“No!”
The answering voice was quick and intense, anger faded from Fiona’s face.
“Then why do you say that?”
“Because you said I don’t have to stay by your side…”
The voice got smaller again. A voice that didn’t fit the big man’s size, Fiona straightened her back and placed her hands on her waist.
“What I mean is-!”
After raising her voice, she coughed in vain. It seems that she had become more direct because she got used to dealing with Nina and the wizard.
“It seems like Edgar is struggling to be by my side. We can’t be the same as before, but at this rate, I don’t think we’re going to move forward.”
Fiona swallowed a sigh, she tried not to be straightforward, but no matter how much she thought about it she went straight to the point.
“I mean to say that I feel guilty about it, and if the two of us can’t face each other properly because of that I thought it would be good to keep some distance.”
It’s hard to translate into words what she had in mind, after all, humans usually don’t know what’s truly inside their hearts.
Still, Fiona tried.
Edgar shook his head.
“No, that’s not what keeps me away from you.”
He thought deeply and said.
“Have I ever talked about the High Priest?”
“Yes, you said he was okay even after being stabbed in the neck, right?”
As Fiona tilted her head, Edgar smiled bitterly and continued.
“There’s something I couldn’t say.”
“What is it?”
“He did something to me.”
Fiona’s face darkened, and Edgar became impatient, he quickly continued.
“He did something to me. I don’t know what it is, but I know he did something.”
“But when the wizard examined you, there was nothing wrong, right?”
“That may not be all. That’s why I’m afraid to be around you.”
It was a difficult confession for him to make, but once he got the words out it was easy.
“I think we should discuss it with Nina because she is a spirit contractor.”
When Fiona uses her power on Edgar she didn’t detect any problems. Nina on the other side might be able to see something else.
“What are you discussing?”
Nina, who approached over the other side and saw that the two of them were still setting the table up, rolled up her sleeves.
“Let’s set it up quickly.”
“Nina, I think we should talk about something serious.”
Nina smiled at Fiona’s words.
“I like it, serious talk.”
A light conversation is good, but a serious story is also welcomed. It means that Fiona has opened her heart to Nina.
Fiona laughed at Nina’s words. The three quickly laid out the tea utensils on the table. The tea was already cold, so the servant was asked to bring a new one.
Slicing the scones with a knife, Nina asked.
“So? What’s the story?”
Fiona looked at Edgar, and Edgar faced Nina.
The way she tied her silver hair in two ponytails was still the same even today, since the first time he saw her. In the same case from back then, this person had a strange power to attract others.
‘That’s why I can’t even complain if Fiona relied more on her than on me.’
Edgar gave another bitter smile and told the details of what had happened between him and the High Priest.
“Did you say he was messing with your head?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think you’ve changed?”
“I don’t know.”
That was a big problem. Nina said, “Hmm,” and put plenty of clotted cream and jam on top of the scones.
“Okay, then shall we take a look?”
She put the scones on Fiona’s plate and got up from her seat. Edgar was perplexed.
Nina sat him down as he was about to get up, and looked at him.
“Since it was the High Priest’s doing, he might have used the corrupted power of the Fallen Spirit King, so maybe I can recognize it.”
Nina reached out her hand and covered his eyes. Come to think of it, hasn’t this happened before?
At the time, she used The Sun’s tracking power within Benzel, but now it’s a little different.
‘What should I do?’
“O Sun, your warmth, is the light that illuminates every inch of the heart.”
She chanted in a low tone and gently infused Edgar with spirit power. It was the first time she had directly put it inside a person, so by clumsy trying little by little…
– I’ve been waiting for you, The Great Spirit.
“!!”
Pain pierced through her body making Nina stumbled and take a step back.
A butter knife pierced her chest all the way inside. As she took her hand from Edgar’s eyes, she saw his astonished face.
There was no killing intent, it was akin to a movement that stretched out without intention like a reflex.
She took another step back.
Edgar jumped up from his seat, but he didn’t dare touch Nina. If he ever attacks her again…
Nina knelt down on the spot.
“Nina!!”
Only then, Fiona jumped up from her seat, screaming. She ran to Nina and grabbed her, but Fiona’s head was blank as to what to do.
Blood, knife, wound, piercing.
Power……? Should I use my power? But do I have to pull the knife before that? Can I heal without pulling out the knife?
If I pull out the knife, won’t Nina die?
How do I use my power?
How again?
Her whole body was trembling violently.
I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know!
Clap!!
Fiona slapped her own cheek hard. Her mind flashed at the pain.
“Go and get someone! Edgar!!”
Her voice rang like a tearful scream, and Edgar reflexively jumped at the command.
I can’t pull it.
I.
Fiona squeezed Nina’s right hand that had the spirit crest and sent her power with all her might. It was then that she realized her hands were shaking.
Blue sparkles flashed from the butter knife lodged in Nina’s chest as she infused her power in her body. It was an unusual reaction.
‘W-what is this?’
I don’t know what to do.
I don’t know.
“Huk, ugh, hic-.”
Tears were raining down, but Fiona continued to poor her energy like a mad person.
Please, Nina, come back. Please, please.
* * *
Her body was slowly sinking into the deep sea and her hair slowly wiggled.
Sinking deep in the sea was similar to falling into the abyss.
After passing a place where the last light hits, deeper and complete darkness falls, this colorless darkness, similar to being lost in the middle of the night, engulfs all directions.
It was not painful to breathe.
Bubbles of air sparkling like pearls rose toward the surface of the water.
How does it shine when there is no light?
In this darkness, nothing should be visible, but everything seemed to be shimmering in a faint glow.
It’s wide, empty, and dark.
Darkness.
“It’s not good to come down here.”
It was a soft voice. A familiar voice.
I blinked my eyes.
‘I can even open my eyes.’
A gloved hand grabbed her as Nina struggled to turn to the side where the voice came from.
Nina’s body easily turned around like dancing in zero gravity. She was able to identify the opponent.
Black hair shaking like graceful fins and familiar rose-colored eyes glowing in the dark.
“Adrian?”
The other person laughed a little at her mumbled dazed words.
The smile made Nina realize.
“No.”
“Yes, I’m not.”
He replied with a happy smile. Nina looked around and when she saw the bottom, it seemed like she was being sucked into the abyss. A black and endless darkness.
“Don’t look.”
The opponent lifted her chin.
“You’ll get sucked in.”
It was a piece of polite advice, Nina gladly looked at him instead of the bottom. His smile was sweet and gentle but different from Adrian’s. Nina slightly opened her mouth.
“The Darkness…”
He laughed happily.
He was as perfect as Adrian in his dance-like slow greeting. Even the cane in his hand was the same, only the silver decoration was slightly different.
Nina clenched her fist, opened it, and looked at him.
“Then am I dead? Because the spirit is-.”
“You didn’t die. That’s why you are seeing this face.”
Darkness pointed to his face and snapped his fingers as he spoke.
“Oh, my.”
A large bubble of air rose from his feet and pushed Nina up.
Forced to sit down, Nina crossed her legs as she sat on a giant bubble of air while looking at The Darkness.
“Besides, it would be difficult for everyone if Dame Nina crosses the sea of glass.”
Nina also nodded her head.
“Right. I would be in trouble too. Then, I’m alive, right? Ah, but, is this like back then when two years passed in a blink, it’s not right? It’s a big deal if I lose more time.”
“It’s not the same, don’t worry. Do you have any other questions to ask?”
The Darkness smiled and asked, and Nina stared at him.
“May I ask why you brought me here?”
“No!”
The answering voice was quick and intense, anger faded from Fiona’s face.
“Then why do you say that?”
“Because you said I don’t have to stay by your side…”
The voice got smaller again. A voice that didn’t fit the big man’s size, Fiona straightened her back and placed her hands on her waist.
“What I mean is-!”
After raising her voice, she coughed in vain. It seems that she had become more direct because she got used to dealing with Nina and the wizard.
“It seems like Edgar is struggling to be by my side. We can’t be the same as before, but at this rate, I don’t think we’re going to move forward.”
Fiona swallowed a sigh, she tried not to be straightforward, but no matter how much she thought about it she went straight to the point.
“I mean to say that I feel guilty about it, and if the two of us can’t face each other properly because of that I thought it would be good to keep some distance.”
It’s hard to translate into words what she had in mind, after all, humans usually don’t know what’s truly inside their hearts.
Still, Fiona tried.
Edgar shook his head.
“No, that’s not what keeps me away from you.”
He thought deeply and said.
“Have I ever talked about the High Priest?”
“Yes, you said he was okay even after being stabbed in the neck, right?”
As Fiona tilted her head, Edgar smiled bitterly and continued.
“There’s something I couldn’t say.”
“What is it?”
“He did something to me.”
Fiona’s face darkened, and Edgar became impatient, he quickly continued.
“He did something to me. I don’t know what it is, but I know he did something.”
“But when the wizard examined you, there was nothing wrong, right?”
“That may not be all. That’s why I’m afraid to be around you.”
It was a difficult confession for him to make, but once he got the words out it was easy.
“I think we should discuss it with Nina because she is a spirit contractor.”
When Fiona uses her power on Edgar she didn’t detect any problems. Nina on the other side might be able to see something else.
“What are you discussing?”
Nina, who approached over the other side and saw that the two of them were still setting the table up, rolled up her sleeves.
“Let’s set it up quickly.”
“Nina, I think we should talk about something serious.”
Nina smiled at Fiona’s words.
“I like it, serious talk.”
A light conversation is good, but a serious story is also welcomed. It means that Fiona has opened her heart to Nina.
Fiona laughed at Nina’s words. The three quickly laid out the tea utensils on the table. The tea was already cold, so the servant was asked to bring a new one.
Slicing the scones with a knife, Nina asked.
“So? What’s the story?”
Fiona looked at Edgar, and Edgar faced Nina.
The way she tied her silver hair in two ponytails was still the same even today, since the first time he saw her. In the same case from back then, this person had a strange power to attract others.
‘That’s why I can’t even complain if Fiona relied more on her than on me.’
Edgar gave another bitter smile and told the details of what had happened between him and the High Priest.
“Did you say he was messing with your head?”
“Yes.”
“Do you think you’ve changed?”
“I don’t know.”
That was a big problem. Nina said, “Hmm,” and put plenty of clotted cream and jam on top of the scones.
“Okay, then shall we take a look?”
She put the scones on Fiona’s plate and got up from her seat. Edgar was perplexed.
Nina sat him down as he was about to get up, and looked at him.
“Since it was the High Priest’s doing, he might have used the corrupted power of the Fallen Spirit King, so maybe I can recognize it.”
Nina reached out her hand and covered his eyes. Come to think of it, hasn’t this happened before?
At the time, she used The Sun’s tracking power within Benzel, but now it’s a little different.
‘What should I do?’
“O Sun, your warmth, is the light that illuminates every inch of the heart.”
She chanted in a low tone and gently infused Edgar with spirit power. It was the first time she had directly put it inside a person, so by clumsy trying little by little…
– I’ve been waiting for you, The Great Spirit.
“!!”
Pain pierced through her body making Nina stumbled and take a step back.
A butter knife pierced her chest all the way inside. As she took her hand from Edgar’s eyes, she saw his astonished face.
There was no killing intent, it was akin to a movement that stretched out without intention like a reflex.
She took another step back.
Edgar jumped up from his seat, but he didn’t dare touch Nina. If he ever attacks her again…
Nina knelt down on the spot.
“Nina!!”
Only then, Fiona jumped up from her seat, screaming. She ran to Nina and grabbed her, but Fiona’s head was blank as to what to do.
Blood, knife, wound, piercing.
Power……? Should I use my power? But do I have to pull the knife before that? Can I heal without pulling out the knife?
If I pull out the knife, won’t Nina die?
How do I use my power?
How again?
Her whole body was trembling violently.
I don’t know, I don’t know, I don’t know!
Clap!!
Fiona slapped her own cheek hard. Her mind flashed at the pain.
“Go and get someone! Edgar!!”
Her voice rang like a tearful scream, and Edgar reflexively jumped at the command.
I can’t pull it.
I.
Fiona squeezed Nina’s right hand that had the spirit crest and sent her power with all her might. It was then that she realized her hands were shaking.
Blue sparkles flashed from the butter knife lodged in Nina’s chest as she infused her power in her body. It was an unusual reaction.
‘W-what is this?’
I don’t know what to do.
I don’t know.
“Huk, ugh, hic-.”
Tears were raining down, but Fiona continued to poor her energy like a mad person.
Please, Nina, come back. Please, please.
* * *
Her body was slowly sinking into the deep sea and her hair slowly wiggled.
Sinking deep in the sea was similar to falling into the abyss.
After passing a place where the last light hits, deeper and complete darkness falls, this colorless darkness, similar to being lost in the middle of the night, engulfs all directions.
It was not painful to breathe.
Bubbles of air sparkling like pearls rose toward the surface of the water.
How does it shine when there is no light?
In this darkness, nothing should be visible, but everything seemed to be shimmering in a faint glow.
It’s wide, empty, and dark.
Darkness.
“It’s not good to come down here.”
It was a soft voice. A familiar voice.
I blinked my eyes.
‘I can even open my eyes.’
A gloved hand grabbed her as Nina struggled to turn to the side where the voice came from.
Nina’s body easily turned around like dancing in zero gravity. She was able to identify the opponent.
Black hair shaking like graceful fins and familiar rose-colored eyes glowing in the dark.
“Adrian?”
The other person laughed a little at her mumbled dazed words.
The smile made Nina realize.
“No.”
“Yes, I’m not.”
He replied with a happy smile. Nina looked around and when she saw the bottom, it seemed like she was being sucked into the abyss. A black and endless darkness.
“Don’t look.”
The opponent lifted her chin.
“You’ll get sucked in.”
It was a piece of polite advice, Nina gladly looked at him instead of the bottom. His smile was sweet and gentle but different from Adrian’s. Nina slightly opened her mouth.
“The Darkness…”
He laughed happily.
He was as perfect as Adrian in his dance-like slow greeting. Even the cane in his hand was the same, only the silver decoration was slightly different.
Nina clenched her fist, opened it, and looked at him.
“Then am I dead? Because the spirit is-.”
“You didn’t die. That’s why you are seeing this face.”
Darkness pointed to his face and snapped his fingers as he spoke.
“Oh, my.”
A large bubble of air rose from his feet and pushed Nina up.
Forced to sit down, Nina crossed her legs as she sat on a giant bubble of air while looking at The Darkness.
“Besides, it would be difficult for everyone if Dame Nina crosses the sea of glass.”
Nina also nodded her head.
“Right. I would be in trouble too. Then, I’m alive, right? Ah, but, is this like back then when two years passed in a blink, it’s not right? It’s a big deal if I lose more time.”
“It’s not the same, don’t worry. Do you have any other questions to ask?”
The Darkness smiled and asked, and Nina stared at him.
“May I ask why you brought me here?”
