Not a drop of blood remained—not on the floorboards, not on the walls, not on the window fras.
And most unsettling of all...
There were no bodies.
Not a single trace that half a dozen n had died horrifically.
The won checked behind the counter, under tables, inside storage rooms—everywhere.
But the result was the sa: no corpses, no blood, no evidence. It was unnerving, almost supernatural.
When they finally returned to the basent, their footsteps were even shakier than before.
Ross stood waiting, arms loosely crossed, a faintly amused expression on his face.
"As I’ve said," he repeated, "they’ve all gone."
So of the won exchanged troubled looks.
Then Ross’s expression shifted.
His smile faded.
A glint of curiosity—sharp and probing—appeared in his eyes.
"Now," he said slowly, "tell about your base."
The words weren’t loud, but they carried weight.
The won stiffened, their shoulders tightening as they realized this wasn’t a casual question.
Ross wasn’t threatening them.
He didn’t need to.
But sothing in the way he asked—steady, expectant, quietly intense—made it clear that he wanted answers.
And withholding them would be a mistake.
The air in the basent grew heavy again as the won gathered their courage.
Giana swallowed hard before speaking, her voice trembling.
Their base... their secrets... their past...
Ross waited, patient and silent, eyes never leaving them.
"It’s located in..." Giana began hesitantly, her voice trembling slightly.
Her eyes darted nervously toward Ross, searching for any hint of anger or disapproval, but all she saw was his calm, patient gaze.
"Go on," Ross prompted softly, leaning slightly forward.
His tone was gentle, encouraging—but there was an undercurrent of authority that made her feel she had no choice but to answer fully.
Slowly, Giana spoke, outlining the layout of their base.
Whenever she faltered, Ross would nudge her with a question—not forceful, just probing enough to remind her of details she had overlooked.
Finally, he leaned back, a slow, satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"I guess that would be a good project to have," he murmured to himself, almost absentmindedly.
His voice was soft, but there was an unmistakable glint of excitent in his eyes.
He allowed himself a mont to dwell on the idea, letting it simr, imagining the possibilities and the challenge it presented.
It was a side project, yes—but one with endless potential, one that could grow and evolve under his hands.
The won watched him waiting for his words.
Ross finally turned his attention back to them, his calm, confident smile returning.
"It’s getting late now. You should all sleep. Tomorrow... we’ll do sothing great."
Though their bodies were still tense from the fear and uncertainty of the past hours, the won nodded obediently.
There was sothing magnetic about Ross, sothing that commanded attention and compliance without force.
They felt a strange mixture of awe and caution, knowing they were safe—for now—but aware that he was not soone to be underestimated.
As they followed him down the hallway, Ross allowed his mind to wander, already envisioning the possibilities for the base.
He reached out subtly, bending reality to his will.
The walls of the basent seed to ripple almost imperceptibly, the corners of the room stretching and reshaping themselves.
In monts, new rooms appeared, seamlessly integrated into the existing structure.
Beds materialized along the walls, soft and neatly made.
Bright lights flickered to life, casting a warm glow across the freshly polished floors.
Shelves appeared with neatly stacked supplies, and even a few small tables and chairs had been added for comfort.
It was as though the basent had always been ant to contain these additions, as if it had been lying dormant, waiting for soone with the right touch to awaken it.
Even Miku and Ace would believe that these room were here in the first place.
The won’s eyes widened as they stepped inside their new rooms, a mixture of awe and disbelief on their faces.
It was safe, warm, and strangely inviting.
No one spoke at first—they simply took it all in.
Ross gestured for them to settle in.
"Rest well," he said, his voice calm, almost soothing, but carrying an unspoken promise of excitent.
"Tomorrow... things will be even better."
As the won tucked themselves into their new rooms, Ross lingered for a mont in the hallway, allowing himself a small, private grin.
His mind was already racing with plans—possibilities for improvent, for exploration, for experintation.
For a brief mont, he allowed himself to savor the quiet, the calm before whatever tomorrow would bring.
And then, with a final glance at the sleeping won, he retreated to his own space, already dreaming of the chaos, the fun, and the possibilities that lay ahead.
***
The night finally ended, and by noon the household was bustling with life once more.
The five new won, who had spent the night huddled in their rooms, erged slowly, still groggy from sleep.
Their bodies were tired, and their minds carried the lingering weight of trauma, but Ross had already prepared a feast, the scent of rich, sizzling food filling the air.
As they sat down and began to eat, the tension in their shoulders seed to lt away with each bite.
Every morsel of Ross’s cooking carried warmth, flavor, and an almost magical comfort.
The won couldn’t believe the transformation—they had co to the table wary, tense, and haunted, yet by the ti they had finished, smiles had returned to their faces, laughter lightly spilling into the air.
"Wow! Just... wow!" one of them exclaid, eyes wide with disbelief. "I can’t believe this food tastes this good, Ross!"
"Seriously... how do you even make sothing like this?" another chid in, picking at her plate while still sneaking glances at him in awe.
Ross smiled faintly, watching their expressions with mild amusent, as if their delight were rely the icing on a cake he hadn’t even bothered to bake yet.
But then, just as they leaned back, full and content, Ross spoke again, his tone calm, almost casual—but the words struck them like a thunderclap.
"We’re going to save the people in your base."
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