Asher climbed the stairs with sloppy steps, leaving behind faint traces of blood here and there. With a final step, he reached the top of the spiral case.

  Asher stood still as he saw the balcony spreading outside through the tower walls. Even the darkness creeping from down below seems to spread far and wide, clearly visible.

  Asher suddenly felt his heart sink with an unknown emotion.

  Then he took a step forward. His footsteps echoed through the hollow chamber, each one louder than the last, until he reached the balcony. The air was thin and sharp here, and when his hands met the cold railing, a faint shiver ran down his spine.

  When Asher had first come to these lands, his first night had been anything but kind. The memory still lingered—raw and unpleasant. A cold wind had lashed against his worn body, biting through the thin cloth he had wrapped himself in. Somewhere behind him, a creature had followed—its form hidden, its face veiled by the shadows. It never drew close enough to touch, yet its presence pressed against him until dawn.

  Only when night fully drowned the horizon did he find a place where he could close his eyes, even if for a moment.

  Since then, he never dared to look outside when the dark came.

  He was too afraid to!

  But now for the first time he saw the night sky.

  The pale darkness lingered in the horizon so Asher could only frown and curse his eyesight at being unable to witness what lay ahead.

  However, the same was not true for the night sky.

  He could see it and feel the tranquility and the radiance that showered above him.

  The sea of stars pressed close against the sky, so near it felt as though he could reach out and touch them. Asher stood still, his gaze fixed upward, the starlight reflecting in his silver eyes like ripples over calm water. The wind howled softly, tugging at his hair and robes, carrying with it the scent of distant lands and forgotten dreams.

  For a moment, his sinking heart eased—its restless weight melting away beneath the vast, endless night. In that quiet, fleeting instant, simply being alive felt enough. As if that alone was all he had ever wanted.

  The stars were a witness and a testament to his journey.

  He had been closed to them once, or at least ‘she’ had been to him. He couldn’t tell if Heaven’s judgement gaze fell here or not, but he hoped ‘she’ would show him the way outside to this hell.

  In one way or another, he would leave this place, alive and well. He also had to keep the promise of staying alive to someone.

  Asher suddenly smiled gently and calmly and tilted his head to look back at his silent companion, whose burning gaze was pressed closely on the back of his head. His smile only softened as he leaned on the railing and whispered with a warm voice.

  “Acosador… This view? Isn’t this beautiful?”

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  Asher continued while gazing at the moonless sky.

  “Now that I am calm, even safe for the following moments from the horrors waiting outside, I can ask, what do you feel when you see this night sky? Does your grotesque figure also have a heart that beats in moments of peace? Or do you just feel satisfaction from stalking others?”

  Asher didn’t stop as he opened up more. His voice came heavy, as he hadn’t talked in days.

  “I have come to look at things differently, even you, actually. Sion… The false human, she said one of you had stalked her before. Ah, it doesn’t mean I trust her. I am not falling for it twice. Hmm, no, she never lied, did she? She just did what I asked, sigh. She really played me like a fool.”

  Asher sighed.

  “In any case, how do you operate anyways? Like you are a dream beast, and especially the type to not be known for killing… hmm, or being so good at it that no one has found it yet. Of course I could be wrong and you could simply be living on the dreads and nightmares of others.” Asher raised his brows as the gentle smile continued to play on his lips.

  “Well, am I wrong? Since the last few days, I don’t think I have been in enough dread for you to continue watching me. Ah, could it be that you have nowhere to go? Haha, poor you.”

  The Acosador continued to hear Asher speak joyfully with the wide grin it had always held on its face.

  Asher soon stopped speaking, letting out a yawn and bandaged his injured leg, which was not bleeding anymore. Before slumping on the cold floor covered in a blanket, Asher blinked briefly, looking at the two burning embers watching him.

  He was extremely sleepy.

  However, a small chill ran down his spine the longer he matched the Acosador's gaze.

  ‘Was… I hallucinating?’

  Feeling tired, Asher closed his eyes.

  No laughter echoed tonight.

  ***

  Silence.

  The marbled tower itself seems to have fallen asleep tonight.

  The night remained unchanged—moonless, yet brimming with stars that shimmered faintly against the vast dark sky. Within the narrow spiral staircase, each step gave birth to a sharp echo that spiraled downward, chasing the man’s every move. The rhythmic sound of his descent blended with the steady thud of his heartbeat, resounding through the cold stone walls like a quiet drum of dread.

  Tak—

  Tak—

  The sound alone was enough to drain the color from anyone’s face. Each echoing step was met with faint laughter—childlike giggles that slithered down the staircase, brushing against the walls like whispers from unseen mouths. The air grew still, heavy, and dry, pressing down on everything until even the faintest breath felt wrong. The man’s silver pupils shrank, losing their gleam, turning hollow and lifeless as if the laughter itself had stolen the light from his eyes.

  Somewhere, and at some point, the man seems to be dreaming.

  Asher's dreams were always special, each time giving him insights into his long-gone or forgotten past.

  ‘Am… I dreaming?’

  His thoughts stirred uncontrollably as if being washed away in a river.

  ‘Where… am… I…?’

  The world was vague, his eyes empty and heart still.

  ‘Do… I… know… this… place…?’

  Each word echoed in his mind as if being thrown into an endless void, unable to be anchored in place.

  ‘A child…’

  ‘A child is laughing… but from where?’

  Unaware of existence in a dream, Asher continued to drift forward and came to a halt.

  An old door locking the tower remained in front of him. Asher raised his hand to gently push the door.

  And then—

  The night vanished.

  The gentle rays of sunlight flickered on his eyelids, a breeze of spring made his hair wave and his dusty and tattered robe was gone.

  In his ears he heard the sound of children playing in the background and the bustle of the market.

  Asher blinked twice and then thrice.

  The shock was great enough to anchor one single thought.

  ‘Where… is this?’

  Deep in his heart he knew those around him.

  A girl his age with brown hair suddenly stepped forward, making Asher take a dreadful step back. His heart sank deep into the abyss as he tried to open his mouth only to close it.

  “Asher…?”

  It felt as if ages had passed since someone called his name out.

  Especially this girl, a head smaller than him, wearing a simple red and blue dress. Asher felt he had forgotten her voice, as his hand shivered and he raised it toward her, surprising himself.

  ‘Ah… this… this must be a dream.’

  His fading consciousness let out a silent cry.

  But when his hand touched her face, a warmth that felt real spread through him.

  “Meli…”