"Done."
I lift two skewers of roasted fish. The skin splits open, glistening gold, still softly sizzling at the tips. One is for me. One is for him.
"This one is yours. You will not believe how good it is."
I offer it to the cat—
—GMRRRR.
He immediately bites the end of the skewer and pulls it closer, tearing into the top without hesitation, as if he has been waiting forever.
I eat more slowly. My head feels heavy—filled with noise, pressure, and thoughts that refuse to settle.
The sun begins to dim. The warm light fades. I need to move before dusk fully falls. There is somewhere I have to reach.
"All right." I wipe my mouth and straighten my robe. "Time to go."
I follow the river again. Pebbles crack beneath my feet, steady and rhythmic. I walk while finishing the remaining fish.
The cat… perhaps he will appear again. Perhaps not. It is strange, but I am grateful either way.
That man… what was his name again?
I keep walking. Nothing follows me. No sense of danger lingers behind.
Whatever awaits—I will face it.
Mother… Father…
"Not yet," I whisper softly.
A small movement beside me—the cat again. He runs through the grass, swift and light. When I try to touch him, he pulls away.
"Too bad."
I look ahead. Time keeps moving. But why me?
"What am I alive for…?"
The question slips out on its own.
Right. Of course.
I open the pouch at my waist and take out a photograph. Father, Mother, and me as a child. Still intact. Thank goodness.
I carefully put it back.
"Bleh." I sigh softly. Walking slowly is boring… but it saves energy.
I glance at the cat. "Want to…?"
A small smile forms before I realize it.
"RACE!"
I dash forward. Stones and tree roots blur, and splashes of river water hit my legs.
"Hahaha! Cat!"
He runs beside me—closer—faster—
"Hey!"
He shoots ahead like an arrow. My steps falter. My breath breaks. I fall forward.
"Haah… exhausting. But fun, right?"
Silence.
He disappears again.
I lie on the ground. The blue sky stretches above me. Birds pass by. My eyes begin to close—
—GMMMRRR.
That sound again.
"Hmm… should I rest now?"
Darkness begins to pull at me.
No.
I force myself up. The cat walks ahead, as if guiding me through the gentle movement of the grass.
Before night falls—I need to hurry.
"Wait for me!"
—
By the time I arrive, the sky is already covered in dusk.
"Still the same," I mutter softly.
The place Father once showed me—unchanged.
The cat keeps walking. I pause at the top of the hill, take a deep breath, then follow him down.
At the foot of the hill, he slips between the houses toward a livelier part of the village.
"Should I… cover my face?"
Farmers return home. Children are carried in arms. Merchants pack their goods. A blacksmith polishes his hammer. A bard hums softly.
Warm. Safe.
My eyes follow the cat into a quieter yard.
Does he have an owner?
I still have time. Food later. Selling things later.
He stops.
A girl in a simple light-colored dress waters the plants. The edge of her dress sways gently in the evening breeze, while golden light touches her short hair.
"Ah… Lucy. Where have you been?"
The cat jumps toward her, and she lifts him gently.
I freeze, slightly turning my face away.
"Um… who are you?"
Her voice makes my body stiffen. I do not turn around. I am bad at speaking with girls my age.
The cat returns to me, circling my legs, then moves back toward her again.
"Wow… that's rare. Lucy usually only likes me and my aunt. Ever since… my mother passed away."
I remain silent.
"Do you want to come in?"
I force a small smile. "Th-thank you… but no."
I turn away.
"Really? You…" her voice trembles slightly, "…you remind me of my older brother."
My step falters for a moment, then continues.
—GRRROOOWWL.
My stomach.
"Hm?" She steps closer. "I heard something… interesting."
She tilts her head.
"Was that your stomach? Or mine?"
—
Dinner fills the small room with warmth. The soft clink of spoons, steady breaths, dim and calm light. It is just the two of us: me and the girl named Rose.
"You know," she says with a small smile, "it's because you remind me of him. My father… disappeared when I was eight."
She talks a lot. I listen more. Maybe because my face reminds her of her brother. But her voice… reminds me too much of my mother.
"I want to find him," she continues. "I always have. But I never know where to begin."
I do not answer. I have no answer.
Silence lingers.
I reach for the only thing I have—the photo. Torn edges. Faded ink. Like a wound that never truly heals.
"That's your family?" she asks.
I nod. "My father died too. So…" I force a thin smile, "I suppose we are even."
She laughs softly—a laugh that makes the room feel a little lighter.
"You're not from this village, right? I've never seen you."
"From the next village," I reply. "I came to sell something. To survive."
Her eyes light up. "Can I see? I love collecting strange things."
I look around the room, filled with hanging objects and neatly arranged oddities.
"As you can see," I say.
She laughs softly again.
I lift the pendant from my chest and place the crystal on the table.
Her curiosity changes.
Freezes.
"I found it by the river," I say. "I think it's an old relic. Something valuable."
She does not respond.
Then—without a word—she snatches it and runs upstairs. Footsteps echo quickly. She returns carrying several books.
Thud—pages flip rapidly.
And finally—
"I found it!"
A thick book slams onto the table. She places the crystal on the open page.
"This… is magic." Her eyes lock onto mine. "You touched it?"
"Yes."
Her finger traces the text quickly.
"It says anyone who touches it will feel a pull… something impossible to let go of. Did that happen?"
"Yes."
"And then…" her voice thins, "…it says the one who touches it becomes its vessel. No, that can't—"
She stops. Looks at me.
"Hiro… have you ever heard the story of the Sun and Moon War?"
I shake my head.
"Paragon has awakened," she whispers. "With a vessel. Using a human body. You."
I stare at her. None of it makes sense.
"My dream," she says, her voice trembling, "is to meet the one destined to find this relic. The one who can lead me… to my father, or my brother."
She steps closer.
"Hiro… will you travel with me?"
I blink. "I don't even understand half of what you're saying. I don't know what this journey is."
"You touched the crystal. Enemies of relics will come for you. To take it, they must kill you. Did anyone search for it before you arrived here?"
"…Someone," I murmur. "His body was wrapped in bandages. Strong. And for some reason—"
A flash crosses my mind. His sword. His breath. His hesitation.
"And?" she presses.
"He let me live."
I give a crooked smile. "Strange, right? I mean, I already asked to die, yet I still woke up after that. Honestly, I'm completely confused about what he did to me afterward, even though I wanted to die—"
SLAP.