Colton studied the map with fascinated eyes.
Meanwhile, Kayden seemed calm, as though he were handing over a small piece of his past to someone born in a world that knew nothing about maps… or televisions.
"Is there anything else about your world you'd like to tell me?" Colton asked.
Kayden nodded slowly. "There's a lot. I'll teach you everything… when the time comes."
Colton felt genuinely grateful.
His desire to understand the world his master came from was no longer simple curiosity. It was more like a child listening to bedtime stories, captivated by mystery and wonder.
After a short silence, he asked, "Does your world have any kind of power?"
A faint smile appeared on Kayden's face as he shook his head.
"There are no supernatural powers like the ones in stories or in this world. But we do have heroes."
"Heroes created in films shown on television. They wear masks and run through the streets to save the world. There are many of them."
Then he smiled. "But I think every person is the hero of their own story. Everyone lives a tale that could become a movie… perhaps even something greater."
Colton rested his chin on his hand. "Strangely enough, that doesn't sound boring."
He paused. Then, in a gentler voice, he asked,
"Were you happy there?"
Silence settled between them.
Kayden searched within himself for an answer he wasn't entirely sure existed.
Finally, he spoke. "I don't pursue happiness as a goal."
"But I treasure my moments. I'm happy because I'm still breathing. Because I wake up to a new day each morning."
A faint smile touched his lips. "That's enough for me."
Then his expression dimmed slightly. "Sometimes, though… I forget how to breathe."
"And I miss that feeling." His eyes lingered on the moon. "The feeling that I'm breathing the right way."
Kayden stood, intending to return to bed.
But Colton spoke softly, meeting his gaze. "When you forget how to breathe… I'll remind you. I'm here for you."
Those words were more than a promise. They were a silent oath. And Colton understood that "breathing" did not simply mean air.
It meant everything that made life worth living peace, hope, and the feeling of belonging.
Elsewhere in the capital…
News of what had happened at home eventually reached Adele. But she did not return.
She had neither the luxury of time nor the luxury of prolonged grief.
Instead, she went to see Lady Anushka.
Both women were busy, each in her own way, each occupied with a private world that was either quietly collapsing or quietly rebuilding itself.
To Adele, death was simply one of life's truths.
Not a catastrophe. Merely something inevitable.
The ending that comes before silence.
And Mavilda's ending had been magnificent.
Meaningful enough to be remembered.
Adele hoped she would one day meet a similar fate standing tall, fighting until her final breath, rather than fading away on a white bed beneath a dwindling heartbeat.
She attended several coming-of-age celebrations alongside Anushka and participated in numerous political and social gatherings.
Everything continued moving forward despite the loss.
The following morning, she headed to the council for an official meeting.
Walking calmly through the hall, she searched for an empty seat before noticing a familiar head among the crowd.
She approached quickly and suddenly tugged on the person's black hair.
George turned around. "Adele!"
Sitting beside him, she asked, "When did you decide to start visiting the retirement home?"
"Roger convinced me… eventually."
"And where is he now?"
George lowered his voice slightly. "With Lord Matthew."
"He's really like a monkey. I hope he's doing well." Then she asked, "When are you two coming home? Did you hear about Mavilda?"
George thought for a moment. "Maybe at the end of the month."
Adele raised an eyebrow. "We are at the end of the month."
George shook his head sleepily. "Then next month. There are only two days left. Not much difference."
After a brief silence, he added calmly, "Yes, I heard. We're all fighting. It's to be expected."
He shrugged. "If I die… Just remember to clean my room."
Adele looked at him, sadness hidden beneath mock irritation. "Are you an idiot? You're not going to die. And if someone tries to kill you, I'll simply kill them first."
She crossed her arms. "No one in my family is dying that easily. And your disgusting room? No. Clean it yourself when you come back."
George laughed and placed a hand on his forehead. "You're talking like our mother."
"I'm your mother."
"You're my older sister!"
"Incorrect."
She raised a finger. "I helped raise everyone. Therefore, officially… I'm your second mother."
George sighed dramatically. "There's only a three-year difference between us. Roger is only two years younger than me. Go bully him instead."
Adele pretended to consider the matter seriously. "Three years. Five years." Then she nodded solemnly. "Yes. I believe I truly am a mother."
Both of them laughed.
Afterward, the conversation shifted toward council affairs and the endless stream of pointless decisions.
The meeting began.
It was unbearably boring.
George sat in his chair and gradually lost all sense of time.
At some point, he became convinced that the end of the world would arrive before the end of the meeting.
That evening, Adele attended another gathering.
This time, Lady Anushka was not accompanying her.
The lights were dim, and the music moved at a slow rhythm that did nothing to improve her exhausted mood.
The party felt endless.
As though time itself had decided to slow down simply to make her suffer.
Standing beside a window, she gazed outside.
Then, by chance, her eyes met those of a man standing across the room.
She had not intended to stare.
Nor did she make a habit of looking at random men.
Yet their gazes met briefly before she looked away.
A few minutes later, the same man approached her. "Hello… my name is Friedrich."
Adele greeted him politely and returned her attention to the window. She never told him her own name.
Still, something about his sounded familiar.
As though she had heard it somewhere before.
"You don't seem to enjoy this place," Friedrich observed.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"I've had a long day. A busy one."
He nodded. "So have I."
"What do you do?" she asked.
Friedrich answered calmly. "I recently moved to Arin, but lately I've been busy meeting a few friends."
Adele laughed softly. "What a coincidence. I live in Arin as well."
She looked out the window. "I think it's far more beautiful than the central districts of the capital."
Their conversation continued naturally from one topic to another until fatigue began to seep into Adele's voice.
"I want to go home."
"Back to Arin? The night is dark. No moon. No stars. It could be dangerous."
Adele glanced outside once more.
"And rain as well…"
"You can stay at the inn where I'm staying," Friedrich offered. "I'll find another room for you."
She considered it for a moment before nodding.
Together, they left the party and boarded a carriage.
Then Adele spoke with open boredom.
"You're a bold man. Most people avoid talking to me. They're afraid of me for reasons I don't understand, especially since I'm not even a noble."
Friedrich chuckled. "You're very difficult to approach."
Then he smiled. "And perhaps they're afraid of rejection."
She looked at him. "And you? Weren't you afraid?"
His grin widened. "I only have one life. A little adventure is acceptable."
A smile appeared on Adele's face. "Just don't raise your expectations too high."
"Living in Arin is exhausting," Friedrich commented. "And expensive."
Then he asked, "Are you rich?"
Adele slowly shook her head. "I work a lot. Probably more than I should." She stared through the carriage window."Sometimes I wonder when I'll finally stop.When will my body stop moving? When will I wake up and discover that I no longer need to do anything at all?"
She paused. Then sighed. "Sorry. I know that's a strange thing to say all of a sudden."
But Friedrich didn't seem bothered.
Quite the opposite. "What you said is completely true."
His tone was understanding. "Work steals everything. Time runs away. Dreams evaporate. Yet we keep running without stopping."
He shook his head. "Don't apologize. You're right."
Adele released a weary sigh. "That's good. At least you understand."
"I do."
After a moment, Friedrich asked casually, "Do you come from a wealthy family? You still haven't told me your family name."
Adele raised an eyebrow. "Do you want to meet my father? My family doesn't carry a noble title. My father works at a bank And I only have one younger brother."
"So do I," Friedrich replied.
"But I've always wondered… what's the point of titles?"
Adele waved a hand dismissively.
"They don't matter. In the end, we're all human."
"Not exactly."
Friedrich shook his head. "Not everyone is human. There are Spirit Wielders."
"Spirit Wielders are everywhere. They're amazing." She smiled."I tried becoming one once… and failed What about you?"
"I became a Spirit Wielder by accident But I'm a little disappointed."
Adele looked amused.
"Is it because I'm just a worthless little human?"
Friedrich nodded. "Yes."
"That's unacceptable."
Without realizing it, Friedrich smiled. "You're full of life."
Adele straightened proudly. "I am , And you should be grateful that I'm speaking to you right now and sitting in the same place."
"I am grateful."
His answer was completely sincere.
Then he pointed outside. "We've arrived at the inn."
Meanwhile, elsewhere at the same time…
A new gathering had formed between the twins and Colton.
Curiosity burned among them like a spark dancing above their heads.
The mysterious journal continued revealing just enough to keep them desperate for more.
This time, Kayden arrived carrying a bag of chips, as though preparing everyone for the sort of gathering suited to a long bedtime story.
Standing dramatically before them, he announced,
"Lord Kayden… shall now begin reading."
Colton immediately whispered, "The great and exalted Lord Kayden shall begin."
Henry burst out laughing and joined in the bullying without even realizing it.
Kayden produced several strange noises. "Was that… a pig laughing?"
Henry ignored him completely.
"Read."
"January 6th, 662.
We stopped in front of an old house.
Lord Ron Feng told me,
'Do not be afraid. What happens here is perfectly normal.'
But this time, my heart refused to believe him.
Fear crawled through me.
I felt as though I had stepped into a dream… or perhaps a nightmare wearing the mask of neutrality.
I sat before a man named Lord Edmaniel.
He spoke very little. Yet his presence alone was enough to send chills down my spine.
It was the first time I had ever seen him.
I have never forgotten that meeting.
Ron Feng spoke about reviving the dead.
Edmaniel merely offered a faint smile before saying,
'You created the catastrophe … and now you want me to create monsters? Sounds like a perfectly fair deal.'
For the first time, I learned that the catastrophe walked beneath Ron Feng's shadow, following him as smoke follows fire.
Yet he showed no shame.
Instead, he proudly declared,
'They're the best! And I'm a Disaster too… but I'm human, so I'm their leader.'
He explained what a Disaster truly was.
How a single idea could become a curse.
And how twisted his way of thinking was.
Very twisted.
Despite everything, I refused.
I refused to bring back the dead.
Ron Feng then told Edmaniel to abandon that path as well.
But every time I dared to think, Edmaniel would look at me.
A look that made me feel like nothing more than an insect trapped beneath his feet.
At the end of the meeting, Ron Feng asked about the future once again.
So I answered in a trembling voice.
'The last time I saw the future… I saw a child buried beneath a mountain of corpses.'
Edmaniel didn't seem particularly interested.
Yet he said something to me.
Something that made my chest freeze for a moment.
Something that made me…
forget how to breathe."
Henry lowered the journal slightly. "What did Edmaniel say to him?"
But Kayden did not answer.
He merely looked at the next page and muttered, "We'll find out… on the next page."
Kayden suddenly flipped the page and spoke with obvious irritation. "That ugly Adam ruined this page! Look at this!!"
Henry replied through a mouthful of food, "It belongs to him, not us. Do you understand? You're a shameless thief."
"Swallow your food first! Just… look!"
Henry leaned closer to the page and let out a small gasp. Several words had been circled repeatedly, while others had been violently crossed out, as though someone had gotten into an argument with himself. Slowly closing his eyes, Henry tilted his head back as if searching the heavens for answers.
"Who taught him how to write? Seriously… was he bad at it from the very beginning? We should ask him."
He pointed at the journal.
"Colton, try reading it."
Colton stepped forward and studied the page.
After a moment, his expression darkened. "…It says… well…It's difficult to read." The admission sounded almost like a personal defeat.
"So even demons can't decipher this disaster…" Kayden remarked dryly. "Should Adam be proud of that?"
But Henry, possessing both a trained eye and a mind that had not yet been completely dulled by food, continued examining the writing carefully. "Wait. I think we should read it first. Maybe we can figure out what Adam was trying to say."