This time, Yihan woke later than usual. Lying in his icy bed, he stared blankly at the familiar ceiling.

Silence surrounded him. No swirling snowflakes. No roaring flames. That shattered alleyway seemed like a mere dream—along with the two girls who’d vanished from it.

Like a thrilling yet terrifying nightmare, everything had disappeared upon waking.

Yihan pushed himself up slowly with his arms, his mood low and body heavy.

Last night’s events overwhelmed him. Witches. Witch Hunters. Things that belonged in reality had bled into his dreams.

No—this wasn’t a dream at all.

If he could rationalize Lia being a Witch, Carola’s true face shattered every illusion completely.

He hadn’t mistaken her. The dark blue hair. The ice-controlling power. Identical to the Carola he knew now.

Only this past version of her had been colder, sharper—devoid of the liveliness and cuteness she showed today. And shorter, too.

So everything he’d seen… was it the past of this very continent?

“What a mess…” He covered his face, struggling out of bed. After dressing, he pushed open the kitchen door—and froze.

A woman sat rigidly at the table, glaring at him. Her expression screamed: *I’m paying rent. How dare you sleep in and starve me?*

Yet her pouting held zero intimidation. After her recent antics around Yihan, she lacked even a fraction of her former imposing aura.

Staring at her, Yihan’s thoughts drifted to the old Carola. His gaze grew distant.

Carola shifted uncomfortably under his stare. “Hey! What’re you gawking at? Did I forget to wear clothes or something? Planning to get frisky this early?”

Her three-pronged attack caught him off guard. *Is this really the woman who used to speak in monosyllables?*

Ignoring her ridiculous questions, Yihan pulled out a chair and sat opposite her, face grave. “I need to ask you something.”

“Go ahead.”

He took a deep breath, forcing his voice steady. “That Crimson Flame Witch… what’s her name?”

Carola blinked in surprise. Yihan rarely asked about Witches—they always led to arguments about him fleeing town. She’d avoided the topic deliberately.

Now he’d brought it up himself. His solemn expression… had he finally decided to leave?

Relief flooded her. *Good. Run far away. Stay safe. Then I can fight that Witch freely with my comrades.*

“Lia,” she answered without hesitation. She’d briefly spoken to the Witch back in Soul Valley Town.

Even braced for it, hearing that name from Carola’s lips sent numbness crashing through Yihan. His tongue froze.

“Where was she first born?”

“A town called Soul Valley Town. Built deep in the mountains—belongs to no nation. Travelers and merchants use it as a stopover.”

“Did she have parents? Family?”

“None. An orphanage raised her.” Carola’s lips twisted faintly. “Probably abandoned when they discovered her Witch nature. No one accepts Witches among them. Unstable. Uncontrollable. They only bring endless disaster.”

“She’s not like that!” The shout startled them both. Carola’s eyes widened as if she’d misheard.

Yihan sank back into his chair. “Sorry… You mentioned once—you’d met her. Sealed her?”

“I did.” Carola’s guard snapped up. “Wait. Why dig into this?”

Yihan swallowed, guilt flashing across his face. “Just… trying to understand Witches better. Prepare for the future.”

“If you truly wanted that, you’d be packing your bags right now. I doubt my comrades stopped her.”

“Not that. Just… tell me about your past with the Crimson Flame Witch. Why did she ruin everything? What does she want?”

*To find you.* Carola sighed inwardly. How was Yihan connected to that Witch? He carried no Witch scent. Had the Crimson Flame Witch heard he was her destined killer? That didn’t fit her nature.

Five years—long enough to blur memories. The toll of overusing her power left Carola’s recollections of that snowy town hazy. Fights with the Crimson Flame Witch. Heavy conversations. Most details were gone. Only the name and abilities remained clear.

Except… in her final moments before sealing, Lia had kept whispering a name. Whose name?

The Witch refused to say—afraid Carola would steal what was hers.

*Ridiculous. I wouldn’t want it.*

Meeting Yihan’s tense, hopeful eyes, Carola’s resolve crumbled.

*Foolish,* she chided herself. *For a man who merely resembles him… I’m spilling everything so easily.*

Perhaps she’d needed to unburden herself. That past was her life’s turning point. Without it, she wouldn’t be living so lightly today.

Apologizing silently to her comrades still fighting Witches, she chose truth.

“Yihan. Five years ago, I sealed the Crimson Flame Witch deep in the snowy mountains. I didn’t destroy her—someone stopped me. He believed sealing could suppress her power. Give her peace.”

“But no one expected this: five years of imprisonment didn’t erase her memories. It only deepened her hatred. When she awoke… she began her revenge.”

“Later, we learned she was searching for someone while causing destruction.”

Carola closed her eyes as Yihan’s expression darkened.

“And that person…” Her voice dropped. “I’d say it’s almost certainly you.”