"Is it over now?"

Moen exhaled a long sigh of relief as he looked around at the suddenly empty, desolate space.

Moon of Silence had already been dragged back to the outer world that belonged to it by the King of Wither. In a one-on-one confrontation like this, the outcome for Moon of Silence could easily be predicted. There was no longer any chance for it to strike again and hurt his senior sister.

Its plan had been utterly ruined.

However, Moen tilted his head back to gaze at the once-clouded haze of the dark moon, now sealed once more, and a trace of understanding flickered through his heart.

No.

It wasn't over yet.

Moen lowered his gaze to the girl in his arms.

The girl still had her eyes tightly shut, her eyebrows furrowed in a slight frown. Jet-black scales covered her delicate, alabaster skin as the serpentine tail—peeking out from beneath her violet dress—gently swayed with the rhythm of her soft breathing, unintentionally revealing its eerie presence.

The moon was nearing its end.

But the girl had yet to receive the redemption she deserved.

This kind of conclusion—how could Moen possibly accept it?

"So..."

Moen leaned down, letting his forehead touch the girl's.

"Don't be afraid, senior sister. I'm right here."

---

"Monster!"

"Monster!"

"You little monster!"

Amid a chaotic whirlwind of overlapping light and shadow, Anna heard the sound of someone cursing.

The voice was unbearably harsh, filled with vile words, spoken with the kind of unrestrained hatred reserved for a sworn enemy.

Who were they...

Ah, that's right. They were her parents.

It took Anna a long while to summon the memory from the distant depths of her mind, to match the shadowy figures with the right identities.

—Her biological parents.

The ones who had completely abandoned her when she was very young.

So much time had passed. She had even forgotten what they looked like.

And yet, though the abrasive shouting echoed in her ears—sharp enough to anger even the mildest of temperaments—Anna found herself completely unaffected.

Lowering her head, she glanced at her arms.

The hideous black scales.

Ah, right. She was a monster. So what right did she have to resent them for abandoning her? Should she even be angry?

Fearing monsters—wasn't that just human nature?

She had long since grown used to it.

Pressing her palms over her ears, Anna continued forward.

The path was long.

Its destination, unknown.

Walking down this endless road, she found herself surrounded by vague, blurry figures of people. Their voices clamored noisily, all echoing her parents' words.

"Monster."

"Monster."

"Look, that's a monster right there."

Even with her ears covered, those voices surged into her mind, unstoppable.

It didn't matter.

There was nothing worth getting angry over.

They were just strangers, after all.

What they said had nothing to do with her—right?

As long as...

"Monster!"

Anna's expression briefly changed.

Before her stood a figure, blocking her way. But this time, that face—

It was no longer indistinct.

It was her orphanage matron.

At this very moment, the face that had once been so kind and gentle in her memory had twisted into an expression of rage and grotesque loathing. The matron fixed her gaze on Anna, shouting at the top of her lungs:

"Don't come any closer, monster!"

"..."

"Monster!"

Gradually, more faces emerged with clarity.

The children she grew up with at the orphanage.

Strangers she had crossed paths with on the bustling streets.

Even the seniors she met when she entered the academy.

And then—

That old man.

"You! Monster!"

Striking the armrests of his rocking chair furiously, his face turned ashen with anger as he roared:

"Get out of here! You're not welcome here!"

"Yeah! That's right! You're not welcome here!"

"Go away! There's no place for a monster like you here!"

Now, everyone was shouting. All these people, bearing faces Anna remembered, were loudly declaring the same thing as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Yes.

It was natural.

Monsters weren't supposed to be accepted.

That was just how things were.

She has no one to blame.

It was her own bad fortune—her own fate.

That was all.

---

Finally breaking free from the myriad of curses and accusations ringing in her ears, Anna arrived at the edge of an endless black sea.

Through its dark waters, she gazed at her own reflection.

The image that stared back at her was of a creature covered head to toe in black scales, with cold, reptilian slit-pupil eyes. A sinuous tail swayed behind her, emanating an air of eerie, otherworldly danger.

No wonder everyone hated her.

The reflection in the water was so grotesque, so revolting—it was unbearable to look at.

At that moment, as Anna stood before the vast expanse of darkness, staring at that distorted, monstrous image of herself, a sudden understanding dawned on her.

"So that's how it is."

She laughed wryly at herself.

"Good enough, then."

And with a slight twist of her snake-like tail, she moved forward, diving into the ocean. Letting its black waters rise to engulf her, bit by bit.

**[Senior Sister.]**

Just before she was fully submerged, Anna turned her head to glance back toward the shore, where blurry or sometimes clear faces still watched her.

"There's one person... missing, isn't there?"

Someone important.

But who could it be?

She couldn't recall.

**[Senior Sister.]**

...Never mind.

Even if she did remember, it would only mean one more person calling her a monster, wouldn't it?

Anna chuckled briefly, then let her body sink deeper into the abyss of the dark waters.

Endless darkness smothered her completely.

Yes.

This was better.

**[Senior Sister.]**

No one would be burdened by her anymore.

No one would be hurt because of her.

And she wouldn't bring destruction to this world.

Just like this, she would quietly, silently—

Disappear into the darkness.

**[Senior Sister.]**

She wouldn’t trouble anyone again.

She wouldn’t be in pain.

She wouldn’t feel sorrow.

She wouldn’t feel loneliness.

**[Senior Sister!]**

Enough! Stop it!

Abruptly, Anna raised her head and turned to the source of that persistent, intrusive voice, one she had been intentionally ignoring all this time.

"Can't you let me... rest in peace?"

The moment those words fell from her lips—

Boundless light tore through the surface of the ocean, penetrating into the depths with overwhelming force.

The darkness was split apart.

And in this searing brilliance, a blonde boy with an indistinct but warm smile reached out his hand.

"You're finally answering me, Senior Sister. It's time to come back with me."

"I..."

In a daze, Anna blinked.

Before she could say another word, his hand grabbed her.

Tightly.

"So this time," the golden-haired boy said firmly, his voice filled with determination, "I won't let you run away again, Senior Sister."

Harnessing the endless light, he pulled her—dragging her out of the darkness, despite her struggles.

---

"...Where am I?"

On the remains of a shattered altar, Anna slowly opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was the familiar face of the golden-haired boy.

"Junior?"

"Senior Sister, you're finally awake."

Seeing Anna's still-dazed expression, Moen let out a smile.

The fiery red glow in his eyes faded, and he exhaled a long breath.

"Good thing," he said lightly, "you didn't really forget me. Otherwise, I might've been truly heartbroken."

"Forget you? What are you talking about, Junior?"

Anna furrowed her brows slightly, a hand going to rub her temples instinctively.

"I feel like... I had a strange dream?"

"A dream? Perhaps it’s better to think of it that way..."

Moen chuckled softly. "Are you feeling okay, Senior Sister?"

"Sure. It's just..."

Anna started to speak, but then froze mid-sentence.

That was when she realized—she was currently being tightly embraced by Moen.

The two were so close, she could distinctly feel his body heat and the rhythm of his breathing.

This posture, no matter how you looked at it, was incredibly intimate.