Chapter 11.1

“Welcome… I’ve been waiting for you, my disciple.”  

“You’ve been waiting? You must be busy, Master. I’m sorry for asking this of you.”  

“I’m not busy at all… and if it’s your command… I’ll obey anything.”  

Oh, please. Don’t say things that sound so misleading!  

No one would believe that some fledgling at the Academy could order around a century-old archmage—but what if someone did misunderstand?  

Under her shy smile, dark circles had already claimed the space beneath Nia’s eyes. She’d clearly spent all night studying magic circles just so she could guide us into the Light District. I should just ask her to open the door and then tell her to get some rest.  

Noticing Siliya at my side, Nia tilted her head slightly.  

“Siliya’s coming too?”  

“Yes. I thought it would be safer with more people than going alone.”  

“If that’s what you think, I won’t object… but Siliya may not be able to enter.”  

“Then I’ll head straight back and assist Sir Mason.”  

At Siliya’s calm answer, Nia started walking again. Our goal was to get inside the Light District, check through the records Haiola had left behind, and extract anything useful.  

I hadn’t told Nia the real reason I brought Siliya: her heroine’s buff. With that protagonist’s aura, even if we were surrounded by enemies, she wouldn’t get a scratch. If anything could get us through a restricted zone, it would be that buff.  

“Has Jeras already left?”  

“Yes. He went right after our discussion ended.”  

“I hope the sword’s still there…”  

“It should be for now. If not, we’ll just have to improvise another.”  

After being honest about everything I knew, I divided up tasks.  

Jeras was to retrieve the sword artifact from the ruins.  

Sion was to help Father form a blockade around the palace.  

Nia and Mason were to set up anti-demon magic circles powered by divine energy instead of mana throughout the palace grounds and the capital.  

At one point Jeras suggested we storm the Flowers Palace immediately, but that wasn’t feasible. We didn’t know how many demons were disguised as humans, and barging in could flood the capital with demons and monsters.  

“Here’s the entrance.”  

We hadn’t walked long—her steps were that quick—but soon we arrived. With a simple gesture, Nia dispelled the barrier shielding the district.  

And in that moment, the mysterious building hidden until now finally revealed itself.  

“This is…”  

Siliya and I turned to look at each other at the same time. No wonder—we recognized the shape instantly.  

A tall, boxy, seven-story building towered toward the sky. In Korea, it would be common, but here it was utterly foreign.  

“Why…? Is something wrong?”  

“N-No. Just that the building looks strange. I’ve never seen anything like it.”  

“You’re right… it resembles a tower, but I don’t think it functions as one. Perhaps… this was a style of building popular in Haiola’s homeland.”  

“Haiola’s homeland? Wasn’t she from the Empire?”  

Siliya asked in surprise—the same question I wanted to ask. Nia nodded.  

“Not exactly. According to some records, she came from a faraway continent. She found the Empire’s culture and lifestyle quite unfamiliar… There are many amusing anecdotes. If you’d like, I can tell you one…”  

Her eyes sparkled. Uh oh. Granny-telling-bedtime-stories mode was about to activate. Not that I hated stories, but judging from that look, it would never be just one.  

Nia often lost her composure when it came to Haiola. And she might even know where Haiola’s homeland was.  

Siliya and I exchanged a subtle glance, then I suddenly hugged Nia tight.  

“M-My disciple…?”  

“Thank you for helping us. From here on, it’s me and Siliya’s job, so we’ll do our best. Don’t worry too much.”  

“I’m not worried. I trust you. You’ll do well.”  

Her arms wrapped gently around me, patting my back. I’d only hugged her to change the subject, but her genuine encouragement made my conscience twinge.  

Only after repeating five times to call immediately if anything happened did Nia finally return to her research lab. Watching her tiny figure retreat, Siliya murmured,  

“Strange. The Nia Voltaire I knew wasn’t like that at all.”  

“Same here. I still can’t always get used to it.”  

“She must really care about you, Elloe.”  

“Maybe it’s just like a grandma doting on her grandchild? Both her age and her magic… Anyway, let’s get inside, sis!”  

Bravado aside, I had no idea how to get in. The Academy’s barrier was gone, but a stronger barrier of pure light mana still surrounded the place.  

The sheer size aside, the purity and density of mana forming it was beyond imagination. Must have been cast by Haiola herself. Legendary mage indeed.  

No way I could break it with my skills. Maybe I could find a gap.  

“…Ugh, whatever’s in here, it must be huge if she locked it up this tight!”  

But after ten minutes, I gave up in frustration. This thing could probably serve as the foundation of a house.  

Siliya smiled awkwardly, then looked up at the building. I, in defeat, rapped my knuckles against the barrier as if knocking.  

“Excuse me? We’ve come with good news.”  

“Say that and they’ll just lock it tighter, or pretend no one’s home.”  

“Ah, you’re right. Then how about… Delivery! Or maybe Food’s here?”  

Siliya let out a snort at my earnest suggestion. No one can resist delivery food jokes.  

But then something impossible happened. The barrier glowed faintly, and a gap opened wide enough for a person to pass through.  

“…What the? Unnie, come look! A door just appeared!”  

“It really did. How did you do that? Magic?”  

“No, I didn’t do anything… Maybe it opened because I said ‘delivery’?”  

“As if. That can’t be it.”  

Ridiculous, yes—but the door had appeared suddenly all the same. Could it be a trap?  

I stared at the ring-of-light doorway, then set my mind. Even if it was a trap, we had to go.  

‘Everyone else is risking themselves—I can’t be the only one playing it safe.’

“Unnie, honestly I don’t know what’s inside. It could be dangerous. Maybe I should go alo—hey, unnie!”  

“It feels safe enough.”  

While I hesitated, Siliya had already stepped inside and was waving at me. What if it’s dangerous! Panicking, I rushed in after her. The gap vanished instantly behind us, as though it had been waiting for us to enter.  

Hopefully nothing goes wrong. I forced down my unease and moved forward.  

***  

The building had two underground levels and a fully modern interior—even an elevator. A real, genuine piece of modern architecture.  

The moment I stepped into the first-floor lobby, I froze at the sight of the elevator and the floor guide.  

“What is Haiola’s true identity?”  

“Who knows… maybe she was a transmigrator, like us.”  

“I never thought I’d see an elevator here. Where should we start?”  

The guide showed that aside from the seventh floor, every floor was marked as a research lab or library. The underground levels held a special archives.  

‘Special’ had to mean rare materials. That’s where I wanted to go. Siliya seemed to agree, nodding.  

“Yeah. Let’s do that.”  

“Will the elevator even work…?”  

I pressed the buttons repeatedly—nothing lit up. Maybe if I supplied mana? I placed my palm on the panel and infused a bit.  

A moment later—ding. The button lit. Lucky us: the elevator was already on the first floor.  

The doors opened, lights flickering on. Still, I hesitated. Classic horror cliché: the elevator in an abandoned building suddenly works, and then you die.  

When the doors closed, I thought maybe stairs were safer. As I circled the floor, I heard Siliya’s voice from inside the elevator.  

“Not many buttons.”  

“Unnie?”  

“Looks like it only goes to the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th floors.”  

My gaze went to the guide again.  

2nd floor—General library.  

3rd and 4th—Advanced magic library.  

Since we came for details on light magic, the 2nd floor could be skipped.  

Carefully, I stepped inside.  

“Which floor?”  

“Third, I think. But unnie, are you always this fearless? Just now too—if you’re not careful something bad could happen. We don’t know what’s in here.”  

“This is a place we must enter. So I’ll take the lead.”  

“Unnie…!”  

Siliya’s gentle smile left me speechless. I clung tightly to her arm and layered multiple protective barriers of mana over us both. After being attacked by demons several times, I’d polished my defensive spells. They could absorb most attacks.  

The elevator soon reached the third floor. To my relief, there were no monsters—only shelves upon shelves crammed with books. Some matched the ones Nia had given me earlier. As expected, most dealt with light magic. Jackpot.  

“Unnie, let’s split up. I’ll take this side; you take the other.”  

“Alright. We’re looking for light magic materials, right?”  

“Yes—spells, applications, anything new is good. If you find anything demon-related, bring the whole book.”  

“Got it. Let’s meet back here in two hours.”  

“If you find anything strange, call me right away. Okay?”  

“Yes, don’t worry.”  

“Don’t just say it—promise!”  

But Siliya had already slipped between the shelves.  

At least there was no sign of hostile mana. On the contrary, the abundance of light mana filling the space made me feel healthier than usual.  

With both reassurance and unease in my chest, I dove straight into work.

 

***

  

“So basically, light magic and divine magic are actually the same thing. Just not the way the world knows it.”

“That’s how I understood it too. Both borrow power from the god Aletheia, but what differs is which part of that power gets used. For example, divine magic uses the aspect of healing and purification. But as for light magic, I’m still not sure exactly what part it taps into. What about you, Elloë?”

“I was curious too, so I looked it up a bit… Light magic might be connected to creation.”

“Creation?”

Two hours later, we were sitting across from each other at a long table placed near the library entrance, sharing our thoughts. I tilted my head toward Siliya and handed her the book I’d brought. She immediately took it.

“The Radiant Authority of the Creator God Aletheia’s Light?”

“The content is just the usual creation myth. From the light was born the primordial god, and from his shadow was born the demon who rules over darkness… something like that. The demon’s name sounded familiar.”

“Agtatius.”

“Yes. According to the myth, Aletheia contained infinite light. They say Aletheia herself was a god formed out of condensed light. With that light, she created everything in this world. At first, she created only with light, but later she began mixing in various things, and from that came the diverse forms that make up the world today. That’s why people here worship Aletheia as the Creator Goddess.”

“So light magic borrows that power of creation?”

“Most likely.”

“Then does that mean you can also create something? With mana?”

“Hmm…”

I paused, frowning in thought. I had never tried anything like that before. Even if it was theoretically possible, the idea gave me some resistance.

After all, creation was supposed to be the realm of gods. Was it really acceptable to trespass in that domain?

I had already interfered with the original story far too much, twisting the world’s core without meaning to. What would happen if I pushed further? Would it be good for us at all? Honestly, I didn’t know.

Seeing me hesitate, Siliya nodded as if to reassure me. She quickly flipped through the pages, then her face brightened.

“Still, I’m glad. That you can use light magic.”

“Why? Is there something you want?”

I tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but Siliya answered seriously.

“Look here. It says Aletheia sealed away Agtatius when he went berserk.”

“Yes. But… as a result of that battle, Aletheia couldn’t directly interfere in the human world anymore, right?”

“So she called forth a substitute. From outside.”

I didn’t even need to ask who that substitute was. It had to be Haiola—the founder of light magic and the legendary archmage who sealed the resurrected Agtatius.

That explained why her personal records were kept in a space shaped like a modern building. Why someone as powerful as Nia, the academy’s headmaster, couldn’t enter this place, but Siliya and I could. And why I was the only one who could use light magic, which had supposedly gone extinct.

All the puzzles surrounding light magic and Haiola clicked neatly into place.

But as those questions were resolved, a new one rose in their stead. If I could use light magic, then shouldn’t Siliya be able to as well? Yet both in the original story and now, she couldn’t wield it at all.

Light magic had never been important in the original plot anyway. If Siliya had been able to use it, she could have saved Kieryk instead of killing him.

“Is there some other requirement to use light magic?”

“When Haiola sealed Agtatius, there must be records of how she did it. If we can find those, we should be able to seal him again.”

“Oh, right. But… why seal him? If Aletheia chose Haiola as his representative, she must have been extremely powerful. Wouldn’t it have been better to just destroy him?”

“Then this novel wouldn’t have started, would it?”

Ah. That’s it. True. If Agtatius hadn’t existed, none of this would have happened. Her clear answer made me clap my hands lightly.

After hearing Siliya’s words, it finally sank in. We were uncovering the hidden settings buried beneath the surface of the story.

This place wasn’t Haiola’s library. It was the setting bible that built this story. Somewhere here was a way to reach the true happy ending that the original never reached. All we had to do was find it before time ran out.

“Alright. Let’s do this.”

I rolled up my sleeves and opened another book like I was heading into battle. Siliya had already chosen one and was skimming through it.

Soon, the only sound between us was the rustle of turning pages.

“Ugh, my back hurts. Are you okay, unnie?”

“Yeah. I’m fine for now. If you’re tired, take a break. We’re not going to finish this in one day anyway. It’s important to pace ourselves.”

“Ugh… then I’ll just lie down for five minutes.”

Luckily, there was a long sofa in the corner. Throwing myself onto its soft cushions felt unbelievably good. Even though I’d been topping up my stamina with recovery magic and layering blessings, the mental strain was unavoidable.

Flat on my back, I looked at the window. We’d come in early that morning, but already the sky was glowing with a crimson sunset.

Come to think of it, we hadn’t eaten lunch either. Both Siliya and I had been so absorbed that we hadn’t even noticed our hunger. The sheer amount of material made it hard to find exactly what we wanted.

My eyes naturally drifted to Siliya. Unlike me, who was groaning after sitting for hours, she sat perfectly upright, reading without the slightest slouch. She already had an intellectual aura, but with a book in her hands, she looked even more refined.

“Your posture is really good, unnie. Is that just a habit?”

“Yeah. It wasn’t like this since childhood though. I fixed it after I started working at the company. Sitting for long hours, I realized bad posture would ruin me.”

“I tried fixing mine too, but it didn’t work. How did you manage it?”

“Pulling all-nighters until 3 a.m. and realizing I was going to die like that—that fixed it real quick.”

The horrifying words slipped out of her mouth as casually as if she were commenting on the weather. Her red hair seemed to glow like fire.

The company she’d interned at had been a true sweatshop, working employees like cattle without even proper overtime pay.

Feeling like I’d dredged up a bad memory, I quickly changed the subject.

“How are things with my brother?”

The rapid flipping of pages suddenly stopped, like someone had hit a pause button. Looking closer, I saw her fingers clutching the page tremble slightly, her eyes wavering. Oh-ho, what an interesting reaction.

Nothing is more entertaining than hearing about the love life of someone you know. Especially when it’s about the stoic Sion and the composed Siliya. My curiosity flared. I sat up, hugging a cushion.

“I know you two have been sneaking out lately. No need to hide it, you can go freely.”

“So you knew.”

“Did you think I wouldn’t? Jeras knows, Grandpa Mason knows, even Rita knows.”

“…Really?”

Siliya looked flustered, raising a hand to cover her mouth.

After all, Sion was terrible at lying, and the temple was too cramped to keep secrets. Jeras had figured it out ages ago but kept quiet so he could use Sion’s weakness as leverage. What a devious bastard.

“So what do you do on dates?”

“They’re not dates. Just light walks.”

“When a man and a woman who like each other go walking alone, what else do you call it but a date? So, what do you usually talk about on these walks?”

“Not much… We really just walk.”

“Ah, so you’ve become such close kindred spirits that you don’t even need words to know what the other is thinking.”

“No, that’s not it. Not at all.”

Her face turned as red as her hair. I’d almost never seen Siliya so flustered. Teasing her was surprisingly fun.

I closed my eyes and pictured it—those two walking side by side in silence, their steps perfectly in sync. It was easy to imagine, and it suited their personalities well. A quiet, tender picture. So different from me and Jeras.

We’d never really had many peaceful, quiet moments. Back then, whenever I was with the serious Jeras, I’d feel like breaking out in hives and end up blurting nonsense. Before we acknowledged our feelings, we were constantly at each other’s throats.

“…I was thinking I should sort things out.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Before it gets dark, we should organize and head out. If we’re late, everyone will worry.”

She had already returned to her usual calm face and started tidying the table. Hmm. That sounded like something else, but maybe I misheard.

The timing felt a little awkward to ask again, so I just helped her clean up the books and papers scattered across the desk.

 

***

 

From that day on, we practically lived inside Haiola’s building. Starting from the third evening, we didn’t even bother returning to the temple and just slept in the library.  

Part of it was because going back and forth felt like a waste of time, but more importantly, we couldn’t take the books outside the building. The moment they crossed the threshold, they vanished without a trace. Understandable, since they belonged to a restricted place where not just anyone could enter…  

Anyway, that’s why we decided to stay in the building until we found what we wanted. As for food, I shamelessly planned to ask Nia in the mornings.  

But then—  

“Eloe.”  

“Brother!”  

I was moved to see Sion walk in with both hands full of food.  

He looked as dazzlingly handsome as always, though a little worn out. Explaining the situation to father, secretly moving troops around… it was obvious he had been running himself ragged with difficult work.  

Feeling sorry for him, I instinctively cupped his face in both my hands.  

“Brother… have you been sleeping properly? Are you eating well?”  

“You always get ahead of me and say exactly what I was going to. I’m fine.”  

“Fine? You’ve got fatigue plastered all over your face.”  

“I said I’m really fine.”  

When he smiled gently at me, I couldn’t help but throw my arms around him. Tears stung my eyes, thinking of how he had carved time out of his impossible schedule just to come to me.  

I buried my face in his chest like a spoiled child.  

“Eloe, what should we do for breakfast? I can go out and buy som—oh, you were with the young lord. My apologies.”  

“Please don’t leave, Lady Rioest.”  

Siliya froze on the spot, caught between entering the building and approaching Sion.  

Oh my. My goodness. Sion’s bold words startled me so much that I quickly let go of him. Holding my breath, I stepped aside.  

It was Sion who approached first.  

“I brought a simple meal. If it’s alright, please join us.”  

“No, I’m fine. You two go ahead. I’ll just—”  

“I prepared enough for you as well. I’d be glad if you’d join us.”  

Sion was far more forceful and proactive than I expected, while Siliya was the one flustered and trying to push him away.  

They fell into silence, staring at each other, a strange tension hanging in the air. If this went on, Siliya might bolt any second.  

Ahem! Guess it was time for me to step in. I hooked an arm through each of theirs and marched forward.  

“I’m starving! There’s a little garden nearby. Perfect spot for a picnic!”  

“E-Eloe. Wait—!”  

Wait, my foot. Not a chance. Practically dragging Siliya, who was resisting all the way, I hauled her to the garden.  

It wasn’t much of a garden—just a patch of grass with one big tree planted in the middle. Sion laid down a white cloth under the tree and unpacked the picnic basket. I shoved Siliya down to sit, despite her protests, and helped take out the food.  

Sandwiches, canapés, finger food—things perfect for eating outdoors. The bread was still warm, freshly baked.  

Ahh, that smell!  

“There’s soup too.”  

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting soup! This is great!”  

“Alberto and Hilda prepared it from dawn. It’s Hilda’s special recipe. Eat plenty. Lady Rioest, please enjoy as well, before it cools.”  

“…Yes. Thank you.”  

Handing soup bowls to me and Siliya, Sion moved to sit by my side. I blocked him with my leg, tapping his shin. Why are you sitting here? Your seat is over there.  

He looked down at me, baffled, but when I raised my brows and signaled toward Siliya, he finally shuffled that way.  

“May I sit here?”  

Siliya bowed her head and gave the smallest nod.  

The two of them—so stiff, so awkward. From where I sat, they were nothing but adorable.  

I’d just eat quickly, then give them some space. No way was I going to turn into the oblivious sister-in-law who overstayed her welcome.  

The three of us sipped soup together, warm sunlight filtering through the leaves. Hilda’s special soup really was delicious.  

“Does it suit your taste?”  

“…Yes. My lord, you don’t need to mind me.”  

“Forgive me for being intrusive while you eat.”  

“No, that wasn’t my intent.”  

Listening to their frustratingly roundabout conversation made the food stick in my throat. Siliya even kept sneaking glances at me. Fine, I’d grab a few things and slip away.  

Just as I stood up with a plate of sandwiches, a vivid voice rang inside my head.  

— Can you hear me, princess?  

It was Jeras’s voice. I looked around in shock, but only Sion and Siliya were there.  

…But Jeras was supposed to be far away, exploring ruins.  

‘Am I hearing things because I unconsciously missed him so much…?’  

“No! Absolutely not!”  

“Eloe?”  

I had shouted before I realized it, startling Sion and Siliya.  

Oops. I forced a bright smile.  

“It’s nothing! Brother, may I have more soup? It was so good I finished already.”  

“Eat as much as you like. I brought plenty.”  

“Hehe, you really are the kindest brother in the world—”  

— You really can’t hear me? Damn it. Did those bastards scam me?  

The voice in my head grew sharper, clearer. Not a hallucination. It wasn’t sound at all—it was like words planted directly into my mind.  

What on earth… Was this how hallucinations usually worked? I had no idea.  

“You don’t look well. Are you sick? Are you sure you’re okay?”  

— The ring’s glowing. Is the connection broken? Should’ve checked before I left.  

Their voices tangled together in my skull. Too much at once!  

I reached for the soup Sion handed me—and noticed a faint flicker of light on the ring.  

‘No way… an artifact?’  

— Guess I’ll try again later.  

“Brother, sister! I suddenly have something urgent to check. I’ll go ahead and study. Please finish eating, take a stroll, enjoy yourselves!”  

“If it’s urgent, let me co—”  

“With all this food? You can’t just waste it. I’ll be mad if you do! Go on, eat! I’ll be checking!”  

“Eloe, wait—!”  

“Ah, I’ll take this, thanks!”  

Snatching a plate of sandwiches and a bowl of soup, I dashed off before they could react.  

‘How does this ring even work? If he gave me an artifact, shouldn’t he at least explain how to use it?’  

Well, in stories, these things usually activated if you sincerely wished to connect.  

So I squeezed my eyes shut and chanted his name in my head.  

‘Jeras! Jeras, Jeras! Come out already. Testing, one-two-three! Answer me!’  

— Princess?  

‘You hear me?! You actually hear me?! Eek!’  

— What was that noise? Princess, princess!  

“Ahhh…”  

Too distracted by him, I tripped and fell. Luckily I didn’t faceplant—but my knees took the hit.  

The sandwiches were wrecked, and the soup spilled everywhere.  

I sat on the ground, devastated.  

— Answer me, Eloe! What happened?!  

‘Wait… it hurts like hell.’  

— You’re hurt? Where are you? Is anyone with you? I told you not to wander alone!  

‘Why are you scolding me? This is all your fault!’  

— How bad is it? Tell me where you are; I’ll call someone.  

‘Shut up! I just scraped my knee. No need to call anyone, everyone’s busy. Ugh, it’s bleeding.’  

— You’re bleeding?! That’s serious. Do as I say.  

‘I’ll take off the ring if you don’t quit it.’  

— …Ha.  

At last, Jeras quieted down. With his nagging gone, the pain throbbed more clearly.  

I pressed my hand to my knee and muttered a quick healing spell. The wound vanished without a trace. Nobles really did have it good with healers.  

I wiped away the blood with a handkerchief, though losing the sandwiches still hurt.  

— You really didn’t take off the ring?  

‘No. Do you want me to?’  

— No! Don’t ever. Is your injury fine now?  

‘Healed. It was just a fall. But what’s with this? No explanation at all? You scared me.’  

— I thought you’d notice. The ring holds mana.  

‘I’ve been too busy to notice anything. I’ve barely slept four hours a night.’  

— What are you doing pushing yourself like that? You need rest.  

‘I got access to Haiola’s personal library. Too many light-magic texts to get through.’  

— Ah, that place master mentioned. You’re safe there?  

‘Yes. Only Siliya and I can enter. It reacts only to light magic. Hold on.’  

The barrier warped at my touch, opening the entrance. I stepped inside and collapsed onto a chair in the lobby. The ring still glowed faintly.  

‘You hear me?’  

— Loud and clear.  

‘How about you? Did you arrive safely? Any monsters? Traps?’  

— So many questions at once. I thought you didn’t care about me.  

He sounded faintly sulky. Typical.  

— Yes, I arrived safely. Exploration’s going smoothly. Haven’t seen monsters yet, but there might be some outside. The traps here are laughably easy.  

‘Oh, really? If they’re that easy, you’ll be back soon.’  

— So eager for me to return? You must miss me badly.  

His lowered voice reverberated through me. Even though it wasn’t exactly “sound,” that’s how it felt.  

Every time he said things like that, I turned beet red without fail. Good thing he wasn’t physically here—otherwise, he’d have teased me even more.  

I buried my face in my hands.  

— Not denying it this time? So it’s true?  

‘N-no! I just want you back quickly so we have more time. Nothing else.’  

— Saying that with your face all red… liar.  

‘…Wait. Can you see me?!’  

— Don’t need to. You’re predictable.  

His teasing tone made my blood boil. Argh! He was infuriating no matter where he was.  

I straightened, glaring at the empty air as if he were smirking right in front of me.  

‘You—you’re the one who misses me! All that effort you’re putting in—I know!’  

— How precious. I’m glad you recognize my devotion.  

‘Were you always this shameless? I don’t remember you being this bad.’  

— Eloe.  

His sudden gentle tone made me flinch. My heart pounded in my ears, heat flooding my face.  

Frozen in silence, I could only listen as he went on.  

— I miss you. I’ll find what I need and return soon.  

‘…Ah… uh…’  

— And you? I want the honest answer.  

‘…I—’  

— What? I couldn’t hear.  

‘…Safety first! Always double-check traps, no matter how easy they look! Okay bye I’m busy now good luck!’  

— Princess, Eloe—!  

Panicking, I yanked the ring off my finger. The light winked out, and his voice disappeared from my mind.  

I slumped down in the chair, clutching the ring tightly.  

This was dangerous. A very dangerous artifact indeed.