?????°???°?????

  Two months had passed since the terrorism in Cirgo.

  Sometimes, I still find it strange how time works, how it moves on over things, even when it feels like nothing should continue after that. Streets that had once been buried under rubble were now clean. Not pristine, you could still see where something had been broken and hastily put back together, but alive.

  Many people had died, soldiers, civilians. A stone memorial had been placed at the center of the kingdom as a sign of respect for all those who were gone.

  Even so, the city was celebrating now.

  Colorful banners stretched across the rebuilt streets, swaying in the wind, showing everyone that this was a new beginning. Musicians played in the squares, children ran around laughing, and the smell of warm food filled the air.

  I walked slowly among the people.

  I did not feel as lost as before. There were still many things I did not understand, but the constant fear had faded. The voices around me no longer sounded like a confusing mess. They were laughter, casual arguments, comments about food and drinks. In a way, that was comforting.

  Some people looked at me longer than they should have. It was not admiration. Not exactly distrust either. It was something in between.

  Orion was not mentioned anywhere.

  It was as if he had never existed, as if the city had silently decided that forgetting was the best option.

  The Aurora Guild had been shut down. No one wanted to participate anymore or take Orion’s place.

  I passed by a square where some soldiers had left their armor leaning near improvised tables. They drank, laughed too loudly, clinked their mugs together.

  The sky was beginning to darken.

  The first stars appeared between thin clouds, watching the city from afar. Lanterns were lit one by one, spreading a warm light through the streets.

  Two months ago, I would not have believed that this place could feel so welcoming.

  After wandering aimlessly for a while, I ended up stopping near the center of the celebration.

  The music was louder there, and people crowded together to watch small improvised performances. Between laughter and applause, I spotted the king in the distance. He was not on a stage or surrounded by excessive guards, just near one of the larger tables, mingling with the people in a way I had never seen before.

  Serena was beside him.

  She laughed at something Sentil was saying, leaning forward, her eyes shining in a way I did not remember seeing before.

  The king watched the two of them closely.

  There was exhaustion on his face, yes, but also something new. Care. He listened more than he spoke, nodded slowly, sometimes smiled faintly, as if he were learning how to be there.

  Sentil was talking a lot too. It was rare to see him like that. He was telling some story I could not hear, but it was easy to tell from the way the other two reacted that it was nothing important. And maybe that was exactly what made it different.

  I stood there for a few moments, watching.

  They seemed close.

  The kind of closeness that is born after something breaks, and even so, people choose to gather the pieces.

  Maybe it was not possible to erase what had happened, but it could be left in the past, where it belonged. There were things that did not need to be carried forever.

  The music kept playing, the lanterns swayed with the wind, and for a moment everything felt sufficient.

  I looked away and moved on.

  That was when I saw something at the top of the castle, in the darkest part. A figure standing still, watching the celebration. For a moment, I thought it was just someone looking for silence, but a closer look was enough to recognize the green hair and the clothing far too dark for the occasion.

  It was her.

  The woman who had appeared last time without any warning. Wearing a witch’s hat.

  She did not seem to notice my presence. But it only seemed that way.

  Her gaze was fixed on the city, on the lights, on the people gathered below. There was no rush in her. No tension. Just attention, as if she were watching something curious.

  I moved away from the party, weaving through the people with more care than urgency. I did not want to draw attention or alert anyone. I just did not want her to disappear again before I could say anything.

  ━━━━━━━━━?◆?━━━━━━━━━

  The noise of the party became a soft, almost comfortable background.

  With my heels, I reached where she was without any trouble. The top of the castle was wide, open enough for the wind to flow freely. Leaning against the railing, her back to me, she watched the city below, her green hair moving slowly.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  “You’re moving very well. Congratulations, little one.”

  Her voice was sweet, almost amused, as if she were commenting on something simple.

  I stepped closer, stopping beside her. Even then, she was still much taller than me.

  “Yeah… thanks.”

  Silence settled between us.

  She kept looking at the party, far too calm. I, on the other hand, felt the words piling up in my throat.

  ‘Hmm. This is bad. How do I start this? I have too many things to clear up… and this might be my only chance.’

  “Listen, I—”

  “Boop.”

  She said it as she lightly tapped my nose the moment I turned my face toward her. Then she laughed, a low, sincere laugh.

  “You’ve grown a lot. I’m very happy.”

  Blinking was all I managed to do for a second.

  “Hm… I have a few questions for you. You can answer them now, right?”

  Her red eyes gleamed as she looked away from me and back toward the illuminated city.

  “Hm.” She nodded in agreement.

  I took a deep breath.

  Then I began.

  “You’re my progenitor, aren’t you?”

  For a moment, her eyes widened slightly, genuine surprise crossing her expression. Soon after, she relaxed and looked back at me.

  “Yes. I am.”

  My hands started moving on their own, fingers brushing against each other. I did not know why, but it made me nervous.

  “Then…” I swallowed. “Were you the one who killed Orion’s father? I assume you know what happened, right?”

  “Yes, I know.”

  She answered calmly, without hesitation.

  "I wasn’t here, actually, so I don’t know the details. I’m sorry.” She paused briefly. “I've overheard a lot of conversations; I've only been in the city for a few days.”

  I frowned.

  “But you’re mistaken. I didn’t kill his father.”

  “Hm?”

  She tilted her head slightly, as if choosing her words.

  “If someone did…” A small smile appeared on her lips. “…well, in your human terms, it was my mother. I wasn't born when she must have killed his father.”

  I stayed silent for a few seconds, trying to organize that in my head.

  “Your… mother?”

  She nodded slowly, still looking at the city.

  “She’s the original,” she said as if commenting on the weather. “The first. The one who started our lineage.”

  It took me a moment to respond.

  “So she’s the reason you and I…”

  “Yes. Our humanoid appearance. It’s her legacy.”

  That explained far too much. Maybe more than I was ready to understand at that moment.

  “And you…” I hesitated, choosing my words. “When did you reproduce?”

  She seemed to think for a moment, tilting her head slightly.

  “Metamorphs tend to reproduce early, compared to humans.” She made a vague gesture with her hand. “Usually between twenty and thirty years. That’s when the body and essence are more stable.”

  I looked at her from the side.

  “We’re born and adapt to everything during that period, to become stronger. So that when our descendant is born, they inherit those traits and have even more potential. That’s how we keep our lineage powerful…”

  Her gaze lowered, and there was something sad there.

  I looked down, thoughtful.

  “I know it must seem strange to you, but…” She finally looked at me. “But for us, this is… normal.”

  I nodded slowly, trying to accept it.

  “So you’re not… ancient. I mean…”

  “Old?” She smiled. “No. I’m only twenty-three. My mother must already be in her forties. Our lineage isn’t that old. For now, it’s just the three of us.”

  The wind grew stronger at that moment, making her green hair move again. The celebration continued below us, completely unaware of our conversation.

  “My mother is still out there,” she added, as if closing the topic. “And sometimes, her actions reach your ears in strange ways.”

  I swallowed.

  “Like what happened with Orion’s father?”

  “Hm.” She shrugged. “Exactly like that.”

  Silence returned, but this time it was not uncomfortable.

  “But I’ll give you a warning. My mother… isn’t normal. I don’t know how or when, but she evolved in a very different way from any other metamorph I’ve ever heard of. She’s far too strong.”

  She took off her hat, letting her green hair fall freely.

  “What do you mean?”

  She let out a deep sigh.

  “Metamorphs don’t stop growing, even after they reproduce. They keep growing until someone manages to kill them.” She paused briefly. “In other words… she was so strong that, even being her descendant, I realized one day that I would never surpass her in anything.”

  She clenched her hands.

  “I lived with her for a while after I was born, and… those weren’t my best days. The moment she realized I was a failure… I was abandoned.”

  I could not say anything. So I stayed silent.

  “That’s why, if she ever discovers you, please be careful.” She looked back at the city. “She will come after you to test you. She doesn’t think like I do. Or like you do.”

  It was strange. I hadn’t noticed it at first, but after these months, I had learned a lot.

  ‘This woman is far stronger than Orion. No, “stronger” didn’t even begin to describe the difference. What kind of monster is the original?’

  I sighed, scratched the back of my neck, and opened my mouth while lazily closing my eyes.

  “Ah. So I’m screwed. No way I can overcome that too.”

  After a brief moment of surprise, she laughed, covering her mouth.

  “How adorable, little one. But don’t think like that. You’re a bit more similar to her than I am, so you might have a chance.”

  “That’s the second time someone’s told me that…”

  “Then it must be true.”

  She looked at the hat in her hand.

  “What’s with the hat? Are you really a witch?”

  She smiled slightly.

  “No. My skills are… similar. But the truth is… it’s just my little fantasy.”

  She looked at me, her eyes filled with expectation.

  “Do you know why I wear it?”

  I thought for a moment.

  “Because it’s cool?”

  She brightened.

  “That’s right! It’s very cool.”

  We talked a bit more. She explained many things to me. I told her about Valoria, which apparently is a much more advanced city than Cirgo, something I already suspected. But the way she talked about it made it sound like much more than I had imagined.

  I also told her everything that had happened to me in Cirgo.

  “I still have to investigate that device that turns others into monsters. Do you have any advice?”

  “Well… I think you should go to the Tsukuyomi Academy. The laboratories are there.”

  “Academy?”

  “Yes. It’s like the schools in your world, or rather… universities, as you call them.”

  I was surprised.

  “You know a lot about my old world.”

  She laughed awkwardly.

  “I met someone else who came from there too. He used to tell me many things.” She spun the hat in her hand. “Anyway. You’ll know it when you see it. Just look up when you get there.”

  I nodded.

  “Hey, you still haven’t told me your name.”

  “It’s Zarabahad. But you can just call me Zara.”

  “Zara. Got it. I have one last question.”

  She looked at me expectantly.

  “Why didn’t you say you were my progenitor when we met in the forest?”

  She brought one hand behind her head and closed her eyes, speaking in a relaxed, slightly embarrassed tone.

  “Ahh. I went there specifically for that, but then I got shy halfway through. So I made up that story about death and dark things to scare you.”

  “You made it up?!”

  She laughed loudly.

  “It’s just that you talked about another world, so I got embarrassed. It would be weird for me to come up to you and say: Hi! I’m your mother, how are you? What do you think of how calm this forest is?”

  I froze, a strange feeling forming in my chest.

  She let out one last laugh.

  “That would be weird…”

  She put the hat back on and continued.

  “I have to leave now. I have… important things to do.”

  “A-ah. Okay. Will I see you again?”

  She smiled.

  “You will. But it will take a while now.” She stopped and looked at me one last time. “You… made friends?”

  I looked at the party. I saw everyone there. Viola, Don, Logy, Serena, maybe Sentil, Merlin too, Thom, Eliza, and Lília. It really hadn’t been that bad.

  “I think so. In that regard, I’m doing fine.” I gave her a small smile.

  “I’m glad. Enjoy it while you can. See you later.”

  She vanished into the air, just like last time.

  “Hm. That wasn’t bad…” I murmured.

  Then I went back down to the party. I would leave for Valoria the next day.

  ?????°???°?????