I could hear my heartbeat pounding loudly in the cramped room, my breath coming in ragged gasps—still shaken by the presence of the woman earlier. But despite my terrified state, the man before me regarded me with a cold glare. His red eyes, patterned like distant stars, were filled with caution, analyzing me as if warning me that the distance between us—no more than the width of the bed—was the only thing keeping me safe.

  Without warning, he spoke in a deep, icy voice.

  "You're awake," he said nonchalantly, his cold tone carrying a hint of intimidation.

  I didn’t know how to respond. I simply stared at him, still reeling from everything that had happened, still remembering what the woman had said—the name Julian Campbell. 'Am I Julian Campbell?'

  The man, however, paid me no mind. Instead, he glanced around curiously before speaking again.

  "You look like you've seen a ghost. Is something wrong? …Perhaps something on my face?" he asked, his tone unwaveringly cold.

  I forced myself to calm down, slowing my breathing bit by bit as I tried to assess who this man was. I studied his appearance, searching for any clues about his identity.

  He wore glasses over his cold red eyes, their star-like pattern making them eerily mesmerizing. Dark circles clung beneath them, proof that he hadn’t slept in a long time. A long black coat draped over his frame, adding to his dignified yet intimidating presence. He moved with an air of elegance and importance, like a nobleman or someone of great status.

  His face was flawless—almost unnaturally so, as if sculpted by the gods themselves. Despite the exhaustion evident in his sunken eyes, his beauty remained untarnished. His body was well-toned, his skin pale, and his black hair reached just past his neck. But his crimson eyes… they were the most unsettling part. They didn’t match his face at all. They were the eyes of a devil.

  Just as I was beginning to process my thoughts about him, he suddenly walked toward the bed. Without a word, he reached for the cheap, ragged blanket and began fixing it with practiced ease.

  "If you have time to wake up," he muttered, "can't you at least fix the bed?"

  He adjusted the pillow, patting the blanket before sighing. Then, turning back to me, he noticed the way I was still staring at him in fear. His glare, once sharp and intimidating, softened slightly.

  "You know…" He sighed again. "Hahh, stop looking at me like that—as if I'm about to kill you."

  After fixing the bed, he crossed his arms and continued, "It's not like I’ve become a Nightspawn or something horrible."

  Hearing that, confusion settled in my mind. 'Nightspawn? What does he mean by that?' My thoughts were still tangled with fear, but seeing the man in front of me, I complied with his earlier request, first calming my breathing and composing myself.

  Slowly, I tried to rise, but my legs wouldn’t stop trembling. I had to grip the edge of the bed for support. Even then, standing felt like an impossible feat.

  Before I could speak, he stopped me.

  "Wait," he said, leaning against the nearby table. "I see… it seems I came a bit too early. I apologize. You’re still having a hard time since you just woke up. And I think there’s no reason for me to be here anymore—I’ve seen enough, including everything about you."

  His words only deepened my confusion. When he first entered, he had been wary, watching me cautiously. But now, it was as if he had already figured me out. How? I hadn’t even spoken a single word. What was his real reason for coming here? Was he observing me?

  But how could he know anything about me in such a short time? And what impression did I leave on him?

  The man tilted his head slightly, his gaze scanning the room as if searching for any clues about what I had been doing before all of this. Finding nothing of interest, he crossed his arms and looked back at me.

  "Well," he said, "I say this, but it’s still not over. Nothing good will come from letting you out without precautions. Your case is still unresolved… but I’ll let you rest for now. I just came too early, huh?"

  Finally, he introduced himself.

  "I am Lucas, the commander of this place. We’ll be seeing each other often."

  I hesitated. Should I trust him? He had shown up with such wariness and hostility, yet now he was offering what seemed like kindness.

  Should I accept it? …I don’t even know my situation right now. I have no memories, no idea where I am. I’m vulnerable in every way.

  But right now… he might be the only one who can help me.

  Before I could finish my thoughts, the man suddenly smiled.

  "I see… so you’ve lost your memory, Julian Campbell. That’s actually better… or worse. But that is already enough."

  His words sent a jolt through my body. My breath caught in my throat, and I instinctively stepped back, my hands gripping the bed for support.

  Lucas, however, didn’t stop.

  "I’ve deduced your existence now," he continued, "but that doesn’t mean I won’t continue to do so in the future. Though, it might be hard for me… I have a lot of work to do." He sighed.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  "Well, for now, you’re free to rest here however you want. But remember—don’t cause any trouble while I’m gone. I’m not the only Worldwalker in this place." He paused, running a hand through his hair before adding, "Though… hahh, we have too many problems already."

  "In any case, your existence is safe, Julian Campbell. Welcome to the Ruin."

  Lucas then walked toward the door, but just as he was about to leave, he glanced to his left, as if acknowledging someone standing just beyond the doorway.

  “He’s safe,” he said, his voice calm yet firm. “I’ve taken a look at him, so there’s no need to worry anymore. Please welcome him as one of us—one of the survivors. I trust you with him.”

  He smiled at the person he was addressing, who remained hidden behind the stone wall or the doorframe. Then, turning back to me, he added with a smirk, “And I also trust that you won’t give me too much trouble. If you do, well… I might just kick you in here.”

  I was puzzled by his words, unsure if he was joking or being serious. But his warm smile softened the tension in the air, almost as if he truly was welcoming me.

  And then—just as I was beginning to process everything—something changed in him. His red, star-like eyes, which had reminded me of a devil, suddenly shifted, the crimson hue bleeding away like ink dissolving in water. In its place, a deep blue emerged—vast and endless, like the ocean stretching beyond the horizon. The transformation was both startling and mesmerizing, as if I were witnessing something beyond human comprehension. It reminded me of the strange woman from earlier.

  However, Lucas’s gaze soon shifted—not toward me, but to my necklace. His expression, once warm, turned serious. He stared at it for only a brief moment before finally turning away and walking off to his right.

  As soon as he left, I collapsed onto the bed, my legs finally giving out beneath me. Letting out a deep sigh, I stared at the ceiling, my mind utterly exhausted.

  ‘I guess that’s it… Hahh… If something else supernatural happens, I don’t think I’ll be able to keep up. That man… Lucas… His eyes changed from crimson to ocean blue. Can he read my mind? And at the very end, he looked at my necklace… Why?’

  I looked at the small pendant on my chest, inspecting it carefully. I was scared to touch it again, afraid that the woman might return. And as if the man and woman had drained my energy, I couldn't even think clearly enough to truly examine it.

  ‘Hahh… I don’t think I have the energy to figure it out right now. Too much has happened in such a short amount of time. My head can’t wrap around all of this. Maybe I should just rest…’

  I chuckled weakly to myself.

  ‘Heh, I slept for so long, and now I’m going to sleep again. But maybe I just need to let my brain rest and figure out my next move later. Lucas said he trusts me… and that I’m safe here. So maybe, just maybe, I can trust him a little, too…’

  Just as I was about to close my eyes, I noticed movement near the door. A girl stood there, slowly stepping inside, trying not to make a sound.

  At a glance, I could see the fear in her green eyes. She looked terrified.

  She was carrying a black plate and a cup of water. Her ginger hair framed her pale face, and she wore a simple green dress. She appeared to be around eighteen or twenty years old.

  When she realized I had noticed her, she took a nervous step back, nearly dropping the plate in her hands.

  “I—I… I’ve… come to bring you food,” she stammered. “Co-Commander said it was prepared for you…”

  Not wanting to scare her any further, I sat up slowly, giving her a reassuring smile.

  “I see. Well, can you please place it on the table?”

  She hesitated before nodding and carefully walking over to the table. Her head remained lowered, her posture tense, as if she didn’t dare look at me. The atmosphere between us felt awkward—I wasn’t sure what to do.

  After setting the plate down, she turned back toward me, still avoiding eye contact. Her respectful and polite manner was a stark contrast to Lucas’s cold and confident demeanor. There was no sense of superiority in her stance—only fear.

  “If… If you’d like,” she said in a quiet voice, “you can turn on the crystal light to brighten the room.”

  ‘Crystal light?’ I thought. I had no idea what that was.

  “Sorry, but… what’s a crystal light?” I asked.

  She looked startled. “E-Eh? You… You don’t know?”

  I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. “Yeah, it seems I’ve lost my memory. I don’t know much about anything—not even myself. So… I guess I’m pretty ignorant about a lot of things.”

  I hoped that smiling warmly—just like Lucas had done earlier—might help ease her fear of me. But when I glanced at her again, she was silent, frozen as if unsure how to respond.

  Feeling awkward, I quickly added, “Th-Then… could you turn it on for me?”

  She nodded twice without a word, then crouched beside the table, reaching underneath it. She appeared to be adjusting something before moving to the right side of the table, where she pressed a hidden switch.

  Suddenly, a bright light flooded the room, momentarily blinding me.

  ‘What the—?’

  I looked up and saw a crystal attached to the ceiling, glowing with a steady, almost natural light. The upper part of the crystal was encased in a circular frame, while its lower half emitted a warm, ambient glow.

  The girl then blew out the candle that had been the only source of light before. With the room fully illuminated, I was able to see everything clearly for the first time.

  I hadn’t noticed earlier, but the room had no windows. There was a closet in front of me that I hadn’t seen before. The bed had mirrors attached to it, and on its right side, there was a sink with a cabinet above it. Pipes extended from the spout, running along the wall and ceiling. Even the table was connected to the crystal light through a series of thin metal conduits.

  As I took in my surroundings, the girl spoke again.

  “Th-Then… if you need anything, please press the button on the door. I’ll be leaving now. Please excuse me.”

  Her words made me instinctively glance at the door. Sure enough, on the left side of the metal frame, there was a button connected to small pipes that disappeared into the ceiling.

  Curious, I asked, “Does that send a message to you?”

  “Yes,” she replied. “It notifies us, but sometimes… I might not be the one who answers.”

  ‘Us? Who exactly are they?’

  Another question surfaced in my mind. “Sorry, but… can I ask something?”

  The girl hesitated. “Uhm… If it’s within my authority to answer, then please do.”

  ‘Authority? So there are things she can and can’t say?’

  I decided not to dwell on it and asked anyway. “Where exactly are we?”

  “If that’s all you want to know… We are in the Ruin’s Prison—underground. It’s where our base is located. The Worldwalkers operate from here. This is also where we imprison the monsters we capture.”

  ‘Monsters? Is that related to what Lucas mentioned earlier? Nightspawn?’

  Realization dawned on me.

  ‘So that’s why she’s afraid of me. I’m being suspected as a monster… and Lucas’s "precaution" before letting me out means I’m under investigation. Then… what was that woman from before? The one with the creepy hands? Was she one of these "monsters"? Does Lucas know more than he let on?’

  The girl’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

  “I-Is that all?”

  I wanted to protest, to tell her I wasn’t a monster, but I knew it wouldn’t change anything. Instead, I forced another small smile.

  “Yes. Thank you.”

  She immediately turned and left, as if she had been waiting for an excuse to escape. The door closed behind her with a heavy metallic thud, and I heard the lock click into place.

  Only then did I realize—the door was made of metal. 'So I’m being suspected as a monster, and this is my prison, I thought to myself, my expression sinking with sadness.'

  Letting out another sigh, knowing I couldn’t do anything, I slumped back onto the bed closing my eyes.

  Too much had happened. Too many unanswered questions.

  And yet…

  I was too exhausted to think anymore.