At the far end of the Allecci shopping district, there was a narrow alley rarely visited by people. There, a slum had formed—a stark contrast to the wealth and luxury of the Allecci district. This place was especially home to many children, ragged and hungry.

A man wearing a cape marked with the Foldron guild’s insignia hurried into the alley, breathing heavily.

As he paused to catch his breath, a child approached him, begging.

“Please, help us. My little sister hasn’t eaten anything today.”

“Get lost, will you?”

But the guild member didn’t even spare the child a glance—he roughly pushed aside the small, pleading hand.

The child tumbled to the ground, skinning their knee and drawing blood.

“How dare you.”

The guild member muttered, as if brushing off something filthy, hastily shaking out his cape.

Avoiding the children, he made his way to a secluded building tucked in the farthest corner of the alley.

Inside, it was dark—nothing like the sunlight outside. As the guild member’s eyes slowly adjusted, he spoke carefully into the gloom.

“Master?”

“You’re here.”

A man’s voice came from deeper inside.

The guild member hurriedly dropped to one knee, bowing in greeting.

“I heard there’s an emergency at the House of White. You did well—you brought me some valuable information.”

There was a clink as a pouch of coins landed on the floor.

The Foldron spy—whom Karsten had been searching for—bowed low in thanks and slipped the pouch into his clothes.

“So, did you see the young lady’s face?”

“…No, I didn’t.”

The man struck the spy across the cheek.

“Then you’re useless.”

Immediately, the spy flattened himself against the floor, bowing even lower.

“I’m sorry, Master. But at the moment, I have no way of seeing her face.”

“Hm…”

“……”

“Well, I suppose it wasn’t easy to get inside. I suppose even information inside the guild is shared according to rank.”

“Yes, Master.”

The man nodded, signaling for him to stand.

“I tried countless times to get someone into that guild, but every single time, they were dealt with before anyone could notice.”

The man had spent years trying to infiltrate the Foldron Guild, sending dozens of people in every year since its establishment eight years ago. But all of them had either vanished without a trace or reappeared as broken shells of their former selves, begging for their lives.

“Remember, Ipin, you’re the only one left.”

“I understand, Master.”

Ipin answered with a look of grim determination. But the expression quickly faltered, replaced by visible anxiety.

“But Master, there’s a problem.”

“A problem?”

Ipin glanced nervously at his master. The memory of what had happened at the guild’s hideout earlier that day sent shivers down his spine. After all, he was the only one who had made it this far, and he was desperate for his master to find a way to get him out safely if things went wrong.

“The duke has realized there’s a spy inside Foldron.”

At this, his master’s face showed not a hint of concern.

“So?”

Ipin felt the world collapsing around him. He had always thought his master would be different from the rest—but now he was forced to accept he might have misjudged.

‘If this goes on, I really might end up as food for the beasts, my limbs hacked off…’

He couldn’t let that happen. He’d risked death to finally get into Foldron, only to be greeted by the threat of a gruesome end.

Desperate, Ipin clung to his master’s legs.

“I—I might be exposed soon.”

“……”

“If that happens—!”

Just as his master raised a hand, seemingly about to strike him, the snake tattoo on his wrist was revealed.

Smack—!

A sharp sound rang out in the cramped room.

“Who is your master?”

Ipin tasted bitter blood inside his cheek as he bit down on his lower lip.

“…You are, Master.”

“Then you know what your master hates most, don’t you?”

“…Incompetence.”

Ipin answered, his fists trembling.

“Exactly. There’s nothing more worthless than incompetence.”

“…”

“Don’t ever disgrace me with your incompetence.”

Leaning in, the man whispered coldly,

“Don’t forget—your family is in my grasp.”

“…Master!”

“If your cover is blown, your family will be killed. Immediately.”

Having said all he needed to, the man pulled his hood low and was the first to leave the building.

“D*mn it.”

As soon as he was gone, Ipin let out a curse under his breath.

Yes, there was a time when Ipin had truly considered that man his master, even followed him loyally. But that was long ago.

Now, Ipin knew the truth: just how cruel a man who despised incompetence could really be.

“Sara… Tidien…”

The names slipped out of Ipin’s mouth—his wife, and the son they cherished above all.

The moment Ipin had managed to infiltrate the Foldron guild, his wife and son had been kidnapped by that man.

He had taken them hostage to ensure Ipin wouldn’t try to run or turn against him.

‘Wait for me. I’ll save you, I promise.’

Grinding his teeth, Ipin muttered those words, then covered his face and slipped away into the shadows.

“……”

Not far off, someone had been silently watching everything unfold.

💙💙💙 💙💙💙

That night, Meliover still hadn’t let go of Breti’s hand. As a result, Breti found herself stuck at Meliover’s bedside, unable to move away.

“My darling…”

What made things most difficult for Breti was hearing Meliover call her “my darling.”

“…Yes, Mother.”

Whenever Meliover called her that, Breti would quietly respond, stroking her mother’s hand.

“It doesn’t matter if you can’t remember the years we shared. We can always make new memories from now on.”

Meliover’s face, as she said this, held a sorrowful look. Seeing that expression up close, Breti felt as if a needle were pricking her heart.

“Would you like me to sing you a lullaby, so you can sleep more comfortably?”

At those words, Meliover’s face brightened, and she stroked Breti’s cheek.

“Yes, you always sang so beautifully.”

“…”

“It’s been so long since I heard your voice. I’d love to hear you sing again, my darling.”

Cradling Meliover’s hand, Breti began to sing softly.

“When the bright light that lit the earth fades away,
A faint light rises in its place,
And the wanderer walks, following that gentle glow…”

A clear, pure voice began to fill the room.

The song that Breti sang was a lullaby that her mother used to sing to her on restless nights when she was young. Breti had once dreamed of singing it back to her mother when she grew up, but that day had never come — until now, in this strange and bittersweet moment.

Meliover watched Breti, her face full of contentment, as she sang.

Meanwhile, Karsten stood quietly in the hallway, peering through the slightly ajar door. He watched his mother’s satisfied expression as Breti’s voice floated out into the corridor.

There was something about that clear, pure singing that made Karsten’s heart thud loudly in his chest.

‘I know this song…’

He was especially struck by how familiar the lyrics sounded.

“Save me! Please!”

Suddenly, a single desperate cry flashed through his mind—a memory of himself as a child, running from something like Harridge and crying out for help.

‘Could it be… is this from back then?’

There were moments Karsten couldn’t fully recall—times lost after the accident he’d suffered as a child in the south. Now, a memory that surfaced out of nowhere left him deeply unsettled.

‘What does that song have to do with that memory?’

He tried to calm himself and search his mind, but all he found was darkness, as if someone had painted over those memories in black.

Just then, a chill breeze seemed to brush the back of his neck.

‘Why can’t I remember—again?’

As that same fleeting voice echoed in his ears, Karsten startled, glancing around. But in the corridor, he was completely alone.