The doll's memories shattered like pieces of a broken mirror.

The fragments did not connect, leaving only faint images behind.

She was always sitting in the same position.

In the center of a grand religious building made of white marble, there was a huge furnace.

From the furnace, bright white flames were burning.

The flames seemed ominous, but the people bowed their heads in front of it, offering their worship.

Their faces were hidden under black cloths, so their expressions could not be seen, but their gestures were filled with reverence and devotion.

They prayed with desperate hearts, sometimes shedding tears.

The doll silently watched them.

Her eyes were deep and clear, as if alive, but there were no emotions within them.

She was nothing more than a doll modeled after the saint.

After the workday, people came to the doll and carefully tended to her.

They dusted her off, combed her long hair, and treated her as if she were a living being.

Their touch was gentle and careful.

The doll felt an inexplicable warmth as their hands brushed over her, but she didn’t know what it was.

She simply wished that this peaceful time would never end.

Time passed like that.

But one night, everything changed.

With a sudden explosion, red flames engulfed the building.

The fire soared into the sky, painting it red, as the people who had been tending to her drew sharp blades to fight the enemy.

Amidst the chaos, the doll remained unmoving in her place.

Red blood scattered around her.

One by one, the people around her fell.

For the first time, an unknown emotion stirred within her.

Was it sadness? Or was it emptiness?

At that moment, a sharp gunshot rang out.

Bang!

The bullet sped through the air, slicing toward the doll’s face.

Before the sound could reach her, one side of her face shattered, and she fell backward from the impact.

Small fragments of her broken face scattered across the ground.

Her vision blurred on one side, and the sounds faded away.

She couldn’t tell how much time had passed.

The flames gradually died down, and the building crumbled.

The completely shattered doll slowly opened her eyes amidst the rubble.

Around her, there were ashes and broken columns.

Only a profound silence enveloped her.

And in the moonlight that colored the ruins in hues of every shade, the doll was able to move her body.

She had become an Object.

She tried to rise but struggled due to her broken parts.

She looked around.

Everything had changed.

There was no sign of life, and only the cold wind brushed past her body.

The doll slowly, but with determined resolve, rose to her feet.

Her joints creaked as they moved, but she paid it no mind.

Her surroundings were tinged in gray.

Debris from the shattered buildings and charred remains were scattered everywhere.

She reached down and picked up a piece of black cloth that had fallen to the ground.

It was part of the clothing worn by the people who had once cared for her.

She held the cloth to her chest and made a sorrowful expression.

But at that moment, the piece of cloth was carried away by the wind and scattered, as if it had never existed.

The doll looked around.

Whenever she touched something, the traces of the people vanished like dust.

Now, she could move, and she could handle the white flames that the people had once desired her to control.

But the very people who had tended to her were no longer in this world.

A feeling of despair surged from deep within her chest.

She knelt and looked up at the sky.

The sky, tainted with darkness, gave no answer.

[Bring the people back.]

[Return those days to me.]

She screamed inwardly, but no sound came from her mouth.

There was no voice, not even a breath.

The doll cupped her face in her hands and released the white flames.

The flames flowed down her cheeks like tears.

The surroundings were silent.

Only the broken columns and ashes accompanied her sorrow.

Then, from somewhere, the sound of something clashing was heard.

Clink, clink.

It was the sound of small stones colliding with each other.

The doll raised her head.

In the smoke-filled ruins, the figure of a man slowly emerged.

He held an antique lamp in his hand, his body obscured by smoke, his form unclear.

Around him, the lights from the lamps burning nearby shone brightly through the smoke.

In the deep garden of the Mini Grim Reapers, on the Marshmallow Plain.

I was leisurely walking when I suddenly stopped, my eyes wide.

'!'

I had just discovered that the Hybrid Aghu Grim Reaper was still walking around, still fused with the others.

'Why is it still in this combined state?'

I stared at the Hybrid Aghu Grim Reaper with a puzzled expression.

The fusion of other Mini Grim Reapers didn’t last long, but this hybrid fusion had been going on for far too long.

The fusion between Golden Grim Reapers.

The fusion between Black Grim Reapers.

Even the fusion of the First Sword and the Golden Cloak Grim Reaper.

None of them lasted as long as this.

This fusion was at a similar level to the ones I had experienced, like when I fused with the Orange Grim Reaper or the Golden Grim Reaper.

'I wish the fusion between the First Sword and Golden Cloak Grim Reaper could last as long as this...'

I thought to myself, lost in contemplation.

Finally, I made up my mind to break the Hybrid Aghu Grim Reaper apart.

After all, it looked terrifying!

I slowly approached the Hybrid Aghu Grim Reaper, who was sitting next to the Pudding Grim Reaper.

Poying. Poying.

The Pudding Grim Reaper bounced like slime, and the Hybrid Aghu Grim Reaper smiled beside it.

'…'

I put on the fusion halo over my head and snuck up on the Hybrid Aghu Grim Reaper.

'!'

Sensing something odd, the Hybrid Aghu Grim Reaper turned to look at the Gray Grim Reaper.

But it was too late.

The fusion broke, and the Aghu Grim Reaper and the White Aghu returned to their individual forms.

Kyu!

Kyu-hing.

The Aghu Grim Reaper and the White Aghu whimpered with a frustrated sound and made sulky expressions.

Poying. Poying.

Even the Pudding Grim Reaper, sensing the Aghu Grim Reaper’s emotions, bounced its body and made a sad expression.

The eyes of the Aghu and the children showed disappointment and sorrow.

'Is fusion really that good?'

I watched the children’s reactions and felt a bit confused.

When I fused with others, I never felt such intense emotions of attachment.

'Why is that…'

Perhaps, just like Mini Grim Reapers’ habit of liking “big things” for no reason, fusion had some unique element that excited the children.

Thud, thud.

While walking away from the sorrowful Aghu Grim Reaper, I saw the Golden Grim Reaper and the Black Grim Reaper rushing somewhere together.

The little Grim Reapers gathered together in a rush, looking like a giant stream of water.

What was strange was that the Golden and Black Grim Reapers' currents weren’t mixing, unlike how they usually did.

Normally, they would have mixed chaotically, but not this time.

The energy radiating from the Black and Golden Grim Reapers was filled with ominous intent.

'Fight!'

'Battle!'

'Victory!'

Finally, were the two factions going to war over the Golden Grim Reapers’ grand council issue?

I eagerly anticipated the fight, grabbed a large popcorn, and followed the current of the Golden and Black Grim Reapers.

The destination was the massive Colosseum.

Inside, the Golden and Black Grim Reapers were clearly divided, occupying opposite halves of the Colosseum.

'!'

As I saw this, I wondered, ‘Are they really going to have a war?’

At that moment, a Golden Grim Reaper from the Golden side started walking toward the arena.

'The First Sword!'

'The strongest Golden Grim Reaper!'

The Golden Grim Reapers clapped and cheered, hopping excitedly.

Then, a Black Grim Reaper from the opposing side walked toward the arena.

'The strongest Black Grim Reaper!'

'The Black Grim Reaper who fought with foreign enemies!'

The Black Grim Reapers began clapping and cheering as well.

'!'

A battle between the Golden Grim Reaper’s First Sword and the Black Hooded Grim Reaper...

Both seemed evenly matched, making it impossible to predict the winner.

I suddenly felt a surge of excitement, sat in the designated “mom’s seat,” and started munching on popcorn.

Crunch. Crunch.

The Colosseum, which had been filled with the sound of little Grim Reapers jumping and clapping, fell silent, and the sound of me eating popcorn echoed like thunder.

'?'

Looking around in confusion, I noticed every Mini Grim Reaper was staring at me with eager, bright eyes.

As if expecting something.

The sudden wave of anticipation left me puzzled, but after a little while, I realized what the children wanted.

I stood up and released my energy.

'The match begins now!'

In the deep mountains of China, the ruins of the "Cult."

Junior 2nd, believing the Man of the Lamp had not given false information, began to wander the ruins aimlessly.

But the place where the "Cult" had once stood was completely destroyed, nothing left intact.

"Could there really be a saint here to grant wishes?"

Junior 2nd sighed, poking the Golden Horned Reaper sitting on her chest.

But the Golden Horned Reaper, unlike usual, didn’t respond and just stared blankly in one direction.

"What's wrong? Is something there?"

When Junior 2nd turned her head to look in the direction, she felt a strange dissonance.

Step. Step.

And when she set foot on the ground where the largest building of the ruins once stood,

The entire environment changed.

A massive building made of white marble, with intricate carvings, appeared.

The strange people wrapped in black cloths from Gyeoyang Mountain.

And the intense heat rising from the giant furnace in the center.

Just moments ago, it had felt chilly in the deep mountain night, but now it was uncomfortably hot.

"What... what is this?"

At that moment, a woman approached Junior 2nd and greeted her.

[Hello. You are the ones who have come to grant a wish, right?]

Although the voice was silent, the meaning was clear.

"That face...?"

Junior 2nd turned her head and muttered in a puzzled tone as she looked at the woman who greeted her.