After reading the letter, Zara stared at it once more, trying to confirm whether it was truly from her father.
She placed a hand on her chin, her brow furrowing in thought. "Why would they suddenly want to go on an adventure and leave their territory? When I was here, they never left for anything like this. So why now?"
She sighed, dropping the letter beside her on the bed. "Well, whatever. It's good for them to take a break, I suppose."
With a heavy sigh, she flopped back onto her bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. Now I'm the only one here... What should I do?
Suddenly, a feeling struck her. Wait a minute… Why do I feel like I've forgotten something?
Her eyes widened. "Fluff! Are you awake?"
In the system space, Fluff, the small, fluffy cat, was glued to his screen, wiping away imaginary tears with a cloth.
["Why is this male lead so cruel?! Hmph! I curse you—may the heroine leave you!"]
Zara's voice cut through his dramatic moment. He blinked, startled, and vanished from his seat, appearing in front of Zara, still wiping his eyes.
Zara blinked in surprise at his tear-streaked face. "Fluff, why are you crying? Did I neglect you today? Is that why?"
Fluff blinked up at her, clearly confused. ["Eh? Why are you in front of me now?"]
Zara frowned, utterly puzzled. "Huh? What do you mean?"
[Ah, no, nothing. I was just asking if you need something.]
Zara's brow furrowed, her confusion deepening. "Well, tell me, Fluff… Why is nothing happening like lira memory? I think I should stop trusting these memories…"
Fluff, hearing her words, smiled gently. ["Yes, Host. It would be wise not to trust your memories. your memory is joke"]
zara look at fluff with irritation,
"i just say lira memory"
Just as they were talking, a sudden voice interrupted them. A new figure appeared in front of Zara, floating in the air. She was a cat-like beast, similar to Fluff but with red fur, waving at Zara with a playful gesture.
["Hello, new Host!"]
Zara frowned, her eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"
The new figure, Meow, cleared her throat, her voice turning serious. ["Hello, I'm your new system, assigned to assist you, along with Fluff."]
Zara blinked, more confused than ever. "What do you mean by new system?"
Before she could ask more questions, Fluff suddenly appeared between them, grabbed Meow's hand, and vanished without a word.
Zara stared after them, scratching her head. "What does she mean, 'new system'? And why did Fluff take her away without explaining anything?"
In the system space, Fluff was in shock. The entire space had expanded, doubling in size. Two screens now floated in front of him, and everything seemed different, more chaotic. His gaze turned to Meow, his tone nervous.
["Meow, did you tell the boss about my mistake? Is that why he sent you here to monitor me?"]
Meow crossed her arms, her voice serious, though there was a playful edge to her tone. ["What do you mean, 'tell the boss'? I didn't tell him anything, hmph!"]
Fluff let out a sigh of relief. ["Then why are you here? And what do you mean by 'serving me'?"]
Meow fixed him with a serious look, placing her hands on her hips. ["Well, when the boss sent me here, I could see that he was nervous, at the very least."]
Fluff chuckled, clearly skeptical. ["Don't joke with me now. The boss was nervous?"]
Meow frowned, her voice deepening. ["Hmph, you don't believe me, do you? He said this world was becoming dangerous. It's no longer in the hands of destiny—anything can happen now. The worlds are merging, and the balance is shifting. That's why he sent me here—to make sure the Host becomes powerful. At least then, there might be hope to save this world."]
Fluff's smile faded, the weight of her words sinking in. He stared at her for a long moment, processing the new information.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zara stood alone in the vast corridor of her mansion, still frowning as she recalled how Fluff had suddenly vanished without explanation.
Shaking her head, she stepped out of the mansion to get some air. But as she passed through the garden, her gaze caught movement—something—no, someone—running toward the back of the estate.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Who was that? Are the guards not doing their job?"
With cautious steps, she walked toward where the figure had disappeared. But what she saw next made her freeze.
A girl, kneeling on the grass, was drawing a glowing red circle into the ground with her finger. Strange glyphs lit up as she completed the formation.
The girl slowly turned her head to look at Zara.
Zara's breath hitched—there were fangs in the girl's mouth.
Her heart pounded. "Hello… What are you doing here?"
The girl didn't answer.
Instead, she stood up and began walking slowly toward Zara. Every step she took felt unnatural, like a predator playing with its prey.
Zara, keeping her composure, slowly moved her hand behind her back and began chanting an offensive spell under her breath.
Just a little closer… I can strike firs—
The girl vanished from sight.
Zara's eyes widened. "What—?!"
A sharp pain bloomed in her neck.
"AHHHH!!"
Panic surged through her. The world blurred as illusion and fear overwhelmed her senses. She could see—no, she could feel—countless girls with fangs, all reaching for her, biting, whispering, laughing.
Make it stop—make it stop—!
With a burst of energy, Zara flung her arm toward a nearby boulder and unleashed her spell in blind desperation. The explosion cracked the stone, sending fragments flying.
Taking the opening, she punched the girl's face with all her strength, breaking free.
Panting heavily, she stumbled backward.
Her legs barely moved. What did she do to me? My body—it's not responding…
But survival instincts took over. With staggering steps, Zara turned and began running.
Behind her, the girl shrieked something in a language Zara didn't understand. It chilled her to the bone.
"Igheifiehgr isfhia!!"
Zara's foot landed on something.
A red circle.
Her eyes widened.
"No—!"
The circle lit up beneath her, glowing with crimson light. Symbols danced violently around the edge as the ground trembled slightly beneath her.
Ahead, the girl who had bitten her was running—no, desperately charging—toward her, eyes wide with panic, her hand reaching out as if trying to stop the magic.
But in Zara's distorted vision, all she saw was a swarm of fanged girls coming to finish what the first had started.
"No—no no no—!"
And in the next heartbeat, the circle flashed—
Zara vanished.
Her last sight was of the girl's face—not malicious, but terrified—as her hand reached out too late.
In the system space, Fluff paced back and forth, panic written across his tiny, fluffy face. He pawed at the barrier, trying desperately to exit the space, but no matter what he did, he remained trapped.
["Gah! Why can't I get out?! Zara's in danger—I felt it!"]
He turned sharply toward Meow, who was calmly sipping something pink from a floating teacup.
["Meow! Explain—what's happening?! Why can't I go to her?"]
Meow's gaze shifted toward him, her expression unreadable.
["Fluff, you should know this already. You're bound to Elarion. If the host is not in Elarion… you can't follow her."]
Fluff's eyes widened. His voice came out in a squeaky, panicked cry.
["W-What are you talking about?! Host should be in Elarion! Where else could she go?!]