The night had grown deep.
Outside the dormitory window, moonlight spilled across the academy grounds like liquid silver.
The distant ocean reflected the pale glow of the moon.
Waves rolled gently against the island's shores.
The entire academy had fallen into silence.
Students slept.
Professors rested.
Even the usually noisy dormitory corridors had become quiet.
Inside his room.
Kel lay comfortably on his bed.
One arm behind his head.
The strange manuscript rested upon the nearby table.
The candle had already been extinguished.
Only moonlight illuminated the room.
The silver-haired youth slowly closed his eyes.
Finally.
After an entire day of academy classes.
Guild affairs.
Leviathan battles.
Ocean investigations.
Market research.
Ancient myths.
And suspicious sea monsters.
He intended to sleep.
Unfortunately.
Someone had other plans.
Inside his soul.
Seiren was very awake.
Extremely awake.
Dangerously awake.
And when Seiren became curious—
Sleep became difficult.
Very difficult.
Several minutes passed.
Kel almost drifted asleep.
Then—
"Kel?"
His eye twitched.
"What?"
"Can humans really become monsters?"
Silence.
Kel stared at the ceiling.
The Guardian waited patiently.
Then—
"No."
"No?"
"Not like the story."
The Guardian became thoughtful.
"So the fisherman becoming a monster because of betrayal is impossible?"
"Mostly."
A pause.
"Though some curses can transform people."
"Ah."
Several seconds passed.
Kel closed his eyes again.
Peace returned.
For exactly seven seconds.
Then—
"Kel?"
"..."
"Kel?"
"...what?"
"Why do humans write stories like that?"
Kel sighed.
A very long sigh.
The kind of sigh produced only by exhaustion.
"Because reality is boring."
"Reality isn't boring."
"It is."
"You punched a Leviathan king."
"Rare exception."
The Guardian laughed.
Then continued.
"But why add romance?"
Kel opened one eye.
"Humans add romance to everything."
"Everything?"
"Everything."
"Even sea monster stories?"
"Especially sea monster stories."
Seiren went silent.
Several moments later—
"Humans are strange."
"Correct."
The room became quiet again.
Kel closed his eyes.
His breathing gradually slowed.
Sleep approached.
Then—
"Kel?"
The silver-haired youth remained motionless.
Pretending not to hear.
Unfortunately.
The soul bond prevented such tactics.
"I know you're awake."
Kel groaned.
"What now?"
Seiren sounded genuinely curious.
"How do you know which parts of a myth are true?"
That question finally made him think.
The answer wasn't simple.
Kel stared toward the moonlit ceiling.
Then spoke.
"You don't."
"What?"
"You never know."
The Guardian blinked.
Kel continued.
"Most people search for truth inside myths."
A pause.
"I search for what refuses to change."
Seiren listened carefully.
"The story changes."
"The details change."
"The characters change."
"The events change."
Another pause.
"But some things remain."
The Guardian understood immediately.
"The locations."
"Exactly."
The room fell silent again.
Eventually.
Seiren nodded.
"That actually makes sense."
"Rare achievement."
"I make sense often."
"No."
"Rude."
The Guardian sounded offended.
Very offended.
Kel almost smiled.
Almost.
Then—
"Kel?"
The smile disappeared.
Immediately.
"You're doing this on purpose."
Seiren laughed.
"Maybe."
The Guardian floated lazily inside the soul bond.
Then suddenly asked:
"Have you ever been betrayed?"
The question arrived unexpectedly.
The room became quiet.
Very quiet.
Outside.
The wind blew softly.
Kel stared at the ceiling.
His expression remained calm.
Yet memories surfaced.
Not painful memories.
Simply old memories.
The Destiny Game.
Previous timelines.
Former allies.
Enemies.
People who smiled while hiding knives.
People who promised loyalty.
People who abandoned others.
The countless tragedies he had witnessed.
Eventually.
He answered.
"Yes."
The answer surprised Seiren.
Because it arrived instantly.
Without hesitation.
Without denial.
"Many times?"
"A few."
The Guardian became thoughtful.
Then softly asked:
"Did it hurt?"
Kel looked toward the moonlight entering through the window.
Then answered honestly.
"At first."
A pause.
"Then I learned something."
"What?"
"Expecting loyalty is foolish."
The answer made Seiren frown.
"That sounds sad."
"It isn't."
"No?"
Kel shook his head slightly.
"Loyalty given freely is valuable."
A pause.
"Loyalty demanded is worthless."
The Guardian remained silent.
Thinking.
Then eventually.
"I think you're difficult."
"Correct."
"Very difficult."
"Also correct."
Seiren laughed.
The conversation continued.
Not because either of them needed answers.
But because nights were long.
And friendship often revealed itself through meaningless conversations.
Eventually.
The Guardian asked another question.
"If that story is real."
Kel raised an eyebrow.
"Hm?"
"Would you help the fisherman?"
The silver-haired youth thought for a moment.
Then answered.
"No."
Seiren blinked.
"No?"
"Not immediately."
The Guardian became confused.
Kel continued.
"First I would determine whether he deserved help."
A pause.
"Being betrayed doesn't automatically make someone innocent."
The answer surprised her.
Then again.
It was a very Kel answer.
Eventually.
Seiren nodded.
"Fair."
Several moments passed.
The room finally became quiet.
Truly quiet.
No more questions.
No more discussions.
No more interruptions.
Kel closed his eyes.
Sleep finally approached.
Slowly.
Comfortably.
Then—
"Kel?"
The silver-haired youth immediately sat upright.
"SEIREN."
The Guardian burst into laughter.
Uncontrollable laughter.
Ancient deity.
Guardian of Scarder Lake.
One of the strongest beings connected to water.
Currently laughing because she successfully prevented a teenager from sleeping.
Inside the room.
Kel stared into empty space.
Expressionless.
Absolutely expressionless.
Then spoke.
"Ask everything."
Seiren immediately brightened.
"Really?"
"Yes."
"All questions?"
"All questions."
The Guardian smiled triumphantly.
Several seconds passed.
Then—
"Why do humans hold hands?"
Kel regretted everything.
Immediately.
Outside the dormitory.
The ocean waves continued rolling beneath the moonlight.
And somewhere far beyond the horizon.
Hidden beneath ancient waters.
A mysterious observer watched silently.
Completely unaware.
That the greatest challenge facing Kel Rosenfeld tonight...
Was not an ancient sea monster.
Not a hidden enemy.
Not a forgotten myth.
But an endlessly curious Guardian who refused to let him sleep.