After preparing everything they needed, Hannah and her mother departed alone using spatial travel.
They left not only the Kingdom of Sylvaris—
but the entire continent of Verdantia.
Their destination was beyond the continent of Mytherra.
[ Now, I'm not entirely sure if I've ever mentioned the name of this continent before.
I feel like I may have mentioned it somewhere in the past, but I've completely forgotten where or what I called it.
So, for now—
we'll go with **Mytherra**.
If I did mention the continent before and gave it a different name, then I'll correct it once I remember.
For the time being, however—
Mytherra is the name of the continent. ]
For Hannah, this was the first time she had ever traveled so far from home.
Everything she saw was unfamiliar.
The landscapes.
The cities.
The people.
The world beyond the kingdom was far larger than she had ever imagined.
And as the days passed, she continued to see things she had never encountered before.
Eventually, they began traveling by a summoned creature.
For two days and one night—
they flew over a vast sea of trees.
Endless forests stretched across the land below them, so enormous that Hannah couldn't see where they ended.
She quietly watched from above.
She had never seen anything like it.
Eventually—
they arrived at a castle standing in the middle of nowhere.
Hannah followed her mother inside.
The moment she entered—
she noticed something strange.
There were vampires everywhere.
Several of them turned their gazes toward Hannah and Olivia.
Their eyes lingered on them.
Elves.
Hannah became slightly puzzled.
*Vampires...*
She had only ever read about demons and other creatures in books.
And as an elf—
one affiliated with life, growth, and nature—
she had been taught that elves despised demons, creatures considered to be the polar opposite of everything they represented.
Yet her mother was willingly entering a place filled with them.
Hannah didn't understand why.
She remained close to her mother as they continued through the castle.
Not long after—
a maid approached them.
"Please follow me."
Olivia nodded.
Hannah followed behind her mother as they were led deeper into the castle.
Eventually, they arrived at a large room.
Hannah expected to meet a vampire.
After all—
the entire castle appeared to belong to them.
But when they entered—
Hannah's eyes widened slightly.
The person waiting for them wasn't a vampire.
She was a Night Elf.
And she stood among the vampires as though she belonged there.
Hannah stared at her.
*An elf?*
She had never seen a place like this before.
Her mother had called this person her friend.
But Hannah couldn't understand how an elf could live among vampires.
Then Olivia stepped forward.
"Hannah."
Hannah looked toward her mother.
"I want you to meet someone."
She gestured toward the woman standing before them.
"This is Elliana."
Hannah continued staring at her.
Elliana's expression immediately brightened.
"Olivia!"
She walked over and embraced her friend.
"It's been so long!"
"I can't believe you're finally here."
"It's so nice to see you again."
Olivia smiled and returned the embrace.
"Likewise. It's nice to see you too, Elliana."
Elliana pulled away and looked at Olivia.
Then—
her eyes shifted toward Hannah.
"Oh?"
She looked at the young girl standing beside Olivia.
"And who is this?"
Olivia paused.
Then she smiled.
"She's my daughter."
Elliana's eyes widened.
"Your daughter?"
"You have a daughter?"
She looked at Olivia in disbelief.
"You never told me!"
"I thought we were supposed to be friends."
Olivia laughed awkwardly.
"I'm sorry."
"I suppose I never found the right opportunity to tell you."
Elliana crossed her arms.
"You should have told me."
Then—
she turned toward Hannah.
Hannah simply stared back at her.
Elliana smiled.
"So..."
"Your name is Hannah?"
Hannah nodded slightly.
"It's nice to meet you."
Elliana tilted her head.
"I'm friends with your mommy?"
She glanced toward Olivia.
"Actually..."
She paused.
"Forget that."
"You're not just my friend's daughter."
She smiled brightly.
"You're the daughter of my best friend."
"And that means..."
"You're my friend too."
Hannah continued staring at her.
She didn't know how to respond.
She wasn't used to people speaking to her like this.
Elliana didn't seem bothered by her silence.
Instead, she smiled.
"And I'll introduce you to someone else."
"Someone who would probably like to be your friend too."
She glanced toward the doorway.
"He can be a little..."
She paused, thinking.
"How should I put this?"
"Blunt."
"He does whatever he wants."
"But he's a good kid."
Elliana smiled.
"Just wait here."
"I'll go get him."
"You'll see what I mean."
"And he doesn't even try to hide it."
She laughed softly.
"So I hope the two of you get along."
With that—
Elliana left.
Hannah watched her disappear into the crowd of guests.
She didn't know what was happening.
She simply stood there quietly.
A few moments later—
Elliana returned.
But this time—
someone was walking beside her.
A young boy.
He had white hair.
Ebony skin.
And a pair of crimson eyes.
Hannah stared at him.
The boy looked toward her.
Elliana smiled.
"There he is."
She placed a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Hannah, I'd like you to meet someone."
She looked toward the boy.
"And this is Draven."
Draven looked at Hannah.
Hannah looked back at him.
For several moments—
neither of them spoke.
Hannah's first thought was simple.
*A child.*
Since the day she had been born—
this was the first time Hannah had ever been introduced to another child.
The first time she had ever been allowed to interact with someone her own age.
She didn't know what she was supposed to say.
She didn't even know how she was supposed to act.
But Draven didn't seem to care.
He simply looked at her.
Olivia approached Hannah and placed a hand on her head.
"Why don't you play with Draven for a while?"
"I'll catch up with your aunt, okay?"
Hannah simply nodded her head without uttering a single word.
Draven smiled.
Then—
he extended his hand.
In it was a bow.
He was still wearing the black glove Ivan had given him.
"Hey."
"You know how to use a bow, right?"
Hannah nodded.
Draven smiled again.
"So, can you teach me how to use it?"
Hannah nodded again.
Draven smiled.
Then he grabbed her hand.
"Come with me."
"Let's go somewhere else."
Holding Hannah's hand, Draven pulled her through the crowd of guests.
Hannah looked down at their joined hands.
Her face remained blank.
She wasn't used to this.
She wasn't used to someone simply grabbing her hand and leading her somewhere.
But she followed him anyway.
The scene changed.
Soon—
they stood outside in a garden filled with trees.
Far away from the party.
Draven looked toward Hannah.
Then he held out the bow.
Hannah looked at his outstretched hand.
"Here."
Draven offered the bow to her.
Hannah shook her head.
She refused to take it.
Draven tilted his head.
"You don't want it?"
"Why?"
"I thought we agreed you were going to teach me how to use a bow."
Hannah nodded.
Then—
she extended her hand.
A wood-like bracelet adorned her wrist.
But she didn't take the bow from Draven's hand.
Instead—
magical energy began gathering around her hand.
The bracelet shimmered.
Then—
it stretched.
The wooden material transformed seamlessly.
Within moments—
the bracelet had become a bow.
Draven's eyes widened.
Then he smiled.
"You have one too."
"That's why you didn't want it."
Hannah nodded.
She held her bow and stood in a shooting stance.
Draven watched carefully.
Hannah pulled the bowstring.
A green arrow made of mana materialized.
She released it.
**WHOOSH!**
The arrow tore through the air.
It struck a tree in the distance—
and pierced straight through it.
But it didn't stop there.
It continued forward.
**THUD!**
Another tree was pierced.
Then another.
The arrow continued through multiple trees before finally disappearing.
Draven's crimson eyes gleamed.
He looked impressed.
Hannah, still expressionless, looked toward him.
Draven raised his own bow.
He assumed a shooting stance.
He drew the bowstring.
An arrow made of mana appeared.
Just as he was about to fire—
Hannah placed a hand on his shoulder.
Draven stopped.
He turned his head toward her.
Hannah shook her head.
"What?"
"Am I not doing it right?"
Hannah nodded.
Draven blinked.
"Oh."
Hannah walked in front of him.
Then—
she assumed a shooting stance.
Draven watched her carefully.
"I'm supposed to do it like this?"
He mimicked her stance.
"Like this, right?"
Hannah nodded.
Draven adjusted his position.
He drew the bowstring.
A mana arrow appeared.
He released it.
**WHOOSH!**
The arrow tore through the air.
It struck the same tree Hannah had targeted.
**THUD!**
The arrow pierced the tree.
But unlike Hannah's arrow—
it didn't continue through the trees behind it.
Instead, the arrow slowly dissipated.
Draven watched it disappear.
Then he looked toward Hannah.
"It looks like I have to keep practicing."
Hannah nodded.
Draven smiled.
He drew his bow again.
Another mana arrow appeared.
He fired.
Then another.
And another.
He continued practicing.
Over and over again.
Hannah remained beside him.
Quietly watching.
Correcting his stance whenever he made a mistake.
And for the first time in her life—
she was spending time with someone her own age.
Eventually—
the time came for Hannah and Olivia to leave.
Hannah stood near the entrance with her mother.
Draven stood nearby.
He looked toward Hannah.
"I hope I can see you again."
Hannah stared at him.
Something stirred inside her.
She didn't understand what it was.
But hearing those words—
she felt something she had never felt before.
Hannah smiled slightly.
"Bye."
She paused.
"I'm going to make sure to visit again."
Olivia looked at her daughter in surprise.
Hannah had never spoken like that before.
Then—
Olivia smiled.
She and Hannah turned away from the castle.
As they began walking—
Olivia glanced toward her daughter.
"It seems the two of you got along."
Hannah blinked.
"Huh?"
Olivia smiled.
"What do you think about him?"
Hannah thought about the question.
She remembered everything that had happened.
Then—
she answered honestly.
"He's annoying."
Olivia raised an eyebrow.
"Annoying?"
"He kept calling me a kid even though I'm older than him."
"I told him to stop."
"But he didn't."
Hannah frowned slightly.
"He acts like he's older than me."
Olivia smiled.
"And what did you do?"
Hannah answered without hesitation.
"So I shot him with my bow."
Olivia stopped.
"You shot him?"
Hannah nodded.
"Yes."
She continued walking as though nothing unusual had happened.
"And he asked me to teach him how to use a bow."
Olivia blinked.
"Is that so?"
Hannah nodded.
"Yes."
Olivia smiled.
"So you like him?"
Hannah paused.
"Hmm..."
She thought about the question.
Then—
she answered.
"I don't dislike him."
Olivia smiled.
"I see."
"So you don't dislike him."
"Good."
There was a brief silence.
Hannah continued walking beside her mother.
Olivia looked at her daughter with a gentle smile.
"It's just..."
She paused.
"This is the first time I've seen you act like this."
Hannah looked toward her.
Olivia smiled.
"And I'm happy to see it."
Hannah said nothing.
She simply stared ahead.
But somewhere inside her—
the memory of the white-haired boy with crimson eyes remained.