"Solan Neumann! We need to talk!"
These were the first words Shion Lan spoke, frustrated and upset by what had happened with her. The atmosphere of the world around him shifted—the world itself grew uneasy, yet it did not attempt to expel him. It clung to him, as if it hadn't tried to push him away moments before. Anxiety crept into Shion, but he gritted his teeth and resisted the feeling, gazing at her with a cold, detached tone,
"If you don't want to be honest with me, then I'll leave."
After this harsh statement, the surrounding atmosphere calmed. The world ceased its turbulence, and Solan approached with a troubled expression. She asked softly,
"What did I do wrong, Shion?"
Shion restrained the urge to pinch her cheeks and said coldly,
"What have you been doing lately?! Spying on my life?! Seizing Sol Hart, who trusted you and wanted to learn from you?! What on earth are you doing?!"
His voice was sharp, full of accusation. He still wanted to continue, but he noticed tears streaming down her face as she lowered her gaze. He stopped himself and said firmly,
"Answer me!"
Solan lifted her face, her eyes trembling, sobbing. The sight struck Shion, filling him with guilt, as if he had committed an irreparable mistake. He almost gave in, but then remembered,
' I cannot yield! She is the one at fault here, and I am holding her accountable! '
He adjusted his stance and looked at her gently instead of harshly, patting her head.
"Solan, if hurting others is meant to show your love for me, I will never accept it."
Her tearful eyes whispered as she spoke in a trembling voice:
"But… I cannot… communicate with you… You are alive… and I am a spirit… I want… to be with you… yet I cannot… I cannot wish for your death to be happy… Please, Shion…"
Her speech was broken by sobs. Shion drew her close to his chest and asked,
"Are these your true feelings, or are you holding on to emotions you did not want to let go of?"
Solan looked at him, questioning.
Shion continued,
"Last time, I felt we were the right match for each other. But wasn't it your feelings that affected me? Despite my resistance, I liked that feeling alone."
"How…?" she asked.
"The blood spirit… you didn't control it, did you? Even though Sol freed herself from that cursed aura, she still couldn't escape those red, bloody eyes—and neither could you escape her effect."
Shion raised his head, recalling that battle,
"The blood spirit was a mutated entity. Beautiful, yet a catastrophe had corrupted her into pure evil. I saw her original form—full of life—and I feel you were slightly affected because you liked it."
Solan's gaze began to clear. She raised her hands.
"Bloom!"
Bloom appeared immediately.
"Lady! How may I serve you?"
Solan wasted no time.
"You told me your name, but not your past. Why not tell us?"
Bloom sat down, recollecting her history,
"I was born in the Amoritichi Kingdom. My family practiced only forbidden magic—necromancy, plagues, bone and poison magic. My branch specialized in blood magic. I was the best at it. I was beautiful, and many suitors lined up for me. But…"
She paused, remembering.
"I met him—my first and only love. Though he was ordinary, I loved him. I often sneaked out to see him. When my family discovered it, they decided to eliminate him."
Anger laced her voice,
"I tried to defend him, but it was useless. They imprisoned me, ignored me, and when I escaped, I found everyone dead—not just him, nor his family, but the entire village. Some of my former suitors smiled at me, wiping their hands on the villagers' blood as if nothing had happened. I was furious and unleashed my spells, using the villagers' blood to form a sea that consumed them all—I killed them!"
She exhaled with indifference.
"Because they were talented families, they wanted to kill me. My family tried to resist. They wanted to marry me off, but I was kidnapped and executed before my family. I did not care, even when I saw my own headless body. I had ceased to care for anyone or anything—even my life."
Shion said softly,
"So the surge of love she felt… was because of you, wasn't it?"
"You could assume that. And since she is the Pure Spirit, I didn't think she needed help."
He thought, ' It doesn't matter, if this story will keep her I will use it. '
Shion turned to Solan,
"See? Those feelings weren't real. We just liked the sensation."
Solan paused, then smiled faintly,
"I think you're right."
Shion exhaled in relief.
"It's good we're friends, isn't it?"
"Yes, Shion."
Her expression remained calm, lacking vitality. They sat together in the spirit world. Shion tried to cheer her up before she asked,
"Shion, do you have other poems besides 'Meeting the Moon'?"
"Yes… I think you've heard them. They are…"
"I mean romantic ones."
"..."
Shion hesitated, seeing her emptiness, as if she had lost something important. He thought for a moment and said,
"I don't have full poems, only fragments. Do you want to hear them?"
She nodded. Without further delay, Shion stood, assumed his stance, and summoned the words of the poems from Shi Yun Lan's world. They appeared in his eyes. Seeing this, Solan smiled slightly.
Shion recited the lines—not sad poetry, but joyful verses. With each gesture, each look, each word, Solan grew more vibrant and beautiful. The world itself seemed to resonate with her heart and emotions.
Afterward, they walked together along the riverbank, talking about their respective lives. Shion spoke of his current status as a noble, the difficulties and problems that came with it although he didn't do anything yet. Solan shared her training with Sol, who had reached the fourth level, and her plans for further development.
Then Solan said,
"Shion, I want to give you this."
She opened her hand, revealing the Spirit Sword he had used before.
"Consider it a reward for saving my life and for spending time with me."
Shion frowned at the gesture. Solan looked worried.
"Solan, do you really consider me your friend?"
Before she could answer, Shion gestured to the sword,
"You may give a gift for companionship if you feel lonely, but I will always be there whenever you need me. Don't treat me like that!"
He turned and walked away, saddened.
Shion's mind echoed with Shi Yun Lan's voice,
"Were you about to lose yourself again?"
Shion replied,
"What do you see?"
"I see your mind in place, but your actions are not."
"I want us to be friends. I don't want an exchange of feelings. I give something—you give me companionship!"
"Perhaps it isn't that simple."
Shion answered,
"It isn't. But she wants it to be."
"Who do you think you are to make your judgement?"
Shion felt a strange sensation as he looked toward Solan. She waved at him, smiling as usual. Something felt off. Suddenly, he awoke in his room, sitting and wondering:
' This is strange… I thought she was looking for a reason to leave me or to hate me, but she just smiled? '
Shi Yun Lan's mocking voice rang in his mind,
"Do you think girls cannot live without you in this world? Know your place!"
Shion responded,
"You saw her behavior yourself. Do you see anyone who would give up a crime to be with you in one session, smiling contentedly?"
Shi Yun Lan said,
"That's because you're an idiot."
"What?!"
Annoyed, Shion dressed and prepared for the award ceremony, deciding not to dwell on it further.
...
Memories of the day resurfaced. The pure beauty stood in the palace, sensing an ominous presence. She traced it to a magical circle in the basement emitting the smell of blood and iron. She tried summoning Polter, but it was too late. The curse that Solan had sensed since childhood had been released. Sora Neumann and Imat Neumann had left. Only she remained, along with some knights and family mages.
Unexpectedly, they faced an eighth-level evil spirit. Many casualties befell the family. Still, their expertise in spirits allowed them to weaken the blood spirit significantly. It could not yet overpower the pure spirit, so it retreated to complete its original mission. Solan treated and healed her family members.
Shortly after, the blood spirit returned at level seven, slaughtering the province's people to increase its strength.
"Nooo!"
"Spare me!"
Then it attacked the Neumann family, who countered using forbidden magic, combining their spirits with the spirits of the villagers to battle the blood spirit. Solan joined forces with Polter, crafting a powerful seal to imprison the spirit.
"I'm sorry I didn't save you.... But I will purify the spirit!"
But the spirit did not relent, casting a potent curse that affected the entire Neumann family. After completing the seal, Solan's eyes turned deep red.
Then the royal forces arrived and one of the Neumann family talked,
"Finally! But they are late.... The people died..."
But the royal forces shouted,
"The Neumann family used forbidden magic and killed the queen! Kill them!"
Solan saw the family emanating evil, forbidden auras.
"Wait! It's all a mistake!"
"The Blood Spirit! It's its responsibility!"
"We didn't kill them!"
They tried to defend themselves but were too late and too weak. Soldiers shouted,
"They killed their own province! Leave none alive!"
"No! Nooo!!! Please!!! Nooo ooooohhhh!!!!"
Exhausted, Solan collapsed. Upon awakening, she found herself amidst a pile of corpses, faces she recognized now smeared with blood and filth, the smell of death heavy in the air.
"They.....are all...deadd...?!!!!...."
She fainted again.
When she opened her eyes, she was in an unfamiliar ceiling of a distant area. A woman who had cared for her since childhood—Aunt Lindy—was there. At that time, outside the province, her daughter had died in the horrific incident. Her name was Sol Hart. By agreement with Lindy, who had wept over the tragedy, Solan Neumann became Sol Hart but because of the different shapes she became her nephew. Using spirit magic, she altered her form and retained her red eyes and cursed aura, concealing her true identity.
Two years of resentment and avoidance passed. In the third year, someone arrived,
"Hello, Aunt! Is this your daughter?"