The room was quiet, bathed in the pale glow of moonlight slipping through the high windows. Shadows stretched across the stone walls like drifting memories, long and soft. Eris sat at the edge of his bed, half-dressed, a bandage loosely wrapped around his ribs.
He let out a long breath, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. The warmth of the battle had long since faded. In its place was a dull ache in body and mind.
"Sigh…" he muttered aloud, leaning back on his palms.
"After we defeated that ogre… we came back to the Mist Palace."
His voice was quiet, carried only for himself.
Maria and Charlotte were waiting for us at the gates. Worried sick."
He closed his eyes.
"They scolded us hard. Maria's glare could've burned a hole through steel, and Charlotte… she didn't say much, but that silence hit harder than a punch."
He chuckled faintly.
"We had our injuries. But nothing that couldn't be healed."
His hand drifted to his side, touching the warm ache beneath the bandage.
"They decided not to report the incident to the Empire. Said it would create a diplomatic issue .' I guess we got lucky."
A pause.
Then a sudden, sharp throb clenched in his chest.
"Ugh—"
He winced, curling slightly as the pain flared deep in his ribcage. It wasn't the wound. It was something else—internal. Systemic.
"I knew this was coming… but it still hurts like hell."
His breathing slowed as he sat back against the wall, eyes gazing at the moonlight on the floor.
"What I used back there… was the Eden Codex," he said quietly, his voice catching.
His throat felt dry. He swallowed hard, the words lingering on his tongue like a confession.
"A swordsmanship I created back in the game.
His fingers curled into a fist, then slowly uncurled, trembling. The movement betrayed what his tone tried to hide.
"I thought I could wield it again. I did. But I guess... I'm still far behind."
A bitter breath escaped him.
He looked down at his hand, clenching it again.
His shoulders sagged slightly, the weight of his failure pressing down like lead.
"Depending on the wielder, it morphs. Adapts. Evolves. But this body—it's not ready yet."
He exhaled shakily.
"I managed to perform a part of it… by merging it with Sister Selena's Eight-Step Lunar Sword Dance," he muttered, his breath uneven. "But I still can't suppress the backlash. Not completely. Not without stabilizing all four Cores."
He tilted his head back, eyes tracing the ceiling like it held answers.
"This body… It's compatible. Surprisingly so. It responds—fluidly, almost instinctively."
A pause. Then a bitter edge crept into his voice.
"But there's interference. My original four cores and the Crimson Energy Valtren infused into me… they're overlapping, grinding against each other like misaligned gears. There's no harmony. No synchrony."
His jaw clenched, tension rising beneath his skin.
"But still… this?" He scoffed under his breath. "It's just a minor inconvenience. I'm not the kind to break over something like this."
His gaze sharpened, shadowed by a quiet storm.
"If I'm going to hunt down the one who cursed me—who cursed Eris Vale—then this weakness…"
His voice lowered, taut with resolve.
Knock knock.
The sound was soft. Hesitant—like a whisper against the door.
Eris blinked, pulled from his thoughts. "...Who is it?"
A muffled voice replied after a beat.
"It's me… Ariel."
He sat up straighter, a faint crease forming between his brows. "What is it?"
Silence. Just long enough to feel heavy.
"I'm… having trouble sleeping."
He rose and opened the door.
Ariel stood there, arms folded tightly over her chest. She wore a pale nightgown that caught the dim hallway light, its fabric clinging gently to her form. Her hair was down, loose, unbraided, falling in quiet waves past her shoulders. She looked smaller somehow… more fragile.
Her eyes were tired. Ringed faintly with red. Her lips trembled like she was holding something in.
And she was trembling.
Eris noticed. A subtle quiver in her shoulders… the way her fingers clutched at her sleeve, and thought:
Makes sense.
She may be strong and mature for her age.
But in the end… she's still just a child.
And after everything that happened—everything that happened today—
It's normal for her to freak out.
Just a little.
He stood still for a moment. The silence between them hung like a held breath.
Then his gaze softened—his voice, low and steady.
"…Come in."
She hesitated—just for a moment—then stepped inside. Her footsteps were light, almost tentative, like she wasn't sure she was allowed to be there.
Eris watched in silence as she made her way to the bed and sat at its edge, hands folded in her lap, eyes fixed anywhere but him.
"If it's not too much trouble…" she murmured, voice barely above a whisper, "...can I sleep here?"
He blinked, caught off guard by the quiet plea. "What about Charlotte?"
Ariel's shoulders tensed.
"I… couldn't find her," she said, with a thinner Voice. Almost hollow.
He frowned slightly. Where could she be at this hour?
A beat passed, then he nodded. "Alright. You can sleep here."
He moved to the floor, grabbing a folded blanket. "I'll sleep on the ground. You can take the bed."
"What? Why?" she asked, brow furrowing. "It's cold down there."
"I'll manage it somehow. It's not a big deal."
Ariel turned to him, voice quiet but firm. "The bed's big enough for two. You don't have to act like a gentleman."
He hesitated. "I just don't want to make you uncomfortable."
She huffed, crossing her arms. "Then I'm uncomfortable with you sleeping on the floor."
"…You're impossible," Eris muttered.
"Take it or I'm dragging you up here myself."
He sighed quietly, then climbed onto the bed, taking the opposite side, his back to her.
They lay there in silence.
No words. Just the soft rustle of sheets and the distant hum of the night.
The tension that had once clung to the air slowly eased, melting into something quieter. Something gentler. Not comfort, not yet. But closeness.
A few minutes passed.
Then—
A faint shift behind him.
The mattress dipped ever so slightly.
And a small, trembling voice reached him through the dark.
"...Thank you," she whispered.
Eris blinked as he felt her move.
Ariel had scooted closer.
And gently, without a word, she wrapped her arms around him from behind.
Her grip was soft. Fragile.
He didn't respond. Just listened.
"I'm grateful. For protecting me today."
Her voice trembled.
Then, another question followed. So soft, it nearly vanished into the dark.
"…Eris. Tell me… were you scared?"
He blinked. The words caught him off guard—not because of the question, but the way she asked it. Quiet. Fragile. Almost afraid of the answer.
She continued, her voice cracking ever so slightly.
"When I faced that ogre… I was terrified."
A breath hitched in her throat.
"I thought I was going to die."
The silence that followed wasn't empty—it throbbed with the weight of what she didn't say. The fear she still carried. The strength she was tired of pretending to have.
Eris didn't turn.
"…Of course I was scared."
She stiffened behind him. "Then why?"
Her voice grew smaller.
"Why did you protect me? Even got hurt because of me? You could've left me behind. I wouldn't have blamed you."
His reply came after a breath.
"Because I thought it was the right thing to do."
"If I turn away from danger just because I'm scared… I'll never grow stronger."
Behind him, she fell silent again.
Then, softly, like a thought she wasn't sure she should speak—
"Eris… tell me."
A pause.
"…Am I strong?"
He blinked, surprised, not by her voice, but by the question.
She continued before he could answer.
"I have an older sister," she said, almost wistfully. "She's the person I admire most. She is Strong, Beautiful, and Brave."
A pause hung in the air, longer this time. He could feel it behind him—the weight of something unsaid pressing at the edges of her words.
"…And I've always wanted to be like her."
Her voice wavered.
"That's why I trained. Why did I push myself so hard? So I Could Catch up to her. To prove I could be strong too."
She paused, and when she spoke again, the words came out more slowly. Heavier.
"But today… when I got hurt…"
A sharp breath.
"I was so scared, Eris. I couldn't think. Everything inside me just screamed to run away ."
There was silence, then a quiet, broken admission:
"If I were in your place… I might've left you behind."
"So why did you save someone like me? I've always been rude to you. I never respected you."
Eris finally turned.
And for the first time that night, he looked her directly in the eyes.
"You're lying," he said quietly.
She flinched, a flicker of guilt flashing across her face.
"If you wanted to abandon me," he continued, voice calm but firm, "you would've said no when I asked you to distract the ogre, or could have just run away. But you didn't. You ran in—despite the fear. Despite the pain."
He offered a faint smile—one of quiet respect.
"That alone proves you're strong. Stronger than you think. And I respect that."
Ariel stared at him, wide-eyed, as if she'd never heard those words before.
"Really?" she whispered.
"Yes ."
For a moment, the room was still. Then—
She smiled. Slowly. Genuinely.
And without warning, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around him, holding tight.
"Thank you, Eris… You're kind."
He blinked, startled. But his body relaxed.
And this time… he didn't pull away.
Then, just as he thought the night had quieted—
Her voice came again. Thin. Soft. Not sad, but… something else.
"…Eris," she mumbled, her face turned slightly away, cheeks flushed crimson.
"Tell me… what kind of girl do you like?"
Eris blinked. "...Huh? What's with that question all of a sudden?"
She jerked her gaze back, puffing her cheeks slightly in irritation.
"J-Just answer the question, idiot!" she snapped, her tone flaring like a tiny tsundere firework.
He stared at her, caught between confusion and amusement.
That's out of nowhere… he thought. But if we're talking about my ideal type…
Obviously—it's a mature woman with big boobs… like Sister Selena.
A beat.
...But, no way I can say that to a kid.
After a short pause, he gave the safest answer he could muster.
"Well… I guess someone with long hair. And… maybe someone stronger than me."
There was a long silence.
Ariel blinked. Then repeated slowly—
"Stronger than you…?"
Her lips curled ever so slightly. Her eyes shimmered, but there was a strange glint in them now—sweet, but not entirely innocent.
She smiled. Not like a child. Not like before.
But like a girl who had just found her answer.
"Stronger than you, huh…"
Her thoughts whispered like a vow.
"Then I'll just have to make sure to grow stronger ."
Meanwhile, deep within the forest, where the battle had ended hours ago…
The wind stirred faintly through the trees, rustling leaves like whispers passing between shadows. The air still carried the scent of blood and scorched earth. Moonlight filtered through the branches, casting pale, broken beams over the clearing.
At the center lay the ogre's corpse.
Twisted. Burned. Cracked down the middle like something had torn it apart from within. But it wasn't the destruction that drew attention—it was what remained beneath the ruin.
A faint black mist curled from the carcass. Not smoke. Not steam.
Corruption.
Bootsteps crunched softly over dead leaves.
Maria stepped into the clearing, her cloak trailing behind her like a shadow with weight. Her eyes, sharp as glass, swept over the remains—then narrowed.
She crouched beside the ogre, pressing two fingers against its charred flesh. The residue clung to her glove like oil, reeking of something wrong.
A familiar, bitter scent.
Her gaze darkened.
"…So. They're making their move."
End Of The Chapter...