Pain kept dragging my consciousness back, piece by piece.

  Dull.

  But real.

  Through my blurred vision, I saw Nael.

  His hands were moving frantically, pressing against my side.

  He was saying something.

  But his voice felt far away.

  Beside him, Sera sat quietly.

  Fatigue and worry showed plainly on her face.

  …I didn’t protect her.

  My lips moved on their own.

  「…Someone who can’t even protect himself—how is he supposed to…」

  My voice was barely more than a whisper.

  I didn’t think anyone would hear it.

  But—

  Nael looked up.

  Anger flashed in his eyes.

  「Hey, Ren. …Take that back.」

  His voice had lost all of its usual lightness.

  I caught my breath.

  The moment I said it, I knew.

  I didn’t mean it.

  I knew how hard Sera had fought.

  The one who failed to protect anyone—

  that was me.

  And yet my mouth had moved before my thoughts.

  Sera didn’t say anything.

  She only lowered her gaze.

  That silence hurt.

  Nael stared at me for a long moment, then let out a quiet sigh.

  「…Just because you’re injured doesn’t mean you get to say whatever you want.」

  With that, he looked back down and continued the emergency treatment.

  I couldn’t say anything.

  I just clenched my fist tight.

  When Nael finished tightening the bandage around my side, he let out an exaggerated breath and leaned back onto his heels.

  「So? Saw my skills? I wasn’t just getting in the way when I helped my mom out, you know.」

  Sera smiled faintly.

  I let out a low sound that barely counted as thanks.

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  Nael clapped his hands once.

  「Hey, wait a minute.」

  He moved closer again and held a hand over my shoulder.

  「Wanna try some healing magic? C’mon. Maybe a miracle’ll happen.」

  He traced a small sigil with his finger and muttered something under his breath.

  A faint blue light gathered in his palm—

  —and vanished the instant it touched me.

  Nael blinked.

  「…Guess magic really doesn’t work on you, Ren.」

  Sera spoke quietly.

  「…I don’t think it’s that it doesn’t work.

  …I feel like… Ren is absorbing the mana.」

  Nael crossed his arms, thought for a moment, then gave a crooked smile.

  「Haha. Ren, if you can really do that… you’d be perfect.」

  I let out a dry laugh without thinking.

  Sera covered her mouth with her sleeve, trying to hold hers back—but her eyes were smiling.

  The heavy air eased, just a little.

  Nael gave my shoulder a light pat and stood up.

  「Alright. Let’s move.」

  We started walking again.

  The fog still drifted thinly through the forest.

  But it felt different now.

  Something had changed.

  Nael walked ahead.

  Sera followed behind him.

  I walked beside her.

  For a while, none of us spoke.

  I let out a small breath and forced the words out.

  「…Sera.」

  She didn’t turn around.

  But I knew she was listening.

  「…About earlier. I’m sorry.」

  A brief silence.

  Then, a gentle voice.

  「…I know.」

  That one word made my chest feel a little lighter.

  The sound of our footsteps melted quietly into the forest.

  Then Nael called out from ahead.

  「Hey! I think I found something!」

  His voice came through the fog.

  We hurried after him, pushing through the branches.

  There, at the foot of a small hill, stood several large stones.

  Covered in moss and vines, they formed a ring—

  as if protecting something.

  I stepped closer and placed my hand gently on one of the stones.

  Warm.

  Not from sunlight.

  Not from the air.

  It felt like something was breathing there.

  Sera came to my side, staring at it in silence.

  Nael slowly circled the stone ring, examining it.

  「This… isn’t this the ‘sealed ring’ from the map?」

  「But the other hint—‘to touch’… I still don’t understand it.」

  Sera murmured, looking at the stone.

  「…For now, we try touching it?」

  I pressed my hand firmly against the stone.

  Waited.

  Nothing happened.

  Sera reached out and touched another stone.

  We both stayed still.

  …No change.

  We looked at each other.

  Then we touched the same stone at the same time.

  —but still, there was no reaction.

  「…Maybe it’s symbolic?」

  Sera said thoughtfully.

  「Like the Staff and the Queen… dividing roles?」

  I hesitated, then nodded and left it to her.

  Sera gently placed a hand on my shoulder.

  I touched the stone.

  …Nothing.

  Still nothing.

  She lowered her hand, tilting her head slightly.

  Frustration slipped out of me before I could stop it.

  「…Damn it, old man…」

  In that instant, a voice rose from deep in my memory.

  —His final words.

  「…Together.」

  「…The bell. Right now—you can ring it.」

  「…That is the path.」

  「…That is—balance.」

  My eyes widened. I reached for my waist.

  The bell was still there.

  Cold. Silent.

  「…Sera.」

  When I called her name, she nodded quietly.

  I held the bell in my left hand and reached for the stone with my right.

  Beside me, Sera placed her left hand against the stone.

  Just touching.

  With our hands—and our hearts.

  Not forcing it.

  Not pulling.

  Just together.

  A faint vibration passed through us.

  Not from the stone.

  Not from the air.

  Between us.

  And then—the bell trembled.

  A small, small sound echoed through the fog.

  Chin.

  Quiet.

  But unmistakable.

  The fog stirred.

  The stones pulsed faintly.

  And a line ran through the center of the ring.

  A path that was meant to remain sealed

  began to open, slowly.

  Quietly, the road opened.

  …Were you watching, old man?

  The Temple of Elthariel had accepted us.