Javien looked at Olivia calmly. His heavy eyes were forced open.

"Why...do you like jumping into danger?..."

Javien said with a quiet voice as if every word that came out was forced. His voice was still trembling. Olivia’s hand that was still holding Javien’s weak and limp shoulder trembled.

"If I knew... maybe I wouldn’t be here right now."

She laughed a little, but it was empty.

"But for some reason... every time I should run away.."

Her eyes dropped for a moment, as if trying to run from something she herself didn’t want to face.

"Every time... I know this is wrong... I still end up coming." she said.

"Sometimes... I feel like..."

She stopped. Her voice sounded like it was breaking.

"...I don’t even understand myself."

A small smile appeared, but fragile. Slowly, she lifted her gaze. Then turned to look the other way.

Her eyes trembled softly as if holding back her tears from spilling. Olivia smiled. While shaking her head. Her right hand fanned both her eyes.Javien pressed his lips together tightly.

His eyes were still heavy, but this time they didn’t close. He just looked at Olivia for a long time. Too long.

As if trying to understand something he himself didn’t want to understand.

"...stupid."

His voice was quiet, hoarse.

Not angry. But he himself couldn’t believe what had just come out of Olivia’s lips.

But that was enough to make Olivia’s chest feel pressed down.

"You know what kind of place this is... but you still come."

His breathing was heavy. Every word came out slowly, as if forced from inside his aching chest.

"If you die here... nobody will know."

Olivia didn’t answer. Her hand was still on Javien’s shoulder. Not moving. Javien closed his eyes for a moment, his jaw tightened.

"...don’t come back.."

That sentence came out harder. Colder. As if he was trying to cut something off before it had a chance to go any deeper.

But..

his fingers moved slightly. Weak. And barely noticeable. But he could feel that small hand of Olivia’s. Even though her touch wasn’t strong and wasn’t clear... he hoped that small hand wouldn’t let go.

Her hand is cold.... this place is too cold for her.

Javien said inside his heart. Olivia didn’t say anything. Her body was stiff, as if she didn’t want to let go. Then Javien continued.

"...if you keep being like this..."

His voice grew quieter.

"...you’ll break."

Silence. As if his words were telling Olivia to leave....

but his body... wouldn’t allow it. They went quiet again for a moment. Javien who felt guilty was still looking down toward the wall beside his head.

But strangely... Olivia didn’t say anything at all. Javien who felt it was strange slowly looked up ahead. How shocked he was when those round brown eyes were looking right at him. But not the usual kind of look,

That look was empty... heavy... and cracked.

"Oli..via..."

Olivia made no sound. No sobbing. No crying.

Only tears flowing silently down her cheeks, while her lips were bitten hard... holding back every feeling that was trying to break out.

While her hand was still holding Javien, as if that was the only thing keeping her from falling apart.

Javien startled. Not knowing what to do.

"Olivia.... don’t..... cry...."

His eyes panicked looking at Olivia’s state. That look made something inside his chest feel suffocated and painful. As if it was full of pain and disappointment.

Feeling confused, he thought of another way. Because he had been locked up in that basement, he had forgotten how to comfort someone.

Throughout his life in the basement... there was only one emotion he remembered very well... which was alertness and overflowing hatred.

But when Olivia came... everything changed. Feelings he had long forgotten, he slowly began to feel again. Until at one point he thought,

do I deserve to have feelings like this?

......

The girl who always came with a bright and glowing face, every expression on that face felt pleasant to look . Sometimes that face felt like it was bringing life back to him.

He had seen all kinds of expressions on Olivia’s face but.... today, it was different from all the others.

I’ve never seen her make a face like this...

"...why are you..."

Javien’s voice got stuck.

"...why do you make me feel like this..."

He stopped.

He whispered in his heart. Then without realising it, his aching and stiff body pulled Olivia into his arms. Stiff at first but... slowly it became tighter.

His hand patted Olivia’s back slowly, unsteady... as if trying to copy something he himself had never learned.

Olivia didn’t resist. Her crying that had been quiet before... now slowly began to break apart at Javien’s shoulder. And for the first time...

She just felt...

afraid of losing that moment. Now, the pain she felt was no longer there. As if it had disappeared the moment his hand reached for Olivia. Crying filled that room.

Then, time passed slowly. Under that dim light, both of them became stable again. Even though Javien’s wounds were still there... but it was no longer as bad as before. Olivia looked gently toward him.

"Thank you.... Javien" Olivia said while smiling looking toward Javien. Javien’s shirt looked wet at the shoulder, because of her tears. She scratched her head.

"Hmm... your shirt... sorry" Olivia said while lowering her head.

"Oh it’s fine... I’m okay" Javien replied calmly. Olivia lifted her head and laughed a little.

Suddenly a long thread appeared tied at Javien’s arm... at first Olivia’s eyes went wide..

I thought that thread wasn’t going to appear anymore? Was my emotion unstable?

She said quietly. But when she thought back, that thread was maybe destined for Olivia to help her. Now, Olivia opened her mind... Olivia smiled.

She was no longer scared and confused seeing that thread, instead she felt relieved seeing it. Which meant the person in front of her was a living thing and not an illusion.

Not only that... her chest felt more stable when the colour she saw in that thread had a few spots of red mixed in.

Could this be a good sign for him?

Olivia said in her heart. Her eyes didn’t leave Javien’s arm. Olivia stood up slowly. Javien who had been staring at her for a long time startled.

"...I have to go upstairs," Olivia said while fixing her clothes. Javien didn’t answer right away.

But his hand suddenly held Olivia’s wrist.

Weak. But clear. Olivia stopped.

"...don’t be long," Javien’s voice was quiet.

Olivia went still. Her brow lifted. This was the first time she had heard that sentence.

Not "don’t come".

Not "don’t enter".

But...

"don’t be long."

Olivia smiled cheekily looking toward Javien who looked desperate.

"...why?"

Javien didn’t answer immediately.

He just slowly let go of her hand.

"...because you always make me feel like... this place isn’t as suffocating."

Olivia was quiet for a long time. Her smile broke... not from sadness.

But something deeper. Surprised.

Since when did this kid learn to say sweet things!!

She whispered in her heart while smiling happily. Then she cleared her throat.

"...I’ll come again," she finally said.

Javien sighed quietly.

"...I know."

Olivia smiled happily seeing her favourite character feeling closer to her.

He’s so cute!!

She said in her heart while waving her hand before stepping out of that room. Her feet walked slowly toward the stairs.

Before going up, she stopped. She turned back as if if she didn’t look back, Javien might disappear. But her eyes calmly looked at

Javien still in the same place. Looking at her.

Olivia raised her hand slightly.

"...see you tomorrow?"

That question was light. But deep. Javien didn’t answer right away. He just looked for a long time. Then said,

"...if you don’t come,"

"...I’ll feel strange." Javien said with a disappointed face.

Olivia laughed a little.

"...that sounds like you miss me."

Javien quickly looked away. But his ears were slightly red. Olivia smiled.

And went up the stairs slowly. One by one her feet stepped on those fragile stairs.

The basement door closed slowly behind her.

Quiet again. But this time... not empty.

"I’ll come again," Olivia said quietly, as if she didn’t know that might be the last time she would come down here as herself.

----------------------------

Inside the basement, Javien was still sitting.

His hand slowly held his own chest.

"...you’re really a problem," he whispered quietly.

But this time... his voice didn’t sound pained. A smile formed at the corner of his lips.

That night ended calmly... too calmly.

As if the world was giving them a little time... before taking everything back again.

The next morning,

Javien was startled by a sound like the footsteps of many people outside his basement room. Without thinking he backed away. Alert. But the door of that room was pushed open hard.

Javien was shocked to see many men wearing clothes that looked like knights but weren’t knights. They lined up in front of his room door.

Javien didn’t say anything but he knew something was about to happen. Then a man in his 30s appeared wearing a brown top and black pants walking toward him.

His eyes stared sharply toward Javien who was still chained with the golden chain. Then he sat down. Javien stared at him. That man didn’t look like someone who usually caused pain...

but also not someone who could be trusted.

That man extended his hand but without hesitation, Javien pushed his hand away and backed far away from them. The men who were outside whispered among themselves.

"Commander, are you serious about taking a child this small?" said one of the men who was lined up. But the man called Commander only glanced toward that man and looked back toward Javien. He drew in a deep breath.

"I’m sorry, but I was ordered to take you as one of our members" he said firmly. But behind that firmness, the Commander’s treatment toward Javien was like a normal person. Javien was confused. But he still didn’t lower his guard.

"For what?" said Javien while staring at him sharply. That Commander went quiet then stood up.

"Do you want to stay here forever?" the Commander asked Javien. Javien went quiet. He pressed his lips together.

"But why me?" asked Javien quickly. That Commander sighed. His mind was in a mess then he explained to Javien who was uneasy watching them.

"You’ll understand if you come with us." said that Commander. Then Javien thought for a long time. Suddenly, Olivia’s face crossed his mind. He fidgeted. But,

"Don’t you want to be strong?" said that man. Javien startled. He had never thought about something like that before. Then he nodded slowly. As if that choice was painful for him.

But if i go what about Olivia....

He whispered in his heart quietly.

"No more time" said the blue haired man outside. Then they opened the chain tied to his hands. The wounds on his body were looked at by that Commander.

"These wounds.... we’ll treat them after we get there" he said. The blue haired man from before gave him a black hoodie to cover his face. Then they left that basement.

Javien looked back one more time. That staircase. That door. The place where he always heard those small footsteps coming.

"...tomorrow..."

He whispered quietly. But this time.. nobody was going to come. He pressed his lips together. Then turned and stepped out.

Above..

the sun had risen as usual.

And in one corner of the palace,

A girl was running down the corridor without knowing... she was already too late..