《Reverie》 Chapter 01 — Stealth, Stumbles, and a Sore Knee It was night again. A secluded castle lay in the middle of the forest in silence. And within that silence, an assassin watched from a tree branch. That assassin was none other than Talian. The stories spoke of Talian as the greatest assassin in his field. He was the one behind the tyrant emperor¡¯s assassination in his country. Every mission was but a stroll in his eyes, and every tyrant and oppressor was merely a corpse waiting to be. Talian was an assassin, yet everyone loved him. A savior, as some would say. And merely a bloodthirsty killer in the mouths of the minority. But that minority, in most cases, consisted only of those who feared for their own heads. In other words, every tyrant, every oppressor, and every soon-to-be corpse. After all, who would fear Talian other than his prey? Talian was a savior. Talian was famous. And Talian was falling from the tree branch straight to the ground¡­ ¡°Damn it! On my first mission!¡± Talian cursed, rubbing his slightly wounded knee. ¡°I can¡¯t fail my first mission. The first step is my path to a world of success.¡± On second look, Talian was just a child dressed in black clothes that did not match his fair complexion. Suppressed tears of pain slipped down his cheeks. ¡°I won¡¯t get another chance to become an assassin. I¡¯ll make this mission a success,¡± Talian whispered, the future assassin who had yet to rise from where he fell. A gust of wind rushed through the trees, sending Talian¡¯s hair fluttering. ¡°Oh!¡± It also made him realize he was doing a poor job of being an assassin¡ªat least from his perspective. Pushing his small body to stand, he hurried toward the nearest tree, hiding behind it while watching the castle in the distance. His knee hurt, but what was pain to the legendary assassin he was going to become? Talian started moving toward the castle. Jumping between trees was no longer an option; he had yet to develop that level of agility. And his earlier attempt had not ended as perfectly as he had imagined in his small head. Soon, Talian peered from behind the closest tree to the castle¡¯s small back gate. Standing before it were two guards clad in leather armor, their weapons resting against the stone walls beside the gate. ¡°Hmph, how sloppy,¡± Talian remarked with a superior expression. ¡°But I¡¯m not in the mood for killing.¡± He crouched toward the damp ground and picked up two small stones. His plan for dealing with the guards was simple: he would throw the stones as a distraction and use the assassin¡¯s speed and agility to sneak through the gate. The fools wouldn¡¯t even know what happened. Talian proceeded with his plan. The first stone landed to the left of one of the guards with a faint sound. Talian feared for a moment that the men wouldn¡¯t even notice the noise due to their incompetence, but his worries quickly faded. ¡°Oh, did you hear that, mate? What do you think it could be?¡± one of the men asked, his voice not as natural as Talian remembered. He¡¯s probably just scared, Talian thought. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing,¡± the other guard replied, his voice oddly loud. ¡°It¡¯s not like some highly skilled assassin would come to a small village like ours. It¡¯s probably nothing, but why don¡¯t you go check it out? We should do something to justify our wages.¡± ¡°When you put it that way, I¡¯ll go take a good look.¡± Talian watched the man foolishly fall into his perfectly designed trap. But he was patient; he waited until the guard disappeared from sight before executing the second part of his plan. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. The second stone landed to the right of the remaining guard. The impact was louder than the first, startling the man so much that he jumped in fright. ¡°What could that be?¡± The guard asked aloud, one hand on his chest and the other atop his head. Talian nearly laughed at the ridiculous reaction. These guards were a joke. But to give the man some credit, he eventually decided to investigate the sound, muttering about how it was impossible for a legendary assassin to be around. ¡°Too easy,¡± Talian said with a wide grin as he made his way to the small gate. His movements were slower than usual, as he was slightly limping and his knee hurt more than before. A low hissing sound escaped Talian¡¯s lips, but he forced himself to slip through the gate before the guards returned. Beyond the gate lay the same kitchen Talian was familiar with. Even the scent of smoke and burning wood was the same. So, naturally, he knew that if he didn¡¯t hide quickly, the kitchen workers would soon arrive. Worse, they might recognize him. Talian couldn¡¯t let that happen. He couldn¡¯t allow the mission that would introduce him to the world of assassins to end in such a foolish manner. But on the other hand, his knee hurt too much to continue the mission. ¡®An assassin must be in top shape to perform at their best.¡¯ Talian reassured himself with those words and dashed under the large wooden table to hide. Not even a minute passed before the sounds of approaching footsteps echoed toward the kitchen. They were followed by the voices of a conversation that became more meaningful than the distant whispers they had been before. ¡°Hey, Liska, are you done with the spices yet? Hee-hee!¡± The first to enter the kitchen was a woman with a chameleon-like head and gray, scaly skin, dressed in a maid¡¯s uniform. Liska, a Lizardfolk woman, gave a wicked look to the small Orc girl after her teasing question, which carried nothing but the intent of heavy-handed humor. ¡°Oi, Orky, too much salt ruins the soup, yess?¡± Liska replied with an even heavier joke. Talian pushed himself deeper under the table, covering his wounded knee. Orcs had a keen sense of smell, and while Orky was still young, her olfactory abilities were not lacking. And the moment Orky took her first step inside the kitchen after Liska, she froze in place. A new smile replaced the embarrassment Liska was teasing her about¡ªthe embarrassment of her first day when she learned that her catfolk employers were far too weak for salt, unlike Orcs. She began sniffing the air around her, her smile unwavering. ¡°I smell delicious meat. I smell something I can eat! Hee-hee!¡± Talian trembled slightly, pushing himself deeper without making a sound. He even held his breath to avoid being eaten. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± A third figure shoved Orky aside and entered the kitchen. Her pointed ears twitched for a moment before quickly settling down. ¡°Oh, that!... Get back to work, you heavy green. There¡¯s nothing here for you to eat. We make the food.¡± ¡°With the right amount of salt, we do!¡± Liska laughed, clicking her tongue slightly. ¡°Oh, shut up, you too. Do you need a reminder of your first day?¡± The Elven woman spoke again, still pushing Orky away from Talian¡¯s hiding spot. ¡°The three of us will focus only on our work and nothing else. We will see nothing but the ingredients in our hands, and we will hear nothing but the crackling fire on the wood and the sound of the soup cooking. Now get to it!¡± Orky sighed in disappointment but still complied. ¡°I was just joking with Ta¡ª! Myself, yeah, myself!¡± ¡°You¡¯ve said enough, light green. Come here, let me give you a big hug.¡± Liska opened her arms toward Orky. But the Elven woman stood between them, giving them both a scrutinizing look. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll work. We still have time anyway.¡± Talian took advantage of the maids being distracted by their foolish conversation and slipped deeper into the castle. He could already feel his stealth and agility improving compared to just a few days ago. ¡®Real missions really do feel different.¡¯ Talian thought as he ran down a long hallway. A dim yellow light illuminated his path from the lamps hanging along the corridor. The stinging smell of gas trailed behind him and ahead of him. Talian¡¯s knee still hurt¡ªmore than before¡ªand even more so as he ran on it. The bloodstain had dried, preventing more bleeding, but Talian could feel his leg betraying him, refusing to move. ¡°¡­What!¡± Talian came to a halt, panic gnawing at his mind. His hand pressed against his knee joint, only for pain to paralyze his entire body. A scream of agony escaped his lips, tears streaming down his cheeks in long trails. He crawled across the stone floor, dragging himself toward the wall where the gas lamps were lined. Talian screamed desperately for help, already forgetting all about being an assassin and the mission assigned to him by the mysterious man. His leg had suddenly stopped moving. He had merely dragged it along the ground where he fell. But the pain following his attempts left him sprawled on the corridor, trembling violently. His loud cries reached the sharp ears of the Elven woman. She abandoned the work she was supposed to oversee in the kitchen and ran after Talian, following the path he had snuck through. ¡°Oh, dear god!¡± By the time she reached him, his screams had already stopped. The only thing left was the sight of a small child lying motionless on the ground. Chapter 02 — Feasts, Friends, and a Foolproof Plan A damp, sticky, and cold sensation covered Talian¡¯s palm, repeating over and over until the young boy finally opened his eyes with slight dizziness. ¡°Mmm... what is...?¡± His vision was blurry, and his eyes resisted his commands, opening and closing repeatedly as if longing to return to sleep. But once again, the cold, sticky feeling on his right palm made him instinctively pull his hand back and look at it with squinted eyes. ¡°Nooo... Fluffy...!¡± Talian shut his eyes again, his muscles tensing at the disgusting sight of his hand, drenched in the saliva of the vile creature he knew all too well. To his right, a small ball of white fluff rested where his hand had been. The only thing that betrayed its identity as a pet was the tiny, triangular pink face barely peeking from its thick fur. Fluffy gazed at Talian with his small, unblinking black eyes full of curiosity before he began rolling toward his face. His movement was slow and strained, hindered by the uneven surface of the massive bed on which Talian lay. But before the vile creature could reach him, Talian grabbed it with his still-drenched hand¡ªone he didn¡¯t dare look at for too long¡ªand used it as a towel to wipe off the pink, slimy saliva. ¡°That¡¯s what you deserve!¡± Talian sneered at the little beast, who put up a weak struggle but ultimately failed miserably. Its pitiful whimpers were sweet music flavored with revenge. Even after his hand regained its dryness, the wretched creature¡¯s suffering was not over. Talian lifted him slightly, evaluating his surroundings as if making a judgment. Then, he hurled Fluffy with force against the stone wall opposite him. The round body smacked into the wall with a sharp slap, bounced to the ceiling at high speed, and continued ricocheting around the room. With each impact, the tiny beast let out another miserable squeal, which only ceased when his body finally came to a stop in a far corner of the room. ¡°Have you learned your lesson?¡± Talian addressed the creature, but it did not offer a clear response. Instead, the small beast quickly rolled into the bed¡¯s shadow, making no further sound. ¡°Heh heh...!¡± Talian chuckled slightly at the furry beast¡¯s misfortune while taking in the familiar details of the room. To his left was the red rocking chair he loved sitting in, and behind it, a row of clothes neatly lined the smooth stone wall. On the right, the wooden window stood open beside a desk cluttered with plush toys instead of books. And in the center of the room was the bed he lay on, its pink sheets covering him from the chest down. ¡°I¡¯m in her room...¡± The words caught in Talian¡¯s throat as his gaze landed on the wooden door, which suddenly swung open. ¡°Good morning!¡± The cheerful voice of the equally cheerful girl who had just returned to her room startled Talian as she beamed at him with wide, beautiful blue eyes. And indeed, it was morning! Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be nighttime? Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Well done, assassin. You successfully infiltrated my room,¡± Saeyt¡¯s bright, ringing voice spoke to Talian again as she hopped onto the bed beside him, her fluffy white tail swishing wildly behind her small frame. ¡°But you broke your leg doing so.¡± At her mention of his broken leg, Talian¡¯s memory dragged him back to the night of his infiltration into the castle, forcing it to the forefront of his mind. He even ignored his childhood friend, who had begun sniffing his forehead for her strange reasons¡ªthough he was already used to her behavior after years of friendship. After a few seconds of recollection, Talian reached a conclusion that cast a slight frown over his young features. ¡®I failed my mission.¡¯ Tears threatened to spill from Talian¡¯s green eyes, but he suppressed them. He wanted to check his leg first because, surprisingly, the pain that had nearly killed him last night was nowhere to be felt now. ¡°Where¡¯s Fluffy?¡± Saeyt asked, her eyes mere inches from Talian¡¯s own. Her white, cat-like ears twitched as she tried to pick up the surrounding sounds. ¡°He¡¯s under the bed,¡± Talian replied gloomily. And without waiting for Saeyt to get off him, he grabbed her by her white shirt and flung her off the bed onto the wooden floor. Talian needed some time to think¡ªabout last night¡¯s events, the mission assigned to him by the mysterious man, and his future as an assassin, which was crumbling before his eyes. However, Saeyt, who landed with absurd agility on both feet, quickly climbed back onto the bed and stared even more intently into Talian¡¯s eyes. Her ears twitched a little more, but her tail had gone completely still. ¡°Do you want me to call the healer? Does your leg hurt?¡± she asked, her concern not quite matching her youthful, beautiful features. She seemed to have completely forgotten about Fluffy. Talian didn¡¯t answer immediately. First, he lifted the pink bedcovers slightly and took a peek at his leg, which was wrapped in bandages. He tried moving it, and it obeyed his command¡ªwithout pain. That was good. Only then did Talian turn to Saeyt, who was clearly worried, and say, ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± ¡°Then what¡¯s wrong?¡± she pressed almost instantly, looking unconvinced and unsatisfied. Wrapping her tail around her waist, she shifted to sit on the other side of the bed, careful not to touch his injured leg. ¡°Tell me! I want to know!¡± Talian studied his childhood friend for a long moment, evaluating whether she could be trusted with his secret¡ªthe mission given to him by the mysterious man. Saeyt seemed increasingly dissatisfied with the prolonged silence, but she waited patiently. Finally, Talian spoke in a serious tone, his childish expression filled with an intensity that didn¡¯t quite match the way he worded his sentence. ¡°Can I trust you with a secret?!¡± Saeyt¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement at the word secret, and she began nodding eagerly, her furry ears nearly folding onto themselves. ¡°Yes!!... Tell me!¡± Talian sighed, smiling at his friend¡¯s ever-enthusiastic nature. He placed his hand on her forehead, trying to push her away slightly¡ªhe could barely breathe with her weight on his chest. Only after she backed off just enough, sitting with her legs tucked underneath her, did he finally find room to speak. He told her about the way he had found to turn his dream of becoming a legendary assassin into reality¡ªby completing the mission assigned to him by the mysterious man who claimed to be the leader of the world¡¯s greatest assassin organization. Saeyt listened carefully, but her previous enthusiasm faded slightly, replaced by a hint of disinterest that she tried not to show. Talian, however, didn¡¯t notice¡ªhe only grew more excited as he spoke of his dream. Once he finished telling his story, he waited for Saeyt¡¯s response. She seemed to be deep in thought. Eventually, she shrugged and said, ¡°That¡¯s great and all, and there¡¯s no need to worry. You can steal that thing tomorrow. But for now...¡± Saeyt¡¯s words cut off as her ears twitched toward the door, followed by her face, which brightened into a grin. ¡°Food!...¡± she squealed with excitement and leaped gracefully from the bed onto the wooden floor, rushing toward the door. She flung it open with both hands, revealing the tall head maid with silky black hair and pointed ears. She carried a tray of food in her hands. The head maid didn¡¯t seem surprised by the sudden opening of the door. She looked at Saeyt with a gentle smile. ¡°You have quite the appetite this early in the morning, young lady.¡± Then, her deep black eyes shifted to Talian with the same warm smile. ¡°And you... for all your hard work, I¡¯ve brought you your favorite meal.¡± Chapter 03 — Dreams, Doubts, and a Day Too Late Talian devoured all the food brought to him by Laina, the elven head maid. First, because it was his favorite food, and naturally, he loved it. And second, because Laina told him that assassins never leave crumbs behind. Talian was slightly surprised by this new piece of information¡ªhe hadn''t known that before. But now that he did, he would make sure to eat all his food from now on, leaving not a single crumb behind. It was just his dedication and commitment to his dream of becoming the greatest assassin the world would ever know. Shortly after, Laina, accompanied by Saeyt, left him alone in the room. And so, Talian''s thoughts drifted away from reality into his dreams. Talian had a dream¡ªa dream he would achieve no matter what. It was a dream he couldn¡¯t recall how he had picked up, but his feelings toward it could only be genuine. Every time Talian imagined himself as a legendary assassin, he felt his mind becoming calm, at ease. His breathing grew more regular, as if he were inhaling the crisp morning air. Everything about him transformed into what Talian could only describe as a comfort zone, where he could smile for no particular reason. But his dream was reason enough. Yet, for the first time, his dream put a frown on his face. Was it because he had taken the first step toward realizing it by accepting the mission from the mysterious man? Or because his first step hadn¡¯t been as easy and quick as he had imagined? Talian didn¡¯t know the answer¡ªhe didn¡¯t understand that he was facing what was called an ¡®obstacle.¡¯ On the path to achieving dreams, one could only move from one obstacle to the next. Whether failing or succeeding, obstacles would lessen with the experience gained, and the road forward would become clearer. But Talian didn¡¯t know this. How could he? He was just a child. Still, Talian was determined about his dream, and no strange, incomprehensible emotions would deter him. He would achieve his dream, and to do so, he needed to return to his mission as soon as possible. The mission that would introduce Talian to the world of assassins was one of infiltration and theft. Despite what had happened to his leg, Talian could say he had successfully infiltrated¡ªno one suspected he was there to retrieve the item the mysterious man had specified. Of course, Talian had told Saeyt about his mission, but she was his dear childhood friend. She had always supported his dream, so there was no way she would tell anyone. Talian had blind trust in her. His small hand clenched the bedsheets, followed by a faint frown. Something felt off about his thoughts, about what he was about to do. Especially after telling his childhood friend, who had supported him with a smile and enthusiasm. He tried to understand these feelings, but in the end, he let them drift away in his inability to comprehend them. Instead, he focused on what he would do next. ¡®I¡¯ll wait until nightfall and finish the mission. My leg will be fine to use again. Laina said I¡¯ll recover quickly because I¡¯m not broken like Saeyt said¡ªjust injured. I¡¯ll rest now until nightfall.¡¯ The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. A big yawn escaped Talian¡¯s mouth at the thought, and he didn¡¯t resist it. Even though it wasn¡¯t even midday yet, Talian felt tired. And he would need some rest to heal faster¡ªand to speed up time as well. Talian opened his eyes again to find himself in a dark place. He couldn''t see anything¡ªnot even his own hand. He tried to move around but quickly realized he was stuck. Talian didn¡¯t panic because he knew he was dreaming. And so... he waited. After some time, the darkness around him began to shift, to move and take shape, until it formed a humanoid figure blended with shadows, with large, white circles where the eyes should be. The figure was as tall as a tree, with horns that branched out, emphasizing its great height. A dense, black aura surrounded the figure as it moved strangely toward Talian, humming with disappointment. ¡°Dreams! They have the power to build one person and destroy another!¡± It was the mysterious man who had promised to make Talian an assassin if he completed his mission. He looked exactly as Talian remembered him, but what was he doing in his dream? The towering, shadowy figure moved like a flowing river around Talian, its disc-like eyes unblinking as they bore into the young boy¡¯s form, which also blended into the surrounding darkness. ¡°Dreams are a choice! And a choice is a pledge! And a pledge is a ''do''! And you must keep the ''do'' to keep the dream!¡± The man continued moving without stopping, speaking all the while. Talian was confused, struggling to grasp the man¡¯s words¡ªand even more so to track his movements, which showed no signs of ceasing, only growing stranger. Talian thought the man had entered his dream to scold him for delaying the mission he had been assigned. After all, delays were not the mark of someone who would become a legendary assassin. But Talian received no scolding. The mysterious man simply continued speaking. ¡°Reasons!... Reasons kill dreams!¡± ¡°Follow your dream until it destroys you! Follow your dream until you conquer it! Or... surrender to a reason!...¡± ¡°That is the worst of all!¡± The strange dream continued for a long time, with the mysterious man uttering the most bizarre things that Talian struggled to understand. But Talian listened to every word. He felt that the man¡¯s words were very important¡ªsomething he would come to understand later. Overall, everything about the dream was far too strange¡ªnot how dreams were supposed to be. Especially when the dream ended, only to restart again. It was all just too strange! At some point, the dream finally ended. But instead of waking up, Talian simply continued sleeping until the next morning. And when he finally opened his eyes again to the familiar sight of his childhood friend¡¯s room, he was surprised that morning had already arrived. Wasn¡¯t he supposed to sleep only until nightfall? Talian turned his head to the side, only to be surprised to find Saeyt sleeping beside him. Her ears twitched at his movement, and she slowly lifted her small body, rubbing her eyes with the backs of her hands. She looked sleepy, but she still forced her eyes to focus on him. ¡°Good morning!¡± she said in a soft, drowsy voice that still carried her infectious enthusiasm. Talian was still dizzy from the cruel trick time had played on him. But he focused his thoughts more on his childhood friend and returned her morning greeting with one of his own. ¡°Good morning to you too!¡± Somehow, that felt much more important. Chapter 04 — A Heart, A Choice, and A New Dream Talian looked at the sleeping Saeyt, who had curled up in the blanket again, leaving only half of her head exposed to gaze at him as he gazed back at her. Her eyes were slightly teary, shimmering as they reflected him. Once again, that feeling of doing something wrong hit Talian in Saeyt¡¯s innocent expression. But, driven by the strange dream, he pushed his emotions aside and opened his mouth to declare, ¡°I will carry out my mission now.¡± Saeyt opened her mouth to say something, but all that came out was a yawn, making her small body curl up even tighter. When she finished and regained her ability to speak, she said to Talian, who was waiting for her response for whatever reason, ¡°Can I join?¡± Talian stared at her for a second longer before deciding to allow her to come along. He trusted his childhood friend, and her presence would make the mission much easier. Saeyt¡¯s parents were the castle¡¯s nobles, so she could roam as she pleased, and Talian would take advantage of that. ¡°But I want to eat first,¡± she added before Talian could put his thoughts into words, as if she never even considered that he might refuse. Talian didn¡¯t think much about it, but he should have. Of course, eating something before the mission would be helpful, but he couldn¡¯t shake the sense of urgency he felt after waking up from the strange dream, as if he was being pushed by some unseen force to act according to the shadowy man¡¯s words. It was a strange feeling, but Talian managed to brush it away in the face of Saeyt¡¯s innocent expression. A quick meal wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Fine, but let¡¯s make it quick.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± Saeyt cheered and leapt out of bed with surprising agility, as if she hadn¡¯t been the sleepy girl from moments ago. Standing on the bed, she grabbed Talian¡¯s hands and pulled him up, seemingly forgetting about his injured leg. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± Talian sighed and let her drag him out of the room. His leg felt fine. Even though his expression read ¡®She just can¡¯t help herself,¡¯ the small smile on his face said plenty about his feelings. After the delicious breakfast Talian and Saeyt had in the kitchen, they headed straight for the castle¡¯s depths, with Saeyt leading the way and Talian walking beside her. Talian didn¡¯t bother sneaking around; Saeyt¡¯s presence was enough of a cover for his movements. It had been a good decision to bring her along, but the deeper they went, the more hesitation and guilt crept into him. ¡°So¡­ what are you going to steal?¡± Saeyt asked, looking at Talian, her tail swishing with excitement. Talian stared at her for a moment longer before answering. ¡°I will retrieve something I¡¯ve never had¡­ time¡ªor at least, that¡¯s what the mysterious man told me.¡± Saeyt¡¯s eyes widened with excitement, even though she didn¡¯t understand what he meant. To her credit, he didn¡¯t fully understand it himself. But in the face of achieving his dream, Talian would do anything. ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s hurry!¡± Saeyt grabbed his hand again, pulling him deeper into the castle. As he walked forward, the world around Talian shifted. His vision blurred, his mind became hazy, and only his emotions remained connected, screaming warnings at him. Saeyt disappeared from his side, but the warmth of her hand in his remained¡ªat least, the sensation of it. Even her ever-cheerful voice echoed beautifully in his mind, alongside his own unexplainable emotions. But more than likely, her voice was the reason for those emotions. And Talian didn¡¯t understand why. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. When his sight returned, Talian found himself standing still, his green eyes turning black as he stared at what lay before him. In the white space where he now stood, there was a small white heart, floating gently in the thin air without movement¡ªonly its steady, rhythmic beats. Every now and then, streaks of sky blue and natural green would shimmer and swirl together, merging into a beautiful turquoise color similar to Aqua but with a warmer touch of green. It was the most beautiful thing Talian had ever seen. And also¡­ it was his target. Talian reached out to take it, but something inside him stirred violently, causing him to pull his hand back with force. ¡°Why am I hesitating?¡± Talian shouted in frustration at no one in particular¡ªonly what he perceived as weakness within himself. At that moment, Saeyt, who had vanished, reappeared, standing between him and the white heart. And she was¡­ crying! ¡°What!¡­ Why are you crying?¡± Talian¡¯s face fell as he stepped toward her in concern, gripping her shoulders to make her look at him. She did. She lifted her head to meet his gaze, her eyes overflowing with tears like an endless waterfall. No matter how much Talian tried to wipe them away, they only grew heavier. ¡°You¡­ you don¡¯t¡­ love me!¡± she finally choked out through sobs and hiccups. She looked truly heartbroken. But more than that, she looked disappointed. In him, of all people. Talian was shocked by her words. Why would she think that? She was his dearest childhood friend¡ªof course, he loved her. Why would she think he didn¡¯t? And why now? ¡°You want to¡­ steal our time¡­ our heart¡­!¡± Saeyt¡¯s voice cracked as she wept, her tears flooding the white room entirely. Talian looked down, only to find that her tears had already reached his waist, and that realization clenched his heart with pain. ¡®I did this!¡¯ Talian looked back at Saeyt, still sobbing. ¡®I hurt someone I love!¡¯ The realization hit Talian like a massive tidal wave, making the pain inside him even worse. Why was this happening to him?¡­ Talian didn¡¯t know. All he could do was wrap his arms around his childhood friend in an embrace, hoping to ease her tears¡ªand his own black ones. Talian¡¯s tear-soaked black eyes fell upon the white heart once more. On the surface, it hadn¡¯t changed. But deep within, something only he and Saeyt could feel¡ªsomething had shifted. A new understanding made itself known to him. As if the heart had spoken to him, that understanding became words Talian could comprehend. ¡°If you steal time, you will gain it. But you will lose your bonds.¡± Talian¡¯s eyes narrowed in frustration, even shock. What about his dream? He couldn¡¯t just give up on it! Talian looked down at his childhood friend, still crying in his arms. Could he give her up? The answer was as clear as the sun. He placed his hand gently on her head, tilting it up so she would look at him. She was still in pain, still crying, her tears nearly reaching Talian¡¯s neck, almost drowning them both. But he couldn''t bring himself to care about that now. There were a few words he needed to say. ¡°Do you want... to play outside?¡± The words came out easier than he had imagined. For a moment, the tears stopped. Saeyt with her head up gazed at him with trembling eyes. She still looked hurt, but new hope flickered in her bright blue eyes. Saeyt hesitated before nodding slowly, then spoke with uncertainty. ¡°What about¡­ your dream?¡± Talian closed his eyes. His black tears had stopped, but they had left traces on his face¡ªand deeper, in his heart. But he was at peace with his decision, and it didn¡¯t take him long to regain his clarity. It wasn¡¯t that he was abandoning his dream¡ªit was that his vision of it had changed. Talian still dreamed of becoming an assassin. But doing so at the cost of his bond with his childhood friend? That left him feeling empty. There was no point in achieving his dream if he was the only one to witness it. So, he looked at Saeyt and spoke. ¡°There¡¯s always another day.¡± At those words, Saeyt smiled¡ªa radiant smile that bathed the world in a warm, white light. Surrounded by that gentle glow, Talian felt he had made the right choice. A new path had opened for him, and with it, a new dream blossomed like a beautiful flower. At last, Talian¡¯s eyes returned to their natural green before he and Saeyt vanished into the light together.