The land was vibrant, alive—a breathtaking expanse where nature thrived untouched. Towering green trees swayed gently in the whisper of the wind, their leaves catching dappled sunlight. Flowers bloomed in a mesmerizing array of colors, their delicate petals releasing fragrances that mingled with the crisp, cool air. The ground, soft with lush grass, was speckled with clusters of blossoms—not too close, not too far—each adding to the harmony of the scene. Birds flitted through the canopy, their songs weaving through the tranquility, a melody of life itself.
And then—she appeared.
The figure stood amidst the ethereal glow, draped in white, her aura radiating warmth that defied the cold emptiness surrounding them. Though her face remained obscured—veiled by the unseen—there was an undeniable beauty to her presence, like a fairy woven from moonlight itself.
Before her, a boy trembled, his form hunched beneath the crushing weight of grief. His hands, slick with warmth that wasn't his own, refused to let go. The sight—the sound—the final breath of his loved one had shattered something inside him.
Then, in that silence, she spoke softly, elegantly, as if her voice alone could mend what had been broken.
"Hey, Brother, how are you doing, idiot? I hear you forgot to protect yourself again."
She stopped for a moment, tilting her head with quiet exasperation before sighing.
"Haa… I can't do anything about you, Brother."
A faint chuckle escaped her lips, laced with the same warmth that had always been there. Then, slowly, she turned to the boy—Eryx—her voice carrying through the weight of his sorrow.
"Eryx, don't be guilty that you couldn't save us. Instead of drowning in the past, focus on keeping safe the ones who are still here. The ones who need you."
And as she spoke, the world cracked.
The serene beauty around them trembled, split apart by something unseen. The trees, once full of life, curled inward, their vibrant green replaced by searing flames. The flowers withered, their colors bleeding into the scorched earth. Birds vanished into the void, their melodies drowned beneath the roar of fire.
On the other side of the glowing figure, destruction spread—a battlefield of death and ruin. Blood stained the ground where comrades had fallen, their lifeless bodies tangled among arrows, swords, and weapons forged of flame and wood. Trees burned, their skeletal remains clawing at the sky.
And in the midst of it all, a boy sat.
His eyes, wide and hollow, stared at the devastation before him—the faces of those he had failed to save, frozen in their last moments.
She paused, letting her words settle, allowing him to breathe through the ache before adding—softly, gently—
"So don't worry. I'll be okay."
Her figure wavered, like mist dissolving under the morning light, yet the warmth of her presence lingered. Eryx blinked, his breath shuddering. And in that moment, for the first time since the world had crumbled around him, the weight on his chest loosened—just a little.
Eryx's breath hitched as the voice called to him—familiar, gentle, yet distant. His body tensed, and when he turned, his eyes met her figure, bathed in radiant white, untouched by the destruction around them.
"Sara..."
The name barely left his lips before his restraint crumbled. He rushed forward, unable to steady himself, falling to his knees as he wrapped his arms around her. His fingers clung to her as though holding on could undo fate itself. His shoulders shook, the weight of grief crushing him from the inside.
"I'm s—sorry... Please forgive me... I couldn't protect you, Sara. I wanted us to live together—like a happy family..." His voice broke, raw with guilt. "I want to be with you—with Mother, I don't feel this emptiness. Please... come back to me."
Tears stained his cheeks, sinking into the fabric of her glowing presence. But even as he held her, she was fading.
Eryx lifted his gaze—and froze.
A blade, burning with violent flames, was lodged deep in her chest. The mana-infused fire pulsed, swallowing her form piece by piece.
Yet she smiled. Unaffected. As if the wound did not belong to her, as if the agony should not exist.
"Hey, you know… this world is so big," she whispered, the warmth of her voice unfazed by the destruction between them. "Go. Find. Explore. Maybe... maybe you'll discover something important, Brother."
She paused, then added softly—"So don't you ever lose hope. Always believe in yourself. Focus on protecting the ones still here."
Her form shimmered, flickering like dying embers.
"I heard you have a new sister... what was her name again? Oh yeah—Navia."
Eryx flinched. His breath caught in his throat.
"How does she know about Navia?"
Sara's glow dimmed further. Only her face remained, suspended in the fading light.
"Before we get separated again..." she continued, "No matter what happens, protect your sister this time. She always cares about you, you know."
The world trembled.
Eryx reached for her—desperate, pleading—but his fingers caught nothing. She was slipping, vanishing beyond his grasp.
"Sara..." he whispered, voice hoarse, broken.
And just before the last of her light faded, she spoke one final time.
"We'll meet again."
His eyes widened.
"Why… why would she say that? She's dead. Isn't she?"
The thought crashed into him like a storm.
"Sara! Please—come back! I need you! Y-you know your brother can't live without his family!"
His scream shattered the silence—
And Eryx woke, gasping, his body drenched in cold sweat.
"Saraa!"
His voice still carried the weight of sorrow, still clung to the fading dream. He sat there, hands trembling, staring at the emptiness around him.
But the ache remained, just as the words did.
"We'll meet again."
Eryx sat on the edge of his bed, his body trembling. His breath was uneven, his hands clenched in frustration.
"I can't do anything to protect my loved ones."
The words escaped him, swallowed by the silence of his room. His mind replayed Sara's last moments in his dream—her warm smile, the way she spoke as if the pain of that fatal wound didn't touch her. The things she said—
"What was that dream supposed to mean?" he whispered. "Why did she say, 'this world is so big—find, explore—you'll discover something important'? And… that last line…"
He gritted his teeth.
"'We'll meet again.'"
The thought made his pulse race.
"Was she hinting that she's still alive? But even if she is… how did she come to me? She didn't have a mana core… nor a wisdom core. So how—?"
He stopped, letting the weight of his thoughts settle. Then, in the quiet, he whispered again—
"Maybe—she is dead. But someone must have found her body… taken her memories… and now—"
The door swung open with a sharp creak, pulling him from his spiraling thoughts.
A girl with flowing blonde hair and striking violet eyes stood at the entrance, her usual confident energy unwavering.
"Hey, Eryx, you're up. Good. Get ready—the captain's calling. We've got a mission, and trust me, this one's gonna help you power up. So be hyped."
She grinned, leaning against the doorframe.
"I'll be waiting outside."
Eryx blinked, momentarily dazed, before finally acknowledging her presence.
"Oh… hey, Navia. Okay, I'm coming. Just give me a second."
Navia turned to leave but hesitated just before stepping out. With only a slight movement, she glanced back—her left eye catching sight of him as he sat there, still burdened by something unspoken.
Were you crying?" she whispered to herself. "You dummy… you're rushing yourself too hard. I feel bad for him. I need to help him.
Then, with that thought lingering, she left.
Eryx sat for a moment longer, pulling himself together. Eventually, he stepped out, exhaling as he looked toward Navia.
"I'm ready."
Navia glanced at him, nodding with a small smirk.
"Alright then, let's go."
She started walking ahead, but when she noticed he hadn't moved, she paused and turned back.
"Now what?"
Eryx took a hesitant step forward, then another, closing the distance between them. His hands curled slightly as he struggled with the words in his throat.
"H—hey, Navia…"
He hesitated, staring at the ground before forcing himself to meet her gaze.
"Will you be my sister?"
Navia's eyes widened slightly.
"I need a sister right now. If I don't have one, I'll lose myself." His voice cracked, his walls crumbling once more. "People here seek life partners to save their souls from being cursed by emptiness. But I… I need family. Love. Like the one I lost. So… will you be mine?"
Tears welled in his eyes again, his emotions raw.
Navia softened, then let out a small, amused sigh.
"Who says we aren't siblings?"
She placed a hand on her hip, shaking her head with quiet fondness.
"From the day you arrived in this city and were put under my guidance, I've always treated you like my little brother. Idiot." She smiled. "You try too hard to bury your feelings in the darkness. But now we both know, don't we? You have family. Maybe not by blood, but we are still siblings, nonetheless."
Her smirk grew playful.
"Oh, and hey—I like your view on love. Maybe you had a thing for someone, huh?"
Eryx's face heated instantly.
"O—okay, okay! But I never had feelings for anyone, and I don't want to!"
Navia laughed as he tried to recover his composure.
"I want to be free. To protect my family. The people I care about. That's all that matters."
He exhaled, crossing his arms.
"And I'm not calling you 'big sis' just because you're one year older than me. I'm calling you by your name."
"Fine, fine—call me whatever you want."
Navia chuckled before turning on her heel.
"Now let's go, or Atlas will be pissed. The group's moving out soon."
Eryx blinked.
"Group? Which group?"
—Chapter 8ends—