I... I said it?

"... I said it!"

It hit me.

"I... I said it, Crimson!"

As if I were a researcher looking for an elusive answer that had been right under my nose after a millennium of excruciating hard work, it hit me.

"I said it!"

I really said it. And at the realization, I giggled.

"Did you hear it, Crimson?" I eagerly asked, pushing myself back, clutching her shoulders.

For the first time ever, I truly said that sentence, those three words, to someone who wasn't my mother.

"I said it!"

My hands moved upward to cup her face while giggles spiraled out of control at the sight of her beautiful expression. I pulled her into a kiss, feeling her warmth that now seemed to fill me from within.

"I love you!" I giggled again, pressing another kiss to her lips. "I love you, I love you, I love you..."

Tears streamed down my cheeks, mixing with my laughter which was gradually turning into sobs. "I said it..."

"You said it," she followed with a tender smile, like a ray of light breaking through the clouds gently holding me close.

I kissed her again, again and again. But as the kisses went on, so did the tears. I clung to her, clutching her back tightly as I buried my face in her shoulder. My body trembled, my tears flowed harder and uncontrollably, while giggles couldn't help but slip between gasping sobs. "I can't understand what I'm feeling anymore..."

She tightened her embrace, one hand stroking the back of my head. "Let's get away from here, Snowflake," she murmured. "You're exhausted. You need to rest, and eat something. I have some food left in my backpack. Please, just try to eat a little."

I weakly nodded, yet I couldn't calm down. It took me a lot of time to gather, as much as I could, myself. The memories of my mother's soul still haunted me, and everything that happened wouldn't set me free. However, slowly, thanks to Crimson, I managed to steady myself.

Despite not even feeling hungry, surprisingly, and with bile threatening to rise with every bite, I forced down some food. After that, she summoned her beast. "Sit in front, I'll hold you. We'll go to the nearest city and rest."

Nodding again, I followed her lead.

Before bidding farewell to the city once and for all, I couldn't help but make her halt on the bridge. "Is this... mana?" I asked, my eyes widening at the view.

"You can sense it too, hm?" she murmured. "Yes... beneath this bridge, there's an incredible amount of mana..."

I glanced down; it was as if white flames were swirling, eager to rise from the depths. And my mother managed to fall into that, and climb her way out...?

"Should I... throw myself into it?" I stammered.

A hand reached my shoulder in an instant. "No, Snowflake. All you should do is rest, and entrust yourself to me. Now more than ever."

She was right. Absurdly enough, she was the one in the right. The world must have turned upside down for this to happen…

Still, that was the only option. What else could I have ever done, otherwise? What would I even think about? My mind would always drift to my mother, of course. It was inevitable… I had to eliminate her from my thoughts after she carved her way inside.

No… That was simply not possible. I am her daughter. I am everything she made me. She's an immovable, undeniable, everlasting invisible presence. Not so different from a shadow, my imago animi…

Still, I had to try. Now, more than ever, I had to try. Replace her, overwrite her, with the one holding me close at this exact moment. Fully, and completely. Where she would have gone, I would have gone, and what she would have seen, I would have seen just the same. Were I not wrapped in her arms right now, I would've crumpled completely, and not because of her uncomfortable mount.

Could this be it…? What my mother truly meant when she said that all someone needed in this world to be happy was a single person standing by their side? Could this be... how Bianca felt in my mother's loving arms?

If that's it… then, it doesn't seem so bad…

Ah, I thought about her again…

"A-alright..." I murmured in response, faintly shaking my head. "Hey, Crimson... what do you think would happen if someone fell into it and survived the fall?"

"Such a concentration of mana would consume everything and everyone," she replied. "Even if they survived the fall, the mana at the bottom would surely kill them."

"Hmm..."

With that sobering thought, we finally moved on. We even got past that weird chocobo, once mine, but there was no saving for it anymore... Rest in peace, temporary companion.

For the entire ride, Crimson held me close, her arms around me, pressing gentle kisses to my neck every now and then. It took a long time, and weariness threatened to make me fall asleep more than once, though impossible on that beast, but ultimately, as the sun was setting, the landscape gradually shifted, and we finally reached the outskirts of a small town.

By the time we dismounted near the town square, night had fallen, and the beast dissolved into a swirl of fire at Crimson's command. Since my legs were weak and shaky, she guided me toward an inn at the corner of the square.

As we entered, the smell of fresh bread tickled my nose; now I actually had a faint appetite. At the same time, the innkeeper gave us a curious glance; my appearance must've given off a bad impression, without a doubt. However, Crimson's commanding glare prevented any questions. She asked for a room, dinner, and clean clothes. With a nod, the innkeeper handed over a key; we would've found the clothes already in the room, and food would've soon been brought to us.

We headed for our room on the second floor through narrow stairs. The creaking wood beneath our feet and the rustic vibe of everything felt oddly comforting after everything I had gone through lately.

When we finally reached the room, she unlocked the door and we went inside. The room was fairly simple, warm and comforting with a single bed covered in a thick, woolen blanket, a small fireplace crackling softly in the corner, a window overlooking the quiet town below, and various furnishings.

"Oh..." I murmured, getting close to the fire. Exhaling, I knelt right in front of it, feeling its warmth against my skin as I wished to step inside it.

"You should take a warm bath, Snowflake," Crimson said softly, stepping closer. "Eat, and then have a nice rest."

I nodded. "I will."

She rummaged through the wardrobe, searching for clothes while I undressed. My clothes were a mess, stained with blood and full of holes. I gladly got rid of them.

"Snowflake..." Crimson murmured from behind, sounding surprised.

"What?" I asked, glancing at her.

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She was staring at me with wide, confused eyes."Your scar..."

"What about it?"

"It's... it's gone."

"Huh...? What do you mean?"

Approaching, she ran her hand across my back where my scar was supposed to be. Indeed, I couldn't feel any unpleasant and uncomfortable sensations from it.

"It's gone," she repeated. "Your skin is... perfect. Pure, smooth and clean."

"It's gone..." I breathed as my eyes fell to the floor. "She... she even took this away... despite my efforts to accept it. She even made those useless..."

Warm arms enveloped me. "It wasn't useless," she whispered, kissing my shoulder. "We made strides thanks to that."

Still, I could do nothing but sigh at the thought of it. "I want to take my bath now," I said, looking away, seeking to distract myself.

"Alright. I'll wait for the dinner to arrive, then." Intending to give me space, she stepped away with that.

"No," I interjected, reaching out and grabbing her hand. "I... Stay with me... You also have to clean yourself."

A soft smile graced her face. "As you wish."

The bathroom was small but extremely comforting and warm. I turned on the water, and steam quickly rose. Combined with the warmth of the fireplace, it was almost divine, and I already knew I could've fallen asleep in that warm bliss as soon as the running water filled the space.

And as soon as the water reached a good level, I stepped in, completely lowering myself into it, the water rippling around.

"Oh..." I literally moaned at that. "It's so waaarm..."

Crimson chuckled, and quickly undressed. Slipping in behind me, she pulled me into her lap, and leaning against her chest, as her body supported mine, I relaxed.

"Oh, I am definitely falling asleep in this..." I murmured.

"You can sleep if you want," she said, barely holding back her amusement.

"My muscles feel so good..." I said, adjusting myself better, letting my head rest between her breasts. "And you're such a good pillow..."

Her arms wrapped around me, but after a brief moment, she froze. "Snowflake, are you... alright?"

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"You're trembling."

"Hm? Am I?"

She pulled me closer, a hand reaching for my head. "Snowflake you... you're burning! You have a fever!"

"Huh... do I?" I asked as my eyes fluttered closed, sinking into the bliss.

"You do! We have to finish this quickly..." she said, making haste to wash me.

"But it's warm..."

"We're ending this quickly," she declared, no room for objections.

"Killjoy..."

Sadly, it didn't last long... She quickly cleaned me, and we stepped out of the warm, now dirty water. Well, she forced me to...

Drying me off with a soft towel, she then helped me into clean, comfortable and warm clothes. Perhaps, even too many clothes... I had trouble moving around.

Not long after, dinner arrived; pretty simple, but still warm and more than welcome. She ate in bed, while I ate next to the fire, with it crackling softly in the background.

"Hey, Crimson..." I began, my voice low as I stopped my munching. "How did you know where I was, exactly?"

"I asked Joey, but when I reached the place he mentioned, you were nowhere to be found," she replied, taking a sip of her warm tea. "I threatened to burn down the tavern, and they gave me information."

I stifled a laugh; were I still eating, I would have spat it out with that. Now those people surely hated me even more. "I see," I said, unable to hide a smile. "You missed that dungeon to be here with me now... Are you really sure?"

"I am, Snowflake," she countered, offering a genuine smile.

"But... what are we going to do now?" I asked as my eyes fell to the food.

She was quiet for a second. "On the way back… there's my parents' house," she murmured. “Would you… like to meet them?”

"Meet... your parents?"

She nodded.

"I... yeah, why not?" I replied; it was a distraction... So, better than nothing. "Crimson's parents... I genuinely wonder what kind of people they are."

"You're saying it as if we're otherworldly," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'll refrain from judging your parents."

A smile did not elude me; perhaps she was right. So, I changed the topic. After the conversation, and after we finished our meal, with far fewer impeding clothes, I leaned back against the headboard. Crimson followed, and I pulled her closer to feel her warmth beside me. "Crimson..."

"Yes, Snowflake?" she said, turning to face me.

"... I love you?" I whispered; the words felt oddly more natural each time I said them.

She chuckled at that. "You're improving a lot with that."

"... I don't think that's what you're supposed to answer."

"Oh?" she retorted, clearly challenging me. "And what am I supposed to answer, then?"

She clearly knew the answer to that!

I pouted. "You know it..."

Looking at me, a little smirk spread across her face. "I love you too, Snowflake."

"Hm. That's right."

She laughed again, softly. And with that, we settled down under the blankets. Her arms enveloped me, holding me close.

It felt... good.

It felt... comfortable.

It felt... even peaceful.

At last, I could get some proper rest…