Aunt Melissa sat on the chair beside me and Visper, moving calmly, as if trying to hide a slight tension behind her usual composure.
She clasped her hands together, then leaned forward slightly. A gentle smile rested on her face… but it wasn't entirely free of seriousness.
In a warm tone, laced with clear curiosity, she said:
"Alright… explain this 'resignation' situation."
I took a slow breath.
…It seemed there was no escape.
Truthfully, I had always known this moment would come sooner or later… but facing it now, directly, made it heavier than I expected.
I ran a hand through my hair, then began to explain.
I told her everything.
About the decision I had made since my very first day… about my intention to resign… and about the journey I planned to take… to search for my family.
I spoke calmly, but inside, something difficult to describe was stirring.
And when I finished…Silence fell.
I looked at her.
Her expression was calm… but her eyes were not.
There was a faint sadness there, appearing and fading like a shadow passing over still water.
Then she said, her voice slightly lowered:
"So that's how it is… then."
I lowered my gaze for a moment.
…It seemed Aunt Melissa was sad too.
And that… made it harder.
But—
I had no other choice.
I lifted my head again, steadying myself.
Then she added, glancing between me and Visper:
"So… Visper is going with you as well?"
Before I could speak—
Visper answered quickly, as if he had been waiting for the question:
"Yes! I'm going with him."
She looked at him.
Then back at me.
Silence returned…But this time, it was longer.
Heavier.
Clearer.
Then she said softly:
"Liana… will miss you a lot."
I froze slightly.
A faint ache tightened in my chest…But I ignored it and replied in a low voice:
"…There's no avoiding it."
It wasn't a strong answer.
But… it was honest.
She nodded slowly, as if accepting the truth, even if she wasn't fully satisfied with it.
Then she asked:
"So… where will you go?"
Before I could answer, Visper turned to me quickly and said excitedly:
"Right! Where are we going?"
I smiled faintly.
This time… with confidence.
"My destination… is the capital everyone keeps talking about."
Visper's eyes widened instantly:
"Really?!"
I nodded calmly:
"Yes."
Aunt Melissa spoke again, her tone more serious:
"You mean… the capital, Storn?"
I looked at her, then nodded:
"Yes."
—
Silence fell again.
But this time…It wasn't just silence.
It was a moment of realization.
A moment where everything connected…
forming a clear picture.
Then she said slowly:
"It seems everything… leads to the same conclusion."
She looked at us steadily, then continued:
"You… and Visper… will resign."
She paused for a second, then added:
"And not only that… your destination is the capital, Storn."
I swallowed.
Then said, with slight hesitation:
"…Yes. That's how it is."
—
For a moment…She said nothing.
She just looked at us.
Then…She smiled.
But this time…It was different.
A smile that carried a decision.
And she said:
"Then… it's settled."
Visper and I exchanged a quick glance.
There was something in her tone...
Something unusual.
Then she continued, simply:
"I'll go with you. Liana and I."
—
Time froze.
I lifted my head suddenly.
My eyes widened involuntarily.
At the same moment—
Visper and I said together:
"…Wait, what?!"
...
My eyes remained wide as her words echoed in my ears.
"I'll go with you. Liana and I."
I swallowed, then spoke quickly, as if trying to stop things before they escalated further:
"W-wait… what made you come to that decision?!"
Aunt Melissa looked at me calmly.
There was no hesitation in her eyes… no impulsiveness.
But something else…Something resolute.
She spoke steadily:
"As you know… Liana and I didn't come to this world by choice."
She paused briefly, as if recalling a distant memory, then continued:
"We were transported suddenly… without any warning."
She lowered her gaze slightly, then added in a softer voice:
"And the same thing… may have happened to my husband."
—
Silence filled the room.
Something invisible pressed against my chest… but I didn't speak.
She continued, clasping her hands more tightly this time:
"That's why… I bought this inn."
She glanced around for a moment—at the walls, the table, the place that had become home for all of us…
Then said:
"I was saving money… to search for him."
Her grip tightened further, her veins almost visible, and she paused briefly…
Before continuing, in a firmer tone:
"And I was… going to sell this inn someday anyway."
She raised her head, her eyes shining with determination:
"And then… I would go search for him."
She paused, then added slowly, emphasizing every word:
"Even if it meant… searching across the entire world."
—
Her words…Weren't just words.
They were a promise.
Then she looked at me directly and said:
"And now… you're telling me you're going to Storn."
Her smile widened slightly, but there was something deeper behind it:
"Isn't this… the perfect opportunity?"
She gestured lightly, as if connecting the pieces:
"I sell the inn… and go with you to Storn."
Then she added, warmly yet honestly:
"Especially since we share the same goal…"
She paused for a second.
Then said quietly:
"To find the people who matter most to us."
—
Silence followed.
But this time…It wasn't empty.
It was filled with thoughts.
Colliding.
Intertwining.
Her reasoning… made sense.
More than sense.
This was a rare opportunity.
The same goal.
A group… instead of being alone.
…Or at least, that's how it should be.
But—
The dangers.
The monsters.
The unknown.
My hand clenched without me realizing.
Could I… protect them?
Could I protect Aunt Melissa… if something happened?
—
I lifted my head, looked at her seriously, and said:
"Melissa… you don't understand the kind of dangers we'll face."
I paused, then continued in a heavier tone:
"Anything could happen to us."
Then I said clearly:
"Even… death."
Silence fell.
Then I added, looking straight into her eyes:
"Are you truly ready to face that?"
—
Aunt Melissa lowered her gaze.
And stayed silent.
…
I sighed inwardly.
I'd have to blame myself later.
My words were harsh.
But—
If I wanted to shake her resolve…There was no gentler way than the truth.
—
I glanced at Visper.
He looked back at me disapprovingly, as if his eyes were saying:
"Don't you think you're being a bit harsh?!"
I shot him a slight glare:
"What do you want me to do? Sugarcoat it?!"
He replied with his eyes:
"No… but you could've said it more gently."
I answered firmly:
"This is the only way… to make her understand."
—
Before this silent exchange could continue—
Aunt Melissa raised her head.
—
And said:
"It doesn't matter."
She looked straight at me.
And in her eyes…There was a spark.
A spark I had never seen before.
"If it means… I'll find my husband…"
She paused for a fraction of a second…Then said, without the slightest hesitation:
"Then it doesn't matter if I face death."
—
…I froze.
This wasn't ordinary courage.
This…Was determination.
The determination of someone who no longer saw anything in this world except their goal.
—
I smiled faintly.
Not because it was simple…But because I understood.
I exhaled, then said:
"Alright…"
I paused briefly, then added:
"As long as you're this determined…"
I looked at her, then said:
"I have no choice."
Then continued:
"You can come with us."
—
The next moment—
Visper let out a relieved breath:
"What a relief…!"
And Aunt Melissa smiled warmly, as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her heart.
As for me…I simply smiled.
But inside…I wasn't at ease.
—
How could I refuse her request?
She was the one who gave me shelter…
when I had nowhere to go.
She fed me… when hunger was tearing me apart.
She gave me… something that felt like home.
…
I couldn't refuse her.
Never.
But—
We were now four.
Me…
Visper…
Aunt Melissa…
And Liana.
—
I lowered my gaze slightly.
And a thought crept into my mind…
Quiet.
Heavy.
Unsettling.
…
Will things…really be alright?