175 Midnight Sun (1/2)

Kiho, who was unconscious, didn't respond– he couldn't, obviously.

She lifted her hand and gently poked his cheek. ”Your skin is still as cold as I remember. And even in this lifetime, you still rarely smile,” she said with a smile. ”You're my little dark gray cloud through and through.”

It was a pity that she had to awaken this way.

That she had to leave her husband after she retrieved her memories.

”L-Lady Nystrom?”

She turned around to find a witch with pink eyes. Of course, she noticed the little baby boy in her arms. Yet, she still couldn't take her eyes off of the woman.

”Luna,” she said with a smile when she remembered her name, then she stood up. ”I'm glad that we've met in this lifetime again.”

Luna looked surprised.

Ah, right. As Tilly Nystrom, she never called the witch by her name. It was always 'Miss Luna.' But in the past, they dropped the formalities and called each other by their first name.

She just woke up so her memories as Soleil and her memories as Tilly were still overlapping.

”You have awakened, Supreme,” Luna said carefully while looking at her now jet-black hair. Then, she looked at her face with curious eyes. ”Have we met in the past?”

She smiled and nodded. ”Yes. You are my brother's…” she trailed-off when she remembered that her Brother Wixx didn't like people talking about his relationship behind his back.

”What was my relationship with Lord Wixx in the past, Supreme?” the witch asked curiously. And she seemed very interested in the topic. ”He didn't mention anything when we met in this lifetime.”

Of course, her brother wouldn't.

But she was pretty sure that Luna meeting Wixx in this lifetime wasn't a co-incidence. The two met because her brother definitely lured the witch without her knowing.

Still a coward, I see.

”We'll talk about it later,” she told the witch. Then, she turned to the baby boy. ”My son,” she said with a smile. ”You were finally born in this lifetime.”

When she looked at Luna, the witch immediately put the baby in her arms.

”Your body is as cold as your father's,” Tilly said while rocking the baby in her arms. ”Winter, isn't it?” Upon looking at his face closely, she realized that her son's eyes were puffy. It was obvious that he just cried his eyes out. ”You probably know what I'm about to do, right?”

”I promise I will return for you and your father, my little cinnamon roll,” she said while keeping Winter closer to her. Now that her memories were settling, her memories as Tilly Prescott-Nystrom were also getting clearer. ”Mommy will be back quick, I promise.”

Her little cinnamon roll pouted while big, fat tears rolled down his cheeks.

”I trust you, Winter,” she said with a smile even though her heart was heavy. ”Please take care of your father. Help me protect our family this time, hmm?”

Winter seemed to understand her words. He stopped crying, and the sadness in his eyes was replaced by determination. Then, he reached for her face. ”I'll protect Daddy,” he said in her mind, surprising her. ”So please return to us safely, Mommy.”

She had so many questions for her son but she knew that she didn't have the time for it.

”I will return safely,” she promised, then she kissed Winter's forehead. It wasn't just a kiss. What she left on her son was an invisible mark that would let every single Fire Mage that he was hers. And if his life was put on danger, that mark would send a signal to the nearest Fire Mages around him. In short, it was a protection. ”I love you, my little cinnamon roll.”

Winter smiled even though he looked scared for her. ”I love you, too, Mommy.”

She smiled, then she put Winter back in Luna's arms. ”Luna, you must go now. You have to take Kiho as far away from the Royal Capital as possible,” she said seriously. ”Now that I'm awake, Kiho might also awaken anytime. It's fine as long as he isn't near the Moonchesters. Also, if you see a White Snake around him, kill it.”

Luna looked like she had a lot of questions but in the end, she didn't ask anything. Instead, she just nodded. ”As you wish, Supreme.”

”I have to go now,” she said, then she summoned her flame.

A few heartbeats later, her whole body was engulfed in red flame. Then, the flame gathered on her back until they became a pair of red, flaming phoenix wings. They weren't real wings though. Only her brother could grow real phoenix wings on his back.

Still, her flaming wings could make her fly.

”See you later, Luna,” Tilly said with a smile, then she turned to Winter. ”Wait for me mommy, my little cinnamon roll.” And finally, she turned around to look at Kiho one last time before she left. She wanted to kiss him but she was afraid that her flame might make him up. This kind of farewell would do for now. ”Sleep well, my gray cloud.”

***

WINTER was happy that he was able to talk to his mother.

He didn't know how it happened. Was it because his mommy's Mana was so powerful now that she was able to hear him this time? Well, it didn't matter.

I'm just glad that my memories weren't wiped off.

Maybe it was because he didn't say anything about his past life. Bidding his mommy goodbye didn't reveal what he found out in the past anyway, so the ”curse” didn't take effect.

And that's a relief.

He looked at his father who was still unconscious. Right now, they were in a carriage that was moving a little too fast than normal. Of course, he was in Miss Luna's arms.

On the other hand, his father was on sitting across from them. He was leaning against the window, still unconscious. Captain Sherwood was sitting beside his daddy. He remembered that his father told him not to trust the captain. And so, he was keeping an eye on him.

Winter would protect his daddy while waiting for his mommy.

Nobody can touch my daddy under my watch.

And right after that thought crossed his mind, their carriage suddenly stopped.

***

ALL TILLY had to do was track the presence of Aku Moonchester.

As soon as she knew where to go, her red flaming wings wrapped themselves around her body. Then, she closed her eyes and imagined the exact locations. She felt her body became light– a sign that her wings were already taking her where she wanted to go.

When she opened her eyes the same time her wings did, she found herself floating in the air…

… and below her, she saw Aku Moonchester come out of the temple.

It wasn't only him.

Elis and the little tiger were also there.

Good. I don't need to look for the brats.

She opened both of her hands and when she did, the little feather tattoos in the middle of her palms appeared. Those marks were her weapons.

The first one to manifest was her golden bow. As soon as it appeared above her left palm, she grabbed it. Then, a flaming arrow appeared above her right palm. She grabbed it, then she put the arrow in the bow and pointed it to Aku Moonchester.

Without hesitation, she let go of the arrow.

The amazing thing about her chosen weapon was it could multiply depending on her will and Mana. So even though she only used one arrow, when it flew towards the emperor's direction, it got divided into several more arrows. The number was enough to create a ring of fire around Aku Moonchester, Elis, and the little tiger.

Now that she had announced her arrival, the three men looked up at her.

Her flame was shining brightly in the dark, midnight sky. She probably looked like the sun to them, and it only befitted how one should see the Supreme Fire Mage.

Anyway, each one had a funny look on his face.

Elis had a frenzied look on his eyes, the little tiger looked like a kid caught stealing from the cookie jar, and Aku Moonchester…

Ah, the emperor looked scared at first.

But then, he easily regained his composure.

”Kill her,” Aku Moonchester whispered in his breath. ”Kill the Supreme!”

Tilly smiled at the ”cute” order of the emperor. ”Kneel.”

Just like she expected, Elis and the little tiger suddenly fell on their knees.

Aku Moonchester staggered, but it seemed like his sheer stubbornness and pride were what kept him standing.

Aww, cute resistance.