Frostheim (2)
The moment her Demon Eye opened, Lilia's world shattered into pieces.
Before awakening it, the world she saw had been filled with warm sunlight, gentle breezes, and the kind laughter of people.
The sky was clear, the trees vibrant, and everything breathed in harmonious balance.
But now, it was all a lie.
The truth revealed by her Demon Eye was brutal.
Dark crimson mists rose above people's heads.
Greed, envy, rage, despair...
Humanity's ugliest emotions drifted through the air, reeking of rot. Even mana was corrupted, twisting in distorted flows.
When had the world become so filthy?
Or was it her Demon Eye that made the world appear filthy?
And from the depths of her soul, it whispered.
'Don't hold back. What keeps you going now is resentment, rage, despair. Give them to me. I'll bear your hatred. You can rest easy.'
Lilia clutched her chest with trembling hands.
Astra's words from before he left echoed faintly.
'Darkness will test you. Don't fight it. Don't try to win. Just... don't lose.'
But was that as easy as it sounded?
The thing that killed her brother was a demon.
A top-grade one, they said.
And now, there was a demon inside her body. The mere fact that something she wanted to tear apart lived within her was unbearably repulsive.
All Lilia could do, knowing everything, was stay silent.
But fortunately, she had a sanctuary where she could breathe.
When she arrived at Cheongam Fortress, Mari from the room next door became her sole light.
Mari approached first, struck up conversations, brought meals at every mealtime, and sat by her side when she was alone.
Strangely, no negative energy emanated from Mari.
She was purity itself, clear and transparent.
Thanks to her, life at Cheongam Fortress was more bearable than expected, and she could ignore the temptations whispered by the demon within.
But when she looked at others besides Mari, the dark crimson smoke still swirled around them. So Lilia's other refuge was the lake.
Fish swimming gracefully in the clear water, birds alighting by the shore—only the beauty of life itself shone from them.
Her favorite time was strolling by the lake with Mari.
When morning mist lightly draped the water, or when sunset painted the lake gold. Mari would sit quietly beside her, gazing at the same scenery.
"Ria, there sure are a lot of fish today."
Mari's clear voice rippled softly across the serene lake.
Lilia nodded, offering a faint smile. In moments like this, she could forget the ugly world her Demon Eye showed and the demon inside her.
At least when with Mari, she could believe the world still held beauty.
That was when it happened.
Baekseol appeared.
For the first time—aside from Mari—someone utterly free of negative energy.
No, she didn't even seem human.
'Strange.'
That was her only initial feeling.
She already had Mari, the lake's fish, and the sky's birds, after all.
Baekseol kept watching Lilia's Demon Eye, showing continued interest.
Lilia recalled Astra's warning from the night before and sealed her lips.
'If anyone asks about your Demon Eye, don't tell them—even if you have to use my name.'
She refused Baekseol's questions using Astra's name as a shield, but Baekseol smiled warmly, unperturbed by the rejection.
As if she already knew Lilia's heart, she continued softly.
And slowly raised her hand toward the sky.
That moment, a miracle occurred.
White snowflakes began dancing down from the heavens.
The negative world her Demon Eye saw—the ugly truth shrouded in dark crimson mist—was slowly blanketed by pure white snow.
It was wondrous.
Baekseol's snow was pure mana crystals, each one devoid of any negative energy.
Instead, it held a sacred beauty that seemed to purify the world.
"What do you think, Ria?"
Baekseol's gentle question echoed through the quiet snowscape.
At that instant, the demon inside raged violently.
'This isn't a world for you. You must walk the path of blood. Don't be fooled by this false peace. What that woman shows is an illusion.'
But right now, in this moment, even the demon's voice seemed buried in the snow, faint and distant. Only Baekseol's soft tone lingered in Lilia's ears.
Gazing at the falling snowflakes, Lilia spoke from the heart for the first time in ages.
"...It's beautiful."
A warm smile spread across Baekseol's lips.
"Yes. Sometimes, even frightening things have another side. The world through your Demon Eye is the same. It may be scary and unfamiliar at first, but someday you'll find beauty within it."
Baekseol reached out and caught a falling snowflake.
It didn't melt on her palm but glowed with a soft light.
"Everything in the world has two faces. Light shines brighter because of darkness, warmth feels cozier because of cold. Your Demon Eye is no different. It hurts now, but someday you'll discover true beauty that only those eyes can see."
Lilia stared at the glowing snowflake on her hand. For the first time—truly the first—she thought her Demon Eye might be a gift, not a curse.
Then, commotion and a familiar voice came from behind.
"Baekseol, what are you doing dropping snow in someone else's fortress?"
It was Astra's voice.
"Oh, Rion!"
Mari's bright voice followed.
Lilia turned to see a boy about her age walking behind Astra.
That instant—
"Urk..."
Lilia doubled over in sudden nausea.
The boy's form through her Demon Eye... was horrific.
It was as if all the world's negative emotions had condensed into one person.
Greed, rage, envy, despair, hatred... As he approached, the surrounding darkness seemed drawn into him. Or perhaps he was the source of the darkness itself.
Darker and stickier malice than anything she'd seen enveloped the boy.
Even the demon inside her felt small by comparison.
"Ria?"
Mari approached, worried.
"You okay? What's wrong all of a sudden..."
I felt a pang of regret seeing Ria retch and quickly told Rion,
"Rion, wait in the office with the steward's guidance. I'll go with Mari soon."
"Yes, understood."
Rion bowed his head.
"I'll escort you."
Elbern appeared and led Rion away.
Once Rion was gone, I hurried to Lilia.
'My mistake.'
The Demon Eye literally meant 'the eye that sees demons.'
An eye that pierced through negative energies in people, the auras of the wicked, and mana itself—and absorbed and controlled them.
Lilia must have seen Rion's surroundings as filled with negative energy and darkness. His Supernatural Ability inherently carried a malevolent nature.
It would have been like facing a massive vortex of darkness head-on, an overwhelming shock for Lilia, who couldn't yet control her Demon Eye.
"Lilia."
I carefully placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's okay. Breathe slowly."
"Ha... ha... I'm fine now."
Lilia panted as she replied.
"Hm, a side effect of the Demon Eye?"
I looked at Baekseol at her question.
Her eyes held curiosity and a strange certainty.
"The Demon Eye seems to pierce through mana itself. I felt an astonishingly negative aura around that boy earlier. Lilia probably saw it directly."
'She figured it out from just seeing once.'
Hiding my inner surprise, I glanced at Baekseol again.
The Demon Eye wasn't something even she would know well. Marcus had only speculated based on legendary tales.
Yet Baekseol had accurately grasped part of its power from just observing Lilia's reaction.
"Lilia."
Baekseol said softly.
"It must have been shocking through the Demon Eye, but that's part of the world too. As I said earlier, where there's light, there's darkness."
But to Mari, those words carried a different meaning.
'Negative energy around Rion?'
Mari's expression darkened.
Rion was kinder and a better leader than anyone she knew...
Why...?
"Wait, Captain. Is Rion sick or something?"
Mari felt a sharp stab of guilt.
She had been enjoying warm rooms and good food here in comfort.
But Rion, Dante, and the Dust Rose kids were still struggling in the slums' cold alleys.
'I've... been comfortable all alone.'
Guilt choked her. Realizing she'd forgotten her comrades' suffering while indulging in her own ease tormented her.
"Rion must have been through a lot... while I wasn't there..."
Mari's voice trembled.
Negative energy meant he'd endured so much.
I couldn't say anything to such a Mari.
I was the one who'd driven them to hardship—what right did I have to offer comfort?
In the end, all I could say was the most irresponsible thing.
"See for yourself and judge."