Spinel's Secret and the Stone That Became a Gift
“What's wrong? What's going on?”
Tempesta fluttered over to Innocent's side and whispered his question. Even Shame, who had been underground, had risen to the surface — something serious must have happened.
―Quiet, all of you. This is an important moment.
―Oh, come on, would it kill you to explain? This water brat doesn't even know where I just came from—!
At Innocent's glare, Tempesta's mouth snapped shut. It was absolutely not because he was scared of her. He had simply remembered his promise to Bayul not to fight. Besides, if the two of them started bickering now, Bayul might blow up at them all over again. They had to be careful.
“Spinel, could you explain this properly for me?”
Bayul looked at Spinel with pleading eyes and asked.
―Ugh, I knew I shouldn't have gone out. I went for nothing. And I heard something super important while I was gone, too, and now I can't even say it.
Tempesta pouted, feeling wronged. He'd come back expecting praise from Bayul, and now Spinel seemed to have ruined everything. He was bitter about it.
―Something important? Like what?
―Forget it. You won't tell me anything, so why should I answer you?
―Are you sulking?
―No, I'm not.
―Sounds like sulking to me... Should I tell you, then?
Tempesta turned his head without a second's hesitation and met Innocent's gaze. It was a wordless go ahead.
―Listen up. Here's how this whole thing happened.
“Spinel.”
The moment Derek stepped out of the room, Bayul called to Spinel in a grave voice. He was genuinely shaken. The gentle, docile spirit he'd believed Spinel to be had suddenly attacked a person, and his heart had lurched.
―Yes, Bayul?
Utterly oblivious to what Bayul was feeling, Spinel blinked her big red eyes and looked up at him.
Stay firm. Don't be fooled. You can't forget what just happened.
It had only been a small flame, but it had carried a spirit's power behind it. Unlike water or wind, fire could burn a person's skin on mere contact — and if things went wrong, it could spiral into a real disaster. He had to scold her firmly so that this never happened again.
“No more playing with fire. Ever. That's something you absolutely must not do.”
―Why not?
“Because someone could have gotten hurt, that's why.”
―But they made things hard for you, Bayul! They're bad people!
“No, I don't know that yet. Something about them seems suspicious, but nothing's been proven.”
―But you were upset, Bayul! I could tell.
“Yes, I didn't feel great. But that doesn't make it their fault. It's just something I sensed on my own.”
―Why wouldn't it be their fault? They made you feel bad!
“Spinel, listen — what I'm saying is it's only a suspicion. I don't actually know the truth.”
―That doesn't matter to me.
“...What?”
―They troubled you, Bayul. I don't like that. Do you?
Spinel would not budge an inch. Her staggering, absolute stubbornness left Bayul dumbfounded for a moment.
Where on earth had the kind, understanding Spinel from their first meeting gone?
He had guessed from her bright, constant smile that she'd be sociable — a complete misjudgment. Talking to her now felt like talking to a wall. Nothing got through.
“Whew.”
Bayul took a deep breath to quell his frustration. He couldn't just give up. He had to persuade her somehow — the same thing could not be allowed to happen twice.
“Listen, Spinel.”
―Yes?
“Even if I'm feeling bad or sad... couldn't you just do what I ask you to?”
―What you want, Bayul?
“Yes. I know you're trying to protect me, but sometimes staying still might actually be the bigger help.”
―Why?
“Like I said — people could get hurt, or frightened. And that's not a good thing.”
―But you weren't hurt, Bayul.
“...Huh?”
―As long as you're okay, Bayul, that's all I care about. Everything else is none of my business.
Seeing Spinel answer with an adorable little smile, Bayul felt as if he'd been clubbed over the back of the head.
“As long as you're okay?”
―Yep!
“And you don't care what happens to anyone else?”
―Of course not.
“...!”
The words died in his throat. He had misjudged her completely. He had been planning to give her a stern talking-to and then go see Father Juan, but instead his legs gave out and he sank onto the sofa.
Now I get it.
Spinel wasn't good.
Her kindness, her sweetness — all of it was strictly Bayul-only.
The realization sent a chill down his spine. He couldn't think of a single thing to say. How on earth was he supposed to talk her around? His mind went blank. In a way, she was the most difficult one of them all to handle.
Not a single thing about this is ever easy, is it.
He'd been hoping to show his friends as soon as possible — that expectation had evaporated in an instant. A sudden wave of gloom washed over him.
―Bayul, are you sad? Why are you sad?
Reading his emotions, Spinel drew close with a worried face. Just as Bayul hesitated — he couldn't bring himself to say it was because of her — Innocent shook her head and clicked her tongue.
―You don't even get that?
―What?
―It's because you can't hold a conversation! Why can't you understand a simple thing? Are you trying to advertise how dumb you are?
―What did I ever do to you?
―You've been like this since the old days! So lazy you just slept away in that little spot of yours! And earlier, when you wouldn't say a word — do you have any idea how bewildered we all were because of you?
Thinking it over afresh had apparently fired her up again, because Innocent's voice grew louder and louder.
―Bayul worked so hard to save those people, and you nearly ruined the whole thing! Just remembering it makes my blood boil!
―Ah, sorry about that. The magma was calling me after so long. What was I supposed to do?
―The magma called you?
―To be exact, this earring called to me from inside the magma.
Spinel beamed and pointed at her own ear. Innocent's face twisted in outrage.
―Are you bragging about your earring right now? That ugly thing? It's not pretty at all!
That was what she said, but the truth was Innocent had been fixated on Spinel's earring for a while now. She had never once worn an accessory in her life, and the moment she saw Spinel with one, she'd wanted one of her own.
―I'm not bragging. Just stating facts.
―Don't lie. It's written all over your face! You're looking down on me for not having an earring!
―I told you I'm not? I only got this one just now — why would I look down on you? I woke up inside the magma and this earring was just hanging there on my ear! Honestly, what is your problem with me?
Under Innocent's relentless barrage, Spinel's expression hardened too. Her feelings boiled over, and the instant she shouted, flames suddenly roared upward.
“S-Spinel!”
Bayul, who had gone slack with exhaustion, shot to his feet in alarm at the sudden heat. The flames refused to die down even at his call. Left alone, they looked ready to burn the whole building down.
“Spinel, stop! You can't do this here!”
Bayul stopped her again and again, but it was no use. The fire only grew fiercer.
“Oh no, the carpet—”
The edge of the carpet was on the verge of charring black.
Ssshhhaa!
Innocent snorted and dumped a deluge of water over the whole scene. The fire wasn't fully extinguished, but the heat at least broke for a moment.
―You brag about it one second, then pretend you didn't the next — what's the difference? Haha, hilarious. Truly hilarious.
―If you're so jealous, why don't you just go to the Water Garden? You have one there too, so why do you keep giving me grief?
―...The Water Garden?
―Just like you love the Water Garden the most, I love being inside magma the most! You've got one too, so why pick on me about it?
―What are you even talking about? What's in the Water Garden?
―There's that big stone thing! Like a monument!
―What is it?
―This earring came from a stone just like that one!
―...It came from a stone?
―Yes! It melted in the magma and turned into this earring. Don't go getting all worked up about something you don't understand!
―Bayul! Bayul! Listen, I heard something while I was out—
Just as Spinel was pouring out her latest grievance, Tempesta — finished with his reconnaissance (?) of Derek's room — came bursting in.
“Wh-what did you say? That gem came from where?”
And in that moment, Bayul asked Spinel in a trembling voice,
“Spinel, could you explain this properly for me?”
Struck by the earnestness in his tone, Spinel faltered for a beat before answering.
―It came from a monument that was in the magma. All I did was wrap my arms around it and fall asleep, but when I woke up, the stone was gone and somehow this earring was hanging on my ear like this.
Spinel went on, as if to explain herself.
―Bayul, there's nowhere in Carrington where I can rest properly. The only place where I feel at ease is right here. Do you know how happy I was when I came back?
If there was a problem, it was that she'd been so overjoyed that she'd melted into a deep sleep. Spinel had never meant to wake the magma at all.
“Was that stone... something that felt similar to me?”
―Yes! Exactly the same!
It was the very thing Innocent had said.
“...It's a Spirit Stone!”
Nothing else fit. Bayul hastily caught Spinel and pressed her again.
“Spinel! That earring — it came from that stone, the one I call a Spirit Stone? The stone melted in the magma and became the earring — is that right?”
―That's right!
Bayul's gaze locked onto Spinel's earring. So that's it. That was why the thing had nagged at him so. It had been strange enough that Spinel alone, unlike the other spirits, wore an earring at all — and now it turned out to be connected to a Spirit Stone. He wanted to examine it closely.
“Forgive me if this is rude, but... may I take a closer look at that earring?”
―However much you like.
Go ahead, do whatever you want — with that, Spinel zoomed right up in front of Bayul. Thankfully, all the fiery energy had completely vanished by then.
Bayul leaned in and studied the earring. Two red gems of different sizes, joined by metal, swung beneath her earlobe.
This used to be a stone?
Bayul slowly raised his hand and touched the jewel called Spinel. Perhaps because she was a fire spirit, a warm heat traveled up to his fingertips — and then a sudden prickling ache wrapped itself around him.
Wh-what is this?
He couldn't put it into words, but something felt strange. It was as if the jewel and his own body were exchanging some kind of signal.
Why do I feel like this?
In an instant, a sea of fire swallowed Bayul whole.
And yet he felt no burning heat, no fear at all. He was perfectly, completely whole — enough that anyone watching would have found it strange. It was much like the time he had entered the lake of the Water Garden with Innocent's help.
“Wh-who are you?”
But the most startling thing of all was the figure that had appeared before his eyes without warning.
Fifteen, sixteen years old, perhaps?
Inside a pillar of blazing flame, a girl was smiling at Bayul. Dangling from her ear was an earring exactly identical to the one Spinel had been wearing moments ago.
“C-could it be... Spinel?”
―Yes, my King. Allow me to greet you once more, formally. I am Spinel, Intermediate Spirit of Fire.
Her form changed — and so did her whole personality?
The sudden honorific was startling enough, but Spinel's now impeccably courtly manner left Bayul speechless for a long while. So much so that he didn't even register what she had just called him.