The garden of the spirit Ifanel was always silent, filled only by the sound of her soft breathing.

This was a forbidden zone, a place barred to all forms of life. Ifanel had spent countless years here, alone.

Her own world.

A place that no one could reach, so isolated it was neither warm nor inviting—it was cold and desolate.

Ifanel remembered the very moment of her birth. A memory that marked her as distinct, unique among all living beings.

"Well done, young sapling."

The first words she ever heard upon opening her eyes.

The one who greeted her was a figure in a pure white robe.

At that time, she was young and unaware, a tree brimming with sacred energy, existing long before she became self-aware as a divine spirit.

The figure was an ancient mage from a time so distant it bordered on myth, and he had addressed her with a gentle voice.

But no matter how hard she tried, Ifanel couldn’t recall his face. Shadows obscured it, shrouded in mystery.

"…Who are you?" she murmured now, attempting to converse with this long-past memory.

Miraculously, the memory replied.

"I am… a wandering adventurer. Some call me a mage these days. A strange title, don’t you think?"

Ifanel felt a faint pang in her heart. The mage in the white robe tilted his head up to the sky, twisting his lips in a smile.

"It’s time for me to go. I hope you have beautiful dreams under the warm sunlight, little tree."

With that, he turned his back and faded into the mists of memory.

The flow of memories continued, swiftly advancing through her growth and the many years that followed.

It was an ancient memory, yet also felt as recent as if it happened yesterday—the day she awakened as a spirit.

Unfortunately… on that day, as she neared the final stages of her transformation, a woman broke through her weakened barrier.

"Oh my, how fortunate."

Ifanel could have easily overpowered her had she been in her prime. But as she cleansed her body and purified her soul to fully awaken as a spirit, she was defenseless.

She could do nothing.

With no way to resist, she watched, helpless, as her heart was taken.

The loss…

No one could understand the emptiness that followed.

Bound to her garden, Ifanel could not move beyond a single step, tethered by her roots. Her only comfort came from the occasional visits of Hae Taeryeong and Kkot Seorin, bringing stories of the outside world.

She dreamed.

Dreamed that one day, she could walk freely on her own legs, to see the wide and beautiful world, to roam under the vast skies.

When Hae Taeryeong grew weary of adventuring, he would stop by and recount his heroic tales.

"Listen up! I was amazing, right?"

Kkot Seorin, though an outcast like her, would bring tales from the outside world, beautifully arranged in books, and read them to Ifanel like fairytales.

"Once upon a time, there was a little princess who…"

Whenever they came, Ifanel felt a fleeting sense of happiness, filling the empty space in her heart.

But it was never enough.

It was far from enough.

This was… a yearning for freedom.

Merely hearing stories was not enough. She wanted to walk the world herself, to see the sky with her own eyes. And to achieve that…

There was only one way.

To awaken as a divine spirit, a being with a noble soul.

For tens, even hundreds of years, she pursued that single goal. She spent countless days and nights in meditation, chasing her dream of becoming a spirit.

In time, her body regressed, and to prevent her mind from fracturing, her mental age reset to that of a child. Yet she did not care.

As long as she could soar under the moonlit sky, she would give up everything.

She had no idea she would indeed lose everything.

"This… I’ll take it for myself."

After losing her heart, countless years passed. With her chest empty, a hollow shell was all that remained, unable to hold anything.

But… she could still think. She lived on, yearning endlessly, her mind trapped at a childlike age.

A savior? A hero? Heart? Soul?

She wasn’t asking for much.

All she needed… was someone to keep her company.

"So pitiful, this child."

Many more years passed.

Then, one day, Ifanel was graced by the presence of Kkot Seorin once more.

Seorin looked sorrowful.

Perhaps she was despairing, overcome by the helplessness of it all.

Ifanel cried out.

"Don’t leave me."

"I’m here."

But Kkot Seorin could not hear her words.

"I’ll save you… I promise."

And with those words, she left, her visits becoming rarer with time. When Ifanel last saw her, she sensed a deepening blessing radiating from Seorin… perhaps it was because of this.

Ifanel, still young in spirit, could not fully understand.

Decades passed again.

Her sense of loneliness dulled with time. Then, someone came.

"A perfect place to get in shape."

It was Baek Yuseol.

She had struggled to awaken and desperately called out to him, hoping he might hear her voice…

"One million and one! One million and two!"

Of course, he didn’t.

She couldn’t fathom why he shouted such a number, especially since he’d only done twenty push-ups.

He focused on his training, oblivious to her, and the longer he stayed, the more he merged with the garden.

In time, he became ensnared in the essence of her world, something that would have been impossible for an ordinary mage. For Ifanel, it was a stroke of fortune.

"What are you doing here? Can you hear me? Are you ignoring me?"

"Whoa! What was that?!"

He heard her voice.

At that moment, despite having lost her heart, Ifanel felt a surge, as if her heart were pounding or about to burst.

Her chest swelled, her entire body tingling with… an indescribable emotion.

It was a joy far greater than the moment she first awakened as a spirit.

Ifanel instinctively knew.

The boy standing before her was kind. He smelled of a soul similar to her own.

"How much would you give me?"

"Huh?"

"Kidding."

…Though mischievous at times, he granted her wish.

He brought her a heart.

Though it was much weaker and smaller than her original heart…

It allowed her to breathe once more. To open her eyes. To speak.

And to hope again.

Fragile though it was, this vessel meant she could one day attempt to become a spirit once more.

"…Thank you."

Ifanel, unfamiliar with expressing emotions due to her lack of social connections, filled that single word with a feeling too vast for human language to convey.

For the first time, she felt what hope truly was.

"Oh my, long time no see! Isn’t it nice to meet again?"

…Until that woman returned.

Ifanel sensed it immediately. The woman intended to use the same trick as before.

In her weakened state, Ifanel could not resist her.

She tried calling Baek Yuseol with all her might, but a dense mental barrier between them made even that impossible.

However, Ifanel was no longer as naive as before. Though her powers were gone, she had survived countless centuries as a wise spirit.

"Oh, dear?"

Ifanel chose to corrupt herself. Contaminating her noble soul with her own hands was painful beyond measure, but it was better than having everything stolen again.

As expected, the woman could do nothing to a corrupted Ifanel. She could only grind her teeth and express her fury.

But she was powerless.

Having fallen, Ifanel now possessed dark magic even more potent than the woman’s own.

"Just wait… I’ll return and consume you whole."

Her words were menacing.

But Ifanel knew the truth. The woman’s influence over her heart had faded until it was barely detectable.

Undoubtedly, she had been defeated by someone else.

Ifanel slowly opened her eyes.

A tear, like dew, trickled down her cheek.

This wasn’t her intention.

She never meant to pollute the World Tree, causing it pain. Yet because of her corruption, the World Tree cried in agony, weighing heavily on her heart.

"I need to go back…"

If she stayed, she would never be able to face that boy again. She could not bear to keep hurting the World Tree.

She had to return to her rightful place. With unshakable resolve, her spirit began to glow brightly.

*Shhhh…*

The violet mist filling the garden slowly faded, giving way to a gentle green.

It was a purification, though slow, undeniable.

If Baek Yuseol had seen it, he would have called it "an air purifier for humanity." If Eisel had seen it, she might have said, "It’s a magical breakdown into pure mana crystals. An absolutely beautiful phenomenon."

Ifanel herself had no idea just how magnificent her actions were, unaware of the grandeur unfolding before her.

A divine creature, purifying dark magic into sacred energy…

A sight that would go down as one of the most wondrous in magical history.

"…Is this what it means to have a noble soul?"

To witness such a sight with my own eyes—I must be fortunate indeed.

Startled, Ifanel opened her eyes wide.

A man was in her garden.

No, more accurately…

A black mage.

With spiky hair and tattered clothing that resembled a beggar’s attire, he emanated a thick, dark aura.

"Whoa, don’t be

 on guard. I have no interest in harassing divine beings. In fact, I help them out from time to time. Not that they ever stick around when they sense my presence."

Cheoriban, looking weary, frowned as he dropped something from his shoulder to the ground.

"Ugh…"

It was that woman.

The one who had stolen Ifanel’s heart.

Tattered and shaking, she could barely stand. Cheoriban, seemingly disgusted, kicked her, then drove his palm into her chest.

*Squish!*

"Urgh…!" 

Blood poured from her mouth as Cheoriban covered it with his hand, scowling, and pulled something from her chest.

It was… a massive, beautiful pearl, one that seemed out of place inside a black mage.

The size of a palm, it radiated a rainbow of colors under the sunlight.

"The heart of a divine spirit… This is my first time seeing it myself."

Ifanel watched Cheoriban with quiet eyes.

"Your heart. …To think you’re unfazed even after seeing it—truly fitting for a spirit."

He approached her cautiously, placing the pearl at her feet.

"It’s heavily tainted, unfortunately. Considering how much time has passed, it’s no wonder. I’m sorry, but with your power, you should be able to purify it again."

Turning, he picked up the woman again.

"…Why?"

Ifanel asked, her voice filled with curiosity. Cheoriban stopped, looking back at her with sharp, penetrating eyes.

"Originally, I wasn’t planning to return it…."

She met his gaze without blinking.

"But that boy’s essence lingered around you. Baek Yuseol, was it?"

At the mention of his name, Ifanel’s expression softened for the first time.

"…Seems I made a mistake. A fight that didn’t need to happen. I almost made a grave error."

He had thought Baek Yuseol was the one controlling Soya. But after clashing with him, mingling his mana with Baek Yuseol’s, he realized the truth.

The unyielding purity and kindness emanating from him.

It was not the aura of an evildoer.

"Baek Yuseol… fought for you, risking his life, fully aware he might die."

But he didn’t die.

And, on that day, I chose to spare him.

Of all the decisions Cheoriban had made over the centuries, it was one of the few that felt undeniably right.

"This heart belongs to Baek Yuseol."

With that, Cheoriban softened his gaze and gave a slight smile.

"You’re blessed with a remarkable bond. One even I envy."

After saying those words, Cheoriban vanished.

Ifanel looked down at the shimmering, rainbow-like heart.

"Baek Yuseol’s… gift…"

The pearl floated up, settling gently in her hands.

Holding it close to her chest, she closed her eyes.

She could almost feel his warmth radiating into her soul.

"And… my own."

Her lips curved in a gentle smile.

The wind blew.

It was a powerful gust.

A gentle swirl stirred in Ifanel’s heart, filling her mind with a dizzying, almost overwhelming sensation.

She held her heart close, basking in the feeling.

She stayed like that until dusk, for a long, long time.