“Yes, he was a madman. It was all for revenge. But I can’t really blame him. I was crazy too. Looking back, I think I liked that he looked at me as if I weren’t a royal, but just Kirona. As if I were someone who could live forever, without looking down on me or bowing his head.”

“……” 

“My love blinded me, so I didn’t see it. The way he looked at me was nothing but a carefully calculated act, and underneath it all was probably nothing but contempt and hatred.” 

In simpler terms, it meant that the man had betrayed Kirona. 

“So, did you make him suffer when you killed him?” 

“This is why you’re still a kid, Jade Eclipse. What do you know about love when you haven’t experienced it? In the end, I spared him. I sent him off as a slave on a transport ship, so he probably didn’t live long, but I couldn’t bring myself to kill him with my own hands.” 

Kirona, feverish and dazed, chuckled as she lightly tapped his cheek. Kirona’s lack of control made it hurt a bit, but more than pain, Jade felt a sense of disbelief. If it had been him, he would have cut off the man’s fingers and toes one by one. 

“You’re too kind, Your Highness.” 

“I’m not usually kind. I was only kind to him. It was a foolish thing to do. That’s why I’ll never love again.” 

But Jade didn’t think so. To him, Kirona was too kind. She belonged in the palace, not out here, until she was more weathered by the world. But why on earth was she here…? 

There’s no point in trying to figure it out with my limited understanding. 

Jade checked Kirona’s forehead again. Her earlier prediction that it wasn’t a serious illness seemed to be correct. The fever had started to subside, likely because she had been exposed to the cold for too long, causing the fever. Kirona sighed in relief, and Jade allowed himself to relax a little as well. 

“Thank goodness. Since the demon hasn’t come, I guess it was just a fever.” 

“What do you mean by ‘demon’ exactly…?” 

“That’s classified.” 

Kirona giggled, placing a finger over her lips. Typical of royalty, everything was a secret. But what good were secrets when they were all on the brink of death? With Kirona’s fever subsiding, Jade began to think more clearly and tried to make sense of the nonsense Kirona had been spouting in her delirium. However, Kirona didn’t let him quietly ponder for long. 

“Keep talking. My fever isn’t completely gone yet. What if I end up alone while you’re quiet… What if the demon comes then?” 

“I don’t have any more stories to tell.” 

Is she still out of her mind? Jade leaned on his hand and protested. 

“Tell me the founding myth. Surely you know at least that much.” 

“Yes, but you know it too. Isn’t it pointless for you to hear it?” 

“I’ve never heard the Eclipse story from an Eclipse.” 

“You have a bit of a sadistic streak, don’t you?” 

Was this insistence on forcing others to do things they’d clearly hate a common pastime among the upper class? Still, Jade had no right to refuse Kirona’s order. She glared at him. 

“Are you going to refuse? Do you want to be executed?” 

“I’ll do it. I’ll tell it.” 

The sick tend to become like children. Somehow, he felt more like he was soothing a child than serving a princess. Jade alternated his gaze between the depiction of the young Theresia in the mural and Kirona before beginning to speak. 

* * * 

Theresia was the god of all things, the creator of everything. Theresia formed the sky, earth, and sea from the void. For the first time, beings began to emerge in what had been a space of nothingness. From the darkness, the Starlight Knight, Lucy Raphael, was born; from the earth came the Earth Knight, Pandora Navarro; from the sea emerged the Wave Knight, Nadia Lane; and from the sky, the Wind Knight, Winley Euphen. 

They immediately swore eternal loyalty to Theresia and became the faithful servants of the god. Together, they began to create the world. The knights formed the shells of things, and Theresia breathed life into them. 

Thus, the world was finally complete. The once dark sky was now filled with stars, fish swam in the sea, and beasts roamed the earth. 

Theresia, now satisfied, became the moon and took her place in the sky. As she watched over the world, she commanded the Earth Knight to create beings in her image. The Earth Knight then tore pieces from her own flesh to create the first humans. 

But the world was still dark. The starlight alone wasn’t enough. The humans, who were the weakest and most dissatisfied of all the creatures, came to Theresia and begged for a brighter light.