Then after a short while, Yuri’s mood suddenly changed. The bright, sparkling joy that had filled her starry red eyes while savoring the sweet, creamy ice cream slowly dimmed.

Her spoon paused halfway to her mouth, the colorful dessert beginning to melt into a soft puddle in the bowl. A subtle shift came over her entire expression — her shoulders tensed slightly, her playful smile faded into a more serious, worried impression, and a small crease formed between her brows.

The cozy warmth of the Moonlit Petals restaurant, with its soft lantern lighting and gentle murmurs of other customers, seemed to grow heavier around their quiet corner table. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Yuri’s black chokers moved subtly as she swallowed, her gothic boyish outfit suddenly appearing more somber as the carefree vacation-like excitement she had been feeling moments ago gave way to something deeper and more troubling.

Then she said to Rin in a quiet, sincere voice that carried a hint of unease, "There’s something that has been bothering me lately."

Rin set down his glass of water with a soft clink against the wooden table.

His deep blue eyes focused on her with calm concern, his posture straightening slightly as he leaned forward. "Okay? What’s the problem?" he asked gently, his voice steady and attentive, giving her his full focus in the intimate corner of the restaurant.

Yuri hesitated for a long moment, her starry red eyes drifting downward to the melting ice cream as if gathering her thoughts.

She finally replied, her tone soft but serious, "There was a rumor I heard from someone when I was still the Void Keeper..."

She began to explain in careful detail.

Just about a day — even if telling exact time was nearly impossible in the timeless expanse of the void where she once existed — before Rin had come and taken her away, she had encountered a desperate traveler trying to cross the void.

The being had appeared suddenly in the endless darkness, flickering weakly like a dying star, exhausted and urgent.

He had whispered the rumor to her while attempting to slip through the dimensional barriers she guarded. According to him, powerful monsters were secretly plotting a large-scale invasion of Earth.

They were gathering forces in hidden realms, forging alliances, and preparing to breach the barriers between worlds on a massive scale.

At the time, Yuri had listened with her usual detached vigilance, storing the information without much emotional reaction, as her duty was eternal and unchanging.

She continued, her voice growing quieter but heavier with genuine worry, "At first I was ready and waiting to see how they would cross the void before coming to Earth."

As the ancient entity known as Thrúiowre, the Void Keeper, she had stood as a colossal titan in charge of maintaining balance in the void — a vast, galaxy-like space of infinite pitch darkness.

Distant twinkling stars and colorful nebulae dotted the endless black canvas, creating a breathtaking yet profoundly lonely cosmic wilderness that stretched between realities.

She had patrolled this realm for what felt like eternity, her powerful armored form armed with ancient weapons, ready to confront and stop any unauthorized crossings.

If monsters had tried to force their way through to invade Earth, she would have confronted them directly with overwhelming force, sealing the pathways and repelling the invaders before they could reach the human world.

She had been prepared to stand as the final, unyielding guardian, unflinching and eternal in her duty.

"But now that I’m no longer standing as the Void Keeper... things may turn out really bad if it’s true." Her starry red eyes reflected the soft lantern light as she looked at Rin, a rare vulnerability showing in her expression.

Without her constant presence maintaining the delicate balance, the barriers between the void and Earth had become more vulnerable.

The thought of powerful monsters pouring through unchecked, especially with Lilith potentially involved, weighed heavily on her now that she had tasted normal life and formed real attachments on Earth.

Rin listened carefully, his expression calm and reassuring.

He leaned forward a little more, his deep blue eyes steady as he replied in a confident, soothing voice, "You shouldn’t worry.

I doubt their plans would be successful." He knew far more than he let on.

The gods and powerful divine beings, including Inferna’s father — a mighty dragon god of immense strength and influence — would not simply sit idle if such a large-scale invasion threatened the human realm. Ancient pacts, hidden watchers, and powerful guardians across multiple realms had long maintained the balance. Any serious attempt by monsters to invade Earth on a grand scale would likely trigger swift and overwhelming responses from those forces.

Rin spoke with quiet certainty, drawing from his own deep knowledge of the hidden power structures that protected this world, trying to ease the weight on Yuri’s shoulders without revealing too much of what he truly knew.

He wanted to protect her newfound peace and happiness, not burden her with the full complexity of the conflicts he was already involved in.

Yuri nodded slowly, though the worried impression lingered on her face.

She replied softly, her starry red eyes still fixed on him with lingering concern, "I know... but rumors have it that Lilith — the Mother of All Monsters — is the one orchestrating it all."

The name hung in the air between them like a dark shadow, momentarily dimming the warm, cozy atmosphere of the restaurant.

The gentle clink of spoons against bowls and the soft conversations around them seemed to fade into the background as Yuri’s serious words brought a heavier reality into their quiet date.

Her starry red eyes remained locked on Rin, searching for reassurance while the weight of her past duty as the Void Keeper continued to press on her, even in this peaceful human setting.

Rin maintained his calm exterior, though internally he processed the new information with careful attention. The mention of Lilith added a serious and dangerous layer to the rumor.

Still, he believed the defenses of this world — both divine and otherwise — would hold firm.

For now, he focused on keeping the mood from darkening completely, offering Yuri a small, comforting smile across the table as the remnants of her ice cream slowly melted in the bowl, the sweet flavors mixing into a colorful swirl.

The date continued in this delicate balance between lighthearted discovery and the lingering shadow of greater threats from beyond the void, the soft lantern light casting gentle shadows across their table as Yuri and Rin sat together in the quiet corner of Moonlit Petals.