For a moment, no one said a word.
The only sound that could be heard was the crackling of the fire beside them.
Gray stared at Neris, his expression unreadable. Marie remained silent, while Zil looked down at the little girl sleeping in his arms.
A cursed one.
The words repeated themselves in Gray's mind.
Then, before he could ask another question, something moved.
The little girl's fingers tightened around the blanket.
Zil noticed it first.
"...Guys?"
The girl's eyes slowly opened as the others stared at her.
Still dazed, she slowly sat up as her blurry vision began to clear.
"Mom?"
The little girl said as three unfamiliar faces came into view. But there was only one person she could recognize.
"Big sis Nerii... where's Mom?"
Her gaze shifted between their faces, hoping that one of them would be her mother.
As the words left her lips, tense expressions appeared on their faces.
The shock of what had happened had clearly affected her memory, but none of them wanted to force her to remember the tragedy.
Yet they knew she had to.
It was the only way she could remember what she had cherished... and what she had lost.
Neris looked at the little girl with soft eyes before walking toward her.
She knelt beside Zil and Elyra, then gently placed a hand on the girl's head.
For a moment, Neris struggled to find the words.
Then—
"...I'm so sorry, Eille. I'm so sorry."
Her voice was quiet as she looked into the girl's eyes.
In that moment, Elyra's eyes widened.
The memories came rushing back.
Memories of the happy times she had spent with her mother.
The way her mother always cared for her.
The warmth of her embrace.
And then...
The memory of her mother's lifeless body.
The moment Elyra had called her name.
The moment she realized her mother wasn't going to answer.
Tears slowly rolled down Elyra's pale face.
"Big sis Nerii..."
Her voice trembled.
"Mom's dead... isn't she?"
No one answered.
The trio remained silent, their expressions filled with sadness.
They knew that pain.
The pain of losing someone they cherished.
The helplessness of knowing there was nothing they could do to bring them back.
But for someone as young as Elyra, losing the person she loved most was something no child should have to experience.
Her body began trembling violently as the tears continued to fall.
"Mom has finally left me too... and it's all my fault."
She sobbed softly.
"I didn't want her to die, but because of me she's gone."
Her voice grew louder.
"Why... why does this always happen? Why does everyone I love leave me? I don't understand!"
Her hands tightly gripped the blanket.
"Why do I keep putting the ones I love in danger? It hurts... it really hurts!"
She lowered her head as her voice broke.
"Maybe they would still be alive if they had never met me. Mom would still be alive if she never had me."
Her sobs slowly became quieter.
Then she whispered something so softly that the others could barely hear it.
But they understood what she meant.
Maybe Mom and the others would still be alive... if I had just died.
The moment Zil heard those words, the pain in his chest intensified.
He stared at Elyra with wide eyes.
"If you really loved your mother, don't ever say that again."
Elyra looked up at him.
Only then did she seem to realize that she had been sitting on Zil's lap this entire time.
"I can forgive you for not noticing me even after you woke up."
Zil gently patted her head.
"But what I won't forgive is you insulting your mother and the people who loved you."
His voice was firm.
"They never blamed you for their deaths. And even if you were the reason they died, they still chose to stay with you because that's how much they loved you."
His expression softened.
"I know how painful it is to lose someone. I really do."
He slowly stroked her hair.
"But you don't have to blame yourself for what happened. I'm sure they would feel the same way."
Zil paused.
Then a big grin appeared on his face.
"So..."
He looked directly at her.
"Don't ever talk that way about yourself again... okay?"
Elyra stared at him.
Her eyes filled with tears once again, and her small body trembled.
She looked down as the tears rolled down her cheeks.
"Okay... I won't."
Zil pulled her into a warm embrace.
"Uh-huh. That's a good girl."
Elyra quietly cried against his chest.
After a while, Elyra had stopped crying.
She looked around the camp, now curious about the unfamiliar faces surrounding her.
"Big sis Nerii... who are they?"
Her gaze shifted between Gray and Marie.
"They're the ones who saved us from that monster."
Neris smiled faintly.
"They're our friends."
Elyra stared at the trio before lowering her head slightly.
"My name is Elyra... but you can call me Ellie. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Her voice was soft but clear.
"My name's Gray Hunter. The girl next to me is my sister, Marie, and the boy behind you is Zilders Crescent. Don't worry. You can relax around us."
Gray gave her a warm smile.
Embarrassed, Ellie lowered her gaze as a slight blush appeared on her face.
"Thank you."
A small smile formed on her lips.
Zil grinned.
"Well, don't worry. From now on, you have two big brothers and two big sisters, okay?"
He patted her head.
Ellie's smile grew wider.
"Okay."
Looking at her happy expression, one thought filled their minds.
She's so adorable.
"Ahem."
Gray cleared his throat.
"Well, let's get back to our conversation."
His expression became serious.
"I'm sorry to bring this up, but Ellie said something about her mother's death being her fault. Does that have something to do with the fact that she's a Cursed One?"
Gray stared intently at Neris.
Neris sighed before taking her seat once more.
"Yes, it does."
Her voice became serious.
"You see, Ellie's Essence is far greater than the amount a normal person's body should be able to contain."
She looked toward the girl.
"As a form of self-preservation, her body releases some of that Essence. If it didn't, her body would eventually be destroyed by the pressure."
Gray's eyes narrowed.
"But that leakage attracts monsters."
"Yes."
Neris lowered her gaze.
"Monsters can sense the Essence, which is why we've found ourselves in situations like the one earlier."
"Huh... so that's why you're headed to Luna City, right?"
Zil asked.
Neris paused before looking at the three of them.
"Yes."
She took a breath.
"And that's why I want to ask you for a favor."
"What is it?"
Gray asked, intrigued that the witch was asking something from them.
"To be honest, it will take some time for my shoulder to fully heal. And I'm not confident that I can protect Ellie without putting both of us in danger."
Neris looked between the trio.
"So... could you help us reach Luna City?"
She spoke calmly.
"It's alright if you refuse. But I've seen what the three of you can do, and with your skills, we have a much better chance of reaching Luna City safely."
She paused.
"And once we arrive, I'll make sure you're rewarded for your help."
"So... would you be willing to help?"
Gray remained silent for a moment.
He thought about everything that had happened since they met Neris.
Then he finally spoke.
"Well, we were going to help even without the reward."
Gray looked directly at her.
"But I have two conditions before I make my decision final."
Neris stared at him, waiting.
"We'll help you if you can guarantee that you have a way to cover the scent of Ellie's Essence and keep monsters from being attracted to her."
Gray's voice became firmer.
"And you have to tell us everything you know about the Dark Regions."
Neris remained silent for a moment.
"Yes. I can cover Ellie's scent for a long period, enough to keep monsters from tracking her."
She nodded.
"And I can tell you what I know about the Dark Regions."
Her expression became more serious.
"But there are some things you shouldn't know."
She stretched out her uninjured hand toward Gray.
"So... what do you say?"
Gray looked at Marie and Zil.
Both nodded simultaneously.
Gray sighed before taking Neris's hand.
"Sure."
He shook her hand.
"You have a deal."
And with that, the group slowly rose from the campfire as the last embers finally faded away.
As the sun poured into the clearing the next morning, the group began preparing for their departure.
The boys took down the tents while the girls gathered the things they would need for the rest of the journey.
Then finally, the time came.
Near the center of the clearing stood a large tree.
At its roots was a small gravestone.
A name had been carved into its surface.
Elyra knelt before it.
She clasped her hands together and lowered her head.
"Hey, Mom..."
Her voice was quiet.
"I have to go now. I wish I could stay longer, but we have to keep moving forward."
She took a small breath.
"I know it might be tough, but continue to watch over me... and show me the right way when I'm wrong."
Her eyes saddened.
"I miss you, Mom."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"But I know I'll see you again."
She slowly stood.
"So until then..."
Zil approached and gently lifted her onto his back.
The others stood beside him.
They clasped their hands.
Then-
Together, they bowed their heads toward the gravestone.
Then they began walking away.
After a few steps, Elyra looked back.
Tears filled her eyes.
A sad smile appeared on her face.
"...Goodbye, Mom."