When the light faded, they found themselves in what looked like outer space.

  It wasn’t real outer space, of course. There was no up or down—just an endless expanse of glittering stars in every direction.

  And she could breathe. So it definitely wasn’t real space. Perhaps they were inside a dream.

  “So the tarot cards were the key to entering this place?”

  Arc nodded.

  “Seems like it.”

  “Why go through all that trouble? You’re her familiar—you could have just brought me here directly.”

  “And what if someone had threatened me into leading an enemy here instead?”

  “Oh… good point.”

  It was like a one-time password, in modern terms. Her mother had clearly taken security very seriously.

  As Mina turned this over in her mind, a faint human silhouette began to materialize before her. Like a camera slowly pulling into focus, the figure grew clearer by the moment.

  Something about that silhouette filled Mina with a deep sense of nostalgia. Arc seemed to feel the same way.

  “Mom…? Is that you, Mom?”

  Mina called out toward the light.

  When the glow subsided, a female demon stood before them—one with a face that was the spitting image of her mother’s. Her skin was dusky, her hair cut in a short bob of deep purple. Just above her temples, a pair of horns curled like a ram’s, their surface a beautiful, pristine white that made them look almost like hair ornaments.

  “Oh dear—so I really did die, didn’t I?”

  The demon woman scratched her head and grinned. Mina stared at her in astonishment.

  “Humans really are fragile, aren’t they! Arc!”

  “Yes… when I learned that Lady Lilia had passed, I… I panicked, to say the least. It’s been a long time, my lady. You look as beautiful as ever.”

  “Flattering as always, Arc.”

  The demon woman turned her gaze to Mina.

  “Mom… is it really you?”

  “Mina… I love you. I’m sorry for all the trouble I’ve caused.”

  Mina shook her head.

  “I love you too, Mom. All these horrible people came after me and I thought I was going to die… but Arc saved me.”

  “I see… I’m glad Arc made it in time.”

  Her mother said this with a gentle smile.

  “Hey, Mom—if you were a demon, why did you ever want to become human?”

  Her mother thought for a moment before answering.

  “I had always questioned a world that divided everything into angels and demons, setting them against each other in endless conflict. And when I asked myself what true happiness really was… I decided to try living as a human—a being that carries both sides within them.”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “And then you married Dad and had me?”

  Lilia nodded.

  “We were living peacefully in the human world. They weren’t bothering us anymore, and I thought we were safe… but I was terribly wrong.”

  A shadow passed over her mother’s face.

  “Mina… I wish we could talk longer, but…”

  Her expression turned suddenly serious.

  “I only have five minutes left. I need to tell you the bare minimum so you can protect yourself.”

  “No! Are you going to disappear again?”

  Mina rushed forward to embrace her, but her mother’s form was like a projection—Mina passed right through her.

  “I’m sorry, Mina…”

  Her mother gazed at her with sorrowful eyes.

  “First, about the men in black cloaks. You already know they’re angels, don’t you?”

  Mina nodded. Her mother paused, as if searching for the right words.

  “I’m sorry. I still can’t go into the details just yet. But they are after you—that much is certain.”

  “Why me? Because I have your key?”

  Her mother gave a small nod.

  “Is it really that important?”

  When Mina pressed further, her mother looked slightly troubled.

  “The truth is… beyond the door that key opens lies a secret about your father.”

  “About Dad?”

  Her mother nodded. Mina couldn’t hide her shock.

  “What is Dad, exactly?”

  Her mother looked Mina straight in the eye.

  “Listen, Mina. In this world, angels aren’t necessarily your allies.”

  Mina was taken aback by her mother’s words.

  “What even are angels? Every angel I’ve seen has been cold and heartless… You’re a demon, Mom, but you’re kind…”

  Her mother smiled quietly.

  “Angels are the embodiment of order. If the world runs efficiently, they don’t care about sacrificing one or two lives. Emotions are just margin of error to them… That’s why they can’t understand your tears, Mina.”

  “Mom! Then what are demons? Why do angels and demons even exist?”

  But her mother shook her head.

  “That… is something you’ll have to figure out for yourself. If you read this book, you’ll begin to understand, little by little.”

  She produced a single book from thin air and held it out to Mina.

  “Read this… and grow strong. You can’t move forward unless you become stronger.”

  Then her mother’s body began to shimmer with light, glittering and slowly, unmistakably, fading. Her face was filled with sadness.

  “Time’s up…”

  Mina took the book from her mother’s hands. She fought back her tears and looked at her.

  “Will I see you again?”

  Her mother smiled.

  “Of course you will. Once you’re strong enough, the cards will call to you.”

  “So if I get stronger, I can see you again!”

  Her mother nodded.

  “Please, Mina… you are my treasure. Live… please, live. Find a way through this. Please…”

  As she spoke, her figure grew even fainter. She was clearly fading away.

  “One last thing, Arc… this is for you.”

  She held out a crystal-like orb to Arc. Then she pressed it into the chest of the familiar, who stood frozen in place.

  “Ngh…! Guh—!”

  Arc’s body began to stretch upward, his muscles swelling and thickening rapidly.

  “Aaagh!”

  He clutched his chest, clearly in pain.

  “Arc!”

  Mina rushed to his side.

  “Are you okay?!”

  Her mother smiled gently.

  “Don’t worry about Arc. I’ve given him a portion of my power… so he can protect you.”

  “Mom!”

  “It’s time…”

  “Mom!”

  And then, enveloped in a cascade of sparkling light, her mother quietly vanished.

  Tears flooded Mina’s eyes.

  “Ngh… hnh… hnh…”

  Overcome with grief and loneliness, Mina’s knees buckled and she collapsed to the floor, sobbing.

  “Mom…!”

  She watched through her tears as the last traces of her mother’s form dissolved into nothing.

  “If it was going to hurt this much… I wish I’d never come here!”

  But that was a lie.

  Mina threw herself face-down on the floor and wailed.

  After a while, light enveloped them once more. This is it, Mina thought. Their time together was over.

  As the light gradually dimmed and the surroundings came back into view, she saw the mismatched furniture scattered haphazardly around the room. They were back in the hideout. Mina’s shoulders sagged.

  “Mom is… gone.”

  Tears welled up again, spilling on their own.

  But then Mina snapped her eyes open and slapped her own cheeks—hard.

  “Get it together, Mina! How long are you going to sit here crying?!”

  She wiped her tears with her sleeve.

  “I’m going to do this! I’m going to master magic, no matter what. And then I’ll see Mom again!”

  Mina clenched her fists with fierce determination.

  She turned around to find Arc lying on the floor, breathing quietly in his sleep.

  From the look of him, his body had grown to roughly the size of a high schooler’s. Receiving her mother’s power must have made his previous small frame unsustainable.

  “His clothes look painfully tight… but I can’t exactly undress him.”

  Mina draped a towel gently over Arc. She felt bad, but there was no way she could carry his larger body to the bed.

  “Haah…”

  Mina felt the urge to breathe some fresh air and stood up.

  She pushed aside the sheet and stepped out of the hideout into the abandoned factory. Moonlight streamed in through the broken windows.

  She walked through the faintly oil-scented factory and stepped outside.

  Mina looked up at the sky and gazed at the moon. Tonight, it was a perfect, beautiful full moon.

  “So this is…”

  She stared at the round moon hanging in the sky.

  “A world where angels aren’t on your side.”