When I anticipated a harsh sneer or doubtful words, Ivan surprised me with a question instead. 

“Is it because you’re from another world that you can’t tell me why?” 

The sensation of a metaphorical bucket of cold water hitting me, froze me in my place. I balled my hands into fists to stop my whole body from trembling. Somewhere along the line, I had forgotten that Ivan knew that I was from another world. 

Gathering my thoughts, I mustered some needed courage to continue on. When I felt ready to talk, I forced myself to maintain eye contact with Ivan.

“Yes,” I finally admitted after what felt like an eternity.

His eyes never left mine while speaking. “You were speaking vaguely… I assume you’re missing some crucial details.”

Again, he hit the bullseye, causing a shudder to pass through me. How would he react if he discovered that my knowledge of him came from reading his story? That I spent countless hours laughing and crying over his joys and sorrows? That I always wished I -

“Rêve, look at me.” His voice rang me out of my spiraling thoughts and like so often already I turned my head to him like he was my lighthouse in the darkness. In a way, he had been my guiding light and my escape from my bleak reality for years. 

Ivan observed me with tired, yet determined eyes and for the first time in these last two days, I saw something flash across his features that I had never seen before.

“I believe you,” Ivan's voice was soft and calming, yet I sensed a hint of hesitation in his tone. Unspoken words hung in the air between us, like clouds drifting across the sky.

A few moments passed before Ivan spoke again, his voice slightly stronger. “Is there anything else you can tell me? The more information I have, the easier it’ll be to set up countermeasures. I won’t let anyone take Dragan from me.”

I knew the identities of the attackers and which guild they belonged to, but beyond that, the details were unclear. The novel had left those aspects intentionally vague. It really drove home the point that all this was set up as an inciting incident in the novel to propel Ivan into action. Being a part of this world now, it disgusted me how such a traumatizing event served as a mere plot device.

If I told Ivan their identities there was a good chance that Ivan might take action and justice upon himself and I wanted to avoid that. Ivan was powerful enough to easily deal with them, but this didn’t mean that I wanted him to become a murderer! Knowing his personality and the fact that his brother’s life was in danger, I feared he might do something drastic. My heart squeezed at the thought of Ivan saving Dragan at the cost of his own freedom.

“I know the identities of the attackers, but I won’t reveal them to you.” I confessed, watching as Ivan's expression shifted to one of confusion and discontent. His reaction compelled me to explain my honest reasoning.

“It would break my heart to see you dirty your hands if I told you their names. And besides, if you attacked them preemptively, the guilds would try to use this as an excuse to cause both you and Dragan harm.” Immediately, my cheeks flushed with embarrassment at my honest words. In moments like these, it was hard for me to keep my true feelings hidden.

Ivan's eyes, previously calm and focused on me, visibly softened as I finished speaking, and he let out a gentle chuckle. “I don’t know whether to feel touched or hurt that you would think like this about me”.

Shame washed over me at his response and I closed my eyes. He had a valid point—I was assuming the worst of him.

“Hey, I didn't mean it like that. Open your eyes again,” a rustling sound filled the room, and as I obeyed his words, I realized that Ivan had moved closer. Our faces were only separated by a nose length. 

“How about we make a promise?” Ivan extended the little tattooed finger of his left hand, wiggling it playfully. The tense atmosphere softened a bit and I felt a tad more relaxed.

A promise? It was a bit childish, but perhaps this could work in my favor. Ivan's unexpected fondness (?) towards me and the unwavering trust he seemed to have in him made me consider his proposal.

“I promise you I won’t attack them on my own. If I take action, it’ll only be in self-defense. And I promise to not kill them. Does that satisfy you?”

Ivan had placed his trust in my vague words, so it was only fair for me to reciprocate that trust, though it didn’t fully sit well with me that we were bargaining other people’s lives as if it was nothing. Especially since I knew the circumstances of one of the attackers. 

After a bit of hesitation, I extended my own pinky finger and nodded in agreement.

We did a little pinky swear or at least the closest approximation possible between a ghost and a human. Ivan tried to minimize our contact as much as possible, but he couldn’t stop it fully. On the spots where his finger went through my ghostly skin, I keenly felt a sensation like squiggly worms crawling all over his skin. The touch was too deep hence the sensation, but as a symbol of our trust, I wanted to bear it. 

Now it was my turn to tell Ivan more about the attackers.

“The attackers are a duo working for the guild Aranea. They consist of a female puppeteer and her homunculus, but… I don’t know when they’ll spring into action.” 

I continued to reveal what little I knew about the attackers; their appearance, their general vibes, their history and even some of their spells and techniques. It wasn't much, but it was all I had gathered from the scattered hints in the novel. I even blurted out my own foolish hopes, while I was telling Ivan everything that came to mind. 

Throughout my explanation, Ivan listened attentively, his usual playful cat-like smile replaced by a serious demeanor. His frosty blue eyes remained fixed on me, analyzing every detail I shared. I could sense his mind already working, devising plans and countermeasures to protect his brother.  After I finished, I looked at him with expectant eyes.

There were a few ideas I had myself, but I was also missing information about Ivan’s current spell repertoire and what he was capable of. It made more sense to let him make the first step and give my opinions on it afterwards.

“So what do you propose we do?” I asked him and waited patiently. 

“Nothing,” he replied, his tone flat, but I noticed a glimmer in his eyes. 

Surprised by his answer, I opened my mouth to voice protest, but before I was able to, Ivan clarified his plan.

 “You said it yourself, Rêve. If I attack members of Aranea first, they would use this as justification to get rid of me. Not that I have faith in their abilities.” Hearing Ivan being back to his usual self made me somewhat relieved.

He then pointed his index finger, emphasizing his next point. "Instead, we will set a trap and wait for them to make the first move. It’s only fair to retaliate if they attack my brother~” 

Despite my initial confusion, his general plan was solid and lined up with my own. Given the guilds' animosity toward him, adopting the role of an unsuspecting victim was a wise approach. However, this didn’t guarantee Dragan’s safety.

With nervous eyes and cold sweat pouring down my neck, I voiced my worries. “What about your brother? It’d be best if you could put some kind of spell on him, like you did for me.”

Nodding in agreement, Ivan did a little hand gesture as if casting a spell right then and there. “Of course, I've already accounted for that. These barriers aren't foolproof, but they can withstand a few blows, buying me enough time to locate Dragan and apprehend these imbeciles."

At that moment, a thought struck me. The weight of our conversation and the exchange of secrets had bolstered my confidence enough to voice it. 

"What if I attempted to infiltrate Aranea's guild headquarters? I could gather intel on their plans and help us better prepare for their attack." Previously, I had dismissed this idea as too risky, but with Ivan's support, it no longer seemed insurmountable.

"Not a chance," Ivan promptly interjected, his tone firm and resolute.