'Bambi is in danger.'
After saying that, Raea remained silent for a long time, staring into space as if lost in thought.
It seemed like he couldn't hear what Ha-min was saying.
Eyes shaking as if they have no place to go, lips and shoulders trembling slightly, fists clenched tightly.
Even without looking closely, it was immediately clear that Raea was greatly agitated.
"Ms. Raea?"
Even when Ha-min called, Raea didn't turn around right away.
He barely managed to take a deep breath and then opened his mouth softly.
"It'll be fine for now. The traces are very small. There's still time to figure out what happened."
"I'll help you too."
"no."
Even though she firmly refused Ha-min's help, Rae-ah's gaze never touched Ha-min.
Turning to the side made him feel like he was being pushed away again.
"This is especially dangerous for you. Instead... keep an eye on Bambi. Try not to leave her alone if possible."
"...all right."
But this time, Raea seemed to understand his feelings and tried to comfort him. Ha-min felt a little comforted.
"Could it have something to do with Caligo?"
"No way."
Raea swallowed her breath after saying that.
"I'll tell you when I find out. Until then, it's best not to tell anyone else. Nothing is certain."
“Still, I think it’s okay to at least let people know that something has happened.”
"...Do whatever you want."
Until she warped like that, Raea didn't even look back at Ha-min.
-----
"I have something important to discuss. Please reply as soon as possible."
Raea, who came to the space of life, immediately contacted the developer.
To grasp the situation immediately, the fastest way was to get his help.
If we delay, the same thing may happen again.
After a few minutes of sitting still and waiting, fortunately the answer came back faster than expected.
[what's the matter?]
"I saw similar traces on Bambi."
[what?]
"It's smaller and looks a little different, but it feels similar."
[Did you use your powers on Bambi?]
"Just once, very weakly. Just enough to lift and move it slightly. Surely that wasn't enough..."
I was really careful. I thought I was, but maybe I wasn't.
[For now, I'll diagnose Bambi's data as quickly as possible.]
"Hurry up."
[But you]
The unfinished sentence showed the developer's hesitation and it was not continued for a while.
Leah already knew what he was going to say.
You don't have to say it out loud.
[No, just... don't overdo it.]
"okay."
Leah closed the chat window by clenching her fist and stared at her clenched fist for a long time.
Whenever I was left alone in a quiet space of life, old thoughts would always come flooding back.
'Raa!! I don't like it, please..!!'
'I'm sorry... I'm sorry, Ha Min.'
'no!!'
A sharp scream pierced my mind.
His hands were stained red, he was crying, and I was running away.
Nothing ever felt familiar.
Whenever memories came to mind, my heart would inevitably go back to that time.
My breathing became increasingly difficult, my vision became blurry, and I had difficulty controlling my body.
The pain that was squeezing my chest brought the fear that I might die.
But it's okay.
Once this passes, you won't have to be sad or in pain anymore.
That kid and me too.
-------
Eunho's house was located quite high up in Cyberpunk, so you could see the whole city at a glance just by looking out the window.
Eunho quite liked this scenery.
Cyberpunk, especially at night, has always been a great inspiration.
As cities began to grow one by one in Asterum thanks to the love of the Fleas, they began to anticipate that one day their own city would be created within the Chroma Drift.
Bambi naturally thought of cyberpunk, but Eunho thought differently.
Of course, he had lived in Cyberpunk all along before coming to Asterum, but there was another place where he had spent a lot of time.
Research Institute.
A place in a remote forest quite far south of Cyberpunk.
Eunho spent more than half of his life locked up in the lab.
And my time there was mostly a bad memory.
Some of them are still so traumatic to him.
In the midst of such terrible memories, the only ones who made the past meaningful were Terry and Leah.
The only support that helped me endure the unfortunate days, the one that was more precious to me than anyone else, my everything.
When I escaped from that place and lost everything, no, I thought I had lost everything, and the five years I lived there were far from the 'freedom' I had so desperately hoped for.
As I continued to live my life, repeating the cycle of atonement and resentment, I wore myself out, but I had no one to confide in.
Even though he came to Asterum and had reliable and dependable older brothers, Eunho still hadn't told anyone about his escape from the lab.
Even to Bambi, who was closest to him, he couldn't tell her about Leah.
Terry had encountered Bambi before coming to Caelum.
It was a shame that he went down the wrong path, but I could at least take comfort in the fact that he was still alive.
But Raea... remained a festering, bitter wound for Eunho for a long time.
After coming to Asterum, I was distressed by the fact that I no longer knew whether she was alive or dead.
Sometimes, when I dreamed about it, I would wake up crying as I saw the afterimage of Raea disappearing.
But then, suddenly, that Raea appeared before my eyes, and that too in Asterum.
I thought the atmosphere had changed a lot from before, but after talking to her for a bit, I was able to confirm that it was the Raea I knew.
Why and how he came to Asterum was not important to Eunho.
The only thing that is meaningful is the fact that we are together like this now.
On days like today when you come and stay overnight, my mind is complicated.
Sadness and regret, joy and happiness, and the lingering longing.
Looking at Raea sleeping on the sofa, breathing softly, I felt relieved because she seemed just like the girl I knew when I was little, but at the same time, I felt anxious that she might go away again.
"...Now don't go anywhere and stay where I can see you..."
Eunho bent down, carefully brushed away the hair tickling the bridge of Raea's nose, and whispered softly.
As if making a desperate wish.
---------
When I opened the curtains, the sky of Asterum was clear and bright.
In every corner of Cyberpunk City, a little bit of the snow that had fallen yesterday remained.
Ha-min raised both arms, stretched vigorously, then returned to the sofa and made up the bedding.
Bambi was still asleep, and only the faint sound of his breathing could be heard from beyond the open door.
Hamin spent the night before at Bambi's house to fulfill Raea's request to watch over Bambi.
As Raea said, there was nothing particularly strange about it, except for the occasional confusion in the order of conversation.
So, the seriousness of this matter didn't really hit me.
Leah's expression was quite serious, but in fact, that person always had that kind of expression...
Although he said he would tell everyone yesterday, Ha Min still hasn't told anyone about this incident.
Even to Bambi himself.
First of all, I decided to trust Raea's decision.
"Oh, you woke up early."
There was a rustling sound inside the room, and Bambi came out.
The sight of him squinting and yawning loudly in the sudden sunlight was quite leisurely, unlike the situation he was in.
"Brother, did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, I'm feeling a bit better today. Did you sleep well too?"
"Yes. The sofa was soft."
Actually, this morning, he woke up from that dream again and couldn't sleep properly, but Ha-min didn't show it.
This time I was able to take one step further than before, but...
In my dreams, I could instinctively tell that I was still far from reaching that light.
When I wake up, my memories and senses are usually blurry, but strangely enough, this dream wasn't like that.
Because of that, I felt uneasy all day long on the day I had that dream.
"Would you like some water?"
"Yes. Thank you.."
Bambi asked as he walked to the kitchen.
And something caught Ha-min's eye as he turned around to answer.
'That's it, a trace.'
A small, golden mark shone faintly through the hair behind Bambi's ear.
A shape that resembles a crack and a cluster of stars overlapping.
I felt like I had seen it somewhere, but I couldn't remember what it was.
"Ha Min-ah?"
"Oh, yes. I'll drink it."
Okay, let's focus on what we can do now.
Whatever news Raea brings, I hope it's nothing serious.