The Snow Leopard Baby of the Black Leopard Family

"What do you think? It's exactly the same, right?"

Ludian, brimming with excitement, shrugged his shoulders, causing the fiery fish he had created to swim gracefully through the air.

"Wow, it really is! How did you do it, Brother?"

Tiel’s eyes sparkled as she stepped closer to the fire-formed fish.

Ferdy, concerned that she might get burned, instinctively reached out to gently pull her back.

But then—

Tap.

"Aha, nice to meet you too."

One of the firefish brushed against the tip of Tiel’s nose, as if affectionately greeting her.

Yet, she remained completely unharmed.

Ferdy, observing closely, raised an eyebrow.

Was that even possible?

If Ludian had the same level of ability control as Karsus or Alpheus, then perhaps.

But Ludian did not have such precise control over his powers. Then how was Tiel not hurt...?

Ah...

Ferdy recalled something—

Tiel hadn’t been burned when she had stopped his flames either.

It was as if the fire they wielded instinctively protected their small and precious little sister.

"Protection."

Yes, that was it.

Ludian’s and Ferdy’s flames naturally sought to protect Tiel.

Realizing this, Ferdy let go of her hand with a small smile.

There was no need to shield her if there was never a risk of her getting hurt.

Their flames would keep her safe.

At that moment, Tiel slowly opened her palms.

Her tiny hands, hesitant but determined, resembled delicate flower buds.

Fwaaa—!

And from those hands, something even warmer and more beautiful than flowers bloomed.

Two small fish, formed of light, emerged from her palms.

Seeing the firefish before them, they curled slightly, almost as if startled.

Just like their creator, they hesitated in the face of something unfamiliar.

Yet, because they carried a piece of their master’s essence, they did not flee.

Tiel’s warm light gently wrapped around Ludian’s flames.

Everyone—Tiel, Ludian, Olivia, and even Ferdy—watched in silence.

The fish entwined together in midair, and then—

Pop!

They burst into a brilliant display of sparks, dissolving into nothingness like fireworks.

"...This one wasn’t too bad."

Ferdy nodded in approval.

Tiel, too, smiled brightly.

"It was so pretty! It looked so much better than when I do it alone!"

"Kh, ahem... Well, of course! It had my power in it!"

Ludian, trying to act nonchalant, was clearly struggling to suppress the grin tugging at his lips.

"Show me more! More!"

Tiel bounced eagerly in place.

Ludian, his confidence swelling, took a step back.

"You want more?"

"...Ludian, don’t—"

Olivia began to warn him, but—

Fwoosh!

A massive flame erupted from Ludian’s hands.

"That idiot never knows when to stop."

Ferdy commented, smiling sweetly despite his scathing words. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Tiel glanced at Ludian’s growing fire, then gently tugged on Ferdy’s sleeve.

"Hm?"

"Um... Brother, you shouldn't use words like 'idiot.' You should use nice words."

"Nice words? Haha, that’s hard to do when I’m looking at Ludian. But fine, for you, I’ll try."

Tiel let out a small sigh.

Ferdy and Ludian... Her two brothers never stopped arguing.

And now, with Olivia in the mix, they bickered constantly.

"Though, to be fair... most of it is Ludian’s fault."

Still, ‘idiot’ seemed a bit much...

Fwoooosh—!

Just then, Ludian’s flames roared to life again, forming—

A massive sword.

Its blade, engulfed in endless fire, gleamed with intense heat.

The moment they saw it, all three of them grimaced.

"Idiot."

This time, Tiel didn’t stop Ferdy.

Olivia let out an exasperated sigh before turning to Ferdy.

"Wasn’t today supposed to be helping Tiel train her abilities?"

"Who invited him here?"

Tiel slowly raised her hand.

"It’s okay, Tiel. It’s not your fault. The only fault here is that someone completely forgot the original purpose of today and went rogue."

Ferdy’s voice was impossibly gentle. The sheer contrast from the murderous aura he had exuded just moments ago was almost frightening.

"But, Brother... If you train your ability, can everyone make things like... that?"

Tiel asked hesitantly, pointing at Ludian’s not-so-appropriate-for-this-moment flaming sword.

It was definitely not something they needed right now.

But separate from that, it was an exceptionally well-formed, strong-looking weapon.

"Could I... do that too?"

Tiel’s ability was fundamentally different from theirs.

The Asterian power was one that burned the world.

But Tiel’s power was one that illuminated it.

So creating something like Ludian’s enormous flaming sword was likely impossible for her.

Tiel understood this well. She had no desire to forge a weapon.

But—

"I want to create something."

Something other than the light fish that appeared on their own, outside of her will.

She couldn't rely on using only one ability forever.

Yet, she had been born with only a single gift.

That was why she needed to learn how to use it—to take this one ability and shape it into a hundred different possibilities.

Olivia and Ferdy exchanged glances when they saw the way Tiel’s eyes shimmered with determination.

A short silence passed.

"...Of course you can do it!"

"Absolutely! Our Tiel can make something far better than that idiot over there!"

"I’ve never thought about surpassing Ludian, but..."

Tiel giggled.

"I’ll make sure Asterian’s name is never put to shame!"

Her tiny fists clenched tightly, filled with unshakable resolve.

"Tiel, that’s all fine."

Ferdy murmured as he gently ran his hand through her soft hair.

"But remember—you don’t have to do anything that’s too much for you. Even if you lazed around and played your entire life, Asterian’s name wouldn’t fade."

"Yes, I know."

"Look, do you think that idiot ever does anything properly? He causes chaos all the time. And yet, has the Asterian name ever suffered for it? No.

So, Tiel."

"If it’s too hard, you don’t have to push yourself."

Olivia smoothly continued Ferdy’s words, smiling warmly as she ruffled Tiel’s hair.

"You know what’s best for you."

"Guys, I..."

Beyond that warm scene, standing alone, was Ludian.

His flaming sword, streaking through the air, somehow looked... lonelier than usual.

***

No one knew where this place was.

Even the woman who sat there, blinking vacantly, had no idea where she was.

Of course she didn’t.

She was in the lowest place in existence.

A world crafted from the deepest, blackest void—where only the coldest, most horrifying darkness could gather.

"......."

She blinked slowly.

As if time itself no longer mattered.

Her expression was utterly vacant, as though her very soul had been stolen from her.

As if...

She had been robbed of the most precious thing she had ever held.

But there was no one to care about her loss.

No—there was no one at all.

No living thing could survive in this place.

Her hair, once a dazzling gold, had dulled and was swallowed by the shadows.

Her once brilliant eyes, which had scattered light like the sun, had long since darkened—becoming the very color of the void.

The woman slowly lifted her head.

She didn’t know who she was.

So of course, she didn’t know what she wanted to do.

But she knew one thing for certain.

[Open the way.]

A chilling voice whispered the command.

Her skeletal arms moved like those of a marionette—lifeless, unnatural.

Her thin fingers curled, joints cracking grotesquely.

And then—

Wooooom—.

With a deep, resounding hum, a gateway appeared beneath her hand.

A space just large enough for a person to pass through.

Her darkened eyes flickered.

Strength returned to her lifeless arms, her once-slumped body rising from where it had leaned against an unseen wall.

"......."

Her pupils, darker than ever, gleamed.

She flexed her fingers experimentally.

Then—

She stepped into the void she had opened.

And just like that—

She vanished.

Without a trace.

Swallowed by the darkness.