Silence clung to the spiral stairway as Yoei ascended, her footsteps barely echoing beneath the creeping sense that something watched her.

  Just a few more steps from the summit, her foot accidentally stepped on something red—sending her dangerously close to being swallowed by the darkness below.

  Fortunately for Yoei, her hand managed to grab the edge of the spiral stairway in time, halting what could have been a disastrous fall.

  Still weak from her condition, she mustered all her strength to lift her body up with both arms.

  What greeted her at the top was none other than a small crystal sculpture of Suna, made of red crystal—lying squarely in her path, as if deliberately pced there to take a life.

  “Isn’t this...?” Yoei muttered, her crimson eyes trembling.

  She reached for the small sculpture and examined it carefully. Without a doubt, it was one she had crafted herself using Crystallomancy.

  “Oh? Look who’s wandered up here,” came a mocking voice from above.

  Yoei’s gaze immediately shot upward—to find a woman with amber eyes and blonde hair standing just a few steps higher, wearing a smile that could either signify amusement or impending disaster.

  “It’s an honor to finally meet you, little girl of light,” Mira said, offering an oddly elegant bow.

  Shocked by Mira’s sudden appearance, Yoei instinctively returned the same bow in kind.

  “How adorable. Seems someone taught you royal manners very well. But unfortunately...” Mira slowly descended the steps toward Yoei, who was still bowing. Then, without warning—

  “Too bad your etiquette isn’t quite perfect!” Mira suddenly yanked Yoei’s hair, forcing her head lower to meet her own twisted idea of proper form.

  Yoei didn’t respond. Mira’s smile quickly faded, repced with a look of disgust.

  Tears silently streamed down Yoei’s face, falling onto the floor. She hugged the crystal sculpture tightly to her chest. Seeing this pitiful reaction, Mira abruptly let go of her grip.

  “Tch.” She turned away and headed up toward the top of the pace.

  “If you’re so eager to cry, I’ll have you thrown into the worst district of Aurathis,” Mira snapped—her tone masking the slightest tinge of guilt behind her cruelty.

  Even so, Yoei showed no signs of stopping her tears. With a heavy sigh, Mira returned to her and stopped right in front of her. She hesitated, unsure of what to do next.

  After a long pause, Mira suddenly grabbed Yoei's hand. Without saying a word, she led her toward the pace garden, her grip slightly painful.

  They had finally reached the top. The garden hadn't changed much—there was still only one tree standing in the middle.

  Mira’s earlier aggression had now faded, undone by Yoei’s obedient demeanor. It was as if, had she dared to push the girl down, guilt would’ve haunted her for the rest of her life.

  “We’re here. You may raise your head now,” said Mira, still refusing to show even a hint of gentleness toward Yoei.

  Slowly, Yoei lifted her gaze to meet Mira’s. Her eyes were still teary.

  “Thank you, miss…” Her words trailed off, realizing she had no idea who the woman before her truly was.

  “Just call me Mira,” she replied, her eyes deliberately avoiding Yoei’s intense stare.

  Silence now filled the garden, wrapped in the soft breeze that swept past them.

  “You look so much like Suna… are you—”

  “Yes. I’m part of the Althoria family too,” Mira answered.

  Yoei’s mouth fell open in disbelief. Mira, sensing something strange in the air, tried to step back, but—

  Yoei hugged her. Though shorter than Mira, her embrace was tight. So tight that Mira stood frozen in pce.

  “So I have a sister… Why didn’t Suna ever tell me?” Yoei whispered. Her voice was warm, overflowing with blind joy—completely trusting someone she had never even met before.

  Suddenly, Yoei’s embrace weakened—her body colpsed as she clutched her stomach tightly. Groans of pain began to echo throughout the pace garden.

  “Why… why does it suddenly hurt like this?” Yoei whimpered, tears starting to form at the corners of her eyes.

  Realizing the cause, Mira immediately stepped away from Yoei.

  “That’s exactly why you shouldn’t blindly pce your trust in just anyone,” Mira replied, her demeanor returning to its usual coldness, as if the warmth from earlier had merely been a fleeting inconvenience.

  Receiving no response, as expected. Mira approached the suffering girl, wearing a look of disgust before making her move.

  “Listen closely, you brought this upon yourself” Mira said, her tone void of even the slightest warmth.

  Without hesitation, she snapped one of Yoei’s fingers—yes, to redirect the overwhelming pain.

  Before Yoei could scream, Mira swiftly covered her mouth with one hand. Once the worst seemed to pass, she let go. The agony had, at least slightly, subsided.

  Due to Yoei’s rather unusual case, Mira had to break another one of her fingers. Just as she reached to cover Yoei’s mouth again, she paused—Yoei had already stifled her scream by biting her own lips until red liquid began to drip.

  “You’re so stubborn, Yoei. I even had to break two of your fingers just to release you entirely from my curse,” said Mira, She simply watched the girl who used to believe they were bound by blood—how foolish.

  Darkness slowly veiled Yoei’s vision. Her consciousness slipped away as the pain in her broken fingers intensified.

  She no longer remembered how long she had been unconscious. She couldn't even feel her broken fingers anymore.

  She didn't dream like she used to—ever since she was a child. This time, it wasn't a dream that lulled her into slumber, but pure pain.

  When her eyes once again found the light, a searing pain immediately struck Yoei’s head. Slowly, but surely, her vision began to focus—on a human with amber eyes.

  But this time, it wasn’t Mira. Sunlight had also crept into the pace garden, a sign that she had been unconscious all night.

  “Is this your routine, Yoei?” said Suna, his voice low, both arms behind his back, hands csped together.

  “You wake up just to feel pain, only to pass out again,” he added, not even bothering to help her as he walked toward the tree in the center of the garden.

  Yoei could slowly feel the sensation return to her broken fingers. Strangely, her body felt a little lighter than before. Something must’ve happened while she was unconscious.

  “Let me guess, you met Mira,” said Suna, now standing before a small tree, some of its leaves already withered.

  “What happened to your fingers... was Mira’s curse trying to hold you back,” he added, gncing over his shoulder. He saw Yoei trying to move her fingers again.

  When Suna touched the tree, its leaves dried and fell from their branches instantly— as if life itself was being drained through his hand.

  “Seems you still hate me... Mother” Suna whispered to the tree, then slowly stepped back, making his way back toward Yoei.

  Suna now stood before Yoei, who was still seated, gazing at her as though she were a gem marred by scratches.

  Not knowing what else to do, Yoei shyly averted her gaze, suddenly finding joy in fiddling with the grass around her.

  “Yoei,” Suna suddenly spoke.

  “E-eh, I’m totally fine!” she replied nervously, masking her nerves with a warm smile.

  “That’s not what I meant to ask. And why are you acting as if…” Suna paused, now observing Yoei with a curious look.

  “I’m sorry… it’s just that, I’ve never been looked at that way before—” But seeing Suna’s gaze turn sharp and cold again, Yoei quickly shook her head and let out a small ugh.

  “I got carried away, please forgive me,” she added, her tone fading, as if realizing she’d completely misread the moment.

  The two of them simply stared at one another—though Suna, as always, was the first to look away once things became too warm.

  “What’s the real reason you came here, Yoei?” Suna asked while looking up. The garden appeared to be encased by four main pilrs that formed a dome.

  Yoei’s gaze dropped to her hand, which still bore traces of Madam Ruby’s blood. After a brief moment of silence, she sighed.

  “I just wanted to check on Nirvel,” she answered, her voice fragile, as though haunted by memories of the tragedy at the marketpce.

  Suna looked back at her, his presence alone hinting that he had something to tell her—but he chose not to reveal it just yet.

  “It seems Nirvel’s curious about you too. Its leaves started falling,” Suna remarked, though it was unclear what prompted such a strange observation.

  “Its leaves are falling because I don’t know how to care for anything...” Yoei replied.

  In the distance, hurried footsteps echoed, rushing up the stairs. Moments ter, a royal guard cd in armor with a distinct insignia on his right arm appeared—it was Vaelion.

  “Lady Yoei—” his words abruptly halted when he noticed Lord Suna also present.

  “Your Majesty! Please forgive me, I was worried because Lady Yoei had gone missing from her room,” Vaelion said, his voice breathless and tinged with sorrow behind the mask of iron.

  “Tell me, what happened that made one of Yoei’s guards come all the way here in such a rush? And where is your partner?” Suna asked calmly, as if all of Vaelion’s urgency was nothing compared to what he was about to say next.

  Yoei, once rexed, now tensed up. Her mouth opened slightly, as though to say something, but only a sickening dread rose within her.

  Vaelion lowered his head, slowly pcing his right fist over his chest in a solemn gesture—one Yoei despised, because she knew what it meant.

  “I, Vaelion, with full awareness, hereby report that Kaelion Otorath... has passed away,” said Vaelion, his entire body trembling as he delivered the news.

  The moment Yoei heard this, a wave of intense nausea hit her. As if Kaelion’s death had triggered it, her pupils shrank, and she could no longer utter a sound.

  That young man—who had long watched over her chamber, who just st night had spoken with her—was now gone. But why?

  She no longer had tears to cry. She stared downward, then slowly mirrored the same gesture Vaelion had made.

  “I don’t recall ever having a guard named Kaelion Otorath,” Suna said coldly, as if the report of someone’s death was just a bedtime tale.

  Yoei’s eyes widened the moment those cruel words escaped Suna’s lips.

  On the other side, Vaelion’s clenched fist tightened, warping the iron of his gauntlet slightly as rage slowly leaked from behind his armor.

  “Lady Yoei, if I were you. I would’ve cut down that demon beside you!” Vaelion snapped, his arms trembling with fury.

  Right after he said that, Suna pointed at him with his index finger. A small, compressed white light gathered at his fingertip.

  Even though it was merely light, a gust of wind swept around Suna from seemingly nowhere.

  “Watch your tongue. I could melt you where you stand if I wanted to,” Suna threatened, his tone completely devoid of care—almost as if he truly might release that deadly light.