Rin wandered through the streets of Seoul with no destination in mind.

  The sky above her was scattered with soft, drifting clouds, just thin enough for warm streaks of sunlight to spill through and paint the city in gold. The air was perfect—cool but gentle, hovering around twenty-four degrees Celsius, the kind of weather that made breathing feel intentional. Comfortable. Alive.

  She spun once on her heel giggling to herself.

  Her dress fluttered with the motion—bright, airy fabric that caught the light and softened her silhouette. The color made her skin glow, just a shade darker than porcelain after weeks of sunlight, and her long brown hair flowed freely down her back beneath a wide sun hat tied with a simple bow. Every step made it sway. Every breeze made it dance.

  Rin smiled.

  Her big brown eyes took everything in at once: shop windows stacked with pastries, narrow streets bursting with chatter, the hum of traffic mixing with laughter and distant music. It was loud—but not overwhelming. Busy—but warm. Different from Chicago. Different from everything she remembered… or didn’t remember.

  She stopped at a small street café, the kind tucked just slightly out of the way, and ordered a tea she couldn’t pronounce properly but liked the smell of anyway. While she waited, she added a croissant to the order without thinking.

  Paris flashed through her mind.

  Not a memory—just a feeling. Flaky layers. Butter. Warm mornings. A place she’d only been to once with Vix. But somehow missed it like it was home.

  She carried the cup carefully as she sat at an open table. She wanted to use the Café’s outdoor seating choice today. Sipping slowly, savoring the sweetness, she smiled with a soft gasp only she could hear as she looked up. She simply stared at some clouds thinking about what the various shapes could remind her of. For a while, she forgot about magic. About danger. About races and duels and tunnels beneath the school. And most certainly, she forgot about Drenco.

  For a while, Rin was just a girl enjoying the world.

  She finished her drink and wiped her lips with a napkin after taking the final bite of her croissant and thanked the man who helped cleaned her table and took her dinnerware.

  She then began to walk, which slowly evolved into skipping. Then–

  She frowned—not fully, just enough to feel it.

  Something was ever so… present.

  She glanced at her reflection in a window, then casually over her shoulder.

  A faint flint of armor.

  She shrugged and kept walking.

  Eventually, she reached a place she couldn’t pull herself away from.

  She was drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

  It was a stunning sight. The sheer number of people was one thing—but the trees stole her breath. Bright green canopies swayed gently in the summer breeze, leaves whispering softly above the pathways. Rin slowed without realizing it, her steps carrying her forward all on their own.

  She stopped at the entrance and leaned closer to the sign.

  Thankfully, it had English written beneath the Korean.

  “S… See-uk… Seh-ook… Sook…?” She frowned, then laughed at herself, shaking her head. “I tried…”

  Without another thought, Rin stepped inside Seokchon Lake Park anyway. She found a perfectly open bench and sat down, watching the portions of the lake that glimmered under the sun. She swung her feet happily as she stared out across the water, smiling.

  Then a clank jolted her from her hypnotic peace.

  Her expression immediately flattened as she slowly turned to the left.

  Right beside the bench stood a ginormous man.

  His posture was tall and rigid. He wore bulky, oversized armor—so large she couldn’t even comprehend its purpose. Was it meant to show off? Was it actually functional? Was there some kind of magic helping him move in that thing? Or… not move at all?

  It didn’t matter.

  Rin let out an annoyed sigh and turned away.

  The man noticed and grunted loudly enough to startle a few people walking by, then turned his head forward again to stare at absolutely nothing. Which, admittedly, wasn’t new—his loud, white, shimmering gold armor already drew attention everywhere he went.

  Rin couldn’t understand what the passersby were saying since it was all in Korean, but if she had to guess, it was probably something like:

  Who’s that man?

  Why is he following a child everywhere?

  She shut her eyes for a moment, then opened them again, trying her best to ignore the strange man’s presence as she turned her attention back to the lake.

  Until—

  Her communicator chimed.

  She pulled it out and saw a message.

  From Chippy.

  Chippy????:

  Rin smiled and immediately opened the message to respond.

  Rin:

  Chippy????:

  Rin:

  Chippy????:

  Rin:

  Chippy????:

  Rin:

  Rin sighed softly before typing again.

  Rin:

  Chippy????:

  Eddie??:

  Chippy????:

  Rin giggled, already imagining Chippy’s voice and her signature eye roll.

  Alvie????:

  Rin:

  Alvie????:

  Rin’s smile softened.

  She had completely forgotten that Eddie had made a group chat with all of them together. Now, even while being dragged halfway around the world, she could still talk to her closest friends—all at once.

  Alvie????:

  Eddie??:

  Alvie????:

  Rick????:are you guys going to the Fairy Forest?

  Rin gasped. She had completely forgotten Rick was part of this message group now.

  Rin:Rick????:Rick????:Rin:

  Rin blinked. Then she glanced at the armored man standing beside her and sighed again.

  Rin:

  Rick????:

  Rin:Rick????:

  Eddie??:

  Rick????:Chippy????:

  Eddie??:

  Rin tilted her head, then smiled, deciding to play along.

  Rin:

  Rick????:

  Rick????:Eddie??:

  Alvie????:

  Eddie??:Rin:

  Rin blushed as she sent the message.

  Alvie????:

  Now she was blushing even harder.

  Rick????:Eddie??:

  Rin was completely absorbed in her communicator. The conversation made her forget her surroundings entirely—along with the annoying guard standing next to her. But of course, another noise had to startle her.

  This time, it was a .

  It was familiar.

  When she looked up to pinpoint the source of the noise, she was smiling again.

  “Uncle Remmy!”

  “Rin!” Benneth replied with just as much joy. He swung his arms open wide to embrace her—until a sheathed sword suddenly blocked the space between them.

  “Hmph!”

  Benneth slowly turned to face the tall man, craning his neck uncomfortably upward.

  “My good sir! Do not fret! I am a relative of this girl!”

  “As far as I’m concerned, you’re asking to be beheaded.”

  “In front of an innocent girl?!” Benneth replied, sounding genuinely offended.

  “My orders are to protect this girl and allow no one near her. And that’s final!” the man snapped back. His deep voice caused Rin to stiffen slightly.

  Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

  A flash of memory hit her—Paris. Specifically, the shop , and how a big, strong man had been reduced to tears by a far more terrifying woman.

  She shivered at the recollection.

  “Ho! Don’t worry, my boy!” Benneth replied with a jolly laugh. He pulled out his communicator, and a holographic screen flickered to life, displaying Vix.

  “Great Paladin Jeffery. It’s alright. You can trust this man. You may safely hand the girl over to him.”

  The man’s eyes widened—relief and gratitude swirling briefly in his irises before he blinked it away and regained his stoic demeanor. He huffed once and began walking off.

  Rin and Benneth looked at each other.

  “Well, that was easy,” Benneth shrugged before laughing along with Rin’s giggles. “Come now, dear child. It must have been lonely walking all by yourself, yes? Let’s walk and chat together.”

  He offered his elbow. Rin giggled and gladly took it as they walked out of the park together.

  #

  “How has your summer in Seoul been treating you so far, my dear?” Benneth began as they walked down an open street Rin hadn’t been to yet, deeper into the downtown area.

  “It’s been really nice so far!” Rin said, looking at the different stores and their illuminated lights.

  “Except for when I’m alone…” Her voice softened as she looked up at Benneth, partially hiding her face beneath her sun hat.

  “Ah, yes. That lad Vix is too good for even himself.”

  Rin tilted her head.

  “Okay… well, he’s more of a burden to himself than to others.” Benneth quickly replied noting Rin didn’t understand him.

  “Okay…?”

  “Trust me, child. He’ll come around.”

  “How are you so sure, Uncle?”

  “Certain stones have already been set in place. And remember how you traded your soul with his to become his familiar?”

  Rin nodded.

  “Well, don’t forget—he now carries a part of you within him. Just as you carry a part of him within yourself.”

  “Oh… w-what does that mean? Is that a good thing?”

  “It is. In fact, I’m quite glad he received a fragment of your soul. He’s become much more open—more predictable. Though he’s rather ashamed when he realizes what’s happening to him.”

  “…That sounds like a bad thing,” Rin said, frowning as she looked away. “It sounds like he doesn’t like it.”

  “My dear child, as amusing as it is to watch him squirm, you must remember one thing. He never blames you for any of it.”

  Rin’s face lit up as she turned back to Benneth. “R-Really?”

  “Indeed. And haven’t you noticed the changes in yourself as well?”

  “I-I’ve changed?”

  “Yes. Beyond simply growing up, your magic has become sharper. Even your features—your nose has grown less round. That isn’t genetics. And do you know why?”

  Rin blinked. “…Mister Vix also has a pretty sharp nose.”

  “Exactly. This is quite normal after a familiar acquisition ritual. In short, you and he are truly family by blood now.”

  Rin’s cheeks warmed at the thought. Though she had been adopted, her bond with Vix ran far deeper than she had ever realized—and that meant everything to her.

  A sudden rattle up ahead made Benneth stop in his tracks. He looked up sharply and pulled Rin closer, pressing a finger to his lips to hush her. Rin stiffened, then carefully followed behind him.

  A scream tore through the air.

  It came from an alleyway just ahead.

  Benneth broke into a run without another word. Rin followed immediately. When they turned the corner, the scene hit them both at once.

  Two men had a shivering girl cornered against the ground.

  Rin’s eyes widened.

  The girl’s clothes were battered and torn—holes in her sweater at the left elbow and near the upper right side of her abdomen. Her dark gray pants were ripped and stained. Dirt and scratches marked her face as she looked up at the men with wide, terrified eyes, trembling as though she might burst into tears at any second.

  Long, dark black hair—once flowing, now tangled and filthy—hung messily over half her face. Clutched tightly to her chest was a small gray porcelain jar, her fingers white from gripping it so hard.

  She shouted something in Korean, her voice breaking—but the men only snarled, wands already drawn, continuing to close in on her.

  Rin instinctively reached for her wand.

  “My, my,” Benneth said calmly, stepping forward. “What do we have here?”

  “Huh?” One of the men turned, startled, then sneered. “Who the hell are you?” he asked in a thick accent.

  “Oh, good. English,” Benneth replied pleasantly, drawing his wand from the cane in his hand. “Then you’ll understand this perfectly when I threaten you.”

  “You?” The man scoffed. “Threaten me?”

  “That’s right,” Benneth said evenly. “Let the girl go, or you’ll get hurt.”

  The man laughed—and fired.

  A red bolt of energy shot toward Benneth. He tapped it aside with a precise flick, the spell popping harmlessly in the air before he countered with a bolt of yellow light.

  It slammed into a barrier.

  Blocked.

  “Tch…,” Benneth muttered under his breath. “That stopped it? These men are stronger than I expected…” He glanced back. “Stay behind me, Rin.”

  Rin moved back instinctively—and froze.

  A shadow loomed behind her.

  She turned.

  Two more men now stood at the other end of the alley, wands drawn, sealing them in.

  “Boom,” one of them said with a grin. “Outnumbered. And you brought a kid. You lose, old man.”

  The others laughed, their voices echoing harshly between the walls.

  Benneth clicked his tongue. “Damn it… I wasn’t expecting today to end like this…”

  “Uncle Remmy,” Rin said quietly, stepping forward as she drew her wand. “It’s okay.”

  He looked at her.

  “I can handle the two behind us,” she said, her voice steady despite the tension. “Let’s save the little girl.”

  Benneth chuckled.

  “My, my. My dear little Rin has grown so much,” he said warmly. “She’s showing this old man’s heart what true bravery really is. You’re absolutely right." His expression darkened. "Let’s annihilate these bastards.”

  Without wasting another moment, Rin conjured two massive icicles and hurled them straight toward the two men in front of her. They gasped, throwing up barriers in a panic—but Rin had already anticipated that.

  With a sharp swipe of her wand, she redirected the icicles behind her instead, sending them screaming toward the two men at the far end of the alley, the ones cornering the girl.

  Caught completely off guard, they barely managed to dive out of the way in time—only for Benneth’s Fire Bolt to crash into the icicles midair. They shattered instantly, erupting into a thick fog that swallowed the alley and obscured their vision.

  In the same instant, the men on the outer side of the alley fired back. Bolts of blue, purple, and green energy streaked toward Rin.

  They slammed harmlessly into a divine barrier Benneth conjured around her.

  “No one brings harm to children,” Benneth roared. “Not when I'm around!”

  He traced a glowing magic circle in the air before him in one second flat. It widened, pulsing once, before a beam of radiant light blasted forward, slamming into the two men and hurling them violently out the alley.

  When Benneth turned back, the remaining two men near the girl were already struggling on the ground, frozen in place—arms and legs locked to the earth as they shouted furiously in Korean.

  “Clever girl,” Benneth said with a proud laugh, briefly patting Rin on the head.

  Ignoring the immobilized men, they rushed toward the trembling girl.

  Benneth knelt and gently reached a hand out. “There, there. You’re safe now.”

  To both his and Rin’s surprise, the girl swatted his hand away—and shouted something sharp in Korean.

  Rin finally caught a glimpse of the girl’s eyes.

  They were large and black—so dark they nearly swallowed the light. Yet deep within them, there was a faint shimmer of blue.

  “You’re… just like me…” Rin whispered.

  The girl tilted her head, confusion written plainly across her face.

  “…Mwo?”

  Rin crouched as low as she could in front of her, hugging her knees to make herself smaller. Slower. Less threatening. It worked—the girl’s tense expression softened, just a little.

  Rin placed a hand to her chest and spoke carefully.

  “My name is… Rin.”

  “…Rin?” the girl echoed quietly.

  Rin nodded, smiling brightly. “Yes! What’s your name?”

  “…Nae ireum?” the girl echoed softly.

  “Yes! I’m Rin. And you are?” Rin said, gently pointing toward her while keeping her own hand pulled back, careful not to rush her.

  The girl hesitated. Then, slowly, she lifted a trembling hand to her chest.

  “…Nae ireum… Do Do-hee.”

  Rin’s smile widened just a little more.

  “Doe Doe Hee...” she repeated warmly. “Such a cute name! It’s so nice to meet you!”

  The girl had now completely dropped her guard. She couldn’t stop looking at Rin’s hat.

  #

  Kai paced the length of the room for what had to be the hundredth time.

  The chamber itself was silent in a way no normal room ever could be. Thick sigils were carved into every surface — floor, walls, even the ceiling — layered so densely they seemed to overlap into one another. The air was heavy, insulated from the rest of the world, sealed against intrusion, divination, and reality itself if necessary.

  Nothing got in here unless Kai allowed it.

  Nothing left without his permission.

  And yet—

  “—Hold still, Commander, for the love of the heavens!”

  Kai stopped mid-step, fingers digging into his hair.

  Behind him, Bobby Wholewheat lay sprawled across a reinforced stretcher, chest bandaged, one sleeve torn clean through and soaked dark with blood. Six nurses hovered around him in varying stages of professional panic, wands glowing with restorative magic as they worked in overlapping rhythms while the others made stitches and cuts in the opening of Bobby’s abdomen.

  “I holding still!” Bobby protested weakly. “It just hurts when I breathe!”

  “Then stop breathing for a second!”

  “Oh yeah, sure! That feels medically sound! Might as well kill myself while I’m at it—.” Bobby practically waterfalled blood onto his robes.

  Kai turned on his heel, staring at the scene like it personally offended him.

  “This,” he said flatly, “is not helping my stress.”

  One of the nurses glanced up. “With respect, Your Majestry, he has precisely nine holes in his heart.”

  “Yes, and I’m trying to prevent another catastrophe like Egypt!” Kai snapped, resuming his pacing. “We all have problems.”

  Suddenly, the door crashed open.

  “Holy shit! You guys really adore your tenacity for being a pain in my ass!” a white-haired man shouted as he stormed in.

  “Yaxon! For Merlin’s sake, get in here!” Kai barked back.

  “No!” Yaxon snapped back, stomping one foot down with his arms crossed. “I hate this room! And I hate when you keep nagging me! And I especially hate—whoa, what’s up with ?” Yaxon added, pointing at Bobby with concern.

  “C-Captain Yaxon!” Bobby said immediately, sitting upright on the gurney and snapping into a salute. The nurses all gasped in panic. “It’s so nice to finally meet you in pers—.”

  “Egh. Anyway, what the hell did you call me in here for?!” Yaxon said, immediately resuming his shouting match with Kai.

  “Cold…” Bobby chuckled weakly before flopping back onto the gurney.

  Kai facepalmed so hard it nearly left the imprint of his hand on his forehead.

  “He is the result of your next target’s actions,” Kai said, drawing his wand and flicking a manila file over to Yaxon.

  Yaxon caught it with an .

  “Old school much? You know you can just send emails through these things called communicators now,” he said, opening it up. He immediately whistled approvingly at the photo inside.

  “Hot damn! Who’s this?!”

  “That is Minerva Dyaless. She has officially been categorized as an Ace-class threat thanks to Commander Wholewheat’s efforts. She eradicated Egypt in a span of seven months,” Kai said, planting his palms onto the enormous oval table for support, watching Yaxon’s expression closely.

  “Eradicated?” Yaxon repeated slowly, flipping through the pages. “That seems like a bit of an exaggeration.”

  “No. She literally wiped out the entire country. Most of the civilian population managed to evacuate early as the reign of her terror began, but the entirety of their home defense army stayed behind to fight her. And now? All gone.”

  “…All gone?” Yaxon said, closing the folder halfway. “I mean, there’s gotta be left. A resistance, or something?”

  “No. Zip. Nothing.”

  Yaxon rolled his eyes and shut the folder. “Cool. Send Vix to take care of it.”

  “Can’t. You ordered him to raise a child.”

  “Pft! He can handle it!” Yaxon argued. “He’s good at juggling like a hundred missions at once!”

  “No! He’s busy because I’ve practically sent him on ninety-nine other missions after yours!”

  Yaxon deflated dramatically. The folder in his arms slipped and fell to the floor. He bent down to pick it up, pausing when he noticed a handwritten letter tucked at the end. He placed the folder on the table and began reading.

  “‘Dear mother?’ Trying to write to the Grand Majestry?” Yaxon said, squinting. “Kai, do you have a secret you’re not sharing with me? We’re best friends! You should’ve just told me you transitioned your gender.”

  “HAHAHAHA—.” Bobby immediately vomited more blood.

  “For god’s sake, stop moving!” one of the nurses shouted as she continued her work.

  “It’s a letter from an EHD soldier,” Kai said.

  “Where is he?”

  “The letter arrived. He never did,” Kai replied flatly, arms crossed.

  Yaxon raised an eyebrow and reread the letter more carefully. As he did, the room fell silent. Kai watched him. Bobby did too, feeling the weight of the stillness. It was eerie—unsettling—to see someone so loud and animated turn as still as dead water.

  Then—

  Yaxon crumpled the letter and shoved it into his pocket.

  “WHOA, WHOA—HOLD ON, MAN! THAT’S WAY TOO CRUEL, EVEN FOR YOU!” Bobby snapped upright on the gurney, frantically waving his arms.

  “He’s an idiot,” Yaxon said simply.

  Kai’s eye twitched. “He sacrificed his life to beg me to save his home!”

  “He should’ve quit the army and hauled his ass over here to say it himself!” Yaxon shot back.

  Bobby noticed something then—how Yaxon’s smile never returned. How his posture grew even more rigid than usual. It was subtle, but Bobby saw it. After all, he was an Enforcer himself. Still, none of that mattered. His heart ached just trying to keep blood pumping through his body.

  He had seen Minerva’s power firsthand. And if someone as strong as himself had nearly died to her, what chance did someone without Enforcer-level prowess ever have?

  No. It didn’t matter if it was Yaxon or God himself standing in this room. He wouldn’t let a man’s final act be dismissed like that.

  “You take that back,” Bobby said quietly. Darkly.

  The demand cut through the room.

  Yaxon turned to face him.

  “What did you say?”

  “I said,” Bobby shouted, “take that back!”

  Kai flinched at Bobby’s seriousness.

  Yaxon didn’t. He simply narrowed his eyes and silently let Bobby speak.

  “Kai never commanded me to go to Egypt,” Bobby said. “I was snooping around this room when I ran across that file. I couldn’t help myself. I read that letter—and I couldn’t take it.”

  He shook his head before swallowing hard.

  “I assembled my squad, along with a platoon of the King’s Army, and stormed that fucking beach. And she slaughtered us. One of my squad members is still unconscious. Half the damn platoon got wiped out by a single goddamn spell.”

  His voice began to shake as his hands clenched around the thin padded mattress, fingers tearing into it.

  “I… I had to use the Second Armament just to fucking escape!” he shouted. “So don’t you dismiss anything that man wrote in that letter.”

  A tear swelled in Bobby’s right eye before finally spilling down his cheek.

  “I want that bitch dead. I want her head mounted on a plaque and hung in this very room. I want to be avenged, damn you!”

  Yaxon stared at him in silence—eyes still narrowed.

  “If… if that’s how I feel now… what did Rico think when he was writing that letter…” Bobby muttered to himself.

  Yaxon closed his eyes, shook his head once, then sighed.

  “Ready a convoy at oh-six-hundred sharp tomorrow.”

  “Why?” Kai asked. “I already have a convoy prepared for you now. Bay Charlie-Six. Sky-General Carter is standing by.”

  Yaxon waved lazily without turning back, clicking his tongue annoyed.

  He exited the room.