I woke to the scent of wood and dried grass.
For a few moments I simply lay there, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling above me. Wooden beams crossed overhead, darkened by years of smoke, and thin lines of morning light slipped through the narrow window near the roof.
It took a moment for the memories to return.
…Right.
I was still here.
Still in this world.
And currently lying inside a stranger's house.
The room was quiet, filled only with the faint crackling of a fire somewhere deeper in the house. The smell of herbs lingered faintly in the air, mixed with the scent of clean cloth and medicine.
As I tried to sit up, pain flared sharply through my stomach.
"…Ah."
My hand instinctively pressed against my abdomen. Thick bandages had been wrapped tightly around my waist beneath the loose shirt someone had dressed me in. Even through the cloth I could feel the dull throbbing of the wound Velmorth had left behind when her claws pierced straight through my body.
The pain wasn't unbearable anymore, but it was deep enough that every movement reminded me just how close I had come to dying.
My other hand rested beside me on the bed. When I lifted it slightly, I noticed the thick bandage wrapped around my palm.
Velmorth's claw had gone straight through it when she pinned my hand to the street.
I flexed my fingers slowly.
A sharp sting answered the movement.
At least the bones still worked.
"Awake?"
Johan's voice came from outside the room.
"Yes," I replied quietly.
The door slid open a moment later.
Johan stepped inside carrying a wooden bowl filled with steaming soup. The rising steam curled softly through the morning light, bringing with it the warm scent of vegetables and broth.
But while the soup looked welcoming, Johan himself looked anything but relaxed.
His eyes were sharp.
Watchful.
Even after everything that had happened yesterday, he still studied me carefully as if weighing whether I was a threat.
He placed the bowl beside the bed before straightening again.
Only then did I notice something about the way he moved.
His posture was steady, but his steps were slow and deliberate. One hand remained pressed subtly against his lower abdomen beneath his coat.
The fabric there was slightly darker than the rest.
Blood had seeped through the bandages beneath his clothes.
Velmorth's attack from yesterday.
The one that had driven her claw straight through his body.
Even now the wound clearly hadn't healed completely.
Yet Johan stood there as if it barely mattered.
Behind him, someone else peeked cautiously through the doorway.
A small girl stood behind him.
Dark brown hair tied into two short twin tails bounced slightly as she leaned around the doorframe. A tiny flower ornament clipped to the side of her hair caught the morning light, its pale petals trembling every time she moved.
Her ears were slender and pointed, the elegant shape unmistakably elven, peeking out from between the strands of her hair.
She held the edge of the door with both hands, her small fingers gripping the wood tightly as if it were the only thing keeping her from running away.
Her eyes were large and soft blue, clear like a quiet lake—but right now they were filled with cautious curiosity as they studied me from head to toe.
Every time our eyes met, she quickly looked away again.
Then, a moment later, she peeked back.
For a moment we simply stared at each other.
The silence quickly turned awkward.
"…Father," she whispered timidly.
"Is he… the one who is being chased by a Nightbound Beast?"
"Yes," Johan answered flatly.
"But don't get too close yet."
His gaze never left me.
"I haven't fully trusted him."
The girl hesitated before stepping a little further into view. She looked nervous, but she gathered enough courage to speak.
"…R-Rosa," she murmured softly.
"…Rosa Ravencroft."
"H-Hi, Rosa," I said.
Her reaction was immediate.
Her entire face turned bright red.
Before I could say anything else, she spun around and ran down the hallway, her small footsteps echoing quickly through the house.
"…Did I say something wrong?" I muttered.
"No," Johan replied shortly.
"She's just shy."
I carefully pushed myself into a sitting position, leaning against the wooden wall behind the bed. The movement pulled painfully at the wound in my stomach, but it was manageable.
"You should stay lying down," Johan said calmly.
"You were lucky."
I glanced at him.
"Lucky?"
"Your organs were barely missed."
He crossed his arms as he spoke.
"If her claws had gone a little deeper, you would have died before we even reached this house."
"…That's comforting."
Johan ignored the sarcasm.
"Your hand was worse," he continued, nodding toward my bandaged palm. "The claw went straight through it."
I flexed my fingers again.
Pain shot through my palm.
"…Yeah," I said quietly. "I noticed."
I picked up the bowl of soup.
The warmth of the wooden bowl seeped into my fingers as I held it. Steam drifted upward as I raised it carefully to my lips.
The taste was simple.
Vegetables.
Salt.
A little dried meat.
Nothing fancy.
But after everything that had happened…
It tasted incredible.
The warmth spread slowly through my body as I swallowed.
It was warm.
Not just on my tongue—
but somewhere deeper in my chest.
For the first time since arriving in this world, I wasn't running.
I wasn't bleeding in the streets.
And I wasn't being hunted by monsters.
I was simply sitting in a quiet room, eating soup.
Johan watched me the entire time.
His expression never softened.
Even now.
Even after saving my life.
Finally, he spoke again.
"…Tell me something."
I looked up.
"How did you survive Velmorth?"
The question hung quietly in the air between us.
Johan's eyes were sharp as he studied my face.
Careful.
Observant.
Because one thing was clear.
Even after saving me…
He still wasn't certain whether I was simply a victim.
Or something far more dangerous.
—
I told Johan everything—from the moment I arrived in Velmora, to meeting Velmorth in the inn, and finally to escaping the basement and running into him again at the basement entrance.
For a moment, the room fell silent.
Johan remained standing near the window, his gaze lowered slightly as if he were replaying everything I had just told him.
"…Velmorth seemed weaker," he said at last.
His voice was calm, but thoughtful.
"Far weaker than I remember."
He slowly lifted his eyes toward me.
"Fifty years in the capital prison changes a person."
I frowned slightly.
"…Fifty years?"
The number sounded unreal.
Even in the condition I saw her, Velmorth had nearly killed both of us. If that had been a weakened version of her power, I couldn't imagine what she had once been capable of.
The question slipped out before I could stop it.
"What exactly did Velmorth do to end up imprisoned in the capital?"
Johan didn't answer immediately.
For a moment he simply stared at the floor.
Then he spoke.
"She turned forty percent of Aurelion's population into monsters."
My mind went blank.
"…What?"
A chill ran slowly down my spine.
The things I had seen in the underground laboratory suddenly felt far heavier in my memory.
"…So what I saw in that basement," I murmured slowly, "…was only a small part of her power."
Johan nodded once.
"Yes."
He turned slightly toward the window. Outside, the morning light had grown brighter, spilling across the wooden floor.
"But that was fifty years ago."
His voice lowered.
"And even now… I cannot forget that day."
There was no anger in his voice.
Only something colder.
"That was the moment Aurelion stood at the edge of destruction," he continued quietly.
"Cities burned. Entire villages disappeared overnight. No one knew who would vanish next."
The room fell quiet again.
Somewhere deeper in the house, I could hear Rosa moving around, her small footsteps crossing the wooden floor.
But neither of us spoke.
Johan's eyes remained distant.
"Many tragedies happened during that time," he said slowly.
He paused before looking back at me.
"One of them was Velmorth's tragedy."
"…and all of it was done by the Seven Deadly Sins."
"The Seven Deadly Sins?" I repeated slowly.
The name felt heavy in my mouth.
Johan nodded once, as if he had expected the question.
"…Who are they?" I asked.
For a moment, Johan remained silent. His eyes drifted toward the window again, watching the quiet morning outside as if the answer lay somewhere far beyond the fields.
"They are a group of rebels," he finally said.
"A rebellion that rose against the government of Aurelion."
He crossed his arms as he continued.
"The group is led by individuals known collectively as the Seven Deadly Sins."
I frowned slightly.
"So… Velmorth was one of them?"
Johan nodded.
"Yes."
His voice grew colder.
"Velmorth carried the title of Greed."
The word lingered in the air for a moment.
Greed.
For some reason, the title suited her disturbingly well.
I leaned back slightly against the wall behind me, trying to process everything.
"…Are they still around?" I asked.
Johan's answer came without hesitation.
"Yes."
My stomach tightened.
"They're still alive?"
"Yes."
His gaze hardened slightly.
"And they could attack this country again at any time."
The room suddenly felt colder.
If someone like Velmorth was only one member of that group…
Then what were the others like?
Johan looked at me and said quietly,
"Just pray they don't attack again anytime soon."
My brows furrowed.
"…But what about Velmorth?" I asked.
Johan didn't hesitate.
"Pray," he repeated calmly.
Silence filled the room again.
I realized something terrifying.
Velmorth wasn't the end of the nightmare.
She had only been a fragment of it.
And somewhere beyond the borders of Aurelion…
Six more monsters were still out there.
Waiting.
The heavy atmosphere in the room lingered between us.
Before I could say anything else, a loud roar suddenly echoed from outside the house.
"ROOOOAR!"
Both Johan and I froze.
For a brief moment we simply looked at each other.
"…Shadow?" I said.
The sound came again, this time mixed with laughter.
Johan turned toward the door immediately.
"Come."
We stepped outside the house.
The bright morning sunlight greeted us, along with a scene that made me stop in confusion.
Shadow stood in the middle of the yard.
And on his back—
"…Rosa?" I blinked.
The small girl sat proudly on top of the Nightbound Beast as if she were riding a horse.
Her twin tails bounced happily as she held onto Shadow's thick fur.
"Faster!" Rosa laughed.
"Shadow, go faster!"
Shadow looked absolutely miserable.
The massive beast shifted awkwardly from side to side, clearly trying to shake her off without hurting her.
It lowered its body, twisted slightly, even attempted to slide sideways.
But Rosa simply giggled.
To her, it was clearly a game.
"Shadow…" I muttered.
The Nightbound Beast glanced at me with wide red eyes.
If I didn't know better, I would swear the creature looked like it was asking for help.
Johan sighed.
He walked forward calmly.
"Rosa."
The girl ignored him.
"Rosa."
Still nothing.
Finally Johan reached up and lifted her off Shadow's back in one smooth motion.
"Hey!" Rosa protested immediately.
"I wasn't done!"
Her small arms waved in protest as Johan held her effortlessly.
"I want to ride Shadow!"
"No," Johan said flatly.
Rosa puffed her cheeks.
"I don't want to get down!"
Shadow, meanwhile, wasted no time.
The moment Rosa left his back, the Nightbound Beast immediately trotted behind me and stopped there.
He pressed his body close as if hiding.
I blinked.
"…Are you serious?"
The massive predator that had fought monsters underground was now hiding behind me like a frightened dog.
Rosa pointed accusingly.
"Shadow!"
Shadow looked away.
Johan sighed again.
Then his voice softened slightly.
"Rosa."
The girl crossed her arms stubbornly.
"I'm angry."
Johan paused for a moment.
Then he said quietly,
"Come with me to the fields."
Rosa blinked.
"The farm?"
"Yes."
Johan looked down at her.
"You wanted to write a letter today."
"To your mother."
The change was immediate.
Rosa stopped pouting.
Her eyes brightened.
"…To Mama?"
Johan nodded.
"You wanted to write to Violet, didn't you?"
For a moment Rosa looked thoughtful.
Then she nodded quickly.
"Yes!"
"Alright then."
Johan placed her gently back on the ground.
"Let's go to the farm."
Rosa grabbed his hand without hesitation.
Before leaving, Johan glanced back at me.
"You're coming."
It wasn't a question.
I hesitated.
The truth was, I had nowhere else to go.
No home.
No plan.
And no idea what I was supposed to do next.
"…Sure," I said finally.
"I'll come."
Shadow stepped out from behind me immediately, as if relieved the dangerous child was leaving first.
Together, we began walking toward the fields beyond the house.
For the first time since arriving in this world…
Things almost felt peaceful.
---
The farmland stretched wide under the morning sun.
Healthy crops swayed gently in the breeze. Water flowed calmly through narrow irrigation channels. Chickens clucked near their coop.
This place had clearly been tended for years.
"Ever farmed before?" Johan asked.
"No," I admitted. "But… I want to learn."
He chuckled softly.
"Good."
That morning, I worked.
Pulling weeds.
Watering crops.
Planting seeds.
Feeding chickens.
My muscles ached quickly. My hands grew dirty. Dust clung to my clothes.
But I didn't mind.
At the edge of the field stood a large tree whose branches spread wide enough to cast a cool shadow over the grass.
Beneath it—
Shadow was asleep.
The massive Nightbound Beast lay curled beneath the roots, his dark fur rising and falling with slow breaths. Sunlight filtered through the leaves above, scattering soft patches of light across his body.
One ear twitched occasionally.
A low rumbling snore escaped his throat.
Despite his terrifying appearance, he looked almost… peaceful.
From time to time, I glanced toward the small house at the edge of the field.
Rosa peeked from the window.
The moment our eyes met—
She vanished.
A strange warmth settled in my chest.
Alongside it—
Fear.
An irrational one.
Fear that if I cared too much…
It would disappear.
Because somewhere deep inside, a voice whispered:
Things like this never last.
---
When evening came, Johan patted my shoulder.
"That's enough."
Back inside, he went straight to wash up.
I sat in the simple living room.
Not much furniture.
But warm.
Quiet.
In the corner, Rosa sat at a small desk, writing.
"Hi, Rosa," I said.
"Hya?!" She jumped and quickly covered her paper, her cheeks flushing red.
"I just wanted to talk," I smiled.
She hesitated… then nodded slightly.
"What are you writing?"
"…A letter. For Mother."
I froze.
"Oh…"
I stepped closer.
"W-Wait!" She raised her hand.
"Huh?"
She covered her nose.
"Big brother… smells…"
I stiffened.
Then sniffed my clothes.
"…Oh."
My face burned.
"S-Sorry…"
She giggled.
But before she fully hid the paper, I caught a glimpse of the words.
"I met a new big brother today, Mother."
My chest tightened.
"…Is that about me?"
Rosa looked down.
"Y-Yes… Big Brother Vein is kind… he helps Father…"
I didn't know what to say.
"Your turn," Johan's voice called from behind.
"Y-Yes!"
I quickly headed to the bath.
The water traced down my shoulders, and somehow, a strange feeling settled in my chest.
As if, little by little, I was becoming part of this place.
Not a stranger who might be thrown out at any moment.
Not someone barely surviving.
Just… someone living.
I let out a slow breath.