Aiden and Kira walked through the maze. Aiden led the way, his head down, while Kira followed behind.

"You know he didn't want to, right?" she asked.

"Yes, I do, and that's what hurts more, the fact that he needed to ask us to leave," Aiden replied. He stopped walking and took a deep breath. "Ever since we met him, I always knew it wasn't going to be easy to stay on the same level as him.

"But I also thought we'd be able to keep up for some time. This is only the second trial, and the divide is already beginning to show."

Kira let out a breath. She sat on a rock, stretched out her legs, and placed her hands beside her. "It's inevitable, but that doesn't mean we give up. Let's push ourselves to keep going, to stand beside him, and to reach whatever goals we came in here with."

Aiden turned around and looked at her. "Random question… why are you scared of bugs? Sorry if that sounds inconsiderate."

"Oh no, I've been expecting it for the longest time," she said. "And as for the reason…" She bowed her head, took a breath, then spoke. "It boils down to my childhood. I'm an orphan."

She slowly looked up, a weak smile on her face, trying to mask the pain of those memories.

"I lived in an orphanage for a short part of my life. I was weak, frail, but I had a rebellious mind. I could never bring myself to agree with certain things the women at the orphanage tried to make us do.

"So they would lock me up inside a dark, gritty attic. And inside there, bugs crawled on my skin, creating a fear that became deep rooted before I was even five.

"Luckily, my current family found me and adopted me. They took me in as their own child. Their real daughter had died around my age. I worry sometimes that I'm just a replacement, but the love they show me overshadows it all.

"It was with them that I met Elaine, and her family was basically forced to become my childhood friend," she said, chuckling at the last part.

"Damn… that's harsh. When we first met and you said you knew Elaine from childhood, I really thought you were born together or something," Aiden said.

"Yeah, the story her family made me use painted it like I was theirs from the start. It wasn't true, but I trust you with the truth," she said, placing her hands behind her to support herself as she leaned back.

"So that's why I'm scared of bugs. My body freezes and tenses whenever I see them, and memories of the attic flash through my mind."

"I see. Well, you started fighting the ants, which means you're making progress," Aiden said.

"Yeah… it shocked me too. And the reason was simply Aren," she said, a smile forming on her face.

Aiden paused. He looked at her for a few seconds, then asked, "Do you like Aren? Not as a friend, you know what I mean."

She froze at the question, her eyes darting around.

"Just tell me."

She hesitated for a moment longer, then spoke. "Yes, I do. I really do. At first, it wasn't something I believed could happen, but as I got to know him more and watched him… it just happened." Her cheeks turned rosy as she looked down.

"Then you have to make it clear and move more decisively if you want him," Aiden said.

"Huh?" She looked up in surprise.

"Aren isn't going to be within easy reach for long, and that's a fact. There's also the reality that he'll draw the attention of other women. He's strong, the strongest in our group. Eyes will be on him more than you think.

"So now that he's with you, and evidently interested in you, take the step to show him. Make him yours before he runs off," Aiden said.

Kira opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, heavy footsteps echoed toward them.

Both of them turned, their eyes landing on a familiar figure.

The False Shadow.

Immediately, Aiden and Kira got to their feet, ready to fight.

Shadow stopped a short distance away. He looked at them and spoke without expression. "I saw the both of you with Shadow. Where is he?"

"And why the hell would anyone tell you that?" Aiden shot back.

"You'll tell me, or I'll force it out of you," Shadow said flatly, a creepy smile forming on his lips.

"Tch. You really think you can take us? Two versus one?" Aiden asked.

"No," Shadow replied. "But let's try ten versus two."

He summoned ten human shadows. They stood in formation, weapons of shadow in their hands, red light glowing from their eyes.

The moment Aiden and Kira saw them, they froze in shock.

"That's Aren's ability," Kira muttered.

"I borrowed this little power from Shadow," the False Shadow said. "Now tell me where he is. I want to thank him."

"There's no way we'd let a vile creature like you near him," Aiden said, drawing his sword and gripping it tightly. "We know how he gets shadows, through killing monsters. So this tells me you killed people for yours. You're a demon."

"Hahahahaha," Shadow laughed. "Shadow wastes this ability. Why waste it on monsters when humans can be taken instead? They keep their abilities, making me far more versatile and powerful.

"If I kill the two of you and add you to my collection, I'll gain even stronger abilities. Turning you into my shadows is better than any monster," he said, his smile widening.

"You're not human," Kira said, anger in her voice. "You don't even have the decency to let the souls of those you murdered rest."

"Blah blah, righteousness, blah," Shadow scoffed. "We're all killers cut from the same fabric. We've taken lives to survive, yet some of you cling to lies of morality.

"But my eyes are open to reality." His grin faded into a cold expression. "In my eyes, no one is human. All are resources. And I'll harvest every last one, including Shadow, until I become him."

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