The path through the autumn forest was surprisingly easy to follow. Dry leaves crunched beneath their steps, and the trees, glowing with shades of amber and rust, swayed gently in the wind. After walking nearly three kilometers, they reached a clearing—a stretch of open grass that faded into a gentle field of yellow wedelia flowers, bending slightly with the breeze.
"We'll stop here," Kael said bluntly.
With a rough motion, he finally let go of Lumino's hand—the same one he had been holding without pause since they began their walk.
Lumino instinctively brought their hand to their chest, rubbing the spot where his grip had just loosened. For the first time in a while, they lifted their gaze toward the horizon, the weight of silence slowly slipping from their shoulders. As the wind brushed through their white hair, something in the view ahead seemed to stir an old memory. They shook their head quickly, banishing it, then turned to Kael with a smile that didn't quite reach their eyes.
"May I ask where we're going?" they said softly.
Kael narrowed his eyes. He could see the forced calmness in their posture, the way their fingers trembled slightly at their sides. When his gaze dropped to their hand, he noticed a faint red mark—his mark.
Shit, Kael thought, guilt stabbing him unexpectedly. Did I hold on too tightly?
Trying to mask it, he responded gruffly, "There's no fixed destination. I just want to explore this world for now… and figure out how to sever this connection."
A beat. Then quieter—
"Sorry for pulling your hand so hard."
Lumino looked up at him, smiling with a teasing tilt.
"It really hurt, you know…"
Kael shot them a side glance.
"Don't be dramatic."
They chuckled, the sound light, fragile.
"Actually… I'm curious. What's your name? Would you be willing to tell me?"
Kael crossed his arms, unimpressed.
"Didn't I already say?"
"Kael. Shadow hunter, from the Hunter Association of Darwin City. World DF-1, Dimension Reminvoyage."
Lumino paused, repeating the name under their breath like a soft echo.
"Kael…"
The way they said it irritated him—not because it was wrong, but because it felt too casual, too elegant, like someone of higher status playing with words that didn't belong to them.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"I've told you my identity. Now how about you return the favor, pretty face?" he said mockingly, puckering his lips slightly in mimicry.
Lumino blinked.
"What does a face have to do with identity?"
That caught Kael off guard.
He shoved their shoulder. "Shut up! Just answer the damn question."
Lumino rubbed their arm with a frown.
"You're quite rude! I've tolerated your attitude long enough! Besides, I already told you my name!"
Their words tumbled out rapidly.
Kael flinched at their tone. "Lu—Lumino, right? I mean… what are you, really?"
His voice grew more aggressive.
"That movement earlier—you vanished in an instant. You're no ordinary human. Are you a mage? A hunter? A skill-user? Or some kind of assassin?"
Lumino hesitated, clearly overwhelmed. Their expression turned blank, as if Kael's questions were in a language they didn't fully understand.
"I… I'm just a normal person—"
"Bullshit!" Kael cut in, summoning a short blade to his hand. It gleamed sharply in the sunlight.
Lumino stumbled back in alarm. Why does he keep pointing weapons at me?! they thought. And how did that sword just… appear out of thin air?
"Can't we talk without weapons?" they said quickly, trying to keep calm. "I really am just human. I was raised by my grandfather in a small village. That's all. And he… he happened to be a saint."
Their voice began to trail off, and they lowered their gaze, no longer able to meet Kael's eyes.
"He always said—every hardship will lead to a beautiful future. So don't give up hope."
Kael's lip twitched.
"So what? Why should I care about your grandfather's sayings?"
The words hit harder than expected.
Lumino froze. Their eyes widened, lips trembling slightly before they bit down gently, trying not to show how much it stung.
"You're right… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought up things that don't matter."
Their voice was quiet now.
"You asked about my identity, and I answered truthfully. As for power—I inherited a small fraction of my grandfather's strength. Nothing more. It's not much, and it was never truly mine to begin with. It's a gift… from the Creator."
Silence.
Kael blinked. The blade in his hand flickered, then vanished with a soft shimmer.
Why did their voice sound like that? Low, uncertain. Almost… sincere.
Had he said something cruel?
Not that I care, Kael told himself quickly, shaking the thought from his head.
In the quiet awkwardness that followed, Kael found his thoughts drifting. Despite the tension still lingering in the air, his usually sharp mind was caught on something else—something he couldn't quite define.
Even as they rested near the edge of the golden field, his senses remained alert. The sky had begun to darken, hues of burnt orange and dusky pink painting the horizon. Night was approaching, and Kael weighed his options carefully—either they camped here, or they pressed on.
Out of habit more than concern, Kael cast a subtle glance toward Lumino from the corner of his eye.
They were still, gazing across the endless meadow of wedelia blooms, bathed in the last warmth of the sun. The side profile of their face was lit perfectly by the world's setting light, white hair shimmering with pale gold, almost like it belonged to the very wind itself.
But what truly caught Kael's attention wasn't their appearance—it was their expression. A quiet sorrow, woven with longing.
A grief? he wondered. Or something deeper?
Clearing his throat, Kael finally broke the silence.
"We'll spend the night here. Continue at first light."
Lumino turned to him quickly, as if ready to object. But then, they hesitated—perhaps afraid their voice would be swatted away again, dismissed without thought.
Kael noticed that hesitation.
For a moment, something unfamiliar stirred in his chest—was it… guilt?
He tilted his head slightly, eyes narrowing.
"Do you… have a suggestion?"
Lumino blinked.
Clearly, they hadn't expected to be asked.
"If I may… I think it's better we don't stay here long," they said carefully.
"I've walked through this meadow of Wedelia before. It's... misleading."
Kael's silver gaze sharpened.
He raised a hand slightly, signaling for further explanation.
"Misleading how? Isn't it worse to wander through this place at night?"
Lumino paused, realizing Kael wouldn't move forward without clarity.
"It's not the night itself," they said slowly. "The illusions start when the sun disappears… and again when it rises. It's better to walk through it now—before the sun is fully gone. Then we rest at the far end after night has settled completely."
Kael stared at them for a beat, expression unreadable.
"So, you're saying... the illusions only trigger during transition—sunset and dawn?"
They nodded, brushing their fingers together anxiously.
"If we wait here too long, we risk getting trapped in that illusion. And if we going back to the forest—" They lowered their head. "That's no better. The autumn forest distorts thoughts. It lingers in your head. The deeper you go, the more it pulls you in. There's a… deathly aura there."
Kael glanced behind them—toward the forest they had left. A strange chill passed over him. Come to think of it… he had felt something off back there. A prickling unease he'd brushed aside.
He squinted at Lumino again.
Why am I trusting this person? he thought. Why am I even listening this closely?
But as he watched their face—still turned toward the horizon, eyes sincere and shadowed by unease—he sighed inwardly.
No… someone with that face… isn't lying. Like no single thought behind those face.
"Alright, then," he muttered, brushing dirt off his pants and stepping forward.
"What are we waiting for? Let's move—before the sun sinks completely."
Lumino nodded and followed him quickly, their steps light.
Kael glanced back after a few paces and slowed slightly.
This time, he matched his stride with theirs.
"Walk beside me now." he said, voice quieter now, almost reluctant.
Lumino blinked—just once—but the warmth in their expression shifted slightly. There was something shy in the way they looked down, a faint flush creeping over their ears.
They said nothing, and neither did Kael.
Side by side, they continued their journey in silence, the field of gold stretching out endlessly before them.
And for the first time since they'd met,
the space between them no longer felt so sharp.