'Huh?'

Akamir immediately lost his consciousness.

The world around Akamir dissolved like mist caught in sunlight.

One second, he was in his house with the warm, soft weight of the void fox on his lap—

The next, he stood in an endless sky.

No ground beneath him and no sun above.

Just soft swirling clouds of violet and silver, stretching into forever.

"…The void?" he muttered, glancing around.

"Kyu~."

The soft cry came from behind him. He turned.

The small fox now stood on air like it was solid ground. Except… she wasn't small anymore.

Her body was so big that Akamir couldn't even see the end of her.

The galaxy-like eyes of hers were much bigger now as he could see everything more clearly.

She stood tall in front of him, like a god showing her presence in front of a mortal.

Akamir felt an unexplainable pressure on his chest that made it hard to breathe.

Akamir blinked as he looked at her. "…Ella?"

"Is that what you have named my daughter?" The enormous void fox said in his mind. "What a peculiar name."

Akamir blinked, even more confused now. "Daughter?"

"Kyu~."

As if waiting for her chance, Ella jumped down from the body of the enormous fox and fell into his hands.

Akamir caught her, careful not to drop her.

The little fox snuggled into his arms, tail swaying lazily.

Akamir stared between the massive creature before him and the tiny ball of fur in his hands.

"…What do you mean daughter? Are you saying she's yours?"

The enormous void fox lowered her head slightly.

Her eyes, galaxies swirling within them, blinked slowly. "Yes. She is a fragment born from me. Not a full being, not yet. But she carries my blood, my power, and my will."

Akamir looked down at Ella, who yawned in his arms. "….So, why did you call me?"

That made the fox stop in her tracks, she looked at her daughter without any words.

"I wanted to see who my daughter chose as her guardian." She replied, her voice soft. "I didn't know it was someone so weak."

Akamir's lips twitched but he kept on topic. "Guardian?"

"We void foxes choose a guardian when we are born." She replied with a slight nod. "They are usually their mothers as the child would provide them with their essence."

"…Essence?" Akamir asked, carefully.

"A nourishment to their mother's body." She replied. "It is a way for the child to return the favour for keeping them safe."

Akamir shifted uncomfortably as he looked down at Ella.

She stared up at him with her soft, glowing eyes, completely unbothered by the conversation.

Her tail curled lazily around his wrist, like she didn't even understand the weight of what was being said.

"…So," Akamir began slowly, "you're saying Ella… chose me?"

The enormous void fox didn't answer right away.

She just stared at him with those ancient, galaxy-filled eyes.

The kind of gaze that seemed to reach into the core of him.

"Yes," she said at last. "For reasons I cannot understand, she has chosen you."

Akamir narrowed his eyes. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

"It's not bad," the void fox said. "It's just… strange and dangerous."

"Uh, so do you want this essence back?" Akamir replied, looking at her.

The void fox shook her head. "I am already dead." She revealed. "It's just a small part of me, that I left behind to guide my daughter."

Akamir stared at her, stunned. "…You're dead?"

The giant fox closed her eyes, as if remembering something far away. "Yes. I fell in the Great Collapse, long before your time."

Her voice was calm, but there was something heavy beneath it.

A sadness that echoed through the airless void.

"I left behind fragments of myself," she continued, "hoping one of them would survive. She did."

Akamir looked down at Ella again. She was now licking his thumb absentmindedly.

The void fox lowered her head, bowing in front of him. "As a mother, I would humbly request you to look after my daughter."

Akamir frowned but he didn't deny it. "I will, don't worry."

"And when Ella can take her human form." She said, touching his forehead with her claw. "Bring her to this location in Clandestine."

Akamir blinked as he found a place, in the back of his memories.

'Wait, Clandestine?'

"I will be in touch with my daughter." She said, looking into his eyes. "I hope you don't treat her poorly."

"Wait, isn't Clandestine the place where mana comes from—."

"Then, farewell." She said and Akamir's consciousness blurred. "Descendant of the Wraith."

---

Akamir blinked twice as he returned back to his main hall.

Ella also came back to herself as she licked his nose.

Akamir let out a sigh as he leaned back on his sofa.

"What happened?" Nayomi asked, leaning closer to him.

"I met her mother." Akamir replied, rubbing his eyes. "Ella's mother."

"Oh?" Nayomi said, raising her brow. "Was that her projection?"

Akamir nodded his head. "She is dead now." Then he looked at her suspiciously. "Wait, how did you even get the egg in which Ella was?"

Nayomi looked away. "That's….a secret."

Akamir squinted at her. "That's not very reassuring."

Nayomi crossed her arms and leaned back against the armrest of the couch, her expression stubborn. "You're not the only one allowed to have secrets, you know."

Ella let out a soft kyu~ and curled into Akamir's lap again, as if nothing strange had just happened. Her tail swayed lazily, and her tiny paws twitched in her sleep.

Akamir sighed. "She's asleep again. After dropping a bomb on me."

"That's how children are," Nayomi said with a shrug. "Drop chaos and nap."

He rubbed his temples. "Clandestine…how am I supposed to visit that place?"

Nayomi looked interested as she leaned closer to him. "Did she ask you to visit that place?"

Akamir nodded his head. "Yes, she wanted me to visit when Ella is big enough."

Nayomi nodded thoughtfully. "I see. It must be because of the void fox's inheritance."

"Hmm?" Akamir looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Void foxes aren't just beasts born of magic," she said. "They're living fragments of the raw void. That's different from normal mana or even divine essence."

Akamir raised an eyebrow. "And what does that mean exactly?"

"It means," Nayomi said, tapping the table slowly, "that when a void fox reaches maturity, they inherit memories, instincts, powers—things even they don't understand at first."

Akamir frowned then nodded his head softly. "It must be important for Ella."

He then gently patted the child's back as she relaxed at his touch.

"Anyway." Nayomi looked even more curious now. "Did she tell you anything else?"

Akamir turned silent as he looked at her for a second.

'Should I tell her?'

He was debating whether he should tell about the Wraith thing.

'She did call me their descendant but I can't be so sure.'

He let out a sigh. "Nothing else."

In the end, he decided to keep it to himself until he could confirm it.

Nayomi raised an eyebrow at Akamir's pause but didn't push further. She studied his face for a moment longer, then shrugged and leaned back again.

"Fine," she said. "Keep your secrets. Just don't expect me to share mine so easily next time."

Akamir gave her a faint smile. "Like you even share your secrets."

Ella let out another sleepy kyu~ as she curled deeper into Akamir's lap, her small body radiating warmth.

He gently stroked her fur, lost in thought.

'Clandestine, void inheritance, Wraith… what else is going to fall into my lap next?'

He closed his eyes for a second, trying to process everything. But his brief peace didn't last long.

A soft knock echoed at the door again.

Zia walked in with a cup in her hand. "Here, your coffee master."

Akamir smiled gently. "Thank you."

He took the coffee as Zia's eyes fell on the void fox.

But she didn't ask anything as she just stood by his side.

Akamir slowly drank his coffee as he looked out of the house, where the sun had already gone.

'Well, Lili should be back anytime soon.'

He thought as he stood up along with Ella in his hand.

"I will be in my room."

He said to Zia. "Call me when the dinner is ready."

Zia bowed deeply towards him. "As you wish."

Akamir walked towards his room as he walked inside.

He gently placed Ella down as he sat on his bed.

Akamir then waited for half an hour before both the spirits returned.

"Akamir."

Saia said, shyly as she moved towards him, leaving Lili's hand.

The familiar of Empress Sephrina looked sad but she didn't let it linger on her face.

Akamir let Saia sit on his shoulder as he looked at Lili.

"So…." She began nervously. "What is your answer?"

Akamir let out a sigh as he slowly closed his eyes.

The Servants of Skinless, the Great One Kros and the elven town.

All of them flashed past his mind in an instant.

He slowly opened his eyes as he looked at the fairy. "I accept your proposal."

The fairy beamed in excitement.

"But, I have some demands."

Her excitement immediately died down.