When Ariel opened his eyes in the hospital room, he found himself in a world that felt entirely different.

Starlight surged through his body, and everything—objects, people—seemed to move in slow motion.

It was as if he were the only one disconnected from the flow of the world, like he had fallen into a grayscale world.

‘Is this also an effect of the stars?’

It seemed like it would take some time to adjust. Everything looked unfamiliar, different.

When he looked at a person, he could roughly gauge their strength and the paths they had walked. It was as if starlight veiled his vision.

And then, when Iria entered the room, his perception shifted again.

She harbored an unfamiliar energy in her body, something Ariel had never encountered. Was she even truly human?

He didn’t know.

He had never seen such an ominous presence before.

Ariel tried to extend his starlight to sense more about Iria.

“Ugh?!”

He was blocked.

Ariel couldn’t read anything about Iria. Instead, he was assaulted by a splitting headache.

Simply by existing, Iria disrupted the starlight’s view. The stark contrast between her harmless appearance and the monumental presence was unsettling.

Were others really not aware of such a colossal presence?

Thinking back, Ariel hadn’t noticed it either until he opened his starlight sight. Perhaps he alone felt this way.

That was why he had brought her somewhere secluded. Just as Iria seemed interested in him, Ariel found himself unable to ignore her.

When he called her, she followed without question. She was as radiant as always.

Her long, silver hair flowed behind her, and her cold demeanor exuded an air of mystery.

But that wasn’t all.

Her red eyes resembled something other than human. What did they remind him of? Ariel thought, staring into her eyes.

And then he understood.

Iria’s gaze was reminiscent of the wolf he had once seen.

Was Iria even human?

The star answered his thought: no.

Ariel chose not to believe the star’s words. He wanted to discover the truth for himself by facing her.

They stood atop the ridge behind the academy, where few people ever ventured. A heavy silence hung between them.

The star was wary of Iria, and so Ariel was, too. But he hadn’t called her here to be hostile.

In fact, he wanted to clear any misunderstandings.

He hoped that the immense presence he felt was just a trick of his senses, and that Iria was still as harmless as she seemed.

To confirm that, he felt a conversation was necessary.

“Iria.”

“Yes.”

“I have something to ask you.”

“Go ahead.”

Since neither of them was particularly talkative, their exchange was brief.

But the feelings underlying their words were not shallow. Ariel was hesitant to ask, while Iria seemed slightly tense.

Her usual impassive expression hid her feelings, yet she was subtly watching Ariel’s face.

If worse came to worst, she could just erase his memory. But she couldn’t do that with Ariel. His mind was immune to her control. She couldn’t read his thoughts, nor could she hypnotize or manipulate him.

None of her mental powers worked on him. When she had tried to put others to sleep, like Sera or Albert, it had never been this difficult.

So she had to be careful with her answers. If she couldn’t erase his memory, she might have to kill him.

After a pause, Ariel finally spoke.

“...Are you human, Iria?”

It was a difficult question to answer.

Iria remained silent. She couldn’t reveal the truth. If he found out she was a monster, it would mean ruin.

Should she lie?

“...”

But how?

Iria was not good at lying. She had never needed to be. From the beginning, she had been strong, able to control others’ memories as she wished. She had never been in a situation where she needed to lie.

If she tried to fabricate a clumsy lie, she might as well be confessing. And so, she swallowed her words and stayed silent.

Ariel continued, trying to deny the star’s whispers. He wanted to believe she was human, just like him.

“...I just want an answer.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

But to Iria, this was an incredibly sensitive matter. Her demeanor was sharp.

Though her expression and tone didn’t change, Ariel sensed she was more upset than usual.

In fact, if he looked closely, there were minor changes.

Her brow and eyes twitched slightly. If Ariel were seeing her for the first time, he might not have noticed these subtle shifts.

But he’d seen her enough in recent days to recognize the difference. Today, Iria seemed sharper than usual.

Had his question inadvertently provoked her? Ariel swallowed hard.

Iria took a step forward and spoke.

“Is that all you have to say after bringing me here? I’m not a doll who stands quietly even when insulted.”

“That’s not what I meant—”

“Do you also see me as a monster, Ariel? Do you know how much of a curse it is to be born with red eyes in this world?”

Her calm, unwavering voice pressed down on him.

She wasn’t truly angry. Iria had never really experienced emotions the way humans did.

But it was the only way she could avoid answering. She wasn’t good at lying, so she mixed past truths with present lies.

Blending lies with truth so skillfully that she didn’t even recognize the falsehoods herself. And so, Ariel couldn’t say a word in response.

Iria’s red eyes flashed.

“Do you think I’m not human, Ariel? If you doubt my identity, you’re welcome to kill me right here. There’s no one to witness it.”

“Iria!”

“What?”

Even as she spoke such cruel words, her expression remained unmoved.

It wasn’t a mere bluff. If someone could kill her, she wouldn’t mind. She almost wanted someone to end her existence.

But she doubted there was anyone in this world capable of it.

Iria took Ariel’s sword hilt, placing the blade against her neck.

Her red eyes remained fixed on him, unwavering even as the blade touched her throat.

“You can find out if I’m human or not by cutting me down. I’m offering you the chance to see the truth.”

If Ariel did as she suggested and attacked her, her red miasma would instantly retaliate, slicing through his neck.

It might look like she was risking her life, but in truth, Iria was holding Ariel’s fate in her hands.

After all, one of them would have to die eventually. If it happened sooner, it wouldn’t matter to her.

And above all...

“...”

“...”

She knew he wouldn’t do it.

While she couldn’t read Ariel’s thoughts, she understood enough about his character.

Ariel wouldn’t strike. Even now, his hand on the sword trembled.

So Iria waited.

A monster unfamiliar with emotions, she left the choice to others.

Waiting was something she was good at. There was nothing more familiar to her.

And waiting always came with silence. It took Ariel a moment to respond to Iria’s outburst.

Ariel...

“...I’m sorry.”

He apologized.

He stepped back, sheathing his sword.

Not knowing anything about Iria, he must have thought his question had triggered her trauma.

That hadn’t been his intention, but he’d still ended up hurting her.

Their conversation ended anticlimactically. Hearing his apology, Iria turned away, as if there was no reason to stay.

“Ariel.”

“...I’m listening.”

“Don’t try to understand me too deeply.”

Ariel wasn’t ready to understand Iria yet.

Even though he had grown stronger, he still didn’t have the right.

If, someday, he became strong enough to converse with her as an equal, then maybe he would find out.

“Forget what happened today.”

For now, it wasn’t the time.

If he tried to delve any deeper, one of them would die. And it was very likely Ariel would be the one.

Today, Ariel was haunted by the monster of the back alley.

He had tried to talk to Iria, but he had failed.

He hadn’t expected her to take his question so personally.

“Do you also see me as a monster, Ariel?”

“How much of a curse it is to be born with red eyes in this world.”

Had he been too inconsiderate?

Perhaps Iria had always been treated as less than human.

It was rare to see a human with red eyes.

Considering that, he could imagine what kind of dark past she might have endured. Surely, she’d grown up in a harsh environment.

She seemed almost too familiar with being seen as a monster.

Like she had heard it too many times before.

Despite the sensitive question, she had remained composed. Even while her demeanor was sharp and her words biting, she never lost her calm.

It was as if she had grown numb from repeated wounds.

“...”

Ariel blamed himself. He should have been more careful before asking.

He had been so distracted by how her eyes had momentarily seemed like a monster’s that he hadn’t considered her feelings.

From that day on, the sympathy and pity in Ariel’s gaze whenever he looked at Iria became clear.