One year had flown by since Paulo Satoshi first unlocked the System. The fragile, crawling infant was now a spirited toddler, wobbly on her feet, babbling short sentences in Terra's tongue, and full of restless curiosity.
Seated at dinner with her parents, she fumbled with her glass, still awkward in this tiny body. Inside, though, her mind raced with echoes of a past life, a man's memories trapped in a child's frame.
However out nowhere she muttered, "Mom, why does Dad keep hunting people?"
The question hit like lightning. Daiki choked, coughing violently. Satsuki dropped her fork, eyes wide. Even the maid who'd just stepped in froze, then quietly backed out, no way was she getting caught in this storm.
"Daughter… how do you know that?" Daiki finally caught his breath, stunned. His voice was tight. That secret was supposed to stay buried.
Before anyone could react, the maid, Saiko, reappeared. In one swift motion, she placed her hands on Paulo's head, whispering an ancient incantation. Moments later, the girl went limp, asleep.
"What did you do?! I demand an answer" Satsuki exploded, rising from her seat. Her voice trembled, her child, just moments ago so alive with questions, now unconscious in a stranger's arms.
"I made her forget. For now, you really think it's time she knew the truth?" she said calmly as Saiko cradled the toddler gently.
Satsuki shot to her feet, gaze locking onto the maid like a blade. Fury burned across her features, she couldn't stomach the idea of deceiving her own daughter, let alone erasing her memories, knowing the damage could be irreversible.
"You absolutely shouldn't have done this spell. It could seriously hurt you or my daughter," she snapped, voice low and fierce, a growl rumbling beneath her words, until Daiki stepped in, working quickly to soothe the rising tension.
However, without waiting, Saiko had carried Paulo back to bed, leaving behind a silence thick with secrets.
Saiko staggered back to the dinner table, her body drained, nose gushing blood, clear proof the spell had nearly emptied her mana reserves.
"Told you not to push it and don't think I missed it, something just flared in your magic. That wasn't just one spell " Satsuki shot back, sharp-eyed. She'd sensed the surge: more energy spent than any single incantation should require.
The maid pressed a tissue Daiki handed her to her nose, wiping away the crimson trail. The truth? She'd cast two spells, and one of them could've killed her on the spot.
"Cloaking magic. Can't have those Chaos fanatics sniffing around the young master." Saiko muttered weakly.
Then, with a faint sigh, she collapsed onto the couch, out cold before her head hit the cushion.
A few minutes later, back at her bed, Paulo stirred awake, groggy, disoriented, her thoughts a tangled blur. It slipped away like smoke. Then, a sharp feeling flowed through her, hunger. She hadn't eaten. Not yet or not that she remembered off.
At just one year old, she pushed herself up, wobbling as she crawled out of bed. Drawn by an invisible pull, she veered toward a room she'd never seen yet somehow knew. It called to her, silently, urgently, as if it had been waiting its whole existence for this moment.
A strange warmth radiated from within, intense, almost electric, like a half-remembered lullaby. On unsteady limbs, thin as twigs, she dragged herself forward, fighting to stay upright.
Each step trembled with effort. But she pressed on. Until finally, breathless and swaying, she stood face-to-face with the old wooden door, the threshold to something she couldn't name, but already longed for.
It's calling me, I feel like I should enter this room.
The door swings open as if by invisible hands, drawn wide in a breathless instant, magic in motion. From within, a shimmering purple light spills out, pulsing from a metallic chest like it's alive, like it's hiding something otherworldly.
Drawn to the magenta glow, she steps forward, heart pounding. Every nerve screams caution as she reaches for the chest, lifting the lid with trembling hands, half-expecting death to leap out for daring to disturb it.
Inside, nestled in silence, lies only a violet mask. Twin horns curve upward from its crown, and on its back, emblazoned like a cursed sigil, the mark of a fallen angel. She hesitates, then plunges her hand in, gripping the mask and pulling it close.
The moment it touches her chest, a flicker of purple light dances at the edges of her own vision, subtle, electric, undeniable. A popup had appeared.
[════════════════════════════════════════════]
(!)NOTICE YOU HAVE UNLOCKED A NEW ARTIFACT
[════════════════════════════════════════════]
[ARTIFACT ACQUIRED]
TENGU MASK
INFORMATION:
[ITS PURPOSE WILL REVEAL ITSELF WHEN THE DESTINY CALLS]
[════════════════════════════════════════════]
The moment the artifact's alert flashed, she froze, confusion hit hard. Paulo had no clue it wasn't just some ordinary object.
Before she could react, drowsiness slammed into her like a wave. Gas seeped through the air, thick and silent. A hand clamped over her mouth, but strangely, it didn't feel violent. It felt gentle, almost like magic wrapping around her like a warm embrace. Then darkness swallowed her whole. Paulo collapsed, unconscious before she even hit the floor.
Down in the kitchen, Satsuki was tending to Saiko when a deafening shatter ripped through the silence upstairs, like glass exploding under force.
Daiki bolted up the stairs, heart pounding, sweat streaking his face. His daughter was in danger—he couldn't lose her. Satsuki followed close behind, pulse racing. The syndicate? Had they already found them?
One bedroom door hung wide open. Too open. A trail of crimson snaked from the hallway window straight into that room. Daiki's eyes locked onto it, and then he saw it: dark mana swirling inside, pulsing like a spell just cast… then vanishing into thin air.
Satsuki froze. She'd heard something, a muffled cry. Paulo. Struggling. Then nothing. Cut off.
They charged in.
Paulo lay motionless on the floor. Above her, figures cloaked in black, their robes marked with a chilling symbol: Chaos. Daiki's blood ran cold. He knew that mark. These were the ones he'd wiped out a year ago. Or so he thought.
"Stop right there!" Satsuki roared, hands snapping together. Crimson light flared between her palms, lightning magic charging to life.
But before she could strike, they were gone. Vanished. Taking Paulo with them. Rage ignited. Satsuki snatched a blade, yanking Daiki forward. Her daughter would come home, no matter the cost. Daiki threw on his cloak, falling in step beside her, both sprinting into the night.
"We're coming for you," Satsuki vowed, racing through the village, chasing the one place that made sense, the massive mana source pulsing at its core. Where they knew, deep down, Paulo would be waiting.