The Weight of the Past
Time flowed by, and the days Hayeon spent with Ksenia felt like a dream. It was the first time she had experienced absolute peace and stability since falling into this hellish world. When she opened her eyes in the morning, her beloved partner was by her side; the days were filled with the sweat of training and the joy of growth, and the nights were thick with the burning passion of sharing each other's warmth. Her entire world revolved around Ksenia, shining brilliantly.
"Hayeon, if you just tense up like that, your sword is going to bounce right off! You have to use the snap of your wrist! The snap!"
"Whoa! Ah, I get it, Eonni! Again!"
A quiet training ground on the outskirts of the city. After several days of training, Hayeon's movements had become noticeably nimbler. Yet, Ksenia, standing opposite her, remained a massive, insurmountable wall. Ksenia's wooden sword danced gracefully, parrying all of Hayeon's attacks and precisely exploiting her openings.
"Hah!"
Hayeon let out a sharp cry and unleashed her best strike, but Ksenia lightly twisted her body to dodge, tapping Hayeon's back with her wooden sword.
"Got you again. You still have a long way to go, Hayeon."
Ksenia smiled playfully, gently brushing back Hayeon's sweat-dampened hair. Watching them from the side, Lilia yawned and grumbled.
"Hey, get a room, will you? Did you two come to the training ground just to flirt? Maybe I should crash your room again tonight."
Ksenia pulled Hayeon into her arms and shook her head at Lilia. "No way! I only allowed it that one time. If you barge in again, I'll kick you out myself!"
Burying her face in Ksenia's chest, Hayeon thought to herself, Actually, she can come over one more time...
Warm laughter bloomed among the three of them. Hayeon wished this moment could last forever. Even the memories of her horrific past seemed to fade in the face of this happiness.
Right then, a man ran urgently toward them from the entrance of the training ground. It was a messenger wearing the uniform of the Adventurer's Guild. Spotting Ksenia, he panted heavily and handed her a small parchment note.
"K-Ksenia! An urgent message from the Guildmaster!"
In an instant, the air in the training ground turned ice-cold. Ksenia furrowed her brow and took the note. The moment she unfolded and read it, the usual relaxed smile completely vanished from her face.
Lilia's face also hardened the moment she was handed the note. Only a heavy, silent gaze passed between the two of them.
Hayeon's heart sank. Though she didn't know what it was, she could instinctively tell it was far from good news.
"Eonni...? What's wrong?"
At Hayeon's cautious question, Ksenia couldn't bring herself to answer. She stared at Hayeon with a stiff expression before letting out a long, deep sigh—one laden with far too many emotions.
"Hayeon... I'm sorry, but... I think we have to head back into the dungeon."
Hayeon tried her best to act calm as she asked, "So suddenly? Is it another mana backflow phenomenon?"
Ksenia shook her head. Unable to find her voice, she bit her lip in anguish. Her gaze drifted, empty, as if wandering through some distant point in her past.
Breaking the heavy silence in Ksenia's stead, Lilia spoke up. Her voice, stripped of its usual bluntness, was thick with deep sorrow and regret.
"A long time ago... we saved a child."
Lilia's gaze drifted toward the distant sky beyond the training ground. As if playing an old film, scenes of the past flickered in her eyes.
"She was a child abandoned by her parents, starving to death. She was curled up next to a pile of trash in the back alleys, looking like a dying cat. We felt sorry for her... so we just brought her in. We were younger back then, and naive. We raised her like our youngest sister—no, maybe even like a daughter. Her name... was Arca."
Lilia's voice trembled slightly. Hayeon held her breath, listening intently to her story.
"And that child... ended up betraying us. She killed every single one of our teammates... with her own hands. While we were away."
At those words, Ksenia closed her eyes and took over. Her voice was ice-cold, hollow, as if all emotion had been worn away.
"Seven years ago, during an expedition in the lower floors of the dungeon, she came into contact with a Constellation Fragment. Its power... was incredibly immense and sweet. At first, she wanted to use that power to protect us. She wanted to become stronger than anyone else so she would never be abandoned again. But... that power was a poison far too massive and dangerous for a child to handle. Arca was slowly consumed by it, and eventually, she was brainwashed by the heretical doctrines of the Gaze of the Sacred Stars."
Ksenia's shoulders trembled faintly. She was desperately suppressing her emotions.
"While we were briefly away, she slaughtered all of our companions, smiling as she claimed she had 'saved' them. She was covered in blood. She was crying, yet laughing at the same time. She reached her hand out to us, saying everyone had gone to a place free of pain and that we should go together. I... still can't forget that sight."
Amidst the carnage of that day, Ksenia and Lilia were the only survivors. They had to fight for their lives against the child they had raised like their own sister.
"We... pushed Arca to the brink of death. But at the very last moment... we hesitated. Seeing her crying face... we couldn't bring ourselves to swing our swords."
Lilia continued.
"Because of that single moment of hesitation, Arca escaped. And even now, she occasionally appears to slaughter people. She claims she is 'saving' them from pain in accordance with her twisted beliefs. We... created a monster."
Since then, the two of them had been hunting Arca. It was both revenge and an endless atonement for the mistake they had made. And today, the note from the Guild was about Arca's whereabouts.
"We... made a choice back then. We let Arca go, and we lost everyone. And we swore never to repeat the same mistake again."
Ksenia finally opened her eyes and looked straight at Hayeon. Her gaze held deep sorrow, but also an unshakeable, firm resolve.
"That's why we have to go, Hayeon. I'm sorry. I want to stay with you, but... this is a sin we left behind, and we must handle it ourselves."
Hayeon couldn't say a word. She could faintly grasp that this was a battle she couldn't join, and how crushing the weight of the past resting on their shoulders truly was. Feelings like jealousy or resentment were a luxury. She gently stepped closer to Ksenia and took her hand.
"I can feel how painful and heavy it must have been... even without you saying it. Eonni... thank you for telling me this."
She pressed Ksenia's hand against her own cheek.
"I'm fine. I'll wait here. But... you must, must return without getting hurt. Promise me. No matter what happens, you will come back to my side alive."
Hayeon's voice trembled, but her eyes were firmer than ever. She was no longer a fragile being who only needed protection. She had become a mature partner who could understand her lover's pain and wait patiently for her safe return.
Seeing Hayeon like this, Ksenia finally let a single tear slip. She pulled Hayeon into a tight embrace.
"I promise. I will absolutely return to your side."
Behind them, the crimson sun of Akron was slowly setting. The air in front of their lodging was thick with the bittersweet scent of parting. Fully prepared for battle, Ksenia and Lilia stood facing Hayeon one last time. Hayeon handed them a small charm and an emergency herb pouch she had prepared for them overnight.
"Eonnis, this... it's not much, but please stay safe. You must... you must return safely."
Tears welled up in her eyes. Ksenia gently caressed Hayeon's cheek, taking the charm from her hand and placing it carefully inside her coat.
"Don't worry, Hayeon. We'll be back soon. Make sure to eat well while we're gone, and don't slack off on your training. When I get back, I'll check for myself how much you've grown."
"Gold Sun." Lilia called out to Gold Sun, who was leaning against the lodging door, watching them. "Take good care of Hayeon while we're gone."
Though her tone was blunt, deep concern for Hayeon was evident beneath it. Ksenia also spoke to Gold Sun with a serious gaze.
"Yes, we're counting on you. If even a single hair on Hayeon's head is harmed... you know what will happen, right?"
Her eyes clearly said, I'll kill you first. Gold Sun raised his hands in mock surrender.
"Haha, don't worry. With me here, who would dare touch our little rabbit? Why don't I just tag along with you guys instead?"
Gold Sun offered, half-serious and half-joking, but Ksenia shook her head. "No, there's no need. This is something the two of us started, and it's something the two of us must end."
Lilia chimed in. "Exactly. There aren't many on this continent who can threaten the two of us. So stop worrying about useless things and just protect Hayeon. If I catch you hitting on her, you're dead."
The two of them gave Hayeon one last tight hug before turning around. Their figures grew smaller and smaller as they walked into the blue light of the breaking dawn.
Hayeon stood there for a long time, waving until they completely vanished from sight. It felt as though their warmth still lingered in her embrace, but the cold morning air quickly stole it away.
Eonni, Lilia... please stay safe.
She desperately held back her tears, praying fervently for their safety. Watching her silently from her side, Gold Sun spoke in a low voice.
"Let's head inside, little rabbit. Standing there like that won't bring back those who have already left."
His voice was as playful as ever, but it carried a trace of quiet comfort. Only then did Hayeon turn to look at him, her eyes swollen.
"But... I'm so worried."
"If worrying solved anything, the profession of adventurer wouldn't even exist. Those two are much stronger than you think. Useless worrying will only drain your energy. Right now, there's only one thing you need to do."
Gold Sun tapped Hayeon's shoulder and said, "Get stronger. At least enough to protect yourself. You can't hide behind their backs forever, can you?"
His words were cold and realistic, but not a single word was wrong. Hayeon quietly nodded at his advice.
Returning to the lodging, the emptiness left by Ksenia and Lilia felt far greater than Hayeon had expected. Their faint scent still lingered in the room, making her feel all the more lonely.