The dome of the ruins could no longer withstand the erosion of time. After the sunlight pierced through the broken structure, it completely collapsed.
Deep in the dim forest, the ruins that had once been hidden in ancient magic were now exposed between heaven and earth, like a giant beast that had slept for a thousand years finally awakening.
Golden sunlight, carrying the scent of the forest, fell upon Yiruo’s face without warning.
She frowned slightly.
‘So warm.’
It was a sensation she had never experienced before—different from the eternal cold of the darkness. It was a gentle light, like an invisible embrace, softly enveloping her entire body.
Yiruo’s consciousness gradually awakened from its slumber.
Then—
Something was lightly poking her face, over and over.
***
Her frown deepened. Her long lashes trembled, and she finally opened her eyes.
What came into view was a girl with silver-white hair, slightly leaning over to look at her, a faint smile in her purple eyes.
“Sister Yilena,” Elliana said, looking to the side, “you woke this child up.”
Yiruo blinked. Her memories surfaced slowly.
Strawberry cake. Very sweet, very soft—a taste she had never experienced before.
That was the apology gift this silver-haired girl had given her.
“She’s awake, she’s awake!” Another energetic voice rang out. Reya poked her head out from behind Elliana. “Good morning, little Yiruo!”
Before Yiruo could respond, the light stung her eyes, making her squint.
It was too bright.
After the dome shattered, sunlight shone straight down, and she instinctively wanted to turn her head away.
Just then, a flash of pink entered her view.
The person leaned over slightly, just in time to block the glaring sun for her.
Pink hair fell from her shoulders, brushing gently against Yiruo’s cheek, carrying a faint, elusive sweet fragrance.
It was that perverted witch!
Yiruo’s gaze slowly moved downward, and then—
She froze.
At this moment, she was lying on Yilena’s lap.
In an instant, Yiruo shot up.
“—!”
Her entire face turned bright red in a flash.
The girl scrambled to her feet, her bare feet stepping on the cold stone floor. She looked down and saw that although her clothes were still intact, they were covered in dust and scorch marks from the battle. She frantically patted her clothes, trying to hide her earlier embarrassment.
“Oh my~ If you run away so quickly, this witch will be very sad~” Yilena said with a smile, propping her cheek on one hand. “Sleeping on big sister’s lap is a very comfortable and happy thing~”
“I-I was not sleeping on your lap!” Yiruo retorted, her face flushed, her eyes wide. “And don’t call me ‘little vampire’!”
“Okay, little Yiruo~”
“You!”
Just as another round of “witch teases the girl” was about to begin, Elliana sighed helplessly. She stepped forward and held out the thing she had been protecting in her arms.
“Here.”
Yiruo looked down.
It was Rabi.
The red rabbit plushie lay quietly in her hand.
Its glass eyes were dim now. The small body was covered in dust and dried magical residue, looking like an abandoned old doll.
Yiruo paused for a moment, then carefully reached out, took Rabi, and gently hugged it to her chest.
A dark blue magical aura slowly flowed from her palm, like a warm stream of water, seeping into Rabi’s body bit by bit.
A few seconds later.
In Rabi’s deep blue glass eyes, a dark red light flickered back to life.
It blinked, first looking around in confusion, then looking down at the hands holding it.
“Master!”
A voice choked with tears suddenly rang out.
The little doll bounced up and buried its face in the crook of Yiruo’s neck, frantically rubbing its fuzzy head against her face and neck.
“I never want to leave Master again! Whoever tries to separate me from Master, I’ll bite them!”
Rabi muttered as it rubbed, its small body trembling with the joy of being reunited.
Yiruo, a little exasperated by the rubbing, raised a hand and gently patted its head.
“Okay, okay, I get it… Stop rubbing… We won’t be separated. Never.”
“Master!! Waaah—”
Yilena watched the scene and couldn’t help but laugh.
Elliana let out a soft breath, her gaze softening.
A moment later, she spoke.
“Yiruo.”
Yiruo turned around.
Elliana pointed beyond the shattered dome—where the endless sky and forest stretched out.
“This place is already destroyed. The source of the power that bound you is gone.”
She paused, her tone growing a bit more serious.
“Now, you can walk out.”
Yiruo froze.
She followed Elliana’s finger.
Sunlight, forest, sky… and an outside world she had never touched.
She could… go out?
That thought had never truly appeared in her mind.
From the moment she was born, she had believed she was part of the ruins. That great door bound her to it, and between her and the outside world lay a barrier that could never be broken.
All she had to do was sleep. Wait.
Wait forever.
But—
What was she waiting for?
She didn’t know.
The concept of “future” had never existed in her world.
Yiruo opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Just then, a hand gently landed on her head.
That hand was warm and steady.
Yiruo looked up and met Yilena’s deep blue eyes.
There was no mockery in them. Only calm gentleness.
“The poem of fate must be written by your own hand.”
Yiruo was stunned.
Fate… written by her own hand.
She lowered her head and looked at Rabi in her arms.
Rabi looked up, its glass eyes flickering with red light, silently responding to her.
“…I want to think alone for a while.”
Yiruo said quietly.
She turned around and walked barefoot on the cold stone floor, step by step, deeper into the ruins.
The three did not stop her.
They simply watched that slender figure disappear into the shadows.
…
After an unknown amount of time.
Yiruo stood before the enormous black door.
But she vaguely felt that something was different now.
She reached out and gently touched the cold, rough surface of the door.
Just then, her fingertips brushed against a slight protrusion.
It felt like something was wedged in the crack of the door.
Yiruo paused for a moment, then reached her fingers into the gap and gently hooked them.
A black feather was pulled out.
The feather was about the length of a palm, showing an eerie purple-black color, but in the sunlight, it shimmered with iridescent colors. It was very light, but holding it gave a strange warmth, as if it still carried the breath of life.
This was…
Yiruo stared at it for a long time.
Her intuition told her this was something important.
She carefully put the feather away.
Then, she turned and left.
***
Evening.
On an open patch of grass at the edge of the forest, two figures had been waiting for a long time.
“Why isn’t she here yet…” Reya paced back and forth, her tail twitching restlessly. “She’s not really going to stay in there, is she?”
She stopped and looked at Elliana. “Do you think she’ll come?”
Elliana was leaning against a tree, her silver-white hair glowing softly in the sunset.
“I don’t know.”
She said quietly.
“That feeling of suddenly facing ‘freedom’ after being imprisoned for so long… We can’t truly understand it. Maybe she needs a little time.”
Reya nodded, then looked over to the other side.
Yilena was crouched under a tree, focused on teasing a small squirrel.
She held a nut in her hand, raising it high, then lowering it, watching the squirrel follow her fingers back and forth, laughing happily.
“Witch!” Reya couldn’t help but call out. “Aren’t you worried at all?”
“Don’t be in a hurry~” Yilena replied without turning around, placing the nut on the ground as she watched the squirrel carry it away. “The ending of an adventure story always needs a bit of romantic waiting~”
Reya was about to retort—
Suddenly, rapid footsteps sounded from behind them.
And a slightly hurried breathing.
She whirled around.
In the light of the setting sun, a small figure was running toward them.
Long, dark blue hair flew in the wind.
She ran urgently, her chest heaving slightly, as if afraid that being even a second slower would make her miss something.
Beside her, the fiery red rabbit plushie danced happily, its eyes shining brightly.
Yiruo stopped in front of them.
She was panting slightly, her cheeks flushed from running.
Then—
She spoke.
“I… I want to go with you.”
She took a deep breath, lifted her head, and looked at the sky dyed golden by the sunset.
“To see the outside world.”
The evening breeze blew gently.
Ruffling her hair and the hem of her clothes.
Yilena showed a satisfied smile.
“Welcome back, little Yiruo.”
Reya cheered and pounced on her. “That’s great!”
Elliana stood still, quietly watching this scene, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.
At the edge of the forest, the sun slowly sank below the horizon.
A new journey quietly began.
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