Ren woke up feeling sluggish, his eyes stinging as if he had only just closed them less than an hour ago.
He lay there for a while, the pale morning light slipping through the cracks of the window, casting a faint glow on the familiar wooden ceiling. That blurry sensation between sleep and wakefulness made it impossible to tell whether it was still night or already day.
He rolled to one side, his eyes glancing at the system display in the upper right corner... 9:55.
A heartbeat skipped.
'Dammit...'
No reminder was needed, a jolt like a splash of ice-cold water shot up his spine, snapping his groggy brain awake.
His body shot up reflexively, blanket flying off, nearly knocking over the chair beside him. The air around him suddenly felt urgent, as if the whole world was racing alongside him.
Without time to think, Ren opened the system menu, dove into his inventory, and reequipped his gear. Within seconds, his armor and weapons materialized as the soft glow faded.
No time to think. Ren opened the door and dashed out.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed through the wooden hallway of the Resting Willow inn, making a few players having breakfast glance up in surprise.
A boy with messy hair, hood still down, eyes dazed from a sleepless night, was sprinting like the wind through the lobby.
"Hey…! Watch it..."
"First thing in the morning and… geez, who even is that?"
Ren didn't look back. He knew one thing: if he didn't make it to the plaza north of the inn within the next few minutes, everything could change, not just the battle plan, but the way people saw him. Whether it was Diavel, Kirito, or… Asuna.
And he didn't want to be left behind. Not again.
Under the mix of curious and mocking gazes, Ren burst out of the inn. The morning air still held a sharp chill, the wind biting at his face, but instead of slowing him down, it made him more alert than ever.
In that fleeting moment, one thought rang clear in his mind:
'Showing up late to the first boss raid... what a disaster.'
Ren grit his teeth as he bolted up the final stone steps leading to the northern plaza.
His heart pounded, not just from exertion, but from the guilt tightening in his chest. His feet barely touched the ground, but his mind felt heavy.
The moment he reached the edge of the plaza, Ren nearly froze at the number of players already assembled.
Dozens of figures, both familiar and unfamiliar, had formed into small groups, clustering into a bustling mass beneath the pale gray morning sky.
Voices chatting, weapons being checked, people urging each other into position... It was a chaotic yet orderly symphony.
There were no strict lines like a military unit, no banners or shouted commands... and yet, it was clear they were ready.
Ren glanced around, his eyes scanning quickly as if trying to find an empty slot for himself.
He spotted Diavel at the front of the formation, tall and sharp-looking with his striking blue hair.
He was speaking to Lind and a few other group leaders. Diavel's face was calm, but his eyes carried the weight of responsibility.
No one looked at Ren right away, but he could feel it, the deep sense of not belonging, like a puzzle piece hastily shoved into a picture that had already been completed.
'I really am late…'
Ren lowered his head, sweat still clinging to his forehead, not yet dried by the cold air. His hand gently tightened around the sword at his side, forcing himself to stay calm.
Over there, Kirito and Asuna stood side by side, just far enough apart to avoid attention, but close enough to act as a unit. Both of them silent, focused.
In the dim morning light, with tension rising like a taut bowstring ready to snap, Ren took a deep breath. He stepped into the plaza, no one stopped him, and no one welcomed him.
Weaving through the crowd as they finished their preparations, Ren unintentionally drew attention to himself.
Side glances, silent murmurs, like invisible needles piercing through the cloak he wore.
In this group brimming with resolve, Ren felt like an injured finger, small, noticeable, and something no one wanted to touch.
He walked slowly, slipping past players who had already taken their places, then turned his gaze to search for his own small group.
Kirito and Asuna still stood near the edge of the formation, keeping a noticeable distance from the rest.
Ren wasn't sure if that was their personal choice or simply habit, but it made them easier to spot than anyone else.
Just as their eyes met, Ren immediately sensed something was off.
It wasn't blame for being late, it was a scrutinizing look, as if Kirito was assessing something that even Ren himself wasn't sure of.
However, he said nothing. He simply gave a slight nod and stepped aside, creating just enough space for one more person to stand.
Ren responded with a small nod of his own, without saying a word, though the feeling of unease inside him hadn't faded.
He could feel the eyes around him, subtle, but many. It wasn't just one or two... but several. As if his presence here was a mystery everyone was trying to solve.
Asuna... the last member of this small group, was also looking at him.
Her gaze wasn't harsh, nor skeptical, but it still made Ren uncomfortable. Perhaps because in her eyes... there was something strange. A flash of surprise, and... confusion?
She seemed more withdrawn now than when they had first met. Her face was mostly hidden in the shadow of her thick hood, and the silence she exuded was like an invisible wall standing between the three of them. Ren intended to say nothing, to simply stand still and wait for departure.
But then, unexpectedly, it was Asuna who spoke first.
"Um... Ren, it seems like you forgot..."
Her voice was very soft, like wind threading through cloth, and there was something a bit awkward in the way she pointed, not directly at him, but at her own hood.
It took Ren half a second to understand... his face froze like stone.
He had forgotten to put on his hood, something that should've been second nature for someone as reserved as him.
Surrounded by unfamiliar eyes, by unspoken judgment, Ren had shown up exposed, unprepared, unguarded.
A cold jolt ran down his spine, as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water over him. He immediately bowed his head, hands slightly trembling as he pulled up his hood, trying to cover the face that had been revealed for those brief moments.
"Thanks..." Ren said quietly, not looking at Asuna, but his voice was sincere enough for her to hear.
No one said anything further. But in that moment, strangely, something between them had shifted.
Not exactly closer...but not entirely distant anymore. Like a thin thread had just been reconnected, fragile, yet real.
As Ren pulled the hood over his head, a sense of emptiness seemed to wash over all his senses.As if a curtain had just been drawn, hiding not just his face, but also his doubts, his insecurities, and the unanswered questions.
And strangely, the eyes looking his way seemed to blur. Not because people had stopped paying attention...but because Ren no longer wished to see them. He withdrew as he always did, returning to his familiar role: a shadow in the crowd.
And yet, one gaze remained.
Ren could feel it, that tingling sensation at the nape of his neck, like someone was still quietly watching.
He turned, not out of curiosity, but as an instinctive reflex. Something compelled him to look back.
And then his eyes met Yuna's.
Amid the sea of people, in the tense air of the upcoming raid, for just a fleeting moment, the world seemed to stop.
Her eyes weren't completely visible, also hidden beneath her familiar hood, but Ren knew they were hers. The way they lingered on him... unmistakable.
No words were spoken.
Only one truth was clear: she was looking at him, and he was looking back.
But before Ren could react or make sense of anything, Yuna turned away.
So quickly it was as if she hadn't wanted to be seen watching him at all.
The movement was subtle, swift, but enough to make the air between them tighten like a string pulled to its limit.
Ren stood still, a complex emotion rising within him, part pain, part regret, and many things he couldn't put into words.
Standing right beside Yuna was Nautilus.
He hadn't turned his head, but somehow, it felt like he had noticed. With his quiet gaze, Nautilus simply gave a slight nod in Ren's direction.
No blame, no resentment. Just a nod, like a silent acknowledgment: "I see you."
And then he, too, turned away, standing firm beside Yuna like a wordless shield.
Ren clenched his fist inside his cloak.
The people who had once felt close... now seemed to be at a distance too far to reach.
And that was what made him feel colder than the morning wind.
"All right, we're a few minutes past the hour... I guess everyone's here," Diavel's steady voice echoed like a bell awakening the square.
The players gradually stopped talking, the clinking of weapons and footsteps settling into a quiet rhythm.
The feeling of waiting, anxiety, and excitement all condensed into a single moment. Dozens of eyes turned forward.
Diavel stepped out of line, the faint morning sunlight tracing a soft outline around his tall figure and cloak.
No sign of hesitation on his face, no faltering steps. He stood there like a torch, a milestone, steadfast, unmoving, and leading the way.
"We'll depart now." The words were short, not flowery, but carried more weight than any slogan.
It wasn't just a declaration. It was the signal of a new era, the first step toward destiny.
Ren stood still among the crowd. Hearing those words echo inside his chest like a wake-up bell.
Though doubts still lingered, though gaps remained unbridged, everything had begun to move.
And he could not stop.