It was barely past sunrise, yet both mother and daughter were already awake, quietly preparing for the separation that neither of them wished to face.
A cold morning breeze swept through the forest clearing where they sat together atop a large stone. Beyond them stretched a rough dirt road that disappeared into the distance, leading toward the City of Ruin.
Light recognized that road immediately.
He had traveled past it only that same morning. It was the only path connecting the eastern villages to the far side of the forest.
The woman stared toward that road for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Before we part ways, dear… I want to tell you my favorite story."
Her voice was soft, almost fragile.
"I hope that when you remember this story… you'll also remember me, until the day we meet again."
The little girl sat quietly beside her mother; her dull crimson eyes fixed upward in silence.
And so, with the gentle tone of someone recalling a distant memory, the woman began.
"A long time ago, there was a little girl."
The wind rustled softly through the trees.
"That girl had everything a person could wish for. Warm meals every day. A soft bed to sleep in. A large family who always surrounded her."
The woman paused briefly.
"At least… that's what she believed."
A faint sigh escaped her lips.
"You see, dear, that little girl possessed a very special power. A power her family treasured greatly."
"And because of that power, she worked hard to help them. She truly believed she was making her family happy."
The woman smiled faintly, though there was sadness hidden beneath it.
"But as the years passed, the girl grew older… and so did her power."
"With greater power came greater desires."
Her gaze drifted toward the brightening horizon.
"For the first ten years of her life, the girl was never allowed to leave her home. Her family feared the outside world would discover her ability."
"So they locked her away."
"She could only watch the world from behind windows and walls."
"She dreamed endlessly about freedom… about seeing the things hidden beyond her prison."
The little girl listened silently, squeezing her mother's sleeve slightly tighter.
"And then one night," the woman continued softly, "after spending an entire year preparing… the opportunity finally arrived."
"Her family had been celebrating an important achievement. For the first time in years, their guard around her weakened."
"And so…"
The woman smiled faintly.
"She escaped."
Just as she was about to continue, the little girl suddenly interrupted.
"Mama…"
The child tilted her head slightly.
"I thought this was your favorite story. It sounds sad."
The woman blinked before letting out a small laugh.
Reaching over, she gently caressed her daughter's cheek.
"Patience, dear," she whispered warmly.
"It gets better."
The little girl nodded obediently.
"The girl successfully escaped her family's estate," the mother continued. "But there was one problem she hadn't considered."
"She was completely alone."
"The world she had dreamed about for so long… was unfamiliar and terrifying."
"Even though her power allowed her to learn many things, she still didn't understand how to truly live in the outside world."
"And once her family discovered she had run away… they searched everywhere for her."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"She spent an entire week hiding inside the great forest surrounding her home."
"She was starving. Exhausted. Terrified."
"She had dreamed of freedom for years…"
"But all she found was loneliness."
Light noticed the woman's expression darken slightly as she spoke, as though even now the memory still hurt.
"Then one day," she said softly, "just when she had nearly given up hope…"
"She met someone."
The change in her expression was immediate.
Warmth returned to her eyes.
"A boy."
"One year older than she was at the time."
The woman's lips curved upward ever so slightly.
"Desperate and with nowhere else to turn, the girl begged him for help."
"'Please… help me…' she said."
The woman suddenly chuckled quietly.
"But the boy refused immediately."
The little girl blinked in surprise.
"He did?"
"Mhm."
The woman nodded, amused by the memory.
"'Why should I help you?' the boy said. 'I don't even know you.'"
"And then…"
She covered her mouth lightly, trying not to laugh.
"He looked at her and said—"
"'Also, you stink. Go take a bath somewhere, smelly.'"
The little girl stared blankly.
Her mother, meanwhile, looked genuinely entertained recalling it.
"The girl had clung to his leg with every ounce of strength she had left," the woman continued. "But the boy kept trying to shake her off."
"And right at that moment…"
"Her family finally caught up to her."
The woman's smile slowly faded into something softer.
"To say everyone involved was confused… would be an understatement."
"Still, the moment the boy saw the people chasing her, he immediately understood the situation had changed."
The woman lowered her voice slightly as though reenacting the scene.
"The boy glanced around calmly before speaking."
"'Black hair… golden eyes…'"
She paused.
"'You're from the As—'"
The woman stopped herself mid-sentence just like the boy had once done.
"Then he looked down at the trembling girl clutching his clothes…"
"And suddenly, realization struck him."
"'I see… so the rumors were true.'"
The woman smiled faintly.
"He bent down and lifted the girl into the air by the collar of her filthy dress."
"'H-Hey! Put me down!' the girl shouted while flailing helplessly."
"But the stubborn boy ignored her completely."
Instead, he stared directly at the people pursuing her.
"'The head of your clan possesses crimson hair,' he said."
"'And now a little girl with the same crimson hair appears before me asking for help.'"
The woman's eyes softened.
"'If that's the case… then there's no way I can abandon her.'"
The morning wind grew stronger.
"'Unfortunately,' the boy continued, 'fighting here would bring me more trouble than it's worth.'"
"'So this time… I'll retreat.'"
A playful smile appeared on the woman's lips.
"'But I'm taking the girl with me.'"
The little girl's eyes widened slightly.
"And the moment he said that," the woman continued, "her family attacked him immediately."
"But it was already too late."
"The boy dropped a crystal onto the ground…"
"And in the next instant—"
"They vanished."
Silence followed.
Only the sound of rustling leaves filled the clearing.
The woman turned toward her daughter once more.
The sunlight was growing stronger now.
Time was running short.
"Well, dear," she said quietly, "I'll make the rest brief."
"With that boy…"
"The girl finally learned what freedom truly meant."
Her eyes drifted toward the distant road.
"They traveled across the world together."
"They visited places she had only dreamed about seeing."
"They searched for strange things… experienced new cultures… and discovered countless wonders."
"It was the life she had always wanted."
A faint blush appeared across the woman's face.
"And somewhere along the journey…"
"The girl also discovered what true love was."
Light could clearly see the warmth hidden within her expression now.
It was no longer simply a story.
It was her memory.
"So, dear," the woman whispered gently, "I believe that one day… you too will find your freedom."
As she finished speaking, movement appeared in the distance.
A group of mercenaries was approaching along the dirt road.
No more than ten minutes away.
The woman noticed them immediately.
But before she could say anything, her daughter suddenly asked—
"Mama…"
The little girl looked up at her quietly.
"What is true love?"
The woman froze.
For the first time since beginning the story, she seemed completely unprepared.
"Well…"
She opened her mouth before awkwardly looking away.
"That kind of Love is…"
No words came.
After several seconds, she finally coughed lightly and forced a smile.
"You're still too young for questions like that."
"When we meet again someday…"
"You can ask me then, alright?"
The little girl nodded obediently.
"Okay, Mama."
And just like that, time slipped away.
Soon, the mercenaries were only a minute away from reaching them.
The woman slowly tightened her grip around her daughter's small hand.
"Alright, dear," she whispered softly.
"This will be our last time seeing each other… for a while."
Then, together, mother and daughter stepped onto the open road.
Within seconds—
The mercenaries spotted them.