"Now that you've become a sinner, it's time I told you something."
Noctis felt a flicker of excitement. The fear still gnawed at his soul, but his wide eyes locked onto his grandfather with anticipation.
'Ah... finally. Did death really have to come knocking before you decided to tell me, Grandpa?'
The old man looked at the ring in his hand for a few seconds before raising it slightly.
"Do you see this ring, my boy? Its name is Moon Seal. Your mother gave it to me—to pass on to you when the time came, when you became a sinner."
Noctis stared at the ring with widened eyes. A crescent moon was engraved upon it. The ring itself was dark gray, slightly larger than a normal one—simple, yet mesmerizing.
"Yes, Grandpa. That strange ring you've always worn. But... what's so special about it?"
The old man smiled faintly, speaking with a teasing tone.
"My boy, your time of death has already been set… yet right now, you're not feeling much fear or worry, are you?"
Noctis's expression shifted slightly. He raised one brow, his gaze drifting off for a few seconds.
'He's right… I'm not feeling much fear at all... but how does he know that?'
Seeing Noctis's expression, the old man chuckled softly.
"Don't get lost in thought, my boy. This ring is connected to you. Some of the things happening within your soul—I can feel them too. Yesterday, your soul leaked out a little, didn't it?"
Noctis frowned slightly. He had warned Uncle Sylen not to tell his grandfather anything, yet somehow, the old man knew. His curiosity deepened.
'I need to have a word with Uncle Sylen... but what if he really does know because of the ring?'
"Grandpa, please, be more specific. I don't understand any of this."
The old man chuckled again.
"This ring has several abilities. I can only use one of them, but since it's connected to you, I can feel certain things… like the stirrings within your soul."
The old man took a slow breath but didn't lose his gentle smile.
"But each time my soul cracked, the bond between me and the ring weakened. These days, I can hardly feel anything at all."
Noctis froze. His face showed mild surprise, though he tried not to reveal too much.
'I just hope he doesn't know I killed those men… But more importantly—why did my mother give him this ring? Was she… a sinner too? And what does it have to do with my first trial?'
Noctis lowered his gaze with a puzzled expression. The old man turned toward the window, watching the clear sky. In his mind's eye, he saw his daughter-in-law's face. Before Noctis could say anything, the creaky yet warm voice of the old man broke the silence.
"Noctis, your mother gave me this ring for you. I don't know if she knew you'd take the trial someday… She was a mysterious woman. Before she was captured, she told me only one thing—to give you this ring during your first trial."
Noctis tried to recall his mother's face. A shadow of sorrow crossed his expression. He had been only six years old when she was taken. He never learned who took her or where she went. She had suffered through torture but managed to escape months later—only to disappear completely.
Whenever his mother was mentioned, Noctis felt the deepest ache within his soul. For a few seconds, he tried to remember her face.
'Mother… I wonder where you are now… Maybe, like Father, you're already…'
Minutes passed. Noctis looked at his grandfather with quiet grief. The old man wore an unreadable expression. He swallowed discreetly and smiled faintly.
"Your mother also told me that the ring has three abilities. She explained the first two, but never revealed the last."
A few seconds went by in silence. Noctis waited, eyes fixed on him.
"Grandpa? Did you forget the abilities, or are you just not telling me?"
The old man looked at the ring, then at Noctis. He stared for a few seconds before sliding the ring off his finger and handing it to Noctis with a gentle smile. The moment it left his finger, its gray color dimmed slightly.
"Here, take a look for yourself, my boy… Now that you've been blessed by magic, it will reveal itself to you."
Noctis stared at the ring, his eyes widening. An irresistible urge washed over him. Slowly, he took it and slipped it onto the ring finger of his right hand. Its color turned black—only the crescent moon remained bright gray. Noctis raised a brow.
The old man placed his hand on Noctis's shoulder. For magical items to transfer properly, contact was required—and so he did just that, his face still carrying a gentle smile. Noctis watched him with a curious, almost bewildered expression.
Within seconds, a sickening voice echoed through his soul.
[ A scapegoat has given you an item. ]
Noctis looked at his grandfather with a puzzled expression, fixated on what the spell had just said.
"Scapegoat? Why would the spell call you that, Grandpa?"
The old man kept smiling. He didn't say anything for a few moments, then pointed at the ring.
"My boy… have you looked at the ring yet?"
Noctis sighed, realizing his grandfather had no intention of answering the question. His expression turned weary.
"…I'm looking now."
The old man took a slow, deep breath.
"Check the runic writings. It should be written there."
Noctis shot him a skeptical glance before turning his gaze to the glowing inscriptions floating before him. Beneath the sections about his core, new lines had appeared—labeled as rewards.
[Rewards]
[Current Reward Count: 1]
[Moon Seal]
Noctis focused on the reward.
[Name: Moon Seal]
[Type: Accessory]
[Tier Level: Second Tier]
[Potential: Medium]
[Memory of the Moon Seal: On a night of the full moon, a princess prayed to the High God while weeping inside the Moon Temple. However, the ones who answered her were the dead angels. The princess crafted a ring and offered it to the fallen angel of the moon as a sacrifice.]
Noctis read with a strange expression.
'So it's true... the spell really tells stories.'
[Accessory Abilities: Wanderer, Seal]
[Wanderer Ability Description: This ring allows the user to wander within the souls of others according to their own soul level… but not every soul should be seen.]
'That must've been what Grandpa did to me.'
[Seal Ability Description: The power of the moon is sealed within this ring. When activated, the moon begins to shine.]
[Bound Soul: Noctis]
[Your level is too low. The Seal ability cannot be used.]
[Your level is too low. The Wanderer ability cannot be used.]
'So, I can't use any of its powers... Then what good will it be during the trial? And what does that "seal" even mean?'
Noctis slowly dismissed the writings. The old man was watching him with a curious expression, his tone slightly excited.
"Noctis? What's the ring like? What did it say?"
Noctis raised one brow and lowered the other, his expression shifting oddly.
"Relax, Grandpa... Nothing really caught my attention."
He then explained the ring's features to him. A few minutes later, Noctis insisted that the old man should get some sleep. Though stubborn, the grandfather eventually gave in. He slowly curled up on his bed and closed his single visible eye.
Noctis watched him for a while, smiling softly, then went to his own room. He ate some dried food and tried to rest, hoping to clear his mind after the day's shocks.
As he rested, his thoughts drifted back to the ring's description.
'She prayed to the High God in tears, yet the ones who answered were the dead angels... What could she have been crying for? And how could dead angels even answer? Why didn't the High God respond? This is all so strange... And that damned countdown—ugh, I'll need to start preparing soon.'
Noctis decided to begin his preparations.
But before that, he wanted to rest a little longer...
'How am I even supposed to prepare for a trial of magic?'
Hours passed, and night fell.
Noctis had made a plan for his preparation, but his head throbbed from everything that had happened that day. Seeking calm, he climbed onto the roof, which looked ready to collapse at any moment.
Since the Exile District was poor, there wasn't much to do at night. People here rarely made friends—Noctis had learned that the hard way. Several times, he'd been deceived under the guise of friendship. After that, he rejected anyone who tried to get close to him.
To reduce energy consumption, people didn't waste power on unnecessary things. As a result, the Exile District was mostly quiet at night. Those who had rooftops often climbed up to stare at the dark, lightless sky.
Noctis was doing the same—gazing up at the heavens. His grandfather's words echoed in his mind.
'I wonder what the stars used to look like. Ever since that damned spell came, they all faded. Grandpa said that outside the city, the night sky is filled with tiny, glowing points. I wish I could see them... Well, at least there's the moon. I'm sure it's more beautiful than all of them combined.'
Noctis's eyes drifted toward the only thing shining in the darkness. He felt an inexplicable bond with the moon. His gaze softened, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.
---
On a starless night, young Noctis and his grandfather were walking home after receiving the government's distributed food supplies. They walked quickly so no one would try to steal from them.
As the young boy hurried along, his eyes caught the bright glow of the moon. His eyes widened in awe.
Little Noctis looked up at the old man with a curious, innocent expression and spoke in his small, gentle voice.
"Grandpa… what was my mother like? Do I look like her?"
The old man slowly turned to look at Noctis. He smiled softly and spoke beneath the glow of the bright moonlight.
"Your mother was a wonderful woman, my boy. Beautiful too, but above all, her soul was pure. Yes, you look a lot like her—your hair, your skin, and those midnight-blue eyes… just like hers. Ah, but that handsome face of yours, you got from your father. He was my son, after all."
Both of them laughed quietly. Young Noctis felt happy—glad to resemble his mother, and proud to be handsome like his father. Yet another thought came to him. With a curious, childlike expression, he looked up at his grandfather again.
"Then, Grandpa, who gave me my name? And what does it mean? People say my name sounds strange. Even Uncle Sylen didn't know what it meant."
The old man glanced up at the starless sky for a moment. His smile lingered.
"Your mother gave you your name. We were surprised when she told us. As you said, it's a little unusual… I don't know what it means. But according to Luna—your mother—'You were her night, and she was your moon.' From what I understand, your name means 'night.' Why she chose that, I don't know. But I think it's beautiful. What about you? Do you like the meaning?"
Little Noctis nodded eagerly, eyes bright with excitement.
'So I'm the night… and she's my moon.'
---
As Noctis remembered the past, an involuntary smile formed on his face.
He looked at the ring, then up at the moon once more.
"The countdown's moving fast. I need to start preparing before I run out of time."
After watching the moon for a few more minutes, he climbed down, checked on his grandfather, and finally went to sleep—ready to begin his preparations at sunrise.