His gaze was like that of a man staring at his beloved with deep affection.
"Can I come in first? It's not good to talk only in the doorway like this."
Tsana was startled for the second time, snapping out of her daze.
She moved aside, inviting Cayn to enter.
Cayn happily stepped into the simple wooden cottage, then sat down on a simple sofa also made of wood, cushioned with soft pillows.
Tsana closed the door with a slow motion. She wondered why her demeanor suddenly became unusual every time she met Cayn. She often daydreamed and thought strange things.
What was wrong with her?
Could Cayn be using mind-control magic on Tsana?
No, that wasn't possible. Tsana hadn't felt any magical energy being released from Cayn since the beginning.
Then, what was truly wrong with her?
For hundreds of years, she had never felt like this when dealing with others, even with the supreme rulers of kingdoms. But in the presence of this man, Tsana felt like a different person.
Tsana sat down opposite Cayn, with a table separating them. She noticed that Cayn was still staring at her neck.
Unconsciously, Tsana touched her own neck, ensuring her robe was still tightly fastened, and indeed, it was perfectly in place.
When she looked at Cayn, the man's gaze had shifted to her face.
A bead of sweat appeared on Tsana's cheek.
'What is this? Why am I getting nervous?'
Outside, the sky was starting to darken, its blue color slowly being replaced by black.
This was truly a new feeling for Tsana after hundreds of years. She didn't know why, but this feeling was familiar.
'Did I also have a feeling like this in the past?'
Tsana broke the silence. "Initially, I gave you that mana pill so I could talk to you about the Light Dragon. But now that the Dragon has appeared itself, the direction of my conversation with you will be completely different."
Cayn nodded. "I understand. My arrival here is to convey a message to you. The news about the Light Dragon being inside the Nightmare Forest has spread quickly, and all the kingdoms are sending their strongest envoys to hunt the Dragon. There are at least 50 kingdoms sending their greatest monster hunting groups here."
Tsana replied. "Even if they come, I can't allow them to enter. The situation in this forest is already chaotic because of the changed structure after the Dragon's arrival. They would only waste their lives if they insisted on entering."
Cayn smiled. "Yes, of course. If the Guardian of the Nightmare Forest herself does not permit it, then the entire continent can do nothing."
Tsana's brow twitched. She couldn't tell if Cayn was praising her or mocking her? And why did she feel unhappy about it?
"But..."
Tsana looked at Cayn, waiting for the man's next sentence.
"When those 50 hunting group envoys come here and are unable to enter the forest, returning in vain, it will provoke anger from many kingdoms, and the Zivilia Kingdom will be antagonized. The only person who will become their target of fury is the Guardian of the Nightmare Forest, who didn't allow them to enter, and then the Guardian of the Nightmare Forest will have a lot of enemies."
"I don't care even if my enemies number a billion, they are merely ants in my eyes."
Cayn seemed not to hear Tsana's dismissive reply. "The worst possible scenario is that they will attempt to destroy the Nightmare Forest's barrier, and if that barrier is shattered, a great catastrophe is unavoidable."
Tsana narrowed her eyes. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Cayn smiled. "As its friend, the Dragon asked me to convey a request to you. If you wish to meet the Dragon, then you must open the entrance to the Nightmare Forest wide. Let those people enter, no matter how many there are."
Tsana stood up quickly. "What do you mean?"
Cayn's expression turned serious. "This forest is no longer the same forest. This place has become a battlefield, and a vastly different world. There are time dimension rifts created at several points, which connect directly to your past. The Dragon said the cure for your curse is the ties to your own past, Singing Witch. You must release those knotted ties one by one if you want the curse to disappear."
Tsana's throat tightened. "I suspected it since we first met at the bar that you are no ordinary person. The Dragon is your friend, huh?"
Tsana took a step back.
Suddenly, she felt her stomach churn. A sharp, stinging heat spread around the mark of her curse.
Sweat began to trickle down her forehead, yet she still struggled to stand straight.
On the outside, she looked calm, but inwardly, she felt her body being torn apart.
Tsana's throat hitched. "Sir- Cayn- is there anything else you wish to convey?"
Cayn looked at Tsana with a serious gaze. "Are you alright?"
'Damn it, it's hard to speak.' Tsana groaned inwardly.
The effect of her curse was starting to be felt. It made sense since the sky outside was already dark.
It was always the case, the effect of her curse always activated every night, and now Cayn was here. She had to ask Cayn to leave immediately.
Tsana looked down at her own palm. Black tendrils extended from her wrist towards her palm. Whenever the effect of her curse activated, the tendrils emerged from the mark on her stomach, spreading throughout her body. She could not let anyone see this curse.
Even if it was the Dragon's friend.
She was the Singing Witch, the Guardian of the Nightmare Forest. If anyone saw her weakness now, she could no longer remain the Guardian. The Guardian of the Nightmare Forest was strong, not weak.
Tsana turned her back to Cayn. The black tendrils had already reached her chin, and were close to her face.
Every time her curse activated, she would go into a Dungeon to hide. It wouldn't matter if Zephyr was here. But with Cayn present now, Tsana wasn't sure how long she could withstand it.
Her legs began to give out. She tried to support her body against the back of the sofa, but her hands kept slipping, causing her body to sway repeatedly. She was panting heavily, and her vision was completely blurred. Her body felt like it was on fire, as if stabbed by hundreds of glass shards, and her head kept buzzing as if it would explode.
'It hurts! It hurts so much! Help me!'
Tsana thought she heard footsteps behind her. It was probably Cayn, deciding to leave because Tsana ignored him.
Good. Leave as quickly as possible.
But suddenly, Tsana felt someone grab her wrist, turning her back around.
In front of her, Cayn stood tall.
This man was much taller than the adult version of Zephyr, forcing Tsana to genuinely look up to see him.
Tsana couldn't see his face clearly because of her blurred vision. She also hadn't lit a candle for illumination, so she had no idea what Cayn's expression was now.
Tsana was gasping for breath, her eyes watery, and her hand that wasn't held by Cayn gripped her own body, as if trying to suppress the pain.
Cayn pulled the robe away from Tsana's neck, revealing pale skin that was already consumed by the black tendrils writhing like living things.
Cayn's free hand slowly slipped beneath Tsana's clothes in the stomach area, finally touching the curse mark.
Cayn pressed down on the curse mark. A golden light glowed and warm magical energy flowed from his palm. Slowly, the black tendrils began to recede. Tsana felt warmth in her stomach area, and the pain gradually subsided.
After hundreds of years, night after night, enduring the suffering of her curse to the point of desiring death itself, for the first time, Tsana felt relief. Her body was weak, her balance shaky, and she almost fell into Cayn's chest, but she managed to hold herself back.
However, Cayn's grip on her wrist tightened.
Tsana felt something strange.
When she realized what Cayn was actually about to do, Tsana's eyes slowly widened. "What are you doing?!"
Tsana tried to push Cayn away, but the man's body seemed unmoving. "Let go! Don't do that! Are you insane?!"