The sea growls beneath the ship as dawn breaks. A thin blade of light cuts across the horizon, reflecting over the dark surface of the water. I stand at the edge of the deck, my breath sharp in my chest.
Beside me, Rose sits with her arms wrapped around herself. Her shoulders tremble slightly. Even with two layers—her clothes and cloak—the cold still pierces through her.
She is not used to this. Unlike me.
"Are you cold?" I ask.
"No, just… a little…" she replies, her voice trembling. Even her jaw quivers, trying to appear fine.
I remove my cloak and drape it over her shoulders.
"Keep yourself warm so you do not fall ill during the journey," I say.
"…B-but," she murmurs softly.
I shake my head.
She falls silent.
I remain standing in only a black shirt against the cold morning air. If she were not shivering this much, she would have returned my cloak already.
The sun slowly rises. A line of gold spreads across the sea.
The air begins to warm.
Or perhaps—Rose is the one beginning to warm.
"Hiro," she says softly, "there is something you need to know before we meet my uncle."
"About what?"
"About the Sun and the Moon. About the crystal inside you."
"Hm?"
"A war. A punishment from a god. The Sun was cursed. The Moon was slain. The crystal fell and was lost. A power never meant for humans," she explains.
I remain silent.
"And now it is inside you," she continues quietly. "The next vessel. The next target everyone will hunt."
She looks at me intently.
I turn my face away.
"Huft…" I exhale deeply, then look up.
"I do not know. Whatever happens next…" I say, turning to face her, "I am no longer alone."
Breakfast passes in silence. Without realizing it, the atmosphere becomes awkward after what I said. The canned food she brought tastes good, and time moves quickly.
As she begins to clean up, my hands start to tremble.
The wound in my body aches again.
As if reopening.
I turn to her.
"Rose."
"Hm?" she responds quickly.
I shake my head. "No. It is nothing."
I look away.
She steps closer.
"I can read that look, you know…" she says softly.
Now she is very close.
She tilts her head slightly. I do not look at her, but I can feel her gaze.
"You are hiding something. Tell me, Hiro…"
I remain silent.
"What is it, Hiro?"
The wind blows, brushing through her hair.
At last, I shift my gaze.
Slowly, I lift my shirt.
A long wound stretches from my chest to my waist. Layers of stitches—dozens, perhaps hundreds.
"This," I say briefly.
"Hiro—are you in pain? What happened to you to make it like this?" she asks, her eyes filled with concern.
I lower my shirt again.
"The Moon you spoke of… it awakened and fought that man. His name is Jiza. And it ended like this. His victory," I explain.
"I-is that so…" she says softly.
I exhale.
"The wound has already closed," I say, looking at her more deeply. "There is no need to worry. That man… he sealed it somehow."
Concern still lingers on her face.
"Are you sure?" she asks.
I nod.
"Hooaamm…" She yawns, then packs the remaining food into her bag. After that, she sits beside me, leaning against the side of the ship.
"Thinking about all this makes my head heavy," she says. "Especially after everything that has happened…"
She exhales softly.
"I am very sleepy, Hiro."
Her head falls onto my shoulder.
"Hiro…" she murmurs faintly, "I hope I dream of you."
I do not respond.
My chest tightens at those words.
I look up at the sky—white clouds in a blue expanse. My ordinary life at sea… has now changed, just because of a girl leaning against me.
I lower my gaze to the crystal on my chest.
All because of this.
Sunlight burns against my eyelids.
I open my eyes slowly.
Something feels different.
My shoulder feels light.
Rose is not there.
I push myself up from the pile of bags, my body stiff. Before I can fully stand—
"You are awake."
Her voice comes from behind me.
I turn.
She is kneeling beside a small arrangement of food. Two cans, two bottles—neatly arranged.
She gestures for me to sit.
I obey.
She offers me bread and milk.
I recognize it immediately.
Too familiar.
My mother used to do the same.
My chest tightens.
"Eat this first," she says.
"We used to begin our meals like this," I reply without thinking.
Always.
I take the bread. The memory returns—my mother's hand, the same motion.
Warm.
Painful.
Rose eats beside me.
"I learned this from my father," she says. "Before we lived in the village, we lived in the great Kingdom of Zepharia."
Zepharia.
My mother's homeland.
"Was it… nice?" I ask.
"It was. Until the day he disappeared."
Her voice softens.
I fall silent for a moment.
"You will find him," I say.
She looks at me.
"Thank you, Hiro." Her smile is warm.
Then she claps her hands lightly.
"All right, let us have lunch first. This journey takes three days and three nights!"
"WHAT?!"
Three days, three nights.
First night: long conversations, dinner, watching the moon. One of us falls asleep first.
The next day: breakfast, walking on the deck, talking to the captain, lunch, meeting other passengers.
Nothing special.
Only exhaustion that lingers.
Second night: more stories. More laughter.
More fatigue.
By the next dawn, my body feels heavy. The calm sea, the silence, and our closeness… all press against my breathing.
I lean against the ship's railing.
My vision begins to blur.
Then I see it.
Land.
A small laugh escapes me.
Rose hurries over, smiling.
The ship approaches the shore.
"We need to hurry. I want to set foot on land now, Rose," I say.
But her expression changes.
"Hiro?" she asks softly.
"Hm?"
She looks at me seriously.
"The journey to my uncle's place on land… is two days and two nights."
"WHAT?! AGAIN?!"
We board the carriage.
We are both tired, for different reasons.
She—tired of the sea.
I—tired of everything.
The driver breaks the silence.
"You two look sick of the ocean, huh?"
"Yes, sir," Rose replies softly.
The driver laughs.
"Everyone complains at sea. But on land? No one keeps complaining."
The view opens.
Rose's eyes immediately light up.
"I forgot scenery like this…" she murmurs. "I kept trying to remember… turns out it was here."
The driver nods.
"Paradise is not just one place, miss. This is also paradise."
Mountains stretch in the distance. A river winds like silver, ending in a tall waterfall. The carriage moves slowly along the dirt road.
Below, the valley is filled with forest. Open patches reveal farmland.
A thin stream of smoke rises from a small hut.
The driver glances back, smiling with pride.
"I travel this road every week. With scenery like this… how could I ever get bored?"