The night sky opened up like a crystal dome breathing softly, the stars scattering light as thin as silver threads. This space was so quiet that my heart beat like a small drum nestled in my chest. I – the one borrowing Deuwyn's body – sat on the cold stone steps, tilting my head to look at the universe slowly changing color.
The night wind blew by, carrying the scent of dry grass and a slight hum of distant bells.
I sighed, intending to watch for a few more minutes and then return to my room… but when I turned around—
A figure stood right there.
Clear. Translucent. Sparkling like moonlight on water.
Pale purple eyes opened wide to look at me, not filled with threat but with a gentle, heartbreaking longing.
It was the girl. The original soul of this body. The real Deuwyn Alyane Endias.
She was about 10–11 years old, her figure was so small that it seemed like a strong wind would blow her away. Her long silver hair reached her waist, fluttering in the wind like forgotten ribbons at a festival.
"I… saw you," she whispered, her voice as soft as the sound of glass touching glass.
I was silent for a few seconds. It wasn't fear—it was a feeling that lingered in my ribs, hard to describe. A bit like a spool of thread you accidentally picked up, only to discover that the end of the thread was connected to a whole story.
"I… am really Deuwyn," I answered.
The girl nodded, stepping closer. Her small feet touched the ground but made no sound. "I'm sorry for appearing so suddenly. But… I had to see you."
"What's wrong?"
The girl looked up at me, her eyes sparkling as if she had caught a falling star. "I know you're not me. But you're living for me."
The night wind swirled around the two of us, as if trying to hold back the words we'd just spoken.
"Sister," she continued, "I have a dream. One I haven't reached yet."
My heart trembled slightly. "What dream?"
A beat of silence. Then—
"I want to become a Holy Knight."
Her voice wasn't high, not strong, but it carried the weight of a child who had seen the world too far and never reached it.
"In the Endias family," she continued, "everyone said that dream was too big. They said I was weak, I was small, I wasn't fit. I practiced every day, even just a little… but my body wasn't strong enough. And then…"
She lowered her head, her silver hair sliding down to cover half her face.
"…I died before I grew up."
A slight chill ran down my spine. It wasn't fear—it was like listening to a song that had been left unfinished, a beautiful melody that suddenly stopped in the high notes.
The little girl raised her face, her purple eyes sparkling as if containing the entire galaxy.
"You are living in my place… so if possible… can you help me fulfill my dream?"
I did not answer right away. My heart ached slightly. The sky above became brighter as if waiting for an answer.
The little girl stepped forward, holding out her two hands, as thin as young branches trembling in the wind.
"Not to replace me. Not to imitate me. Just… please take this body to where it originally wanted to go."
I looked at that small hand. Looking at the expectation without coercion.
Looking at the soul of a little girl who had died, but whose dream was still alive.
"…Do you trust me that much?" I asked.
She nodded, her smile as light as the drifting moonlight.
"Because you were the first person to live in my body without abandoning it… and you protected the people around you the way I always wished."
A warm breeze blew by. And I understood—she wasn't asking me to replace her. She just wanted to continue to exist through a future she couldn't go through.
I took a deep breath, my heart beating a determined beat.
"Okay," I said. "I promise. This body—this dream—I will take it to its destination."
Her eyes lit up like dusted stars.
She reached out, touching my hand with her fingertips. Cold, but not scary. Like the night dew.
"Thank you," she whispered. "If one day you need me… just call. I won't go far."
Then her body slowly dissolved into tiny pieces of light, like hundreds of crystals floating on the wind, blending into the night sky.
I stood there, watching the last light disappear.
And for the first time since coming to this world, I felt like I wasn't just a "transmigrator."
But someone entrusted. The one who continues the unfinished journey of a small but resilient soul.
A silent oath was carved into myself:
Deuwyn Alyane Endias—
I will help you become a Holy Knight.
No matter how long the road.
A very small ting sounded—like someone lightly flicking the edge of a glass—and then a sparkling light appeared right next to my shoulder.
It wasn't a ray of light falling from the stars.
It wasn't school magic.
Rather, it was that small light—a fragment of Deuwyn's soul—like a floating lamp, round and pretty like the tip of a thumb, emitting a gentle, pale purple glow.
The light shook slightly as if it was happy. Then it circled around me, leaving behind a thin, silvery trail of light.
I tilted my head slightly.
"You're… still here?"
The light flickered, as if nodding.
At that moment—
A surge of holy power surged within my chest.
Not violent, not furious.
It flowed like a silver stream overflowing from a dam, pouring into my veins so smoothly that my whole body shivered.
I felt it as clearly as the warm breath sliding across my neck.
Every vein under my skin felt a slight tension, as if a light was seeping into every corner.
+15% Holy Power.
Not just a number—but a true divine flow.
From my neck to my shoulders.
From my shoulders to my heart.
From my heart, it spread throughout my entire body like a torch burning in the quiet space.
My skin grew slightly warmer.
My breathing became longer, deeper, and… clearer.
My vision also sharpened, as if the stars were standing closer.
The small light on my shoulder shook more vigorously, then gently pressed against my cheek—a warm, gentle, and somewhat mischievous touch.
I understood.
It wasn't just there to say goodbye.
It was there to accompany me.
Right beside me.
In every battle.
In every step on the path to becoming a Holy Knight.
"You'll go with me… right?" I asked softly.
The light swayed slightly, flying around like a dance.
A streak of light in an arc fell, dissolving into the air like stardust.
The holy power within me continued to harmonize, making my body feel both stronger and… filled with strange confidence.
A voice as clear as the wind echoed in my mind—
I don't know if it was an illusion or a real soul saying:
"You're not alone anymore."
I placed my hand on my chest, where the holy power was gently shining from within.
And for the first time, I truly felt it:
The little girl's dream.
My future.
The two existences were intertwined.
On my shoulder, the small light continued to hover, like a loyal satellite.