"You okay?"

The boy kept an easy grin on his face as he rummaged through his backpack.

"Here, take this ointment—it works pretty well!"

He pulled out a small jar and pressed it into Rein’s hand, ignoring the cuts on his own arms from the kids’ stones.

"You should use it yourself. Open wounds shouldn’t be treated with this…"

"You still need to bandage it!"

The boy yanked a roll of white cloth from his pack, tearing off a strip to wrap around Rein’s head wound.

"Hold on. Don’t touch my wound. The blood’ll clot fast in this weather."

Rein eyed the stained bandages skeptically, wondering what grimy tasks they’d handled before.

"Fine, suit yourself. But why’d those kids target you?"

"Just passed through their turf. Guess they didn’t like my face."

Rein didn’t elaborate. She hugged her knees, curling into a tight ball to trap a hint of warmth.

The boy’s room was barely a room—just a shack held up by wooden frames and patched-together roofing. Cramped with clattering machinery, it felt more like a warehouse than a home.

"Your… stuff…"

"Huh? Oh! These? They’re my babies!"

His eyes lit up like a scholar showing off prized research. Pride radiated from every gesture as he launched into a technical monologue.

*Golden…*

A flash of red in Rein’s eyes. Around the boy’s neck gleamed a golden collar.

*Gold means destined for success. Clear goals. Relentless drive.*

"...Kinda sleepy…"

His booming voice, thick with jargon, blurred into a lullaby in Rein’s ears. Magic studies had drilled obscure terms into her too—but this mechanical babble held no spark. Her eyelids grew heavy. She drifted off, breath evening into a faint snore. The boy paused mid-sentence, watching her. He sighed. "Another one put to sleep by my lecture…"

***

"Dream or reality?"

Rein stood on a floating platform, endless white clouds rolling like ocean waves below. The entire continent sprawled beneath her feet.

"Both, little Rein!" Nona’s voice chimed behind her.

"How’s girl life treating you after a few hours?"

"Fine. Not terrible."

"Good. You nearly severed someone’s fate back there, didn’t you?"

"If no one stopped me… I might have."

"Strange. An old soul like you, snapping so easily?"

"...What’s that supposed to mean?"

"Just what it sounds like. Your body’s young now, but that ancient mindset? It clashes. So I tweaked you—made you quicker to anger."

"...Unnecessary."

"Precaution. Didn’t you notice one of my heirs crossed your path?"

"The Holy Knight?"

"Guess."

"Not playing. Your mark gave no reaction."

Rein thrust out her left hand. A faint white tattoo barely visible on her pale skin.

"Because the answer’s uncertain! I never said I had only one heir—or that heirs stay heirs. One choice can rewrite a destiny!"

"When *will* this mark react?"

"When the answer’s set in stone. Fun, right?"

"Boring."

"Eh? I designed it carefully!"

Nona kept talking, but Rein’s focus shattered as a thunderous explosion ripped through the dream. She jolted awake.

She stumbled past scattered machines, colliding with the boy rushing in from outside.

"Awake already? That blast woke you?"

"What happened?"

The street behind him churned with panicked crowds, a stark contrast to the calm when she’d arrived.

"Dunno! Came from the Inner District—"

"*Inner District…*"

Rein shoved past him. Smoke signals coiled over the city’s heart. Combined with the rushed militiamen she’d seen earlier, the truth clicked.

"Where are you going?"

"The Inner District!"

"You can’t go alone—a girl like you! I’ll come!"

He slung his backpack on, that same reckless grin plastered on his face.

"No."

Rein’s refusal was ice. The boy opened his mouth, then froze under the weight of her crimson gaze.

*Red eyes. Demon eyes…*

"Wait—what’s your name?"

"Rein."

Just a name. Harmless enough to share.

"Rein… Will we meet again?"

"Probably not."