The moment we passed through the gate, I stopped walking.

  There was something strange in the air—

  well, yeah, that too, a little—but that wasn’t it.

  It was just… an incredible sight.

  A wide courtyard. Pale stone spread across the ground, with moss creeping along the edges.

  There were trees I’d never seen before. Slender trunks, leaves shimmering faintly silver.

  Thin waterways ran through the place like threads, almost like they were breathing.

  There were sounds, too.

  Soft. Like whispers.

  But not unsettling.

  If anything, it felt like somewhere you’d want to stay forever.

  I turned in a slow circle, taking it all in—

  probably looking like a kid at the start of a festival.

  And then—those flowers!

  Never seen anything like them. My hands were itching to touch one.

  Sera stood a short distance away, breathing in deeply, her expression serious.

  Like the trees were speaking to her.

  Ren—

  he was still holding the bell, as always, but he looked like he’d forgotten he was even holding it.

  That face he gets when he’s thinking too hard.

  I was about to say something.

  I hate silence. It makes me restless.

  But—

  A voice spoke first.

  「So. You’ve come.」

  I turned around.

  A man was standing there, leaning casually against a pillar.

  Since when had he been there?

  No—somehow it felt like he’d been there from the start.

  Light-colored robes. Long hair tied back.

  A face that didn’t seem rushed by anything.

  He was looking at us.

  Not smiling.

  Not glaring.

  Just… looking.

  I couldn’t stay still and stepped forward.

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  「Uh… hello. Are you from here?」

  The man inclined his head slightly.

  「In a sense.

  My name is Selem Aurelian.」

  He didn’t ask our names.

  Didn’t call himself the master of the place, either.

  That was all he said.

  「I am not a teacher.

  Elthariel does not teach.」

  …Then what is this place?

  「Then… what exactly is this place?」

  Selem narrowed his eyes slightly, looking almost amused.

  「Elthariel… is a place that reflects.」

  …Reflects?

  Sera stepped forward, trying to sense something.

  Ren lowered his head just a little, staying silent.

  I couldn’t help myself and blurted it out.

  「Reflects… what?」

  Selem waited a moment before answering.

  「That depends on what stands before the mirror.」

  I snorted softly and shrugged.

  「Huh. Well, Ren’s observation skills are top-notch, at least.

  He can stare at scenery for hours without saying a word.」

  I was joking—but the moment I said it, Ren stepped forward.

  Holding the bell in his left hand, he spoke in a dry voice.

  「Then this bell… really has something to do with us?」

  Selem turned his gaze to him calmly.

  「It does—if that is what you wish.」

  His eyes fell to the bell, but he didn’t reach for it.

  「That is resonance.

  Not of what already exists—

  but of what might be shared.」

  There was no weight in his voice.

  Just… fact.

  「It does not force.

  It does not demand.

  It simply—resonates.」

  Ren stared at the bell for a long moment.

  「…You mean a bond?」

  Selem nodded quietly.

  「Not something that binds.

  Nor something that is sought.」

  He lifted a hand and gently brushed the air.

  「Something that is accepted.

  Like breathing.

  Even if it cannot be put into words, it is there.」

  Silence fell.

  Even I couldn’t find anything to say.

  Sera stepped forward and bowed politely.

  「Um, excuse me… if we wanted to gain that power, what should we do?」

  Selem looked at her for a moment.

  If he smiled, it was too faint to see.

  「For now…」

  He paused.

  「…Tonight, you will rest here.」

  He turned and pointed toward a moss-covered path.

  「Elthariel listens even while you sleep.

  When you do not build walls—

  when you simply are.」

  A quiet stillness spread through the courtyard, like ripples on water.

  「Rooms have been prepared.

  They are separate, but… you will not be completely isolated.」

  His final words landed softly, like a stone dropped into a pond.

  「Tomorrow… we will talk again.」

  —

  After dinner, Selem—

  or maybe it was another monk. Honestly, I couldn’t tell them apart.

  Anyway, someone led us toward the lodgings.

  In the same easy tone, they also pointed out the baths, “if we wished.”

  Beyond the bushes stood a small wooden structure, warm water bubbling up from the ground.

  Not exactly a grand bathhouse, but… a real bath.

  「Whoa… they even have a bath.」

  I muttered under my breath.

  Sera let out a small laugh.

  Ren stayed silent as usual, but he was straightening his clothes—so yeah, he was probably into it.

  The lodgings were private rooms.

  They were arranged around the courtyard, so you could still kind of tell where everyone was.

  When you slid the door open, you could see the sky.

  No beds.

  Just clean futons and a small oil lamp.

  I dropped onto the futon, still fully dressed, staring up at the ceiling.

  …Not sure what it was.

  It wasn’t especially big.

  Not luxurious, either.

  But it was calming.

  Hard to put into words.

  Quiet. Gentle.

  When I listened closely, I could hear someone adjusting their bedding across the courtyard.

  Sera, probably.

  She seemed like the type to make sure everything was just right before sleeping.

  Ren…

  he was probably in the opposite wing.

  I pulled the futon up to my chin and let out a long breath.

  Tomorrow, Selem had said.

  「Tomorrow… we will talk.」

  For tonight, we were supposed to rest.

  …If we could, anyway.