Ceres

121

"Do you find these flowers lovely, princess? Perhaps I ca---"

"Gil."

Ceres walked just enough to stand in front of a field of ice flowers. She kept on looking at the ice flowers. It's as if she was carefully embedding the flowers in her memories.

"Would you like me to preserve this? Or would you like me to make a new one?"

Ceres asked as she knelt on the ground, touched an ice flower and shut her eyes.

Gil didn't know what she was thinking. Is this field even special? Or is this the barrier they have to destroy?

When Ceres stood up, she walked through the field of ice crystal flowers. And as if these flowers sensed her, the leaves and petals were swaying slightly along with her steps.

Ceres stopped walking when she was able to see an area that looks like a town. Beyond this field of ice crystal flowers, lies the town of the Haletin clan; the assassin clan where Blood Snow belonged to.

"For the first time in your history, a little boy was finally born."

Ceres smiled remembering the newborn baby they saw before they went to look at the Haletin clan.

Hearing what Ceres said, Gil immediately knew that nothing good would come from their trip.

Tragedy seems to never leave those who yearn for a quiet and changed life.

"Let's go."

Ceres disappeared in the blink of an eye and Gil soon followed. The two would soon invade the final territory of the Haletin clan.

---

"Did you guys find her?"

The granny, who watched over Blood Snow, turned around and immediately took a defensive stance.

"Who are you?! How did you get inside our territory?!"

The granny saw the unconscious bodies of her clansmen. A few of them were lying on the floor without even any weapon to see around them. This means that they were knocked unconscious even before they knew who did knock them.

Due to her loud voice, a few more clansmen came to her aid.

Ceres and Gil were standing in front of the granny. Ceres' gaze never left the granny's. It's as if she was looking through the granny's very soul. It was such an intense gaze that the granny felt that she cannot move.

"Are you proud of this clan?"

Ceres asked a question.

Not knowing whether she was asking the granny or not, the granny was about to answer when Ceres dropped another question.

"Are you happy in this clan?"

As the granny and the clansmen cannot bear the intense atmosphere, Ceres walked a step closer to the granny.

"Just who ar---"

"Lives for your lives? Is this the principle that you have learnt all these years?"

"Don't you dare lecture me about how I protect this clan. You don't have any idea what we sacrificed for us to survive this long. Do you think we have a choice? We did what we just did!"

Granny's mind seemed to have calmed down. She thought that Ceres and Gil definitely have something to do with Blood Snow. How could they even know their history and get inside their territory without Blood Snow's help?

"We... Always have a choice."

---

The cry of a baby has been music to the ears of some people.

A woman was also crying but her heart was full of joy.

A man was also crying while holding the baby, his heart was also full of emotions; both of joy and sadness.

The man gave the baby to the woman and she held the baby as if it was the most precious thing in this world.

"Asher."

The man looked at the woman and brushed her hair with his fingertips. He looked at her eyes, and this look was full of happiness.

"His name will be Asher, our treasure and happiness. I hope that he will live a good and happy life."

The man placed his forehead on the woman's head as he was crying while saying,

"Yes. He is and he will definitely live a good and happy life."

The woman asked the man to hold the baby. And even though one can see that she doesn't want to let go of it, she stopped herself from being selfish.

"Thank you, Vann. For everything. Thank you too, Cerio and your companion, Gil. Thank you. Words are not enough to express my gratitude."

As she was about to say more words, she coughed out blood. Lots of blood.

The man was taken by surprised and was trying hard not to cry but tears just won't stop from falling from his eyes. He wanted to say something but looking at the woman in front of him, he can't seem to get the words out of his mouth.

As if knowing it was the last time, she brushed the head and cheek of the baby with her hand, seemingly wanting to etch this moment in her memories.

The woman looked at Ceres who was disguising as Cerio once again.

Before she could even speak more, Ceres beat her to it.

"Misha."

The woman, also known as Blood Snow, smiled gently.

"I have almost forgotten that name. Thank you, for letting me remember."

"You don't have to say anything. I know what to do."

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

Misha looked weakly at her baby boy and also, at Vann, the Thousand Face assassin.

For the last time in this world, she smiled a gentle one, a smile that contains happiness and warmth. Something that she never thought she could ever feel and let others feel.

And for the last time in this world, the legend and the name Blood Snow will now cease to exist.