“Yul shouldn’t have gone through such things.”

Considering the hardships on the battlefield, I thought he would live happily after the war, being called a hero, and then peacefully leave the world. It was the kind of life that suited Yulnysia.

But why?

“Yul.”

How many times did I call Yulnysia?

For the first time, an answer came from the darkness.

Marian.

In the black emptiness, golden letters appeared as if floating in the air. Yulnysia’s missed voice was not audible.

“Yul…”

Long time no see.

In the occupied space, a skeletal figure with tightly clinging flesh was in place.

When I became a chick, I hoped that I could meet Yulnysia again at some point. Never had I imagined that I would open my eyes after more than 100 years and find Yulnysia in front of me.

But beyond the span of 100 years, Yulnysia appeared before me.

In an undead state that couldn’t die.

“What happened?”

The only thing I could do was to speak with a composed voice. Though my hands and feet trembled at the sight of the dreadful appearance of my old friend, fortunately, my voice flowed naturally.

The skeleton didn’t rattle. In the light embroidery in the void, it alternated between becoming brighter and darker.

He froze my heart. I needed to survive, so I needed you.

He? In the words not specifying a name, the name that instinctively flowed from my lips was this.

“Aspen?”

Why did that name suddenly come to mind? Perhaps because it was the last person I saw before dying, or maybe it was due to the continuous appearance of ice monsters.

In response to the name I blurted out instinctively, I covered my lips with my palm in bewilderment.

Yulnysia responded briefly.

Yes, Aspen. That was the name.

The tone was calm, and the name didn’t come back to memory.

But the moment I saw the positive message, chills ran down my entire body.

‘Is it really Aspen who did this?’

The mastermind behind the experiment that turned Yulnysia into an undead state, clinging to my heart to revive me? However, there was a fatal flaw in that statement.

“Aspen is dead, isn’t he?”

He should have died before me, right?

Didn’t he cause a mana explosion, and to prevent his cold from reaching me, didn’t I inadvertently go into an explosive state too?

Why would his name appear now? I couldn’t understand. Yulnysia’s thoughts appeared in the air.

Your heart shattered that day, and only you. To save you, Aspen gathered the broken pieces of your heart. To revive you.

A real Aspen?

While I was shocked, holding my breath, words appeared consecutively.

He succeeded in the end; would he be satisfied?

Her emotions were absent in the brief and emotionless message.
It felt extremely eerie to me. Even after not meeting for a long time, she didn’t show any emotions towards me. She didn’t even ask how she ended up here in a form resembling our past lives. In a strange uneasiness, I hastily explained my current situation to Yulnysia.

“I, I became a chick. Right now, I’m just temporarily human, but if my mana runs out, I’ll turn back into a chick.”

Is that so?

Whether it was because we were conversing only through text, I couldn’t sense Yulnysia’s emotions. I hesitated on what else to say. At that moment, words appeared in the air.

Still, it’s fortunate that you’ve recovered, Marian.

“Yul.”

Indeed, my friend Yulnysia. I teared up with joy.

It was that moment.

Melt my heart. I’m exhausted now.

“Yul.”

At the request to melt her heart, I froze in place. Yulnysia’s words, expressing relief that I had survived, were purely because she had something she wanted from me.

I waited for you to come. Now you’re the only one who can melt my heart.

To revive me, to use Yulnysia in that research, Aspen had frozen Yulnysia’s heart. The only one who could melt her heart was me, possessing flames as strong as Aspen’s ice.

But the fact that my dearest friend had waited just to die deeply touched my heart. I wiped away the tears that had gathered in my eyes with the back of my hand. Then, I smiled and said,

“I missed you.”

Is that so?

Yulnysia showed no response to my words.

I just want to die.

“Yul.”

I briefly recounted what had happened to me after opening my eyes to this world once again.

“You were right. Being alone in the forest, all I had to eat were bugs. I should have agreed when you said we should come up with a recipe for bug consumption. Then, I wouldn’t have starved in the forest.”

Is that so?

“I saw the magical tools you made. They were truly amazing. You could easily bathe in warm water, and even if it snowed heavily, the room would stay warm. Indeed, Yulnysia, you’re the best magical tool user.”

The magical tools I made…

Yulnysia seemed to have no recollection of anything now. I laughed heartily. I didn’t want my friend to be remembered in a melancholic way in her last moments.

“Sleep well, Yul. Rest deeply now.”

A strong flame engulfed not only Yulnysia’s heart but also the tent where she stayed, exploding like a burst of fire.