Dipti couldn't calm her mind. No matter how hard she tried to think of other things, Aeren's presence lingered, threading itself through every thought. Her mind drifted again—this time to something far more dangerous. A Mythical Coin. She remembered the lesson vividly.
That person—him—had once taught the gods how a deity could descend into the mortal world through a Mythical Coin. He had even possessed one himself. Dipti had seen it with her own eyes, centuries ago. He had chosen a god and allowed him to descend. The god returned almost instantly. But he did not return alone. Two mortals came back with him. He called them his descendants. At first, there was silence.
Then, the moment those mortals set foot in the City of God, their bodies dissolved into the world itself—without resistance, without screams, as if they had never existed. The gods who witnessed it were horrified. Some stood frozen in shock. One or two fled outright. Moments later, the god who had descended spoke again. Calmly. Almost proudly.
He explained that he had lived in the mortal world for over a thousand years. That he had raised descendants there—loved them, taught them, protected them. Believing they could live here as well, he had brought them back with him. That was where he stopped speaking. Everyone understood what had happened after.
Dipti let out a slow breath. And now… she thought, he is the King of this City of God. Who would have thought the mortal world would teach him anything at all? Her gaze softened. Another thought surfaced—quiet, dangerous, and achingly sincere.
If I had a Mythical Coin… I would run away from this world—with Aarav. She smiled faintly at the idea. I would have my worshippers. He would have his. We would have descendants.
****
Nalini stood beside Rud in a narrow, empty valley. The place was silent—too silent. No one passed through this stretch of land, and not far from the valley lay Tarvan, the direction Aeren had taken earlier to drink.
Nalini had followed at a distance, her instincts refusing to let the fox out of her sight.
Hours had passed.
Nothing had happened. Rud shifted uneasily, his confusion growing with every minute. Questions filled his eyes as he glanced at Nalini again and again. Finally, irritation crept into his voice.
"Nalini," he said, unable to hold back any longer, "what is this? Why are we here?"
He didn't understand—but he trusted her. He always had. From the very beginning, Nalini had never led him wrong, and that was why he had stayed, waiting without complaint.
Nalini didn't turn around. "We're here to save the fox," she said quietly. Rud stiffened. "Trust me, Rud," she continued, her voice steady but urgent. "That fox needs my help. I heard her voice—she was calling out to me." She paused, then finally looked at him, her expression serious.
"She's in danger. If I don't save her… I'll regret it for the rest of my life. I won't abandon a child who's asking for help." As she spoke, Nalini adjusted her stance. A sword rested at her side, a knife secured at her waist, and a few arrows were fitted neatly into her quiver. She raised her bow slightly, fingers already on the string, her posture calm but ready—aim steady, breath controlled.
Rud swallowed. "What are you saying and doing, Nalini?" he asked again, doubt creeping into his voice. He had seen the fox with Aeren many times. The creature always stayed close to him—almost attached. Nothing about it had seemed wrong.
"Maybe you misunderstood," Rud said carefully. "Let's talk to them first." Despite his attempt to sound calm, tension showed. Sweat trickled down his temple, his body taut as unease settled deep in his chest.
Nalini didn't answer. The valley remained silent. Then—she stiffened. "He's here, Rud," she whispered sharply. "Be quiet." Her eyes locked onto the figures emerging ahead. "He might be a demon," she added in a low voice. "Just follow my lead." Before Rud could respond, she pressed a hand over his mouth. He froze, then nodded, quickly taking a stance beside her.
Two men staggered into view.
They weren't walking properly—swaying, unbalanced, clearly drunk. And behind them, a small white fox stumbled along the ground, moving just as unsteadily as they were.
"Hey, Aarav," Aman slurred loudly, throwing an arm around Aeren's shoulder as he struggled to stay upright. "Forget about Dipti. She didn't deserve you. Hic—hic—you're too good for her." He laughed to himself, words spilling without restraint. "I'll find you someone better. Much better. More beautiful. Like that girl who took the pendant from you—she's gorgeous. I think she's a perfect match for you." He grinned widely. "Don't worry, brother Aman will arrange everything for you."
"Shut up," Aeren snapped, his words heavy and uneven. "You bastard. You almost—hic—broke my heart when you announced our bet to her." He staggered forward a step, then glanced down. "Hey, fox," he muttered. "What do you think?"
The fox lay sprawled on the ground, barely moving. Aeren frowned, blinking slowly as he looked around. "Hey… where did you run off to?" he slurred. "Hic…"
From the shadows of the valley, Nalini's grip tightened around her bow. Her eyes narrowed.
This wasn't what she had expected. Nalini slowly loosened her grip on the bow. She continued observing them—the two drunken men, and the fox lying on the ground between them. Her thoughts tangled in confusion.
The fear she had heard in the fox's voice didn't match what she was seeing now.
Did I misjudge him? Their words were crude, even disgusting, but they weren't doing anything that directly harmed the fox. And the fox itself hadn't cried for help—hadn't resisted, hadn't struggled. Did I really miss something…?
With a quiet breath, Nalini stepped out from her hiding place and began returning her weapons to their proper positions. That was when a voice cut through the silence. "You're right, Nalini," Rud said suddenly, his voice sharp with anger. "They're demons."
Nalini froze.
Rud stared ahead in shock. To him, it looked as though the fox had been crushed—its small body lying motionless on the ground. His expression hardened instantly. "They killed an innocent fox," he said coldly. His hand moved toward his weapon, muscles tensing as he prepared to strike. Before he could move—Nalini placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Stop," she said. Rud stiffened, disbelief flashing across his face. "I think I missed something," Nalini continued quietly. "Forget it. Let's talk to them first." Rud turned toward her, stunned by her words.
"No, Nalini," he said firmly. "There's nothing to talk about. Let's kill these demons." Nalini looked at him in disbelief. Is he an idiot? she thought. What is he even thinking—calling them demons like this?
Without warning, she grabbed a handful of his hair and yanked his head toward her. "AHH—!" Rud yelped instantly. "Just follow me," Nalini commanded sharply. Her eyes never left the figures ahead. Whatever this was—it wasn't as simple as Rud thought.
And Nalini intended to find out the truth herself.
Aeren bent down and lifted the white fox, settling her gently on his shoulder. Then he looked up at Aman, who was standing across from two unfamiliar figures.
Suddenly, Aman's voice burst out in excitement. "Aarav! Aarav! I found her—I found her for you!" he shouted, laughing wildly. "The girl I was telling you about! Hahahaha—come here, look at her!"
He turned back toward Aeren, eyes bright with drunken triumph. "I knew it! Hahahaha!"
Slap.
The sound rang sharply through the valley. Aman froze. Nalini had slapped him.
She hadn't hesitated—not for a second. Even though she had only just arrived near him, irritation flared instantly, and her palm connected with his face hard enough to snap his head to the side. Rud stood beside her, stunned. Relief washed over him when he saw the fox alive and unharmed. The slap, however, caught him completely off guard.
Aeren, on the other hand—He is smiling. Wide, unbothered, almost amused—his eyes fixed on Nalini and Rud. "Watch your mouth," Nalini said coldly, glaring at Aman. Aman's head dropped immediately, chastened into silence.
Nalini then turned toward Aeren. He was grinning broadly, eyes half-lidded, one hand resting casually as if he were about to fall asleep where he stood. She looked fine, Nalini thought. Should I take her now?
Before she could decide—"Do you like foxes?" Aeren asked suddenly, his voice relaxed, almost gentle. "My love." Nalini stiffened. The words caught her completely off guard. She paused, staring at him, momentarily unable to respond.
What surprised her most wasn't the audacity of what he said—It was that she didn't feel anything wrong in his tone. The valley seemed to hold its breath. And the white fox, perched quietly on Aeren's shoulder, watched Nalini without blinking.
"What did you say?" Rud shouted.
He had heard it clearly—or so he thought. The words should have angered Nalini, yet she showed no reaction at all. Confusion flashed across his face. Did I mishear him? No one answered Rud. No one even looked at him. "Yeah… I like animals," Nalini said instead.
She kept her gaze fixed on Aeren, though her eyes seemed unfocused, as if she were afraid to look anywhere else. Unease rose in her chest, sharp and sudden. She wanted to clutch her heart, but instead clenched her fist tightly, forcing the feeling back down.
"Can I take this fox?" she asked, her voice steady despite the strain. "It may be rude of me to ask, but… I feel like this fox suits me. I think she could help me." She spoke bravely—too bravely. Her breathing was controlled, almost forced. Fear coiled inside her for reasons she couldn't explain, a sensation she had felt once before, long ago.
"Oh, my love," Aeren replied gently. "I can't give her to you. Or her mother would cry for her." As he spoke, he reached out and brushed his fingers lightly through Nalini's hair. "You have very smooth hair," he added with a soft smile. The kindness in his voice never wavered.
Nalini stiffened. Her body reacted before her mind could. Something in his touch felt too vast, too free—like it did not belong to this world's laws at all.
"I'm sorry for disturbing you, my lord," she said quickly. She bowed her head, grabbed Rud's hand firmly—and in the next instant, they vanished. The valley fell silent once more.
Aeren stood where he was, the white fox still perched on his shoulder, his smile unchanged. And somewhere far away, Nalini's heart continued to race—long after the moment had ended.