*San's POV

Of course, this isn’t new. I had already warned the humans at the research facility. They could do anything to me. Anything as long as it didn't make me feel comfortable. Until Layla came and everything changed. The curse repeated again, just like at the orphanage and every place in my vague memory.

When Layla asked me to never think of Calmora as home, I wasn’t angry, nor was I disappointed or sad. She was just reminding me of what was already clear. And it made me feel foolish for forgetting.

But... it's hard not to see Calmora as home.

My memory is vague, but I'm sure I've never felt like this in any place. I want to stay here, assimilate with everyone, and go through many things with them. Maybe I can help them, maybe they can help me. But I also don't want anything bad to happen in this place. I hate the guilt I feel when it happens.

No... I really don't want to leave. Whatever the consequences, I'm too tired of running. At least until there's no reason for me to run anymore. Yes, only until then.

I guess it's okay to be a little selfish.

***

Seon's room smelled like a mix of wet grass and cinnamon. The scent came from the thin smoke rising from the pipe attached to the ceiling, connected to the fireplace in one corner of the room. The room itself was trapezoidal, large enough to be a classroom. Yet strangely, it felt cramped due to the various unusual objects I assumed were his private collection.

Seon sat behind his desk, his legs folded on the table while calmly reading a book. Behind him, the outside view was visible through two square-shaped windows. I sat on a plush sofa that was probably also used for sleeping. The floor was covered with a soft dark green carpet, matching the light brown walls. Beside the sofa was a large wooden shelf filled with dozens of old, yellowed books.

I met him at the edge of the forest after leaving Layla. Somehow, he seemed to be waiting for me. Seon said he wanted to talk. He took me to the Main House, to his room, soaking wet. But after almost half an hour, he hadn’t said anything. Just quiet, enjoying each other's silence. He did give me a cup of warm tea upon arrival, but that was it.

Half an hour passed, and I had taken five books from the shelf. I didn't read any of them seriously. I just picked them based on their cover color or because they were covered in dust. Outside, the rain had stopped, and the sun was almost setting. Seon also glanced at the window. After a moment, he closed his book and placed it on the table. Maybe because the light was too dim for reading.

Seon got up and walked to the fireplace. He took an oil lamp from the fireplace wall and lit it with the fire from the burning wood. After the lamp was lit, Seon crouched down and picked up an iron rod leaning against the wall, then poked at the embers in the fireplace.

He turned to me, looking at my face and the book in my hands alternately. "Is that interesting?"

I looked down at the book in my hands. The cover was reddish-brown with no writing or decorations. It was the thinnest book on the shelf, maybe that's why I picked it. All its pages were yellowed and moldy, but the writing was still clear. It was just a collection of boring short poems. "No. I don't understand."

"That's a shame. I used to have a lot of interesting books, but it's impossible to bring them all here."

"Sorry, do you really want to talk about books?"

The director smiled. "No, I was just making sure you're ready to talk."

I swallowed nervously. "Then what?"

"You know what," he said. "You've met her, you must have seen enough."

My body instantly tensed. Though I was sure my expression didn't change, my fingers slowly turned white as I pressed too hard on the book.

Seon turned back and continued poking the fireplace. "Minerva fell a month ago," he said. "Orion did it. If you think it's none of your business, you're right. But in Solaris, Minerva is considered a symbol of peace. Long before the Republic was formed, the kingdom did a lot: helping restore kingdoms that lost their nobles, mediating conflicts among the kingdoms in Altheren, and even pushing for the establishment of diplomatic relations among the four great kingdoms. In other words, Minerva's influence was quite significant. So what do you think will happen if the symbol of peace is destroyed?"

I remained silent. No need to answer. It's none of my business. It has nothing to do with me.

Seon finished with the fireplace. He put the iron rod back in its place, stood up, took the lit oil lamp, and then turned to me. "Come. There's something I want to show you."

In the main courtyard, the Weavers were busy building a layer of walls from earth. It was quite large and encircled a cubic structure of earth in the center. Dozens of torches were placed at various corners of the camp and the walls the Weavers were building.

I thought it looked like a fortress. They must be preparing for the war simulation Layla mentioned. Although Layla had invited me earlier, I felt Seon subtly forbade me from joining. He led me east. We passed the wheat fields and entered the forest. Unlike the southern forest I had entered earlier, the eastern forest had less vegetation. The trees were small to medium-sized, spaced far enough apart to set up one or more tents. Along the way, no wild roots were blocking the path. The ground was covered with thin, damp grass after the rain.

As night approached, my only guide was the light from Seon's oil lamp. He kept walking steadily ahead of me, occasionally slowing down to make sure I was still following him.

"The woman from the banyan tree," Seon said. "Her name is Vena. She helped me establish Calmora 50 years ago."

Memories of the previous incident replayed in my mind. The woman with wavy brown hair flew above the cliff. Her red eyes looked sad as she pushed me down. "So Vena is the transparent woman now?"

"She became a guardian spirit. When refining Calmora's magic, her soul merged with the implanted magic."

His tone sounded empty when he said that. I guess Vena was a sensitive topic for Seon, though he seemed to force himself to talk about it with me. "She said you did something," I remembered Vena's words before hundreds of voices came attacking. When she asked in a disgusted and confused tone about something Seon did.

In front of me, Seon remained silent for a few steps. "I did many things, San. Not all of them were good."

Again, his voice sounded sad.

The path led to an expanse in the forest. A large area with hundreds of stone pillars about the size of a body planted in the ground. Most of the pillars were mossy. Some were eroded, tilted, or broken.

Seon stopped in the middle of the area, among the randomly scattered stone pillars. With the dim glow of the oil lamp, I glimpsed Seon's face looking at the pillars with a weary and sorrowful expression before turning back to me. "In the early days of Calmora's founding, we successfully brought seventeen young weavers. Over the next three months, the number continued to grow to almost a hundred Weavers. This location was quite strategic as a sanctuary. Vena's protective magic worked well. But magic couldn't cure hunger. Magic might reduce pain, but bodies that were too damaged or weak couldn't be saved. Almost a hundred Weavers we brought died after six months due to disease and hunger."

Then Seon placed the oil lamp on the ground. He took a thin knife from his pants pocket and cut his palm. His blood gradually turned into green light particles. Seon clenched his bleeding hand, and all the light particles seemed to be sucked back in. Then he waved his hand, opening his palm. Instantly, a ball of light appeared above the hundreds of stone pillars. It floated dynamically like fire, illuminating the entire area with a greenish glow.

I just realized. "This... a grave?"

"Yes and no. There are no buried bodies beneath. When weavers die, their bodies will fade and crumble into particles of light or smoke. These pillars are just reminders of their existence."

I bowed, looking at the nearest pillar buried lower than the others. The light ball above it was also quite small.

Seon picked up the oil lamp again. It was hard to understand the meaning of his gaze. Sometimes he looked sad, sometimes so tired and desperate, now... he seemed confused. "San, Vena wants me to kill you."

I felt this man could do it. Even if it was pointless, it would still hurt. "Why?"

"Look around you."

I immediately got goosebumps. Around us, among the trees, in the darkness of the forest, several shadow creatures moved restlessly. Watching us with hungry-looking purple glowing eyes. Their number... I didn't know, I could only hear their growls among the wind. Strangely, my chest also felt hot, right where the strange symbol was. It felt uncomfortable as if it was restricting my breath.

Those creatures, Nien, were exactly as Layla described. A dynamic mass of black smoke with two glowing purple eyes. Their bodies could transform into anything, and the only way to defeat them was when their bodies were solid—which only happened when they were about to attack.

I drew my sword from the magic bag on my leg, gripping it tightly.

"They can't get close," Seon said. "It's too bright here."

“Why can they come here? Is this place outside Calmora?”

Seon shook his head, his face now looking sad. “I’ve done many things, San. This is one of them.”

I still didn’t understand what he was talking about.

“How do you think protective magic works?” he asked.

I furrowed my brow, feeling uneasy. “I don’t know! We have to tell the others.”

“When it's activated, the magic will select Atma particles. The formed magic wall will block certain chosen particles,” he explained. “Usually, protective magic specifically blocks the matter that forms the Nien, which is the main threat. What do you think the Nien are made of?”

No… I knew what that meant. I understood very well what Seon was trying to say now.

“Enigma,” he said, and the growls grew louder. “Protective magic is supposed to block every aspect of Enigma’s power. That’s why Orion also can’t enter areas protected by magic. But… what if one day someone carrying those aspects appears within the area protected by magic?” Seon paused, perhaps waiting to see my response. “The protective magic will tolerate the aspects it previously rejected. That’s what will happen.”

The tightness in my chest worsened. “You knew they would come?”

Seon didn’t answer. But I immediately realized something from his silence.

From the start, Seon knew what had to be done. He could have fulfilled Vena’s request for the sake of this place. “Why?” My voice trembled; I couldn’t hide it anymore.

“I just want to know the meaning of your presence.” Seon then walked closer to me. “If I had to choose, I would kill you to protect Calmora. But I know it’s pointless. Since you entered through the portal, the protective magic has already tolerated the Enigma aspects.”

“You knew what would happen but you didn't do anything. You put them all in danger!”

Seon remained silent, and once again, I realized my own words. It wasn’t Seon who put them in danger, it was me.

“This isn't your fault,” he said softly like he could read my mind. “But you have a chance to fix it.” He extended his hand, offering me the oil lamp. “You can go to Minerva to fulfill your fate and responsibility there. Or you can stay here and save us all by changing the fate of this place.”

I wanted to argue, to scream that I didn’t know how. But the words didn’t come out. I knew… from the beginning, there was no choice but to stay. The curse had repeated itself.

Why… it hasn’t even been one day.[]