“Yurian!”
“What now!”
As soon as his name was called, a gust of wind blew and Didi appeared.
This feels like some summoning spell… I kinda like it, Shekina felt a bit pleased.
“Why? What is it? What’s going on?”
Didi asked, looking flustered as she grabbed Shekina and looked around.
“Oh, I just wanted to know where Yurian’s room is.”
“…You called me just for that?”
“Yes.”
Shekina’s casual response nearly made Didi lose her composure.
Wait, wasn’t this the kid who almost died earlier?
Then why do she seem perfectly fine now?
Didi let out a snort.
“Hey, you….”
“Yeah?”
“Are you okay?”
Shekina’s eyes widened. Seeing Shekina’s obvious discomfort, Didi hurriedly added,
“I mean, I was sure Yurian would beat you and could kill you, and I still believe and hope for that.”
Let’s take a breathe. This is too much.
“But, I’d prefer if you didn’t die right in front of me.”
“Should I go to the back mountain and die then?”
Honestly.
Shekina shook her head.
“I’m not going to die. I don’t want to die.”
“B, but why are you going to Yurian then?”
“I have something to say.”
“Are you going to fight again?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to fight, but he might want to.”
“…..….”
Didi rolled her words around in her mouth.
“Well, it seems dangerous.”
“Are you worried about me?”
“No! Absolutely not!”
Yelling, Didi pointed down the hall.
“Over there! Go up a floor and you’ll find the room! That’s Yurian’s room! Got it? Go die or whatever you want! Hmph!”
Shekina burst into laughter. It was obvious what Didi was feeling.
“Hey.”
Shekina patted Didi’s arm.
“Thanks for saving me earlier. I’m going now.”
Didi didn’t look at Shekina as she walked past.
What to do?
Her love for Yurian made her want to support Yurian’s choice, but another part of her screamed that it was wrong.
What to do?
Really, what should she do?
***
Shekina took a deep breath as she stood in front of Yurian’s door.
She had learned through the system window that Yurian was being threatened.
So there was no need to be afraid anymore.
‘…Will this be okay?’
What if Yurian really wanted to kill me?
What if he hates that I’m human so much that he attacks?
What if he just takes this opportunity to kill me since he’s being threatened?
‘Damn it.’
Shekina ruffled her hair and took a deep breath.
‘If that’s the case.’
– Knock knock
‘Then I’ll run.’
Shekina put her foot through the crack of the open door.
“…What is it?”
Yurian’s expression darkened when he saw Shekina.
With cold eyes, he looked down at Shekina.
“Why are you here?”
Shekina met Yurian’s gaze and entered the room.
Earlier, the encounter was too sudden and overwhelming, like a sudden disaster, so it was terrifying.
‘But not now.’
Now that Shekina knew why Yurian was acting this way.
She weren’t scared.
“You.”
Shekina took a step toward Yurian.
“What’s the real reason you want to kill me?”
Yurian’s lips stiffened slightly.
He sighed deeply and ran a hand through his hair.
“Because you’re human. I told you that before.”
“Really?”
Shekina’s eyes widened.
“Really? You want to kill me just because I’m human? You didn’t lie?”
“You….”
Yurian unconsciously took a step back.
It was a different energy from before.
Shekina, who had looked like a weak weed moments ago, now appeared like a sturdy old tree weathering a storm. Yurian swallowed hard.
“What do you want to say?”
“You’re being threatened, aren’t you?”
Yurian’s eyes widened. How did Shekina know?
“I happen to know someone who went through something similar. Ah, that person lost to the threats and ended up losing everything.”
Shekina thought of Han as she spoke.
“If you kill me, what do you think will happen?”
Han had been assigned to kill the Emperor. So, he killed the Emperor. However, the Emperor didn’t die. Instead, something wearing the Emperor’s guise continued to live.
The same would happen here.
If Shekina dies, something else wearing Shekina’s guise would take her place.
“I won’t disappear. Something that looks just like me will come instead.”
“What are you talking about…?”
“And then you’ll die.”
Shekina grabbed Yurian’s wrist tightly.
“Are you ready to listen to me?”
Yurian panted heavily. He had never spoken of the note to anyone. How did Shekina know about it? And who else had experienced something similar? Could it be that this wasn’t happening only to him?
‘If many have experienced this…’
He might be able to find the sender.
Yurian’s red eyes gleamed. He looked down at Shekina, his usual stern expression returning.
“Go ahead, speak.”
Swoosh.
Yurian opened his palm, and the flow of wind he had seen earlier gathered in his hand.
“If anything sounds off, you’ll die right here.”
***
In the twins’ room.
Merdes was rolling around on the carpeted floor, lost in thought.
“Brother, what are you doing?”
“I’m studying,”
Pardes replied as he read a book.
“What should I do?”
“You should study too.”
“Nooo! I don’t want to!”
Merdes kicked and screamed.
“I want to go out!”
“No.”
It was Pardes who pinned Merdes’s shoulder down.
“Don’t you remember what Shekina said? We need to lay low for a while. We were lucky this time, but who knows what could happen next.”
“But!”
“Just until we find out who attacked Han. Until then, we can’t go out.”
“Ugh…”
Merdes sniffled and drooped his shoulders.
He knew.
He knew, but still!
“I’m bored.”
Being stuck inside was really boring.
He missed Han.
And Joseph, Yuri, the innkeeper, and the café staff.
“I’m bored!”
“Quiet down, would you?”
“Ouch! That hurts!”
Pardes, who had just smacked Merdes on the head, adjusted his glasses.
“If you say one more word, you’re dead. Shut up.”
“…Fine.”
“…Good.”
Merdes quietly closed his mouth.
He had no choice.
Pardes was stronger than him.
Merdes was a swordsman, while Pardes was an alchemist. Many people assumed Merdes would be stronger just from that, but it wasn’t true.
In terms of absolute power, Pardes was far stronger. If it came to a fistfight, Pardes would win every time.
If they fought with swords, the outcome might be different, but Merdes didn’t want to go that far. He loved his brother, and his brother loved him…right? Probably.
Even though he was terribly bored, there was nothing he could do.
Maybe he should just sleep. Merdes turned on his side and looked out the window.
At that moment.
“Hey, hey, hey! Are you guys here?”
The door burst open, and someone rushed in.
It was Didi.
“What is it? Why are you here?”
Pardes asked sharply. Merdes also wanted to scold Didi, but he remembered Pardes had just threatened to hit him harder if he spoke again. So, he stayed quiet.
“Come with me!”
“What nonsense is this? I’m studying, get out.”
“Shekina!”
Didi closed her eyes tightly and shouted.
She had been too panicked to use magic and had run down the hallway, drenched in sweat. But that didn’t matter now.
“Shekina is in danger!”
Shekina’s safety was more important.
“Yurian is trying to kill Shekina!”
“…What the hell.”
Merdes’s mouth fell open.
“That bastard, I’ll kill him.”
Thud!
Pardes’s fist struck Merdes.
“Didn’t I tell you if you said one more word, you’d be dead?”
Pardes stepped over the fallen Merdes, twisting his wrist.
“Lead the way.”
