Night fell, and the lantern cast a warm glow, accompanying the young girl in her study. Chloe looked troubled as she sipped her herbal tea, trying to calm her wandering thoughts about the Drifter.

"Couldn't sleep, Chloe?" an old voice startled the girl.

Chloe turned to see the Village Chief, her father, bringing in sweet buns. He sat across from her and began munching on the buns with gusto.

"Dad, you're going to get diabetes, eating snacks this late," Chloe scolded her father, the Village Chief.

"Sweetness is happiness. Why should I abstain from happiness at my age?" he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Chloe chuckled. "Don't blame me if your blood glucose shoots up."

The Village Chief smiled softly, realizing that Chloe had eased up a bit. Offering the buns, he asked his daughter, "Still thinking about the Drifter?"

Chloe took a bun and nodded. She remembered the event not long ago. After saying something weird, the Drifter passed out in bed, leaving many questions the Chloe's mind.

Keeping quiet for a while, the girl finally asked her father,

"Dad, after thinking it over, you're right. I shouldn't have brought that Drifter home. Even if it looks human, a monster is still a monster. That weird power he has... I'm afraid he might hurt someone."

The Village Chief sighed. "Chloe, dear, you know Drifters are echoes of someone's emotion, exposed to miasma from beyond the Ice Walls. The stronger that emotion, the more powerful the Drifter it forms."

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"Yes, I know," Chloe replied, grasping her teacup, "But Dad, have you considered what kind of emotion could have formed that man? From the look in his eyes, I sensed deep anguish and trauma. Could he be a Drifter formed from boundless despair?"

"And so, why do you bring that up?"

Chloe's heart ached at the thought. "It pained me, knowing that someone had to go through the darkest despair in his life. But now... that man had ceased to exist. Only his despair remained, waiting for the time when it loses control of itself. .. It left me conflicted. Should we... turn it to the Police?"

The Village Chief sighed deeply, the weight of his daughter's words settling heavily on him. "Your kindness knows no bounds, even towards a monster. That quality of yours reminds me so much of your mother. But you must understand the difference between empathy and sympathy. The fact remains, that thing is a monster. Our decision should be clear."

Her father paused, considering the options. "But treating a Drifter could turn the Police against you. They might label you a traitor or a spy from the Kingdom of Lies."

Chloe brushed her hair frustrated, "Thought so. Aaahh... why did I do something so foolish?"

The Village Chief gently patted his daughter's head. "Rice has become porridge; it's useless to dwell on the past. What we should do now is find out more about him and understand his origin and the extent of his power."

Chloe's brow furrowed. "But how?"

The Village Chief leaned back in his chair, lost in thought. "Perhaps there’s a clue about the Drifter in the Abyss Tome. If we could somehow stabilize its condition, no one would realize that man is a monster."

Chloe nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. "I’ll start looking into the texts right now."

"Hey, hey, stop. You carried that man from the mountain, you must be exhausted. There's always tomorrow. For now, rest, okay? Don't worry, we'll figure this out together, Chloe."

Chloe nodded, finishing her tea. Despite the lingering worry, she felt a bit more at ease. Her father was right, exhaustion clouded her judgment too much. Perhaps a good night's rest could ease her mind.

When her father was asleep, Chloe checked up on the Drifter last time. After her father went to bed, Chloe decided to check on the Drifter one last time. Quietly, she opened the door, making sure not to startle him. But she heard the breeze from the window. She quickly barged into the room, only to find an empty bed and an open window.

"Oh no, this is bad! He ran away!" Chloe gasped.