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The streets still carried a heavy air.
The end of the expedition had brought a sense of relief, but also a fatigue that clung to everyone's bodies. Victor walked behind Jane and Burst, silent.
Jane and Burst looked exhausted, especially Burst, whose shoulders drooped as if every step were a battle.
The purification was over, but it had taken hours for everyone to finally leave the underground.
Luckily, no one died. But some were injured — even by Jane and Burst's own hands.
Niyx had already left.
But before departing, she had insisted that Victor accompany her to the train station.
"I want to talk more," she'd said, and he had simply nodded.
Now, that moment felt distant.
Something far more unexpected walked beside him.
Victor glanced sideways at the being holding onto his arm, dressed in Jane's borrowed cloak.
With each step, the fabric brushed the ground, and the faint glow of her pinkish crown reflected off the closed shop windows.
"Getting the hang of walking?" he asked, trying to break the silence.
The girl only nodded, with a timid "uh-huh."
"Who would've thought…" murmured Burst, almost in disbelief, "that Merlin actually evolved."
Jane let out a quiet sigh.
"Well, that was the whole point of the expedition." She shrugged. "Ironically, though, the temple wasn't even used."
The comment sounded light, but carried a bitter note.
The truth was that, in a way, the temple had fulfilled its role — or rather, the Tree of Fantasy had.
The energy from the roots running beneath the earth had been crucial for the outcome.
When Merlin separated from Burst and was swallowed by the worm moments later, her desperation awakened something within her.
That was what pushed her forward.
Her evolution hadn't been planned — it was an emotional response to fear.
Now, walking through the streets, Merlin looked fragile, almost human.
She stared at the ground in silence, as if trying to understand her own body.
It was normal. Evolution stirs the mind, the spirit, the most intimate parts of one's being.
Victor remembered well how it affected people.
In Cirgo, when Serena evolved her ability, she had changed completely. Her soul refined itself — and with it, everything that defined her. Evolving wasn't just an increase in power. It was rebirth.
Merlin had evolved her species, and such changes were expected. But the same happens when one evolves their unique ability — the one directly connected to the purest essence of the individual.
And now, looking at Merlin, Victor understood that in a new way.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The hotel where they were staying was simple but cozy. The corridor smelled of old wood and cheap perfume.
The group climbed the stairs in silence, with slow steps, and when they entered the room, Merlin went straight to Victor's bed. She sat at the edge without saying a word.
The crown of energy above her head had changed — it was taller, sharper, like pointed crystals floating around her. Translucent fragments hovered behind her, emitting a soft, almost sorrowful glow.
Burst watched for a moment, scratching his head.
Jane crossed her arms, thoughtful.
"I'll buy her some clothes," she said, already heading for the door. "Keep an eye on her, Victor. Newly evolved spirits tend to stay unstable for a while. Let her rest, but don't look away."
Victor nodded.
"Got it."
"I'll go with Jane," Burst said, breaking the silence.
They exchanged glances.
No one needed to ask why.
Burst didn't want to stay — didn't want Merlin to see him and remember everything that had happened.
As soon as the door closed, the room sank into deep silence.
Victor scratched his neck, unsure what to do. The scene before him was strange — a girl with a crown of light and melancholy eyes sitting on his bed, motionless.
He sat beside her, hesitant. The mattress sank slightly under his weight. Merlin kept staring at the floor, her pink hair falling over part of her face.
Victor intertwined his fingers, taking a deep breath.
The ticking clock on the wall was the only sound breaking the silence.
'This is really awkward…' he thought, exhaling slowly.
For a moment, he watched the soft rhythm of her breathing — calm yet uneven, as if something inside her was still out of sync.
Finally, he straightened up, gathered what courage he had, and spoke:
"Hey, Merlin… it's great, isn't it? You evolved to Class A. Isn't that nice?"
She stayed quiet for a few seconds — then murmured, almost inaudibly:
"…Uh-huh."
Silence returned like a wave.
Victor smiled faintly, awkward.
'Well… at least she answered.'
» Name: Merlin
Species: High Spirit
Age: 22
Threat Class: (A)
'Twenty-two?' he thought, blinking.
'Her birthday already passed? She was twenty-one when we met…'
A twinge of guilt hit him. He felt bad for not realizing it sooner.
While still digesting that thought, he felt a light touch on his arm. He turned quickly.
Merlin was staring at him with tearful eyes, and beside her floated a small translucent speech bubble, just like always. But the message caught him off guard.
["I can't talk. But I want to say so many things. I'm feeling something strange in my chest. It hurts…"]
Victor froze. Her gaze was pure, fragile, and at the same time deeply human.
Merlin's expression twisted — her mouth trembled, her eyes blinked rapidly, trying to hold back something that slipped through.
Sadness, confusion, fear — all mixed together.
The first tears rolled down.
She tried wiping them with her arm, but the more she did, the harder she cried.
The soft sound of sobs echoed in the quiet room, and Victor felt a knot tightening in his throat.
He didn't know what to say.
Any word would sound empty.
So he did what felt right.
Gently, he leaned closer. His hand brushed her face, moving the strands of hair aside. The touch was warm, almost protective. His other hand rested on her back, and, by instinct, he hugged her.
For a moment, Merlin hesitated.
But then, as if something finally broke inside, she hugged him back — tightly, trembling — and buried her face in his chest.
The restrained crying turned into release.
She trembled, and Victor felt each uneven breath against his chest.
He didn't fully understand, but somehow he felt that he had once held someone this same way — someone who had been in deep pain.
Without realizing, his eyes began to sting.
He blinked quickly, trying to hold back the tears, but one escaped.
'It's okay…' he thought, closing his eyes.
'Cry as much as you want. I'm here, Merlin.'
Time stretched, dissolving into silence.
The room breathed a kind of sad, almost sacred calm.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
The sun was beginning to set, and the glow of dusk filtered through the curtains, painting the room in gold.
Particles of dust danced in the air like tiny spirits.
Everything was quiet.
Victor and Merlin lay on the bed, asleep.
She was nestled in his arms, her serene face resting against his chest.
The glow of her crown had dimmed, and the fragments behind her floated slowly, as if breathing in rhythm with her sleep.
The door opened gently.
Burst entered first, carrying several shopping bags in his hands.
"We're back…" he said tiredly, but his voice faded when he saw the scene before him.
Jane appeared right behind. She stopped beside him and remained silent for a moment, watching. The room was lit only by the orange light of sunset filtering through the curtains.
Victor slept deeply, still as stone, his arms carefully wrapped around Merlin. She, in turn, fit against him as if that was the only safe place in the world.
"Looks like everything's fine now, huh?" murmured Burst.
Jane nodded slowly, with a small smile.
"Yes," she replied in a near whisper, gently closing the door.
The room returned to silence. Outside, the city faded beneath the arriving night, and the air felt lighter.
On the bed, two different beings rested side by side — a spirit who cried herself to sleep, and a metamorph who doesn't need to sleep, but did, comforting his best friend as if, for that moment, he had forgotten he wasn't human anymore.
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