Morning sunlight slowly slipped through the thin curtains of the rented room.
Golden rays painted the quiet space in warmth, chasing away the darkness of night.
Lana slept peacefully on the bed, her breathing calm and steady. One hand rested gently in Null's grasp.
Null sat on the floor beside the bed, his back leaning against the wall. His head tilted slightly forward, eyes closed in light sleep — yet his hand held Lana's tightly, almost desperately.
As if letting go meant losing her again.
Outside the room, the kingdom had already awakened.
Leo walked through the busy streets carrying a paper bag filled with breakfast supplies.
Bread, fruits, and a few unfamiliar local dishes peeked from inside.
His face clearly showed exhaustion.
Dark circles under his eyes.
Slow steps.
A yawn escaped him as he walked.
He hadn't slept at all.
After buying everything, Leo stopped near a familiar place — the same public bench where he had spent most of the night.
He sat down heavily.
"…Why am I even here again?"
He sighed and pulled out his phone.
The screen lit up.
Before Leo could speak, Chibi appeared immediately.
"I don't understand you," Chibi said, arms crossed. "You sleep only a few hours and spend the entire night awake."
Leo blinked tiredly.
"What?"
Chibi continued, analyzing him seriously.
"If my calculations are correct, your excuse is last night you fought a psycho-level, overpowered assassin. Yet instead of resting, you wandered around again."
He leaned closer to the screen.
"So tell me — if i am wrong what is your excuse?"
Leo stared at him silently for a moment.
"You already assumed I'm making excuses," he said.
"Correct."
Leo sighed.
"…Last night, I met someone special."
Chibi raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Explain. Who is this person, and what makes them special?"
Leo looked toward the sky briefly before answering.
"She's Null's sister."
Chibi froze.
His usual teasing expression vanished instantly.
"…Ah."
Understanding appeared on his face.
"That explains why you didn't sleep."
Leo frowned. "What does that mean?"
Chibi smirked again.
"So one of your fantasies might finally be coming true."
Leo squinted suspiciously. "What are you implying?"
Chibi grinned mischievously.
"A wise person understands hints."
He pointed behind Leo.
"Why are you still sitting here? You have many things to do today."
The screen suddenly dimmed.
Leo quickly turned it off himself.
"Shut up."
He stood up, muttering to himself.
"…And now I understand what he meant."
Leo began walking back toward the room, slightly annoyed.
"I don't even know why I sat there wasting time."
When Leo entered the room, sunlight had fully filled the space.
Null and Lana were already awake, sitting together and talking quietly.
Both turned as Leo entered.
"Good morning," Leo said, placing the food down.
Null smiled warmly.
"Good morning. If you didn't know, we were just talking about you."
Leo sat down dramatically.
"Really? I thought you forgot about me after finding your sister."
He pushed the bag forward.
"Anyway, I brought breakfast."
Null nodded gratefully.
"Thank you. And don't say that — I could never forget you."
He laughed lightly.
Leo joined him.
"Hehehe."
Their laughter sounded oddly synchronized.
Lana watched them silently.
"…Can I ask something?"
Both boys stopped laughing instantly.
"Yes?" they said together.
She frowned slightly.
"Why are you both laughing like mentally ill patients staring at each other?"
Silence.
The atmosphere froze.
Null coughed awkwardly.
"…Anyway," he said quickly, turning serious, "Leo, I know you have many questions."
Leo crossed his arms.
"If you knew that, why were we laughing just now?"
Lana sighed in irritation.
"If the laughing discussion is finished, can we start already?"
Null nodded.
His expression softened as memories surfaced.
"It started when I was two years old," Null began quietly.
One day, my mother took me with her to gather wood."
His gaze drifted downward.
"I wandered too far… and got lost."
The room grew silent.
"I tried to find her," he continued. "I called out, walked everywhere… but I couldn't see her anywhere."
His hands tightened slightly.
"I was scared. I almost started crying."
Leo listened carefully, saying nothing.
"Then," Null said softly, "I heard another sound."
A faint smile appeared.
"A baby crying."
Lana looked at him quietly.
"I don't know why," Null admitted, "but instead of searching for my mother… I followed that voice."
He paused.
"And there she was."
His eyes moved toward Lana.
"A small girl. Around one year old. Sitting alone and crying in the forest."
Leo blinked in surprise.
"You mean—"
Null nodded.
"Yes. Lana."
Lana lowered her gaze shyly.
"I didn't understand anything back then," Null said. "But when I tried getting closer, I suddenly heard my mother calling my name from far away."
He chuckled softly.
"I should have run toward her immediately."
A small silence followed.
"But instead… I tried to stop Lana from crying."
He looked at his hands, remembering.
"I didn't know what to do. So I just stayed beside her."
His voice softened.
"And somehow… she stopped crying."
Lana smiled faintly.
"Mom says I stopped crying the moment you touched my hand."
Null nodded slowly.
"A few moments later, my mother found us both."
Leo leaned forward, fully absorbed.
"What happened after that?"
Null's expression became nostalgic.
"My mother brought Lana home with us temporarily while villagers searched for her family."
He paused.
"…But no one ever came."
The morning light grew brighter, illuminating their faces.
"So from that day onward," Null said quietly, "she became my little sister."
Lana's eyes shimmered slightly.
"You were the first person I ever remembered," she whispered.
Leo watched them silently.
For once, he didn't interrupt.
The bond between them felt real — something built long before this strange world, before battles, before assassins and Creators.
A bond formed from loneliness and kindness.
Null exhaled slowly.
"But one day…"
His voice lowered.
"…she disappeared."
The warmth in the room faded slightly.
Leo straightened.
"And that," Null said, looking toward Lana again, "is why seeing her again feels like a miracle."
Lana squeezed his hand tighter.
"I searched for you too," she said softly.
Silence filled the room again — but this time, it was peaceful.
Leo leaned back slightly.
"…Okay," he said at last. "Now I understand why yesterday felt so serious."
He smiled faintly.
"Welcome back, Lana."
She looked at him and gave a small, grateful nod.
Outside, the kingdom continued its lively morning.
But inside the small rented room, something important had quietly changed.
Not a battle.
Not a mystery.
But a family reunited.
And for Leo, it was the first time he witnessed a connection stronger than power itself.
The story, however—
Was only just beginning.