At the capital of the new kingdom of Valhalla the Promised Lands, inside a chamber of its iron castle, the High Empress Morrigan was standing firmly with her arms crossing behind her back alone in this dim lighted room. Adorned with iron plates and gauntlets, her attire was dyed in the symbolic color of the old Empire of Zagon, a deep blue dress used by maidens in battle all while able to demonstrate both grace and strength of the wearer. Her tied-up golden hair and blue eyes, characteristic features of the royal family of Magnolia, combined with the slender white tiara on her head, only added to her elegance and refinement.

Outside, thousands of chatters and cheers could be heard. It was understandable, for perhaps the majority of the people of Eiseinheim have gathered around the royal palace to see their Empress. A big announcement was to be made shortly. That was what people were told. So what was she doing here, staring at this large portrait hanging on the wall?

But it was her perplexed expression that struck us as odd. A mixture of sadness, of regret but at the same time of reprieve it was. Perhaps it was due to the image of the person in the portrait she was looking at, a woman who resembled oddly to the Empress herself. The only difference was that the woman’s hair was letting straight down to her back instead of tying up like Morrigan.

“So many things have changed recently.” Morrigan spoke out loud to the portrait. “We are on the verge of a revolution. A new era is coming. But the only reason we are standing here today, being able to witness the opening of a new age, the reason why this happens in the first place, is thanks to you…And yet, why are you not here, sis?

…..

I have always regretted since that day, when I last saw your smile….For all these time, I wondered if there was anything else I could have done to prevent what happened to you. Our father, my mother, they did such terrible things to you…I am no better either. If only I have acted…if only I have known…

These thoughts have haunted me for years. There isn’t a day I didn’t think about it. But then again, it doesn’t matter now does it? I am just making excuses for myself…

So instead of staying in bereavement, I wanted to do something. I want to continue your legacy, to take care of it, nurture it and to make it come true. Not just your dream of peace between all races but also the most precious gift you have brought to this world: Alastor.

After being informed of your fate, I tried to look for him for years. But in the end, it was him who came to me. Just how fickle are the hands of fate?

By the way, do you know that Alastor hates cranberries? I made a cranberry cake for him but you should have seen his face, the way he frowned and looked weirdly at the first bite. And he didn’t even know that himself until recently.” Morrigan chuckled at the memory. “Just like you!”

“It’s easy to forget sometimes that he is still a kid, considering what he has gone through and his achievements. So many people rely on him…but who is he supposed to rely on when he is the one who needs it? He may be powerful, perhaps even the most powerful in the world. But that doesn’t mean he can control everything. One day, things will get out of hands and when that time comes, who can he turn to?

Sis, I want to be that person. It should have been you but because of me, Alastor has lost you. So from now on, I will take on that role. I will be his mother, the one who will always stay by his side, a place he can return to at all time.

I will continue the legacy you and Asgore have left for us.”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Your Majesty, everyone is here. Are you ready?” a female knight asked from outside.

“I am, Katrina. Just give me a moment!” Morrigan called out. “Sister, watch me from above as I make your dream come true!”

Walking out of the room and followed by her faithful knight right behind, the High Empress proceeded to the large balcony facing the stage. A few figures have been waiting for her there, all of the utmost stature: Pope Maxime of the Caelum, Ambassador Viviana of the Whispering Forest, Martel the Duchess of Ragna and the two Priestesses of Malatas. Needless to say, a certain knight was also by the side of his mistress, sticking up to her like a shadow.

“It’s finally time!” the lamia spoke as she bended slightly in front of Morrigan.

“I would have hoped things would not end like this…but attacking the castle in such a coward manner is unforgivable. The people of Caelum stand with you in this war, your Highness. And we pray it will be the last.” The new pope said in a solemn voice.

“The beastmen have also confirmed their participation in this war. We will join you in battle, your Majesty!” said Viviana, holding her ashen cane tightly. She herself might still have some doubts about the matter with the demons but Viviana was no fool and a kind woman at heart. Thanks to the Discovery Accord, she has had the chance to meet with some of the residents of Ragna and spent a lot of time with Martel. While it did not mean that she would embrace the demons openly like Morrigan, the cat girl was determined to give them a chance to prove themselves to the world. Instead of labelling them all as evil, she would try to see them as individuals for she herself knew that not everything in this world was black and white. The Primes were the perfect example of this, seeing how many wars and atrocities they have waged between themselves just to have the thing called power.

“So does Malatas! It’s time we end this once and for all.” Cynthia spoke as her counterpart Eris nodded in agreement.

Watching each of her entourage filled with trust in her, Morrigan proclaimed loudly in a firm voice. “I thank you all for what you have done for our Empire. I will see to it myself that this time, we will achieve peace.”

With that said, Morrigan walked to the balcony under the beaming sunlight. Under her, the streets and court halls have been filled by the mass, all hailing the name of their Empress. From up here, could you distinguish a demon from a human? Of course aside from those with different morphologies based on monsters. But inside, in our minds, our thoughts, we were all the same. Evil and good, each race had their fair share of both.

It would be a bit of a wishful thinking and quite frankly naïve to assume that once this war was over, the world would know eternal peace and everyone would live happily forever after. That was impossible, considering our very own nature and tendency to violence. For each era of peace, it was only a question of time before another conflict broke out. That endless cycle would never end.

However, at the very least, if we had to kill each other, let it be that those who were killed were not always the same because of their race but rather for what they have done. For only when we all understood the pain of others, might the idea of peace be more than just a myth.

Back to the speech of Morrigan as she addressed her people, among her retainers by her side, each of them had their own thought, their own reason for being here. Some have always been this way. Others have changed their minds after a certain event in their lives that helped them open their eyes. But what mattered was that at the end of the day, they were here, standing as the ones who would lead their people to a new era. What might be behind that door…we didn’t know. But at least, let it be that it was our own will and choice that led us there!

…..

As the Empress spoke, a conversation was taking place but not with loud spoken words but in the mind.

‘It’s finally here. Aren’t you excited, Yggdrasil?’ Viviana spoke in her mind to the spirit residing in the wooden staff she was holding.

‘Not really…This is not the first time I have seen a human claiming for peace.’ The spirit replied in a disinterested tone.

‘But this time it will be different.’

‘So you add one more race to the collection. It doesn’t matter. In the end war will always persist and things will happen all over again. Until now, the demons have been used as an excuse for slaughter. But after this, even when they are considered as your equal, you will just find another excuse to kill each other. That’s just how it is.’

‘Why are you so grumpy these days?’ Viviana retorted. ‘What’s wrong?’

‘Because you may have done something for yourself and your people but I didn’t do shit.’ Yggdrasile complained. ‘The task that was entrusted to me by lady Fate is still unfinished. In fact, it hasn’t advanced one bit.’

‘Are you talking about finding the Child of Prophecy? Don’t you think it’s Alastor? He is quite powerful and I have to say, compared to anyone I have met so far in my life, he seems to be the most adequate candidate for this title.’ Viviana commented.

‘No…Alastor is not the Child of Prophecy. Else I would have known the moment I met him.’

‘How do you even know that if you have never met this chosen one?’

‘It’s..complicated. It’s something like an instinct….You know like how you meet someone and think “This is the one”. It’s that kind of thing.’

‘No I don’t. What you are saying makes no sense at all.’

‘Bah you won’t understand.’

‘So what? Are you going to leave me? Now of all time?’ asked Viviana worriedly.

‘You don’t have to worry about that. If I leave this vessel, I will be stuck in the Whispering Forest again. At least with you travelling around doing your war, I have more chance to meet the person I am looking for….’ Yggdrasil cut short what he was going to say as a thought came into his mind.

‘Well we will be going to Ceadric soon enough and possibly Ragna or even Oros in the future so you can look for that person over there.’ Viviana said.

‘I do wish so. Since if I can’t find the Child of Prophecy, it would mean that I am in the wrong period...’

‘Wrong period?’ asked the cat girl. ‘What do you mean?’

‘It means either the Child is not even born yet or…’

‘Or what?’

‘Or is already dead….’

* * *

Meanwhile, on the other side, Ceadric has finished its preparation. The main army has just departed toward the southern borders together with their king and his royal guards. And of course, it would mean that young Edward was also going with them. He has made his mind to let Tasha staying in the mansion together with a few Hunters of Maria’s group. Yet, Maria herself and Scarlet did not go with him for a very simple reason. She wanted him to grow by himself. Perhaps because of what happened to Tasha, Edward has transformed in an astonishing manner, as if he has grown out of his shell. This was great news for the woman wanted him to be able to influence the war while limiting casualties on both sides. However, that was just what she told the boy. There was actually a more profound reason to why Maria didn’t accompany him. A recent event has changed everything for Maria, leading her to even going as far as ignoring what Alastor has instructed her to keep Edward safe. What happened? The answer lied in the devil Mephisto, currently known as Meto and his discovery as he investigated the Trading Company of Dor.

Inside a luxurious residence in Cedra, Meto was being led by a servant to see his master, the owner of this recently bought mansion. Indeed it now belonged to Goldbeard, a dwarf merchant of the company of Dor. While the group claimed to be ruled in an egalitarian order between all members, the real power always lied in the hands of the richest one and in this case, Goldbeard.

The reason Dor assisted Ceadric in this war, pushing them to go against Valhalla and opposing to the idea of neutrality toward demons, was just because this old dwarf has promised them richness and opportunities after the war. Furthermore, if Valhalla lost, it would mean that Ceadric could claim their territories for themselves. And that was what many of the members of Dor aimed for.

Since Ceadric owned Dor quite a lot for all the resources for helping them during the crisis and funding for this war, the dwarves could claim a part of Valhalla for their own as part of the payment. With the other countries severely weakened, the merchants could profit from that to become even richer. In short, this whole conflict between Ceadric and Valhalla was some kind of investment as Dor waited for the seeds to grow before claiming it. At least that was what most of their members thought. However, the question lied in Goldbeard. Did he come up with this idea by himself? Or was someone else pulling the strings behind all this? Could there be a hidden meaning behind this biased action?

“Thank you for meeting me, sir Goldbeard!” said Meto as he sat down on the expensive couch.

A small desk was in front of him with a humble figure wearing golden clothing sitting on the other side.

“No need for formalities, mister Meto! As much as I hate to admit it, it’s rare to meet someone who shares our idea nowadays. The world has gone mad with all these demon sympathizers…What kind of sick world are we living in?” Goldbeard complained.

“Indeed!” Meto clenched his fist in secret. “It falls to us to show the people and guide them back to the right way.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth. I can’t say it any better.”

“Your words are too kind. Unfortunately, we are the few here and this problem cannot be solved by money alone. Your funding and troops might help Ceadric to conquer but that alone is not enough. We must strike the problem at its root.” Meto said passionately.

“You mean attacking Ragna? That is easier said than done and we can’t afford to multi-borders war else it might endanger the outcome with Valhalla. Greed is not a good thing, mister Meto.” Goldbeard frowned.

“Not if we are smart about it.” The devil answered.

“Hum…” the dwarf uttered in a doubtful tone as he brushed his beard.

“I know that you still have some doubts about me, milord. You don’t have to hide about it. I would do the same in your shoes. Trust cannot be given. It must be earned.” Meto said.

“Hum you are not wrong in that aspect. Having lived all these years, I know that you cannot trust anyone aside from yourself. So how about this?

Considering our current state, I am confident we can beat Valhalla with our armies. However, there is still the matter with the demons. For now, thanks to the Levianux sea that serves as a natural defence, they did not dare to attack us, yet. However if the situation becomes worse for them, like animals driven to a corner, they will risk everything. And if that happens and they do in fact succeed on landing on Ceadric, it might become a problem for us.

Now if you want to prove yourself to me, do you think you can do something to prevent this?” the dwarf said.

“Hum….” Meto pondered in silence for a while.

“Hahaha I was just joking. You don’t have to be so serious about it, sir Meto!” Goldbeard jested as he took up his cup of wine. “Trust comes with time so as long as you are faithful to me, I will make sure it will be worth your while.”

“What if I say I can do it?”

“What?” shocked by Meto’ statement, the dwarf decided to put down his cup and insisted. “Are you joking?”

“Not at all, milord! I am saying that I have a way to make the demons submit to your will or at the very least, removing them from the war.” Meto spoke with confidence.

“You do? How?” Goldbeard inquired hastily.

“It’s a rather simple thing to do. But instead of listening to my insignificant words, it’s better for me to show you the result through my action. I only need a ship to cross the Levianux sea and a dozen men to execute my plan. If you so desire, I can do it now.”

“Only a ship? That’s easy. You will have the fastest ship in a few hours together with a full crew.”

“Then you can be reassured milord! By the end of tomorrow, we will bring Ragna down to its knees. Now if you excuse me, I need to prepare myself for the journey.” Meto stood up, preparing himself to leave.

“Of course! When you are ready, go to the harbor in the central district! The ship will wait for you there.” Goldbeard said excitedly as he guided Meto out to the exit himself.

While the sea of Levianux was the smallest sea in the world, it still needed a full two days of journey to go from Cedra to Ragna. However, Goldbeard was a resourceful man. He had access to ships that could cross the sea and return back under two days thank to its highly advanced tech and the craftsmanship of the dwarves. But those ships usually cost so much, no one but the royalty could afford them. However, we were talking about the richest man in the world here. Surely such a thing would be nothing more than a few coins to him. Compared to the effect this would have on the war in the case Meto succeeded, that amount of money was nothing. But how on earth would Meto accomplish such a feat with just a dozen men? The dwarf contemplated.

Exiting the mansion, Meto said goodbye to the dwarf and departed. As he strolled down the streets, a sensation of reminiscence came back to him. It has been a long time since he walked among so many humans. In fact, the last time was more than fifteen years ago, back when he was still a human.

There were two types of demons: those who were born one and those who became one. Mephisto, unlike his companions of the royal guards, was the second type. Fairly rare, these demons were once a prime who ‘fell’ into the state they were currently in. This was due to the Goddess of the Flesh Lilith who has put a curse on the entire world after being betrayed by Eden. Those who have lost themselves, those who knew true despair and most importantly, those who rejected their very own nature, those people could potentially become a demon under the effect of the curse. Filled with hatred and spite toward their own kind, these primes took on a new form in order to forget about their old self.

As for Mephisto, he used to be something else, someone who could be said to be the opposite of what he was now. Just what happened to him that led to this? One must wonder.

“How funny it is for me to remember it now…After all those time…”

Suddenly, Mephisto bumped into an average looking man in the busy road. “Oh my apologies!” he excused himself. But instead of receiving an apology or perhaps an insult, the man simply continued down the flow of people, ignoring the dumbfounded Meto. However that was not before he put a small piece of paper into the devil’s hands and disappearing in the crowd.

Opening the folding paper, Mephisto read in his mind what was on it. Upon realizing what this meant, he smiled to himself sinisterly.

“Things just get much more interesting!”

As he crumbed the paper to bits, the devil reached to his pocket and pull out a small purple stone before turning in to a dark alley. Holding it close to his chest in his palm, Mephisto whispered quietly to the stone without letting anyone hear it.

“Amelia, Azureus, Naberius, I need you all to do something for me. Do your best to make it…festive!”

* * *

A few days ago

In the land where a dark mist has taken over, killing all lives unfortunate enough to be in contact with it, what was left of a prosperous city stood still in this barren place of death. However, unlike what many expected, this dead city was not as silent and passive as they thought it would be.

Ever since the incident leading to its downfall, no one has dared to venture in the land of the old elven kingdom, fearing for their own lives. While the miasma has stopped from spreading any further, that was not before it claimed the majority of Malatas’ territory. Still, to make sure that the threat was over, both Valhalla and the beastmen have stationed watch towers alongside the borders of the elven country, cooperating with each other in order to watch over the desolated land. Every day, the patrols would have to report back on the status of the area they were in charge of. So far, there was no sign of any further expansion of the mist and many have asked to be transferred back to the army, especially when the war was coming.

But it was not the boredom of stillness that pushed these brave men to make such demand. It was something else. In many of the reports, a few patrols claimed to have seen dark shadows with bright red eyes staring at them from inside the mist. Even creepier, these shadows never did anything but simply stood there, watching them closely. Occasionally, sounds of agonizing moans could be heard. While they never encountered the source of those voices, something told them that it was not a living being that made them. The reports were later discarded as mere effects of tiredness or daydreaming by the higher ups. These things were not uncommon for soldiers after all, considering the tense environment they lived in.

They were telling the truth. There was indeed something residing in the kingdom of miasma. An unbelievable story when you knew that no living being would survive in this place. And yes, no living being. So what could those shadows be? And most importantly, how come they were beginning to appear all over the world without anyone knowing their existence? Where did they come from? What was their goal? Only time would tell.

Inside the castle of Galahad, a large shadow was peering intensively at a similarly large black coffin covered in chains lying in front of him. As tall as twice the height of a normal shadow, this entity was actually not of the same nature as its peers. That was because he was special, being the one that created all the others in the first place. It took him a long time and a lot of efforts to accomplish this, along with some personal sacrifices.

With a slow gesture, the figure slid his thin dark hand along the surface of the coffin in a gentle manner, as if caressing something he held very dear. But as it came to the end of the coffin, his hand suddenly grabbed the edge firmly in anger, almost to the point of breaking it. For a moment, he wanted to crush it but decided not to in the end. Not because his enmity has vanished but because he didn’t want to damage the dear coffin. What was inside this sarcophagus that made him feel so many different emotions at once? Such was perhaps the biggest mystery of this enigmatic creature.

“Your Reverence, I have returned!” a shadow manifested itself behind the large figure.

“So how was it?” asked the figure.

“Alastor has arrived in Oros and is on his way to meet Kaiser as we speak, just as we wanted.”

“I see. And what about the other matter? Was she there?”

“Yes, she was. Although I have not been able to approach her yet. My apologies, your Reverence!”

“It’s fine. For now, go join the others in Oros! The first battle is about to start soon.”

“As you wish!” The shadow turned into a black smoke before vanishing instantly.

“Time to pay a visit to the demon lord’s castle! !” the figure uttered as his body turned translucent before completely vanish for good, leaving no trace behind.

…..

Among the current residents of the demon lord’s castle, there was one that stood out as the most mysterious individual and perhaps crucial to solving a certain conundrum of the past that took place in this very same building: the massacre and murders of both the demon lord Asgore and the Hero Lakyus. To think that two of the most powerful persons, not including the other heroes and guards, were killed at the same time…it was truly an enigma of the highest caliber. But perhaps due to the culprit’s negligence, there was one survivor of that tragedy. In short, she was the only person who could have known and told us about what exactly happened ten years ago, if not for her injuries which have left her handicapped and mentally unstable for life.

However, one individual remained skeptical. Based on his retainers’ report and surveillance, he was informed about how Alastor, and probably the God Magnus residing inside him, have attempted to cure Ingrid of her ailment to no avail. The leader of the Reapers refused to think that this mystery was unsolvable and was determined to find out the truth. For what purpose, it was still unclear. One could only assume he might do to gain favors from Alastor but perhaps, there was another more profound reason that pushed him to do so. Alas, none of it mattered for now.

Outside the demon lord’s castle, an invisible entity was flying around, checking window from window, one after another. Undetected by every resident of the palace, including Lilith herself, he could free move around as he searched for the person he was looking for. And he found her, sitting on her bed and staring at nothingness with her blind white eyes. The skinny carcass along with the decrepit wing only added to the pitiful state she was in. Not only it was difficult to communicate and have her attention, the woman sometimes threw a tantrum or screamed out of fear in her sleep, as one would expect from a mentally ill patient. Or so people assumed she was. Perhaps she was simply lonely, with her mind reduced to that of a child, it would be understandable for her to behave that way.

With his body in an ephemeral state, the figure passed through the walls of the castle and ended up in front of the soulless girl. In this state, no one should be able to see him and yet, it was clear that the girl sensed something different upon his presence in the room. Perhaps it was due to the coldness that ensued with him or perhaps something else….

“Is someone there?” the girl asked, turning her head around and swinging her arms around in hope of reaching someone.

“…..” The dark shadow stood still in his place, watching as the girl was trying to touch him. These days, the only way Ingrid could feel safe was by touching someone. Only then could she be sure that she was not alone in this darkness. That was why the woman was desperately looking around for this stranger until she fell out of the edge of the bed to the floor. Judging from the loud sound it made, that fall must have hurt her a bit, especially when you saw how fragile she was and how a few drops of tears have already started to pour out of her blind eyes. But instead of crying out for help like a child, the woman wept away her tears and continued to crawl on the ground to search for the presence she felt.

“Please touch me! Let me know you are there!” the celestial begged on the ground.

Why was she so persistent? All these for a simple touch? To live in a world with no sound and vision, to live in complete darkness, that fear was horrendous. And yet no one could understand the pains she was going through and could only help her live through the days in this miserable life of hers. That single casual touch you might take for granted was all she wished for. It soothed her fear of the darkness she lived in, eased her pain.

“Abandoned and forgotten…you might as well be considered as one of the deads. Just like your brother…” the figure spoke to himself. And of course, she could have no way of hearing him.

Maybe it was out of pity for the poor celestial, the shadow reached out to Ingrid and carried her into his arms as he put her back on the bed. But to Ingrid who didn’t feel anything touching her, it was as if an invisible force simply pushed her up before placing her on her bed. Still, she now knew that there was indeed someone else here.

“…Thank you!” the celestial fidgeted. “Who are you? How come I can’t touch you?”

“I am…no one, not anymore anyway. I exist but I don’t. Dead or alive, that doesn’t matter to me.” The figure answered in a cryptic way, yet no words were said.

“…What?” Ingrid uttered with a confused face. She was surprise to hear something in her mind, as if her ears were actually working. For an entire decade of total silence, to be able to suddenly hear this strange voice in her mind was shocking but at the same time so wistful enough to break her in tears. “How…?”

“I am speaking directly to your very soul. Unlike the vessel, it doesn’t need a functioning organ to work…Why are you crying?”

“…I don’t know….It..it just happens.” The celestial wept away her tears and sniffed as she tried to calm down. An insurmountable number of different emotions were running through her fragile mind with it. Most of them, she didn’t even understand. All she could do was wiping away the flow of liquid flowing on her pale cheeks.

…..

“Are you alright now?” asked the figure after having waited for the girl to stop crying. Surprisingly, he did not try to interrupt her or to rush her to do anything. He simply stood there, waiting like a patient parent.

“Yeah…sorry…” Ingrid uttered.

“No need to apologize!”

“Thank you…But you still didn’t tell me your name..or what are you doing here…”

“I have a question for you: do you remember any of the events ten years ago?”

“Not really. My brother and a few others have tried to ask me the same question but I never remembered a thing….I am sorry…” Ingrid spoke sadly.

“No no don’t apologize! I already expect it would be this way. That’s why I am here: I will help you recover your memories.” Proposed the shadow.

“What? Is that possible?” Ingrid asked in awe.

“I don’t know but I will try. It’s better than doing nothing.”

Suddenly, the shadow felt the presence of someone walking toward them. “I will have to go now. I will be back. Remember to keep this as a secret!”

“Okay…see you soon!”

…..

For the next few days, every day at around the same time when Ingrid was left by herself, the shadow would come again. Similar to what Magnus did to her with Alastor, the shadow would check the soul of the celestial, only to find it severely damaged. However, his checkup came up with a slightly different result. This girl could be cured, difficult and arduous but not impossible. But the treatment would need a long time and these short visits only made the task even more difficult. Still, he risked everything in order to find out the truth.

During these treatment sessions, it could be said that a strange kind of relationship was beginning to form between these two. It would be an exaggeration to say it was friendship but the actual thing was not really that far from that. The shadow seemed like a concerned parent of their child, although he didn’t show it easily. As for the innocent woman, she saw him as the only person who could speak to her normally and perhaps even a close friend. The reason she was not sure about that was because she knew nothing about this stranger, not even his name. Whenever she felt a cold air blowing in the room, she would be excited as it indicated he has come. Even though sometimes it was simply a plain gentle breeze, leaving her in disappointment.

After each session, he would ask if she remembered anything. A few bits came up but none was of any importance concerning the tragedy ten years ago. While Ingrid didn’t seem much to improve, seeing her getting better, especially her bright smile, proved to be much more than a mere comfort he sought from her.

However, it was getting more difficult these days after they almost got discovered by Amelia and Ingrid blurting out their secret encounter. Since then, the witch has paid more attention to Ingrid and would constantly check up on her, making the meeting slightly more problematic. Still the stranger tried to see her more. Sometimes, he didn’t even ask about her memories but instead simply chatted with the celestial about various topics just to make her happy. It was weird how things have changed for him.

“It’s about time for me to go now. You should go to sleep, Ingrid!” spoke the figure, sitting next to Ingrid.

“Can’t you stay for longer?” asked the celestial in a disappointed voice.

“Unfortunately I can’t. Amelia will come by soon.”

“….I am sorry for telling her about you….I am sorry.” Uttered Ingrid.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it! Now go to sleep!” the shadow stood up and walked toward the window.

“Wait!” the girl called out, making the man turning back to her.

“Yes?”

“Won’t you tell me your name?”

“…..”

“…Sorry…it must be difficult to trust me after I have blurted out like an idiot like that…” said Ingrid in guilt.

“…It’s not about that…It’s just I no longer have a name anymore.” The shadow answered.

“How come?” asked Ingrid.

“Because I changed…my soul changed…Everything about me, from my purpose to my very own being…it’s no longer the same. I am…many things stitched together that formed the being in front of you right now. That’s why I have cast away my name, as it is no longer mine to take.”

“But you are still aware of yourself right? I don’t know who you were before but…but you are my friend. I won’t ask you about anything else but please…just tell me your name!” pled Ingrid.

“…..” the figure sighed.

“Sorry…for being selfish…” Ingrid apologized.

“If I tell you my name, will you stop apologizing to me?” requested the shadow.

Ingrid nodded excitedly in agreement. “Hey wait, we should formally present ourselves.”

“But I already know your name.” said the shadow.

“Just do it, to make our friendship official! Please!”

“…Alright.”

“Yeah! Ehem, I am Ingrid. Nice to meet you!” smiled the celestial.

“Nice to meet you, Ingrid! My name is ….Sinforma.”