilated. His breath hitched in a manic laugh.
"Hah... HAHAHA… AHAHAHAHAHA!" he shrieked into the night, body trembling. "SO THIS IS MANIA?! This... this is beautiful!"
He gripped his own arms as he giggled uncontrollably, swaying slightly like a drunk man on a wire. He felt hyperaware—every sound, every light, every shadow. His skin tingled. His heart raced like thunder.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw something—someone.
A black cloak.
A silver mask with a twisted, ecstatic grin.
The same man from before.
But now he was standing at the edge of the campsite, as if he'd been there all along.
No footsteps. No sound.
Just—there.
Rin froze mid-laugh.
His eyes twitched.
"You..." he whispered. Then shouted, "WHY ARE YOU HERE?! HAH! DID YOU COME TO WATCH ME LOSE IT?!"
The masked man said nothing. He only stepped closer, silently, like a shadow peeling off the trees.
"You... You need to die. I have to kill you," Rin muttered through a broken smile, clutching his own face. "WHY—WHY ARE YOU EVEN HERE?!"
His body trembled. His mania surged.
Then:
[System Notification: Mania Deactivated]
The rush vanished in an instant.
His muscles gave out.
His body collapsed to the dirt, the world spinning. His wild grin faded. His eyes fluttered.
As darkness swallowed him, he heard a soft voice—calm, precise, almost amused.
"I'll see you later, villain."
Then—nothing.
Rin lay motionless on the forest floor.
Nariku, sleeping just a few feet away, stirred only slightly—still deep in sleep, completely unaware of the visitor who had come and gone in total silence.