"We see it too," Ferdie responded to Ludianâs remark.
Olivia had been about to stroke the sleeping Tiel when she suddenly froze, hesitating.
"Has she always been like this? If Ria were here, we could ask if Tiel usually glows when she sleepsâ¦"
"No. Tiel doesnât glow when she sleeps," Ferdie stated firmly.
He had held Tiel in his arms plenty of times when she dozed off.
So he was certainâjust because Tiel possessed the ability of light didnât mean she naturally emitted it at all times.
Yet now, she was undeniably glowing. The tiny snow leopardâs front paws shimmered with a soft, radiant light. Even without a lamp or torch inside the tent, the space was as bright as daytime.
"Sheâs not sick, is she?"
Olivia gently ran her hand over Tielâs fur in concern. The little girl, exhausted from the long carriage ride, remained peacefully asleep, completely undisturbed.
Ferdie shook his head.
"I donât think sheâs sick⦠Maybe sheâs having trouble controlling her ability?"
But if that were the case, the light should have flickered or wavered in instability.
Instead, the glow was steady, calmâcomposed, like the ocean after a storm.
Just like when she consciously used her power while awake, her front paws emitted a serene, unwavering light.
After some deliberation, the three siblings came to a conclusion: There was no point in worrying about something they couldnât control.
"Letâs just sleep. Weâll check on her again in the morning," Ludian suggested.
"You stay here. Ludian and I will sleep outside," Ferdie added.
"Huh? Thatâs unusual. Youâre actually telling me to stay with Tiel?" Olivia teased.
"It makes more sense for the girls to stay in the same tent⦠We donât have enough tents to give both of you separate ones."
Olivia nodded at his logic. It was trueâthere werenât that many tents. It wouldnât make sense to allocate one to her and another to Tiel.
Yawning, Olivia was the first to lie down beside Tiel, exhausted. Ferdie and Ludian stood watch until both girls were sleeping soundly.
Once they were certain, the two left the tent.
Silence settled over the campsite.
[â¦â¦.]
Something slithered through the darkness.
Like a creeping shadow, it inched toward the tent, winding its way up the girlsâ arms. It moved like an insect, or perhaps like a snake.
It was similar in nature to the ominous presence that had once lingered near Ianâs throatâbut this was even thicker, heavier, and more sinister.
It crawled over Olivia first, curling and writhing along her body. Then, realizing she wasnât its target, it withdrew.
Instead, it shifted toward Tiel.
The darkness gathered, thickening as if to devour the tiny snow leopard whole.
And thenâ
[!!!]
Before it could react, the moment it touched Tielâs glowing paws, it disintegrated instantly.
At the same time, two small, luminous fish emerged from Tielâs front paws. The little girl was still fast asleep, completely unaware.
It was an instinctual response.
A defense mechanism, protecting its master.
The two fish, their translucent tails trailing behind them, swam in slow, deliberate circles around Tiel.
As if issuing a warning.
The darkness, which had been closing in, recoiled.
Then, it began to dissolve, steadily and completely.
The fish continued their circular path, scattering fragments of light in their wake.
Glittering shards of light, like tiny stars, rained down over the two sleeping girls.
Like snow piling up layer by layer, the luminous dust coated them protectively.
As if it were the most natural thing in the world, the surrounding darkness dissipated.
Tielâs light had always been capable of repelling shadows, even when weak.
Now, shining as brilliantly as the stars, there was no way the darkness could remain.
[!!!]
The creatures lurking in the darkness writhed in agony.
But there was no escape from the light. Light did not choose its targetsâit illuminated everything equally.
Fwaaash!
The fish made of Tielâs energy pulsed with a brilliant glow.
As if proving that darkness could never triumph over light.
As if proving that even the faintest glimmer of light remained light.
The two luminescent fish circled the sleeping children throughout the night, chasing away the creeping shadows.
Perhaps it was thanks to that glow, standing guard at their bedside?
The children slept soundly through the night, undisturbed.
***
They had to camp several more times after that.
Originally, they were supposed to stay in villages along the way. However, strangely enough, every path leading to a village was either collapsed or missing, forcing them to spend three more nights camping in the pitch-dark mountains.@@novelbin@@
And after three nights of camping, the children discovered something.
"Tiel glows when she sleeps in the mountains!"
Olivia exclaimed as if she had uncovered some grand revelation. Ludian and Ferdie both nodded in agreement.
"She didnât glow when we stayed in a village."
"Is she reacting to the mountains? What do you think, Tiel?"
Ferdie turned to her.
Tiel, who had been nibbling on a piece of corn bread with both hands, quickly swallowed the bite before answering.
"I donât know⦠You all say I use my ability every time I fall asleep."
"True," Ferdie agreed.
He reached out and wiped the crumbs from the corner of her mouth as Tiel took another big bite of her bread.
There was no issue with Tiel using her ability in her sleep. Her light was warm and comfortingâif anything, Olivia had been able to sleep better because of it.
Ludian adjusted the blanket draped over Tiel, making sure it covered her properly. For the past few nights, they had each needed their own blankets to keep warm against the biting cold.
The sharper the northern winds became, the closer they were to Arne.
"Arenât you cold?" Ferdie asked.
"Iâm fine!" Tiel shook her head.
Ludian and Ferdie had been taking turns using their abilities to heat the air inside the carriage, keeping it toasty and comfortable.
Alpheus and Karsus had worried that children raised in warmth would struggle with the northern cold. Butâ
"Fire abilities are amazing~! Donât you think so, hand warmer?" Olivia teased.
"Youâd better be careful, or that âhand warmerâ might burn your hair," Ferdie warned with a smirk.
Not only did Ferdie and Ludian use their ability to keep the carriage warm, but they also toasted Tielâs corn bread, keeping it crispy and warm.
Fire abilities were incredibly versatile.
Even during their camping nights, thanks to the brothers, the knights never had to struggle to light the firesâFerdie and Ludian could ignite the kindling in seconds.
"This hand warmer sure is picky!"
"Would you like to ride in a different carriage and freeze by yourself?"
"Yeah, letâs throw her into another carriage. Maybe she needs to shiver a little to come to her senses!"
The first voice belonged to Ferdie, the second to Ludian.
Tiel, meanwhile, continued munching happily, unfazed by their bickering.
She had long since learned that getting involved in her siblingsâ arguments was futileâFerdie, Ludian, and Olivia fought far too often.
As they bantered, the scenery outside the carriage changed.
Just moments ago, they had been passing through a snow-covered landscape. But suddenly, lush green vegetation appeared.
They had crossed into Arneâs domain.
The distant cries of predators vanished, replaced by the chirping of birds. A warm breeze swept gently through the open carriage window.
"Are we there?" Ludian leaned out, peering at the view.
A fresh, warm wind greeted himânot the sharp, biting air of the north.
"Weâre here!" Tiel beamed.
At her voice, Ferdie and Ludian finally let go of their abilities, allowing the fire-warmed air to fade. But the carriage remained comfortable. The natural warmth of Arne had taken over.
Gone were the snowy plains. A vast flower field stretched before them, bathed in golden sunlight.
Tiel lifted a small hand to shield her eyes, gazing outside in quiet wonder.
Her golden eyes shimmered like a sunlit lake.
She couldnât help but whisper in awe.
"So this isâ¦"
The land blessed by the gods.
Arne.