The silence stretched between us.

Chia sat there, arms curled around her knees, her usual spark nowhere to be seen.

I had never seen her like this.

Chia wasn’t the kind of person who sat still. She was loud, excitable, restless.

But now?

She looked like the weight of the world had crushed her.

I didn’t like it.

“…Talk to me,” I said.

She hesitated.

Then—

She sighed, resting her chin on her knees.

“I talked to my dad.”

Her voice was flat.

“He told me how much a magma beast costs.”

She exhaled sharply, like she was laughing at herself. But there was no humor in it.

“A hundred thousand gold coins,” she said, shaking her head. “For the cheapest one.”

It shocked me.

That much?

That was a ridiculous amount of money. Even for a wealthy family, that was a steep price. For Chia’s family…

I understood now.

“Dad told me,” she continued, her voice quiet, “that we don’t even earn a thousand gold a month. We have just enough to live, and that’s it.”

Her fingers clenched her sleeves.

“There’s no way I can afford one,” she whispered. “No matter how hard I work. No matter what I do.”

I swallowed, watching her.

“I thought awakening would change everything,” she admitted. “I thought it would make me strong, like you. That I’d finally be able to catch up.”

She let out a shaky breath.

“But now?” She laughed bitterly. “Now, I’m just a summoner without a summon.”

I felt a twinge in my chest.

This wasn’t just about the money.

This was about her dream.

Her future.

The thing she had been so excited for just yesterday… was now crumbling right in front of her.

And she didn’t know how to fix it.

I wanted to tell her immediately.

To say, Hey, Chia, I have a solution. Everything’s fine!

But that wouldn’t fix anything.

Because right now, she wasn’t ready to hear it.

Right now…

She needed to feel something else first.

So I took a deep breath—

And flicked her forehead.

Hard.

“Ow—!?” She jerked back, blinking up at me in shock.

“What was that for?!”

I shrugged. “Felt like you needed it.”

She gaped at me. “Excuse me!?”

“You’re talking like it’s already over,” I said, crossing my arms. “Like your life’s done just because you hit one wall.”

She scowled. “You don’t get it—”

“I do get it,” I cut in. “It’s expensive. It’s not fair. It sucks. I get that.”

I pointed at her.

“But you know what doesn’t suck?”

She raised an eyebrow.

I grinned.

“You.”

She blinked.

“…What?”

I smirked. “You heard me.”

Her face turned red.

“I—”

But before she could argue—

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees.

“You’re not some helpless little girl, Chia,” I said, softer now. “You’re you. The same girl who won’t shut up about food. The same girl who’s always chasing after me even when I tell you not to.”

Her lips twitched.

“And,” I added, grinning, “the same girl who just awakened one of the strongest affinities out there.”

She looked away, biting her lip.

“…Doesn’t matter if I can’t use it.”

“Then we’ll find a way.”

She stilled.

I held her gaze.

“Chia, I spoke to my mom.” I exhaled. “There’s another way.”

Her eyes narrowed. “…What do you mean?”

I grinned.

“You don’t need a Magma beast.”

She blinked. “What?”

“We can make one.”

I explained everything.

Pseudo-beasts. Transformation. The path that wasn’t easy, but was possible.

She listened in silence.

And when I finished—

She just… stared at me.

Processing.

Then—

Something shifted.

I saw it in her eyes.

The light.

The hope.

“You’re serious,” she whispered.

I nodded. “Completely.”

She looked down, fingers tightening on her sleeves.

“This… this could actually work,” she murmured. “I wouldn’t have to—”

Her voice caught.

She swallowed.

Then, suddenly—

She snorted.

I blinked. “…What?”

She tried to cover her mouth, laughing.

I stared at her. “What’s so funny?”

She shook her head, grinning. “You—You really can’t leave me alone for five minutes, can you?”

I smirked. “Nope.”

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She laughed.

And just like that—

That weight on her shoulders lifted.

I exhaled.

“Good,” I said. “That’s the Chia I know.”

She rolled her eyes, but there was no sadness in them anymore.

“Alright,” she said, standing up. “Tell me what I need to do.”

I grinned.

Now that was more like it.

The house was quiet.

Too quiet.

Chia sat beside me, hands curled into her lap. Across from us, her parents sat stiffly, their expressions carefully controlled. My mother and father sat opposite them, watching. Waiting.

No one spoke at first.

Then Chia’s father, Marcos, cleared his throat.

“I… I don’t even know how to begin to thank you.”

His voice was careful. Formal. Too polite.

“I never expected something like this. And for you to offer such help—” He shook his head, glancing between my parents. “It’s beyond anything we could have imagined.”

I could already see it.

The gratefulness.

The shame.

Chia’s mother, Mira, placed a hand on his arm, but he didn’t meet her gaze. Instead, he looked at my father.

“But…” He hesitated. “I have to be honest. Even with this solution, I—”

He swallowed.

“We don’t have the money.”

I glanced at Chia. Her hands clenched tighter.

My father exhaled through his nose, leaning back. “That’s understandable.”

Marcos tensed. “I don’t want to waste your time—”

“You’re not.”

Marcos hesitated. “But—”

“You are too polite.”

The room froze.

Marcos blinked, startled.

I nearly choked.

Dad just stared at him, eyes sharp. “Your gratitude is noted. Your concerns are noted. But you are talking in circles.”

Marcos opened his mouth. Than he shut it.

Dad’s expression didn’t change.

“This is about Chia’s future,” he said, tone firm. “Not yours. So stop worrying about bothering us.”

Marcos swallowed hard.

Chia’s mother squeezed his arm.

“…I just don’t want to take advantage,” he murmured.

Dad huffed. “You aren’t.”

Marcos sighed. “But even if we accept, I have no idea how we’ll afford a fire beast. Even a weak one costs thousands.”

He let out a bitter laugh. “We can’t even afford a Blazehound, let alone something strong enough for transformation.”

Mom finally spoke.

“We know,” she said gently. “That’s why we’re offering to lend you the money.”

Marcos stiffened.

Mira’s eyes widened.

“A… loan?” Marcos echoed.

Dad nodded. “That’s right.”

Marcos looked uncomfortable. “I—”

“This way, you won’t feel like you owe us a favor,” Dad continued smoothly. “You won’t have to feel indebted. We’ll handle the cost for now, and you can pay us back over time. No interest.”

Silence.

Marcos looked down, gripping his knee.

I could tell exactly what he was thinking.

He hated this.

The position he was in.

The fact that he couldn’t do this himself.

But what other choice did he have?

“…That’s generous,” he murmured. “More generous than we deserve.”

Dad waved a hand. “Nothing is free in this world. This is fair.”

Marcos took a slow breath.

Then, finally, he nodded.

“…Alright.”

Chia exhaled sharply, shoulders slumping.

I hadn’t even realized how tense she was until now.

“Thank you,” Mira whispered. “Truly.”

Dad just grunted. “No need to thank us yet. We still need to find the right beast.”

Marcos hesitated.

“…Do you mean purchasing one?”

Dad grinned. “No.”

Marcos blinked.

“We’ll let the kids find it themselves.”

Now that got a reaction.

Marcos paled. Mira’s eyes widened.

“What?!”

I sat up straighter. Chia did too.

“Summoners should choose their own beasts,” Dad said simply. “It’s better that way. Akul will help Chia find a fire beast. They’ll handle the contract, and once they do, we’ll handle the rest.”

Marcos looked horrified. “They’re just kids—”

“They’re summoners,” Dad corrected.

Marcos still looked uncertain.

But Chia?

Chia looked determined.

“I want to do it,” she said firmly.

Marcos turned to her, hesitant. “But, Chia—”

“I’m not a little kid anymore,” she interrupted. “I can do this. We can do this.”

I smirked. “She’s right.”

Marcos exhaled.

Then—reluctantly—he nodded.

“…Fine.”

And just like that—

The hunt began.