Deep into the night, all was silent. A gentle evening breeze whispered through the air.

Beneath the vast full moon, Suran sat atop Rhine City’s highest tower, gazing wordlessly at the shimmering magic crystal in her hand.

“I really can’t stand betrayal,” she murmured inwardly.

That was Suran’s true thought—and the very reason she’d intervened in the Holy Flame Order’s internal strife.

Now she wondered: Had she, in some way, betrayed Lyasis too?

Probably… not, right?

I just… want to let go of this eight-year obsession.

Miss Lyasis… she’ll forgive me, won’t she?

Gritting her teeth and steeling her resolve, Suran crushed the crystal in her palm.

In an instant, dense magical energy swirled into countless particles of eerie blue light. They coalesced before her, slowly forming a glowing portal.

Suran stepped inside, closed her eyes gently. The blue light enveloped her completely—then vanished, taking her from this world.

...

“Ugh… mmph.”

As consciousness and senses returned, a sharp light pierced through her eyelids.

She raised a hand against the sun, sat up slowly, and blinked open her eyes.

The familiar empty room. A family photo hung on the bare wall—but its glass was shattered, blurred beyond recognition.

Suran rose, strode to the window, and yanked the curtains open. Sunlight flooded the room. Outside, cars streamed down the street; crowds bustled along the sidewalks. She murmured, dazed:

“I’m back… I’ve really come back.”

She was on Earth again—in the rented apartment she once called home.

Glancing at the calendar, her breath caught. She’d returned eight years—to the final day of *Loren’s War Chronicles* closed beta. The very day Lyasis transformed her into a girl.

Once this day passed, her “normal life” would begin.

After eight years of longing… finally resolved.

This should’ve been joyful.

So why… couldn’t she smile even a little?

*Knock, knock, knock.*

A knock echoed behind her. Suran turned, staring at the door—frozen.

She’d lived here alone. Who could be knocking?

As confusion flickered, a voice—familiar yet strange—called from beyond:

“Sweetie, come eat! It’s your birthday! Mom and Dad made so many tasty dishes~”

*Them? They’re back?*

Heart pounding, Suran opened the door. There they stood—two figures both familiar and alien—smiling warmly, taking her hands, leading her to the living room.

The table overflowed with dishes. At its center sat an exquisite birthday cake.

“Dad” and “Mom” guided her to a chair, clapping as they sang:

“Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~”

Suran felt dizzy. Reuniting with family was the future she’d dreamed of… yet staring at their smiles, nausea rose in her throat.

Yes, she’d imagined a normal life: parents reunited, school revisited, youth shared with friends.

But longing for them wasn’t forgiveness. It was nostalgia—for the family *before* it shattered.

That desperate hope had tricked her into thinking, *I don’t blame them.*

Now, she woke up.

She glared at the singing “parents,” brow furrowed deep—then swept every dish from the table!

They didn’t flinch. Still clapping, still smiling that eerie, mechanical grin:

“Happy… birth… day… to… you——"

Their voices twisted, warping into something no longer human.

The cake candles snuffed out. Darkness swallowed the room. The “parents” froze.

Then—the overhead bulb flickered on.

Suran saw their true forms.

“What… *this*?”

Not her parents. Two puppets dressed as them. The magical runes etched across their bodies… unmistakably Lyasis’s craft.

Why was Lyasis’s magic here? Why puppet parents for her birthday?

Before she could wonder, the runes faded. A splitting headache struck. A foreign memory surged into her mind.

*Not hers.*

“Is this… Miss Lyasis’s memory?”

In the vision: Lyasis walked Earth’s crowded streets. Found the man and woman who abandoned Suran.

They’d built new families. When asked about Suran, they recoiled as if hearing a forbidden name: “Never heard of her! Don’t know her!”—then fled with their new kin.

She sought Suran’s old friends. Same reaction: denial, fear, rejection.

After confirming Suran was truly cast aside, Lyasis’s lips curled into a triumphant smile. *Since none of you want her… she’s mine.*

Suran’s chest tightened.

That future she’d clung to… it was never possible.

“…Hm?”

The memory continued.

Lyasis stood exactly where Suran now stood—in this very apartment. Carefully assembling two puppets. Dressing them. Carving runes. Breathing false life into them.

“If Suran ever returns… and no one welcomes her… how terrible that would be.”

Loneliness shadowed Lyasis’s face as she whispered to them: “So… I’m counting on you.”

The vision faded.

Suran stood motionless for long moments. When awareness returned, tears streamed freely down her cheeks.

The puzzle was solved.

Lyasis had *let* herself be hypnotized. She’d given Suran the way home.

She’d always tried to keep Suran—but would’ve released her the moment Suran asked.

It was Suran who couldn’t speak the words.

That unspoken tension had held them in fragile balance.

Now Suran saw clearly.

This world held no place for her.

Her home was *there*.

“Miss Lyasis… Miss Lyasis…”

Her gaze drifted to the gaming console in the corner. Faint blue particles glimmered on its surface.

*Wait for me.*