Her heart stopped.
It was Yuuta.
Her mortal.
He was kneeling in the grass, his hands digging desperately into the soil, his face lowered toward the ground. His body moved with the slow, exhausted rhythm of someone who had been repeating the same task for so long that he no longer knew how to stop. His fingers were raw, his nails broken, and the blood staining the grass around him had come from his own wounds.
Erza stared at him through the window, unable to believe what she was seeing. His borrowed pants were torn at the knees, exposing skin scraped bloody from hours of crawling. Dirt and sweat covered his face, while the moonlight revealed dark streaks beneath his eyes that might have been tears.
He was searching for her ring.
For a moment, the world seemed to fall silent.
Erza pressed her hand against the glass, her breath catching in her throat as she watched him pull apart the grass and dig through the soil. The field stretched endlessly beneath the cold night sky, and judging by the blood scattered across the ground, he had already searched a considerable distance.
He had been out there for hours.
And he was still searching.
Why?
The question burned inside her chest.
Why would he do something like this? She had told him that the ring was old, nothing more. She had never explained its importance or told him about the generations of queens who had worn it before her.
He knew nothing about her mother, her grandmother, or the memories attached to that small piece of jewelry. He didn't know how carefully she had preserved it throughout the centuries, nor how much it had meant to her when she placed it on Elena's finger in the palace and watched her daughter admire it beneath the candlelight.
He couldn't possibly understand.
Yet there he was, alone in the cold, destroying his own body for something whose true value he had never been told.
Yuuta suddenly stumbled.
His wounded hands slipped against the damp grass, and he barely managed to catch himself before his face struck the ground. For several moments, he remained on his hands and knees, his shoulders trembling as he struggled to recover his breath.
Erza thought he would finally stop.
Surely, after everything he had endured, even that stubborn mortal would understand that he couldn't continue.
But Yuuta slowly pushed himself forward.
He began searching again.
Erza's hand moved toward the window latch before she realized what she was doing. She pushed it open, allowing the cold night wind to rush against her face, and leaned forward as though she might somehow reach him from where she stood.
She wanted to call his name.
To order him to stop.
But the words refused to leave her throat.
If she called out, he would look up. He would see her standing there, watching him with an expression she herself didn't understand. And what could she possibly say when he asked why she was so concerned?
She had no answer.
Erza remained by the window, her fingers gripping the frame while Yuuta continued searching beneath the moonlight.
The distance between them was not particularly great. With her power, she could have crossed it in an instant.
Yet somehow, she couldn't bring herself to move.
The night stretched on longer than any Erza could remember.
The moon slowly crossed the sky, descending toward the distant mountains as the stars began to fade. The cold deepened, and a thin layer of dew settled over the grass.
Yuuta was still out there.
Erza had remained at the window for hours, watching him drag himself across the field. His movements had grown weaker, his body occasionally collapsing beneath the strain, but each time he managed to gather enough strength to continue.
She could see how badly his hands had suffered. The skin had torn open long ago, and his fingers trembled whenever he tried to dig into the soil. His knees were no better, scraped raw from the endless hours spent crawling through the grass.
Stop.
The word formed in her mind.
Stop, you pathetic mortal. You'll die if you keep going.
She wanted to shout at him, to drag him back to the palace and force him to rest. She wanted to tell him that the ring wasn't worth his life, that no piece of jewelry could possibly justify what he was doing to himself.
But every time she considered calling out, something held her back.
She was the Dragon Queen. She had faced countless battles without hesitation, watched warriors die before her, and endured losses that would have broken ordinary people.
Yet the sight of this foolish mortal bleeding for her sake had left her helpless.
Yuuta's arms finally gave way.
He fell forward, catching himself at the last moment before collapsing onto his knees. His head hung low, and his shoulders shook as he struggled to breathe.
Erza leaned closer to the window.
That's enough.
She watched him remain motionless.
Please... just stop.
For one brief moment, she believed he had finally reached his limit.
Then Yuuta raised his head.
He pressed his trembling hands into the earth and forced himself forward once more.
Erza's fingers tightened around the window frame.
She didn't know whether she wanted to scream at him or cry.
Perhaps both.
But she remained silent, watching him continue a search that even she had abandoned.
Dawn approached slowly.
The darkness began to retreat from the edges of the sky, replaced by a pale gray light that gradually revealed the damaged field below. The moon disappeared behind the mountains, and the first birds began calling from the nearby trees.
Yuuta had not slept.
He had not eaten.
He had spent the entire night searching, crawling through the grass until the ground itself seemed marked by his determination.
His movements had become almost mechanical. He no longer searched with the urgency he had shown earlier; instead, he carefully examined each patch of earth before dragging himself toward the next.
Erza watched him with burning eyes.
She had never imagined that someone could be so foolish.
Or that such foolishness could make her heart ache this much.
Elsewhere in the palace, the Headmaster stood beside a window overlooking the field.
His hands were clasped behind his back, and his exhausted expression revealed that he, too, had been watching throughout the night. Beside him stood Zeak, who shifted uncomfortably as he observed the lone figure still searching below.
"Headmaster," he said, his voice low, "do we have to go this far? To test them like this?"
The Headmaster remained silent for a moment.
Throughout his years leading the academy, he had encountered countless parents willing to make extraordinary sacrifices for their children. Some had spent their fortunes, others had abandoned their pride, and a few had even resorted to deception to secure a place for their families.
But what he had witnessed tonight was different.
Yuuta Konuari had continued searching long after any reasonable person would have surrendered. He had been offered no guarantee of success, no assurance that the ring could even be recovered.
Yet he had refused to stop.
"We do," he said finally. "And I have seen enough."
The Headmaster reached into his robe and withdrew a small velvet pouch.
It was the pouch that had contained the offerings lost during the rocket incident. The academy had recovered it hours earlier from a distant corner of the field, where it had landed beyond the worst of the explosion.
Inside were the rings, lockets, brooches, and other precious objects that the families had entrusted to the academy.
All of them were safe.
The Headmaster opened the pouch and handed it to Zeak.
"Take the Konuari ring. Put it where he will find it. And call the elders. I have decided to give them the scholarship. I have seen enough."
Zeak accepted the pouch without another word.
He descended from the palace and crossed the courtyard toward the field. The morning air was cold, and dew clung to the grass beneath his shoes. From this distance, he could see the terrible condition of the ground Yuuta had already searched.
Zeak approached an untouched section near the edge of the field, far enough away that Yuuta wouldn't notice him immediately.
He reached into the pouch and withdrew a delicate silver ring.
Two bands were intertwined around a gemstone that seemed to possess a faint light of its own.
For a moment, Zeak examined the unusual ornament.
Then he threw it.
The ring sailed through the morning air, catching the first rays of sunlight before disappearing into the tall grass.
It landed in a patch of ground Yuuta had not yet searched.
Zeak glanced once toward the exhausted young man before turning around and making his way back to the palace.
Erza noticed none of this.
Her attention remained fixed entirely on Yuuta.
She had been watching him for so long that the rest of the world seemed to have disappeared. The rising sun, the distant mountains, and even the guards moving along the palace walls barely registered in her mind.
All she could see was the mortal who had spent the entire night searching for her mother's ring.
Then Yuuta slowly rose to his feet.
It was a clumsy movement. His legs trembled beneath him, and for a moment, he swayed as though he might collapse again.
His arms hung loosely at his sides, his wounded fingers barely able to close.
He stood in the middle of the damaged field, surrounded by torn grass and disturbed soil, and raised his exhausted face toward the approaching sunrise.
The first rays of sunlight spread across the ground.
They illuminated the grass, the bloodstained earth, and the lonely figure standing beneath the morning sky.
Then something flashed in the distance.
A tiny glimmer of silver.
Yuuta turned his head.
Near the edge of the field, where the grass remained untouched, something had caught the sunlight.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Then he moved.
Despite the exhaustion that had nearly destroyed him, Yuuta hurried toward the faint glimmer. His legs struggled to support his weight, and he stumbled before reaching the spot, falling onto his knees.
But he didn't stop.
He crawled the remaining distance and reached into the tall grass.
His trembling fingers brushed against something small and cold.
He closed his hand around it.
Then he slowly lifted it toward the sky.
The ring caught the light of the rising sun, its silver bands and gemstone shining brilliantly against his bloodied palm.
For several seconds, Yuuta simply stared at it.
And then he screamed.
Not from pain.
Not from grief.
But from the overwhelming relief of finally finding what he had spent the entire night searching for.
His cry echoed across the field, carrying toward the palace walls and into the quiet morning air. He held the ring high above his head, his exhausted body trembling as he celebrated a victory that had cost him nearly everything.
At the palace window, Erza froze.
She saw it.
Her mother's ring.
The ring she had believed lost forever was shining in Yuuta's wounded hand.
For a moment, she couldn't believe her eyes.
Then she covered her mouth.
Tears began streaming down her cheeks before she even realized she was crying.
She had lived for centuries without allowing anyone to witness her tears. She had endured loneliness, loss, and countless battles while maintaining the cold dignity expected of the White Dragon Queen.
Yet now, a mortal she had known for barely two weeks had brought her to tears.
A man she had insulted, threatened, and repeatedly called pathetic had spent an entire night crawling through a field for something precious to her.
He hadn't known what the ring truly meant.
He hadn't known how deeply its loss had hurt her.
He had simply seen that she wanted it back.
And that had been enough.
Erza pressed her trembling hand against the window.
She wanted to call his name.
To tell him she had seen everything.
But before she could speak, Yuuta collapsed.
His legs finally gave way beneath him, and his exhausted body fell into the grass. Even as he lost the strength to remain upright, his fingers stayed tightly closed around the ring.
For a moment, he lay motionless beneath the morning sunlight.
Only the faint rise and fall of his chest showed that he was still breathing.
Then the guards came running.
They had been stationed nearby throughout the night, observing the field under the Headmaster's orders. The moment Yuuta collapsed, several hurried toward him carrying water and food.
One guard carefully lifted his head and brought water to his lips. Another offered him bread, while a third examined the injuries covering his hands and knees.
Yuuta drank slowly.
He managed to eat a little, though his movements remained weak and unsteady. His red eyes stared toward the brightening sky, and he seemed barely aware of the concerned voices surrounding him.
Erza was no longer at the window.
She had already hurried down from the palace, crossing the field toward him.
But when the guards reached Yuuta first, she slowed.
For several moments, she stood a short distance away, watching them care for him.
She saw the water being offered to his lips, the food placed in his hands, and the gentle attempts to help him sit upright.
The sight should have relieved her.
He was alive.
He had found the ring.
The terrible night was finally over.
Yet her heart continued pounding so fiercely that she could barely think.
Then Yuuta noticed her.
He was sitting among the guards when his gaze suddenly settled on the silver-haired woman standing nearby.
His exhausted eyes widened slightly.
And despite everything, he smiled.
Yuuta began pushing himself to his feet.
The guards immediately tried to stop him, urging him to rest, but he gently moved their hands aside. His legs shook beneath him as he stood, and for a moment, he had to steady himself before taking his first step.
Erza remained where she was.
She watched him approach, each movement revealing how badly the night had exhausted him.
His face was pale, his clothes torn, and his hands were still covered in dried blood. Yet he continued toward her, refusing the guards' offers of support.
The morning sunlight fell across his face as he finally stopped before her.
They stood close enough to touch.
Erza could see the dirt on his cheeks, the exhaustion beneath his eyes, and the small smile he still wore despite everything he had endured.
She opened her mouth.
But no words came.
Yuuta stepped forward.
His arms slowly wrapped around her, and he leaned against her with what little strength remained in his body. His wounded hands rested against her back, while his exhausted face settled near her shoulder.
For a moment, Erza stood motionless.
Then she hugged him back.
Her arms closed around him, pulling him closer as though she feared he might collapse if she loosened her hold. One hand rose to cradle the back of his head, gently pressing him against her shoulder.
She could feel how badly he was trembling.
How exhausted he had become.
And how desperately he had pushed himself for her sake.
"You idiot." Her voice was shaking. "You stupid, pathetic, idiotic mortal. Who told you to dig all night? Who told you to search for a piece of jewelry? Who told you to" Her voice broke. Her hands tightened in his hair. "Who told you to do this?"
Yuuta didn't answer.
He was barely conscious, his body too exhausted to form a proper response. Yet his arms remained around her, and she could feel his heart beating against her own.
For several moments, they stayed like that.
Erza held him tightly, her face buried in his hair, while the morning breeze moved gently through the grass around them.
Then Yuuta slowly pulled away.
Only enough to look at her face.
His hand rose between them, trembling from exhaustion. The fingers were badly injured, barely able to close properly, but he had kept them wrapped around something precious.
He opened his palm.
There, resting against his bloodstained skin, was the ring.
Her mother's ring.
The ring she had given away.
The ring she had believed she would never see again.
It shone beneath the morning sunlight, its delicate silver bands intertwined around the gemstone.
Yuuta held it toward her.
And Erza could only stare.
The Eternal Flower Ring
To Be Continue...