It was a moonlit night, twenty-three years ago.
Shin was only four years old, alone and frightened in the middle of a vast forest. Branches clawed at his small arms as he pushed through the undergrowth, his bare feet slipping over roots and patches of damp earth. He did not know exactly where he was going. All he knew was that he had to keep moving.
Behind him, scattered lights flickered through the darkness.
Torches.
The sight of them filled him with terror.
The orange glow danced between the trees like hungry eyes searching for prey. Along with the light came the sound of voices and the crunch of boots against fallen leaves. The hunters were still looking for him.
Shin's heart hammered wildly inside his chest. Every breath burned his lungs, yet he forced his tired legs to keep running. The forest seemed endless, its towering trees swallowing the moonlight and turning the world into a maze of shadows. Twigs snapped beneath his feet. Thorny bushes scratched his skin. He stumbled more than once, but fear drove him onward.
Then the ground suddenly vanished beneath him.
A startled cry escaped his lips as he tumbled over the edge of a cliff hidden by darkness. The moonlight filtering through the thick canopy offered little warning. He rolled down a steep slope, bouncing over soft grass and loose soil before plunging into a patch of cold swamp water with a loud splash.
Mud covered his clothes and smeared across his face.
For several moments, Shin simply lay there, trembling and gasping for breath. The distant sounds of pursuit had faded, replaced by the chirping of insects and the gentle rustling of leaves overhead. Slowly, he pulled himself upright.
His body ached, but he continued walking.
One step after another.
The swamp eventually gave way to firmer ground. The air grew warmer, carrying the scent of fresh water and wildflowers. As he wandered through the darkness, he suddenly heard something unusual.
A voice.
Soft and gentle.
Someone was singing.
The melody drifted through the forest like a dream, carried by the night breeze. It was unlike anything Shin had ever heard before. The sound was soothing, washing away some of the fear that had gripped him for hours.
Curious, he followed it.
The singing grew clearer with each step. Soon, another sound joined it—the quiet trickle of flowing water.
Shin parted a curtain of hanging vines and stopped.
Before him lay a hidden grove of breathtaking beauty.
At its center rested a crystal-clear lake whose surface reflected the silver glow of the moon. Countless floating spirits drifted above the water like colorful stars, casting blue, green, and golden lights across the grove. Their reflections shimmered across the lake in rippling patterns. Nearby, a small waterfall poured into the basin, its gentle murmur creating a peaceful rhythm that blended with the night's song.
The air felt warm and comforting.
For the first time that night, Shin no longer felt afraid.
Standing within the lake was a young elf with long golden-blonde hair that gleamed beneath the moonlight. She hummed softly to herself as she enjoyed the warm waters, completely unaware of the small child watching from the shore.
Shin stared in silent wonder.
He was too young to understand why the sight captivated him so deeply. He had never seen the floating spirits, the glowing lake, or anyone who looked like the elf before. To his young mind, the entire scene seemed magical.
It was the first thing he had ever seen that felt truly beautiful, even though he did not yet know the word for it.
Then the elf turned around.
Her emerald-green eyes immediately found him standing among the vines.
For a brief moment, surprise crossed her face.
Then she smiled.
It was a warm smile, gentle and welcoming.
"Hello," the elf said softly. "Would you like to join me?"
Shin did not answer.
Instead, he slowly approached the water.
The lake felt pleasantly warm against his skin as he stepped in. He waded deeper until the water reached his chest. The warmth eased the aches in his body and washed away some of the mud clinging to his clothes.
The elf moved closer and knelt beside him.
Without saying a word, she gently cleaned the dirt from his face using a damp cloth.
"My name is Lireina," she said cheerfully. "Though it's a bit long, so you can just call me Big Sis Lena. What's your name?"
"Shin."
"Nice to meet you, Shin." Her smile widened. "Where are your parents?"
Shin silently pointed toward the east, somewhere far beyond the endless forest.
Lireina followed his gesture before looking back at him with concern.
"You must be lost," she said. "And it's already very late."
She gently patted his head.
"Let's stay here tonight. Tomorrow, we'll look for your parents together, okay?"
Shin nodded.
For the first time in what felt like forever, he felt safe.
That night, Shin stayed in Lireina's tent near the lakeside grove. Outside, the waterfall continued its soothing song while the floating spirits drifted through the darkness like silent guardians. The scent of fresh grass and wildflowers filled the air.
Wrapped in warm blankets, Shin lay beside Lireina.
She held him close in a protective embrace, treating him like a younger sibling she had known for years rather than a stranger she had met only hours ago. The steady rhythm of her breathing and the warmth of her presence eased the fears that had haunted him throughout the night.
For the first time in many days, Shin slept peacefully.
The following morning, they began their journey.
Lireina proved surprisingly capable despite her gentle nature. She hunted wild boars when food was needed and gathered edible mushrooms, berries, and herbs from the forest. Along the way, she taught Shin simple things about nature—how to recognize animal tracks, which plants were safe to eat, and how to find clean water.
The days passed quietly.
Together, they crossed winding forest paths, shallow streams, and rolling hills. They camped beneath the stars at night and continued walking when the sun rose each morning. Though Shin rarely spoke, he remained close to Lireina wherever they went.
After five days of travel, signs of civilization finally appeared.
Thin trails of smoke rose into the sky beyond the trees.
Not long afterward, they emerged from the forest and arrived at a nearby village, marking the end of Shin's brief but unforgettable journey with the mysterious elf who had rescued him beneath the moonlit grove.
There, Lireina delivered Shin to the adventurer’s guild, where the clerks and receptionists quickly spread word of the lost child so that his family could be found. Because Luminous City and the village were separated by a mountain range, it took two full days before Shin’s parents were able to arrive.
During that time, while the guild bustled with hurried voices and people coming and going, Lireina stayed beside him, making sure he was fed, comforted, and never left feeling alone. She accompanied him through the long wait with a quiet patience that made the unfamiliar place feel a little less cold, a little less frightening, as if her presence itself were a blanket wrapped around him.
As they spent those days together, Lireina began telling Shin about her life as a heroine from the land of elves. She spoke of her quest, of the party members she was searching for, and of the greater mission that awaited her—the battle to destroy the Demon King.
To Shin, every word sounded larger than life. Each night, he listened with wide eyes, hanging on her stories as though they were treasures. He imagined distant lands, dangerous battles, shining blades, and impossible courage. Lireina’s adventures filled his small heart with wonder, and the more he listened, the more he admired her. To him, she was not just kind; she was extraordinary.
When the time came for them to part, Shin clung to her with both arms and hugged her tightly, as if he could somehow keep her there through sheer force of love and gratitude. “Big Sis Lena! Big Sis Lena! Thank you!” he said, his voice trembling with emotion.
“You’re welcome, Shin. Be a good boy and don’t run off again, okay?” Lireina replied as she gently patted his head, her touch soft and warm.
“Yup!” Shin beamed. Then, with both hands, he offered her an origami flower, carefully folded and a little uneven at the edges, but made with all the sincerity a child could pour into a gift. “I love you, Big Sis Lena! Please kill the Demon King for us!”
Lireina blinked, then smiled with clear affection. “I love you too, Shin. Thank you!” she said. “Let’s meet again, at the end of my journey.”
And that was the last time Shin and Lireina saw each other in person, until fate brought them together once more in the present day. For Shin, Lireina had always been the ideal person—kind, strong, beautiful, and full of a warmth that had never faded in his memory. Even as he grew older, that image remained precious to him, and he quietly promised himself that he would one day marry someone just like her.
<><><><><>
The piano in the rooftop gardens continued to play, its melody drifting through the night with a strange tenderness—calm, graceful, and faintly sad, like a memory held too long in the heart. After Shin finished telling his story while they still rested among the flowers and moonlit air, he noticed at once that Lireina’s face had turned bright red. Her embarrassment was obvious, and the realization made him smirk. His expression only made her more flustered, which in turn made him feel even more amused.
“S-So you were the kid back then?” Lireina asked nervously, her voice wavering as she tried to process what she had just heard.
“Yes, Big Sis Lena,” Shin replied with deliberate mockery, his grin sharpening.
“Don’t tease me!” Lireina protested, lightly slapping his face in embarrassment rather than anger. “W-Why didn’t you tell me the first time we met? Why did you keep this from me?”
“Because it would’ve been awkward!” Shin said, laughing under his breath. “What do you want me to say? ‘Hey, long time no see! I’m the horny kid you used to look after!’ Then what would you want me to say next? ‘Wanna take a bath with me, for old time’s sake?’ or ‘We both professed our love twenty-three years ago! Let’s get married!’”
Lireina fell silent. She did not know whether she should feel relieved, amused, flustered, angry, or completely creeped out. Shin had somehow managed to score points with his honesty while also earning a terrifying number of awkward ones, and because of that, she could not decide how to react.
The night air seemed to stretch between them, carrying the soft notes of the piano and the rustle of leaves, while Shin finally let out a sigh and looked up at the sky. The stars above them burned quietly in the darkness, distant and cold, and the breeze swept through their hair again as he spoke in a lower, gentler voice.
“Saying any of that… would’ve just burdened you. You’re a Celestial Warden now, and the savior of the world. You’ve always been saving everyone—against the Demon King’s army, the monsters, the bandits, and even now, the Halochassis. You’ve had to fight everywhere, all the time. And I think that’s a good thing. You were busy. So just seeing you again… that was enough.”
At those words, something inside Lireina softened. It felt as though someone had finally understood the shape of her life, not just the victories or the burdens, but all the little scars and responsibilities she carried beneath them.
The Elder Light Elf had given her a purpose. Croft had lectured her the meaning of freedom and love. But Shin was different. He seemed to know every side of her story, as if he had been holding a place for her in his heart for years without ever saying it aloud.
Slowly, Lireina raised her hands and touched Shin’s cheek. The warmth of her palms made his face redden at once, and before he could say anything, she pulled him into a tight embrace, holding him with the strength of someone who had nearly lost a precious memory and finally found it again.
“I am so glad to see you again, Shin.” Lireina whispered against him, her voice tender and shaking with feeling. “Getting to meet you after my final journey makes me so, so happy.”