Throughout the day, we gathered around the dining table, spreading out maps and notes.
Oswald spoke earnestly about various strategies, while Valeria and I listened intently, providing input and asking questions about unclear points.
At lunch, the mood lightened. We enjoyed a simple meal cooked by Oswald while continuing our discussions.
Amidst the serious talk, we shared stories and laughed, trying to ease the mounting tension.
Time flew by, and by late afternoon, we started preparing our gear. I checked equipment and weapons, ensuring everything was in top condition.
Valeria reviewed the maps and notes carefully, while Oswald made sure everything was ready for the night ahead.
As night approached, we gathered once more, this time with light snacks we had prepared. The atmosphere grew more serious, but we also felt a stronger sense of camaraderie and understanding.
We went over the final details of our plan, making sure every aspect was covered and ready for implementation.
As the clock neared midnight, we were ready to step out. Our spirits were high, and though there was a tinge of nervousness, we knew we had prepared thoroughly.
"Are you ready, The Emerald Thief?" Oswald's voice was laced with playful challenge.
"Hm? I'm ready, serial killer," I shot back with a grin.
"Why must I be teamed up with criminals?"
"Shut it, Vampire. You've drained so much of my blood; you might as well earn your keep," I retorted.
"What kind of trash do you think I am?"
"I found you in the trash, didn't I?" I smirked.
"Can you two calm down? We need to move," Oswald interjected.
"Let's fucking go!" Valeria and I shouted in unison, our excitement palpable.
One by one, we slipped out of the window and dashed toward the towering kingdom in the distance.
"The night wind... truly invigorating," Oswald mused, sounding almost youthful again. "Refreshing!"
"Indeed! That's why I adore the night!" I replied with enthusiasm, then added with a smirk, "You're cheating, Valeria."
I glanced up at Valeria, who was effortlessly flying in her bat form. "Oh, right, Valeria, I'm curious..."
Valeria landed gracefully and transformed back into her human form. "What is it?"
"You're a vampire, right? Aren't vampires supposed to be sun-averse? How come you're fine in the morning?"
"Don't lump me with those others. I'm a special vampire! I can handle the sun," she said with a touch of arrogance.
"Really? You're such a cheat."
"I'm 800 years old! Show some respect for your elders!"
"You look like an 8-year-old."
"Shut up!"
Oswald chuckled at our bickering. "You two really keep me entertained."
Before we knew it, we stood before the grand gate of the kingdom.
"Let's kick some ass!" I declared with fierce determination.
We stormed into the kingdom, a majestic fortress now under siege. Dozens of grotesque figures awaited us.
"They're mutants! My brother turned them into this," Valeria explained, pointing at the pale-faced creatures with crimson eyes.
"Your brother is really a piece of work, isn't he?" I remarked as I engaged in battle with the mutants.
"Indeed," Valeria agreed, dispatching foes with a swift kick.
"Arche, we'll handle these. You head to confront that bastard!" Oswald ordered, his tone surprisingly blunt.
I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, yeah. I'm a bit surprised you'd call Valeria's brother a bastard."
Without breaking stride, I charged forward, my mind set on confronting the true enemy in the heart of the kingdom.
As I sprinted up the seemingly endless staircase, I pulled out my broomstick and took to the air. "Why do kingdoms always have such ridiculously long stairs?" I wondered aloud.
Reaching the summit, I faced a colossal door-locked tight. I grinned and set to work, planting ten sticky bombs before stepping back and igniting them. The explosion shattered the door into fragments.
I strolled through the wreckage, brushing off imaginary dust. "Please, beg my pardon," I quipped, my tone dripping with nonchalance.
Inside, a man with a strikingly similar appearance to Valeria awaited me. His ruby-red eyes burned with fury. "Hey! How's it going, buddy?" I greeted, unruffled.
"How dare you intrude!" he roared, his voice echoing through the vast chamber.
"Because I dare," I replied casually, closing the distance. "What's your name?"
"Marcel, the ruler of this country," he proclaimed grandiosely. "And who might this dirty cockroach be that dares to enter my domain?"
I continued my leisurely approach, unperturbed by his grandiose claims. "Oh, are you talking to me?" I said with a smirk. "I'm not particularly fond of insects, so I'm quite annoyed when I'm called that."
"I'm a special vampire! I'm unaffected by the sun, you bastard," Marcel snapped, descending from his throne.
"Who asked?" I shot back with a cheeky grin. "I'm more interested in the 'special' part of your vampire claims."
"Enough! I've had it with your insolence!" Marcel's rage reached its peak. "I'll end you now!"
"Great, it's Showtime!" I declared, readying myself for the confrontation that was about to ensue.
Marcel moved his hand with a haughty gesture, and the shadows around the room began to stir, as if they were alive.
From the darkness, illusions emerged, making it difficult to discern what was real and what was mere trickery.
I dodged several shadow attacks that lunged at me, but since this was our first encounter, I couldn't evade them all perfectly. Shadowy strikes landed on me a few times, leaving painful marks.
Marcel then started shooting poison from his fingers. Fortunately, I managed to dodge the dangerous poison attacks.
However, I still had to be cautious with my movements because Marcel wasn't just using illusions and shadows but also deadly poison strikes.
"You think your attacks are impressive?" I said while dodging another shadow assault.
"Looks like you need more practice. I could make more of a mess in my kitchen than you're doing here!"
Marcel snorted in frustration, clearly annoyed by my relaxed attitude and humor.
"Shut up! You're just lucky to have avoided the poison. But don't think I'll let you walk away unscathed."
I smiled, skillfully evading another attack.
"Hey, I'm just enjoying the show. If you want, I can give you some tips on honing your illusions and shadow techniques."
Marcel growled in anger, clearly irritated by my relentless jokes.
"You bastard! I'll make you feel pain you'll never forget!"
I continued to dodge his attacks, studying Marcel's patterns, all while maintaining my humorous tone.
"I hope you're not too hurt. If you are, I might have to send you a get-well card after we're done here."
Although I hadn't struck back yet, my focus on his attack patterns was giving me an opportunity to find an opening and strategize.
With every hit I took and every illusion I identified, I became increasingly prepared to face Marcel more effectively.
After some time dodging Marcel's attacks, I began to grasp the pattern of his shadow and illusion abilities.
I knew the time was right to start fighting back. With confidence, I drew my dagger, preparing for a counterattack.
Downstairs, Oswald moved with impressive speed and precision, despite his age. His eyes were alert, his hands tightly gripping the knife that had long been his trusty companion in battle. Around him, mutants with deformed, feral bodies growled and roared, ready to pounce at any moment.
A large mutant, with arms as thick as tree trunks, attacked first.
Oswald deftly dodged the blow, crouched low, and with a swift motion, he swung his knife.
The sharp blade sliced through the mutant's abdomen, spilling thick, black blood.
Without giving his foe a chance to feel the pain, Oswald quickly drove the knife into the mutant's heart as the creature staggered forward, growling in its death throes.
Before the mutant could fall, two more mutants leaped at Oswald from the left and right.
They moved like wild beasts, their sharp teeth dripping with venom. But Oswald was ready.
He leaped back, evading their sharp claws, then deftly spun and slashed one mutant across the neck, sending its head flying through the air in a spray of blood.
The remaining mutant attempted to attack from behind, but Oswald, with the instincts of a seasoned killer, spun around and drove his knife into the mutant's throat, causing it to convulse and let out a final roar before collapsing.
Blood pooled on the floor, creating a dark puddle reflecting the grim shadows of the brutal battle.
Oswald took a moment to catch his breath, his eyes never leaving the approaching group of mutants, who seemed hesitant after witnessing how easily he dispatched their comrades.
But they were not creatures known for fear, and one by one they charged, attempting to overwhelm Oswald with their numbers.
Oswald advanced with confidence. The first mutant he met with a straight stab to the heart, and before it fell, Oswald swung his knife at the second mutant, which tried to attack him from the side.
The blade pierced the creature's eye, shattering its skull in one swift move. Blood and bone fragments scattered, but Oswald remained focused, moving relentlessly among his increasingly enraged foes.
As the last mutant tried to attack, Oswald leaped onto its back, then sliced its knee, causing the creature to fall to its knees. With a quick move, Oswald ended the mutant's life by stabbing it in the back of the neck, severing all the vital nerves. The mutant died instantly, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud.
After ensuring all the mutants were dead, Oswald stood amid the battlefield, his body smeared with enemy blood. He sighed, then slowly directed his gaze towards the grand staircase looming before him.
The staircase spiraled upwards, seemingly endless, as if leading to the top of the world. Oswald smirked at the sight. "God, give me strength," he muttered, shaking his head.
He approached the staircase, each step leaving a blood trail on the stone floor. "If this keeps up, I'll end up with rheumatism, I'm serious!"
Marcel continued trying to deceive me with illusions and flickering shadows around him, but I could now distinguish between what was real and what was mere fantasy.
Quickly, I launched my first attack, darting toward one of the shadows that seemed more real than the others.
My dagger made contact with Marcel's actual body, and I felt the sharpness of the blade piercing his skin.
Marcel let out a small cry, clearly surprised by my sudden strike. However, he quickly regained his composure, once again manipulating the shadows around him with a wave of his hand.
I didn't stop there. With every move, I tried to slip through the gaps between the illusions surrounding Marcel.
I delivered swift and precise attacks, dodging shadow strikes coming from all directions.
Each time my dagger found its mark, Marcel grew more frustrated, his body accumulating more and more wounds from my blows.
As Marcel tried to cope with his injuries, he used his abilities to create more complex and terrifying illusions. But I remained calm and focused, leveraging my knowledge of his attack patterns to keep pressing the offensive.
"So, you can feel pain too, huh?" I said while dodging a shadow strike whizzing past me. "I guess that's good news-means I can make a difference."
Marcel growled in anger, increasing the frequency of his poison attacks.
Though I managed to evade most of the poisonous assaults, I knew I couldn't rely on luck forever. I needed a better strategy.
"Don't get too full of yourself," Marcel said through gritted teeth.
"I'll finish you off soon enough!"
The battle, which initially seemed evenly matched, suddenly shifted when Marcel began to reveal his true power.
With faster movements and increasingly aggressive attacks, he started to dominate the battlefield.
The shadows around him moved with terrifying speed, creating a wall of illusions that was nearly impossible to penetrate.
I tried to hold my ground, but the now-focused Marcel seemed to read my every move with precision.
Within seconds, a shadow darted from behind me, slipping past my defenses and striking my back with deadly force.
Pain surged through me, and my body staggered backward.
Before I could recover, Marcel unleashed his poison attack. The venom struck my right arm, spreading rapidly through my body. I felt a searing sensation, followed by a profound weakness.
My legs grew heavy, and my breathing became labored.
"Finally, you're beginning to feel the consequences,"
Marcel said with a satisfied tone, a sinister smile on his face.
"You're nothing more than an overconfident nuisance. Now look at you, just waiting for your end."
I tried to rise, but my body refused to cooperate. The poison seeped into every muscle fiber, weakening me with each passing second.
I slumped weakly against one of the pillars in the room, my trembling hand attempting to grip my dagger, but my strength was nearly gone.
Marcel approached me with deliberate steps, his gaze filled with hatred.
"You were a fool to think you could defeat me. This is the end of your little game, and I'll make sure you never rise again."
I struggled to stay conscious, to find a way out, but my vision started to blur. The poison was working fast, stealing my awareness bit by bit.
I knew that if I didn't find a way to fight back soon, this could be a very grim end for me.
As I was on the brink of losing consciousness, Marcel was suddenly flung backward by an unseen force.
I heard a loud crash as his body slammed into the wall, sending dust and shards of stone flying everywhere. Struggling to catch my breath, I tried to make sense of what had just happened.
From the dark shadows at the far end of the room, Valeria emerged. Her face was full of determination, her crimson eyes burning with a terrifying intensity.
She approached quickly, ignoring Marcel, who was still writhing in pain on the floor.
Without hesitation, Valeria knelt beside me and immediately pressed her mouth to the poisoned wound on my arm.
I was shocked but too weak to resist. She began sucking out the poison with astonishing speed, as if trying to save me with all her might.
Slowly, I could feel the effects of the poison fading from my body. The burning sensation and weakness I had felt began to subside, replaced by a warmth spreading from the spot where Valeria was drawing out the poison.
When she finished, Valeria lifted her mouth from my wound and looked at me with a firm gaze.
"You were really careless," she said sharply, though there was concern behind her words.
I gaped, still in shock at what she had just done. "How...?"
"Don't worry about me," Valeria cut in. "I'm immune to poison. This is nothing to me." She stood up, her gaze turning cold as she looked at Marcel, who was starting to rise.
"Now, it's your turn to face the consequences of your arrogance."
Despite being thrown and injured, Marcel quickly rose with a fiery anger in his eyes. He began ranting with a tone full of hatred, his voice echoing throughout the room.
"You never understood, Valeria!" he shouted, his hands clenched into fists.
"I was always seen as useless by our mother. Just because of you, that weak little child, she ignored me!"
"I am the true heir, but Mother chose you-the sweet little princess-as if you were worth more than me."
I listened carefully to Marcel's words, feeling the depth of his hatred. He continued, his voice growing wilder and more furious.
"I killed them!" Marcel admitted with a mad look in his eyes.
"I killed our father and mother because they never saw my potential! They only saw you, Valeria! I cast you aside because you were my biggest obstacle. This kingdom should have been mine!"
I glanced at Valeria, expecting anger or sadness. However, what I saw was a cold and indifferent expression. She seemed unmoved by Marcel's heinous confession.
"Valeria..." I murmured, unsure how to react to the situation. But before I could say more, something strange began to happen to Valeria.
Slowly, the aura around her changed drastically. Her form, once that of an annoying little child, transformed into an adult figure radiating immense power and allure.
Her body was now much taller, and her posture exuded grace and a terrifying confidence. Her hair, once white, turned blood-red, shimmering in the dim light.
As the transformation completed, the night sky outside began to change. Dark clouds gathered, and the once ordinary night was now filled with a horrifying red hue.
The moon, which should have been gently glowing, turned blood-red, casting a light that added to the menacing atmosphere around us.
Marcel, who was initially confident and angry, seemed taken aback by this change. "What are you doing?!" he yelled, his voice losing its composure.
Valeria, with a cold smile on her lips, stepped forward, ready to show her true power.
"You always underestimated me, Marcel," she said in a low, threatening tone. "But now, you'll know who you're really dealing with."
I, still weakened, could only watch this dramatic transformation with mixed feelings. Fear, awe, and curiosity all mingled as Valeria prepared to take vengeance on her cruel brother.
"Arche," she spoke softly but with authority, "leave this to me. You've fought enough. Now, let me finish this. You just need to rest."
I opened my mouth to protest, but her sharp look stopped me.
There was a strange calmness in her eyes, as if she was completely confident in her strength and abilities.
Reluctantly, I nodded, realizing that in my current state, I couldn't do much.
Valeria turned her gaze back to Marcel, and I knew at that moment that the battle was now in her hands.
Valeria began to move her hands with deadly grace, and from the air around her, blood began to appear as if summoned by her magical power.
The blood swirled around Valeria, emitting a thick, shimmering red aura, forming deadly weapons in her hands.
"I'll show you," Valeria whispered, though her voice rang clear in the large room, "what it means to face a true vampire."
With a swift motion, Valeria hurled the blood she controlled into sharp spears that shot toward Marcel with terrifying speed.
The blood spears moved like lightning, almost invisible to the naked eye, and struck Marcel directly.
Marcel, with all his hatred and arrogance, tried to dodge the attacks.
However, even though he managed to evade some of the spears, Valeria's attack was so rapid and relentless that most of them pierced his defenses.
Each spear that struck Marcel's body left a bleeding wound, further weakening his strength.
He staggered backward, reeling from the relentless barrage Valeria unleashed.
His arrogant face now turned to one of fear as he realized just how devastating Valeria's powers were.
Every time Marcel tried to launch a counterattack, Valeria easily deflected it, as if she knew exactly what Marcel was going to do.
"This is the punishment for everything you've done," Valeria growled as the blood spears continued to rain down on Marcel without mercy. "For Father, for Mother, and most of all, for me."
I watched the fight with a mix of awe and horror. Valeria was not only strong, but she was also filled with burning determination and anger.
She completely controlled the battlefield, and Marcel was now on the defensive, struggling to withstand the onslaught.
As Valeria's attacks continued to pound Marcel without pause, I noticed something strange in Marcel's expression.
His face, full of pain and fear, suddenly twisted into a maniacal grin. Before I could understand what was happening, he reached into his robe and pulled out a dark-colored pill that emanated a terrifying aura.
"Valeria, get back!" I shouted, sensing something ominous.
But before Valeria could react, Marcel had already swallowed the pill. Within seconds, his body began to tremble violently, and his skin turned a deep, unnatural purple. Marcel screamed in agony, but soon the scream turned into hysterical laughter.
His body began to swell rapidly, his muscles bulging to grotesque proportions.
In no time, Marcel had transformed into a monstrous creature-a giant beast with seemingly uncontrollable power.
I was stunned by the drastic change. The monster Marcel now towered above, his eyes glowing red with hatred and his mouth drooling toxic saliva.
He let out a rumbling growl from deep within his chest, and with a single motion, he swung his massive fist toward Valeria with enough force to destroy anything in its path.
But Valeria remained calm. With nimble and graceful movements, she dodged Marcel's attack, running between his legs and striking back with the blood that still swirled around her.
The blood spears flew again, striking Marcel's monstrous body. Though some of the spears were dodged by Marcel's wild movements,
many of them hit their mark, piercing the thick flesh of the monster and causing him to roar in pain.
"Is this the best you have, Marcel?" Valeria taunted coldly, even as she moved swiftly to evade each brutal strike from Marcel.
"You may have become a monster, but that won't save you from your fate."
Marcel, now in his massive and terrifying form, continued to try to attack Valeria with wild swings, smashing the floor and walls with tremendous force. Yet every strike hit only empty air or shattered the scattered stones.
Valeria moved like a shadow, always a step ahead of Marcel's every punch and kick.
Valeria leaped into the air, twisting her body in an extraordinary spin, and hurled blood spears directly at Marcel's chest.
The monster roared, trying to deflect the attack, but some of the spears still embedded deep into his body, causing black blood to ooze from large wounds.
I could see frustration beginning to overtake Marcel. Despite his much stronger form, he still couldn't catch Valeria.
As Marcel's rage grew, Valeria suddenly stopped moving. Her eyes, now a deep blood red, gleamed with terrifying intensity.
With a single breath, she lifted her hand, as if feeling something invisible in the air.
I could feel a cold aura enveloping the entire room, and Marcel's roaring suddenly ceased.
Marcel, still in his monstrous form, began to look panicked. His massive hands reached for his own neck, as if something was choking him from within.
"What are you doing, Valeria?" I asked her.
Valeria didn't answer. Instead, she focused all her concentration on the blood flowing through Marcel's body.
As a vampire who was an expert in controlling blood, she easily infiltrated every drop of blood in Marcel's veins, forcing it to obey her will.
Marcel began to writhe in pain, his movements becoming increasingly erratic.
"No! You can't do this to me!" he roared. But Valeria remained unyielding.
With a single, decisive motion of her hand, Marcel, who had been so arrogant and unbeatable, suddenly raised his own hand, gripping the large sword at his waist.
His eyes widened, filled with fear as he realized what was happening.
"Stop! Stop!" Marcel screamed hoarsely, but his body did not obey his will.
The large sword, which had once been his prized weapon, now turned against him.
With movements forced by Valeria's power, Marcel lifted the sword high above his head, pointing it toward his own chest.
"Valeria! No!" Marcel pleaded, but it was in vain. Valeria had decided that this was the end of everything.
With a single thrust, the sword plunged into his own chest, piercing deep and halting the monster's movements instantly. Black blood began to flow out, soaking the floor beneath him.
Marcel staggered, his massive body growing weaker, and finally fell to his knees, his eyes filled with horror.
He tried to say something, but no sound came out, only a deepening void.
In his final moments, Marcel could only gaze at Valeria with eyes now full of regret, as his body slowly reverted to its original form, a man defeated in a battle against his own sister.
Valeria took a long breath, and with a small gesture, she released her control over Marcel's blood.
Marcel's body collapsed to the ground, lifeless, and the battle filled with hatred finally reached its tragic conclusion.
In the chilling silence following the brutal battle, Valeria, who had previously been soaring through the air, suddenly plummeted from the sky.
Her body, which had once seemed strong and vigorous, now descended weakly, as if all her energy had been completely drained.
Her clothes and hair, once neat, were now disheveled, adding to the dramatic effect of her deep fall.
Oswald, who had successfully climbed the staircase and reached the upper level, watched attentively.
Upon seeing Valeria fall, he immediately ran toward the spot with incredible speed, disregarding his own fatigue and pain.
With a swift and skilled move, Oswald leaped into the air and caught Valeria before she hit the ground, cradling her in a caring and worried embrace.
"This is Valeria..? " Oswald said with a tone of concern, though his voice had a hint of amusement as he looked at how exhausted Valeria appeared.
Valeria lay limp in Oswald's arms, her eyes, which were usually sharp, now tightly closed.
I collapsed weakly, exhaustion gripping me so tightly that movement felt like an impossibility. Yet, despite my fatigue, I managed a faint smile at Oswald and Valeria, savoring the warmth of the friendship forged amidst this relentless chaos.
Suddenly, the silence shattered, replaced by a bone-chilling voice that resonated from the abyss.
"How could Marcel, whom I bestowed with such unparalleled power, come to this?" The voice was laden with astonished disappointment, reverberating with a gravity that seemed to come from a chasm beyond comprehension.
A jolt of terror snapped me awake, my senses sharpened with dread.
"Who are you?" I demanded, my voice taut with fear as I frantically searched for the source of this menacing voice.
"This is merely a manifestation of my magic," the voice responded with cold assurance. "I am DEATH."
The name struck me like a freezing dagger. A wave of icy terror washed over me, and my heart raced uncontrollably. DEATH-each syllable was a shiver down my spine, a suffocating darkness closing in on me.
DEATH's presence grew closer, a shadow looming with a stifling pressure. It scrutinized me with an intensity that was almost palpable.
"Ah, if it isn't you, Arche," the voice dripped with disdain.
"I know your loathing for the Lunar Ascendance organization is deep. Yet, that hatred appears to be of little use to you in battle."
His words were like daggers, piercing through my resolve and igniting a storm of shame and rage. But my body, weakened and battered, had no strength to fight back.
Each word was a brutal truth, a cruel revelation that I could not escape.
"You will never overcome me if you continue in this pitiful state," DEATH's voice sneered with a contemptuous edge.
"You lack seriousness in your fight. You are nothing but weak."
Summoning the last remnants of my strength, I roared defiantly,
"I will destroy you! You will pay for this!"
DEATH's laugh echoed coldly, brimming with a lethal arrogance that made my skin crawl.
"Farewell, Arche. I shall await your arrival," he declared before the voice receded into the darkness, leaving behind a chill and heaviness that was almost unbearable.
A flood of fear and fury overwhelmed me, mingling with the dark shadows of past traumas.
My already drained and bruised body was unable to fend off the psychological assault.
As the world around me sank further into darkness, I finally succumbed, my body collapsing to the floor, consumed by exhaustion and dread.
In the dimming haze of my consciousness, I was dragged down into an abyss of terror and despair.
I woke up in the room with a throbbing headache and dizziness blurring my vision.
As I opened my eyes and tried to adjust to my surroundings, the bed felt incredibly cramped.
Turning my head to the side, I was startled to see Valeria in her mature, alluring form, looking like a powerful and captivating woman.
I could hardly believe my eyes, but there was a sense of joy sneaking into my heart. Valeria finally opened her eyes and gave me a soft smile.
"Good morning, Arche..." she said with a sleepy tone.
Still confused and recalling the events from earlier, I asked,
"Why are you still in your adult form?"
Valeria sighed and calmly explained, "This is my true form. My child form only appears when I'm out of energy."
Hearing that, I felt a bit relieved but also anxious.
"So, you recharge your energy with my blood?"
Valeria nodded.
"Yes, and I need to ensure I'm in the best condition to protect us all."
I nodded, still feeling dizzy but slightly more understanding of the situation.
As I began to feel more alert, Valeria embraced me tightly, her head resting on my shoulder. I didn't resist her embrace; instead, I felt warmth and comfort.
I could feel the warmth from her mature body, and for a moment, everything seemed better.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened, and Oswald walked in with a cup of tea.
"How are you feeling, Arche?" he asked kindly, looking at me with concern.
I responded with a smile,
"I'm fine, thanks. What happened after I passed out?"
Oswald set the tea down and began explaining. "After you passed out, I had to carry both of you to safety. I was surprised by how heavy it was, carrying you both. I didn't expect my middle-aged body to be up to the task."
I was amazed by Oswald's story.
"You really carried us both? That must have been quite a burden."
Valeria finally woke up, released her embrace, and stood up. She spoke with a touch of arrogance, praising herself. "Even in my adult form! I'm still easy to lift!"
I couldn't help but retort.
"Chubby." Valeria then gave me a light smack on the head.
Oswald chuckled at our colorful interaction, enjoying the lighthearted moment amid all the chaos. I realized something and got up from the bed, sitting with heartfelt gratitude. I bowed sincerely to Oswald.
"Thank you so much, Oswald," I said, my voice full of appreciation.
"I truly value everything you've done for us."
Oswald gently patted my head, accepting my thanks.
"You don't need to thank me, Arche. We're all here to support each other. That's what matters."
I was glad Oswald accepted my gratitude, and then I had a question.
I looked at Valeria and Oswald with curiosity.
"So, after this, what will you both do?"
Valeria and Oswald exchanged glances before Valeria finally answered.
"We'll stay here. This place holds deep meaning for us."
I immediately understood without needing further explanation. This place wasn't just a refuge but also their birthplace-a place filled with memories and significance.
I smiled and said, "How about we take a photo together? Moments like this should be captured."
Valeria and Oswald looked at me with a bit of surprise but eventually agreed. I took the center position while Valeria and Oswald stood beside me. We smiled, though Valeria seemed a bit reluctant, and Oswald appeared more relaxed.
With the camera I had ready, we posed together, and this moment of togetherness was captured in a photo. I felt satisfied seeing how we could support each other and share important moments despite the difficult situation.
After the photo, we all settled back, chatting and laughing together. The moments and this land... I would never forget.
Just as a withered tree can cause a forest fire if burned, so too can a naughty child destroy an entire family.