Lylia drifted in a dark void. There was no sound, no wind, no sky—only a silent, endless expanse.
> "Am I finally dead?" Lylia thought. Her own voice echoed back at her.
> "Who was I?"
> "Oh right... I'm Lylia. Just a noble Civilian. I left my family and their name."
> "I really died at only thirty-one, huh... I wasn't even able to fall in love."
She paused. A strange hollowness gnawed at her.
"Why does it feel like I'm forgetting something...? Or is it someone?"
As she floated through the void, a name broke through her thoughts.
"Lumiel," she suddenly blurted.
> "Lumiel? What's Lumiel?"
> "Is that what I've forgotten? Lumiel?"
And then it returned—a flood of memories, warm and bright. Lylia saw Lumiel smiling, heard his voice calling her Mama, and felt again the tiny hands that used to cling to her arm. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I need to protect Lumiel," she whispered.
Suddenly, a voice rang through the dark.
"Wake up~"
It sounded just like her own, but it didn't come from her.
"Did I just say that?" Lylia asked aloud.
"Wake up for Lumiel~"
She opened her eyes. The darkness shattered. In a flash, she found herself back in a crowded city. Everything looked familiar, but distant—like a memory long buried.
"W-What? Where am I? Am I really dead?" she said, sitting on the ground. Her clothes were the same as the day she disappeared.
A stranger walked past—and through her.
"Did they just go through me...?" She brushed off her clothes, then sighed. "I'm really dead... right?"
She started walking, retracing the path back to her old apartment. No one saw her. No one heard her. She passed through crowds, rode the train for free, and eventually arrived home. But when she entered—
"Everything's gone..."
Furniture. Photos. The box. All of it had been removed.
"Lumiel... left."
She stared at the empty walls, and memories poured back: bringing Lumiel home for the first time, his first words, the night he peed in his sleep, his first steps, his first birthday. It was once a warm, shining home. Now, only shadows remained.
Tears welled in her eyes again. "W-Where are you, Lumiel...?"
A wind stirred. Blue particles floated into the room. Three ghostly figures appeared, glowing faintly. Hanz. Freya. And a young, crying Lumiel.
"Are those... Hanz and Freya? And... Lumiel?"
She ran toward them, only to pass through.
They reenacted a scene from the past—when Hanz asked Lumiel to live with them. When it ended, the figures faded.
"So... Hanz took Lumiel in."
Driven by resolve, Lylia walked back into the city. The world had changed—more advanced, more modern. It had clearly been years.
She reached Hanz and Freya's home. Night had fallen. Inside, a little girl watched TV with a lollipop in her mouth.
"Lumiel!" Lylia called out—but stopped.
"Keiya?" she whispered.
Freya's voice rang from the kitchen. "Keiya! Turn off the TV, it's bedtime."
Lylia turned to look. Freya had aged. But she still had that calm, motherly presence.
"Papa and Lumiel will be late," Freya said. "They're getting groceries. I also told your papa to buy you cookies."
"Yay! Thanks, Mama!"
"No problem. Now go to bed."
Lylia sat quietly on the couch, invisible. She waited with Freya, watching the home fill with soft, familiar warmth.
After thirty minutes, the door opened.
"Freya! We're home!" Hanz's voice.
Lylia turned. Her heart skipped. There he was.
Lumiel.
But he looked different—older, quieter. His smile was gone.
"Lumiel..."
Unlike others she'd seen, Lumiel's chest had something strange: cracks. Faint, but growing.
"Hey Lumiel," Freya asked, "what's wrong? You've been quiet since you got home."
"Nothing to worry about, Auntie," Lumiel forced a smile.
The cracks deepened.
"Go rest. You must be tired from school. I'll handle the groceries."
"Okay, Auntie."
Lumiel walked... and passed right through Lylia. She gasped.
Then he stopped.
Tears formed. He remembered. Her warmth. Her embrace.
And for the first time in years—he let go. Tears fell.
Lylia saw it all. The bullying. The loneliness. The bruises he never spoke of. Yet he never broke. He held on. Because of her words.
"Lumiel... my poor little boy..."
Lylia turned. Lumiel trembled in silence.
She reached out.
And this time—her hand didn't pass through. She hugged him.
"I swore I'd protect you, even beyond death. I'm here now. I'll never leave your side again."
Lumiel's eyes widened. He knew that touch. He cried out.
"Mama!!"
Hanz and Freya rushed over, hugging him.
"It's okay, Lumiel," Hanz whispered.
"We miss her too," Freya said.
The cracks in Lumiel's chest faded as Lylia's spirit embraced his soul.
---
In a quiet classroom, Lumiel sat beside Skye. Tears still lingered in their eyes.
"T-That was heartbreaking, ma'am Lylia," Skye sniffled.
"I didn't know you were hurting so much," Skye said. "I'll never betray you, Lumiel!"
He pulled Lumiel into a tight hug.
"Mother... I'm sorry if I ever disappointed you. Thank you... for coming back."
Lylia smiled. "You never disappointed me. You grew strong—alone—just like I told you. But more than that, you became a kind, courageous young man. You're a hero now. How could I ever be disappointed?"
Lumiel clenched his fists. "So Rick was the one who killed you... I won't forgive him."
"Don't chase revenge," Lylia said gently. "Follow your purpose. I'll help you on this journey."
She looked at Skye. "Help him too, won't you?"
Skye nodded quickly. "Of course!"
With Lylia's love behind him, Lumiel found renewed strength.
He now knew his purpose: to protect, to save, to never give up. To drive away the darkness—and defeat the demon king.
"I understand, Mama. I will do what must be done. Because I am your son. Not Affia's. Yours."
Lylia saw the last of the cracks fade.
> "You truly grew up to be such a good man, Lumiel. I'm happy I got to live my life... with you."