The boy held her, wrapping his free arm around her waist.

“Careful, you should watch where you're going.”

The two looked at each other.

He was tall, though not as tall as Shirei, but his body exuded a mysterious aura of power. Marina corrected herself, it was about superiority, as if she wanted to kneel before him out of pure choice of respect. The robustness of his figure was not burdened by a trace of fat, but rather sculpted by the defined musculature that could be admired from his arms. His eyes, a dark blue almost like the sea at night, had a depth that Marina found interesting. His long ash blonde hair, slightly disheveled and gathered in a messy pigtail, swayed slightly in the wind.

He wore a golden tunic, which reached down to his knees. From underneath, torn jeans peeked out, an unusual combination that created some amusement in the demigoddess's eyes.

While observing him, Marina noticed a strange protrusion behind his back. At first glance it might have looked like a hump, but the shape was too irregular, too symmetrical to be a natural deformity. The demigod looked at her curiously, as if he found her surprise almost pleasant.

Marina felt her cheeks becoming hot under that gaze and shook her head, “You're right! I apologize!”

She quickly freed herself from his grasp and, without saying anything else, ran back into the thirteenth house.

The mysterious demigod watched her and was tempted to follow her, but he gave up after seeing his home beyond the small black hut of Cragar's children.

“What a shame. Hope to see you soon, little blonde.”

Ien's daughter slammed the door behind her and closed her eyes. Yet another fool, she was truly a lost case.

After dismissing the scene that had just occurred, Marina looked in front of her and saw Shirei with a letter in his hands. Cragar's son noticed her and jumped up from the bed, until he joined her.

“Shirei?” The blonde exclaimed before flattening herself against the entrance of the house.

“I apologize.”

“Eh?”

The boy lowered his head towards her, before realizing their closeness. He stepped aside and gave her space to move away from the door.

“I didn't mean to offend you, I'm sorry if that's what you felt.”

Marina smiled, “I exaggerated too, I shouldn't have gotten so angry. It's just a promise I made to myself when I was little.”

“What do you mean?”

“I won't let anyone hurt me, especially if it's someone I care about,” Ien's daughter replied, sitting on her bed.

Shirei's pupils dilated slightly.

“I did not want to hurt you.”

“I know, don't worry.”

“No,” the demigod stopped her, “In fact, I admire you. I'm not good with people, unlike you, and all I know how to do is fight. You work hard every day to help other demigods, reminding your friends that you are always available for them, without anyone giving you any credit.”

Marina's heart skipped a beat.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Monsters and blood were the world I lived in before I met you. I thought there were only evil and petty people looking for personal gain in their every action,” he took a pause, “Thank you for showing me everything I missed.”

“Shirei…” the girl's voice faded, “Can I hug you?”

However, she didn't wait for her response to do so. She reached him and buried her head in his chest, desperately trying to hold back the tears.

It was the first time.

The first time anyone recognized her efforts.

She felt so happy that she might even fly with joy.

The two stood still for a few minutes, before it got awkward. Marina pulled away from Shirei and tried to hide her face streaked with a few tears.

The demigod observed her in silence, giving her all the time she needed.

“I want to tell you something too,” she searched for the right words, “I don't know why you try to hide your powers from everyone… but others deserve to see the person you are, not the son of Cragar they despise, no matter how much you are strong.”

Ien's daughter wiped her face and blinked, then tried to shift her attention from that speech. She didn't realize she had managed to get a smile from him.

“Have you received a letter from Mr. D'Agostini?”

Shirei nodded, showing her the already opened paper wrapper.

“An elf brought it as soon as you left, that's why I didn't follow you.”

Ien's daughter smiled, So he wanted to stop me! Ok, enough, I look like an eleven year old girl.

“What's written on it?” She asked in the end.

“I need to get ready to leave by this evening and head to the Great Mansion as soon as I'm ready.”

Marina's smile faded, “Ah...”

She knew he would have to leave the park as a new member of the Equinox Flowers, but she didn't imagine it would happen on the same day as their return. She wondered how long it would be before they met again.

What if he dies during the mission? She couldn't help but think.

She didn't even want to imagine that eventuality, but she felt she had to talk to him seriously. She had an internal conflict on the subject because she struggled to see Cragar's son in that light, but the clues were clear. She had to tell him about his past identity.

“Shirei,” she began, “There is something important you need to know.”

The demigod waited and Marina bit her lip. Maybe she shouldn't have told him like that. Maybe she should have discussed it first with Aena and Mr. D'Agostini to be sure, but Shirei deserved answers.

Ien's daughter looked into his eyes, then said, “I believe Dalia is a goddess.”

She closed her eyelids. She hadn’t made it. She hadn't been able to tell him what she thought about his past and it made her feel guilty.

Shirei remained impassive at that revelation.

“You…” Marina hesitated, “Did you already know?”

Shirei tilted his head, “Cragar cares a lot about her, especially her powers.”

“So?”

“I put two and two together. Her ‘Instigating Song’… it is not a technique accessible to the children of Cragar, otherwise I would know how to use it.”

Despite the topic, the blonde smiled, “You're being a little too arrogant.”

Shirei stared at her with piercing eyes, forcing her to look away.

“Salix, before flying away, said that he was not the only one present at the park. The other is Dalia, daughter of Cragar and a goddess of song.”

“Aor, goddess of music,” Marina corrected him, surprised by how much sense his reasoning made.

Everything seemed clear to her at that moment, this is where the little girl's passion for music came from.

“Do you think we should tell her?”

Shirei glanced at the trap door in the center of the room, “No, at least not now. We'll do it together after I get back, if she decides to show up.”

Marina looked down sadly, “Alright.”

She didn't want him to leave, but she certainly couldn't go against the will of the divine Aena. She raised her head to greet him with a smile, when she found herself held in his arms.

Marina froze and remained tense with surprise, then, slowly, she let go and appreciated that gesture.

“Come back soon,” she whispered before walking away.

With a deep breath, she got out of bed and walked to the exit. The two demigods exchanged one last look, then Marina left the thirteenth house and Shirei got to work.

It didn't take Cragar's son more than a handful of minutes to get ready, he grabbed some clothes, a few cans from his energy drink stash and was tempted to look for some food to filch.

After running out of room in his backpack, he bent over and reached under the bed. He grabbed the briefcase with his hands and opened it to reveal its contents.

The first thing that caught his attention was a black thermal t-shirt, whose rough-to-the-touch surface was embellished with a dragon scale thread, giving it a unique look. Next to it, a shirt, in the same intense black, appeared smooth and light. Continuing, he found comfortable jeans and ankle boots with a grooved sole, designed to ensure excellent grip on all types of terrain. Finally, there was an open sweatshirt with a hood, practical and versatile. Shirei looked at each item carefully, then began to dress.

Once that operation was completed, he tidied everything up and let himself be swallowed up by the darkness of the Interworld. Dalia's head popped out of the trapdoor moments later, only to make sure she was alone again.