The shimmering walls of the pocket dimension vanished, but for Rose, the nightmare wasn't over.

  She stood on the cold marble floor of the palace, her small body trembling violently.

  Her face was hidden behind her silver hair, a mask of sheer, raw terror.

  In her mind, the failure to replicate the Space Core technique wasn't just a tactical error—it felt like a death sentence.

  To her, a tool that doesn't work is a tool that gets discarded.

  "I... I failed... I-I couldn't..."

  her voice was a broken whisper, lost in a trance of past trauma.

  Before the dukedom guards or the frantic servants could reach them, Hana moved.

  She didn't check her own wounds; she swept Rose into a tight, fierce embrace.

  Rose stiffened, her breath hitching as she waited for a reprimand that never came.

  "Thank you, Rose," Hana whispered into her ear, her voice thick with genuine emotion.

  "You saved me."

  "B-but... the territory... I failed the mission..."

  Rose stammered, her hands still balled into tiny, white-knuckled fists.

  Hana pulled back just enough to look Rose in the eye, her hands resting warmly on the girl’s shoulders.

  "I couldn't even see the assassin's daggers, Rose.

  If you hadn't moved, I wouldn't be standing here.

  You are a good girl, aren't you?"

  The words seemed to act like a physical anchor, pulling Rose back from the brink of a mental collapse.

  Slowly, her trembling slowed, and her small, pale hands reached out to return the hug, clinging to Hana’s dress as if it were the only solid thing in a shifting world.

  Mitsuo watched from a few feet away, his chest heaving as he caught his breath.

  He saw the way Rose’s "doll" exterior had shattered, and he saw his mother’s kindness piecing it back together.

  Sensing his gaze, Hana looked up and gave him a soft, knowing wink—a silent "Mother’s promise" that he was just as important, just as brave.

  A sudden surge of space energy announced the return of the Primordials.

  Vergil and Frederick materialized in the courtyard, followed by the human diplomats.

  Vergil didn't wait for a report; he sprinted toward the gala hall, his eyes searching until they landed on his wife and son.

  He slowed his pace as he witnessed the quiet scene:

  Hana cradling the silver-haired girl while Mitsuo stood guard.

  Following close behind, Zayden let out a visible sigh of relief.

  Unlike the cold, military precision of his guards, Zayden looked at Rose with a gaze that carried a flicker of genuine, paternal worry.

  But the silence that followed was heavy.

  Vergil looked at Frederick, and then at the ruined palace around them.

  The "Equilibrium" had shifted.

  The peace they had tried to build was no longer a solid foundation; it was a target.

  This attack was only the opening move in a much larger, bloodier game.

  The evening air was cooling as the human diplomats and their guards prepared for their departure.

  Vergil walked alongside Zayden, the tension of the battle replaced by a wary respect.

  "I hope you don’t report everything that happened here to your superiors,"

  Vergil said, his voice low.

  Zayden adjusted his glasses, glancing back at the palace ruins.

  "I was thinking the exact same thing about you."

  They both turned to look at the courtyard.

  Rose was still standing near Hana and Mitsuo, her posture less like a soldier and more like a child reluctant to leave a playground.

  [Flashback: Minutes Earlier]

  Vergil and Zayden stood alone on a high balcony, away from the prying ears of the guards.

  "So, what is she?" Vergil asked, his gaze fixed on the silver-haired girl below.

  "She is a survivor of something cruel," Zayden replied, his voice heavy.

  When Vergil demanded an explanation, Zayden sighed.

  "When the worlds combined, the sudden access to the Cores drove some people to madness.

  On the human side, a rogue group of scientists used their Technology Core to experiment on infants, trying to force-evolve their Cores."

  "Is she one of them?"

  Zayden didn't answer directly.

  "By the time we raided the facility, she was the only one left alive.

  Everyone else was dead."

  "And then?" Vergil’s eyes were sharp.

  "We took her in.

  During her initial training, we realized she could replicate any move or technique simply by watching it once.

  Our military was desperate for that kind of power.

  We raised her, gave her the best care, but..."

  Zayden paused, his face tightening.

  "She was empty.

  Until today, I had never seen her truly react to anything.

  Seeing her cling to the Duchess... it was the first time she looked alive."

  Vergil studied the man.

  "You seem to care for her more than a simple handler would."

  Zayden looked away, his voice cracking slightly.

  "During the collision... I had a daughter who looked just like her.

  I couldn't save her."

  Vergil nodded in silent, grim understanding.

  "Now that you know we brought a 'mimic' to a diplomatic meeting,"

  Zayden asked, his tone turning professional again,

  "is the trade talk over?"

  Vergil leaned against the railing.

  "The diplomats were attacked under my roof.

  That was my failure.

  I’m in no position to be self-righteous."

  Zayden caught his meaning immediately.

  "So, you’re going to ignore Rose’s abilities? In exchange for what?"

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  "Set up a permanent embassy here in my dukedom," Vergil stated.

  "And you, personally, must stay here as the ambassador."

  Zayden blinked in surprise.

  "What? Just that?"

  "Oh, and bring Rose to visit Hana sometimes.

  That’s all."

  "You're letting us go just like that?" Zayden asked, stunned by the leniency.

  "Yes," Vergil replied, his eyes following his son below.

  "I want our people to understand each other better.

  Politics won't do that.

  Friendship might."

  Back in the present, the carriage was ready.

  Rose was still holding onto Hana’s sleeve.

  "I’ll... I’ll come again," she whispered.

  "Of course," Hana smiled, stroking the girl’s hair.

  "We’ll have lots of fun next time."

  "Y-yes... Duch—"

  "Shhh," Hana interrupted with a playful grin.

  "Didn't I tell you to call me Hana?"

  Rose nodded silently, her face flushing.

  Mitsuo, unable to handle the sentimental atmosphere, decided to interject.

  "What's that, Whity?

  Are you still crying? How weak!"

  THWACK!

  Hana’s hand connected squarely with the back of Mitsuo’s head.

  "Ouch! Mom!"

  "That," Hana said, smiling down at Rose,

  "is what you do to people who insult you."

  "What the heck, Mom?!

  You always take her side!"

  Mitsuo pouted, turning his back on them with a huff.

  For the first time, a sound escaped Rose that wasn't a report or a whisper.

  She let out a bright, genuine laugh—the sound of a girl her own age.

  It was a small sound, but in the ruins of the palace, it was the loudest thing in the world.

  [Six Years Later]

  The fields of the dukedom were a blur of emerald green and gold as a twelve-year-old Mitsuo thundered across the plains.

  He sat tall on his mutated steed, the powerful beast's hooves tearing into the earth.

  As he rode, he caught sight of the palace balcony where his father, Vergil, and his uncle, Frederick, stood in deep conversation with the human embassy.

  Mitsuo’s focus wavered for a fraction of a second as he looked toward the adults—

  and in that heartbeat, a streak of silver flashed past him.

  Rose, now eleven and moving with a grace that was both fluid and lethal, had overtaken him.

  She leaned low over her horse's neck, her silver hair streaming behind her like a battle standard.

  "Hey! That’s not fair!" Mitsuo screamed, digging his heels in to close the gap.

  Rose glanced back over her shoulder.

  She didn't say a word, but the slight, mischievous smirk on her face was louder than any taunt.

  Both children pushed their mounts to their limits, the competitive fire between them sparking the air.

  But before they could reach the treeline, a sharp, piercing whistle cut through the wind.

  "Both of you—disqualified!"

  a demon instructor barked from the sidelines.

  "You are not supposed to race during formal training maneuvers!"

  "Huh?! What do you mean?!"

  Mitsuo protested, pulling his horse to a skidding halt.

  "I mean exactly what I said,"

  the instructor replied firmly, unimpressed by the Primordials lineage.

  Rose jumped down from her horse with effortless precision.

  She didn't argue; she simply stood there, casting a smug, triumphant glance at Mitsuo.

  "Hey! Why are you laughing, Whity?!"

  Mitsuo shouted, his pride stinging.

  "Oh? Did I laugh?"

  Rose asked with mock grace.

  She looked at him with a wide, teasing grin.

  "Sorry."

  "You’re not serious!"

  Mitsuo growled, leaping off his horse and chasing after her as she sprinted toward the garden, her laughter echoing back at him.

  Up on the balcony, the atmosphere was far more somber.

  Zayden stood up, gathering his documents.

  "The trade agreements are finalized.

  I truly hope this peace lasts forever."

  "We still cannot ignore the latest strike against the merchant caravans,"

  Frederick interrupted, his voice cold and sharp.

  "The security of these routes is failing."

  "The rebels are becoming more than a nuisance,"

  Vergil added, his eyes fixed on the window.

  He watched as Mitsuo chased Rose through the flowers—a fleeting image of a world that was supposed to be, while the world that was prepared for war.

  "They are getting bolder."

  The corridor of the palace was silent, save for the rhythmic clacking of boots on marble.

  Vergil and Frederick walked side-by-side, but the air between them was thick with unspoken history.

  "How is everyone in your family?"

  Vergil asked, his tone neutral, searching for a bridge that might no longer exist.

  "Fine," Frederick replied, his gaze fixed straight ahead.

  "Well... aren't you going to bring your son to meet Mitsuo eventually?"

  "I will," Frederick said shortly.

  Their conversation was mechanical, a series of scripted responses rather than a brotherly chat.

  "What was his name again?" Vergil pushed.

  "Jack," Frederick replied.

  The name hung in the air, a reminder that while Vergil had built a bridge to humanity, Frederick was raising his own legacy in the heart of the old demon traditions.

  Deep within a hidden base, the shadows were alive with whispers.

  The same cloaked figures from years prior gathered around a stone table.

  One of the rebels slammed a fist against the surface.

  "What the hell are you smiling for?!"

  he hissed at the main planner.

  "The Primordials are becoming untouchable!

  Their alliance with the humans is strengthening every day!"

  The planner, his face obscured by a deep hood, let out a soft, chilling chuckle.

  "No... we are not losing.

  We are simply reaching the right time.

  The more they trust their 'peace,' the easier it will be to shatter."

  Back in the sun-drenched gardens of the palace, the atmosphere was a world away from the darkness of the rebels.

  Hana sat at a table laden with tea and sweets, watching the two children before her.

  "Mom! You have to talk to her!"

  Mitsuo nagged, pointing an accusing finger at Rose.

  "She’s impossible!"

  "But you didn't have to race her just because she overtook you, right?"

  Hana replied, her voice calm and amused.

  "No! That's not the point!

  She challenged me!"

  Mitsuo shouted, his face turning a frustrated shade of red.

  Rose, sitting perfectly upright with a smug, silent grin, finally spoke.

  "I don’t remember talking to you at all."

  "You said it with your eyes!" Mitsuo yelled.

  "Huh? What do you mean?"

  Rose played dumb, her head tilting in mock innocence, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

  Hana laughed, the sound breaking the tension.

  "Alright, that’s enough, Mitsuo.

  Sit down and drink your tea."

  As the children settled down, the garden felt like a paradise.

  But the mention of Jack and the secret smiles of the Rebels signaled that the "sourness" was no longer a threat—it was an inevitability.

  The scene opens in the heart of Frederick’s cold, mountain dukedom.

  A young boy with golden hair and piercing green eyes—Jack—is seen surrounded by other children.

  But this was no ordinary game; it was a psychological trial.

  Jack sat cross-legged, holding a small, trembling pet in his hands.

  "Hey, hey," Jack asked, his voice bright and cheerful.

  "If I win, can I kill it?"

  His playmate, a child of a high-ranking knight, was shaking so violently he could barely speak.

  "Young Master... no... please..."

  "Huh? But that’s not fun,"

  Jack replied, his head tilting in genuine confusion.

  He spoke as if the very concepts of "death" and "love" were foreign languages he had never bothered to learn.

  In his eyes, there was no malice—only a terrifying, empty curiosity.

  The scene shifts back to the warmth of Vergil’s estate.

  The human embassy was preparing for departure, and Zayden was finalizing his travel plans to visit his family alongside Rose.

  Vergil and Frederick stood nearby, their discussion sharp and professional, while Mitsuo watched the scene from a high tree branch, his expression a mix of annoyance and something he wouldn't admit was sadness.

  "When are you coming out, Mitsuo?"

  Hana asked, not even looking up from her garden.

  Caught, Mitsuo dropped from the branch and landed gracefully.

  "I—I wasn't eavesdropping!

  I was just... lying there. For fun!

  The air is better up there, you know?"

  "You should go and say it yourself, Mitsuo,"

  his mother cut him off, her eyes knowing and kind.

  "Tch. Mom, but—"

  He looked at her, saw her gentle smile, and sighed in defeat.

  "Fine."

  Suddenly breaking into a grin, Mitsuo sprinted toward the hovering vehicle where Rose was waiting.

  "Hey, Whity!" he shouted as he reached her.

  "Next time, I’m going to beat you! Don't forget it!"

  Rose stepped out of the vehicle, walking up to him.

  This time, there was no smug grin or mocking remark.

  She looked at him and offered a soft, genuine smile.

  "I'll be waiting."

  Then, her eyes sparked with a bit of the humor Hana had taught her.

  Mimicking Mitsuo’s aggressive tone perfectly, she added,

  "And I’ll be back next week itself, lol!"

  The two of them shared a laugh—a brief moment of pure childhood before the weight of their roles pulled them apart.

  Zayden walked toward the transport, his business finished.

  "See you soon, Vergil,"

  he said, using the Duke's name as a sign of their growing bond.

  "Safe travels, Zayden,"

  Vergil responded from the office window.

  The hovering vehicle hummed to life and ascended, gliding away toward the horizon.

  Mitsuo watched it from the driveway,

  Hana watched from her blooming garden,

  and Vergil watched from high above in his study.

  For a moment, the world felt at peace, unaware of the golden-haired boy in the north who didn't understand why things weren't allowed to die.

  To be continued…

  ? MYukH. All rights reserved.