Uvan's eyes snapped open.
In less than a second, before anyone could react, he shattered the wind barrier trapping him and vanished. A gust of air rushed through the room as he reappeared right in front of Anne, his arms wrapping tightly around her small frame. His body trembled as he held her close, his grip almost desperate.
"Anne…" His voice cracked. "You're alive… You're really alive."
Tears rolled down his cheeks as he buried his face in her shoulder, holding her as if she would disappear if he let go. Anne, though startled at first, slowly returned the hug, her small hands pressing against his back.
Mai, still processing what had just happened, turned sharply. Her hands glowed with magic, ready to strike, but the moment she saw Uvan sobbing into Anne's shoulder, she froze.
Haruto, still weak, sat up in bed, his brows furrowed in confusion. "Uvan…?"
Uvan sniffled and pulled back slightly, still keeping Anne close. "I thought I lost you… I thought you were gone forever…"
Mai, though hesitant, finally lowered her hands. "Uvan, what's going on? What happened to you?"
Uvan took a deep breath, his hands still gripping Anne's shoulders as if making sure she was real. "I need to explain. I owe you that much."
Mai and Haruto exchanged glances before nodding, urging him to continue.
Uvan wiped his eyes and spoke. "A long time ago, before I came to you with Anne… I traveled far away, searching for a cure. I found a black magician. He told me there was only one way to save her. He gave me something called the 'Potion of Life.' He said that if nothing else worked, this potion would bring her back." He paused. "But the price of the potion was something I never questioned at the time. I only cared about Anne."
Haruto's eyes widened. "A black magician…? Those kinds of deals never come without consequences."
Uvan let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah. I found that out the hard way. After leaving Anne with you, I returned home. That same magician found me… and stabbed me. I was dying." He clenched his fists. "And in that moment, I remembered the potion. I drank it... and then everything went dark. The next thing I knew, I woke up here, nearly killing Haruto. But I couldn't stop myself. It felt like... like someone else was controlling me."
Mai's expression hardened. "You're saying someone took over your body?"
Uvan nodded. "That's exactly what it felt like. I remember watching it happen—watching myself move, attack—but I couldn't do anything to stop it."
Silence filled the room as everyone processed his words.
Meanwhile, Anne had quietly slipped away. No one noticed her and her dog sneaking out of the house, except for Haruto, who glanced at the open door just in time to see her small figure disappearing outside.
Haruto let out a small grunt, forcing himself to stand. "I… need the bathroom."
Mai barely glanced at him as he left, still too focused on Uvan's story. Haruto, however, had no intention of going to the bathroom. Instead, he stepped outside, his eyes scanning the yard until he heard something—a voice. He moved closer to the bushes, keeping his footsteps light.
That's when he heard it.
"Hehe... they would never expect this from you, lil Anne," a voice whispered playfully.
Haruto froze. That was the dog's voice.
His eyes widened in shock as he peeked through the leaves. The dog was talking to Anne.
Anne giggled, her small hands brushing through the dog's fur. "Do you think they'll be mad?"
"Mad?" The dog scoffed. "Oh, they'll be furious. But that's what makes it fun, doesn't it?"
Haruto's breath caught in his throat. His mind screamed at him that this was impossible. A dog—talking? And Anne was acting like this was normal?
Heart pounding, Haruto quickly backed away and rushed inside, shutting the door behind him. He sat on the edge of the bed, gripping his forehead.
"Mai," he called out, voice slightly shaky.
She turned to him, concerned. "What's wrong?"
"Give me your knife. The one in your leg holster."
Mai frowned but handed it over. "Why—"
Before she could finish, the front door creaked open. Anne and the dog walked inside, their expressions normal.
Without hesitation, Haruto threw the knife directly at Anne.
Time slowed as the blade cut through the air, heading straight for the child. But before it could reach her, the dog leaped into action.
"BREAK!" the dog roared, its voice echoing with power.
The moment the knife touched the dog's fur, it stopped mid-air, frozen in place. A strange energy pulsed from the dog's body, shattering the tension in the room.
Then, in a loud, furious voice, the dog screamed, "HAVE YOU GONE INSANE?! YOU COULD'VE KILLED THE CHILD, YOU MORON!"