Later that afternoon, the four boys walked together, chatting until they arrived at a massive, dilapidated structure.

​"I found this awesome spot myself," Tyler announced proudly, gesturing toward the building. "At first, we thought it was haunted, so I dragged Kai and Mark along for a little investigation. Unfortunately, we didn't find any ghosts." His face temporarily dropped into the tragic expression of a disappointed puppy, but instantly flipped back to a proud, eager grin. "But hey, on the bright side, we found the perfect secret base for our crew!"

​Mark was the kind of guy who initially came across as intimidating, serious, and even downright angry to strangers. However, the moment he actually opened up and started talking, he transformed into a bright, cheerful, and energetic person. He had pale skin with a cool undertone, a straight, prominent nose, thick dark eyebrows, and large black eyes beneath framed, full lips. His hair was buzzed almost to the scalp, which made his sharp facial features stand out even more. Standing at 1.70 meters with a highly athletic physique, his casual clothing choices didn't differ much from the other boys his age.

​The building they entered looked like something straight out of a horror movie—crumbling, abandoned, and half-destroyed. It had once been an old factory. As the boys stepped inside, twilight was beginning to fall over the village. Walking through the dark, empty corridors with dusty concrete floors and cracked walls, Tyler kept trying to spook them with terrible ghost stories and cheesy jokes. Mark’s patience eventually wore thin, and he started a playful shove-fight with Tyler.

​Kai and Leo ignored the bickering completely, but suddenly, Kai froze. Sensing something amiss, he snapped his head toward Leo, only to find Leo staring back at him with the exact same realization. They understood each other instantly without a single word.

​"Shut up! Stop it, right now," Leo commanded in a sharp, authoritative tone. "I'm hearing strange noises. Drop the clown act."

​The corridor fell dead silent. From somewhere deep within the factory, the echo of distorted, unsettling laughter rippled through the empty building. Tyler turned pale with fear. Mark immediately grabbed Tyler by his shirt, shaking him furiously.

​"This is all your fault, you idiot!" Mark hissed. "I told you a thousand times to take things seriously! Your big mouth woke up the spirits, and they're definitely pissed that we trespassed on their territory!"

​Meanwhile, Kai and Leo braced themselves for a fight. Leo scavenged the ground and picked up a heavy piece of wood—likely an old table leg—while Kai clenched his fists, preparing to put his boxing training to use.

​"Grab something from the ground and keep your mouths shut," Leo whispered. "The sound is coming from the next room. We move together, step by step. Whatever it is, there are four of us. We can take it."

​Kai smirked, adding, "Or we can just throw Tyler in there as a human sacrifice to apologize, and maybe they’ll let the rest of us go."

​Mark and Leo let out quiet snickers.

​"Ha, ha, ha, hilarious," Tyler whispered back, his voice trembling with genuine terror.

​They crept forward, their hearts pounding. Along with the echoes of the laughter, a faint flickering light appeared, casting ominous, dancing shadows against the walls. Reaching the doorway, they used silent, tactical hand gestures like a SWAT team. On the count of three, they lunged into the room with a collective roar.

​"AAAAAAAH!"

​"Are you guys the literal devils of the night?!" Mark yelled, cutting himself off.

​"I swear, I almost had a heart attack," Kai added, panting heavily.

​Leo rolled his eyes and let out a sarcastic clap. Tyler was clutching his chest, visibly on the verge of tears, though he desperately tried to maintain his dignity.

​"Yes, we are the devils! Oooooh, be afraid of us!" Lina laughed, mocking the boys' terrified expressions.

​The boys filed into the room as the confusion cleared. It turned out Lina and Eva had also chosen the abandoned factory for their own hangout.

​"Oh, look at the time," Eva said, glancing up. "Guys, if you’re interested in astronomy, you're welcome to join us. Just don't disrupt my workflow."

​Eva was an incredibly sensitive, deeply emotional girl. She had a chin-length, dark brown bob, large eyes of a slightly lighter brown shade, rosy cheeks, and well-defined lips set against fair skin. She stood at 1.65 meters tall.

​"I’m actually really interested," Mark spoke up immediately. "Need any help setting up?"

​Tyler and Kai shot Mark highly amused, skeptical looks, silently mocking his sudden, overwhelming enthusiasm to help the girls.

​The entire group climbed up to the building's rooftop. Along the way, they listened to Eva's passionate, energetic rants about constellations and space facts. After finishing their observations, feeling accomplished and happy, they began their descent.

​Suddenly, the ground beneath Kai's feet vanished.

​A section of the ancient concrete floor gave way entirely, cracking and collapsing into the darkness below. Kai’s leg was left dangling in mid-air. They were on the fifth floor; the section that had just caved in opened up a massive drop straight past the fourth floor, leaving the third floor visible below. Terror rippled through the group. Total panic set in as they noticed jagged cracks rapidly spreading outward from where Kai was trapped.

​"Alright, everyone stay calm. No panicking," Leo said, his voice laced with a slight tremor despite his controlled tone. "Move slowly toward the stairs. Now."

​Everyone obeyed instantly, but Leo stayed right where he was.

​"Kai, try to pull your leg out. Slowly," Leo instructed.

​"Should we run and get adults?" Lina asked, her voice tight with panic.

​"What if they don't make it in time?!" Tyler cried out.

​Eva was holding her breath in absolute horror, silent tears streaming down her face, while Mark frantically pulled out his phone, ready to call for emergency services. Tyler aimed his flashlight directly at the floor to illuminate the hazard. Leo dropped into a low stance, ready to spring forward the second things went south.

​With every slight movement Kai made, the structural cracks widened. The exact moment he finally managed to yank his leg completely free, a massive slab of the floor sheared off and plummeted into the abyss. Everyone screamed in terror. Kai braced for the fall, certain he was a goner, but Leo lunged forward and caught him just in time. The deadweight of Kai's body dragged heavily against him. Realizing that if they remained suspended like this, the weak floor would collapse under both of them, Leo screamed, "Mark! Get over here and help! He's too heavy!"

​Mark sprinted over. Aside from Kai, Mark was the strongest and most athletic of the group. With a grueling effort, the three of them managed to scramble back onto solid ground.

​They practically fled the building. Once outside in the cool night air, the suffocating fear finally lifted. Eva broke down sobbing, and Lina pulled her into a comforting hug. Kai's leg was scraped and bruised, but thankfully, the injury wasn't severe.

​"Damn it, Kai," Tyler tried to joke, breaking the heavy silence. "If you hate this place, just say so. You didn't have to demolish the whole building. How the hell are we going to get to the roof now? Jeez..."

​The joke worked perfectly. The suffocating tension broke, and everyone began chipping in with their own remarks. When they reached the crossroads where they had to split up, the group "entrusted" Kai to Leo, since they were neighbors. Before parting ways, everyone showered Leo with praise, deeply impressed by his fearless nature and lightning-fast reflexes.

Left alone on the quiet road, Kai turned to Leo. "Thank you," he said softly, his voice full of genuine emotion. "Seriously. I owe you my life."

​Over the following days, Leo began putting his strategic mind to work, calculating his steps to subtly manipulate those around him.

​"You just dive into things without overthinking or fearing the consequences," Leo told Tyler one afternoon, feeding his ego. "Very few people actually have the guts to do that."

​On another day, when a few students were making snide remarks about Leo living all alone as an outsider, Lina had snapped at them, saying, "There is absolutely nothing funny about that." Later, Leo approached her. "I always thought humans were colder than this... I guess I was wrong about you," he murmured softly, ensuring her loyalty.

​He targeted Mark next, noticing him secretly sketching in a hidden corner of the classroom. The drawings showed immense skill, but it was obvious Mark was holding back, avoiding what he truly wanted to create. "Have you ever tried to capture the things you're forced to keep hidden?" Leo asked quietly. Mark’s eyes lit up. Until that moment, no one in the school had ever noticed his artistic talent.

​Finally, during a practical assignment with Eva, as they discussed stars and planets, Leo broke the silence. "Sometimes, I feel like I'm entirely in the wrong universe," he sighed softly. "If I were from another planet... which one do you think it would be?" Eva completely forgot about the assignment, diving into a deep, philosophical discussion while gently trying to comfort him, keeping in mind that he was entirely alone on Earth.

​One evening, as darkness fell over the village, Leo spent some of his money on chips, cola, cakes, and candy, wandering aimlessly through the streets. Suddenly, he spotted a familiar figure. It was Kai, sitting completely alone. The tension radiating off him was palpable; it was obvious something heavy had happened.

​Leo walked over and sat down beside him, keeping a respectful distance so as to not intrude. After a long silence, Leo spoke up, staring straight ahead without looking at Kai.

​"People assume you can handle everything just because you're strong."

​Kai remained silent.

​Leo continued, his voice smooth and calming. "But being the strong one usually means no one ever bothers to stop and ask how you are doing."

​More silence stretched between them.

​"And you aren't used to complaining or asking for help. It’s like you force yourself to carry the entire weight of the world entirely on your own."

​Kai shifted slightly, looking at Leo for the first time. His gaze wasn't questioning or expectant; it was just vulnerable.

​"I won't pry if you don't want to talk about it," Leo added softly.

​Kai took a deep, shaky breath. "If I vanished one day, everything would fall apart. They’d lose their way. They can’t manage things without me." He paused, swallowing hard. "I feel guilty for being exhausted. I feel like a criminal for wanting to drop everything and just walk away, regardless of the consequences. Am I losing my mind, Leo? Is it normal to feel like this?"

​"If you decide to drop everything one day, I won't be the one judging you," Leo replied calmly. "Normal or abnormal, it doesn't matter. This is your life."

​Without another word, Leo handed his bottle of cola to Kai. A faint smile broke through Kai's exhaustion as he accepted it. After a quiet drink, Leo noticed that Kai clearly dreaded going home. Though Leo had absolutely no desire to play babysitter for the rest of the night, he pushed the thought aside and offered, "You can crash at my place tonight." Kai gratefully accepted.

​The next day at school, during recess, the entire group—minus Leo—gathered in a quiet corner of the courtyard. Inevitably, the conversation drifted to their mysterious new friend. No one explicitly pitied him, but they all shared a silent understanding: the guy was entirely on his own. With the harvest season rapidly approaching, the friends made a collective decision. Each of them would chip in and help Leo manage his house and land with whatever resources they had. To make sure the job got done right, they even decided to recruit the village elders into their plan.