The girl sat quietly beside the robed man, her legs curled beneath her, eyes fixed on the horizon. The sky was still, soft with mist, the world holding its breath. The only sound now was his voice.
"Once upon a time," he said again, slower this time, as if weighing each word. "There was a war. A war between humans and monsters."
The girl's eyes widened slightly. This wasn't in her book.
"Long ago, humans and monsters lived in harmony on the surface. But humans feared monsters for their magic—their ability to absorb human souls and become powerful beyond measure. Fear turned to hatred. And hatred became war."
He paused, his gaze distant.
"It was a devastating conflict. The monsters were strong in spirit, but the humans were relentless. They fought with fire and steel, and in the end, the monsters were driven back. The survivors were sealed underground by seven powerful human mages, who wove a magical barrier using the power of their souls. It was a one-way door. Only a being of immense soul power could break it."
The girl clutched the book in her lap tighter, as if afraid it might vanish.
"So the monsters made a new home. Deep beneath the surface, they built cities in the caverns. Waterfalls that shimmered like glass, halls of stone and fire, snowy forests. They tried to live. They tried to hope. They tried to believe there could be peace once more."
He turned his hooded face slightly toward her.
"And for a time, they endured. But exile gnaws at even the brightest soul. The light from above was gone. And in its place, stories became legends. Legends became silence."
He took a breath and let it out slowly.
"Years passed. And then... the first human fell."
The man's voice changed—more vivid, as though the air itself remembered.
"The child's name was Chara. No one knew how or why they fell—only that one day, the golden flowers in the Ruins bloomed bright with their landing."
As he spoke, it was as if the world dimmed, the sky itself pulling back to listen.
"Toriel, the queen, found the child. And Asriel, the prince of monsters. He was the first to reach them. Innocent. Curious. Kind. He helped Chara to their feet. And from that moment... they were inseparable."
The girl's lips parted slightly. A breeze passed through, but she didn't move.
"The king and queen took Chara in as one of their own. A second child. For the first time in ages, there was laughter in the castle. Chara and Asriel played in the gardens, explored the ruins, shared stories of the surface."
The robed man's tone grew quieter.
"But Chara was not like other children. There was pain in their past—a pain they never shared aloud. And though they smiled, there was always something else behind their eyes. A question. A longing."
The girl shifted, hugging her knees closer.
"Over time, Chara grew close to the monsters. They saw their suffering, their loneliness. And they wanted to help. To do something more."
The man looked toward the mountain now, voice fading with the mist.
"Chara devised a plan. They would die—by their own hand. And Asriel, through the bond they shared, would absorb Chara's soul. With that power, he could cross the barrier, carry Chara's body to the surface, and appeal to the humans for peace."
The girl's grip on the book trembled.
"The plan was carried out. Asriel, now bearing both souls, stepped into the sunlight. He carried Chara's body to their hometown. But the humans didn't see a grieving prince. They saw a monster. They attacked."
The wind stirred.
"Asriel could have fought. He had the strength. But he didn't. He turned and left. Returned to the Underground, where his wounds overtook him. He collapsed beside the golden flowers. And there... he faded."
Silence followed, stretching into the trees.
"When the monsters learned what happened, their hearts broke. And so did King Asgore's. He declared war on humanity. Any human who fell into the Underground would die. And he would gather their souls to destroy the barrier and reclaim freedom."
The girl lowered her eyes, the book pressed against her chest.
"This is where your book ends, isn't it?" the man asked.
She nodded slowly.
"And yet... you still want to know more."
Another nod.
He watched her closely.
"Then let me offer you a condition," he said, gently. "This story is not one you can repeat. Not now. Not to anyone."
Her gaze lifted.
"Do you promise to keep this secret?"
The girl nodded once more.
The man leaned back.
"Then let us begin again. Not from war. Not from exile. But from the moment everything changed."
His voice softened to a whisper:
"Once upon a time..."