It was an unexpected suggestion—but undeniably far gentler than the methods Yuder had considered.

He fell silent, lost in thought.

The imprint—the link between them—had always been closely tied to awakening. When he’d first become aware of it, it had been little more than a faint, tenuous thread. Yet now, after all that had passed—after so many strange and miraculous events—it had become what it was.

The very first incident that sparked the connection had been the Second Gender awakening—something that only happened among Awakeners. So, saying the imprint wasn’t connected to the Red Stone would’ve been harder to argue.

Even if it doesn’t work, it’s better than not trying at all.

Yuder reached his conclusion and nodded.

“All right. Let’s do it.”

“Good.”

Kishiar wrapped his robe around Yuder’s body, then gently lifted him. For a moment, Yuder wasn’t sure what he was doing—but then realized Kishiar intended to move them to the office chair.

“That sofa’s legs look too warped to safely fall asleep on. I’d rather not risk it.”

He explained casually—but then a faint smile touched his lips, as if something amusing had occurred to him.

“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure that sofa disappears somewhere nice where no one will ever ask what happened to it.”

If the subject hadn’t been a sofa, that would’ve sounded like a threat with murderous intent.

“Is that even possible?”

“If you knew how many things I’ve quietly disposed of in this office alone, you wouldn’t doubt me. Too bad we don’t have time for all the details.”

Yuder sat on Kishiar’s lap in the chair—more precisely, on his knee, though wrapped in a thick robe so large and soft it felt more like leaning into a bed.

From this position, the view of the office looked different yet again. Yuder quietly stared toward a specific direction—toward the place he’d once stood in his past life.

An empty space that stirred a strange unrest in his heart.

No one was there now.

The man who had once stood there, sword raised—was no longer present.

Then, the arms holding him tightened slightly, and a whisper tickled his ear.

“It’s all right.”

“...”

“If you don’t dream, you’ll just sleep well and wake up refreshed. That alone will be a blessing. And if you’re afraid of dreaming the wrong thing—not the one you wanted—that’s okay too. I’ll be there, like before.”

Just as he had once promised to follow Yuder into his nightmares, Kishiar was promising again—no matter what. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

“We’re connected. Wherever you go, I can follow. Just as you once said you’d do anything to save me... I’ll go wherever you go.”

Anywhere, together.

The weight and warmth in that gentle whisper melted the tension buried deep in Yuder’s chest. The arms that held him as if they’d never let go, the steady heartbeat in his ear—they did the same. As Yuder exhaled deeply and let his body relax, Kishiar leaned his head in.

As if it were a silent cue, their imprint activated simultaneously. Yuder watched as threads of golden light bloomed brightly, filling the space between them. The sensation of shared vision made him slightly dizzy—but unlike before, it wasn’t overwhelming. He felt like he might actually be able to fall asleep this way.

“Hmm... Looks like it’s still a bit early for you to fall asleep. Shall we talk a little longer until then?”

“...All right.”

As soon as Yuder agreed, Kishiar took the lead.

“While we were talking about the command orders earlier, I remembered something. The priest who helped define the term ‘Awakener’ and the Second Genders—he’s still in the North. If you’d like, we could meet him before leaving Peleta. What do you think?”

“Why would someone sent from the High Temple still be here in the North?”

“Because he was sympathetic to Awakeners. The opposition disliked that and had him demoted. His Majesty was the one who managed to at least pull him into the North.”

He wasn’t in Peleta itself, but in a nearby city—close enough to reach within half a day.

“That city also hosts the Northern branch of the Cavalry. Might be a good opportunity to visit both.”

“In that case... it doesn’t sound bad.”

“He was originally a scholar—mostly studied historical records at the High Temple. Unlike other priests who work directly with people, he’s more of a researcher. He was the first to suggest comparing Awakeners to ancient sorcerers from the early founding days.”

“That’s impressive.”

“Apparently, old Temple records show there were once strong opinions about viewing those early sorcerers more as monsters than humans. But in the end... that’s not how things turned out, right?”

At those words, Yuder suddenly remembered something.

“Come to think of it... I think I saw something like that in Luma’s journal during the trip here.”

“Oh?”

On the way to Peleta, Yuder had followed Inon’s instructions and read through Luma’s journal from the beginning. Honestly, he hadn’t found anything particularly useful yet. Luma hadn’t written much about the people around him. Most of the early entries had been filled with idle grumblings and chaotic notes about magical headaches—more like a scribbled diary than a structured record.

“There were a few entries... about seeing mages being attacked by ordinary people, called monsters or demons...”

Even now, people still cursed what they feared. Monster. Demon. Fiend. Yuder was living proof. He’d been called such things more than anyone else in the world.

So when he’d read those parts, all he’d felt was a cold sort of resignation—guess nothing changes in a thousand years...

And yet... the Temple had actually gone further—questioning if those sorcerers really weren’t monsters...

If things had gone differently, if mages had been declared monsters, what would have happened? Wouldn’t Awakeners have faced the same fate—without even knowing?

As Yuder sat in thought, Kishiar exhaled through his nose.

“Apparently, many of those early sorcerers became unable to have children. And back then, the Temple considered that a very serious matter. It was an age that valued the continuation of bloodlines more than anything.”

“...Really?”

So it wasn’t just that they’d been too obsessed with magic to have children—some hadn’t even had the choice. That was surprising.

“Nowadays, it’s common knowledge that the more mana builds up in your body, the more likely it affects fertility. That’s why many mages don’t marry. It’s also influenced the culture of close mentor-student relationships. Think about it—how many mages we know are actually married?”

“That’s true.”

“It’s a [N O V E L I G H T] different situation, but... now that I think about it, there might be some similarities between that and Second Gender awakenings. Both involve major bodily changes that happen after becoming a mage or Awakener.”

Possibly. It was certainly a topic worth exploring. Kishiar said he’d bring it up with Tais Yulman and Alik once they returned to the Capital.

“Speaking of them... by now, they’ve probably finished the next prototype of the suppressant...”

As he continued speaking, sleep finally began to creep in. Yuder’s eyelids grew heavy, and his head dipped slightly. Kishiar stopped mid-sentence. A hand gently reached up to support Yuder’s head and guide it to his chest.

The steady thump of a heartbeat.

The soft warmth from the mana stove.

And just like that, Yuder fell completely asleep.

***

A man walked through a hidden passageway.

Silently, he moved with every sense sharpened, eventually arriving in a dark office—where a man with golden hair sat waiting.

The man in black was met with words he’d heard before, repeated like a script.

“Shall I offer you tea? Ah... I’ll need to bring a pot and cups, won’t I.”

As if welcoming a long-expected guest, Kishiar looked entirely unfazed. His face, partially veiled in shadow, bore that same shameless smile—and yet it was unnaturally pale. Almost bloodless.

Yuder watched him and felt a sharp, piercing pain in his chest.

Just as he’d wished—he was standing in Peleta on that day once more.

But this time, not as the assassin.

This time, as a third-party observer.