— Years Before This… —
Beneath the cold weather,
where clouds covered the sky in shades of gray.
Toki sat beside the door of Marcy's house,
staring at the ground soaked with water like flowing streams,
his posture drawn inward.
While the rain had stopped,
Toki spoke to himself with greater ease after meeting Luna,
yet his mind remained unusually unsettled.
Two days had passed,
and she woke up today…
Though two days is a short time, I thought she would never wake up—just like that time.
Toki coughed sharply and brought his hands to his mouth and jaw.
Blood stained his palm, its amount far from reassuring.
But due to Toki's strange bodily constitution, it seemed almost normal.
That energy… the one I absorbed from around Luna—
it was unbelievably powerful…
Toki clenched his fist and exhaled,
then continued inwardly:
At that moment, I felt my body and head cave in, as if someone were striking me repeatedly with a steel rod.
The rain began to fall lightly, gradually washing the blood from his hand.
"Ah! You're here, you diligent boy. Good to find you."
Toki heard a familiar voice coming from his left.
"So you were here~," said an old man in a brittle voice,
just as Toki raised his head.
"Mr. Orvin, do you need something from me?" Toki said.
Orvin, wearing a woolen and leather coat,
looked at Toki with a bright smile and an oddly reassuring calm.
As he approached, he said,
"Hm… hm, if you don't mind, come follow me. There's something I want to tell you."
A brief silence passed before Toki replied coldly,
"Why not say it now, since you've already found me?!"
Orfin turned toward the path he had come from and gestured forward with his hand.
He answered with the same calmness, but deeper:
"Don't pretend to be foolish in front of me~… You know exactly what I mean."
Toki frowned slightly, then stood up despite his faint unsteadiness.
He blinked lightly and said, "Very well."
Orfin glanced at him for a few seconds. "Then come."
Their breath escaped into the cold air as they spoke.
After a few minutes, they arrived at Orvin's house.
At that time, Lizzie—or Lizishia, by her full name—was not home,
which allowed Orvin to choose this place, as no sounds would leak outside.
Orvin opened the wooden door coated with a special paint,
while Toki stood, looking around without showing any intention.
"Come in. It's warm here," Orvin said.
Toki hesitated briefly at his first step, then entered cautiously—what he found was unsettling.
Orfin closed the door,
while Toki moved to sit beside a table filled with candles as Orfin entered another room.
Flames danced in the darkness of the room, shadows moving violently.
Toki swept his gaze across the place and slowly crossed his arms.
Orvin sat across from him.
"How about some tea? It might add a special flavor."
Toki replied calmly,
"You didn't bring me here just for tea, so I don't want any… You said you had something to tell me. Go on."
Orfin leaned back slightly, surprise showing on his face.
He took a deep breath and said,
"You said you and your companions want to go to that kingdom, right? To be honest, your efforts showed clear determination."
Toki's jaw parted involuntarily.
His breathing tangled, and his heartbeat felt as though life itself were surging back into him.
He gathered himself and spoke with curiosity,
"That… is true. My companion and I don't wish to stop here.
I want to move forward."
Toki froze when he met Orvin's gaze,
forcing himself to retreat as he pressed his lips together.
Orfin continued in the same tone,
"I visited the craftsmen you worked for. They said you performed well, with diligence."
"That confirmed the sincerity of your desire to leave." Orfin smiled, bowing his head slightly.
Silence filled the room, slowly suffocating the space,
shadows rippling in anticipation beneath the candle flames.
Toki spoke after persistent doubt,
"So? Does that mean we're allowed to leave? That's what I wanted to say, but…"
Orvin tilted his head in inquiry.
"But Shun is supervising us. Since he set a condition—to see something we don't yet understand—I don't think he'll back down," Toki added.
Orvin replied with admiration,
"Shun is honest in what he does and says. By the way…"
"Hm?!" Toki said, confused.
"Have you ever thought about becoming a traveler?"
Toki answered as he uncrossed his arms,
"Maybe… yes. Or maybe, no."
He clasped his hand on the table and continued in a heavy voice,
"I was planning to do so after preparing all my belongings. You could say that."
Orvin slipped his right hand into his pocket,
and at the same time produced a bronze object resting in his palm.
"It's good to see you think that way~."
He placed the pentagon-shaped piece on the table
and slid it toward Toki.
Toki questioned inwardly, wary:
This is an important moment—it might truly help me.
Looking at this piece, I suspect it's connected to the idea of traveling, though I don't know how.
Toki lifted his gaze from the object to Orvin, focusing as he spoke to himself:
He discovered a great deal in just two months… with astonishing precision.
It's puzzling—yet intriguing.
"What is this piece used for?" Toki asked.
Orfin stood up slowly, placing his hand behind his back, and replied,
"Carry it with you. It will benefit you on your unknown journey."
Toki held it in both hands and began examining it gently.
As Orvin reached the door leading to the other room, he said something that scattered Toki's thoughts in an unexpected instant:
"About the child of the vampire race…" Orvin said in a serious voice.
Toki's pupils tightened,
his breath constricting… like a lightning strike.
Orvin continued,
"…she's not like ordinary vampires among her people.
She is…"
—
To be continued…