The scene was a complete mess, as if an earthquake had struck.

    I stared blankly into the closet for a moment, half-dazed, before quickly snapping back to my senses.

    This moment, when Raven—whose senses were unnervingly sharp—was away for an extended period, was a rare and precious opportunity that only came a few times a day.

    If I wasted it, I’d have no choice but to wait for the next day, and with every day feeling precious to me, I had to stay sharp.

    ‘Now that I think about it, Raven isn’t the type to clean up since he finds it bothersome. I should have expected this... Well, let’s get moving and start searching.’

    To get a sense of the situation, I straightened my back and scanned the entire closet with a sweeping glance.

    The closet was so large that even if I stretched my arms out fully, I wouldn’t be able to cover its entire width.

    It was a sliding door type, like the ones often seen in Japanese homes, and it was embedded into the wall.

    Still, perhaps because it was finished with high-end wood, it didn’t feel as dark and dreary inside as I had initially expected.

    ‘It’s surprisingly deep. I think I could fit inside without any issues...’

    The closet was deeper than it looked from the outside.

    It must have been part of the building’s design from the start, as it felt quite natural without any awkwardness.

    But Raven, with all his carelessness, seemed to be using this fine closet as a makeshift storage space.

    The closet was divided into three shelves, each crammed with all sorts of items chaotically mixed together, with no signs of order or organization.

    It wouldn’t be easy to pull all of this out.

    The sheer difficulty of the task weighed on me, especially considering how little time I had.

    ‘Raven’s pants, the ones with the shards inside... He said they were part of his newly unpacked winter clothes, right?’

    Thankfully, I wasn’t searching blind. I had a clue to go on.

    If Raven had taken out winter suit pants from this closet, then the object I was searching for was likely near the box containing his winter clothes.

    ‘It’s going to be a pain, but if I check out the boxes here, I should be able to find something. But the time...’

    I glanced over at the wall-mounted electronic calendar, checking the clock.

    Should I give myself about five minutes of leeway?

    If I got caught, it would be a headache in more ways than one, so I had to make sure I didn’t cross that deadline.

    After firmly imprinting the remaining time into my mind, I carefully moved aside the heavy clutter piled on top of the boxes.

    But as I was pushing aside the items, the precariously stacked pile lost its balance and came tumbling down toward the floor.

    “...!”

    I quickly used telekinesis to grab the falling clutter mid-air.

    Maybe my reflexes weren’t too slow this time. The items stopped safely in midair before they could hit the floor and make a loud noise.

    Hmm, it seems... I’m going to have to make more active use of my telekinesis this time.

    Having made up my mind, I levitated the clutter to keep it attached to the upper area, then hurriedly began opening up the scattered boxes one by one.

    This one had tools like lightbulbs and nails, and that one had books and ornaments...

    Whoa, wait a second. Is this... an adult magazine? He actually hid this here?

    ‘No, no, no! This isn’t the time for this! Seriously, couldn’t he have hidden it somewhere less obvious?!’

    I stared blankly at the cover featuring a woman with a dangerously alluring figure, and my face grew hot. Embarrassed, I hastily tossed the magazine onto the floor. Rα????o?ВЕ?S

    I felt ashamed for letting myself get distracted in the middle of such a time-sensitive mission.

    But seriously, was this a closet or a junkyard?

    The messy state of everything, just crammed in without the slightest bit of organization, made me feel a bit irritated.

    If I had been okay with ransacking it all without regard for the mess I’d leave behind, I could’ve gone much faster.

    I immediately felt a chill run down my spine.

    The reason was obvious. That sound had come from the bathroom door opening.

    “...!”

    Ah, crap! I’d been so focused on the rift that I’d completely lost track of time!

    This was bad. The bathroom was close enough to the room’s entrance that you could see it as soon as you opened the door.

    In other words, if Raven opened the door now, I’d have no choice but to escape through the window.

    But going out the window?

    In this freezing winter weather? The sudden influx of cold air would be way too obvious, and I’d be found out immediately.

    ‘W-What do I do?! If I get caught like this... I’ll definitely be suspected!’

    Negative scenarios flooded my mind.

    He had taken me in, offering me a place to stay, only to find me rummaging through his personal space?

    Even the most generous saint wouldn’t forgive that kind of betrayal.

    At the very least, he’d think I was trying to steal something. At worst, he might think I was a shady criminal with some malicious scheme.

    Of course, I wasn’t doing this out of malice. I was just trying to prepare for any possible contingencies...!

    But there was no guarantee Raven would understand that. Especially since I couldn’t even explain myself.

    Step, step.

    Raven’s footsteps steadily approached the door.

    There was no time left to think. I had about five seconds, at most.

    Sweat beaded on my back, cold and damp from the sudden panic.

    I squeezed my eyes shut and quietly slid the closet door closed.

    If I was going down, I’d go down hiding in this closet, like covering a bug with a pot lid.

    Would I be discovered? No, I had a bad feeling about this. I was definitely going to be found.

    Click.

    The door to the room opened, and Raven’s presence grew stronger.

    My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a cold, iron hand. My mouth went dry as I swallowed nervously.

    Please don’t notice me. Please, please, please.

    I held my breath, my heart pounding loudly in my ears like a war drum.

    Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

    But as if to mock my desperate prayers, the sound of Raven’s footsteps drew closer.

    Step. Step. Step.

    He was heading toward the closet.

    The moment I heard that dreaded sound, a horrible realization settled over me.

    He knows.

    He’s coming for the closet.

    I didn’t have time to think. My mind went blank, and all I could do was stiffen my body like a hunted animal, hoping to avoid detection.

    Screech.

    The sliding door of the closet opened smoothly, and bright light poured in, flooding the darkness I was hiding in.