The door slammed open, and Edris stomped into his room.

Heading straight to the bathroom, he stopped in front of the mirror and stared at the pendant necklace hanging down his neck. Both of his hands moved to the back of his neck, searching for the silver clasp.

Nothing.

Edris yanked the necklace around, rotating it so that the back was resting on his collarbones.

Nothing.

Edris’s eyes widened. “The clasp is gone.”

Now that he thought about it, the Sacrificial Hourglass had been on his neck ever since he received it in the wooden box. There were times where he tried taking off the necklace before bathing, but his fingers always ended up tangling the cord and losing the clasp, so he ended up just leaving it as it was.

Now he knew why—the clasp was no longer there to begin with.

He bolted to the closet, yanked out a pair of shears, and ran back into the bathroom. Eyeing its position in the mirror, he pushed the silver cord between the blades and pressed down with all his energy.

The cord? Unscatched. His hands? In pain.

Shears clattering onto the bathroom floor, Edris dragged himself to his bed and plopped down, his back sinking into the mattress. A white head entered his vision.

“You look pathetic,” Ace commented, bending over his bed.

Edris was going to throw back an insult when an idea suddenly struck him. He sprung up from his bed, so abruptly he would have headbutted Ace if the latter had dodged a second later. Disregarding the white-haired man’s glare, Edris cut his thumb and pressed it to his ear, then he smack his hand on Ace’s wrist, letting a stream of mana flow.

“Try breaking the cord with your mana!”

As he said that, Edris pulled his dark hair aside and shuffled his neck forward. Ace stared at the pale skin underneath his hair and let out a sigh. Despite the man’s reluctancy, Edris soon felt a tug at the silver cord around his neck, soon followed by a flow of energy that made his skin tingle.

“Did not work,” Ace said.

“Try using more of it,” Edris suggested.

“That’s all the available mana you gave me.”

Ever since Ace entered his human form, Edris needed to constantly supply his mana to sustain the man’s basic bodily functions. As a result, what would suffice to the pink, fluffy Ace was no longer enough for the human-form Ace, since a good portion of it was automatically absorbed to support his physical body.

“Just turn back to your previous form, then! You can look human again after this,” Edris said.

“If I could, I would have a long time ago.” Ace narrowed his eyes. “I can’t switch to previous forms at free will. The last form seems to be the result of a defence mechanism, acting in only for when my mana drops to a dangerous threshold.”

“I thought you just didn’t like that form because you didn’t like being called cute?”

“You think everyone’s as childish as you?”

“…”

In the end, Edris had to tranfer another surge of mana, this time even larger in quantity, to the white-haired man. He couldn’t help but be grateful for his large mana channel. Otherwise, what awaited him was probably a permanent dwelling in the cemetery. Death from mana exhaustion.

“Hurry up.” Edris scooched forward and tapped the cord on his neck.

Ace clicked his tongue. This time, he pressed one hand onto the necklace and, withdrawing his mana, condensed a full size machete in the other. Like a blazing torch in a cave, the sword illuminated the entire room at once.

***

Outside Mosky Inn, Celio was skipping down the streets to visit his Master after having booked the group a Wendimoren-themed restaurant for dinner.

Even though Edris had notified him of entering a “state of solitary reflection,” seven days have passed since they last had a full conversation, and Celio couldn’t help but be concerned for his Master’s health.

For all the months he’d know him for, Edris was always pushing himself to the extreme. Even though he usually acted nonchalant, Celio knew that once an event came their way or there was something he had to accomplish, Edris would, without hesitation, go on to fulfil his goal at any cost.

His Master may not be aware of it himself, but he was like the strings on a slingshot.

Each time, he’d push a little longer, reach a little further. Bit by bit, he’d force himself to the extreme to reach his goals. But to what end? One time after the next, Celio didn’t want to think about it, but what if there came a situation where he’d pull the strings so tightly that they—

Inhaling sharply, Celio pivoted and planted his heel to the ground, stopping himself just before he stomped onto the swirl of green on the street. He puffed out a breath in relief, leaning closer to scrutinise the small lump.

A catepillar, and its head was missing.

“You poor, unlucky thing.”

Mouth stretched into a frown, Celio scooped up its remains onto a leaf and plopped it under the nearest tree. Just as he was about to offer his condolences to the tiny insect, something flashed in the corner of his eye, and Celio spun around.

The sudden light came from the right side of the street, on the second floor of Mosky Inn.

Since it was still the early evening, most of the rooms were unlit as people hung out in the streets or in restaurants for dinner. However, one room was completely illuminated, glowing so brightly he couldn’t make out what was happening from outside the windows.

“Isn’t that…” Celio blinked twice. “Master’s room?”

The next thing he knew, Celio was running. His legs carried him into Mosky Inn, through the rowdy pub of the first floor, and up the flight of stairs. It took him less than thirty seconds to reach Edris’s room, and in a single movement, he kicked open the door.

“Master!”

Celio thought that his Master had reached some sort of enlightenment due to his solitary reflection, but the scene playing before his eyes far strayed from his expectations.

In the glowing room, Edris was pressed down against the table while Ace hovered over him. One of his arms was restrained by Edris’s grasp as a ring of white surrounded them while the other loomed merely inches over his neck, a glowing sword in hand.

The image of the decapitated caterpillar flashed through Celio’s mind.

“What do you think you’re doing to Master?!” He immediately drew out his dagger and imbued it with mana.

Reacting to his attributed energy, the dagger emitted a dazzling, golden glow, clashing with the white in the room. His eyes narrowed and he clenched his weapon, ready to save his Master from this atrocity. With a pivot of the foot, Celio lashed toward the white-haired man.

Just as he was about to strike, Edris glanced up and said, “Good evening, Celio.”

The beast tamer halted in midair, eyes full of confusion.

“You’re here at a good time.” Unaware of the youth’s confoundment, Edris waved him over and pointed to his neck. “Come and help Ace get this thing off me.”

The three seconds passed in silence, and a dagger dropped to the ground with a clank.

“W-what?! I can’t do that!” Celio’s voice trembled as he spoke, his eyes growing red with tears. “Master, I should have noticed earlier that you were having such a hard time. But how could you just think of ending it all like this? If you’re experiencing difficulties in life, if anything, you could talk to me! I may be young and naive, and I may be lacking in many aspects, but I won’t hesitate to help you in anyway I can—”

“What are you on about?” Edris stared at him strangely. He tapped the silver cord on his neck. “I’m talking about this necklace. Even Ace can’t get it off with his sword, so you try with the dagger instead.”

“The necklace?” Still dazed, Celio wiped the tears off his face and scurried over. “Worry not, Master. I got this!”

***

Thirty minutes later, Edris sat ruefully at the dining booth, gaze aloof as he sipped on his sweet lime brew, a specialty from the Wendimore Kingdom.

“Master, what’s your necklace made out of?” Celio furrowed his brows, scrutinising the pendant. He took a gulp out of his kiwi smoothie. “How’s it possible that it’s unscratched even after all we did to it?”

Ace said nothing and sipped his cup of ice water.

“I’d like to know the same,” Edris grumbled.

Currently, the Sacrifical Hourglass hung down his neck like a harbinger of death. As the pendant pressed on his skin, even though Edris couldn’t perceive temperature, his mind couldn’t help but fill in the sensation as chills ran down his spine.

The waiter arrived with a cart of dishes, setting it on the table one by one. The restaurant Celio brought them to specialised in Wendimoren cuisine and was known for their nutritional, filling portions.

“Master, try this! It’s called Amber Garden. It has oranges, carrots, beef steak, pumpkin puree, ilyiac seeds… Basically a lot of things that are really good for your health!” The young beast tamer pushed the bowl of colours towards Edris, taking a side glance at the white-haired man across from him. “Ace, you try the Lilac Rolls. It’s made of sweet lotus. Heard it improves people’s mood.”

With a half-hearted nod, Edris stabbed onto a piece of orange with his fork, bringing it too his mouth. He was chewing when he noticed the beast tamer’s anticipatory gaze. Chewing some more, Edris swallowed and managed a smile.

“ …Pretty good.”

“Happy to hear that! Eat some more! These are good for you and replenishes your energy in no time.” Celio grinned. Eyeing the dark-haired man taking his time with the food, he cleared his throat. “Actually, I have something to tell you, Master.”

Edris washed down the salad with his brew, gesturing him to continue.

“A while ago, I sent Mother a letter to let her know how I’m doing. But I forgot to conceal the delivery coordinates and now she knows I’d ran away from home. I got a letter back from her a few days ago, and she told me to come back immediately.” Celio fiddled with his straw and slumped back at his seat. “She’s really, really angry.”

“You should have considered this scenario when you ran away,” Ace said.

“I didn’t think she’d find out! She even threatened to die if I don’t come back before the end of the month.” Shooting him a look, Celio pushed another plate of Lilac Rolls towards Ace. “You don’t understand. Mother is horrifying when she’s angry. And she’s serious about her words. She’d do anything.”

Ace downed the dessert roll in one go, only to grimace immediately after. “Too sweet.”

Edris’s ear perked up, and he also reached for a roll.

Celio pressed his forehead to the table, grumbling.

“I shouldn’t have sent her a letter. Even if I did, I shouldn’t have mentioned all those exciting things I did in Zacriya. Wulin Tournament, the explosion too! How did the news spread so quickly to the Adalan Kingdom? Now I can’t even hide because she managed to get in touch with Uncle Dominic, who then agreed to use the Gates to teleport me straight there.” He turned towards the dark-haired man with glassy eyes. “Master, what should I do?”

Wiping his mouth with a napkin, Edris eyed the sullen beast tamer beside him. If he looked closely, he might as well see a patch of grey cloud hanging above him.

“What do you want to do?” Edris asked him back.

“Dunno… I just don’t want to leave you all.”

“Is that so? But we’re going to Adalan as well.”

“...Hold on.” Celio sprung up, eyes lighting up at his words. “Really?! Master’s heading to Adalan? Ace too?”

Edris shared a glance with the white-haired man, then shrugged a smile.

“Master, you two should definitely come with me! The Signa Gates are designed just for inter-kingdom travels! Since people usually use it for trades or diplomatic meetings, it’s super convenient and you don’t experience any side effects that might exist for regular teleportation,” Celio said eagerly, as if he was an item promoter. “And plus, since we’re just tagging along with Uncle Dominic’s textile material team, the entire trip is free.”

Edris smiled. “I suppose it is on my end to see that you reunite with your family in Adalan. It’s partly my responsibility that you got involved in the Slums incident.”

He didn’t know how much mana he’d need, now that Ace was in his human form, to teleport to a whole other kingdom. Rather than undertaking unnecessary tolls on his body, Celio’s suggestion was a much better trade off.

“You’re going somewhere?”

A tiny voice grabbed their attention as the three men whipped their heads around, only to see a familiar child by their table.

“Wait, you’re the little kid from the other day!” Celio exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m not a little kid. I have a name,” the girl replied politely, eyeing Edris at the side. “It’s Doris.”

“And I’m Celio! Nice to meet you,” Celio said with smiley eyes.

“Doris. I remember you,” Edris said. “You came here for me?”

Doris nodded.

“How’d you know my location?”

“I could smell you.”

“ …Can you now?” Edris placed his glass cup back on the table, raising an eyebrow. “So Doris, what business do you have with me?”

Doris didn’t respond to his question. Instead, she tiptoed and reached past their table, grabbing onto the cutlery that happened to be the fork on Celio’s plate.

“Hah? What are you doing?” The beast tamer frowned.

Just as he was about to snatch it back, he froze at the sight of the fork floating in midair. Doris’s face remained expressionless as her hands hovered over the silverware, continuing to stretch, press, and fold the air around it as if was clay. Corresponding to her motions, the fork bent and extended, eventually turning into a metal straw.

Under Celio’s dumbfounded expression, Doris politely returned the fork—now a straw—onto his plate.

“I’ve been learning to manipulate mana.” She turned towards Edris. “I’m getting better.”

“I’m sure you are,” the latter said softly.

Although Edris was still confused as to why this little girl was showcasing her improvements to him, her improvements were undeniable.

If he remembered correctly, Doris had passed her seventh birthday only recently, which meant this young girl, in such a short amount of time, already learnt to use mana to an extent where she could physically distort the objects around her. Without a staff, too.

She was definitely talented. Even Ace held an intrigued expression upon seeing her potential.

Doris seemed to have grown flustered at his compliment, and she lowered her head, fidgeting with her sleeves. “When I learn more and get better, I’ll come show you again.”

Celio leaned forward, resting his chin on his palms. “We probably won’t be here next time though since we’re leaving soon. But good work to you in advance!”

Doris lifted her head, revealing her widened eyes. “When?”

“Four days? No, it’s three now,” he said.

“Where?”

Before the beast tamer could answer her question, a wave of rumbles released from her stomach, and Doris clenched her shirt in embarrassment.

“Haha, your stomach’s protesting! Are you hungry?” Celio grinned.

Even though the girl didn’t respond to his question, her fixed gaze on the plate of Lilac Rolls on the table gave her away. Swallowing her saliva, Doris peered up at the three men, her careful gaze ultimately landing on Edris, like a kitten exposed to light.

At her unspoken inquiry, Edris shrugged a smile and gestured her to take a seat. Doris’s eyes lit up. Since Edris and Celio were sitting on one side of the booth, she climbed up to the seat beside the quiet white-haired man.

The little girl and the white-haired man stared at each other in silence. Even though neither side uttered a word, they seemed to have shared some sort of unspoken greeting, as they simultaneously broke off the eye contact the next second.

“Woah, look at her. She’s not afraid of Ace even after seeing those scary looks.” Celio leaned forward with sparkling eyes, compliments spilling out of a mouth stuffed with food. “The last time Ace looked at a kid, he made him cry on the spot!”

“Chew your food,” Ace rapped on the table with a finger, and the beast tamer knowingly stopped talking and started munching away.

Beside the boy, Edris gave a helpless shake of the head. He noticed Doris staring at him, somewhat intrigued. Picking up a butternut cookie from the plate, he placed it in her plate. His other hand hovered to the side of his face, mouthing something as he did so:

“It’s true.”

Sitting cross-armed right across from him, Ace shifted his stoic eyes toward the dark-haired man.

“Edris.”

“I’m chewing, I’m chewing.”

Edris gave little Doris a knowing look, pressing a finger to his pursed lips while Ace leaned back with a scoff.

Glimpsing back and forth between the two, Doris withdrew her attention like a professional. She grabbed onto the cookie with both hands and nibbled away, a smile hinting from her upturned lips.

The four of them spent the rest of dinner engaged in small talks. Well, it was mostly just Edris and Celio talking, while Ace and Doris simply listened in silence.

“Master, we planning on going to the forest before we head to Adalan?” Celio asked. “The Chance Amulet sounds like a pretty cool item to have.”

Edris shook his head a negative. “I’ve heard about how dangerous Nolmes Forest is. Poisonous plants being one thing, there’re also toxic species and other hidden dangers.”

“Ah, that’s true. I heard only the capital’s Expedition Troupe heads in there every now and then to commit missions or to get to the Risk Faction,” Celio said.

“The forest’s so close to Nolmes, yet after all these years only a small portion of it has been explored. Us going in there is equivalent to collective suicide.” Edris swirled his empty cup with his straw. “Plus, risking your life for something as abstract and inconsistent as luck—not worthwhile.”

“When you put it this way, I guess you're right.” The beast tamer shivered. He looked at Edris with a consoling gaze. “It’s okay, Master. You’ll get better eventually. After all, I don’t think anyone can stay unlucky forever.”

“…Again, please don’t curse me.”

As the conversation continued on, Doris, who’d been quietly listening to their talks, suddenly stood up.

Hopping off the bench, she dug into her pockets and pulled out a small, cotton pouch. She placed it on the table, and four copper yones spilled out onto the wooden surface.

“I earned this money myself from selling bread with Gran. I know it’s not enough for the meal, but I will make up for it.”

Before the group could say anything, she dropped into a deep bow, then ran out the restaurant.

“She’s a strange child, isn’t she?” Celio mumbled, watching her small back disappear into the distance.

Edris nodded absentmindedly. Withdrawing his gaze from the entrance, he turned to see the beast tamer mixing lotus paste inside his smoothie. The refreshing kiwi green and purple paste interweaved, resulting in a very questionable hue.

Edris slowly turned away.

“ …You’re a strange one as well.”

Ace took another sip of his water.