With Nowun’s question came a torrent of memories. Fragmented scenes and images that didn’t quite connect.

Aria blinked and then said, “…Enough?”

Nowun frowned. “Enough?”

Aria slowly nodded and said, “I can remember the attack on Alvheim. I can remember following after you to the Northern Empire… And I remember Tani killing me. But other than that…”

A blur.

Aria felt like the memories were there, but she couldn’t remember them. She sighed and said, “I’m sorry, Mister Nowun.”

Nowun shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. And don’t apologize either. It’s not your fault for not remembering it.”

“If you say so… Ah.” Aria paused, a sudden thought coming to mind. “There is one thing I remember.”

“What is it?”

Aria glanced into Nowun’s face and said, “I don’t blame you either, you know?”

The nameless young man paused for a moment and then nodded. “Alright.”

Aria blinked, caught off guard by Nowun’s nonchalant response.

Nowun smiled and said, “What? Did you expect me to break down like your sister?”

Aria shook her head. “No. I’m just surprised.” She smiled and said, “I’m glad that you’re well. If I was the source of your pain… I don’t know what I would do.”

A complicated expression crossed Nowun’s face before he shook his head and said, “Enough of that.” He glanced at Aria’s chest and said, “How’s your body? The wound should have healed, but…”

Aria flushed a bit at Nowun’s intense gaze, but then shook her head. “I’m fine.” She paused and said, “I still feel a bit tired, but I think that’s from waking up so early.”

Nowun nodded. “I suppose it wasn’t too long that I revived you. At most you would have only had a few hours to rest. Maybe…” The nameless young man started trailing off, muttering to himself under his breath.

Seeing that, Aria couldn’t help but find herself staring at him.

The black-haired young man who saved her life. The one whose name wasn’t truly a name, but simply a means to address him by. ‘No one’.

While a lot of her memories were still unclear or detached, Aria could clearly remember the first time they met.

The powerless young man who took a blade to his chest to buy her time. The calm and fearless expression he had.

Thinking back, Aria could say that he hadn’t seemed human. No. That he hadn’t seemed to be alive at all.

Compared to that figure, the person in front was far more relatable. His brows were scrunched up in thought, his dark eyes, while glowing crimson, scanned the air as if looking for answers.

Aria giggled.

Nowun froze and then frowned. “What’s so funny?”

Aria shook her head. “It’s nothing, Mister Nowun.”

Nowun crossed his arms and said, “It’s obviously something considering you laughed. What is it?”

“Honestly, it’s nothing. I just…”

“You just…?”

“I just thought that you seem better this way.”

Nowun’s eyes widened and a complicated expression crossed his face. “Is… Is that so?”

Aria nodded. “I’m not sure what it is, but you seem… more normal? Human?”

Nowun scoffed. “Maybe something did go wrong if you see me like that.”

“It’s true!” Aria placed a hand on her chin and said, “Mm… Ah!” She nodded and said, “You care.”

“I… care?”

“That’s right!” She smiled and said, “You can try to hide it behind that face, but I’m sure of it. You’re just as kind and caring as Tani.”

A wry smile crossed Nowun’s face. “Kind and caring, you say? If only you knew…”

“But I do! After all, if you didn’t care… You wouldn’t have felt so guilty when you revived me.”

“Guilty? As if.” Nowun shook his head and said, “I was just surprised that you were still clinging to me like an obsessed ghost.”

Despite the harsh words, Aria kept a smile on her face. Still, she didn’t want to be too mean, so she changed the subject and said, “I didn’t get a chance to bring it up again, but why are you and Tani here together?” She paused, suddenly realizing something and said, “And what happened to Miss Saphira?”

Nowun sighed and gestured for Aria to take a seat. “It’s a long story. One that I don’t have all the pieces to myself.”

Aria frowned and then took her seat.

Nowun sat across from Aria, thought for a bit, and then said, “After the events at the Northern Empire… a lot happened. You see…

Aria sat at the table, lost in thought.

After telling his story, Nowun had gone inside the house, saying something about wanting to get some rest before Titania returned.

Aria could tell that was just an excuse, but she could also tell that Nowun was unsettled so she let him be and thought about what he told her.

There were portions of the story omitted. Even while Nowun said that he didn’t have all the pieces of the story, he seemed to have intentionally withheld parts of the story he did have.

Aria glanced up at the sky and said, “Another world, was it?”

It was a fantasical tale of going mad with power and being sent to a different world entirely. There, he picked up a disciple by chance and had the good fortune to be saved by that disciple when he lost in a fight against the Goddess. And then, by chance, that disciple had saved Titania on a whim.

Coming from anybody else, Aria might have thought it was nonsense. A story crafted to entertain her like the ones her father told her in the past about the Dragon Princess and the Brave Warrior.

But this was Nowun.

While she hadn’t known him too long, at least in terms of actual time spent with him, Aria could tell his character from how he treated her. And from the beginning, he had never babied her.

Clouds lazily drifting across the clear blue sky, the warm sun shining down upon the land. Somewhere beyond that peaceful scene, there was that cruel Goddess who played with people’s lives and fates. The same one that had drawn Nowun into this world just for entertainment.

Aria lowered her gaze and muttered, “What should I do?”

Nowun. The young man with black hair and ordinary looks. Since their first meeting, he had changed. The trials he had gone through as a result of the goddess’s interference in the world and in his fate had left their mark on him.

While Aria liked the current Nowun more, she also realized that it was the result of deep-seated regret.

Of course, that was something that Nowun would never admit or acknowledge.

Realizing that, Aria let out a long sigh and slumped across the table. “Why is he so difficult?”

Stubbornly trying to carry everything by himself and trying to defy not only fate, but the Goddess that ruled over everything in the world. That was who Nowun was.

Obviously, Aria couldn’t do anything to help him with that. She was just an ordinary elf girl with only a slight gift in wind magic. She was well aware of that, so she wanted to at least ease his heart.

But Nowun wouldn’t allow even that much.

Aria pulled herself back up and then stared into the pond.

A beautiful young woman with golden hair and wide green eyes. It was a reflection that Aria knew all too well. But at the moment, it was also one that frustrated her.

“…I’m useless.”

Unable to resolve Titania’s anger and pain with her death, unable to help Nowun in his fight to take down the Goddess, unable to even say anything worthwhile to support and repay the person who saved her life…

Aria glared at her reflection and said, “Why was I even born?”

From what Nowun had said, the Goddess was the one responsible for everything that happened in the world, in Asifant. That meant that she was also the one who decided Aria’s existence.

All her life, Aria had been told that she was blessed by the Goddess. To have such brilliant hair and pure golden hair amidst the darkened halls of Alvheim, to be blessed with the wind from a young age… It was a sign. A message that the Goddess has bestowed her personal blessing to Aria. That her future would be limitless.

And yet that same Goddess ordained the fall of Alvheim in such a cruel manner and seemed content to destroy an entire world just on a whim.

“Some blessed child I am…” Aria sighed and then turned away from her reflection. After all, there was no use in mulling over what couldn’t change.

Footsteps echoed in the distance.

Glancing up, Aria saw that Titania had returned.

“Hm?” Titania stared at Aria and said, “Where did that guy go, Ari?”

Aria blinked and said, “You mean Mister Nowun?”

Titania’s eye twitched, but she nodded and said, “That’s right. Did I not tell you two to stay here and wait for my return?”

Aria stretched and said, “We did. Mister Nowun and I actually talked for a while, but he said he was feeling tired and went to go take a nap.”

Titania frowned. “Take a nap? That guy?”

Aria leaned back and said, “Well, Mister Nowun is still recovering from his injuries. He might be superhuman, but I’m sure he needs rest now and then too.”

“That is true,” Titania said. “But for a person like that guy to just lie down and rest…” Suddenly, her eyes widened and she ran towards the house.

Aria stood up and said, “Wait Tani! I don’t think Mister Nowun would-“

Titania slammed the door open and ran inside.

Aria followed after her, but before she could even take a few steps, Titania had come back.

“That man…!” Titania gnashed her teeth and said, “Does he not realize how much he worries Master Xinxin?”

Aria frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?!” Titania threw her hands in the air and said, “That man left!”

“…What?” Aria shook her head and walked past Titania to look inside the house. “That can’t be-“

Silence. An empty bed, untouched furniture.

Aria froze, realization dawning on her. When it did, she stamped her feet and said, “Mister Nowun! Stop running away from me!”

HappyVainGlory

Hm... for the time being I think I might stick to updating every other day at this time. Still a bit out of practice to write enough for a chapter every day. Anyway, thanks for reading and thanks again for commenting! I'll see you again on Wednesday!