Early in the morning, sensing a familiar presence, I opened my eyes.
A familiar face appeared in my vision, staring down at me expressionlessly. He was leaning so close that his dark eyes were only inches from mine, completely unblinking as he watched me breathe.
"..."
Speechless, I sighed inwardly before muttering, "Teacher, at least cough to let me know you’re here."
Moving away, Xeron said, "I told you not to call me that."
I ignored his words and continued, "And don’t sneak into other people’s rooms like this either. People will think you are some kind of pervert thief."
"..."
Xeron stared at me for a long moment before muttering, "Those tricks don’t work on me."
"...Sure." I smiled faintly before standing up from the bed. "Anyway, what brings you here? I thought the training was over yesterday, and you told me—"
"You need to leave," Xeron interrupted coldly.
Recognizing that tone, I immediately put away my playfulness. The atmosphere in the room shifted, turning heavy and cold. I looked at him, my expression becoming serious.
"What exactly do you mean, sir?"
Xeron didn’t look back at me. He kept his eyes on the window, watching the sky.
"I know... you’re not from this world," he said quietly. "I know you are from there . And... I am not the only one."
"..."
I stayed silent. My throat went dry, and my mind instantly locked onto what he was referring to. He knew I was an outsider, a soul from the world he was about to invade. And... others must be hostile nemurians.
"Take her with you too," Xeron added, breaking the brief silence.
"...Cathiel?" I asked, my voice dropping.
"Yes. She can’t stay here. Not when I’m leaving this world."
"...What about Caelia?"
Xeron finally turned his head slightly. "She can handle herself. And she’s untouchable."
I pondered his words for a moment. Was her curse the reason, or was there some other info I didn’t know about yet?
I pushed the questions aside for now and asked the most pressing one.
"...How can we leave?"
"You will go with me to see me off," Xeron said, his voice flat and unyielding. "As for how you escape after that, figure it out yourself. If you can’t even do that much, then there’s no point for you to continue to live."
"...Alright. I’ll figure something out," I replied before asking curiously. "When do we leave?"
"Soon. Prepare before that," Xeron said, his voice flat.
Before I could ask for a specific hour, the space behind him fractured. A pitch-black portal tore open and swallowed him whole, closing instantly without leaving a single ripple in the air.
But as the spatial energy dissolved, his voice echoed directly in my mind.
’...Don’t tell Aunt anything.’
I stood frozen for a second, staring at the empty spot where the Sovereign of Nemure had just been standing. A flicker of suspicion crept into my chest. Why keep Caelia in the dark?
I frowned, considering it.
Perhaps he was worried Caelia’s curse might flare up or go out of control if she tried to leave Nemure, or, like my earlier guess, there was some other deep-rooted secret related to Cathiel that Xeron was keeping close to his chest.
Whatever the reason, crossing the person who held the keys to my survival wasn’t on today’s agenda. I decided to follow his instructions.
"...I should think of a plan."
The sheer weight of the task hit me all at once. I collapsed back onto the bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Escaping a dimensional rift zone right under the watchful eyes of Nemure’s powerhouses was basically a suicide mission, but I had to make it work.
And there was one more tiny problem.
I closed my eyes, a wry smile etching across my face.
’...I also have to bring Nemo back.’
That do—I mean, wolf, had been away for far too long. Knowing his nature, he must have gotten incredibly lonely out there by himself. I’d have to bring him back before making our escape.
But as my thoughts drifted from the wolf to the rest of our small circle, the brief warmth faded.
I couldn’t help but think further down the line. If we actually succeeded in running away from this place, what would happen to Caelia?
Was she going to be separated from her child all over again? Was she going to suffer that exact same tragic fate a second time?
And what about Cathiel? She would definitely hate being apart from her mother. Having spent enough time with them, their bond was painfully obvious to me. The little girl would be devastated.
Still, looking at it objectively, perhaps Caelia might accept the reality better than I expected. She was a smart, highly perceptive woman. She had to know that her child would be in constant, looming danger if she stayed behind in a volatile Nemure without Xeron around to shield her.
’That doesn’t change the fact that she will be heartbroken though...’
’Hmm...’
I shook my head, letting out a breath.
’...Let’s just leave it to the future me.’
I chuckled softly at my own helplessness, pushing the heavy thoughts aside. Standing up from the bed, I stretched my limbs and headed out of the room, walking down the quiet corridor to wake up the mother and daughter duo.
I knocked lightly on their door, the sound echoing down the silent hallway. After a brief moment, a soft voice floated directly into my mind.
’You can come in.’
However, instead of turning the handle and opening the door like a normal person, I simply teleported right inside the room. My reason for bypassing the door was entirely simple.
’She is really cute when she is asleep.’
I stood by the edge of the bed, a soft smile tugging at my lips as I looked down at the adorable Cathiel. The little girl was completely sprawling across the mattress, limbs tangled in the sheets, snoring softly without a single care in the world.
Turning my gaze slightly, I met Caelia’s eyes. She was already awake, sitting gracefully near the head of the bed, watching my sudden entrance without a shred of surprise.
’Good morning.’