At some point, it opened its eyes.

Complete darkness, so thick that it couldn’t see even an inch ahead.

I am…

In the comforting embrace of the darkness that surrounded it, it recalled a name.

I am Krumo….

As the name surfaced, emotions began flooding its mind: anger, fear, sorrow, despair. Emotions, unfiltered, poured into it, and it began to be consumed by the most intense, ferocious of them all.

Rage.

This burning, fiery rage—what was its source? Suddenly, something flashed before its eyes, blazing red, just like the fury it felt. Remembering the crimson glow that had split its body, it momentarily held its breath.

….

Huff—

The fear of death. Its consciousness, bound by cold chains, sank deep into a dark abyss, dissipating into nothingness—a fear so intense it scattered into oblivion.

It took a harsh, ragged breath, but only for a moment.

How dare they…!

Anger surged within it once again.

How dare they leave me in this state!

Worms, lesser than ants, dared…!

A dark, seething fury burst from its mouth, hot enough to melt stone. It wanted nothing more than to seek out the insects who had plunged it into this cold darkness and tear them apart, basking in their cries of despair and sorrow.

But…

It knew it was still weak.

It had neither its iron scales nor claws sharper than any blade. For now, it needed to regain its strength.

In the darkness that enshrouded it, it watched quietly, waiting for the day it would spread its wings and soar once more.

 

"Kana."

"…!"

A face I longed to see, but believed I’d never see again.

The moment I saw it, I felt as though my heart had stopped. That familiar, kind voice calling my name, and the deep scar on his cheek—everything was just as I remembered.

"Gari…."

No.

How much had I regretted it since he’d been gone? Knowing he was different from the people who only brought me into this world, why had I found it so hard to accept him as "Dad"?

Not anymore.

"Dad."

"…."

He said nothing in response to my call, only held out his arms.

"Dad!"

His embrace was firm, yet warm.

I surrendered myself to the warmth I’d thought I’d never feel again. I had so much to say. How lonely I’d been since he left, what I’d gone through, how sorry I was for acting so coldly toward him. My heart was bursting with words, but in the end, I buried my face in his chest and let out the one phrase that encompassed them all.

"I missed you…."

To see him again, I’d traveled to the Holy Kingdom, sought out Edel, and helped fulfill the demons’ wish in Raxia. It would be a lie to say it hadn’t been hard. But being able to see him like this made it all worth it.

As if he’d heard my heart’s whispered words, he patted my back with that familiar, comforting touch, and I closed my eyes.

"Kana."

"…Yes?"

"Are you happy?"

"…Yes."

His gentle voice caressed my heart, as if I were finally being rewarded for all my struggles. If only this moment could last forever—

"Are you happy after stealing my life?"

"…!"

The kindness in his voice, the warmth in his eyes—gone. Now, there was only a face twisted with loathing, looking down at me with utter contempt. Like being doused with ice-cold water, my hazy mind snapped into clarity.

"…I… Kana!"

"Haa… Hah…."

I looked around, finally recognizing Daeun’s worried face as she gently held my shoulder.

It was… a dream.

The realization that it had all been a dream made my pounding heartbeat slowly settle down.

"Oh my gosh, look at you, Kana. Your back is soaked with cold sweat! Did you have a nightmare?"

"A nightmare… Yeah, maybe."

"Are you okay? Want me to bring you something warm?"

"…I’m fine."

Daeun was already ready to dash off for hot water, but I waved her off.

If it was a nightmare, then it was. The fact that I’d think of seeing my dad as a nightmare left a sour taste in my mouth. Remembering his face twisted in disgust made my thoughts freeze up.

"No, this won’t do. I’ll tell Artisha you’re taking a break today."

"There’s no need. Don’t make such a fuss."

"Kana!"

Daeun raised her voice, but I didn’t waver. Sensing my firm resolve, she abandoned her direct approach and instead softened her tone, attempting to persuade me.

"Wouldn’t it be better to put it off if you’re not feeling well? What if you end up getting hurt because you’re unwell…?"

"My mood’s off, not my physical condition."

"But still…."

"There’s no ‘but still.’"

"…Fine. But if it gets too much, we’re rescheduling, okay?"

"I said there’s no ‘but still.’"

Grumbling, I could see Daeun wasn’t about to budge on this one point. In the end, I hooked my pinky finger with hers and promised. Though it was hardly a binding promise, it seemed to satisfy her, and she smiled, visibly relieved.

"Then, shall we get some breakfast?"

"…Breakfast?"

"Yep! You can’t go off to fight on an empty stomach. Food’s important, you know! I can’t let even the cutest Kana skip breakfast."

"I wasn’t planning on skipping…."

I shook out my sweat-dampened clothes and tilted my head.

"We could just eat here, you know."

"What are you talking about! When you’re invited to someone’s home, you should eat with the host."

"Well, that’s true, but… Don’t you think you’re forgetting something?"

"Huh? Am I?"

I considered telling her what she’d missed, but then decided against it. After all, there wasn’t a rule that only the host had to serve the food. If needed, we could host instead, as Daeun suggested. We weren’t short on supplies, after all.

I discarded my damp clothes and changed into my usual outfit.

"It would’ve been nice if you wore something prettier…."

Ignoring Daeun’s muttered complaint, I finished changing, and we headed out together. The manor, small for a lord’s residence, made it easy to find the dining hall.

"Ah, you’re here!"

"Selene! You’re up early."

"Hello…."

Selene and Artisha, already seated, greeted us warmly. Selene, smiling her usual gentle smile, then widened her eyes as she looked at me.

"Kana-sama, you look a bit pale… Is something wrong?"

"She had a nightmare. She was sweating buckets and groaning in her sleep."

"Kana-sama… had a nightmare?"

"Surprising, isn’t it?"

"…I apologize if this sounds rude, but yes."

"Ahaha, I get it. Kana always seems so strong; it’s hard to imagine her showing weakness."

"What are you talking about?"

"Hm? Just a little morning conversation."

"…."

That was hardly convincing. Daeun averted her eyes, offering a gentle smile as if she hadn’t been up to anything.

"Have faith in my words."

"What’s with the way you’re talking?"

"Didn’t it sound solemn?"

"Not at all."

Even Edel didn’t speak that way. No, thinking about it, maybe that was just Edel’s quirk. Not that I’d ever expected her to use formal language, but she did sprinkle in Earth expressions and phrases unfamiliar to Celia.

"Selene, what were you doing?"

"We were talking about how the Purifier Clan communicates."

"Oh, I’ve always found that fascinating. You understand each other without speaking the same language. How does it work?"

"Technically, it’s not the words that are understood, but the meaning… They interpret the mana carried in words instead of the words themselves."

"Mana in words?"

"All living things constantly emit mana unconsciously… Since we’re sensitive to mana and miasma, it’s easy for us to sense it. Similarly, we’re also used to conveying intent through mana…."

"So that’s how you could understand it…."

I didn’t fully grasp Selene and Daeun’s discussion, but I understood what Artisha was saying. To read someone’s intentions through the mana in their words—interesting. I wondered if I could do it too.

Though I wanted to try, I didn’t think I could replicate it based on her explanation alone. When I attempted to focus my mana experimentally, I felt three pairs of eyes on me and quickly withdrew it. Instead, I turned my attention back to Artisha’s words.

While I listened, her voice carried a sleepy drawl that almost made me drift off. Maybe it was because of the nightmare I’d had.

"Yawn…."

As I struggled to keep awake, Selene and Daeun whispered to each other.

"Kana-sama must be really tired."

"Kids need more sleep, after all."

"Don’t call me a kid…."

"Oh, sorry! Kana’s so cute when she yawns; I couldn’t help it… Wait a second."

Daeun leaned in suddenly, and I reflexively leaned back from her close proximity.

"Kana, did I just speak in Granic?"

"…Hm?"

Artisha’s soothingly sleepy voice had made me drowsy, and I answered absently, thinking she might’ve used Arkish.

Had I… actually succeeded? Just like that?