The Midnight Seizure
Ian returned to room 205 at Dream's Shelter and gently woke Miel. He stripped away the boy's tattered rags and dressed him in the neat new clothes they had bought. Finally, he placed a leather cap adorned with goggle-like decorations on the child's head. It was a stylish hat that wrapped snugly around the entire head, with straps that fastened beneath the chin.
Miel toddled over to the full-length mirror. He studied his reflection from every angle: the adorable tunic, the khaki cotton pants with oversized pockets on the thighs, and the slightly roomy leather shoes cinched tight with laces. As he took in his new appearance, tears welled up in his eyes, his face overcome with emotion.
“Waaaah! I, I… I’ve never worn clothes like these before!”
“Haha, you like them? There are three more full outfits, so we can change into a new one every day. I bought new pajamas too, so tonight you’ll wash up nice and clean and sleep feeling wonderful.”
“Yeah! I love it so much!”
Miel clung to Ian’s leg and rubbed his cheek against it like a puppy. The sight was so much like a playful wolf pup showing affection that Ian burst into hearty laughter and swept the boy up into his arms. He held Miel close, rocking him gently for a while, then lowered his voice to a serious whisper.
“And Miel, you must never take this goggle cap off in front of other people. Understand? No one can ever find out that you’re a beastkin.”
“Okay, hyung. Miel won’t ever take the hat off.”
“Also… from now on, you’re my distant cousin. Got it?”
For a moment Miel’s eyes widened, but his clever young mind seemed to grasp the meaning. He nodded vigorously.
“Yeah! Ian hyung is now my cousin big brother!”
“That’s right. Your parents… have gone on a long journey far away and left you with me for a while. Don’t forget that either.”
“…Yeah. Our mom and dad went on a trip… really, really far away.”
Seeing the child’s face cloud over in an instant, Ian felt a sharp pang in his chest. He hugged Miel even more tenderly and patted his back. Thankfully, the warmth of Ian’s embrace soon lifted the boy’s spirits again.
Afterward, Ian went looking for Grandma Masa, who was busy preparing lunch in the inn’s kitchen. She glanced at Miel nestled in Ian’s arms and offered a kind, unruffled smile.
“What a bright-looking little one.”
“Um… he’s my distant cousin who’ll be staying with me from now on. His parents had unavoidable reasons and had to leave on a long trip. Is that all right?”
“Hmm, he’s so small there shouldn’t be any trouble sharing room 205 with you, young Ian.”
“Ah, I’ll pay for Miel’s meals separately.”
“How much can a child possibly eat? We always have leftovers anyway, so don’t worry about the cost of his food.”
“Wow! Thank you so much!”
Ian bowed politely while still holding Miel. Grandma Masa watched them with gentle eyes and added,
“My sons are running an inn in the capital right now. The clothes they wore as boys are still stored in the warehouse. Would you like to take some?”
“What? Aren’t those precious keepsakes?”
“They’re only clothes—too good to throw away, but nothing but clutter to keep. If a sweet child like Miel wears them again, it would warm this old heart of mine.”
“Then… thank you, we’ll gladly accept them!”
As Ian answered with a bright smile, laugh lines bloomed around Grandma Masa’s eyes.
Before long, the deepest hour of the night had arrived. A full moon hung high in an exceptionally clear sky, scattering transparent light. Its quiet glow slipped through the window and softly illuminated the heads of Ian and Miel as they slept soundly.
In that silent intrusion, Ian stirred for a moment. At the same instant, the eyes of Miel—who had been sleeping with his head buried against Ian’s side—snapped open.
The blue gem embedded in the child’s forehead flickered with an eerie glow. The once pure, innocent eyes were now stained a bloody crimson. Fangs and claws that should only have appeared in adulthood grew sharp and brutally hard.
“Krrruuu… Grrrrr… Kraaaagh!”
Thud!
The boy, having lost all reason and howling like a beast, tumbled off the bed. Yet he seemed to feel no pain. He twisted his head in every direction, radiating murderous intent. In that fleeting moment, Ian’s eyes flew open in alarm and met the child’s burning red gaze.
Miel lunged at Ian with savage fury.
“Huk!”
Ian’s mind snapped into focus. He seized the boy’s flailing arms and pinned them in midair.
“Kraaaagh!”
The child continued to scream like a wild animal, spewing killing intent.
“Miel! Snap out of it! It’s me, Ian hyung!”
“Grrrrr—!”
Ian called the boy’s name over and over, trying to soothe him, but it was useless. Miel’s thrashing only grew more violent. His uncontrolled claws raked deeply across his own jaw.
Startled, Ian lowered his head to check the wound—only to jerk back as the boy’s fangs nearly tore off the tip of his nose.
“Ack!”
Ian bared his teeth, heart pounding. What do I do? How can I calm him down?
As he gasped in panic, a flash of insight struck him. He hurriedly summoned his skill window and scanned the detailed description of Positive Aurora.
Positive Aurora Grade 5 (Intermediate): When a conversation begins, it makes the target feel positive and pleasant for one hour.
It makes the target feel positive and pleasant…
Perhaps there were hidden functions beyond what was written. After all, mages researched their innate skills to create new support abilities in the same category. The principle couldn’t be that different.
Nothing to lose. I’ll try it!
He quickly activated Positive Aurora. A warm, gentle energy instantly enveloped Miel’s body. With desperate eyes, Ian stared at the child and began speaking with everything he had, trying to stop the rampage.
“Miel, please come back to yourself. Your claws cut your chin. Don’t hurt yourself anymore. Please…?”
“Krrrruuu…”
“Tomorrow we’ll go to the healing center to treat that chin. It’s like a hospital—they’ll put good medicine on it so the wound heals right away.”
Ian kept talking without pause. He told the boy they would take on a new request together tomorrow, that if it was a gathering quest for herbs or mushrooms it would be like a picnic for him, how fun it would be. Even while his breath trembled, he whispered in the gentlest voice in the world.
At that moment, the translucent golden aura—usually so faint it was barely noticeable—began to blaze brilliantly around Ian and Miel, surging with powerful light.
Startled, Ian looked around at the mysterious glow. The mad red gleam in Miel’s eyes slowly cleared, returning to their original color. The terrifying fangs and claws shrank back as if by magic, reverting to their normal blunt, childlike state.
Only then did Ian notice the change. He pulled the boy into a tight embrace and whispered urgently.
“That’s it… Miel, you’re okay now. Everything’s okay. Just fall into a peaceful sleep. All right? There, there…”
“Lullaby~ Our baby… sleeps so well~ Our baby…”
The simple, heartfelt lullaby made Miel’s eyelids droop slowly. Soon, steady breathing—gorong, gorong—came from the child’s lips. At the same time, the brilliant golden aura that had filled the room faded away, its duty complete.
Ian laid Miel down beside him and gently patted the boy’s chest. Unaware of how late the night had grown, he gazed at the child’s pale face, his heart sinking heavily.
No matter how tradition demanded it, the boy had never even been given a name despite having parents and an uncle by his side. Every few nights when this terrible seizure struck, how had they treated such a small child? Had they tied him down? Locked him away somewhere? Had they truly given him enough love?
The thought that life was already too harsh for a mere four-year-old weighed on Ian with unspeakable pain and a heavy sense of responsibility.
“…Sleep well, our Miel…”
Even as he patted the boy, Ian eventually succumbed to overwhelming fatigue and fell into a deep sleep—never realizing that someone was clinging to the cold outer wall, watching the entire scene inside the room with a secret, piercing gaze.
Before long, dazzling morning sunlight poured through the inn’s windows.
Miel seemed to remember nothing of the previous night’s disturbance. He simply whined with a bright, sunny face that he was hungry. Astonishingly, the deep gash on his chin had healed completely overnight, leaving not even a scar.
Ian turned the boy’s face this way and that, examining his chin, then let out a profound sigh of relief from the bottom of his heart.
“Hoo… Do you have any idea how much my heart dropped last night?”
“Uung…? Hyung, did I… turn weird again?”
“Huh? Ah, no. You just fell off the bed while sleeping. You hurt your chin a little, but you woke up perfectly fine.”
“I… didn’t turn weird. Hehe, and my body doesn’t hurt at all!”
As he looked at Miel’s wide, innocent smile, Ian’s eyes grew heavy once more.
A wound that was bleeding so badly healed completely in one night. He said that before, after a seizure, his whole body would hurt. Just how violently has this child been injuring himself during these episodes all this time?
The mad instinct dwelling within the boy felt even more cruel than ever. Ian gripped the small hand tightly and made a firm vow: no matter what, he would protect this child.
Afterward, Ian brought back a warm breakfast from the dining hall, shared it with Miel, then took the boy’s hand and headed for the errand-runner guild.
“Whoaaa…!”
The world he had only glimpsed through gaps in his bag was on an entirely different level. This was the first time Miel had walked on his own two feet through a city. His head never stopped turning, drinking in every sight.
The clatter of carriage wheels, the savory aroma of baking bread from street stalls, the tall bell tower visible in the distance—Miel’s eyes grew huge as he looked around like a child under a spell. He even stopped to marvel at nameless wildflowers blooming by the roadside. From behind, he looked exactly like any curious four-year-old discovering the world for the first time.
Countless people passed by the pair, yet no one paid them any special attention. Their gazes simply flowed past indifferently.
Watching the scene with sharp eyes, Ian finally allowed the tight cord of tension inside him to loosen a little. With his forehead covered by the goggle cap and his hair dyed dark brown, Miel looked to anyone like nothing more than an ordinary, adorable little boy out for a stroll with his older cousin.
Only then did Ian walk proudly through the city streets, holding Miel’s hand, and make his way toward the guild.