The grand hall of the Anruin palace was vast, every corner glittering with gemstones embedded in the walls, catching the sunlight that poured in through high arched windows. The air smelled faintly of polished stone and warmth from the sun-drenched floors.
The young ruler, King Gatling Zellon, stretched his arms wide, a smile so bright and innocent it made the space feel smaller, closer, warmer.
"Oh, Elmira! It's so good to see you again!" He dashed forward, arms outstretched for a hug. Elmira stepped back gracefully, dodging him with a soft laugh.
"It's nice to see you, Gatling," she said, keeping her composure.
"So it is to you." He glanced around, noticing Shun and Mira ignoring Shoda completely. His tone shifted, casual and friendly. "Shun, how are ya, bud?"
Shun gave a small nod. "I'm good. Everything's… normal."
Then his gaze softened as it landed on Mira. "You look well, elder cousin."
Shoda's head snapped toward them. "Ehhhhhh… whaaaaaaat?"
Gatling's eyes widened slightly as he finally noticed Shoda standing behind Elmira. "And who's this?"
Lysa answered respectfully. "He is the new manservant, Lord Eldritch hired two months ago."
Gatling's grin returned. He extended a hand. "Well, nice to meet you."
Shoda stepped forward, folding his arms. "Hmph. No need for formalities. My name is Iwamoto Shoda—the man who will win Elmira."
"No, Shoda… not now, please," Elmira whispered, her face heating.
Shoda scratched the back of his neck. "Sorry."
Gatling leaned closer to Shoda's ear, voice low, teasing. "You don't have a shot, punk. Look at you—plain and useless."
Shoda's eyes narrowed, fists clenching. "Huh? You said what? You punk! I'm gonna break that smirk off your face and beat you to a pulp!"
Shun grabbed his arm. "Big bro, stop it… you're embarrassing us."
Hector, the king's assistant, observed quietly. "Hmph… this is the new manservant? Lacks manners. Hopefully, he'll calm down."
Shoda exhaled sharply. "I… I apologize for my behavior."
Gatling, now turning toward Mira, softened. "I'm sorry I didn't greet you properly, cousin."
Shoda, eyebrow raised, muttered under his breath, "Yeah… what's with this? I know she was born here, but…"
Mira cut him off. "We're not related. Not anymore."
Gatling's grin faltered. "Don't be like that. You're lucky King Eldritch saw you striving—Aunt Lavina wouldn't be pleased."
Mira's face twisted with anger and grief. "Keep my mother's name out of your filthy mouth!"
Hector nodded in agreement. "Indeed, Aunt Lavina would hate such rudeness."
"Shut up, Hector!" Mira spat.
Gatling and Hector leaned in, pressure mounting, but Shun stepped forward. "That's enough. Back off."
Shoda's eyes blazed. "Get lost, you people are terrible!"
Elmira stepped between them, raising a hand in frustration. "She's hurting! Can't you see that? How can you treat your own cousin like this?"
"She's not my cousin," Gatling shot back coldly. "She hates us."
"Damn right I do!" Mira's voice cracked as tears formed, and she stormed out. Shun followed to comfort her.
Shoda turned toward the remaining court. "You people are awful. you say this is Paradise. Paradise? What part of your actions is paradise?"
Gatling, trying to maintain his composure, snapped. "Watch your tone, dog."
Shoda froze, then Lysa stepped between them, bowing in respect. "My apologies," she said softly on Shoda's behalf.
Gatling's features relaxed into his warm smile again. "I always tell you not to bring Mira or Tomas here, yet you wouldn't listen."
Lysa and Elmira apologized quietly.
Hector finally intervened. "Enough of this commotion. Since King Eldritch isn't present, Miss Crow, you will be his standby. Agreed?"
"Yes," Lysa replied firmly.
Hector led Lysa into another room.
Gatling leaned back in his seat, motioning to the two of them. "Now, the three of us are alone. Let's take a grand tour."
They exited the hall, passing the lobby. Shun's hand rested gently on Mira's shoulder, trying to calm her. The group's eyes met briefly in the rearview mirror—Shoda, Elmira, and the others watching silently.
"Where are we going, big bro?" Shun asked.
Shoda's jaw tightened. "A tour of the city… the real Anruin."
Elmira gently approached Mira. "Would you join us?"
Mira hesitated. Then slowly nodded, stepping into the carriage.
The carriage itself was a masterpiece, encrusted with the finest gems Anruin had to offer. Each wheel spun smoothly, the metal glinting like liquid gold.
They rolled past gleaming streets and bustling marketplaces, Gatling narrating.
"This city… it's built upon a Devil Sister's grave. Buried here after death alongside the third-generation World Knight. Gems appeared one by one, then millions. Soon the city itself sparkled with minerals. People say the dead bring luck, though…" His voice trailed off, unsure.
Shoda's curiosity sharpened. "Do you know which Devil Sister?"
"Not sure," Gatling admitted. "Aurora, perhaps—the Sister of Greed and Oceans. Or another. The remains have been carefully preserved for centuries."
They passed a massive tree, its trunk embedded with enormous gemstones.
"This is the Axis Mundi Tree," Gatling explained. "Seventy feet tall—nearly as high as a Jotunn. Also known as the Trail Tree."
Shoda leaned forward. "Why 'Trail Tree'?"
Gatling's tone darkened. "No citizen is meant to enter. Anyone who does faces three trials—personal trials. Fail, and one becomes mentally scarred. Unstable. That's why you stay away."
Mira's hands shook. Her face was a mask of anger, guilt, grief. "Enough, Gatling!"
He tilted his head. "What did you say?"
"Enough," she hissed, threads of her magic flickering dangerously near his face. "You attacking a king—one of many great follies—but since you're my elder cousin, I'll let it slide."
Shoda's eyes narrowed. "Mira, are you—?"
"Shut up, Shoda," she snapped.
Elmira's soft voice broke through. "No, Mira… this isn't the way."
Mira's rage surged, but Shun gently held her back. "At least… don't hurt him. It could start a war."
Mira clenched her fists, voice low but dangerous. "Tell him to stop insulting my mother and my younger brother this instant."
Gatling, unbothered, opened the carriage door. "GET OUT."
Shoda shot up. "What? You can't—who the hell are you?"
"I'm the King of Anruin," Gatling said flatly. "King Gatling Zellon. And I'm not asking permission. Leave, or face consequences."
Mira, tears streaming, obeyed. Shun followed, supporting her.
Shoda's chest heaved. "That's not okay. What you did—unforgivable."
Elmira's hand rested lightly on his arm. "I admit, Gatling, there was no way to handle Mira."
Gatling's patience snapped. He struck Shoda with a punch, sending him flying across the carriage. Shoda hit the floor, pain searing through him.
Elmira immediately stepped in, a surge of light magic flickering around her hands, ready to strike.
Shoda, blood at his lips, gritted his teeth. Incredible… a single punch and it felt like a bulldozer. He's only seventeen… what a beast.
Gatling's expression softened slightly. "Elmira… my dear. I still love you. But your attitude… it annoys me."
Elmira shook her head. "Why… why aren't you the Gatling I remember?"
"I am," he spat, fury flashing in his eyes. "But seeing her face… I'm left in disarray. I hate her to my very fiber."
Shoda's mind raced. That hatred… immense. Terrible.
Elmira's gaze was steady. "You don't know Mira. You're wrong."
Gatling's jaw clenched. "What do you know, huh? Nothing! Absolutely nothing! She ruined my aunt Lavina's life, her mother's life! How can she be a good person? I won't believe it… I can't!"
The carriage rolled onward, the glittering city reflecting off Shoda's tense, furious expression. The trials of Anruin were only beginning.
And he could feel—deep in his chest—that nothing in this city would be easy.
The carriage doors opened with a quiet click, revealing the polished marble floors of the Anruin castle. Gatling strode ahead, chest high, his smile still perfectly poised, yet something sharper lingered in his eyes. Behind him, Shoda trudged, blood lingering on his lip, and Elmira followed, her hands lightly brushing the carved railings, as if grounding herself.
Elmira glanced at Shoda, a small, soft smile forming. "Shoda… are you okay?"
Shoda's expression fell, shoulders heavy. "Yeah… I'm okay. But…" He paused, shaking his head. "I feel bad for Mira. She looked so hurt… yesterday morning too. It's like… she didn't want to be here at all."
Elmira's eyes dropped, a shadow passing over her silver-white features. Her hands twitched slightly at her sides. "This city… it brought her so much pain when she was young. I don't know all the details, but I can feel it. She's hurting immensely."
Shoda's gaze softened, a hint of a smile forming. "On the bright side… she's with Shun. He'll stick by her."
Elmira nodded quietly, exhaling. "Yes… I hope he can make her feel better. She deserves that… at least that."
The three moved deeper into the castle, the halls echoing faintly with the sound of their footsteps. The walls shimmered with gold and gem inlays, but the grandeur didn't feel warm—it felt heavy, as if the weight of the city's history pressed down on them.
---
The scene shifted.
Mira stood alone, her breathing shallow, her chest rising and falling with quiet heaviness. She was outside her childhood home, now a dilapidated husk, overgrown with roots and moss, the windows dark and hollow. Normally, Shun's energy would stand out like a candle in the dark, but he remained silent, steady behind her, a pillar of quiet support.
"I'm… going in," Mira whispered, her voice trembling, fragile.
She stepped forward, the wooden threshold creaking beneath her. The moment her foot crossed the line, tears burned her eyes. The interior was a ruin—algae and roots snaked across the floor, walls shriveled and rotting.
Her gaze fell on a small, worn Binky—Tomas's comfort object as a toddler—tangled in the roots near a broken dresser. A bed, once used for childhood naps and playtime, now sagged under decay.
Mira sank to her knees, hands clutching the remnants of the past. Memories flooded her mind in an unstoppable torrent.
The laughter. The warmth. Tomas giggling as Lavina tickled him. Their small hands clutching hers as they ran across the garden. The nights they slept together in the same bed, whispering secrets.
Her body shook. "Mom… why aren't you here with me?" she choked out. "I miss you… Tomas misses you… I can't… I can't be here alone…"
Shun stepped forward silently, kneeling beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. The other hand rested lightly on her back.
"You're not alone, Mira," he murmured, his voice calm but firm. "I'm here. We'll get through this. Step by step… you don't have to face it all at once. Breathe. Just breathe with me."
Her tears soaked his sleeve, her body trembling. Slowly, her sobs softened. She let herself lean into him, trusting the quiet strength he offered.
Moments passed like this—no words, only shared breath and steady presence. Then Mira exhaled sharply, wiping her tears, a flicker of resolve igniting in her gaze. She stood, shakily at first, then steadier.
Shun gave a slight nod, a small, approving smile. "Good. Let's leave this place. It's behind you now."
Mira cast one last glance at the ruins—the remnants of her childhood, the echoes of laughter and loss—and shut the door behind her. The heavy click resonated in the quiet alley, a symbolic sealing of past pain.
---
Now, the story shifts to a flashback.
The memories would not come gently—they would slam into her consciousness, unrelenting, vivid, forcing her to relive moments of joy, despair, and growth. Every laugh, every whisper, every tear would be sharpened by the weight of the present, teaching her that moving forward required facing what was left behind.