November 26
The tenth year of the war
Near the village of Gwa, beneath the warm sunlight filtering through the dry branches of the dense pine forest, Hiro walked with Stella and Wendy by his side, heading toward the First King's domain in search of a place to rest after a long and exhausting day.
Each of them walked with a noticeable gap between them, a silence thick enough to build walls. The distance made it clear—there was no real connection among them. That small space carried a tension that silently unsettled them all.
Wendy, growing bored and tired as her eyes wandered across the scenery, decided to break the heavy silence. She stepped closer to Hiro, slipped her foot under his, and tripped him. He nearly fell to the ground, but she caught him at the last moment.
"What's wrong with you? Why did you do that?" Hiro asked, irritation flashing in his eyes.
Wendy leaned close and whispered,
"Are you going to talk to her or not? Just moments ago you were dying to speak to someone who resembled you. Your expression was so obvious it was honestly funny. But you're taking way too long—it's getting boring."
"I can't believe you noticed that. Was it that obvious?" Hiro replied.
"Yeah. And seeing you all nervous like that was kind of hilarious."
Hiro felt she was deliberately trying to annoy him. It made him uncomfortable—exposing that pitiful side of himself.
"Even if you say that… I don't even know what to talk to her about. I only know her name. Trying to start a pointless conversation out of nowhere would just make me look weird."
Wendy's sarcastic, cold glance was enough for Hiro to hear her say "Are you stupid?"—without her ever opening her mouth.
That made Hiro angrier.
"What's with that face? You're seriously annoying. Just leave me alone."
Wendy was starting to think Hiro might actually be a bit irritating.
"You're really not very nice," she muttered.
"Shut up."
Wendy quickly walked ahead toward Stella and said,
"Stella, right? I never introduced myself properly. I'm Wendy, a courier for the First King's army."
Stella was caught off guard and unsure how to respond, so she simply nodded.
"N–Nice to meet you."
"I heard you're a Phoenix. Is that true? What happened to your wings? Did you lose them in an accident?"
When Wendy asked with that sly smile on her face, Stella realized what she was trying to get at. Before she could continue, Stella cut her off.
"You're wondering why I don't have a mark above my head, aren't you?!
Sorry to disappoint, but I don't know either. Everyone I've ever met always wants to figure out who I am. They ask that same question—'Who are you?'—and when I say I'm a Phoenix, they all laugh like I told a joke, then say the cruelest things like I don't even exist.
You were the one who asked first. Was I wrong to tell the truth?"
Her expression darkened the more she spoke.
Wendy responded softly, with a calm voice and gentle smile:
"I believe you."
Was she lying? Or just showing sympathy? Stella couldn't tell. But even so, she didn't expect that kind of answer, and it left her speechless.
When Wendy saw the look on her face, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?" Stella asked, confused.
"Oh, it's just… your reaction. It reminded me exactly of Hiro's expression earlier."
"Huh? I don't get it."
Wendy ignored the question and started speaking to herself about things the others couldn't quite understand.
"Never mind," Wendy said, still lost in thought. "I was just thinking… we're all kind of the same here.
No attachments. No place to belong. Just outcasts."
Hiro's expression changed as he listened to her words.
Who is this girl? he wondered.
Stella, too, watched Wendy carefully. As she walked beside her, Wendy suddenly asked a question, closing the distance between them.
"I've been wondering since the first time I saw you, but now I'm sure…
That staff you're holding—
Isn't it one of the Swords of the Calendar?"
"Huh?
Yeah, you're right. But how did you know that?"
"It's not a big deal. I read a book about those weapons once.
Not like I know everything. I just remember the hierarchy of power and a few of the names."
Stella hesitated to speak—she was never good with words.
"So you're well-read, huh?"
"Forget about that. Tell me—what type is your staff? Could it be… one of the Four Seasons?!"
"As if something like that would happen. Everyone who knows about the Calendar Swords has heard of the Four Seasons. Each one is held by a king. Even you must know that."
"Yeah, but I just wanted to say it anyway."
Stella let out a small sigh, releasing the tension that had been weighing on her. Talking more freely now, she realized Wendy had been the one to break down the wall she was afraid of.
"This staff... it's called Tuesday."
Wendy blinked in surprise.
"That's amazing. The Days of the Week, huh?
That's not far off from the Four Seasons. It's definitely not normal…
Especially since the one wielding it is one of the Three Swords of Light."
Stella never imagined that such words could make her happy. She turned her face away to hide the blush and murmured with a shy smile:
"It's nothing special, really… but thanks."
Hiro, listening to the conversation without understanding any of it, chose to remain silent.
"Can I hold it for a bit?"
Wendy reached out toward the staff, smiling.
Stella pulled her hand back.
"Are you crazy? Don't you know what could happen if you touch it?"
"I just want to try something. Let me touch it—just a little."
Wendy's fingers moved closer. But just before she could touch the staff, a powerful lightning bolt shot out and blasted her hand back violently. Her palm exploded with pain, blood dripping from every part of it.
Hiro panicked, not understanding what was going on.
"What's happening?! Are you okay?"
Stella, furious, shouted at her.
"Are you insane?! You could've lost your hand!"
Wendy, trembling with pain but still smiling, looked down at her burned hand.
"Ah… I know. I just wanted to make sure the story was real.
So it's true—the weapon never betrays its chosen wielder. That's amazing. A weapon with a will of its own… that's crazy."
Both Hiro and Stella now looked at Wendy with different eyes. The girl who had once unsettled them with her sarcasm now seemed… truly different.
Stella, her voice trembling slightly, muttered:
"You're completely crazy."
Wendy gave her a warm smile and replied:
"Maybe you're right."
As they continued walking, the silence returned. The distance between them grew again—no words exchanged for a long while.
Eventually, they reached a clearing in the forest. A wide field filled with crimson flowers stretched before them.
And there, standing at the center, was an old man wearing a long red robe trimmed with feathers. His luxurious outfit spoke of nobility. But it was the black horns on his head, emerging from fiery red hair, that inspired real fear.
Stella and Wendy froze, their eyes locked on the man, fear spreading across their faces. Hiro, still unaware of what was happening, followed their gaze—only then noticing the strange red lines stretching from the man's shoulders into the sky, forming a glowing circle full of ancient symbols.
Suddenly, those lines began retracting back into his body. The man let the flower he was holding fall to the ground and began to speak to himself.
"Just as I thought.
The barrier surrounding this forest has vanished.
Are these children the cause?"