"Seraphine!"
Haruki's face was full of happiness, and his wide smile lifted his cheeks high as he saw Seraphine again after the days that had passed since their first meeting.
Seraphine smiled gently, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders like a waterfall of sunlight. Even though she appeared transparent, she still retained a captivating beauty; her face carried a warm expression as she responded to Haruki's greeting.
"Oh, little Haru! How have you been? I see you've found friends… Yamka, and dear Noroi."
Noroi glanced at her from the corner of his eye after his vision had cleared from the glare, shooting her a cold look as he replied sharply.
"I'm not your dear, you old w-"
Haruki moved just in time, placing both hands over Noroi's mouth to stop him from hurling any harsh remarks at Seraphine.
Noroi protested behind Haruki's palms, but Haruki ignored him, smiling warmly at Seraphine as he said.
"Just ignore him, we need your help."
Seraphine laughed at Haruki's quick thinking and playful behavior, while Noroi grabbed Haruki's wrists, pushing those filthy hands away from his mouth. He then wiped his lips with the sleeve of his shirt to erase any trace of contact, a scowl fixed firmly on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest.
As for Yamka, she let them talk, choosing instead to sit on one of the large tree roots jutting out of the ground, completely uninterested in conversing with the transparent woman, convinced she could handle things on her own.
Seraphine put both hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly toward Haruki, asking him, her sky-blue eyes dimly shining with the last blink of the sun before it set.
"And how can I help you, Haru?"
The moon rose on the opposite side, its reflected light shining beautifully on the spot where they stood.
Haruki clasped his hands together and began to explain to her the reason he had summoned her.
"Noroi told us we must fight level-one monsters to obtain stones or something like that, which we might need to get out."
He paused briefly to watch Seraphine's expression and make sure she was on the same page before continuing.
"Okay, we got what we need in terms of clothes, masks, and a weapon for me ,how do we find the location of that monster we're supposed to fight?"
Seraphine adjusted her stance and raised her hand to cover her lips, laughing softly at Haruki, who simply watched her in silence until she finished. Then she responded with an apologetic smile.
"Oh, I'm really sorry, Haruki… but I don't kno-."
Haruki's shoulders fell along with his smile in disappointment. Didn't she say she would help them on their journey? Yet she didn't even know where the level-one monster was.
Noroi's nose twitched in irritation, and he moved forward, pushing Haruki aside to step toward Seraphine with sharp, impatient strides, his tone filled with anger and frustration.
"What do you mean you don't know? Aren't you supposed to be the one guiding us out of here?!"
Noroi's voice rose slightly at the last sentence, his fists clenching at his sides while his breath came out short and uneven.
Yamka pushed herself up to her feet and took a few steps forward, speaking mockingly.
"I told you we don't need blonde women telling us where to go. We can handle this ourselves."
Seraphine's sweet smile gradually faded before she let out a calm sigh, running her fingers through her golden hair as she replied to their hostility in a steady tone.
"It's true that I said I don't know, but if you'd listened to me for a moment, I would've told you how you can find out."
Noroi crossed his arms over his chest, casting her a doubtful look as he replied coldly.
"Fine. We're listening."
Seraphine extended her transparent hand toward Noroi and asked calmly, determined to prove she was capable of the responsibility she'd promised them.
"Do you have a map?"
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Thank you for reading! If this moment touched you even a little , please consider adding it to your library.💐