The sunlight bathed the room in warm rays, and for the longest time, I woke up without being drenched in sweat. Instead, a different kind of weight pressed against me—not heavy, just barely noticeable.

The small phoenix was curled up right on top of the blanket, resting over where my tattoo was.

It felt... weird. In a good way. I think.

The little bird had its wing raised, pecking at what seemed to be its armpit... Did birds even have armpits? Wingpit, maybe?

Whatever it was, my attention was to its open wing. Now that it was daylight and my eyes, and mind were clear, I could finally take in its appearance fully.

For something that came out of such a colorful egg, it sure looked plain. Every single feather was white—completely and utterly white. But then, as the sunlight hit its wings, the feathers shimmered, transforming from that pale color into a radiant glow, as if they were reflecting the very light of the suns. The bird itself wasn’t glowing, but everything around it seemed to light up in its presence.

Finally, it took notice of my waking. Uplifting itself and spreading its wings wide to greet me, the entire room brightened, as if the sunlight itself wasn’t enough, and it chirped happily, its joyful emotions spilling into me.

I frowned.

Were my own emotions not enough? Did I have to feel someone else’s too? What kind of sorcery was this? What had the phoenix done to me?

Besides, if I ever wanted to feel someone else’s emotions, which I didn’t, it would’ve been Horny’s—not some silly bird!

My frustration mixed with the bird’s happiness, and a moment later, it turned to sadness.

My frown softened.

It was thanks to this little bird that I’d finally slept peacefully. Was I really going to repay it by being angry? For no reason other than it being happy?

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it,” I muttered, blushing in embarrassment. “And thanks, if...” But before I could finish, a flood of happy emotions hit me again.

Blinking twice, I felt even more embarrassed at myself.

“What am I doing, talking to a bird? It’s a bird—it can’t understand me!”

I frowned again, but before I could fall into that same cycle of emotions, I threw off the blanket and jumped out of bed.

The bird flapped its wings and flew right over the uplifted blanket, deepening my frown.

‘Hmph, show-off. I could’ve jumped over the blanket too! It’s nothing special!’ I thought to myself not at all jealous at the bird for being able to fly.

In response to my thoughts another cheerful chirp filled the room.

Since I wasn’t drenched in sweat and didn’t need to shake off any drowsiness—thanks to a certain someone—I skipped the morning bath and headed straight for the ground floor, where Mira was making breakfast.

“Good morning, Mum!” I yelled, jumping off the stairs.

Why walk down when you could jump? It was a cooler entrance, and more importantly, it proved my point to that pesky bird.

“Good morning, dear. You seem very lively today,” she chuckled. “Did you have a nice dream last night?”

I paused, glance at the bird thoughtfully, then shrugged. “I guess.”

The nightmare hadn’t turned out to be that scary in the end, and even if it was during the night, right now it was day, and it would be so long until night fell, there was no need to worry about it. That was future Lyon’s problem.

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Besides, there were much more important questions lingering in my mind to have to worry about a stupid nightmare that was in the past. And my wonder and anticipation only multiplied as the bird shared similar emotions to me.

“Um... Mum,” I began awkwardly, wanting to learn the answers to my questions as soon as possibly, “could you now tell me now about the red moon? Its morning.”

“I guess you really can’t wait until after breakfast, huh?” She chuckled again, setting a bowl of fruit salad in front of me.

For a split second, I forgot all about the bird and the Crimson Moon. My focus honed in on the spoon before it could even touch the table. I filled it to the brim, small pieces tumbling off as I raised it to my mouth. With one bite, the squishy fruit burst into explosions of juice, while the chewier ones absorbed the flavor, softening as I chewed.

‘Mmm, so good.’

“Cam-you te-me now?” I mumbled through a mouthful.

She sighed softly but smiled. “Very well.”

Her tone shifted slightly as she began. “Lyon, the Crimson Moon is much more than a pretty cosmic event. If you remember, we didn’t go into much detail before, but it marked the end of the Third Epoch and the beginning of the new one. At the final confrontation between the three races, the battle raged for nine days and nine nights. After the third day, the sky turned red. By the fifth, rivers of blood flooded the battlefield. By the seventh, crimson rain fell from the heavens. But it was the ninth day, when the first Crimson Moon appeared, that the fighting stopped. Do you know why?”

I thought for a moment, then shook my head.

Her smile softened, but her voice took on a more somber tone. “It was because, despite all the horrors and bloodshed of those nine days—and the entire war—everyone, Elf, Dwarf, and Human alike, turned their gaze to the moon, and for the first time in hundreds of years, they saw something beautiful. Something they had never seen before, yet it resonated deep within them.

“Under its otherworldly glow, their pain and losses seemed to fade, swallowed by the moon’s silent presence. The Crimson Moon wasn’t just a light in the sky—it was a reminder of everything they had endured. And, somehow, it carried a promise. A promise that things could be different, that the endless bloodshed and hatred could finally come to an end.

“And just like that, the war ended.”

She paused, her voice regaining its usual warmth as she continued. “But we’ll delve into that more when we revisit history. What’s important is that yesterday marked the first day of the new cycle. Every nine years, the Crimson Moon returns, and for the next twenty-seven days, every night will have a full moon.”

Her eyes shifted to the phoenix, and I noticed her stiffen slightly before she continued, “Traditionally, these following weeks are spent with family gathering together and...” Her voice trailed off, becoming barely audible, as her eyebrows touched.

I frowned in concern.

“What is it mum? Why are you sad?”

“Oh, it’s nothing, dear,” she replied with a smile so forced it might as well have been upside down. “You don’t have to worry about it.”

“Mum, tell me what’s wrong.”

Chirp!

I pressed, and the small phoenix expressed my thoughts on its own tongue.

“It’s really nothing, sweetie. It just feels... strange. This will be the first time I’m away from the rest of my family, and it’s a lot to process.” Her eyes fluttered open wide, panic flashing in them. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it! Really, I wouldn’t want to spend my time with anyone else but you.”

The phoenix tilted its head completely, mimicking my own confusion though I didn’t have any physical reaction.

“I wouldn’t want to spend my time with anyone else either, Mum. But, why are you saying that? Can’t we go see them?”

Mira blinked rapidly, frozen in place. “We... can?”

Realizing she had spoken aloud, she quickly shook her head, clearing her throat. “I mean, you want to meet them?”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“I... I thought...” She trailed off, her breath hitching. Then, her expression softened, and a smile broke across her face, lighting up the room. Her laughter bubbled up uncontrollably between short, uneven breaths. “You really mean that?”

“Of course, Mum! I’d—”

Chirp! Chirp!

The pesky bird cut me off.

‘Hey! Mum asked me not—’

But before I could finish my thought, Mira swept me into her arms, spinning us around the table. The phoenix’s joy overwhelmed me as it fluttered above us, singing what it must’ve believed to be a beautiful song.

‘W-what’s going on?’

My own feelings, the phoenix’s excitement, and Mira’s sudden embrace left me blushing in a redder color than a tomato.

“Mum! Mum! Wait, put me down!”

I would’ve enjoyed it more if it hadn’t been so abrupt, but this was too much!

Half believing she didn’t hear me, she let go, swirling her hand to guide me down gently with a soft gust of wind as she continued dancing.

She paused, glancing toward the window and clapping her hands. “You’re going to love them, I promise! Your granddad is going to be so happy to see you. He always wanted grandchildren. Oh, I can already picture it! Too bad I wasn’t there when little Estel was born.”

“Wait, wait—I have a grandpa?”

Mira turned to me, her vibrant emerald eyes sparkling like they held sunbeams inside them.

“Yes! And an uncle, an aunt, and a cousin too.”

I gasped. I didn’t know our family was so big. Where had they been all this time?

Did it matter? Maybe. But I was going to meet them anyway!

“When are we going to meet them?” I asked eagerly, the phoenix chirping in agreement.

Mira’s joyful outburst froze as she gasped, raising a hand to her mouth.

“I-I have so much to prepare in so little time!”