Morkel watched Aeren but couldn't speak—pin-drop silence filled the room. Nil appeared confused by the situation while Morkel remained shocked, and Aeren began doubting whether the old man truly needed what he offered.
As silence deepened with each passing moment, Aeren felt increasingly disappointed in Morkel's lack of response.
"Let's discuss magic later, after the meeting concludes. If you want your abilities restored, you can speak with me again."
Aeren broke the room's silence while Nil and Morkel remained quiet, neither speaking to the other. "Let's go, Nil. We should leave the room to him," Aeren turned to Nil, reminding her of their departure.
Nil nodded and began following behind Aeren. Both left Morkel alone in the silent room.
"Is such a thing even possible?" Morkel spoke to himself after Aeren and Nil had departed. He exhaled deeply, surveyed his surroundings, and began planning the optimal arrangement for the upcoming guests. Determined not to disappoint them, he felt renewed energy—something he hadn't experienced since losing his magic.
Aeren and Nil emerged to observe the Astoria Estate. Nil surveyed her family's domain, watching people who appeared content and prosperous, though her expression remained emotionless.
She turned toward Aeren and noticed him observing his surroundings with slight amazement, as though witnessing this situation for the first time. He resembled an excited child eager to explore the world.
Watching Aeren, she recognized this new version of him, and a smile unconsciously emerged on her face—simply observing him brought her joy.
From an external perspective, Aeren appeared calm, and others couldn't detect his excitement. However, Nil could perceive his enthusiasm clearly. Despite experiencing all emotions internally, he couldn't display them outwardly—his expression remained unchanged even while feeling everything within.
As they walked through the crowded area, they observed the luxurious atmosphere. Not a single beggar or ordinary commoner was visible—only adventurers and nobles traveled throughout the district.
"Why do you want to help that old man?" Nil questioned Aeren.
Aeren turned toward Nil, noting her curiosity about Morkel. He could have explained the concept of being fateless, but he couldn't think of any reason to elaborate as he looked at her.
"He could be useful to you—that's why I wanted to grant him magic," Aeren answered, though somewhat vaguely.
Nil was shocked by Aeren's response, hardly believing her ears. She never imagined Aeren would consider her needs so thoroughly. This realization made her slightly embarrassed as she walked closer to him.
"I don't need anyone else as long as you're with me," Nil replied happily, though she concealed her joy from Aeren. She wanted him to understand that he was sufficient—she required no one else while he remained by her side.
Aeren stopped at her words and smiled at her statement, falling silent before finally speaking.
"No, I can't remain with you for more than a hundred years. You'll have to spend your remaining nine hundred years alone, Nil. I'll die within a century because I've become human without any magic."
Nil also stopped abruptly, shocked by his declaration. She began trembling immediately after hearing him, feeling chills course through her body while struggling to find words.
"And this is the last time we'll see each other, Nil. After this, we'll never meet again—not in this world or any other."
Aeren explained with a smile on his face. Watching his expression, she felt overwhelming anger toward herself as frustration and rage consumed her being.
"NO! HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME, AEREN? I HAVE LOVED YOU, AND YOU WANT TO ABANDON ME ALONE IN THIS UNFAMILIAR WORLD WHERE EVERYTHING FEELS STRANGE! NO, AEREN—YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I'M QUELLA, AEREN—YOUR QUELLA!"
She began screaming at Aeren, who watched her without emotion in his eyes. He could perceive new meaning in her outburst—understanding how it felt when people lost their life's purpose.
Without meaning, people became uncontrolled. Their desires possessed their bodies, preventing them from thinking clearly, causing them to speak irrationally. Aeren observed all these insights he could absorb from Nil with an emotionless expression.
While absorbing her meaning, she continued shouting something at him, though he could barely hear her words. He noticed her tears beginning to fall, yet he did nothing—simply watched.
Even though human emotions were emerging within him, urging him to stop her and embrace her, he suppressed all feelings and merely observed the scene.
Aeren absorbed all the silence from the crowded place. All the people watched and whispered around them, forming a circle, but his gaze remained on Nil while his consciousness focused on the silence he absorbed gradually.
As Aeren entered the world's silence, he could see everything with beautiful clarity. True silence emerged around him, and he noticed that Nil had finally calmed down.
"Why didn't you tell me this before, Aeren?" She stopped shouting and composed herself, asking quietly and emotionally.
Aeren snapped out of his silent state and looked at Nil, who was staring down at the ground. Her question confused him. "Didn't you ask me to become human?" he questioned in return.
Nil didn't lift her head, still gazing downward with sadness. She had indeed asked him to become human, but she meant becoming human in this world's sense.
"But why did you mention giving magic to that old man?" Nil remembered the situation with Morkel, where Aeren had spoken of granting him magical abilities. This meant he could do the same for himself. "Then you could help yourself too, Aeren."
Aeren could see hope emerging on her face, which made him smile.
"No, I'm not the one who would give him magic. That would be you, Nil. You possess two spirits controlling darkness and light, enabling them to create anything. However, my situation differs—my body would reject your creations entirely." Aeren explained in detail, pausing before continuing. "That's why gaining any magic from this world or from you is impossible for me, Nil."
Nil's eyes widened as she looked at him. Her emotions began running wild again, though she controlled herself this time.
Aeren approached her. "Let's forget about trivial matters and return to the guild. We'll speak with your aunt and consider this situation later."
Aeren tried his best to snap her out of her frustration and this new realization that might lead to this city's destruction. He didn't care about Nil's condition or the city's fate—he wanted to use this brief mortal lifespan to discover new freedoms or meanings in this world.
"Don't come near me—never approach me again," Nil spoke to Aeren before running away from their location. Aeren remained in place, watching her retreating figure.
Standing among the crowd, Aeren felt awkward about the situation. He sighed and assessed everything with his eyes, contemplating the circumstances when whispers around him became audible.
"What a pathetic loser," someone in the crowd remarked, and Aeren could hear them perfectly as he stood motionless.
"Did you see how she ran from him?"
"Poor girl—she deserves better than that weakling."
"He can't even use magic, I heard. What good is he?"
"Look at him just standing there like a fool."
"No wonder she left him—who wants a powerless man?"
"He's probably from some fallen noble house."
"I bet he's never worked a day in his life."
"She'll find someone worthy of her beauty soon enough."
"He should just disappear—save everyone the embarrassment."
Aeren absorbed each whispered judgment, feeling the weight of mortality's cruel assessments for the first time in countless lifetimes.