It was the night before Ezekiel's first day of work.
The city was quiet, wrapped in the calm stillness that came long after midnight. From the balcony of their apartment, Viola stood alone, leaning lightly against the railing as she looked out at the view before her.
Countless buildings stretched across the skyline, their lights glowing softly in the darkness. Beyond them, far in the distance, the ocean reflected the moonlight like a sheet of silver.
Yet Viola barely noticed the scenery.
Her mind was far too occupied.
Thoughts overlapped endlessly in her head. Plans for tomorrow. The hidden dungeon that would soon appear. The future she was trying so desperately to change.
And Ezekiel.
Her fingers tightened slightly around the metal railing.
Tomorrow would be the start of his new life.
But she knew better than anyone how fragile that future could be.
Just as she was lost in her thoughts—
A sudden pain struck her head.
"…!"
Viola flinched.
It felt as if dozens of tiny needles had been driven into her skull at the same time.
The pain was brief, but sharp and violent.
Her balance faltered, and she instinctively grabbed the balcony railing for support.
"What is this…?"
She pressed a hand against her temple.
"It hurts…"
The pain suddenly intensified.
Her vision blurred, the lights of the city smearing into hazy streaks. The world tilted around her as dizziness rushed through her body.
For a moment, she couldn't even tell which way was up.
Her knees weakened.
Viola was about to collapse—
When a pair of strong arms caught her.
"Viola!"
The voice was filled with alarm.
"Viola, are you alright!?"
Her blurry vision slowly cleared as she forced her eyes open.
The first thing she saw was a pair of purple eyes staring at her.
Deep.
Bright.
Unmistakable.
For a moment, the pain in her head seemed distant.
Those eyes…
She would never forget them.
Even after all these years, they had remained vividly in her memory. The same eyes she had seen countless times in the past, the same ones that had lingered in her thoughts long after everything else had faded.
Viola looked at him quietly.
She had always known that what she felt toward Ezekiel wasn't something simple.
It wasn't just gratitude.
And it certainly wasn't ordinary friendship.
But no matter how many times she tried to define it, she could never quite understand the emotions in her heart.
Still—
It didn't matter.
Because what she truly wanted was simple.
She just wanted those eyes to continue shining.
To never grow dim.
To never close forever.
Slowly, Viola pushed herself upright.
"I'm alright," she said.
Ezekiel was still holding her shoulders, steadying her carefully as if she might fall again at any moment. But she gently stepped away from his grasp.
"I think I was just tired."
Ezekiel didn't respond immediately.
He simply watched her, his gaze lingering as if he were trying to see through her explanation.
After a moment, he finally spoke.
"You shouldn't push yourself too hard."
Viola lowered her head slightly.
"Yes… I'm sorry for inconveniencing you."
"It's not an inconvenience."
His reply came quickly.
Almost too quickly.
Viola blinked in surprise before a small smile appeared on her face.
She hadn't expected him to answer so quickly.
But she understood.
He was worried.
Even if he tried not to show it too clearly.
"Thank you," she said softly.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
The quiet night air returned, filling the space between them.
Viola turned her gaze back toward the distant scenery. From the balcony, the ocean could be seen several miles away, dark and endless beneath the moonlight.
"Ezekiel…"
"Hm?"
"Do you see that ocean over there?"
He followed her gaze.
"Yes."
Viola's voice grew quiet but serious.
"A hidden dungeon will open there— No maybe it's already there."
Ezekiel paused.
Predicting the location of a hidden dungeon was considered nearly impossible. Even the Hunter Association required long periods of observation and analysis before they could determine where one might appear.
Normally, it took months before anyone even realized a hidden dungeon existed.
Logically speaking, there was no way Viola could know something like that.
Ezekiel was silent for a moment.
Surprised.
Confused.
But instead of questioning her, he simply accepted her words.
Because this wasn't the first time Viola had known something that couldn't be explained.
Somehow, she always seemed to know things that no one else could.
And somehow—
She had never been wrong.
"Are you saying we should go there tomorrow?" he asked.
Viola turned to look at him.
"You believe me?"
"I do."
He answered without hesitation.
"I won't ask how you know," he continued. "But I trust you on things like this."
Those words made Viola's heart flutter unexpectedly.
Trust.
Complete trust.
Without explanation.
Without doubt.
It created a warmth inside her chest that she hadn't expected.
Knowing someone believed in you without forcing you to explain everything…
It was a strangely comforting feeling.
"Thank you for trusting me," she said quietly.
Then she added, almost like a promise—
"I swear… I'll tell you everything in the future."
Ezekiel smiled.
It was a small smile, but there was patience in it.
He had been waiting to hear those words for a long time.
"So," he asked, leaning against the railing beside her, "what are you planning to do with that dungeon?"
"There's a treasure inside it," Viola replied. "Something I must obtain."
Ezekiel looked at her.
"But that dungeon isn't an ordinary one."
She hesitated for a moment before continuing.
"It's a high-level dungeon."
Then she spoke the words clearly.
"An S-class dungeon."
The weight of those words lingered in the air between them.
S-class dungeons were among the most dangerous places a hunter could enter.
Even powerful guilds approached them with extreme caution.
Viola looked slightly embarrassed as she continued.
"I'm really embarrassed to ask you this, but…"
"I will."
She blinked.
Ezekiel had already answered.
"I'll come with you."
Viola stared at him, surprised.
"You didn't even let me finish."
"I already know what you were going to ask."
He looked toward the distant ocean again.
"And besides…"
His voice was calm.
"If you're going there alone, I'd be more worried."
For a moment, Viola didn't know what to say.
Then slowly—
Viola glanced at Ezekiel from the corner of her eye.
He stood calmly beside her, as if walking into an S-class dungeon tomorrow was nothing unusual.
He hadn't asked for details.
He hadn't questioned her motives.
He had simply said he would go.
"…Ezekiel."
"Hm?"
"If things get dangerous tomorrow…"
She paused.
Then quietly finished her sentence.
"…promise me you'll run."