Miria found herself once again at the entrance to Ashenford. A figure resembling her appeared: long green hair, yellow eyes. She was now nineteen years old.
Miria's thought: *Here we are… the moment I returned to Ashenford after eight years of absence.*
Miria of Ashenford, lost, looked for a place to stay. Along the way, she came across people in difficulty and saved them without hesitation. Among them was Kil. They recognized each other. The bond was rekindled. Kil helped her find an inn, clearly surprised by her power.
"How can you be so powerful?" he asked.
Miria, who was watching, shook her head sadly. She already knew what was going to follow.
Miria of Ashenford, naïve, told him everything: the grimoire, her powers, her destiny.
Miria's thought: *Stupid… so stupid and naïve…*
Kil left her in front of an inn. Inside, Miria of Ashenford found Lira, who had become the owner of the place. They embraced, happy. Lira promised to come talk as soon as she was free.
Later, the two friends talked about everyone. When Miria of Ashenford asked for news of Leo, Lira smiled.
"He's still around. He's opened several shops… but he manages them anonymously. He doesn't want to attract attention."
"Maybe I'll go visit him," said Miria of Ashenford. "And… Kil helped me earlier. After I saved him, we talked again."
Lira became serious.
"Miria… the Kil you knew no longer exists. He's become much worse. Most of our friends avoid him. He hangs around with bad people."
Miria of Ashenford took it in, but didn't have the courage to admit that she had already agreed to see him again.
The scene changed. In a forest, Miria of Ashenford was fighting monsters while Kil and his friends fled.
Miria's thought: *This is the memory of the forest… when Kil suggested going to look for a "treasure"… and abandoned me to my fate.*
She defeated the monsters, but exhausted her magic and fainted. A stranger in a hood picked her up and carried her away.
She woke later in her room at the inn. Lira was there, furious.
"You almost lost your life because of Kil!"
"Who… who saved me?" asked Miria of Ashenford, ashamed.
"Leo. And he's downstairs helping me today."
Miria of Ashenford jumped out of bed. Downstairs, she asked a waitress where Leo was. She was shown a young man from behind, white shirt, black hair tied in a ponytail.
She ran toward him, happy.
"Leo!"
She touched his shoulder. When he turned around, Miria of Ashenford stood open-mouthed.
And Miria, who was watching, was even more shocked.
Miria's thought: *But… but it's impossible… Asher?! He looks exactly like him… Is it possible that Asher is the reincarnation of Leo? No… it's impossible… I would have known… yet…*
Leo gently scolded her.
"You're putting yourself in danger again for Kil… just like when we were children."
"It won't happen again," she promised. "I've learned my lesson."
"I really hope so. Otherwise Kil might end up using you… especially if he knew about the power of the grimoire."
Miria of Ashenford lowered her head. Leo understood immediately and slapped his forehead.
"You told him…"
"I won't do anything more for him, I promise you," she reassured him.
"I really hope so."