Astra strolled through the quiet corridor, lazily cracking open pistachios, the soft crunch of it echoing with each bite. She absently tossed the shells into her palm, brow furrowed as she muttered to herself.
"Seriously… what was that back there? I've never seen Kaen get angry at Shion like that… Just what happened to them suddenly? And that riddle… what even was that? why won't anyone just tell me the answer?" She popped another pistachio into her mouth with an annoyed huff. "Who am I even supposed to ask now?"
"Seriously… what was that back there? Kaen actually yelling at Shion? That's never happened before. And that riddle… why won't anyone just tell me the answer?" She popped another pistachio into her mouth with an annoyed huff. "Who am I even supposed to ask now?"
"Maybe I can help… if you ask me."
Her hand froze mid-toss, the next pistachio caught between her fingers. She turned sharply, scanning behind her. A familiar figure leaned casually against a wooden beam at the end of the corridor, half-shadowed by the soft glow of lanternlight.
Her brows furrowed. She pointed at him, squinting as she tried to piece his name together from her goldfish memory.
The man raised an eyebrow and gave a quiet chuckle, pushing off the beam and strolling toward her with unhurried ease.
"It's Daita," he corrected, amused. "And as for what I'm doing here….I picked this inn to stay a few more days. My work in the city isn't quite finished yet." He glanced around the quiet corridor, the paper lanterns casting a soft amber hue on the walls. "Besides, this place has a certain charm to it. Feels a bit like home… don't you think?"
Astra let out a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry for getting your name wrong. I've got this terrible habit of forgetting things—and people's names and faces are usually the first to go."
Daita grinned. "I'll try not to take it personally."
She smiled, then glanced around the corridor. The soft light casting warmth across over the wooden floor.
"But you're right… this inn really does give off a homey vibe. I've been staying here for a few months now. You'd be surprised how many people say the same thing. it's like the walls remember or something."
"I can see that," Daita said, walking slowly beside her. "It's got that old warmth to it."
They walked a few steps in silence before Astra asked, "So… your friend. Is he staying here too? And did he manage to get treatment?"
Daita nodded. "Yeah, he's staying with me." Then he shook his head, a faint sigh escaping. "But no, he hasn't gotten any treatment yet. Looks like Grandpa Renshou was a bit too busy today….he didn't have any time for us."
"Ohh, I see…" Astra mumbled, popping another pistachio into her mouth. "I've heard Arisu say that a lot. Her grandfather's always swamped with patients, or preparing some remedy. And whenever he's not, he disappears into his old treehouse like some kind of hermit.
Then she looked at him, her tone softening just a little. "But I hope your friend manages to get his treatment soon. I know how hard it is… when your memory's like a goldfish." She offered a small, lopsided smile. "And more than that, he shouldn't get in trouble just because of it, especially not when he has a good heart. And yeah" she added, quickly glancing away, " I'm not saying that just because he came all the way to return my earring or anything."
Daita watched her for a moment, his lips curling into a subtle smile as he listened. Then he quickly masked it, blinking once before glancing away. Then, with a slow, sidelong look at her, he spoke,
"Earlier… I heard you muttering something about a riddle. Sounded like you were looking for an answer."
Astra let out an exasperated groan, tossing another pistachio into her mouth. "Don't even get me started. I've been thinking about it all day. I asked everyone I could but no one gave me a straight answer. Some ignored me, others just claimed they didn't know. But honestly? It felt like they were deliberately avoiding it."
Daita's brows pulled together in a frown. "Avoiding it, huh? That's a strange reaction for a riddle. What kind of question makes people uneasy like that? Can you tell me?"
She gave him a sideways glance, chewing thoughtfully. "Alright. But if I tell you, and you get it right, you have to promise not to dodge the answer like the rest. Deal?"
Daita came to a stop and turned to face her, his expression sincere. Their eyes met in the warm light. After a brief pause, he gave a firm nod. "Deal. I promise."
"Good," Astra said with a nod of her own. She paused for a second, mentally pulling the lines together, then raised a hand slightly as if to recite something.
"It goes like this… um, yeah! here it is…Born not of flesh, yet thirsts like men. Crowned in silence, beneath earth's den. I was sealed before the skies were named, I was sealed when the lotus turned its face. My name is lost, my crown is flame….But still they whisper I'll rise again. Who am I? with no resting place?"
As soon as Daita heard it, something in him shifted. His face gradually lost color, the usual gleam in his eyes dimming like a flame snuffed by a sudden gust. The corners of his smile faltered, then disappeared completely. His fingers, once relaxed, curled tightly into a fist at his side—knuckles turning white.
Astra blinked, caught off guard by the sudden change. "So?" she asked, watching him closely. "What do you think? Did you get it?"
But Daita said nothing. He shut his eyes and took a slow, deliberate breath, like he was forcing himself to stay grounded—like the air around them had grown too thin.
Then he opened his eyes again, locking onto hers with an intensity that hadn't been there before.
"…Do you really want to know the answer to that riddle?"
Astra nodded without hesitation. "Of course I do."
Daita leaned in…too close, his voice dropping to a whisper barely audible over the wind as he spoke into her ear—
The answer is… "The Fallen Petals of Black Lotus"… the sealed supreme of demons.
The words hung in the air like a heavy fog, and as soon as they reached Astra's ears, her entire body froze. Her eyes widened, pupils dilating, while her fingers trembled uncontrollably. A sharp, stabbing pain shot through her throat, making it hard to swallow, to breathe.
Astra's breath caught in her throat as Daita's words reverberated through her mind, their weight sinking deep into her chest. Her heart pounded erratically, each beat feeling like a drum in her skull. She felt like she was being pulled into the very core of that darkness, a place she couldn't understand but instinctively feared.
She stumbled back, her mind going blank, as though the words had stripped the very ground from beneath her. Her vision blurred at the edges, a faint ringing sound flooding her ears a high-pitched, endless tone that drowned out all other sounds. The cold sweat broke out on her forehead, trailing down her face in tiny, icy rivulets.
Her breath came in shallow gasps, faster and faster, as if her lungs were struggling to take in air. Her head felt heavy, her thoughts scattering like leaves in the wind. She gripped her skull, trying to anchor herself, but her legs weakened, almost buckling under her.
Daita's eyes narrowed sharp, as he watched Astra's sudden distress. His instincts kicked in, and before he could think, his hands were reaching out, catching her arms to steady her as she wavered on her feet. . He called her name, his voice filled with urgency.
"Astra! Hold on! What happened?"
But she could barely hear him over the ringing in her ears. A relentless, high-pitched hum that seemed to pierce right through her skull. Her thoughts were fragmented, swirling like a storm she couldn't escape. a whirlwind of confusion and fear. She tried to speak, but her throat constricted, the words lodged somewhere she couldn't reach.
Her vision blurred, and just like that, the world tilted sideways, a deep darkness creeping in from the edges of her sight. She felt herself slipping, the ground beneath her vanishing, and before she could even process what was happening—her body gave out.
Astra collapsed into Daita's arms, her breath shallow and erratic as her consciousness faded into nothingness.
Meanwhile, in the quiet of his room, the prince sat on the edge of his bed, leaning back against the wall, his arm draped over his forehead, eyes shut in exhaustion. The mask he always wore lay on the floor beside him, catching a sliver of moonlight filtering through the window. His breathing was heavy, uneven like each breath took more effort than the last. He was trying to focus, to calm the storm stirring inside him.
But then, without warning, a wave of unease washed over him. A cold sweat broke out across his skin. His breath hitched. Something wasn't right. Suddenly, a sharp, piercing pain lanced through his eyes.
He shot upright, one hand flying to his face, covering his eyes as the pain intensified searing, blinding, like fire behind his eyelids. A low, guttural sound escaped his throat as he staggered forward, disoriented, clutching his head as the pressure grew unbearable. His vision pulsed with dark, flickering shapes behind closed lids, and his temples throbbed with a deep, relentless ache.
As the pain intensified, low, strained screams escaped his lips,each one edged with desperation. He couldn't bear it any longer. His vision swam, his thoughts scattered, and without thinking, he stumbled toward the door, his mind clouded, barely holding onto consciousness.
His steps were shaky, uneven, as if the floor beneath him shifted with every movement. He drew closer to the door, hand outstretched fingers trembling reaching for them. But just as he touched it, he halted mid-step.
Frozen.
His breath caught in his throat. Then, with immense effort, he forced himself to inhale deeply once, twice willing his lungs to steady, to bring some sense of clarity back into the chaos swirling inside him.
Gritting his teeth, he brought his hands together and began forming precise hand signs, each motion slower than usual, as if even his fingers were weighed down by the pain. Then, pressing his palm firmly against his chest, he muttered a quiet incantation under his breath.
A pulse of warmth stirred within him. He was unsealing his spiritual energy.
As the flow was released, it surged through his body like a river breaking free of a dam filling his limbs, threading through his veins, and bringing a flicker of clarity to his mind. His back straightened slightly. His breathing steadied.
He pressed his glowing fingertips to his closed eyes, letting the energy gather there. The faint light danced between his fingers, soft and pale, yet potent.
Within minutes, the pain began to ebb, retreating like a tide. The burning behind his eyes dulled to a throb, then to silence. The pressure in his skull eased, the cold sweat dried from his skin.
He lowered his hands slowly, eyes still closed, and whispered to himself in a voice barely audible.
"…It's awakening again..."