661,

Cyclone accompanied Elyse back to the room.

After laying Feng'er on the bed, neither of them left right away.

Knowing what was about to happen, they were locked in one final struggle within themselves.

Elyse gently stroked Feng'er's face. With his eyes closed, he looked like a baby falling asleep in a sweet dream—the beloved child they'd made together.

“If he becomes an elf, will he stay by our side?”

Elyse asked Onigashima, who was invisible behind her.

Elf was a word everyone had heard before.

Through books and rumors, people knew a lot about elves—and very little.

But few people truly understood elves.

Aside from hunters, monsters who roamed among magical beasts, and people who'd been modified into something strange.

“No. Once he becomes an elf, he'll return to the place where he belongs.”

Without turning around, Cyclone spoke as he looked at Feng'er.

“This place... doesn't belong to him?”

“I know what you're trying to say, but elves are simpler than you think. You could even say they're the happiest beings among intelligent magical lifeforms.”

Onigashima let out a soft sigh.

“They return to nature, far away from all trouble.”

“All... trouble?”

“Elves became the stuff of rumors because no one can see them. Even I've only seen them a few times, just as they were turning away.”

Onigashima stepped forward and patted Cyclone on the shoulder.

“You should understand better than anyone, shouldn't you? As long as people can think, they'll have troubles. That's why... they don't like places where humans live.”

At that, Elyse threw herself over Feng'er, hugged him tight, and burst into tears.

“I... I really don't want to...”

Cyclone went up behind Elyse and gathered both her and Feng'er into his arms.

“I understand... I understand...”

Elyse cried for about ten minutes before finally letting go.

There was no other choice. Compared to turning him into an infant ghoul, Elyse could only choose to make him an elf.

Heartbroken and weak, Elyse could only let Cyclone support her as they left.

It was a special night, one that Elyse might never forget for the rest of her life—and one Cyclone might never forget for the rest of his, either.

A night of saying goodbye to their son—the Night of the Infant Ghoul.

Everyone waited in the hall, all staring at an ordinary-looking door.

There was nothing behind that door but a corpse.

They waited and listened. The moment the bell rang would be the signal to begin.

Yuna sat with her arms and legs crossed.

Eileen held a glass of water. Whenever she felt nervous, she took a sip—and now she couldn't stop drinking.

Little Dragon was the same. Though she sat on a sofa a little farther away, she had her eyes closed and was listening intently.

Beside Little Dragon sat Hilmirya, hands clasped in prayer.

Cyclone and Elyse sat at the dining table, waiting beside Yuna.

Just as everyone was feeling tense, Onigashima suddenly spoke up.

“How about a game of Duel Cards?”

Onigashima tried asking Cyclone, but Cyclone didn't answer right away. He just stared at him, dazed.

His wives could only cover their eyes with their hands in wordless disbelief. Onigashima's complete inability to read the room was terrifying.

But Cyclone wouldn't blame Onigashima. He knew the man had only suggested a card game to ease everyone's tension, since they were all so nervous.

Still, Cyclone hadn't expected the card game Onigashima suggested to be the work of his troublemaking friend, Cabellus.

“I'm not playing.”

But whoever had made it, Cyclone had no intention of playing.

With something this important about to happen, Cyclone just couldn't bring himself to play a game.

On the other side, after Cyclone turned him down, Onigashima had no choice but to give up on the thing he wasn't used to doing.

He walked over to the door by himself and sat down in front of it.

And so he sat there for a full hour.

It wasn't until a faint sound came that Onigashima finally raised his head.