"You call yourself human?"
"Yeah," Mei Yan replied, following behind her.
"I thought I was doomed…" She stared at the glowing silhouette moving ahead in the darkness, walking barefoot toward a place where countless crystals glimmered softly.
Replaying what had happened before in her mind.
Memories stirred
.....
she asked, "Where did you come from?"
"…I'm from Little Wolf Village, under the Viscounty of Vale…"
Mei Yan stayed silent for a moment before answering. Her life was in the hands of the girl in front of her, so she could only tell the truth.
"Viscounty? What is that? Explain everything you know."
Is she… someone who's lived in this cave her whole life? Mei Yan thought. This should be common knowledge—even a commoner like her knew it.
"…A viscounty is a territory under the rule of a viscount noble…"
"Continue."
"A noble is a title for the upper class of the Empire… Our Empire is called the Sovereign Empire. We—"
"Then… I'm curious… what race are you?"
The girl, who called herself Elarae, tilted her head at the odd question. Mei Yan answered anyway.
"Human rac—" She stopped mid-word, eyes widening. She had just realized—the girl in front of her was speaking an entirely different language.
The way Elarae's mouth moved didn't match the words Mei Yan heard, yet she understood perfectly.
"Y-you… How can I understand you?!" The words slipped out before she could stop herself, and she instantly regretted it. How dare she speak like that when her life was in the girl's hands?
Fortunately, Elarae didn't seem to mind—or perhaps she simply didn't care.
"It's the language of magic. You didn't know?" she asked casually, tilting her head in mild confusion.
What is wrong with this girl? Isn't this common sense? Elarae thought.
"T-then… do you understand what I've been saying?" Mei Yan asked, still unsure.
"Isn't that obvious? How could I reply if I didn't?"
Elarae gave her a look as though she were staring at someone completely uneducated.
…
After several more questions, Mei Yan finally asked the most important one.
"Then… what do you want from me? I have no ability or background, so please let me go, Your Highness…"
She put extra effort into sounding respectful, hoping to flatter the beautiful girl before her.
"Yeah… what do I want…" Elarae fell silent, as though she hadn't really thought that far ahead.
"I want to make a deal. I'll give you the treasure here, and in exchange… I want to follow you."
"Huh?"
"I won't restrict you… but you must never reveal my origin to anyone without my consent."
Her tone turned serious. The outside world was strange to her, and for her safety she would hide where she came from. As for what identity she would take—she already had plans. Changing identities was easy for her.
"Ah? Yes, I agree!"
Mei Yan was startled but quickly recovered. Refusing wasn't an option—not if she wanted to keep her life. Besides, she would get the treasure.
"Good. Sign this contract."
Elarae smiled and handed her a glowing sheet of paper.
It shimmered with a strange light, the edges twisting faintly as if alive. The air around them grew heavy.
"What is this?" Mei Yan asked, wary of touching it.
"This?" Elarae lifted it lightly, as though it weighed nothing. "A magical contract. Don't worry—" she waved her free hand lazily, "—you can read it, add your own conditions, then sign. I've already done mine."
Looking at the bottom, Mei Yan saw Elarae's name—at least the first half. The script was strange, yet she understood its meaning.
Magical contracts were ancient. No one knew their true origin—some claimed they came from a god, others said they were the will of the world. And some simply accepted them as natural, like fire or water.
Or like the elders in her village, simply said: It is what it is. Don't ask questions you can't handle the answers to.
Mei Yan's eyes darted back and forth over the clauses. Her lips moved silently as she read, her brows furrowing at a few spots before smoothing again.
"It's… not too restrictive," she murmured.
Without further hesitation, she signed her name: Mei Yan.
The moment she finished, she felt an unseen gaze upon her.
"Someone?" She looked around, but saw only Elarae.
"That's the contract binding itself," Elarae explained casually. "It's confirming your identity. If you break it… something bad will happen."
Her voice was light, but Mei Yan's instincts screamed that she should never test those words.
"I understand. I promise," Mei Yan said firmly, placing her hand over her chest and tracing a star—a traditional gesture of solemn vows in her culture.
"Good."
Elarae smiled, then turned toward a dark tunnel. "Follow me. I'll show you something good… You'll definitely like it~"
Mei Yan glanced at the glowing plants nearby, their value obvious. She was tempted to take one but quickly shook her head. Better to ask first.
She jogged after Elarae, the darkness ahead making her speed up instinctively. She hated the dark—especially in places she didn't know.
"Wait for me!" she called out.
Her voice bounced against the cave walls in quick echoes.
"Hurry up," Elarae replied without turning.
…
Mei yan came back to her senses.
"We're here."
Mei Yan looked ahead and froze.
Before them was a massive circle of light, shimmering with colors beyond her understanding. It was the first time she had seen anything like it. It felt warm yet mysterious—just as red feels "hot" and blue feels "cold," this light carried a meaning she couldn't name.
She stared, overwhelmed.
"Look again," Elarae said. "Notice what's different."
Mei Yan focused… and saw the light dim slightly. Then, something else—visions began forming before her eyes.
A sudden pain stabbed her vision, but it faded as quickly as it came. She blinked, and the world had changed.
Tiny specks of light floated lazily in the air, drifting both upward and downward like dust caught in a sunbeam. The circle ahead shone brightest of all—too bright, pressing against her senses until she instinctively turned away.
"Don't stare at it too long," Elarae warned.
Mei Yan turned away, blinking rapidly. Elarae took her by the arm.
"Let's go outside."
Away from the circle, Mei Yan glanced around in awe. The air seemed alive, and she felt… different.
"What's happening to me?" she whispered.
"That's magic," Elarae said simply.
Mei Yan froze. Then her eyes lit up. "So… I awakened?! My magic?!"
Elarae gave a slow nod. "Yes. I could tell you couldn't perceive it before."
Mei Yan burst out laughing—loud, unrestrained, and a little shaky. "Yes! Yes! Haha—Mom! Dad!" She spun in place, throwing her arms out like she could hug the whole world.
Elarae just watched, calm but faintly amused.
Magic.
A magic awakener.
Not just the path to the upper class, but the key to a better life.
From now on, her future had changed. She could give her parents the rest they deserved. In her village, awakening was rare—something you mostly heard about in stories. In the city, maybe it was common… but here? This was a miracle.
"My dream…" she whispered. Her eyes stung, and she quickly rubbed at them.
"Thank you," she said, her voice trembling despite her smile. "I'll keep my promise to you. If you ever have a wish—anything within my power—I'll make it happen!"
Elarae tilted her head, then laughed softly. The sound was like a small silver bell—gentle, clear, and somehow teasing.
"I'll remember that~"
....
A sharp cracking sound split the silence.
Click!
Zhang Wei flinched, instinctively raising his arms as the wall in front of him began to glow.
"Should I… run?" The thought came immediately, his eyes darting toward the darker tunnels. His legs tensed, ready to move, but he stayed rooted.
Something deep in his gut told him there was something here—something important—waiting beyond that wall.
The decision was made for him. With a grinding rumble, the wall crumbled away, dust spilling across the floor.
And then—light.
Not ordinary light.
Not torchlight, or crystal-light, or even sunlight.
It was… alive. Strange. Beautiful. It pulsed faintly, like the beat of a heart, and shimmered with a color that didn't exist in his memory—not here, not in his past life.
Zhang Wei's breath caught. "What…?"
The glow washed over him, painting the cave walls in its impossible hue. Without realizing it, he stared too long. His eyes drank it in—and something in them shifted.
He didn't notice at first, but the world sharpened. That strange color, once overwhelming, became… natural. Like learning a new word and feeling like you'd always known it.
From now on, he would see something ordinary person could not.
Then—flicker.
Like a candle about to die, the light trembled, dimmed… and vanished into the void.
The room fell silent. Only the faint glow of scattered crystals remained, weak and cold compared to what had just been there.
Zhang Wei slowly blinked, his heartbeat still racing. Did that really just happen?
He turned his head slightly—then paused.
Something… was in the air.
Not dust. Not mist.
Tiny shapes, almost like threads of light, weaving lazily through the space.
His brow furrowed, his curiosity outweighing the fading fear. "What… is that?"