Yumeko, Isao, and Yumeko's mother quietly returned to the room where Mireyna, Shion, and Mio were waiting. Isao sat beside Shion, and Yumeko took her place next to her mother, whose expression remained calm despite the growing tension in the air.
Yumeko's mother looked at them all, then offered a gentle smile—but it was a smile laced with gravity. In a soft yet piercing voice, she said:
"You have two weeks to find the flower. If not… your grandmother will die."
Mireyna's heart skipped a beat. "Two weeks? But… my grandmother's skin is already turning blue. What if it's less than that?"
Yumeko spoke quietly, her voice serious, almost a whisper.
"The Shién flower wilts after two weeks. And in the recorded outbreaks of the Shién curse, the infected only survive for that long. Their skin changes… from blue to violet… then black. They wither like dying flowers."
A chill ran down Mireyna's spine. Fear gripped her chest, but deeper than the fear was resolve—pure and burning.
"Whatever happens," she said firmly, eyes full of fire, "I will find that flower. No matter what."
Yumeko looked at her, eyes searching Mireyna's face, almost as if peering into her soul.
"Maybe it's not impossible. But first… we need to see if you can even enter the mountain."
Mireyna blinked in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Yumeko exchanged a glance with her mother before turning back.
"That mountain… it's not a place anyone can just walk into. As my mother said—only certain people can enter. Some are… rejected by the mountain."
Mireyna frowned. "Why? Why would the mountain reject someone?"
Yumeko's mother answered, her voice barely above a whisper, almost swallowed by the silence of the room.
"Because it is guarded by a wall you cannot see. Not made of stone, but of spirit. An invisible barrier. Only those who are chosen… or those with a specific kind of soul, can pass through. The rest will be turned away—or worse, lost."
A heavy silence settled over the room. Outside, the moonlight reflected on the koi pond, casting an eerie glow across the wooden floor.
The mountain was waiting. And now, so was fate.
That night, Mireyna returned home.
She stepped quietly into the room where her grandmother lay resting. Obāchan's breathing was shallow, her body unmoving—her skin pale and drained, almost as if life itself was slowly fading from her.
Mireyna knelt beside her, unable to hold back the tears.
Though Obāchan was still breathing, Mireyna's heart clenched at the sight. She looked fragile, as if a single gust of wind might carry her away forever.
She wept silently, her hands gently holding her grandmother's.
She didn't stir. Her body was warm, but her spirit felt distant.
Just then, the door creaked open softly.
Ojīchan entered the room, his steps slow, his face worn but calm.
He spoke gently.
"Mirae, my dear… that's enough now. Don't cry too much."
Mireyna turned her tear-streaked face toward him, voice trembling.
"Ojīchan… how can I not cry?"
"Obāchan is so old… anything could happen. Her body's so weak. I'm scared she won't be able to take the pain."
She wiped her face with her sleeve but the tears kept coming.
"I don't want to lose someone I love. You and Obāchan… you're all I have. You stayed by my side when everyone else walked away from me. I can't lose either of you."
Her grandfather walked over and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Mirae…" he said softly, using the name he always called her,
"sometimes, these things… are written by fate. And fate, once written, cannot be undone. But while the people you love are still here, all we can do is give them our best. That's the only thing that matters now."
Mireyna lowered her head again, crying silently beside her grandmother.
In the corner of the room, her two bodyguards—Kae and Kai—stood in stillness. They said nothing. But their expressions were full of quiet sorrow. They understood that in this moment, there were no words. Only presence.
Only love.
That morning, Mireyna quietly packed the essentials for her journey. She was focused, but her heart still heavy from the night before.
Thanks to her two loyal bodyguards, Kae and Kai, everything she needed was quickly arranged—medical herbs, dried food, protective charms, and warm clothing. Her Ojīchan helped too, gently folding her Obāchan's old shawl into the bundle. It had always brought them luck, and he insisted she take it.
At the entrance to the house, Mireyna turned.
"Kai… stay here with Ojīchan. Please look after Obāchan while I'm gone."
Kai hesitated, but nodded firmly. "Understood."
With that, Mireyna left—with Kae by her side, carrying the pack on his back.
As they walked through the village toward the entrance of the sacred mountain, they began to see crowds gathering.
Families from all over Kokushibu stood there, murmuring in worry and curiosity. Among them were the Tatsuki and Yue clans, the strongest bloodlines of the village. Mirae spotted familiar faces—Yumeko, Shion, Mio, and Isao—standing solemnly at the front.
All eyes turned as Mireyna approached.
Kae, ever composed, walked slightly ahead of her with the bag slung over his shoulder. When some villagers whispered loudly—muttering disbelief about an "outsider" stepping foot near the mountain—Kae turned his head sharply and shot them a glare so sharp it could cut stone.
They immediately fell silent and looked away.
One man even cleared his throat awkwardly and pretended to admire the trees.
Mirae couldn't help but hide a small smile at that.
But the atmosphere shifted quickly when a young man from the village stepped forward, attempting to enter the mountain.
As soon as he crossed the threshold, an invisible force hurled him backwards—his body flung into the air as though he had slammed against a wall made of spirit.
The crowd gasped.
Mireyna turned to Yumeko.
"Is that… the barrier you were talking about?"
Yumeko nodded. "Yes. That's the mountain's will. Only those it chooses may pass."
She looked at Mireyna seriously.
"And we've been asked by Okāsan… to protect you. At all costs."
Mireyna blinked, surprised.
"Your mother asked you to… protect me?"
Yumeko mother, standing nearby with a knowing smile, nodded.
"You don't yet understand the full history of this place, Mirae. But I believe you were brought here for a reason. And these four" she gestured to the young ones around her "they are the ones I trust to guard that reason."
One by one, other villagers tried to enter the mountain.
One by one—they were all rejected.
Tossed back, stumbling, bruised. Even strong men from the Tatsuki clan. Even women with Yue blood.
And then—Yumeko stepped forward. Her calm steps did not falter.
She crossed the barrier easily. The wind shifted gently around her, almost in welcome.
Then Isao followed. No resistance.
Mio and Shion looked at one another, their small hands gripping charms tied around their necks. They nodded together—and walked forward. Not even a whisper of wind pushed against them.
The villagers were stunned.
"How… even the children?"
"That's the Tatsuki blood…"
"But isn't she from the Yue clan too?"
A hush fell.
Now it was Mireyna's turn.
She took a breath and stepped forward, eyes locked on the narrow path into the misty woods ahead.
The crowd murmured louder this time.
"Isn't she the outsider?"
"What is she doing here?"
"She's not one of us."
Kae narrowed his eyes again and glared around.
This time, his presence alone was enough. Every whisper ceased immediately.
One man actually pretended to cough and stared into a rock.
Mireyna smiled faintly again, then focused.
She stepped toward the entrance.
One foot…
Then another…
Nothing happened
No force pushed her back. No wall rejected her.
The mountain accepted her.
She was inside.
Gasps erupted around her.
"She got in?"
"No way—how is that possible?"
"But she's not even—"
Yumeko mother smiled to herself and closed her eyes briefly.
"The mountain remembers.." she whispered softly.
"And so does the blood that runs in her veins."
Mireyna turned to her bodyguard with a soft, grateful smile.
"Kae… please tell Kai, Ojīchan, and Obāchan… I love you all."
Then, she stepped forward and hugged Kae tightly.
"Thank you… for protecting me all this time. I really love you and Kai."
Kae, clearly trying to hold back tears, wiped the corner of his eye and hugged her back just as tightly. Isao, who was watching from the side, raised an eyebrow and thought to himself with a smirk:
"Huh… turns out this bodyguard's got a soft side. I thought he was made of steel or something."
Then, Isao stepped in and said to Kae, "Give me Mirae's bag. I'll carry it."
Kae let go of the hug and handed over the bag, but not before leaning in slightly and whispering into Isao's ear, his gaze sharp like a warning:
"Take care of Miss Mirae."
Isao gave him a side-eye, clearly unimpressed.
"Yeah, yeah… shut up," he muttered under his breath, then walked off, dramatically like a backup dancer, grabbing the bag and joining Yumeko and Shion.
Mireyna looked after him and asked playfully, "Are you both okay carrying all the bags?"
Isao responded with a glance and a sarcastic tone, "It's fine. It's a man's job to carry the heavy stuff. You girls don't need to worry. Besides, you're the one bringing a mountain worth of things. Yumeko packed light."
Mireyna looked at Yumeko and blinked. "Wait, really?"
Yumeko gave a calm smile. "Up in the mountains, there are villages with food and clothes provided. It's easier not to bring too much things."
Mireyna chuckled. "Oohh… okay then."
Then, she turned back to Kae and said in a low voice, "Kae… don't tell Mama, okay? She'll flip. If she calls, don't answer. Just pretend there's no signal. And if there is, just say I'm… showering. Or in the toilet. Anything. Please?"
Kae nodded, understanding her concern.
Meanwhile, across the gathering, Shion was hugging her stepmother tightly, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"Take care, Mother… Shion loves you."
Her stepmother cried and scolded gently, "Baka… I should be the one saying that!"
Isao stood a little apart, watching quietly. Their father stepped closer and gave Isao a serious look.
"Take care of yourself."
Isao returned the stare for a moment, then simply nodded, picked up the bags, and walked toward Yumeko and her mother without a word, his eyes calm.
Yumeko respectfully bowed to her mother and hugged her. Her mother kissed her forehead and whispered warmly, "Take care, my child."
Mio, on the other hand, was clumsily embraced by her older brother, who was weeping loudly.
"Miooo! Stay safeee! Huaaah! I love youuuu!"
Mio pouted and playfully pushed him away. "Onii-chan! Don't cry like that! Gosh! This is for Okāsan's health, okay? Don't worry! Mio is strong!"
She flexed her tiny arm dramatically.
and the five of them gathering and walk to the way of mountain and all of the families waving them at the back.
and the real journey begins.