Chapter 34
One of the men stepped forward, his eyes widening as he stared at Elyra.
"Wait..." he muttered. "Isn't that the Count's daughter?"
"What?" The second thug immediately stiffened. "You're kidding."
"I think we should leave," the third whispered nervously. "This isn't worth it."
"What are you scared of?" the leader snapped.
But even he didn't sound very convincing.
Elyra slowly backed away while keeping her eyes on them.
Three of them.
In my current body, I might be able to take down one.
Maybe.
But all three?
A rare sense of unease crept into her chest.
CRACK!
A brilliant bolt of lightning exploded through the alleyway.
"AAAAAGH!"
The three men screamed simultaneously as electricity surged through their bodies. Their limbs convulsed before they collapsed onto the stone pavement.
For a brief moment, silence filled the alley.
Elyra blinked.
Then blinked again.
Standing among the crackling remnants of lightning was a small boy, no older than three years old. He had black hair and striking purple eyes. Yet what caught Elyra's attention most was not his appearance, but the cold, calm gaze staring back at her—a gaze that didn't belong to a child.
Elyra froze.
A toddler?
That level of power?
Could he be...
A reincarnated soul too?
"Children shouldn't wander into dark alleys alone."
The boy spoke casually while pulling out a rope and binding the unconscious men with practiced efficiency.
Elyra's eyes immediately lit up.
Bingo.
But she quickly suppressed her excitement.
If he really is like me...
I can't let him know I'm a reincarnator.
Not yet.
"I am Elyra Solv."
She crossed her arms proudly.
"The daughter of the Count who governs this territory."
The boy visibly flinched.
"What?"
Almost immediately, he pulled a cloth over the lower half of his face.
Elyra grinned.
"I've already seen your face."
The boy froze.
"And I think I like you."
His eyes widened slightly.
Troublesome.
That single thought flashed through his mind.
Even if he escaped now, there was a high chance they would meet again eventually.
"Become my ally," Elyra declared.
The boy stared at her.
Completely bewildered.
What kind of child says something like that?
Meanwhile, Elyra felt oddly satisfied.
Good.
He doesn't suspect anything.
Suddenly, both of them looked up at the same time as an overwhelming aura rushed toward them at terrifying speed, its presence so immense that the air itself seemed to grow heavier.
The boy's expression instantly hardened—danger. A dangerous existence was approaching. Without the slightest hesitation, he turned around and prepared to leave.
"Wait!"
Elyra panicked.
"Meet me at the Solv estate tonight!"
The boy disappeared into the darkness without answering.
"Elyra!"
A thunderous roar echoed from above.
The next moment, a figure descended from the night sky.
BOOM!
The ground trembled.
Damnern landed heavily inside the alley.
A radiant wing extended from his left side, glowing brilliantly in the darkness.
His Semi-Angel Sigil.
Without wasting a second, he rushed forward and pulled Elyra into a crushing embrace.
"Elyra!"
His voice trembled.
Only then did Elyra realize something.
He activated his Sigil...
Just to find me?
Damnern's eyes swept across the unconscious men.
His expression instantly darkened.
"Did they hurt you?"
"No."
Elyra answered smoothly.
"An adult helped me."
Damnern's gaze sharpened.
But after seeing that Elyra was unharmed, relief overwhelmed him.
"You must've been terrified."
His voice cracked.
"Forgive Papa."
Elyra remained expressionless.
I wasn't scared at all.
With one hand, Damnern grabbed all three criminals.
Then—
WHAM!
He kicked them out of the alleyway, their bodies flying across the street before crashing heavily onto the pavement.
Gasps erupted from nearby festival-goers.
Ignoring everyone, Damnern held Elyra securely against his chest as his wings spread wide. Then, without hesitation, he shot into the sky.
The city rapidly shrank beneath them.
Soon, the entire Remembrance Festival came into view. Countless lanterns illuminated the streets, golden lights stretching across Willowess like rivers of stars.
For a moment, Elyra forgot everything.
"It's beautiful..."
Hearing her soft voice, Damnern's icy mood instantly melted away. He smiled warmly and gently ruffled her blonde hair.
Fifteen minutes later, they touched down at the designated meeting point. Elina was there, her face pale and tears streaming down her cheeks, with Eldern sitting quietly by her side, looking equally shaken.
The moment Elina saw her daughter, she lunged forward, pulling Elyra into a fierce, trembling hug. As Damnern deactivated his Sigil, his glowing wing dissolved into a shower of glittering, fading sparks.
"I'm so sorry, sweetie... Mama ruined everything," Elina sobbed, her entire body shaking violently against Elyra. "I was so scared. So incredibly scared."
Seeing her mother completely undone by grief, a strange pang hit Elyra's chest. "I'm sorry, Mama," she whispered softly, a genuine wave of guilt washing over her. I didn't think she would be this devastated...
Sensing the heavy, awkward atmosphere, Damnern stepped forward, trying to clear the air.
"Happy birthday, Elyra."
Damnern smiled softly as he pulled out a delicate silver necklace. The pendant was simple but elegant, crafted into the shape of a small wing. Carefully, he leaned forward and placed it around her neck.
'Happy birthday.'
The words hit Elyra like a hammer.
Her body moved before her mind could react.
Slap!
Damnern's hand was knocked aside, and the necklace slipped from his fingers, clattering against the stone pavement.
Silence.
Everything around them froze. Even the festival noise in the distance felt suddenly far away, as if it no longer belonged to the same world.
Elyra's breathing turned uneven.
The words echoed in her mind again and again.
A birthday.
The day she was born.
The day she died as Ryudien.
Memories surged back all at once—the cold execution platform, the suffocating fear, the sharp whistle of a descending blade. For a brief moment, both realities overlapped in her thoughts, twisting together until she could no longer tell which was real.
Her vision blurred.
"Elyra?"
Damnern's voice sounded distant.
"Elyra!"
Slowly, she regained control of herself.
The memories faded.
The festival returned—the lanterns, the crowd, the distant music.
And the worried faces staring at her.
Only then did Elyra realize what she had done.
"E-Elyra...?"
Damnern's face had gone pale. His hand still hovered in the air, frozen in place, as if unsure whether to reach forward again.
The necklace lay abandoned on the ground between them, its small wing-shaped pendant catching the flicker of lantern light.
I knew it... A bitter smile formed inside Damnern's heart. She still can't accept something from me. Damnern lowered his gaze, the disappointment in his eyes impossible to hide.
Meanwhile, Eldern remained silent. His small hands tightened slightly as he stared at the necklace lying on the ground, the faint glint of its wing-shaped pendant reflecting in his eyes.
For a moment, his gaze drifted down, almost unconsciously, toward the crimson necklace hidden inside his pocket...
If Elyra rejected Papa's gift...
Would she reject Eldern too?
The thought made his chest tighten.
Quietly, Eldern lowered his gaze and decided not to take it out. No one noticed the subtle change in his expression, nor the way his fingers lingered near his pocket for a moment longer than necessary. The atmosphere remained heavy for the rest of the night, as if even the air itself had grown reluctant to move.
Several hours later, the Solv family finally returned to the estate.
There is no way I'm going to wait for that kid in Damnern's room, Elyra thought.
To everyone's surprise, Elyra asked if she could sleep in Eldern's room that night, and neither Elina nor Damnern objected.
Later that night, the two siblings lay side by side beneath a thick blanket in Eldern's room. The room was quiet and soft moonlight streamed through the window, bathing the room in a gentle silver glow.
For several minutes, neither of them spoke. Elyra stared at the ceiling while listening to the steady silence around them.
Then she turned her head slightly.
Beside her, Eldern lay on his back, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. His fingers tightened and loosened around the edge of the blanket.
A faint crease lingered between his brows.
He looked restless.
"Are you feeling sick, Eden?" she asked.
"H-Huh?"
Eldern immediately shook his head.
"N-No."
"Then what's wong?"
Eldern hesitated.
For a moment, he stared at the ceiling.
Then he finally spoke.
"Didn't you like the necklace?"
Elyra blinked.
"E-Eyya did."
"Then why did Elyra reject Papa's gift?"
The question caught her completely off guard.
Why?
Elyra opened her mouth, then closed it again.
She genuinely didn't know how to explain it.
The memories, the fear, the hatred she once carried—none of it made sense anymore.
"E-Eyya doesn't know..."
she admitted quietly.
Eldern stared at her for a few seconds.
Then he suddenly sat up.
"Hm?"
Reaching into his pocket, Eldern pulled out the crimson necklace. The pendant was shaped like a tiny crimson flower, its surface faintly catching the moonlight.
Without saying a word, he carefully fastened it around Elyra's neck. The cool metal rested gently against her chest.
"There."
Eldern grinned proudly.
"Happy birthday, little sister."
Elyra lowered her gaze and touched the necklace.
For some reason, her chest felt warm and precious.
"T-Tank yu..."
she mumbled shyly, her cheeks turning slightly red.
Eldern's grin widened immediately.
"Hehe."
A few minutes later, both children closed their eyes, and the room gradually fell silent.
Hours passed.
Deep into the night, Elyra's eyes suddenly snapped open.
She felt it.
A presence.
Outside.
End of chapter 34