His hand touched her. It was cold. Not the warmth of a human body. The kind of cold that came from placing your hand on stone pavement in the depths of winter—a chill that penetrated to the core. Mira almost pulled her hand away—but she didn't. The man moved slightly. Silver hair slid across the stone pavement with a soft whisper. Long, wavy hair. His shoulders rose and fell, just barely. He was breathing. He was alive. "[gentle]……Wait a moment," After she said it, she wondered who she was even speaking to. A person without consciousness. But somehow, she couldn't help saying it. Mira stood up and searched through her bag. No towel. The handkerchief was too small. So she took off her jacket instead. A thin one, white and green. The one she'd been wearing all day. She draped it gently over the man's body. Even though the words might not reach him, she whispered softly, "I hope you're not cold." Silence returned to the sanctuary. The sky appeared in a perfect circle above. The evening light was beginning to take on a reddish tint, and the leaves of the trees were shifting from gold to orange. Somewhere, a Luxbutterfly—a small butterfly unique to this forest that fed on light—fluttered gently. Its wings caught the light and shimmered brilliantly. It's beautiful, Mira thought, as she gazed at the man's face. He was young. He looked to be in his late teens. His features were refined. Near his forehead, there was a mark shaped like a crescent moon—like light itself—carved into his skin. When light struck it, it seemed to glow faintly. It was like a dream, but there was no other way to describe it. Deep blue eyes slowly opened. Like the night sea, Mira thought. A deep, quiet blue, as if light had melted into its edges. Those eyes looked directly at her. "[whispers]……Guardian of Light," A hoarse voice. But the words were clear. "[surprised]Huh?" Mira froze. The man tried to sit up. But his body wouldn't obey, and as he tried to support himself with his elbows, he nearly collapsed. Reflexively, Mira reached out and steadied his shoulder. That cold sensation transmitted through her palm again. "[scared]Wait, don't push yourself!" "……I will be able to move soon," "You really don't look like it right now," The man coughed. A low, muffled cough that continued several times before finally subsiding. Mira kept her hand on his back, completely unsure of what to do. She should have brought water. Something to eat, too. But they were in the forest, and there was nothing. The man looked at Mira slowly. "[serious]……Did you do this?" His gaze was directed at Mira's jacket. The jacket she had draped over him. "[gentle]Oh, yeah. You looked cold. You don't have to return it—not right now," The man stared at the jacket for a while. Mira couldn't tell if he was thinking about something or simply lost in thought. Eventually, his deep blue eyes turned toward her again. This time, they seemed to have a bit more focus than before. "[serious]……I am Solis. A Celestial Guardian—one who maintains the balance between light and shadow," Celestial Guardian. Mira thought she'd heard that in class. But it was supposed to be a legend, and she wasn't even sure if it actually existed. "[surprised]……You're real?" "[serious]You are free to doubt. But I need you to listen now. We may not have much time," Solis closed his eyes and took a slow, deep breath. He seemed to be gathering his strength. Mira remained on her knees and waited in silence. Only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind continued. Eventually, Solis began to speak. His voice was low, measured, and each word carried weight. "[serious]Approximately eight hundred years ago, a calamity called the Great Rift occurred in this world, Luminara. From the center of the continent, the Eterno Core—which fills the world with light energy—was opposed by something called the Void, the primordial source of darkness, erupting forth. A conscious original darkness. Not an individual entity, but a force itself that has seeped into the world," Mira listened silently. The words mixed between what she'd heard before and what she hadn't. "[serious]The Celestial Guardians of that time sealed the Void. Seven Guardians, each pouring their power into the seal. The core of that seal was a crystal called the Lumen Prism—a sacred orb that gathered the world's light and served as its source," "……That sounds incredible," "[serious]But the Void's power shattered the Prism. Into seven pieces. These fragments are called Lumen Shards. The seal weakened from the shattering, and the Shards scattered across Luminara. And I—lost most of my power in that impact and have been sleeping here ever since," Solis's voice dropped slightly. "[serious]Eight hundred years. That much time has passed," Eight hundred years. Mira repeated the words in her mind. She couldn't quite grasp the number. She'd learned that Harmonia's history was only about two hundred years. Four times that. This person had been sleeping here all that time. "[serious]In recent years, the appearance of Crepslae—creatures that have been altered by the Void's influence—has increased dramatically. This is evidence that the Shards are scattering further and the seal is weakening more. If this continues, the Void will awaken completely. When that happens, it will become a threat to the entire continent," "[surprised]The entire continent……Harmonia too?" "[serious]All places could be consumed by the Void's darkness," Something tightened in Mira's chest. Patti's smiling face came to mind. The shop at Kotori's Nest. Her classmates at school. The stone-paved streets. The white light of Lumen lamps. ——All of that would disappear. The possibility of reuniting with her parents would disappear too. "[serious]And you are the one written of in an ancient prophecy. The Guardian of Light—the person who will gather the Lumen Shards and become the key to opposing the Void. I awoke in response to your light for this reason," "[surprised]……Me?" A long silence. "[angry]Wait a second. I was told I have no magical aptitude. I was tested half a year ago. According to Prisma Academy's standards, I have no aptitude. So why——" "[serious]Shard resonance is an entirely different power from Lumen magical aptitude. Today, you sent a Crepslae flying, didn't you? That was the power of your resonance—though it manifested unconsciously," Now that he mentioned it. That light. That sensation from deep within her body. "[serious]If you can gather all the Shards, it is said you can oppose the Void. All seven of them. Since I cannot move alone, only you can do this," "[sad]……Seven of them," Her voice wavered. Seven. Luminara was a vast world. From the frozen Frosthiem in the north to the Verda Jungle in the south. From Tida Port in the east to the Kalen Mountains in the west. Seven of something she didn't even know the location of. Mira looked at her own palm. An ordinary hand. Nothing special about it. Only the faint pattern on her left wrist glowed slightly. But——if that town would disappear. If the possibility of reuniting with her parents would vanish. She couldn't refuse. She realized that, and Mira let out a small sigh at her own nature. "[serious]……Understood. I'll try," "Is it not a question of whether you can?" "I'll figure out whether I can after I try. That's just how I am," Solis's eyes narrowed slightly. Just a little. His expression didn't change. But somehow, he seemed surprised. "[serious]……There is one thing I should teach you. Basic Lumen magic," "Huh, right now?" "[serious]If you're going to search for the Shards, you'll need at least basic defensive means. Lumen Veil—a spell that concentrates light in your hand to form a small shield. The incantation is short. Lumen, take form. The hand seal is simply touching your fingertips together lightly," Solis demonstrated the hand movement. Despite his lack of recovered strength, he formed the seal with just his fingertips. His fingertips met gently. Without any incantation, faint light gathered at his fingertips. "[serious]Try it," Mira brought her fingertips together. "Lumen, take form," Light began to gather. But it scattered and vanished. "[sad]Huh," "[serious]Again," "Lumen, take form," It scattered again. On the third try. This time for sure, she put her will into it. Heat gathered at her fingertips—— BOOM! Light shot out from her palm. Like a beam. It whizzed right past Solis's face. The light hit the stone pavement and dissipated with a soft sound. Silence. "[scared]I-I'm sorry! Did I almost kill you!?" "[serious]I have lived eight hundred years. That won't kill me," Solis spoke without changing his expression at all. Mira apologized profusely. But in her mind, she was thinking, he just casually said he's lived eight hundred years. Wasn't that something to be concerned about? "[serious]You put too much force into it. Magic is a matter of will. When you want to protect something, light becomes stable. When you want to attack, it becomes wild. Right now, you should want to create a shield," Protect. Mira brought her fingertips together again. What did she want to protect? Harmonia's town. Patti. Those stone-paved streets. And——for some reason, she also wanted to protect this person in front of her, who still hadn't recovered his strength. What's that about? she thought to herself. She'd only just met him. But once she thought that way. A thin membrane of light spread gently across her palm. A round shield, small and delicate. Weak. But definitely there. "[excited]Oh, it worked!" "[serious]That will do," It was a blunt statement, but somehow Mira felt happy, and she looked at Solis's face. But for some reason, that felt embarrassing, so she quickly looked away. She decided not to tell Solis about the part where she thought about protecting him. It would feel weird to say that. At that moment, the light in her palm changed color for just an instant. Deep green. Mira noticed it, but the light had already returned to white. "[whispers]……As I thought," "[surprised]Huh, what?" Solis was looking at Mira's hair. Deep green hair. She'd had this color since birth, and everywhere she went, people gave her strange looks. It wasn't something she particularly liked or disliked, but she understood it wasn't normal. "[serious]That color does not appear in ordinary humans. It only manifests in those who came into deep contact with this forest's magic in their early childhood," "[surprised]……This forest's?" "[serious]You must have gotten lost and entered this forest when you were very young. Do you not remember?" Mira thought about it. ……Yes. She did. It was when she was extremely small, and she barely remembered it. She remembered the light being beautiful. She remembered not being scared. That was about all she could recall. "[gentle]Yeah, it happened. But I was so young, I barely remember it," "[serious]At that time, this forest's magic—the remnants of the Shard—resonated with your body. That is why you were drawn here. That is why I awoke," Mira's mouth fell open. It was decided from the beginning? She placed her palm against her deep green hair. Soft to the touch. She'd always found this color strange. She'd always thought she was the only one who was different. But. It had been connected to this forest all along. "[serious]……Whether you call it fate or not is for you to decide," Solis looked away. He said nothing more. Mira remained silent for a while, her hand still touching her hair. She had felt alone. She'd always thought she had nothing connecting her to anything. But perhaps, from long ago, she had been connected to this world. That sensation spread through her chest as a complex warmth. She wasn't sure if it was happiness or fear. But it didn't feel bad. Silence returned to the sanctuary during the training interval. A Luxbutterfly lan