Shin's fingers tightened around little Yeri without him realizing it.
His chest felt hollow, as if something vital inside him was being slowly carved away, memory by memory, regret by regret.
Mirror fragments hovered around them, reflecting countless versions of Jewel. Jewel laughing. Jewel smiling at him with devotion. Jewel turning her back as she fell into darkness. Every shard was a reminder of his failure, razor-edged and held inches from his throat.
"Hexi~" the figure crooned again, her voice softer now, silk threaded with poison. She drifted closer, bare feet never once touching the fractured ground. "You're still the same. Always hesitating. Always pretending you're merciful."
Her ruby eyes slid toward the trembling child in his arms.
"Is this little thing what you chose instead of me?" Jewel's smile curved slowly, cruel and indulgent. "A fragile substitute? How adorable."
Shin's breath hitched.
"Not here to kill Jewel?" she continued, circling him like a predator savoring the moment. "Where is your sword… Achlys, was it? Hehe~"
Shin's vision blurred.
He remembered Jewel kneeling in blood.
Remembered the relief in her eyes when the blade pierced her chest. Remembered holding her body as it shattered, her wish fulfilled by death itself.
"Don't let her get inside your head," Tristan warned sharply. "She's only repeating what she's seen from those fragments. Naturally, she'll try to stop us from changing anything here. The real one is outside. If Yeri dies, this entire space will collapse along with her."
"Go on, Hexi~" The figure leapt lightly, evading Tristan's golden thread, her silver hair arcing like liquid moonlight. "Come at me. Jewel is used to your fair punishments anyway."
Shin parted his lips but no sound came out.
"This is enough," Tristan said coldly.
The golden threads tightened, snapping taut across the mirror world like execution wires. Several Jewel-fragments shattered instantly, bursting into blinding light.
The figure's smile twisted, delighted and enraged all at once.
Just as the golden threads descended like meteors, dark mist surged upward, shielding her like a black umbrella.
Tristan stared at Shin, uncertainty flickering across his face.
Was he truly going to make this harder for himself?
Shin could have ignored every word the figure spoke but he allowed it. Allowed himself to sink into that pitiful, vulnerable state she so eagerly exploited.
"Shin," Tristan said firmly, releasing more threads to stop the remaining fragments from shattering, "go outside. Look at Yeri's condition. You're here because you already know something went wrong."
"Emperor Hexion and Jewel are your past," he continued. "Shin Keir and Yeri Zhi are your present. Don't be too greedy or you'll lose her again."
That thought finally pierced him.
Little Yeri whimpered then, burying her face deeper into Shin's chest.
The figure laughed, tilting her head. "Such ugly words, Paris~ You always hated sentiments."
Shin cast the figure one last look and gently handed little Yeri to Tristan.
"Just sealing the past, right?"
Tristan warily nodded. Before he could say another word, Shin's dark mist resonated from the countless fragments of the past, the demon realm.
With a single flick of Shin's finger, the intertwined world of Yeri's past and present life split apart, like the front and back of a mirror.
Without another glance, Shin turned and left the space despite the storm tearing through his soul.
The figure's smile faltered. She sensed it, the loss of her target. Her expression twisted into something far more menacing.
Tristan smiled triumphantly. "Oops. That was fast. I think it's time for our Empress Jewel to sleep."
The mirror shook. Cracks reversed across the massive shattered reflection.
Suddenly, a demon with white hair tied in a ponytail appeared. His cloak glinted with gold, strange emblems etched into his armor as he hurled a sword toward Tristan.
Tristan barely dodged, wrapping little Yeri protectively in countless golden threads.
Never had he imagined he would face his true self, the demon general, Paris Helle.
More figures emerged. Paris Helle from the moment he was born of the demon tree. Paris Helle at every stage of his life, and even Tristan Felan as a child.
"So many people!" little Yeri exclaimed.
A cold chill crept through Tristan's spine.
Jewel had only ever met him in the capital of Avernus. It made no sense that she could produce these different versions of him.
This wasn't fragmentary memory.
She had looked directly into him now and extracted portions of his memories in an incredibly short amount of time.
The warmth vanished from Tristan's eyes.
Even as nothing more than a key guardian or a strand of lingering essence, she was still someone he shouldn't underestimate. Had Jewel still been alive, defeating her would have been impossible.
The figure smiled, taunting. "Did you miss your real self, Paris~?"
---
Outside, the moment Shin exited the space, he collapsed to the floor. His body writhed violently as his hands clawed at his chest, as though he were trying to rip his own heart out. Veins bulged along his forehead, neck, and hands.
The metallic stench of blood filled the room.
Blood spilled from his mouth and chest as he slammed his forehead into the floor again and again, oblivious to the pain.
"Ugh—" Shin gritted his teeth, eyes blood red as he struggled to contain the madness clawing its way out.
Seeing Jewel again had once again stirred those memories. It felt as though he had returned to that moment, helplessly watching her die, watching her turn to nothing right before his eyes.
He forced himself toward Yeri's bed, almost crawling.
Spider-web veins spread across her face and limbs, mirrored faintly on Tristan as well.
If he had insisted on leaving her memories untouched, she would have died and he would have lost her again. Just as Tristan had warned.
Shin gathered her into his arms, whispering apology after apology.
The wounds he inflicted upon himself healed naturally, his power repairing what his mind could not.
---
Inside the sealed space, the figure of Jewel gradually faded along with the many versions of Tristan.
Golden threads framed the back of the mirror, sealing it completely.
The figure smiled venomously, then vanished.
"Finally…" Tristan muttered.
"What a big mirror!" little Yeri exclaimed, eyes sparkling. "Look! I can see myself!"
Tristan smiled and knelt to meet her gaze. "Eri, I don't have much time. From now on, it's your responsibility to look after this mirror."
Little Yeri tilted her head thoughtfully. "What about ice kem?"
"Think about it," Tristan said. "And it'll appear."
She immediately closed her eyes and instantly, countless ice creams floated around her.
"Woooow!!!" Her joy was boundless.
Tristan watched her run around before leaving the space.
Of course, that space belonged to Yeri. Anything she thought of would manifest there.
As for why he chose that version of Yeri as the key, the reason was simple: a child is untainted and innocent.
The only one who could protect Yeri from her own self was the complete opposite of Jewel.
Even if Yeri tried to recall the past, little Yeri's desires and interests as a child were uncomplicated. They didn't align with those of her adult self. She wouldn't be tempted to remove the seal behind the mirror.
---
Tristan opened his eyes, nausea hitting him as he pressed a hand to his temple.
"How many decades have passed?" he muttered. "Shin, at least restore my strength. I feel extremely exhausted."
When his vision finally cleared, for a moment he thought he was standing in a dune.
"Shin? Shin?" Tristan called out. "Can you withdraw your dark mist? I can't see a thing."
The dark mist shifted, coiling inward until it revolved only around Shin, who lay beside Yeri.
"How is she?" Shin asked.
Tristan sighed. "Done. At least you won't have to worry about her suffering backlash from using her ability anymore."
Shin stood up, calm and composed once more, returning to his usual self. He lit a cigarette and stared out through the floor-to-ceiling window.
Some of the dark mist seeped into Tristan's skin, and gradually, the black spider-vein patterns faded away.
Tristan didn't linger. He knew this wasn't a good time to talk with Shin.
"I'll stay in one of the guest rooms tonight and leave tomorrow," he said before closing the door.
---
"Not the hospital?"
Yeri stared at the ceiling for a long time before her eyes began to wander. Only then did she realize she was back in her room in the penthouse.
She remembered running a fever. She remembered fainting at school. She remembered something bothering her, something terrifying.
But what was it? Why couldn't she recall it?
Yeri tossed and turned. It felt as though she had forgotten something important… or rather, lost it.
As she bit her finger, her gaze finally fell on her hands. Her eyes widened in confusion and shock.
Traces of black spider veins, some faint, some clearly visible, like tattoos.
Yeri "…"
Was it a side effect of the medicine? The weather? An allergy?
"Awake?"
Shin walked over. Normally, he would already be at work, but today he was dressed simply in a black shirt and blue cotton pants.
Yeri felt a tug in her heart, an inexplicable fear and vigilance, but her mind couldn't make sense of it.
She remained stunned even when Shin pulled her into a tight hug. The only thought that crossed her mind was that he smelled really good.
"How are you feeling?" Shin asked softly, cupping her face. "Are you hurting anywhere?"
Yeri stared back at him. Suddenly, she remembered going to his room past midnight and nearly scaring herself to death when he woke up.
Was that the reason she felt afraid?
But why would she go to his room at that hour? She wasn't a pervert.
"Oh, Yeri is awake."
Tristan's voice came from the doorway, where he leaned casually.
Yeri stared at him, stared for a long time, her expression unreadable.
"What's wrong?" Shin nudged her gently.
She continued to stare at Tristan as if seeing him for the first time.
Just as both men began to worry that something had gone wrong, she suddenly blurted out, "You promised to marry me."
Tristan smiled and pointed at Shin. "Yes, Shin did."
Yeri shook her head, frowning. "I remember… Brother Tristan, you're that big brother from the amusement park. You said you'd marry me once I grew up."
Tristan "…"
Shin remembered that moment vividly, he had even dreamed of it. "Why did you suddenly recall that time?"
Yeri turned back to Shin. "And you're that stingy boy who didn't want to buy me ice cream."
Tristan burst out laughing. It seemed that making little Yeri the new key had caused her memories of the amusement park to surface clearly like it was just yesterday.