February 22, 2021
"So? So what does the wolf do next?"
Mikael had completely wrapped himself in the blanket, even covering his face with his hands. Yet, through the gaps between his fingers, his wide eyes sparkled with anticipation. Bedti stories read by his mother were among his favorite things.
"Well, what do you think happened?"
Alicia deliberately drew out the words, flipping the page to heighten the suspense.
Knock, knock.
Just then, a knock echoed through the room. Mikael peeked out cautiously from beneath the blanket.
"Oh no. Do you think it's the wolf?"
"It’s probably not the wolf."
"Really?"
"If you’re curious, why don’t you go check?"
Mikael hesitated for a mont before nodding carefully. Alicia chuckled softly as she watched him shuffle toward the door, still wrapped in his blanket like a cocoon. Whether he was more curious or frightened, she wasn’t sure.
"Sir?"
"...What exactly are you doing?"
Cabelenus's expression turned odd at the sight before him. Mikael, wrapped in a blanket far too large for his small fra, stood blinking up at him. He had thought he'd grown used to the child's antics by now, but there were still monts that left him utterly baffled.
"I was reading Mikael a bedti story," Alicia explained.
"A bedti story?"
"Mikael likes them."
She held up the book she had been reading.
"I fail to see the connection between a blanket and a bedti story, but one thing is certain—you need a new one."
"This one is fine," Alicia replied.
"Is it really?"
Cabelenus glanced past Mikael, following the long trail of fabric stretched from the bed to the doorway. The room was immaculate, not a speck of dust in sight, yet the blanket dragging across the floor was another matter entirely.
"It’s fine, really. But what brings you here so suddenly?"
"I need your help."
"Of course, I’d be happy to help. What do you need?"
"There’s sothing I want you to verify. And..."
Cabelenus shifted his gaze. Alicia followed his line of sight—to Mikael.
"I just finished sothing."
"Finished?"
"Mikael, give your hand."
"Huh?"
Mikael’s eyes grew round as he extended his small hand. A crisp white paper bag was placed in his palm, carrying a sweet aroma.
"You told to bake cookies."
"...You really baked them? By yourself?"
Suspicion flickered in Mikael’s eyes. But Cabelenus nodded without hesitation.
"You said it was your wish."
"That’s true, but..."
Mikael bit his lip, fidgeting with the bag. He had ntioned cookies, but he had never imagined he'd actually receive them. His plan had simply been to feign generosity—once he felt like it, he would pretend to grant so goodwill and call Cabelenus ‘father.’
"You didn’t ss them up, did you?"
"If you’re curious, try one."
Mikael hesitated for a mont before carefully opening the bag. Inside, he found cookies studded with chocolate chips, packed neatly together.
"Are you sure soone else didn’t make these?"
"I made them."
"Really?"
"I burned the dough several tis before getting them right. Just like you wished."
Cabelenus let out a dry chuckle. It had seed like a good idea at first—to bake a fresh batch, keeping his promise instead of offering the ones he had made with Alicia. But without her help, the process had been much harder than expected. He had gone through so many failed attempts before he finally got it right.
"Now that the cookies are done, tell your next wish."
"Let try one first."
Still skeptical, Mikael picked up a cookie.
"Well?"
"...Sir, be honest with ."
"What?"
"These aren’t really yours, are they?"
"Why? Do they taste bad?"
There was the slightest tremor in Cabelenus’s voice. Seeing Mikael’s troubled expression, he was suddenly reminded of his first attempt at making cookies.
"They’re delicious."
"What?"
"This doesn’t make sense. There’s no way you could have baked sothing this good!"
"Don’t be ridiculous."
Despite Mikael’s indignant outburst, Cabelenus didn’t mind it. In fact, he found himself unexpectedly pleased. His expression softened.
"When did you even bake these? You’re always busy."
"I worked from the kitchen."
Recalling the past few days, Cabelenus smirked faintly. Gajev had tried not to show it, but his lieutenant’s expression had visibly stiffened every ti he had stepped into the kitchen.
"You really didn’t have to go that far."
"With such a picky judge, I had no choice."
Cabelenus jerked his chin toward Mikael. The boy was already reaching for his second cookie.
***
"This is strange. So much ti must have passed, yet everything is still intact. It’s as if ti itself has stopped here."
Alicia walked slowly through the room, running her fingers along the walls. The indentations of old carvings pressed against her fingertips, creating a peculiar sensation.
"Can you read all of this?"
"It’ll take so ti since there’s a lot, but I think I can manage."
She nodded without hesitation, continuing her careful examination. The inscriptions weren’t just records; they ford a story. She needed to find the beginning.
"Sothing’s off."
"What do you an?"
"I can’t read any of this."
"..."
"It’s written in a language I know. And yet, I can’t understand a single word."
Cabelenus frowned, his brows drawing together in frustration. For soone of royal lineage, fluency in ancient languages was expected. Yet here he was, standing before a wall of script he should have recognized—but couldn’t.
"You really can’t read it?"
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"Yeah. I can’t read it. It’s as if... it doesn’t want to."
Cabelenus’s eyes narrowed. Gajev’s theory had been correct. The room had only appeared because of Alicia, and even the inscriptions left behind seed to exist solely for her. There was a connection between Alicia and the monsters—one he had yet to fully understand.
"What could be the issue?"
"It’s not necessarily a problem. After all, we wouldn’t have found this place if it weren’t for you."
"What do you an by that?"
"This place had completely vanished. No matter how hard I searched, it was nowhere to be found."
"..."
"But the mont you arrived, it reappeared."
Was it truly just a coincidence? Cabelenus studied Alicia carefully before speaking again.
"Gajev suggested sothing... that your connection to the monsters runs deeper than mine. That’s why they react to Mikael as well."
"..."
"And maybe, just maybe, your god and Pri God could be one and the sa."
"That’s impossible. I’m not that kind of person," Alicia said without hesitation. "You know that. My power may seem extraordinary at a glance, but it’s far from perfect."
Her abilities were anything but absolute. No matter how grand it sounded to say she could grant wishes, there was always a price. The cost was her own lifespan. If she couldn’t pay that price, her power was aningless. That was a stark contrast to the perfect, omnipotent god the empire had worshipped for centuries.
"Even so, it’s suspicious," Cabelenus murmured.
"What exactly do you find suspicious?"
"Monsters have always been deeply tied to the temple. Even your power resembles the abilities attributed to Pri God."
"...Then what do you think?"
Alicia lifted her gaze, but Cabelenus’s expression was unreadable.
"Honestly? I don’t want to believe it. There’s no such thing as a god. There’s no point stirring up trouble with unnecessary speculation."
"Is that so?"
"But... even so, I’m going to find out for sure."
"..."
"If your power has been consuming your lifespan... then there must be a way to reverse it."
Cabelenus’s gaze drifted ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) downward—to Alicia’s dress.
None of her clothes fit her anymore. Like a wilting flower, her body grew thinner by the day. Though she never once voiced her pain, the shadow of death clung to her, deepening with every passing mont.
"I promised to protect you. And yet, none of my preparations—none of my power—have been able to save you."
"Don’t bla yourself. This isn’t your fault."
Alicia reached out, brushing her fingers gently against Cabelenus’s cheek. He clenched his jaw, forcing down the emotions threatening to surface.
"I won’t give up. If it’s not a god, I’ll find sothing else. I’ll find anything."
"I believe you."
More than anything, I don’t want to give up either.
Her fingertips traced the corner of his eye. Even if it was a foolish, fleeting hope, she wanted to hold on to it. She didn’t want to let their ti together slip away—wasted and aningless.
***
"Can I go see Mom?"
"No. Alicia is busy."
Cabelenus didn’t even look up from his docunts as he responded. Mikael pouted, aggressively squeezing a cushion in frustration.
Ever since the monster incident, one thing had changed: he was never alone anymore. The adults refused to let him be by himself. Whether it was Alicia, Cabelenus, or even Gajev, at least one of them always had to accompany him if he wanted to leave.
For a child who had once road the castle freely, it felt like a cruel punishnt.
"Then can I at least go see Rex?"
"Wait for Gajev. You can go with him."
"Can’t I go now? I’m really bored."
Mikael stomped his feet, deliberately making a fuss. The table in front of him was piled with snacks and toys, but none of it was enough. What he really wanted was to go outside—to run around freely.
"Just be patient. I need to finish this first."
"If you’re really that busy, I can just go alone—"
"No."
He was shut down before he could even finish his sentence. His lips jutted out further in irritation.
"Ugh..."
"It won’t take much longer. Just wait a little."
"You said the sa thing an hour ago."
Mikael sighed dramatically, glancing toward the door. anwhile, Cabelenus didn’t spare him even a glance, his eyes locked on his paperwork.
"Don’t even think about it."
"...."
Mikael had only shifted slightly off the couch, yet he was imdiately called out. His cheeks puffed up in frustration. This was the third ti he’d been caught trying to sneak out.
"At least eat a cookie while you wait. You like them."
"Mom told not to eat too many sweets."
"Did she?"
"And besides, your cookies always taste the sa."
Mikael shot a scowl toward the basket of chocolate chip cookies. He had eaten them every single day for a week. He liked chocolate, sure—but enough was enough. No matter how many he ate, the basket never seed to empty, and they all tasted exactly the sa.
"Sweets all taste the sa anyway."
"They do not. Don’t say nonsense."
Mikael vehently shook his head. The world was filled with all kinds of cookies—there was no way he was going to lump them all together under "sweets."
"Fine. Then I’ll bake you a cake next ti."
"You can bake cake?"
"I don’t know."
"You don’t know... but you just said you’d bake one?"
"If I don’t know, I’ll learn. I’ll figure it out when I have ti."
For the first ti, Cabelenus looked at him directly. Mikael, who had been about to argue further, stiffened slightly—then slumped his shoulders in defeat at the faint smile tugging at the man’s lips.
"...When will you have ti?"
"When everything is over."
For a brief mont, Cabelenus’s gaze flickered toward the bookshelf.
Amidst the countless strategy books and military texts, one book stood out—one that didn’t belong.
Reviews
All reviews (0)