After that long, heavy silence… I finally found my voice.
I smiled bitterly.
"I… don't have a father."
Her silver-gray eyes widened. Without hesitation, she quickly said,
"I… I'm so sorry for your loss."
A dry laugh escaped my throat.
"No… it's not like that."
She tilted her head, looking at me with innocent curiosity.
"Then… what is it like?"
For a second… I froze.
What am I doing?
Why am I talking about myself this easily… to a stranger… someone I just met… in this empty white space?
I've never opened up like this before. I never tell people about my personal life—not even my closest friends.
And yet… here I am… talking to her.
Why…?
Why does it feel so easy… so natural… with her?
"…Name," I muttered under my breath.
"Hm?" she blinked. "Did you say something?"
I cleared my throat and shifted the topic.
"Hey… I've told you half my life story already," I said with an awkward smile. "But… I don't even know your name. Who are you?"
She smiled at me—soft, sweet… like the first light after a storm.
"I'm Liora. Liora Dreadmoor," she said gently. "My mother gave me that name… It means 'light.'"
"Liora…" I repeated, tasting the name on my tongue. "That's… a beautiful name."
Her smile grew warmer.
"Do you know the Dreadmoor Duchy?" she asked, tilting her head. "It's the Western Dukedom… That's where I live."
For a second, I blinked.
Duchy? Western Dukedom?
Was she… playing with me? Maybe she didn't want to tell me her real hometown, and this was her way of avoiding the question.
"Well… Liora is a really nice name," I said, playing along. "Your mother gave you a beautiful name."
Her face lit up for a moment.
"Yes! After she named me Liora… the next day, my family held a grand banquet. Every high-ranking noble house attended," she said proudly.
"You must have been really loved," I said softly. "Your family must adore you. I bet they're worried sick about you right now."
Her smile faltered. The light in her eyes dimmed.
"My mother…" she whispered.
She paused… her gaze dropping to the floor.
"She passed away… six months after giving birth to me. Her name was Rosaline… but everyone who loved her… called her Rose."
My heart ached for her.
"I… I don't remember her," Liora continued, her voice trembling. "Not even her face… nothing.
Now… it's just me, my father… and my two older brothers.
They're my father's sons from his first wife. My mother… she was his second wife."
Her voice grew quieter… like she was shrinking into herself.
"My brothers… they're the heirs of the Dreadmoor family. They're always busy with… important things. They don't interfere in my life. Honestly… I don't think they even realize I'm missing right now."
Her tears began to fall again.
"I'm not really their sister… not in their eyes."
I didn't fully understand her family situation… but the pain on her face said more than words ever could.
"You're lucky, Yuna…" she whispered. "At least… you have a perfect family."
I swallowed hard.
"Perfect…?" I repeated softly.
"No… my family is far from perfect."
I took a deep breath.
"Do you remember the brother I mentioned?" I asked.
She nodded.
"He's… not my blood brother," I confessed. "Souta is my aunt's son. When he was just two years old… both his parents died in a car accident while returning from vacation."
Liora's eyes widened.
"My mom… she was there when it happened. At the accident site… my aunt put Souta in my mother's arms… and begged her… 'Promise me you'll cherish him like your own child.'
And my mother… she kept that promise."
I smiled sadly.
"Souta has been my brother ever since."
Liora stayed quiet… listening carefully.
"And as for my father…" My voice hardened.
"He didn't die.
He left us.
Walked away when my mom was seven months pregnant with me."
Her eyes widened again.
"He wasn't ready to be a parent.
Said he wasn't made for responsibility.
So… he ran away.
Left my mom to raise two kids alone."
I clenched my fists, the anger burning inside me.
"Do you… hate him?" Liora asked softly.
"Hate him?" I laughed bitterly. "Of course, I hate him."
The words burst out like a dam breaking.
"Do you know how much pain my mom and Souta went through?
Do you know how many times people in school bullied my brother for not having a father?
Or how many times people whispered terrible things about my mom?
Saying she must have done something awful… that's why her husband left…
Or worse… that she didn't even know who our father was."
My throat tightened.
"Every night… I heard her crying alone in her room.
Do you know how that feels?
Every time my brother cried… every time my mom broke down… I wanted to find that man and…
Make him pay.
For every single tear."
I bit my lip hard.
"He broke her trust… left her to suffer…
And yet… she never hated me.
She loves me… with everything she has."
I realized I was shouting. My chest heaved with each breath.
"How could he do this to her?! How?!"
Before I could spiral further… Liora suddenly hugged me tightly.
"Please… calm down… Yuna… calm down…" she whispered, her voice shaking but steady.
Slowly… I felt the storm inside me settle.
"I… I'm sorry," I murmured, pulling away. "I shouldn't have… shouted like that…"
She shook her head.
"It's okay," she said gently. "You're not the first person to get angry in front of me."
I blinked.
"…What did you say?"
"Nothing," she smiled faintly. "Just… you're kind, Yuna. You care about people… That's why your family loves you."
I smiled sadly.
"You're kind too, Liora.
Really… if you weren't here with me right now…
I don't know what I'd do.
Normally… I hate talking to strangers…
But with you… it doesn't feel like you're a stranger at all."
Liora's eyes widened.
"Your presence… it feels comfortable," I continued. "Like… I've known you for a long time… or… like you remind me of someone precious."
Her lips trembled…
And then… she burst into tears.
"I'm not a good person…" she sobbed.
"I'm useless… a disgrace to my family… Nobody cares about me… I'm worthless!
On my 16th birthday… I didn't awaken any healing magic… and I'm hopeless with swords!
Because of me… my family's honor weakened…"
Her shoulders shook violently.
"I heard them talking…
My father… the nobles… even Duke Velaris told him…
'You should adopt that other girl.'
A noble girl… with strong healing power… a better choice for the Dreadmoor family."
Her sobs grew louder.
"Even Lucien… the Crown Prince...my fiancé… he agreed with them."
Her voice cracked painfully.
"He said… 'She's a kind girl… with great healing power… better than Liora.'
I heard everything…
And when they all turned to look at me…
I ran away."
"I locked myself in my room for a week…
Then I overheard the maids saying…
'The new girl is coming soon.'
I tried to get up…
I wanted to stop it…
But my heart… it hurt so much…
I collapsed… and when I opened my eyes…
I was here…"
Her breath hitched.
"It's all my fault…
I'm useless… a disgrace…
I… killed my mother…
She was healthy before I was born…
But after giving birth to me…
She fell ill…
And she died because of me…"
Her words crumbled into sobs.
I didn't understand everything about her world… but I could feel her pain like it was my own.
I pulled her close and hugged her tightly.
"No… stop… don't say that… It's not your fault…" I whispered over and over.
"You're not a monster… You're kind… You're good…
It's the people around you who failed to see your worth…
You've done nothing wrong…
Shhh… it's okay… it's okay…"
Her breathing slowed… turning into soft hiccups… as she rested her head on my shoulder.
"Thank you… Yuna…" she whispered shakily. "Thank you… for everything."
I held her close… feeling something stir between us.
A bond… fragile but real.
And then…
The white space around us… began to tremble.
The air shifted… thick with energy… like the atmosphere was holding its breath.
Suddenly… an unseen force grabbed hold of us…
Pulling us upward at a terrifying speed.
The staircase appeared again—stretching endlessly above us.
We were dragged higher… higher…
Until… the pull stopped.
Our feet touched solid ground again.
At the top of the staircase… something stood.
Shrouded… hidden… cloaked in swirling silver fog.
The fog began to thin… slowly… steadily…
And just as the shape began to emerge…
Everything went dark.
---