A strange sensation washed over Haniel. Despite the complete darkness surrounding her, she began to faintly discern the outline of a figure. It was the first time this had ever happened, and she couldn't help but be astonished and afraid at the same time. However, a warm feeling of security quickly enveloped her, soothing her fears.

“(What is this sensation, and who is this strange figure?)”

The silhouette that had formed in front of her seemed to be composed of magical particles with a soft, almost invisible, white hue against the absolute darkness. Given her own condition, she had a vague idea of what a person's shape might be, but what she was experiencing was completely different from what she had imagined.

“(..Who is this person..?)”

Unable to find an explanation for what was in front of her, a hint of doubt crossed Haniel's face. Her only option to discover the identity of the person before her was to ask directly. However, before she could do so, an unfamiliar sound took the lead.

“Woof! Woof!”

“Huh..? Woof...?”

Seeing that the mysterious silhouette moved in sync with that indescribable voice, Haniel couldn't help but tilt her head slightly, her expression now reflecting even deeper confusion than before.

“I'm sorry if my companion startled you, miss.”

“She's Sera, a Siberian Husky.”

Haniel remained perplexed, which was entirely understandable since she had no knowledge of what a "Siberian Husky" was in her current state. Her expression was now colored with an honest and innocent curiosity before her voice was heard once more.

“Siberian Husky..?”

“Yes, she's a very friendly dog. Would you like to try petting her?”

This mysterious man posed the question while maintaining a friendly smile, creating a pleasant atmosphere. Feeling relaxed once again, much like she had when she was with the nurse, Haniel contemplated asking more questions about Sera. Or, at least, that's what she intended to do, as her body unconsciously moved to stroke the adorable dog, who appeared to be taller than her.

“(..She's so fluffy..)”

“(Very fluffy!)”

Haniel began to pet the dog in such an unusual way that a bead of sweat trickled down the cheek of the mysterious man. It seemed like his dear companion had made a new friend. A couple of minutes had to pass until the little girl was satisfied with the attention she gave to the dog, and now she was taking a brief break. Seeing that she wouldn't be interrupted further, it was the perfect moment for him to introduce himself politely.

“By the way, miss, I apologize for the late introduction; my name is Mikael.”

For some strange reason, Haniel couldn't react immediately. Her mind went momentarily blank, and after regaining her composure, she inclined her head slightly toward Mikael.

“My.. My name is Haniel!”

Haniel's manners may have seemed a bit abrupt, but her tone was genuinely friendly. Mikael squinted his eyes and observed the young girl in detail, but his gaze seemed to be seeing more than just her physical body.

“(..I feel as if something is surrounding me..)”

Mikael's gaze caused the temperature in the air to drop, creating a slight discomfort for Haniel. It appeared to be a habit he was aware of but couldn't control, so he apologized appropriately to her.

“I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, Miss Haniel.”

“I sometimes cause discomfort in people.”

Despite feeling that something was amiss in Mikael's words, Haniel couldn't muster any questions, as she didn't know how to broach such a conversation. But she didn't want to remain silent, so she tried to think of a common topic. Fortunately, there was something simple that had piqued her curiosity.

“Excuse me, Mr. Mikael, are you a doctor at the hospital?”

Mikael was about to suggest that Haniel take a seat, so this question caught him off guard. Scratching his chin slightly, he let his gaze wander around as he considered his response, and the little girl waited patiently with a slight curious smile on her face.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“A doctor? Hmm.. In a way, you could see it like that...”

Haniel smiled cheerfully upon hearing that, and it seemed she was about to ask another question. However, Mikael pre-empted her, making a slight hand gesture as if he were trying to clarify a misunderstanding.

“Although, currently, I am a wanderer-”

“No.. To be more precise, it would be correct to say that I am a roaming priest.”

“A roaming priest..?”

The innocence of the girl brought a sincere, gentle smile to Mikael's face. He appeared to be on the verge of explaining to Haniel what that meant, at least with some simple words she could understand. However, just as his lips began to move, something caught his attention, stopping him and causing a change in the atmosphere around them. The young girl also noticed this, leaving her wondering what had occurred.

“It seems we've run out of time, but I must say it was nice chatting with you, Miss Haniel.”

Haniel tilted her head slightly in doubt at the unexpected words. From her perspective, she could see a strange silhouette in Mikael, who was gesturing casually while smiling warmly at her. Despite her keen sense of hearing, she didn't notice someone approaching them.

“Haniel?”

“..Huh?”

Haniel couldn't hide her surprise upon hearing her name being called, so she unconsciously turned in that direction. She could easily recognize the voice; it was Anael, so the young girl had certain expectations of seeing the silhouette of her beloved nurse, as she had with Mikael and Sera. However, the result was different.

“Miss Anael, my vision-”

*Absolute darkness*

Upon seeing only darkness, Haniel stopped her words, and her expression changed in the blink of an eye. This made her briefly wonder why she was able to see something in them and not in Anael. Were they special in some way? It was one of the questions that crossed her mind, but before she could think about it in more detail, her dear nurse had noticed something strange about her.

“I'm sorry for the delay, Haniel. I tried to hurry when I saw through the window that you were making strange gestures while alone. Did something happen?

Slightly surprised by her nurse's concern, Haniel didn't dwell on the words and responded naturally, making a small gesture in the direction of where Mikael and Sera had been to tell Anael that they had been pleasant to her, but...

“No, I was just talking with-”

*Silence and absolute darkness*

The moment Haniel turned to her new friends, she could no longer see their silhouettes. Perhaps she had only been able to see them for a brief moment, but she was sure they were no longer in front of her, which was quite strange that they disappeared suddenly. But this made certain previous words from Anael catch her attention.

“(She said I was making strange gestures while alone..?)”

Haniel's expression changed, reflecting a mysterious doubt within her, and then she gently rubbed her forehead. Was she suffering from some form of paranoia that made her imagine both Mikael and Sera? She didn't question it, but she had some similar thoughts due to her inability to understand the situation.

“Haniel, are you okay? Your expression has become concerning again.”

Unable to find answers to her thoughts, Haniel tried not to worry her beloved nurse too much, so she warmly smiled at her before responding.

“Yes, I think I'm just feeling a little tired.”

Anael also smiled, but she still appeared concerned. So she had the little girl sit down to take a short break before discussing the itinerary they could follow since she hadn't been able to find Israfel anywhere; she needed to make a decision.

“Under these circumstances, it's best to take you to your room, but I believe we should stop by the cafeteria first to fill your stomach, as you've been receiving nutrients through an IV all this time. Is that okay?

Haniel nodded without much thought, and her dear nurse made a tender gesture, smiling warmly at her. She then walked behind the young girl and lightly massaged her shoulders as if she had remembered something; she had forgotten to bring the walker with her. Therefore, it would be best to carry her to the cafeteria. However, just as she was about to suggest that...

“Now that I think about it-”

*A somber feeling*

Before finishing her words, Anael turned her gaze towards a forest that was visible through one of the exits from the shrubbery. However, the nurse's expression had turned darkly sinister, as if she were trying to contain a surge of hatred. The ominous feeling in the air hadn't been caused by her, and it was so overwhelming that it caused Haniel's body to tremble slightly. The young girl was frightened, so she tugged at the nurse's uniform to get her attention.

“Mi-Miss Anael?”

Anael snapped out of it upon hearing Haniel's voice, and she was about to apologize for getting a little distracted, but as she looked at the young girl...

“I'm sorry, Haniel, I got distracted for a moment-”

“. . . !”

Haniel's deteriorated expression sent the nurse into a panic, so she quickly picked up the young girl in her arms and gently rubbed her head in an attempt to calm her while speaking with genuine concern.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I promise it won't happen again.”

Although Haniel remained silent, she responded with a slight gesture, rubbing her head against Anael's shoulder. The situation seemed to have returned to normal, so a slight smile appeared on the nurse's face as she prepared to carry the young girl carefully. The plan to stop by the cafeteria was still in place, but if her condition worsened during the journey, they would visit the infirmary first.

While being carried, Haniel remained still, as if she were resting, to the point of simulating sleep. However, the reality was different, as she was deeply immersed in her thoughts, remembering what she had seen in that somber moment.

“(For a brief moment, I was able to see it.. But why was the silhouette and color so different...?)”

At that moment, Haniel had been able to see the silhouette of her beloved nurse, but unlike Mikael and Sera, who had a slightly transparent white silhouette and a soothing atmosphere around them.. Anael's silhouette was of a distorted red color that couldn't hold steady.

There was no way the young girl could find an answer to the events that were happening, so she tried to clear her mind a bit while they headed to the cafeteria to avoid worrying Anael. Staying positive was a good option, but she would soon realize that it was only the beginning of a series of such events that would mark her daily life...