A bird, entirely milky-white, as if condensed from the softest morning mist, was gently pecking at the window glass with its beak made of Cloud Mist.
Its eyes were two deeper Cloud dots, and at this moment, it was "looking" at her, tilting its head.
Robin's heart jumped violently.
A variant of some surveillance Den Den Mushi?
Or a Devil Fruit creation of an enemy?
Her hand subconsciously gripped the air at her side, ready to activate her ability at any time.
But the bird's next action made her freeze.
It seemed to realize it couldn't peck through the glass, so it flew lightly onto the windowsill, and then, rubbed its fluffy little head made of Cloud Mist gently, over and over, against the glass, in a position exactly facing Robin.
That posture carried a strange, almost coquettish attachment.
An absurd but heart-pounding thought rose uncontrollably.
She almost rushed to the window, opened the window that Seraphilia entered and exited every night with trembling hands.
The little skylark immediately drilled in nimbly and flew straight towards Robin.
It didn't land anywhere else, but landed gently on Robin's hand, which was lying flat on her knees and trembling slightly from nervousness.
A soft, cool touch, like fluffy cotton, came through. The little skylark stepped on her palm, then lowered its head, and rubbed its little head made of Cloud Mist against her fingers with incomparable intimacy and gentleness.
Once, and again.
Robin's breath hitched, and a memory flashed back—when she was focused on reading, Seraphilia always liked to do this, rubbing her hand with her fingers, silently disturbing her.
Immediately after, it flew up again, circled her, and finally hovered in front of her, leaning its body forward slightly, and rubbed its little Cloud head gently against her cold cheek, and then against the neck where the pendant hung.
This action was like a key, instantly opening the floodgates of Robin's memory!
When she curled up subconsciously at night, Seraphilia would use her chin to rub against the top of her head or her neck, silently comforting her!
All suspicion and vigilance crumbled in the face of this series of familiar actions.
This was not surveillance, not an enemy... this was Seraphilia!
It was sent specifically to her side, crossing the ocean!
Robin's breathing was completely chaotic.
She stretched out her finger, touched the little skylark's body extremely carefully, almost devoutly. The Cloud Mist was soft and stable, not a phantom. At this moment, an extremely weak, yet as clear as a whisper, voice sounded, not through her ears, but directly in the deepest part of her soul.
It was Seraphilia's voice, carrying the fatigue of a long journey and the saltiness of the sea breeze, but also filled with overflowing, gentle longing and concern that could drown a person:
"Robin... I am here. Always here."
A simple sentence.
But it was like the last straw, crushing all the defenses Robin had been struggling to hold up for seven days.
Tears, without warning, burst through the dam.
It was not a silent fall, but a long-suppressed, wailing cry mixed with extreme grievance, deep longing, huge relief, and the ecstasy of regaining what was lost.
She covered her face with her hands, unable to maintain a calm facade, and let out suppressed, beast-like sobs.
Her shoulders trembled violently, hot tears seeping out from between her fingers, dripping onto her clothes and the back of her hand, and also onto the little skylark that was quietly accompanying her in her palm.
She was not alone. Seraphilia had not lied to her.
She was really trying, in her own way, crossing mountains and seas, to send her presence, her longing, and her protection, so concretely and warmly to her side.
The little skylark seemed a bit at a loss; it flew up, circled the crying Robin anxiously twice, then carefully landed on her shoulder, and used its little Cloud head to constantly and gently rub against her earlobe and cheek, as if clumsily wiping away her tears for that person far away.
After crying for a long time, until the tears were almost dry, Robin slowly calmed down.
Her eyes were red and swollen, but her pale blue eyes seemed to have been washed clean by tears, glowing with an unprecedented, fragile yet real brilliance.
She carefully held the little skylark from her shoulder to her front, with tearstains still on her cheeks, but she revealed the first sincere, tearful smile since Seraphilia left. She lowered her head and pressed her forehead gently against the little skylark's cool body.
"Idiot Seraphilia..." she whispered with a choked sob, but there was no blame in her tone, only a thick, inseparable reliance and touch, "Really... I give up on you."
The little skylark jumped happily in her palm twice, its wings made of Cloud Mist stretching slightly, as if responding to her love.
Outside the window, the morning light completely illuminated Black Iron Town.
The cabin was still simple and dilapidated, and the future was still full of unknowns.
But Robin knew that some things had changed completely.
On the lonely ocean, there was finally a lighthouse lit for her that would never go out.
And this little bird, made of Cloud Mist, was the first and warmest light projected by that lighthouse.
She tightly held the little skylark, pressing it close to her heart, feeling that weak but continuous sense of presence, as if Seraphilia's heartbeat was synchronizing with hers across the distant distance.
She would not be afraid anymore.
------------------------
I've posted 70+ chapters in advance on Patreon.
Webnovel updates will still be daily, as usual.
It might not seem tempting right now but who knows what the future holds?
[email protected]/SolyuraMT
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"