MISS 11

When I desperately reached out toward Azel, he quickly hurried over to me.

The moment my ally appeared, relief washed over me and tears immediately burst out.

I buried my face in his chest and cried miserably. After hesitating for a moment, I felt his arms wrap around my back.

Normally I would have been shocked that he hadn’t pushed me away.

But right now, I was far from sane.

“Where did you go?! Why did you leave me alone?!”

Of course, I knew.

It wasn’t Azel’s fault that I had been left alone.

“That thing is here! It— it followed me all the way here!”

But fear had already swallowed me whole.

The groan coming from behind me only made me more terrified.

“Hic… sob—!”

With trembling hands, I pointed to where the ghost was.

Azel’s gaze followed the direction of my finger.

“I don’t want to stay here! Take me somewhere else! I’m sorry, okay? Please, please don’t leave me alone!”

Azel frowned slightly.

Then, without saying anything, he lifted me into his arms.

“Shh— calm down.”

His large hands held me firmly as he carried me somewhere.

When I finally came to my senses, I realized we had arrived at Azel’s room.

I had never been here before, but I didn’t even think about looking around.

Right now, the warmth holding me was the only thing that mattered.

“Don’t go!”

“It’s alright.”

Fortunately, Azel didn’t ignore my plea.

“I won’t leave you alone.”

His gentle hand patted my back.

Without realizing it, sleep began to overtake me.

I must have been completely exhausted.

Perhaps guessing my condition, his large palm gently covered my eyes. His touch was still hesitant, but careful.

“Get some rest.”

“…Don’t go. Stay beside me.”

I whispered with my eyes closed.

Azel sat down next to me.

In a voice barely above a whisper, he replied,

“Alright. I promise.”

The overwhelming relief carried me into unconsciousness.

And just like that, I fell asleep.

*

After she fell asleep.

A woman with short hair appeared beside Azel.

“There were no intruders.”

“I know.”

If someone had infiltrated this mansion, Azel would never have missed it.

The empty room.

The woman screaming while pointing at nothing.

What exactly did you see?

Then what had she seen?

The woman who stood fearless even before murderous monsters had collapsed because of a mere illusion.

But the thing Azel couldn’t understand most—

was himself.

“…Just leave it.”

“I’ll keep watch.”

“No. I will.”

When the subordinate approached to separate the woman clinging desperately to Azel’s hand, he refused.

He even refused the offer to watch over her.

There was no particular reason.

He simply wanted to.

“Seymour.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“What were the results?”

“They’re the same. We found nothing.”

The investigation Azel had ordered into the woman’s identity had yielded the same result.

Nothing.

Everything had returned to square one.

Auditory hallucinations.

Visual hallucinations.

These are not symptoms easily experienced by an ordinary person without even a trace of magic.

Yet the woman’s past remained completely hidden.

Who exactly are you…

As Azel’s gaze grew heavier while resting on her pale cheek, the short-haired woman asked,

“What should we do about surveillance?”

“I’ll remain beside her. You may leave.”

She had originally been assigned to watch the woman.

But now that the woman was sleeping next to him, it was no longer necessary.

After the two subordinates withdrew according to his order, Azel quietly stayed by her side.

*

In the quiet dawn.

[Hey. Wake up already. How long are you planning to sleep?]

Someone’s voice woke me faintly.

How long did I sleep?

My sleepy mind slowly began working again.

Where’s Azel?

Azel was leaning against the headboard of the bed, asleep.

“Ah…”

Then I realized why he was sleeping like that.

I was holding his hand.

Unable to push my hand away, he must have fallen asleep in that uncomfortable position.

“It’s alright. I won’t leave you alone.”

He… kept his promise.

A sudden wave of emotion soaked into my dry heart.

He had truly stayed by my side.

But just as I was feeling touched, a lightning-like realization struck me.

Wait. Then who woke me up?

My drowsiness vanished instantly.

[Finally awake?]

My stiff head instinctively turned toward the source of the voice.

Sure enough—

the same familiar face was staring at me.

[Did you sleep well? Your punch really hurt, you know.]

The thing spoke casually like it was greeting me.

But its sour expression wasn’t what mattered.

I was already preparing to scream again.

Noticing this, the ghost hurriedly shouted,

[I’M NOT A GHOST! NOT A GHOST! NOT A GHOST!]

Shouting frantically, it quickly backed away from me.

Apparently wary of my fists flying again.

Its already pale face turned even whiter.

And my face turned pale too.

“G-ghost…!”

[I told you I’m not a ghost! Don’t compare me to some mere wandering spirit!]

Then what the hell are you, you bastard?

I barely stopped the words from slipping out.

Instead, I shook Azel’s arm, trying to wake him.

But he showed no sign of waking.

Wasn’t he supposed to have insomnia?

Aren’t male leads with tragic backstories always insomniacs?!

But instead of insomnia, he couldn’t even wake up when I shook him.

It was incredibly frustrating.

Right then, the ghost spoke.

[He won’t wake up. I put him to sleep on purpose.]

My heart nearly stopped.

“…!”

Tears blurred my vision.

But this wasn’t the time to cry.

I have to protect Azel!

He had protected me.

Now I had to protect him.

I immediately began looking around for something that could serve as a weapon.

The ghost stared at me like I was the creepy one.

You’re the creepy one here!

Then it spoke again.

[How exactly do you see me?]

“Well— cough! That’s what I want to ask you!”

[So you don’t know either.]

When I sniffled and answered, it fell into deep thought.

The way it acted was so human that it felt even more unsettling.

Scary!

Unable to endure the fear, I instinctively pressed myself closer to Azel.

And then our eyes met again.

But—

[H-Huh?!]

The moment it noticed the two of us pressed together, it suddenly jumped like it had been electrocuted.

[What the hell?!]

“…?”

Then, for some reason, it covered its mouth with both hands and stomped its feet in excitement.

My tears instantly stopped.

The ghost’s eyes darted between me and Azel—and they were filled with strange excitement.

“…What are you doing?”

[Ah! This isn’t the time for that!]

It finally seemed to come back to its senses and quickly pretended nothing had happened.

Strangely, it even looked a little embarrassed under my baffled stare.

…Maybe it really isn’t a ghost?

For a moment, I started to think it might actually be telling the truth.

[Ahem! I suppose introductions come first.]

Ignoring my thoughts, it suddenly began introducing itself.

[My name is Gaspata! I am the famous Spirit of Time!]

“…What tapa?”

[Not tapa—Gaspata!]

The name sounded oddly familiar.

“Gas…pata…?”

When I repeated it quietly, the thing nodded proudly.

“Gaspata… as in the Stone of Gaspata?”

[Yes! That very Gaspata!]

I blinked silently for a moment.

It began boasting proudly.

[A mere mortal normally couldn’t even meet a being like me. Of course you’re shocked. You should consider this the greatest honor of your life!]

The Stone of Gaspata.

The Regression Stone.

The Spirit of Time, Gaspata.

The sudden flood of information left me confused.

But strangely—

my trembling had already stopped.

“….”

Gaspata lifted its chin arrogantly, as if my reaction was only natural.

[Haah, you’re shocked after all. Yes, I understand. It must be very surprising. But try not to faint standing up this time. Haha! It must be hard to endure, meeting a superstar like me—]

It kept rambling endlessly.

But I wasn’t paying attention to anything it said.

Right now, I was busy looking for something big, solid, and perfect to hold in my hand.

A club.

Finally realizing what I was doing, Gaspata asked nervously,

[Uh… what exactly are you looking for right now?]

What am I looking for?

[What are you looking for?]

“A stick.”

[…Why?]

Its arrogant expression finally cracked with anxiety.

I answered with just one sentence.

“Why do you think?”

Obviously.

This bastard is the one responsible for all of this.

Somehow…

it looked like tonight was going to be a long night.