Zane leaned against the low stone railing, eyes tracing the stars. They shimmered softly.
"…Would you mind telling me about it?" he asked quietly.
Mira didn't answer right away.
She exhaled, long and slow, then stepped closer and rested her head against his shoulder. Her weight was light, careful, like she was afraid he might disappear if she leaned too hard. Zane didn't move. He just let her.
They stood like that, shoulder to shoulder, staring at the stars.
"Once upon a time," Mira began, voice soft, "there lived a certain family."
She tilted her head slightly, then glanced up at him. "Have you heard of the Primes before?"
Zane frowned in thought. "No. Not really."
She hummed, then placed her head back on his shoulder. "Figures."
"There were six of them," she continued. "At least… that's what history remembers. I think there were more, but let's say six for now."
Her voice grew steadier as she spoke, like telling the story helped her breathe.
"They were the first people to ever manipulate mana. The founders. Some people call them the Creators, but they weren't gods. Just people who perfected the art of manipulation." She scoffed softly. "At least that's what my parents used to say."
Zane listened, silent.
"They found the origin of mana. Or maybe it found them. They married, had children, created lineages. Powerful ones." Her fingers curled slightly against his sleeve. "But blood thins. Knowledge fades. True cultivation died down into what it is today."
She sighed.
"Why do you think people still search ruins? Risk their lives? It's not glory. It's greed." A bitter smile. "They want an Original Technique. Something that ignores bloodline. Something that makes them powerful overnight. Rich. Untouchable."
Zane chuckled faintly. "Humanity checks out."
Mira didn't laugh.
"The way people cultivate now isn't the only way," she said. "There are countless paths. Some follow different rules. Some…" her voice dropped, "…aren't humane at all."
Zane glanced at her. "And your family?"
She nodded slowly.
"We were one of those families."
Silence fell for a moment.
"We cultivated normally," she said. "But we were targeted."
"By who?" Zane asked.
Mira's jaw tightened.
"Blood is thicker than water," she said quietly. "But that same blood can be your downfall."
She swallowed.
"My father's brother. His best friend." Her voice hardened. "He betrayed him."
Zane's eyes narrowed.
"We were a sub-branch of one of the Originals," she continued. "Naturally stronger than most. But that man… he believed there could only be one."
She let out a humorless laugh. "He wanted to rule the kingdom. Maybe the world. I don't know how that part ended."
Zane tilted his head. "And you?"
She looked down.
"I was born," she said. "And by some groundbreaking bad luck…"
She paused, then smiled faintly. "I was beautiful. Red hair. Red eyes. Born a mid-elite."
Zane snorted. "Still beautiful."
She elbowed him weakly, then continued.
"He didn't like that. Tried to kill me. Failed." Her voice wavered. "My mom helped me escape. I think… he killed her in the end."
Zane's hand clenched.
"But he wasn't done," she said. "Since I shared his blood, he used her."
Zane went still.
"He performed an ancient ritual," Mira whispered. "One meant to drain someone's power and give it to another—at the cost of their life."
Her voice cracked.
"My mom fought back. Her will was too strong. She twisted it." Tears slipped down her cheeks. "Instead of destroying me… it sealed me."
Zane's chest tightened.
"I couldn't absorb mana. Couldn't use it. The day the curse took hold, I almost died." She laughed shakily. "I still don't know how I survived."
She leaned into him harder now.
"I was eight. Wandering the streets. I met bad people." Her fingers dug into his clothes. "I almost got abused."
Zane's shadow stirred beneath them.
"An old woman saved me," Mira said. "Took me in. She owned the cabin we met in."
Zane's gaze softened.
"She's dead now. Or at least… that's what they told me." Her voice trembled. "But she was energetic. Too energetic to just die."
Tears fell freely now.
"She was my second mother," Mira whispered. "Every night she told me everything would be okay."
Zane wrapped an arm around her.
"When I was fifteen," she continued, voice shaking, "I found out my bastard uncle killed her. Because she protected me."
Her eyes burned.
"That day, I swore revenge."
She pulled back slightly, looking at him.
"But what can a girl with no powers do against a semi-Original?" she asked bitterly. "Still… I trained. Every day."
She reached into her hoodie and pulled out a dagger.
Blue steel. A small bow tied around the hilt.
"It was hers," she said softly. "Elizabeth. Everyone called her Eli."
Her grip trembled.
"So yeah," Mira finished. "I've been cursed since birth." Her eyes hardened. "But I swear—I will get my revenge. On Eli's grave."
She inhaled sharply—
And stopped.
Because Zane's lips were already on hers.
For a second, she froze.
Then she kissed him back.
Slow. Deep. Desperate. Like two broken things clinging together under a false sky.
[SYSTEM – HIDDEN]
Conditions Met
Void Domain Accessible
Deep within the Void Domain, the infinity symbol spun violently, releasing waves of blue energy.
Above Mira's mana core, the ancient rune cracked.
Blue light surged, tearing into it, draining it.
Her hair deepened in color—crimson bleeding through red.
Then—
They parted.
Everything stopped.
The energy settled.
The rune froze mid-fracture.
Zane blinked, then smiled lazily.
"That was nice."
Mira punched him weakly in the chest. "Idiot."
Zane tilted his head, eyes narrowing slightly. "Uh… Mira?"
She frowned. "What?"
"Your eyes," he said. "They're red."
She froze.
"And your hair," he added. "Half of it's gone full crimson."
Her breath caught.
She looked at him slowly.