The floodgates of memory were thrown open, and recollections surged forth, reeking of blood and ash.
Ten years ago, on the imperial border, deep within an ancient ruin known as the "Abyssal Mine." She was too young then; the specific details had blurred, leaving only a bone-chilling cold and her mother's weakening breath in her memory.
They hadn't entered the mine alone; they had accompanied an exploration team from the Lancelot Family. It was said that high-purity ancient energy crystals had been discovered there—an irresistible temptation for the Lancelot Family, who were desperate for power and resources.
However, dangers far exceeding their estimations lurked deep within the ruins. The tunnels collapsed, and monsters spawned, completely isolating their small team from the main force. Under the interference of the force field, the communication magitech devices became useless scrap metal, and their distress signals vanished like stones dropped into the sea. In the darkness, the survivors fell one by one, either killed by the elusive ruin guards or drained of their vitality by the omnipresent erosion field.
Her mother, a priestess with a slight talent for healing, used her last remaining mana to form a shield, tightly enveloping the young girl in the final moments.
"Falia, don't be afraid... someone will come to save us..."
Her mother's voice was as thin as a thread, yet she still tried to comfort her. She curled up in her mother's embrace, listening to the shrill screams and the roars of monsters from outside, her small body trembling violently from fear and cold. She tightly gripped the corner of her mother's clothes, like a drowning person clutching at a final straw.
She remembered a pendant hanging from her mother's chest as well—a silver ornament given by her father... that man, in his early years. When her mother's consciousness blurred, she would unconsciously stroke it, as if in prayer.
However, prayers did not bring a miracle.
Time passed slowly in despair. After an unknown amount of time, just as the light of her mother's shield grew so dim it was nearly extinguished and she herself was on the verge of fainting from hunger, thirst, and fear, the sound of steady, heavy footsteps finally came from outside.
It was the Lancelot Family's rescue team. The iconic silver-blue armor reflected a cold, hard light under the glow of illumination spells. At that moment, a wild joy surged through her young heart, nearly overwhelming her. Saved! She and her mother were saved!
The leader of the rescue team, a cold-faced middle-aged knight and her uncle, looked down upon the messy scene and the few remaining survivors who were at death's door. His gaze didn't flicker in the slightest when it fell upon her mother.
"The core of the mine is unstable... it might affect our primary objective." Her uncle's voice was devoid of emotion, like he was reading an inconsequential report. "Prioritize the recovery of the Ore Pith. As for... non-essential personnel... abandon them."
"No! I beg of you! Take my daughter! She can still be saved!" Her mother erupted with a final burst of strength from somewhere, screaming with all her might as her fingers death-gripped his armor.
Her uncle merely glanced at her mother and Falia, his eyes so cold it felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. Then, without a word in response, he simply waved his hand, signaling the team members to continue forward.
"The blood of the Lancelot Family should be sacrificed for the sake of the family."
This was the last sentence he left behind, accompanied by the sound of cold footsteps gradually receding. Sacrifice... It turned out that in the eyes of the family, the lives of her and her mother were nothing more than those two weightless words.
In the end, only she, because of her young age, was secretly taken out at the last moment of the evacuation by a team member who still felt a hint of compassion. While her mother and the other survivors were left forever in that dark and cold mine. Later she learned that the so-called "Ore Pith" was of great help to the Lancelot Family's research into new types of magitech armaments. And their lives, on the family's scale of interests, were as light as feathers.
"..."
Falia buried her face deeper into her knees, tears streaming uncontrollably, quickly soaking the fabric of her knight's uniform and leaving dark stains. Her shoulders trembled slightly as she tried her best to suppress her sobbing.
That man... her father, how did he react upon hearing the news? She didn't even want to recall it. He had merely frowned indifferently and said offhandedly, "For the glory of the family." Perhaps... he hadn't even taken the matter to heart at all. For generations, the Lancelot Family had been known for their ruthlessness, efficiency, and supreme pursuit of power, believing that being emotional was the greatest weakness.
The mother in the videotape was unarmed, with only a magitech device showing a heartbeat signal. With no one to help her and no strength of her own to face the danger, she had managed to carve out a path to survival and find her child through nothing but instinctive love.
But what about her own mother? Also in a desperate situation, also longing to protect her child, yet what did she receive? She received a cold abandonment after her value was weighed, a fatal blow from the family she shared blood with.
She tightly gripped the pendant she had pulled out from her collar. The cold metal edges dug painfully into her palm, the family crest engraved upon it. A sword and shield surrounded by thorns; at this moment, it seemed full of irony to her. The sword pointed at enemies, but also at their own people; the shield protected glory, but not the weak; the thorns entwined every family member, leaving them unrecognizable and as cold-blooded as non-humans on their path to seeking power.
"Lancelot..." She uttered the surname that she both hated and could not escape, the name that had stolen her most precious warmth and carved an unhealing scar into her heart...
Meanwhile, Luna Belle, carrying a woven wicker basket filled with fresh berries and bread, walked with light steps along the path back to Sixth Street. She had just returned from shopping at the market in White Thorn City, planning to use these ingredients to ask Tineva to make some delicious pies for everyone's afternoon tea.
From a distance, she could already see the brick-and-stone silhouette of "Random Play," looking solid and warm in the sunlight. However, as she approached the side of the shop, her steps couldn't help but slow down.
Under that quiet corner, leaning against the rough bricks, sat a young girl she had never seen before. At this moment, this blonde knight girl had her face buried deep between her drawn-up knees, her shoulders trembling slightly. Faint sounds of sobbing vaguely reached Luna Belle's ears.
Luna Belle scratched her head and stepped forward quietly. She squatted down, gently placed the basket on the grass nearby, took a clean and soft cotton handkerchief from her pocket, and carefully offered it to the girl.
"Um... are you okay?" Luna Belle's voice was very soft. "Do you need a handkerchief?"