Seeing the boy crumple down onto his back, Saa'ir moved to his side in swift, concern etched on his face. "Are you alright, Young Juin?"

Juin winced, breathing heavily, but nodded. "I...I'm alright...as alright as I’ll ever be, anyway..." he muttered, still recovering from the pain. "Ever since I was born, my body’s been like this, super weak, because of some illness no one knows about..." his voice grew softer, a trace of bitterness seeping through. "I envy the other kids so much. They get to play and run around...but I can’t."

Saa'ir's eyes widened at the mention of envy. His mind flashed back to the vision—the sickly boy standing before a symbol, his left eye gleaming with the dark, swirling hues of envy. "The Sin Incarnation of Envy—it’s him, no doubt now."

Composing himself by straightening up, Saa'ir then asked, "Where does it hurt the most?"

"My chest," Juin answered, "every time I breathe, it hurts a lot..."

Saa'ir grasped at his chin before he nodded, then raised his left hand and hovered it just above Juin's chest.

The boy froze, holding his breath in suspense as he watched Saa'ir, curious and a bit scared as to what he had planned.

Slowly, a clear, ethereal aura began to emanate from Saa'ir’s body, spilling out like a thin fog that cascaded over Juin’s bed, eventually pooling onto the floor until it was shrouded in mist.

Juin could feel a strange, calming energy seeping into him. The sharp pain in his chest—his constant companion—began to subside, gradually lessening into a dull ache. Then, the same feeling soon spread throughout his entire body.

While it wasn't a big change, as Juin still could feel the pain, it was nonetheless a miracle. Many remedies and practices were tried on him his entire life, yet with no effect.

He blinked in disbelief. Without thinking, he sat up, his hand instinctively clutching his chest. "No pain...!" Juin thought as he turned to Saa'ir, his voice filled with amazement. "It doesn’t hurt! I-I can breathe!"

Saa'ir withdrew his hand, a faint smile on his face. "I’m glad the pain is better."

Juin beamed with gratitude. "Thank you! But, what did you do?"

Saa'ir took a deep breath, his expression thoughtful. "It’s a technique I believe has been long forgotten. The simplest way to explain it is that I used some of my soul’s power as a cushion for your soul, to ease the pain you're feeling."

Juin’s eyes widened in wonder. "S-Soul? Your soul?"

"Yes," Saa'ir nodded, "but keep in mind, I haven’t healed or cured anything. I, unfortunately, don’t know what afflicts your body, Young Juin. But with this, you should have a little more freedom of movement now."

Another pause began to set in as Juin looked at his hands, flexing them carefully, still astonished by how much the pain changed. For the first time in a long while, he felt lighter, as if a weight had been lifted off his frail body.

Juin’s joy started to overwhelm him as he stared at his hands, tears welling up and streaming down his cheeks. He tried to hide his crying, but the relief was too much to contain. "Thank you..." he whispered again, his voice trembling with emotion.

Saa'ir watched the boy, his smile softening, full of warmth. "It was my pleasure to ease your suffering," he said, his tone gentle but firm, "you shouldn’t feel like a burden, Young Juin. You are a gift, whether you realize it or not. Each life is a gift—to both the ones who hold it and the ones around them."

Juin wiped his tears with the back of his hand, his breathing still a bit uneven. He looked up at Saa'ir with a big smile whilst revealing his left eye—clearly marked by the symbol of envy. "I’ll keep that in mind, Mr. Saa'ir!" his smile was pure and innocent, despite the dark burden he bore within his own soul.

Noticing Juin's swirling, dark green hue starting to glimmer within his eyes, Saa'ir's own smile only grew at such unfiltered joy. Amidst the moment, a familiar memory would surface once again—Axel's smiling face, which took the place of Juin's smiling face for a fleeting moment.

But just as the warmth of the moment began to overtake Saa'ir, something shifted in the air. An immense, suffocating dark force pressed down on him, nearby but unseen. The feeling was immediate, like a heavy storm cloud ready to break open at any second.

Saa'ir's expression transformed from soft contentment to one of shock and fear. His eyes darted toward the window, his instincts screaming. "What the hell!? What is this feeling?"

Witnessing Saa'ir's reaction, Juin immediately caught on that something was wrong. Without thinking, he reached out to grab Saa'ir’s chiton, only for his hand to pass right through the spirit’s form.

He almost fell off his bed but managed to catch himself, his eyes wide with concern. "Mr. Saa'ir, are you okay?" he asked, his voice shaky.

Saa'ir, still feeling the surge of pure negativity pressing on him like a wave, shifted from shock to a hardened expression. He turned his gaze toward the window, his brow furrowed in concentration. "It’s nothing." he said, his voice stern, but calm in an attempt to not strike fear into the young boy, despite the tension in the air. "I think it is time you should be getting some rest, Young Juin."

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He took a few steps toward the window, but Juin’s voice stopped him. "Wait!" the boy called out, his pale face bathed in moonlight. Saa'ir turned back, his form illuminated by the gentle silver light.

Juin sat up as best as his frail body would allow. "I can tell you’re on a really important mission." he said, his tone full of sincerity. "I just... I wish you luck and safety. And...thank you, again."

For a moment, Saa'ir stood still, shocked by the boy’s insight and warmth. Then, his lips curved into another smile as he bowed his head. "Thank you, Young Juin," he said, "you're right. It is an important mission. And, to be honest, it may also be quite dangerous."

Saa'ir began to phase through the window, the glass warping around his form. As he floated outside, his voice echoed back to Juin like a whisper in the night. "There may be a chance we’ll never meet again, but I can guarantee you this: another figure like you will visit in due time. He's a friend of sorts. You’ll like him—I know it. Be well, Young Juin..."

Juin watched as Saa'ir disappeared into the night, the haunting yet comforting words lingering in the air. A strange peace settled over him as he laid back down, his mind still reeling from the events, but his heart, somehow, at ease.

He gazed up at his ceiling, still processing the events that had just transpired, and met the familiar, multi-colored stars that made his ceiling his home. Raising his right hand towards them, he admitted to himself that they were just ordinary stickers, put their per his request many years ago.

They served as a replacement for an experience he never would have, and did just that for a while. But, as time went on, their color started to fade, some started to peel, one even fell last year. It was then that Juin looked at them with disgust instead of his usual youthful wonder.

For a moment, he surrendered once again to jealousy, jealousy towards those that could see the stars—see his dream.

Clutching his hand into a fist with anger, Juin would hear Saa'ir's words once again echo in his mind. "The stars are very much alive and beautiful. Their light shines for all of us, and their radiance know no bounds—something I believe everyone should see, including you."

Slowly, Juin's fist replaced the jealousy and anger that fueled it with a youthful determination. His eyes sparkled with the same determination as the words continued to echo within him. Finally, he mustered the strength to take action.

Juin’s hands trembled as he grasped his bedsheets, every movement as heavy as his illness was unrelenting. He rolled onto his side, grimacing, biting his lip to stifle the cry that threatened to escape and wake his mother.

With determination pulsing through his frail limbs, he swung his legs over the edge, pausing as his bare feet met the floor. The hardwood was like ice beneath him, each touch sparking a cascade of shivers and pain that crawled up his entire body.

But beneath the cold, beneath the agony, was an echo of warmth—a presence sustaining him. The fact he could even do this was practically a gift—Saa'ir’s gift. "You are a gift, whether you realize it or not. Each life is a gift—to both the ones who hold it and the ones around them." Saa'ir's words echoed in Juin's head again, causing him to smile through the pain.

With shallow breaths and grit, he pushed forward, step by step, his arms flailing weakly at his sides to maintain balance.

Every inch felt like a mile, the ache in his bones screaming louder with each step. But the pain wasn't as great as before, so it couldn’t drown out his goal; he could see the faint glow of moonlight ahead, beckoning him to the window.

He was nearly there now, though the light was blinding him, its silvery radiance filtering through the glass like the stars themselves had descended into his room.

Juin’s breath caught, but he pressed onward, placing one shaky hand on the windowsill, his other beside it, fingers pressed against the cold glass.

When he finally gathered the courage to lift his gaze, eyes barely able to adjust, the moonlight revealed something unexpected.

Pressed up against the window and staring back at him, framed by the soft light, was Tsubasa. Her usually calm face now pale with shock, as if she had just seen a ghost. Nonetheless, her presence was always a welcome balm against Juin's loneliness, her eyes carrying the many stories of generations before him.

"G-Gran-Gran Tsu?" Juin tried his best to whisper, blinking in confusion.

Tsubasa pressed her tail against the window as she adopted a voice of urgency, her gaze sharp. “Juin, are you okay? Did you see a man dressed in white? A mysterious man?”

Juin tilted his head, still processing everything. "Yeah, I did," he replied slowly, then, with a bit more excitement, added, "he helped me with my pain! Look!" Juin waved his arms around with a wide grin, something he hadn't been able to do in ages. Though, it was short lived, as he soon lost balance, but managed to catch himself on the window. Despite the jolt of pain, he still smiled.

Tsubasa's eyes widened with a mix of shock and joy as she watched Juin move with such motion. Her eyes then almost bulged out of her sockets just now realizing the fact Juin was standing before her.

She had never thought she’d see the day when the boy, plagued by illness for so long, could even lift his arms without chronic pain. “Juin...” she muttered, her heart swelling with happiness.

But that joy was quickly replaced by a serious expression as reality set in. If the man in white had been in Juin's room, then that meant something far more troubling.

Her sharp gaze returned as she looked out into the rest of the village, now more determined than ever. “So it’s true, there’s a mysterious man loose in Enohay...!”

Juin, sensing her unease, lowered his head, his eyes reflecting both excitement and worry. “Gran-Gran Tsu, is everything okay? He didn’t seem like a bad guy. His name was Saa'ir, and he was such a nice guy, I promise!”

Tsubasa glanced back at Juin, her tail twitching with tension. "I see... I'll keep that in mind when I find him. I just want to know why he's here is all, it is my duty to make sure everyone's safe and nothing is wrong in our village."

Backing up from the window, Tsubasa continued as she prepared to run off to find the mysterious man. "Just stay here Juin, and so you know, you don't know how it makes me feel to see you moving! I promise I'll come back to check your health. Until then, get some rest, alright?"

"Y-Yes ma'am!" Juin called out, waving as enthusiastically as he could, further softening Tsubasa's expression.

Waving back at the boy, Tsubasa ran, but not towards the village. Instead, she ran towards the mountains, where Dama's cabin stood, and Giona was alone. "I don't know what this is about, but my gut is telling me Giona's in trouble! And I'm too old to make such a rookie mistake and not heed it!

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Next: (Chapter 57) Hatred's Vessel