The first light of dawn brushed across the mountains, painting the horizon with gold and rose. Inside the wooden cabin, a faint breath of morning air slipped through the cracks, carrying with it the scent of pine and ash from last night's fire.
Elara stirred.
Her silver-white lashes trembled before her eyes slowly opened. For a moment, she blinked in confusion at the ceiling beams above her. Then she felt it—a soft, warm weight covering her. A tanned animal-skin quilt, smelling faintly of smoke and sunlight.
Her chest warmed at once.
Luciel must have covered her with it again.
The white-haired girl turned her head slightly, her gaze falling on the wall across the room—lined with swords, spears, and old tools. The morning light glinted across polished blades. Somehow, the sight made her smile.
Yes… she'd fallen asleep in Luciel's room again. She could no longer even remember the reason—something about talking too late, helping with the tea leaves, or perhaps it was simply that she'd felt safe near him.
"If this keeps happening," she murmured, her voice still husky from sleep, "I might never want to leave."
Her fingers brushed against the scarlet markings on her cheek—those faint, ominous lines that pulsed whenever the ghostly infection stirred. The touch brought her back to reality.
Right. She couldn't stay. Not like this.
If it weren't for the "Virtual Ghost Infection," she might have dreamed of staying here—where she could bathe in real water, sip tea, and hear someone laugh without fear or suspicion. Luxuries she'd thought she'd never experience again.
And he didn't look at her like she was cursed.
The thought made her heart flutter and ache at once. She buried her face in her hands, heat creeping up her neck.
"Oh, what am I even thinking?" she groaned softly. "Ariel and the others are still waiting for me to bring them the Angel Tears."
Her silvery eyes gleamed beneath her fingers as she rolled across the bed, unable to contain the giddy energy bubbling up inside her.
Then—
"Ahem."
A low cough came from the door.
Elara froze mid-roll, eyes wide.
"I just need to grab something," Luciel's amused voice said. "You can… continue."
Her whole body went rigid.
Luciel leaned casually against the doorframe, dark hair tousled, a teasing smile playing on his lips.
For a heartbeat, neither of them moved.
Then—"Huh!" Elara squeaked and yanked the quilt over her head so fast it made a fwump! sound.
Luciel chuckled quietly. He crossed the room, his boots making soft thuds against the floorboards, and picked up a waterproof backpack from the corner.
"Relax," he said lightly. "I'm leaving. Keep sleeping if you want."
He turned, still smiling, and shut the door behind him.
Under the blanket, Elara's face was crimson.
"…I'll never live this down."
---
Luciel stepped into the hall, the faint embarrassment on his face giving way to amusement. He emptied the contents of the backpack onto the table—several rolled animal hides covered in faint, ancient carvings.
"Let's see what secrets you're hiding," he muttered.
The cabin was quiet; both girls were still asleep. The soft crackle of the rekindled fire filled the silence as Luciel spread out the hides, tracing the lines of strange oracle-bone symbols with a finger.
"This one matches the 'fire' symbol," he murmured, writing a translation beside it.
He had discovered that comparing the ancient carvings with known runes allowed him to slowly decipher the language—one symbol at a time.
But there were still too many he didn't recognize. He rubbed his temples and sighed. "So many unknowns… I'll need more examples."
Time slipped by. The sun rose higher, spilling golden light through the window slats.
---
A soft yawn broke the stillness.
"Ahhh~" Mino, the rabbit-eared girl, stepped out of her room, stretching lazily. Her long ears twitched as she looked around—and froze when she saw the unlit stove.
"Luciel! There's no breakfast!" she cried, scandalized.
Luciel blinked out of his thoughts and smiled. "Go ahead, you can cook today."
Mino's eyes lit up. "Really? Yay! Leave it to me!"
She hopped toward the storage shed, humming cheerfully. Ten seconds later, she came back with an empty wooden bucket and a face full of distress.
"Umm… Luciel?" she said weakly. "We… don't have any water."
Luciel grinned. "Don't worry. We do."
He reached under the table and pulled out a sealed wooden barrel. As he loosened the lid, a stream of clear water poured out, glistening in the light.
"Whoa!" Mino rushed forward with her bucket. "When did you fill this up? It's completely full!"
But then she noticed something—there was a faint shimmer inside the barrel, like something moving beneath the water.
"Luciel…" she said slowly, nudging his leg with her toe. "I think something's in there. And it's trying to get out."
Luciel blinked, then laughed softly. "Ah. Right. The crystal fish. I forgot I caught one."
Before she could ask, he lifted the lid completely—and a flicker of light darted up.
A small, translucent fish, scales glittering like crystal shards, thrashed in the air. Luciel caught it easily, the creature glimmering like living glass in his palm.
"Let's see…" he murmured, calling upon the invisible interface only he could see. "Tame the crystal fish and evolve it to Level 3."
A familiar voice chimed in his mind:
> Ding! Level 1 lifeform—Crystal Fish detected. Beginning domestication…
Ding! Domestication successful. Ten taming points consumed.
Ding! Evolving from Level 1 to Level 3. Deducting 110 evolution points.
Ding! Level 3 Crystal Fish evolved successfully.
Ding! Inherit talent: 'Water Elemental Condensation'?
Luciel's lips curved. "Yes. Inherit it."
A rush of energy flooded through him—cool, clear, and invigorating. The feeling spread from his chest to the tips of his fingers, leaving behind a lingering sense of refreshment.
When he opened his eyes, he could sense moisture in the air like never before. Every drop of water, every wisp of mist responded faintly to his will.
Another ability. Another gift that would make anyone jealous.
He opened his status window in satisfaction.
---
Trainer: Luciel
Physical Strength: 48
Speed: 45.8
Strength: 46
Spirit: 70
Lifespan: 24 years / 1,200 years
Taming Points: 0 (Refreshes daily, accumulative)
Evolution Points: 748
Abilities:
Mimicry – Scaly Hardening (Lv.4)
Spider Silk Manipulation (Lv.4)
Earth and Rock Control (Lv.4)
Starlight Realm (Lv.3)
Water Elemental Condensation (Lv.3)
Angel's Tears (Lv.1)
Domesticated Beasts:
Tricolor Lizard — Talent: Scaly Hardening (Lv.4)
Red Ghost Spider — Talent: Silk Manipulation (Lv.4)
Rock Tortoise — Talent: Earth Manipulation (Lv.4)
Crystal Fish — Talent: Water Elemental Condensation (Lv.3)
Domesticated Plant:
Starlight Tea Tree — Talent: Realm of Starlight (Lv.3)
Angel Wings — Talent: Angel's Tears (Lv.1)
---
Luciel closed the interface with a pleased sigh. "A thousand-year lifespan… Not bad."
"Luciel!" Mino's startled voice cut in.
He looked down—and realized the crystal fish in his palm had nearly doubled in size. It was now half a meter long, glowing faintly blue.
"Oh!" Mino gasped. "It's beautiful—and you're squishing it!"
Luciel blinked, then hurriedly opened his hand. The fish wriggled free, gulping air before releasing a shimmering veil of water that splashed across his sleeve.
"Haha… sorry," he said sheepishly.
The fish seemed to glare at him—if a fish could glare—and then summoned a sphere of water around itself. Droplets rose from the bucket, swirling together until a globe nearly a meter wide hovered in the air.
Inside it, the crystal fish floated gracefully, fins waving like silk.
Luciel sighed, half exasperated, half impressed. "All right, you show-off. I'll make you a proper pool later. For now, you stay in the bathtub."
Mino clasped her hands together, her eyes shining. "It's so pretty! Look how the light passes right through it—it's like glass!"
Her rabbit ears twitched in excitement as she crouched beside the hovering orb, touching its surface gently. The cool water rippled beneath her fingertips.
Luciel couldn't help but smile. "You really like shiny things, huh?"
"Of course!" she said without hesitation. "What girl doesn't?"
He laughed quietly. "Fair enough."
He carefully transferred the crystal fish and its watery cocoon into the large wooden tub near the window. The creature gave a contented hum—more felt than heard—and began circling lazily.
Within moments, the tub filled completely with water.
"Grrrluu…" The crystal fish released a series of soft bubbles, clearly displeased.
Luciel sighed. "I know, I know. It's too small. I'll dig a proper pool for you once we have time, all right?"
The fish flicked its tail in what might've been agreement.
Mino giggled. "He understands you!"
"More or less." Luciel wiped his wet hands on a towel and turned toward the window, where sunlight poured through like liquid gold. Outside, the world was waking up—birds calling, leaves rustling, distant laughter from the camp below.
For the first time in a long while, Luciel felt a rare peace.
A new day. A new ability. And perhaps… a reason to smile.
---
Back in his room, Elara sat by the window, the quilt still draped around her shoulders. She could see Luciel outside through the open shutters—laughing with Mino, his sleeves rolled up, sunlight catching on his dark hair.
He looked different from the man she'd first met—stronger, calmer, yet still gentle.
Her fingers tightened around the fabric of the quilt.
"He's dangerous," she whispered to herself. "He makes it too easy to forget the world outside."
And yet, despite her words, a faint smile tugged at her lips.
Because for one fleeting moment, as she watched the sunlight dance across his face, she allowed herself to imagine a future where the infection was gone—
and she could stay.
Just a little longer.