After finishing their business in the Phantom Association branch, a kilometer's journey brought them to a bustling food plaza, a mosaic of scents and sights where exotic cuisines were hawked from every stall and cart.

Each vendor had carved out its own niche, offering customers a choice between cozy seating or convenient standing tables. The morning was still young, and the plaza buzzed with a growing crowd of early risers seeking breakfast.

To the left of the plaza was a lane with premium eateries stretched into the heart of the inner city. It was here that Rosalie, following a recommendation from Mei, guided Aeron to a quaint café named Sea Spirit Cuisine.

This place wasn't too expensive in comparison to other premium places but had good and tasty food. The cafe owner had a contract with one of the Phantom guilds to buy ingredients from water sources as this cafe mainly cooked seafood as their specialty.

Entering inside, the duo sat at a smaller round table that was enough for 2-3 people.

Aeron looked at the Menu, and upon noting the prices, he raised his eyebrows, 'Interesting.'

'The steamed crab veg rolls cost 45 spirit credits, and a milk tea cost 95 spirit credits?'

[Well…cattle and tea leaves are limited compared to the wild meat and fish in the city. There's only one goat farmhouse in the inner city area and two mixed farmhouses in the core city area.]

After choosing breakfast dishes worth 240 spirit credits, the waiter took their orders and left.

Right after the water left, Rosalie spoke in a firm tone as she looked at Aeron, "Tell me."

She wanted to know about her brother.

Lapis bit her lips and sighed. [It's time…]

Aeron looked at Rosalie's serious expression that betrayed some nervousness in her eyes.

'She has good instincts, and that's giving her the possibilities of the situation,' Aeron internally sighed.

"Rosalie," Aeron stretched his hands and grabbed both hands of Rosalie on the table, wrapping her balled fists within his palms.

"I will not lie to you so listen carefully," Aeron looked at her straight in the eyes. The words he just spoke caused Rosalie's eyes and lips to visibly tremble.

"I am from a faraway place. It is so far that only your brother could bring me here," Aeron somberly said. "He called me after he was attacked by a Haunt... at his life's last moments."

"N-No…." Rosalie lip's trembled and her eyes already started streaming with tears.

"He wanted to protect you and save you at all costs even at the end of his life. That's why…he managed to call me beside him even though I was very far."

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"He-"

"…N-No….." Rosalie opened her mouth, but the suffocation and the lump in her throat prevented her from speaking further as her vision turned blurry with her spilling tears.

"H-He….he always t-took care of me…and gave me everything," Rosalie spoke with difficulty. "He only lived for me, b-but…I…"

Rosalie's breath caught up, her eyes streaming more tears. "I couldn't…I couldn't do anything for him."

Rosalie started bawling and banged her head on the table, feeling devastated as she cried.

Aeron felt pained upon seeing her like that.

[No matter how her future turned out, she would never be able to see her brother living the content and happy life that both dreamed of together.] Lapis cried as she spoke, her tears flowing non-stop as her Rosalie's grief was something she could understand.

"Rosalie..." Aeron felt his heart stabbed as he looked at Rosalie breaking down. He understood her feelings and the devastation she felt… It was so much more because Rosalie also wanted her brother to live a happy life, but he always struggled for her.

When Rosalie first got the curse mark, the unfamiliar and all-permeating pain made her cry regularly at night and whenever it flared up. Her brother couldn't bear to see that, and he wanted to make her powerful for her future as soon as possible.

For that, he neglected himself and prioritized Rosalie.

Rosalie tried to stop her brother many times, but he always convinced her and told her they would live happily together once she became powerful and removed her curse mark.

Rosalie also did her best to endure and made sure her brother didn't overwork since she knew how to throw tantrums and prevent her brother from overworking and risking too much.

Rosalie held hope that their lives would soon improve and their dreams would start coming true one by one.

Today was supposed to be their new beginning because he only needed one C-grade Haunt core…just one.

Alas…Rosalie lost her brother forever instead. The cruelty of this situation brought an immense sense of loss to Rosalie that both Aeron and Lapis knew, but it was impossible for them to feel the level of grief experienced by Rosalie at the moment.

The thought of death surfaced in Rosalie's mind as she sobbed with heart-wrenching feelings, but despite being a thirteen-year-old young lady, she knew that if she failed to live, it would be her greatest sin towards her dead brother, who did his best even at the moment of his death just so that she could live their dreamt future.

She knew that but her heartrending grief was not going away.

The empty cafe welcomed their second customer group of three people—two women and one man in their late twenties as they arrived while chattering.

But when they heard the sobbing and saw Rosalie crying, their voice immediately ceased as they knew that the young girl lost someone very precious to her.

It wasn't the first time they saw people who lost their loved ones. Everyone lost someone here and each loss was a great one.

They didn't speak anything, not even in whispers, and just stayed silent. Even the waiter who arrived to take orders didn't say anything and just wrote the order by watching them pointing their fingers at items listed on the menu page.

Except for Rosalie's sobbing, the hall was silent as if everyone mourning for her loss.

"Rosalie," Aeron softly spoke as his grip on her hands slightly tightened. "Look up."

Rosalie looked up at Aeron with her blurry vision strained by tears and also saw his sorrowful smile, his eyes also sliding tears across his cheeks.

"I don't know the amount of your sadness, Rosalie. But I know that your brother doesn't want you to wallow in misery and self-blame."

Aeron got up from his chair and stood beside her, using his hands to gently clear her face.

Rosalie's face was still not stable, her red eyes were burning and still dropping tears.

"Rosalie, your brother's will is with me and he wants you to live strong and happily," Aeron bent down and grabbed her hands. "He died believing that."

"Mhm, *sniff*, I-I know…" Rosalie's face scrunched as she cried. "B-But…"

Aeron wiped her tears again and smiled while his tears flowed, "Will you let your second brother fulfill his wish please?"

Rosalie tightly hugged Aeron tightly while letting out grief-stricken cries…letting all of her sorrows out on Aeron's shoulder.