"What were we doing again? I got a little distracted"
"…Distracted?" Rimi asks, her voice barely above a whisper. But she doesn't say anything more.
This isn't the first time she's seen it.
Over the past two years living in the Eclipse estate with Cassius, Rimi has grown familiar with the calm routine of life here. But with that peace comes something else, something deeply unsettling.
This boy… occasionally "changes"
At first, it only happened once every few months. The first time Rimi witnessed it was on a quiet afternoon. Cassius had been walking through the castle halls when he suddenly stopped mid-step. His eyes turned completely white, his body stiffened, and his lips moved without sound. Rimi had panicked. She didn't know what to do except scoop him onto her back and sprint straight to Celeste's chambers.
She still remembers the look in Celeste's eyes. Calm. Unmoving. The woman's face held no surprise, no concern. She simply studied the unresponsive boy for a moment, then reached out and touched his forehead.
"It's nothing to worry about" Celeste had said "Just a reaction from his ability"
Rimi hadn't understood. She'd wanted to ask so many questions, but Celeste had silenced her with a single, firm sentence spoken in that same cold, gentle tone
"This won't harm him. You don't need to worry"
From that day on, Rimi began to pay closer attention. Every time Cassius entered that strange state, the symptoms were the same, white eyes, frozen body, no response. But what concerned her most came after the fact.
Cassius often forgets.
There are days when he can't recall a promise he made to Rimi just days before. Sometimes he tells her a story like it's the first time, even though Rimi knows he's already told it twice. And when she tries to remind him or gently bring it up, he only tilts his head, confused, and gives a soft smile, like even he doesn't understand why he can't remember.
Rimi once brought it up to Celeste. But the only response she received was a small shake of the head and a cold statement:
"This is normal"
"Don't interfere too much, Rimi. Just stay by his side. That's enough"
Rimi didn't understand. But the look in Celeste's eyes that day had stopped her cold. The pressure of a Level 9 Mage's presence was overwhelming.
The last time Cassius had fallen into that state was just three days ago, barely three days. And now it's happening again.
'Too soon' Rimi thinks
'The frequency is increasing.'
She watches as Cassius quietly picks up the watering can and continues walking, as if nothing happened. As if he doesn't remember the shaking, the white in his eyes, the moment that just passed not even a minute ago.
Cassius walks slowly along the moss-covered stone paths. Rimi follows behind him, her feline steps so light they barely touch the ground. She weaves through the low shrubs, occasionally burying her face into flowers or swatting at fallen leaves left on the walkway, looking completely content.
"Careful, Rimi. Don't step on those baby daisies" Cassius calls out, though there's no real sternness in his voice.
"I know, I know~" Rimi answers lazily, but she still glances back, then carefully tiptoes through the space between two flowerbeds.
Cassius kneels down to tie back a leaning stalk, his movements gentle and precise. The petals sway slightly as he touches them, as if welcoming his presence.
"I don't think I've watered this section yet…" he murmurs, then pauses, frowning a little.
Rimi tilts her head "Don't look at me. I'm not the one tending them. You should know better than anyone"
Cassius looks up, blinking. "Ah… no, it's just… I thought I already did"
He chuckles softly and continues with his work. Rimi watches him for a moment longer, her cat-like eyes flickering with something that isn't quite ease, but she says nothing. Instead, she hops onto a nearby stone ledge and curls her tail around herself.
"What do you want to plant next time?" Rimi asks, changing the subject.
Cassius thinks for a moment "Maybe wild daisies. The tiny yellow ones, they look really cheerful"
"As long as it's not thorn flowers. That day you dragged me out of a rose bush, I was injured for days" Rimi huffs, her whiskers twitching in protest.
"Well, that's because you crawl around everywhere" Cassius laughs, gently nudging her shoulder.
The two continue wandering along the winding paths between colorful flower beds. A soft breeze drifts by, carrying the scent of grass and damp earth. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting sparkling patches of light across Cassius's hair.
These are what Cassius's ordinary days look like, slow, quiet, and repetitive. He spends most of his time in the wide garden behind the castle, where the plants always seem to lean gently toward his footsteps. Sometimes, he plays hide-and-seek with Rimi, or spends quiet afternoons listening to Celeste read old fairy tales aloud.
It's been a long time since Cassius has left the castle. Apart from the few remaining servants, he rarely interacts with anyone else. The only time he ever sees new faces is on his birthday, when King Aurelius and a few other dukes come to visit. To outsiders, such a life might seem stifling or lonely. But to a seven-year-old boy, it is a complete world. A peaceful, simple, and familiar world.
And then, the next day arrives, just like every day before.
The sky is clear. The breeze is gentle. Cassius walks through the garden with his watering can, Rimi trailing behind, occasionally curling up in a random flower bush, utterly content.
Everything seems like it will pass just as usual.
Until that afternoon-
Boom
A column of light suddenly tears through the sky, crashing straight down into the garden.
"…What the hell is happening!?" Rimi freezes in place, eyes wide as she stares at the boy in front of her.
Cassius is kneeling in the center of the radiant beam. His eyes have turned completely white, the pupils vanished without a trace. But that's not all, his jet-black hair gradually shifts into pure white, soft like silk and glowing under the blinding light.
"…A halo?" Rimi breathes, completely bewildered. Above his head, a glowing ring floats, a halo, pure and brilliant, casting shimmering white light in every direction.
It's all too absurd. Too sudden. She whips her head toward the castle, eyes locking onto Celeste's office window.
It's already flung wide open.
And outside, Celeste hovers in midair, her platinum hair flowing with the wind, silver eyes locked onto the boy below.
She doesn't call out. Her lips move silently.
"The... deal?" Rimi murmurs, reading her lips. A chill runs down her spine.
'This… is what she meant? It's time?'
Before Rimi can finish the thought, Cassius slowly rises to his feet.
He doesn't look at anyone. Doesn't speak a word. He simply turns and starts walking toward the outer fence of the castle grounds.
Rimi bolts after him.
Cassius no longer walks, his feet lift off the ground. When he reaches the towering iron fence, he floats above it without touching a thing. His white eyes remain blank, like someone trapped in a dream.
When his feet touch down again, he begins moving, heading north.
'North?' Rimi clenches her jaw. Without hesitation, she darts after him.
—
Meanwhile, atop the highest spire of Eclipse Castle, Celeste remains suspended in the air.
She raises her hand toward the sky.
Immediately, a massive symbol materializes in the gray heavens, a single eye with wings of feathers spread wide, drawn in crimson light. The insignia of House Eclipse.
"A display ritual?" A second voice rings out beside Celeste, feminine and echoing, the speaker's form a hazy silhouette made of glowing white light.
"Yes. I don't want outsiders interfering" Celeste replies, her voice cold as steel.
A third figure appears, this one a woman, surrounded by flickering red light.
"He always makes this kind of thing… dramatic" she says
"That spontaneous activation function of his is incredibly troublesome" Celeste mutters, eyes fixed on a point to the north, where Cassius continues walking, trailed closely by a black cat.