Willow woke up feeling heavy and weak. Her mind went back in time, trying to recapture her memories, but nothing came. The last thing she could remember was Lin passing out. She wondered what happened after that, her head throbbing and burning, but nothing else came to her, as if veiled behind a mist.

 

She slid down her bed and noticed Lou sleeping on the other edge. It was Willow's idea to keep the cute and fluffy demon lord as her pillow. Her bed was, in the most literal sense, huge. It could easily accommodate four people. She chuckled at the idea of sleeping with Vivi and Lin on the same bed. It wasn't an unwelcome idea, she thought to herself. It would be warm to sleep with three other people, but at the same time, she would be sticky with sweat in the summer. Willow shook her head as another horrifying image cooked up in her mind.

 

She looked outside through the window. The sky was dark, and the moon still hung low in the sky, hidden beneath the blankets of dark clouds. She liked stormy weather, although she never understood why. Her bare feet met the dusty floor, and again she cringed. She hated this feeling, but she couldn't clean it, not anymore, and she couldn't let Lin do it either, not with her uncertain health.

 

Why did she care about Lin so much? It wasn't characteristic of her. She wasn't a saint, never concerned with morality or doing the right thing. Yet, it was easier for her to help Lin than to imagine her suffering or going away. The image of Lin from the forest flashed back in her mind, with desperation in her voice. It made Willow feel both angry and weak. A voice in her mind whispered, questioning if it was really her. She ignored it.

 

Willow took small strides toward the door, which was old and heavy. It creaked as she twisted and pulled the knob.

 

"Willow..." the little girl muttered, making Willow smile. Lou only called her by name when she was half-asleep, when her arrogant demon lord persona faded into the sleepy little girl. Even her voice sounded more childlike.

 

"I'll be back, you can sleep," Willow said slowly, so as not to startle her. Lou nodded and turned around to sleep, with the tip of her tail hanging over the edge. Willow watched her for a moment longer. She could never  convince herself that Lou wasn't a child or that she was older than Willow herself. In the terms of dragons, she wasn't. To humans, she was. But Willow would always see her as a child, even if it made her actions seem immoral, for Lou's cooking was essentially child labor. Lou was a divine chef first, then a child.

Willow strolled through the main hall, making her way to the other side. The sound of rats filled the air, their squeaks indicating they were having a grand time. Willow smiled more freely, thinking that even if they were rats, as long as her inn brought joy to any creature, she felt a sense of liberation, as if a cold hand had been lifted from her shoulders.

 

Entering her small yard, she noticed the old, dangling fence at the edge. Along the perimeter, small wild flowers and bushes—unfamiliar to Willow, as she had no knowledge of the local flora—adorned the area. Positioned by the side was a bench crafted from a rock, her usual spot to sit.

 

Willow's feet sank into the soft and cool grass as she decided to recline on the grassy ground. She hoped there were no malevolent insects lurking, waiting to take a bite out of her. Settling beside the rock, she used it as a support.

 

The sky remained devoid of stars, with only a gentle purple light filtering through the dark cloud, emanating from the moon.

 

Quietly, Willow sat there, gazing at the moon. Her focus was scattered, her mind blank. She felt alone, consumed by loneliness. While she had no recollection of her past life, she knew, deep down, that she had often sat like this, gazing at the sky. It was an innate sensation, ingrained within her.

 

She shouldn't have felt alone, considering the many people around her. Yet, it seemed as though she was living in an unreal dream, one that could shatter at any moment, leaving her lost in darkness, alone, and hoping for salvation throughout eternity. But before that happens, she wanted to live her life to the fullest, to explore the world without any restrictions, to embark on a journey where she could experience true happiness.

 

"How are you feeling?" Vivienne asked softly, using a tone she only used when they were alone. It made her feel warm and at ease, like being with family. Vivienne sat on the stone bench right beside her.

 

"Alone," Willow mumbled. This version of Vivienne was someone she could confide in, someone who had been there when thieves tried to rob her, someone who had guided her when she was new and unfamiliar to this world. And she had given her this inn, "her" inn, without asking for anything in return.

 

"I'm just a caretaker until the true owner comes to claim this place," Vivienne had told her in their first conversation.

 

Vivienne didn't say anything in response; she simply stroked Willow's hair gently, providing a comforting touch.

 

"Have you ever felt this way?" Willow asked after what felt like an eternity.

 

"For most of my life," Vivienne replied, her hand warm against Willow's head, a stark contrast to the usual coldness that surrounded her.

 

"And what did you do?" 

 

"Nothing. There was nothing for me to do but to continue walking alone until those feelings were washed away, carried off by the storm that arrived in my life. After that, all I felt was happiness. But then, that feeling too was taken away by the storm, and all that remained was darkness and loneliness. And I slept, until you arrived, and now I don't feel alone anymore," 

 

Hearing Vivienne's words made Willow feel both warm and sad. She had given Vivienne something, yet she had just expressed feeling alone, despite Vivienne being right beside her.

 

"I-I didn't mean to imply that I didn't appreciate your presence," Willow said, looking up at Vivienne who was in her night dress, her hair flowing freely, and her eyes resembling an abyss.

 

"Thank you," Willow muttered as she continued to stare at the sky.

 

"After we left the Guild master's office today, what happened? I can't recall anything after that," Willow asked after a while. She could sense the wind picking up, and it seemed like the clouds were about to pour rain.

 

"You passed out just after Lin. I carried you back here. Nothing significant happened," Vivienne answered.

 

She had passed out, but why? Willow didn't remember feeling weak or dizzy. She felt perfectly fine. Was she in the same situation as Lin? Willow looked up to ask, but as if Vivienne read her mind, she provided an answer before Willow could ask.

 

"No, I would say it was the effect of traversing the ethereal realm twice and the clash of our magic. Both the Guild master and I possess negative elements of magic, and it had an adverse effect on your sensitive bearing," Vivienne explained.

 

Willow nodded, satisfied with the answer. "You and the Guild master didn't seem to be on good terms," Willow observed. She wanted to know why. From her perspective, the Guild master seemed reasonable and approachable, even if the details of their meeting were somewhat foggy in her mind.

 

"It has something to do with the Elder Seat. You shouldn't concern yourself with it," Vivienne replied, dismissing the topic.

 

"Elder Seat..." Willow muttered as she recalled her own status. "It's written in my status that my reputation is negatively affected by the Witch of the Elder Seat's friendship. Is the Elder Seat a criminal organization?" Willow somehow felt like she could unload all the questions swirling in her mind.

"No, the Elder Seat is nothing like that. It was a group of people who came together out of boredom to seek excitement. They named themselves the Elder Seat because they were the strongest in their respective classes. There were twelve of us in the group. We lived for the thrill of battle, but it was all just a result of boredom. However, an incident occurred that shook the continent to its core, and the Elder Seat members were labeled as criminals. Any association with them was portrayed in a negative light," Vivienne explained.

 

"What kind of incident?" Willow inquired.

 

"The First and Fifth members of the Elder Seat stole the Staff of Creation and disappeared. The rest of the Elder Seat paid the price for their betrayal," Vivienne responded.

 

"What is the Staff of Creation?" 

 

"It's a piece of jewelry that holds no real value aside from its existence," 

 

"Then why are you considered villains?" 

 

"People worship the Staff of Creation as if it were a deity. Thus, we are seen as sinners," Vivienne said with a sigh.

 

"I see..."

 

Vivienne let out a yawn, signaling her need for a nap. "I'll go and take a nap. You should too," she suggested before leaving the seat and heading inside.

 

Willow remained sitting there for a long time, feeling the wind on her skin. It helped her feel less numb. She sat until the first droplet of water fell, prompting her to hurry inside. She didn't want to get wet and experience another embarrassing moment in her life.

 

She slowly opened the door, but it creaked nonetheless, waking up the little demon lord from her slumber.

 

"Willow..." Lou muttered again.

 

"Go back to sleep," Willow gently instructed, and Lou obediently complied. Willow lay on the other side of the bed, gazing at the ceiling until sleep overtook her consciousness.