Dusk painted the sky in smears of crimson and gold, casting long shadows over the ramshackle buildings of the slum district. The air smelled faintly of soot and old wood, with the distant chatter of merchants winding down their day. Amid the winding streets and crooked alleyways, Subaru walked with an uncertain pace, the soles of his modern shoes scuffing against cobblestone.
High above, Tiamat followed.
She trailed him silently, drifting from rooftop to rooftop like a shadow born of dusk itself. Her presence remained veiled, unseen by those below. The wind tugged gently at the long sleeves of her blouse, her horned silhouette casting thin shapes against the darkening sky.
Subaru came to a stop in front of an older man sitting on a crate. He gestured as he spoke, his voice inquisitive but a little desperate.
"…Have you seen a girl named Felt? Blond hair, about this tall?"
Tiamat, her head tilted slightly as she observed the conversation from afar. She could have focused her hearing, easily picked up the exchange—but she didn't. She already knew where the story was going. The script was familiar, like watching a scene she had already dreamed once before.
Her gaze wandered to the sky above—dim stars beginning to flicker awake against the velvet dusk.
How small this world feels, she mused. And yet… how vivid.
Then—
A soft voice behind her. Young. Feminine.
"Um… excuse me, miss? Have you seen a blonde girl—about this tall?"The girl raised a hand to mark the height.
Tiamat slowly turned, her movement fluid and unhurried.
Standing before her was a silver-haired girl with striking amethyst-blue eyes. Draped in a soft lilac cloak, her posture was gentle.
Tiamat tilted her head slightly. Her own eyes pink, with star-shaped pupils met the girl's.
A quiet tension bloomed between them.
Before a word could be spoken further, a small creature floating appeared in front of the girl in a shimmer of mana.
"Emilia, get behind me," it said sharply. Its voice was light, but filled with tension. Protective.
The girl blinked. "Hm? What's wrong, Puck?"
The spirit's gaze locked onto Tiamat, fur bristling. "She's dangerous."
The words hung in the air, taut as a drawn string.
Tiamat blinked once.
Dangerous? Me?
She looked down at her hands, then back at the hovering cat spirit. She remembered now this creature. Puck. One of the four Great Spirits. A being not to be taken lightly in this world.
But the way he looked at her pure alarm in his narrowed eyes it was as if he were staring at something very dangerous.
"Ne… Am I really that scary?" Tiamat asked softly. Her voice was calm, almost curious. Her head tilted in mild confusion.
The question, simple as it was, sent a visible shiver through Puck. The spirit immediately floated backward, eyes sharp with fear. "Emilia, back away. I don't know if I can protect you from her."
His form began to glow faintly, magical energy building in the air.
But before he could act, Emilia reached up and firmly pinched his cheek, stretching it with a scolding glare.
"Puck! What do you think you're doing, threatening a citizen like that?"
"Ow—Emilia, wait, no, listen!" Puck wriggled, trying to explain, but her hand didn't budge. "She's not normal! She—she's not human!"
"You don't threaten people just because you think they're scary," Emilia huffed, continuing to tug on his cheek like a mother disciplining a mischievous child.
Tiamat watched the scene, her expression unreadable, though something in her gaze softened.
So he really did see through me, she thought, curious. Did he catch a glimpse of what I truly am beneath this form?
She turned her eyes to the now-grumpy floating spirit, rubbing his sore cheek.
How intimidating must I appear... in truth?
Tiamat stood quietly, observing the peculiar duo before her.
Puck, still tense, now hovered low behind Emilia, ears flat and tail flicking in caution. His usual playful demeanor had vanished, replaced by a rare seriousness. In contrast, Emilia took a few tentative steps forward, her expression gentle and disarming.
"I'm so sorry about that," she said, her voice warm and sincere. "I don't know why he reacted like that. He's usually not this jumpy."
Tiamat's gaze remained fixed on her, eyes glowing faintly with a soft pink shimmer—like distant stars reflected in still water. After a moment, she finally spoke.
"What a good child…" Her voice was calm, slightly distant, but not unkind. "Your name is Emilia, isn't it?"
Emilia blinked. "Yes, that's right."
There was a brief pause before Tiamat tilted her head and asked with unsettling simplicity,"Would you like to be my child?"
The question fell like a stone into a still pond.
Emilia blinked again, her polite smile faltering. "Huh…?"
She stared at the horned girl in front of her, confused. Tiamat didn't seem all that older—perhaps even younger in appearance. But there was something about her—an ancient weight in her presence, a sense that time itself had folded around her like a cloak.
"What are you talking about?!" Puck snapped, floating between them now like a tiny guardian lion. "You can't just go around asking people to be your daughter! She's my daughter, thank you very much! Strong or not, you'll have to get past me first! Over my dead—uh—core!"
Tiamat turned her eyes slowly toward him, expression unreadable. She blinked once, as if genuinely considering the challenge.
"...Hmm. That could be arranged."
"W-Wait, wait, calm down!" Emilia quickly stepped between them, placing her hands in a calming gesture toward both. "Puck, stop picking fights with people. And, um Miss I'm flattered, but I don't think I can be your child…"
Tiamat's expression visibly drooped. Her starry eyes dimmed slightly, and a quiet sigh escaped her lips.
"Oh… I thought perhaps I could have another child again…" Her voice was soft, almost mournful.
Something in that tone struck Emilia like a pang of guilt. There was no malice in it—just deep, hollow sorrow. The kind of sorrow that couldn't be faked.
Emilia hesitated, then rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. "Well… If it helps, I can call you 'Mother,' I guess?"
Tiamat's eyes lit up.
"Truly?" she asked, voice brightening with innocent delight.
"My child," she added, stepping a little closer with a fragile joy blooming on her face.
Emilia gave a smile, chuckling under her breath. "Fuh… sure. Why not."
From behind her, Puck groaned, face in his paw. "I've lost her already…"
Tiamat stood silently for a moment, savoring the words. Then, slowly, she raised a hand just slightly and placed it over her chest. Her expression was unreadable, but the warmth that flickered in her eyes was unmistakable.
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Tiamat extended her hand, offering Emilia a small, shimmering object. It glimmered faintly under the waning light—an iridescent scale, warm to the touch and humming with ancient power.
"Mother will give this to you, my child," Tiamat said softly. Her voice carried a strange resonance, gentle but full of weight. "Use it when... something happens. I will come."
Emilia hesitated for a heartbeat, then accepted the gift with both hands. "Ah… thank you, M—Mother," she said, the last word catching awkwardly in her throat. It felt foreign on her tongue, but not unpleasant. Rather, there was a strange warmth in saying it. And somehow… it didn't feel like a lie.
Tiamat's expression softened into a smile—not bright, but serene. There was a depth to it, the kind of smile that carried centuries of yearning. "Good child," she said, her tone filled with gentle pride. Then she gestured with a slender hand toward a quiet part of the slums. "If my child is still looking for the golden-haired girl… she should be in that direction."
Emilia looked toward the indicated house, nodding. "Thank you!"
She turned and began walking, her lilac cloak fluttering faintly behind her. The scale nestled safely in a small pouch near her chest.
Floating just behind her, Puck lingered a moment longer. The little spirit narrowed his eyes at Tiamat, then pointed two fingers at his own eyes, and back at her—a clear, silent warning.
"I'm watching you."
Tiamat tilted her head in response, blinking in amusement. Then she gave a slow shake of her head, her smile deepening just a little. The tiny cat darted away to catch up with Emilia.
Tiamat watched them disappear around a corner, their presence like a fading warmth in the cool evening air.
And then she felt it.
A presence.
Her gaze slowly shifted. Standing at a distance, leaning casually with arms crossed, was a man with striking red hair and a commanding aura that seemed to wrap around him like a mantle.
Reinhard van Astrea.
Their eyes met.
There was no hostility in his gaze—only quiet interest, a certain vigilance honed by countless battles. Tiamat held his stare, unblinking.
After a long pause, Reinhard gave a respectful nod.
And then he began to approach.
Each step he took was calm, deliberate. The surrounding alley seemed to hush in his presence, as if the world itself was holding its breath. The light of dusk danced along the polished edge of the sword at his side, but his hand never moved toward it.
Tiamat stood still, watching him come closer.
"Good evening, madam," Reinhard greeted, his tone warm yet formal, as if addressing a noble matron rather than the mysterious girl before him. His piercing blue eyes held no malice—only respect and subtle curiosity.
Tiamat tilted her head slightly. She could tell from the way he spoke—and more importantly, the way he looked at her—that he'd heard Emilia call her mother. That was fine. In fact, a bold and whimsical thought suddenly crossed her mind.
What if… she made him her child too?
"Good evening, young child," she replied with a faint, knowing smile, her voice like a calm sea under starlight.
Reinhard let out a soft, amused chuckle. "I suppose that greeting is not inaccurate," he said, neither offended nor surprised. With all the Divine Protections he possessed, he must have sensed something—perhaps not her true form, but at least the weight of her presence. She was no ordinary being, and he was no ordinary man.
"May I know your name, madam?" Reinhard asked politely, his posture straight, voice unwavering. He treated her with the same reverence he might reserve for royalty—or perhaps, a force of nature in human form.
"Tiamat," she answered simply, her gaze steady.
Reinhard gave a respectful nod, taking a moment to let the name settle on his tongue, as though it carried significance beyond the present moment. "I see… Madam Tiamat."
Then he continued, tone shifting slightly. "There's a message for you—from the one you've been observing."
Tiamat's eyes narrowed subtly. Subaru…?
A flicker of curiosity stirred within her. Had Subaru truly asked Reinhard to speak to her? He had only seen her once—in one of his previous deaths. She had not intervened, merely observed from afar. And yet… perhaps her image had been seared into his soul, a constant across the resets. A being impossible to forget.
She cast her eyes toward the slum district where Emilia and Subaru now stood inside the small store.
"I see," she said quietly.
Her gaze returned to Reinhard. "It would be good if you, child, went to support them."
Reinhard followed her line of sight. After a pause, he nodded in understanding, his eyes narrowing as if sensing the tension that was slowly building there.
"Understood," he said, bowing slightly. "Then I will take my leave, Madam Tiamat."
Without another word, the red-haired knight turned and broke into a run, his figure swiftly vanishing into the narrowing streets like a streak of firelight in twilight.
Tiamat stood still, watching him disappear.
There was no rush for her. She already knew how this scene would unfold. And if something deviated from the expected path… then the scale she had given to Emilia would activate—her final safeguard for the child she had claimed as her own.
As for Reinhard?
Tiamat allowed herself a faint smile.
A being wrapped in so many blessings hardly needed protection from a mother like her. Even she, a primordial goddess, recognized that he was… different.
She turned her gaze once more to the sky, where the first stars were beginning to pierce through the dying hues of dusk.
There was still time.
(A/n: hey tell me your thoughts)