The moon hung high above Berbeign, bathing the quiet town in silver light.
Inside her room at the villa, Milly lay motionless in bed, her expression calm, her breathing steady.
Then, her body tensed.
Her eyelids twitched.
And suddenly, her surroundings shifted.
She was standing in the middle of an open clearing the same place she had seen earlier near the ruins but now it was whole.
The cracked walls were restored, the air shimmering with golden magic, and the trees around her bent as if bowing to something unseen.
Before her stood a figure cloaked in black and gold, its aura vast and heavy like the weight of a thousand worlds.
His eyes, glowing red and faintly divine, pierced into her soul.
"…My master?" Milly whispered.
The figure's deep voice echoed across the air.
"Milly. Do you remember this place?"
She looked around, heart racing.
The runes on the ground were glowing like constellations alive, pulsing in rhythm with her heartbeat.
"This is where you were born anew," the voice continued. "Where the fragments of what you lost were sealed."
Her throat tightened. "Sealed…?"
"When the world turned against us, this ground became your cage… and your key."
His voice softened, a tone that felt almost kind but it shook her to the core.
"When you wake… follow what your body remembers, not your mind. The truth lies beneath the stone."
Before she could answer, the world shattered into white light.
Milly's eyes snapped open.
The room was dark silent except for the faint whisper of wind outside.
Her golden eyes glowed faintly through the darkness.
"…Master?" she murmured, voice distant, almost mechanical.
Then, slowly, she sat up.
Her movements were sluggish like a puppet being guided by invisible threads.
She stepped out of bed, bare feet touching the cold floor, and walked toward the door without hesitation.
Outside, the night was quiet. The stars hung over the forest path.
Her steps were slow, steady. Her pupils dimly shone gold.
The trees parted as if guiding her back to the ruins her body moving entirely on its own.
By the time she reached the old clearing, the air shimmered faintly with energy.
She stopped at the same spot where she had touched the rune before.
Her eyes flickered gold and maroon.
Without a sound, she lifted her hand, claws forming from glowing red energy.
Then, she began to dig.
The soil hissed under the touch of her heat. Dust rose into the air as her claws cut through rock and dirt like butter.
Minutes passed. Then hours.
The deeper she dug, the louder a faint hum became beneath her something alive, resonating with her power.
Finally, her claws struck something solid smooth and metallic.
Her breath caught.
The ground trembled faintly.
A faint red light leaked through the cracks of the earth, illuminating her face.
"…I… found it…" she whispered, though her voice didn't sound like her own.
Then her body stopped moving. Her claws retracted.
Her eyes dimmed, and she collapsed onto the ground beside the hole unconscious.
The glow beneath the earth pulsed once, then went still.