I stared at the hand that had stopped me.

A pale, slightly thin hand.

The touch of Noya's grip made my body tremble.

I struggled to move, but in the end, I couldn’t.

Part of it was the sheer strength with which Noya held me.

But more than that, I was forcing myself to endure.

Crack.

My bones groaned under the pressure.

I repeated deep breaths, struggling to hold myself back.

“Haaah...”

I barely managed to suppress my instincts.

Even so, my gaze remained locked on the figures who had passed behind me.

“Calm yourself.”

Noya placed a firm hand on my shoulder.

“...”

I didn’t respond.

I only stood there in a daze, staring at the two as they disappeared into the crowd.

It wasn’t until they were completely out of sight that I finally managed to speak.

“...What was that?”

I turned to Noya, my voice barely above a whisper.

“What I just saw... was it real?”

Not just what I saw—what I felt.

I demanded an answer.

But Noya, frowning slightly, replied,

“Do you think I would know? I’m just as shaken as you are.”

Even Noya didn’t seem to fully grasp the situation.

His expression, unusually grim, made that clear.

Which meant—

‘It wasn’t just my imagination.’

That sensation—

That moment of recognition—

It wasn’t a mistake.

Then—

‘Why...?’

Why was she here?

A part of me had hoped it was nothing but an illusion.

But if it wasn’t... that made things even worse.

Tighten.

“...”

I clenched my hand into a fist, forcing myself to think.

I couldn’t meet Mother right now.

Not like this.

I kept repeating that thought in my head.

That was likely why Noya had stopped me as well.

“...Fuck.”

But knowing didn’t make it any easier.

Especially when she had passed right in front of me.

Forget why she was here—

‘Am I just supposed to let her go?’

That thought clawed at me as I stood frozen, staring at the path she had taken.

****************

Meanwhile—

“Hm?”

A woman walking through the streets suddenly stopped.

She turned her head, glancing back.

“What was that?”

Something felt... off.

She scanned the crowded streets, but all she saw were throngs of people moving about.

“Hm...”

She hesitated for a moment.

Should she lift the veil and take a look?

The thought crossed her mind, but she shook her head slightly and turned forward again.

It wasn’t a good idea to remove it right now.

If she did, it would only cause unnecessary trouble.

Since it had been a long time since she had come down from her place, she wanted to leave as quietly as possible.

Of course—

‘Still... something feels strange.’

A lingering unease remained.

A fleeting sense that she shouldn’t have just walked past whatever it was.

What had she just passed by?

She had moved through too many people to keep track.

From beneath the veil, her crimson eyes shifted.

Like gemstones, they gleamed as they flickered toward the woman beside her.

“...Daughter.”

The masked woman—Yarang—turned to face her.

“Have you seen anything... unusual?”

At her mother’s words, Yarang remained silent for a moment.

Then, she shook her head.

“Is that so?”

The woman smiled, seeming convinced without a hint of doubt.

“I understand. From now on, you’ll need to be my eyes and ears. Make sure to guide me well.”

At her mother’s words, Yarang nodded once more.

However—

Her gaze remained fixed on the path they had just walked.

For a brief moment, she searched through the crowd.

But as her mother resumed walking, she quietly followed after her.

“Hm.”

The woman glanced around as they moved.

“It has changed a lot since I last saw it.”

When was the last time she had been here?

It had been so long that she couldn’t count the years.

Back then, this place had been nothing more than a thicket of trees.

To think something like this existed now—it was almost amusing.

“As always... time moves so quickly, doesn’t it?”

At her words, Yarang nodded.

Time changed in the blink of an eye.

But the time of mortals never aligned with hers.

To her, time simply existed.

The flow of time held little meaning to her.

Because of that—

Because of that—

‘She doesn’t care.’

She had no reason to.

Time was endless, so it was meaningless.

Meaning only existed in things that were finite—that’s what made them beautiful.

But to her, it was different.

That truth had long since faded.

So even as she gazed upon the transformed Yahwol, she felt no deep sentiment.

A mild curiosity, perhaps—but nothing beyond that.

“Hm.”

She observed her surroundings with those stunning, otherworldly eyes.

Yet, the light within them had dimmed.

What was she looking at?

Her eyes scanned everything.

But nothing seemed to leave an impression.

No—

Perhaps she didn’t want to remember any of it.

After all, even if she did, what purpose would it serve?

There was no point in giving meaning to things she had no reason to recall.

This was the world she was meant to exist in.

The place she had to protect as part of her being.

And that was all.

To her, this land was nothing more than that.

To remember—

To hold onto something—

When was the last time she had truly felt that way?

She couldn’t remember.

"Memory, huh."

Did she need to remember anything?

Had she ever tried to remember anything?

As the woman pondered that thought while walking—

“Oh.”

Her eyes widened slightly as she caught sight of something.

Then—

Thud—!

Something descended from above, landing with force in a secluded area.

A young man with light green hair stood there.

The woman gazed at him with a calm, expressionless face.

“...I greet my lord....”

Yusa, his face tense with anxiety, lowered himself in a formal bow.

“It has been a long time,” the woman spoke gently.

Hearing her voice, Yusa swallowed hard and bowed even lower.

“To think that one as noble as yourself would grace such a humble place....”

“Humble?”

The woman let out a soft laugh.

“What place on this land could possibly be called humble?”

“...”

The faint scent of flowers lingered in the air as it passed through Yusa’s nose.

He parted his lips slightly, realizing his mistake.

“...Forgive me. I overstepped....”

“It’s fine. I wasn’t looking for an apology.”

Sarak.

The woman stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

Her presence—so devoid of any Qi—felt like an absolute void.

Yusa shuddered.

How could someone feel so completely absent?

“Lift your head.”

At her command, Yusa hesitantly raised his gaze—

And met the woman’s crimson eyes.

Swish.

A white hand gently cupped his cheek.

“Is my presence here... a problem for you?”

“...How could it be? There is no place on this land where my lord does not belong.”

At his unwavering words, the woman smiled faintly.

“Good. Then, may I ask you something?”

“...I will listen.”

Yusa bowed deeply, lowering himself nearly to the ground.

His once-twitching tail had long since stilled, his ears flattened against his head.

He had assumed the most respectful posture possible.

Seeing that, the woman asked,

“I heard that something... amusing happened recently.”

“...!”

At her words, Yusa’s tail twitched slightly.

“It’s not unusual for things to happen... but this is the first time I’m hearing of it.”

“...It was simply a matter of confirming the details. I planned to report to you once I had gathered all the information.”

“Is that so?”

“It is—”

[“Is that so?”]

“...!”

A tremor ran through Yusa’s body.

His heart—

No, his very soul—

Shuddered.

A tightening sensation wrapped around his throat—

The same feeling as when he received an order from her.

“...It is... the truth.”

“I see.”

As soon as he managed to force out a response, the overwhelming pressure vanished.

Only then did Yusa finally manage to breathe properly.

“So then, you mean to say you will tell me later?”

“...If you desire, I can tell you immediately.”

“No need.”

The woman dismissed his offer without hesitation.

“If you say you will tell me when the time comes, I will wait.”

Waiting meant nothing to her.

As she had already said, time was meaningless to her.

“I’ve heard my answer. I apologize for disturbing you.”

“...Not at all....”

“How long will you be staying here?”

A strange question—

After all, this was her own land.

But there was a reason she asked.

“I will depart first thing tomorrow.”

The woman had left Yusa with certain tasks.

“I see. Then rest well.”

Having said all she needed to, she turned her back to leave.

But Yusa hurriedly spoke up.

“My lord... are you returning now?”

“Hm? No.”

The woman shook her head slightly.

“Not immediately....”

She hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Yarang, who stood beside her.

“I think I will go for a little outing.”

“An... outing?”

“Yes. An outing.”

The woman spoke lightly, then began walking forward.

Without the slightest hesitation, she left Yusa behind.

And as he watched Yarang silently follow after her—

Yusa bit his lip.

****************

After leaving, the woman and Yarang made their way to the central park of the city.

A quiet space—

One of the few peaceful spots within the otherwise chaotic fortress.

Walking leisurely, she took in her surroundings.

After being surrounded by nothing but buildings, stepping into this place felt strangely different.

Yarang followed behind her, quietly watching.

How long.

For what purpose.

And to what end.

She could have asked these things.

But she didn’t.

She couldn’t ask—

And even if she could, she wouldn’t.

So, she simply watched.

And then—

“Daughter.”

The woman spoke to Yarang.

“There is something I’ve been thinking about.”

Her voice was as gentle and quiet as ever.

Words spoken with a soft, deliberate rhythm.

But what followed—

“I think... it is time to change the general.”

—was far from gentle.