The tiny heat signature shrank back at Nova's yell, pushing against the wall. The outline wavered as if trying to retreat further into the shadows, but there was nowhere to hide from Nova's enhanced sight.

"Undo your spell, now!" His voice was sharp and commanding—so unlike his usual patient tone with her.

Anny, who barely had time to register what was happening, looked at Nova with wide eyes. Her hand instinctively moved to her weapon, then froze as understanding dawned. "...Don't tell me she…"

Nova removed his helmet and let it fall to the ground, letting his stern face show. "Millie, undo your spell before I do it for you!"

The little figure shrank to the floor, knees up against her chest. Then, the invisibility disappeared, revealing Millie sitting there with her face hidden against her knees. The Guardian's Embrace hung around her neck, glowing faintly in the dungeon's strange light.

"Oh, Millie," Anny said quietly, her voice filled with both disappointment and tender affection.

Nova took a deep breath, forcing his anger under control. His voice, when it came, was steady but stern. "Millie, I am disappointed in you. You know why you're not allowed to follow us here, but you still entered the dungeon with us. What would you do if we suddenly left without knowing you were here?"

Millie's voice was muffled as she replied with her face still buried against her knees. "I don't want you to leave me behind…"

"We're not leaving you behind, Millie." Nova's tone softened slightly. "We're training to get stronger so we can protect you and all the other children."

"I also wanna protect them! You're leaving me behind because I'm not strong enough, and you're getting stronger, and I'm getting left more behind!"

Nova sighed and knelt down next to her, gently stroking her head. Her blonde hair was tangled from the journey and damp with tears. "Millie, what happened soon after you received your power?"

Her face remained hidden in silence for a moment. When she spoke, it was as tender as could be, like her stubborn nature just barely won against the regret. "...I'm more careful now."

"Is this what you call being careful?" Nova gestured to their surroundings. "How did you even manage to sneak along while we flew?"

"...Grabbed Anny's backpack and slowly climbed on." Her voice was barely audible, heavy with the knowledge that she'd done something dangerous and forbidden.

Nova needed another deep breath to control himself. She had put herself in way too much danger just to follow them. She didn't understand how much danger, and that was part of the problem. He looked at Anny, who seemed torn between wanting to scold Millie and wanting to comfort her.

He knew how she felt. But he couldn't let this go on. The amulet wasn't made to allow her to be careless.

"You're not responsible enough to have more power," he said, hardening his voice again. "And today is proof."

Millie started shaking, crying silently into her knees again. Her small body trembled with each suppressed sob.

His expression softened as he watched her. 'Carrot and stick. Hopefully, this is enough of the stick.'

"...But when you prove you are responsible, I have a soul you can use to get almost as strong as me."

Millie raised her head, showing him the tearful blue eyes and reddened cheeks he was so weak to. The dim blue light of the dungeon crystals caught in her tears, making them shimmer like tiny stars. "R-Really?"

"Yes, really. But if you want it, you can't keep doing stuff like this."

"...How long will I have to wait?" Millie asked after a moment.

"Until I trust that you can handle the responsibility of power. Or until I see that you're clever enough not to use it unless you have to."

"I'm clever!" She jutted her chin forward defiantly, showing a flash of her usual spirit.

"Yes, but you used your powers irresponsibly. You put yourself in danger."

"Nova is right, Millie," Anny said, kneeling down beside them. Her dark hair fell forward as she leaned in, trying to offer support.

Nova closed his eyes. (Mmh, bad move.)

Millie's expression transformed instantly. The sadness in her eyes hardened to anger as she turned to Anny with a glare.

"Why can you join him everywhere?!" Her voice rose, echoing slightly off the stone walls. "You only just met him! I've known him for years!"

Anny's eyes widened in surprise, only then understanding what her position next to Nova must have looked like from Millie's perspective.

(Oh, I should have realized...)

Nova put himself between them, placing a gentle hand on Millie's shoulder. Her skin felt warm beneath his palm, radiating the heat of her emotions.

"Millie, Anny isn't taking your place," he said softly. His voice was low and earnest, cutting through the charged air between them. "If she wasn't here, I would be here alone."

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"But I was the one you talked to!" Millie's voice broke on the last word. "You're leaving me!"

'Ahh, now it makes sense… In her eyes, of course it would feel like I'm leaving her behind. She's lived with me every day of her life, and I haven't been spending a lot of time with her since we left the church.'

Nova felt a knot form in his throat. He reached out with both hands now, framing Millie's tiny shoulders. "I couldn't leave you if I wanted to, Millie. You know why?"

"...Why?" She hiccupped slightly, but looked straight at him.

"Because you're my most precious little girl. You're my family."

Nova couldn't quite hide the heavy emotion in his voice. The words caught slightly in his throat, thick with a feeling he rarely allowed himself to show. He was near tears, and both girls knew how rare that was. Especially Millie.

"That amulet shows you how much I care about you, because I made it only for you." His finger brushed against the pendant at her throat, making it react with a light hum. "I put more time and effort into that amulet than anything else, and it's so incredibly valuable. But I would make ten more if I thought they would keep you safe."

Millie stood frozen in place. The only thing moving was her quivering lips. Then, like a dam breaking, she pushed herself from the wall and flung herself forward. Her arms wrapped around his neck with desperate strength as she buried her face against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Nova! I won't ever do it again, I promise!"

"It's okay. I understand why you did it." He wrapped his arms around her, feeling how small and fragile she seemed. "And now you understand why you shouldn't."

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity in the darkness of the dungeon. Nova held her tightly, with one hand gently stroking her hair as her tears gradually subsided. Anny watched in silence from the side, smiling warmly at the sweet relationship.

'...I've always tried to suppress my bonds to the people close to me, ever since my fourth life. If I am to fight for justice and righteousness, I need to be impartial… But this girl—both these girls, honestly—I can't help but love them… I haven't felt this human in centuries, maybe ever.'

He felt weak. Vulnerable.

But also very, very happy.

After a few deep breaths to recover from his reflections, Nova whispered quietly in Millie's ear. "Maybe there's someone else you should also apologize to?"

Millie's face turned to the side with her cheek still pressed against his shoulder. Her reddened eyes looked at Anny, still sitting patiently beside them with a light smile.

Slowly, Millie released her tight embrace and sat back against the wall. She kept her eyes downcast as she gathered her courage.

"I'm sorry, Anny. I was just jealous." She bowed her head forward, still not meeting Anny's eyes.

Anny grinned as she moved forward and pulled Millie in for a hug, seemingly unsatisfied with the distant apology.

"It's perfectly fine, Millie. I should have considered your feelings more. I'm also sorry." Anny's voice was gentle, softer than Nova typically heard from her. Her arms encircled Millie with tenderness and warmth.

Nova watched them quietly, satisfied by the nice conclusion.

"Well, now that that's settled..." Nova finally broke the silence, his voice echoing slightly in the corridor. "What do we do about the dungeon? We need to beat the level before we can leave. And then you're going back home, Millie."

Millie's shoulders tensed visibly. She opened her mouth as if to protest, but then seemed to think better of it. "Okay..."

"Good. Now, this level should be quite easy for you to beat, Millie. Do you want to try?" Nova looked at her with encouragement, watching her expression shift from uncertainty to interest.

Millie's eyes widened slightly. "...Defeating the monsters?"

"Yes. They're all quite weak, so you should be able to get some practice. You can try using the penetrating magic missile."

Millie twisted the hem of her dress between her fingers. "...But what if they attack me?"

"Have you forgotten what I gave you before we left?" Nova tapped the amulet hanging around her neck. The mythril pendant glowed faintly in response to his touch. "Even if they managed to get past your defenses, you'll be perfectly safe."

Realization flashed across her face as she looked down. "Oh yeah! I wanna try!"

"Great! Do you want to walk first?" Nova gestured down the corridor where the soft glow of crystal formations marked their path forward.

"Yes!"

Her mood improved at an impressive rate. The tears from moments ago had dried completely, replaced by eager determination that brightened her entire face. It seemed she was very eager to test out her magic on something other than Nova.

They walked down the hallway until they met another faint blue membrane. Nova assumed that was where the dungeon's effects would start affecting them, increasing the air resistance by ten times the normal amount.

The effect wouldn't be a significant hindrance, but it could have some unforeseen consequences. It would pose a challenge for anyone usually fighting at range.

Millie entered the blue barrier, just like the last one, and suddenly, her hair started waving slowly with every move of her head. It was nothing like the drag of being underwater, but it was still quite noticeable.

She turned her head in wonder, watching as her hair drifted across her vision in graceful, slow motion. The dungeon's crystal light caught in the golden strands, making them glow with an ethereal quality. Then she looked down at her clothes, waving her hands around and watching the fabric drag slowly behind her movements.

"Why is it like this?" she asked. Her voice carried clearly despite the strange effects of the altered air pressure.

"It's the level effect of the dungeon." Nova stepped through the barrier himself, feeling the immediate resistance against his body. He waved his hand through the air, studying the effect closely. "You can recreate the effect with magic, but it would be hard to cover such a large area."

"My hair looks so pretty!" Millie spun in a circle, watching her hair flow around her face in elegant waves rather than whipping wildly as it usually would.

"It sure does. But we should get moving. You'll probably get tired of the effect in no time."

"But it's pretty!" she replied, as if that made the notion of getting tired of it nonsensical.

'...Is that another girl thing? They do spend time every single day to look pretty, so I guess maybe there's something to it.'

He glanced over at Anny, who almost seemed to read his thoughts as she narrowed her eyes at him. The flecks of gold in her irises caught the blue light, making them flash with suspicion.

(It feels like you're thinking something insulting.)

(Curiosity is no sin.) Nova projected back through their ring connection.

(I'll take that as a yes.)

(You might have been insulted by it, but I don't think that's fair of you.)

(I'm insulted by you thinking I would be insulted. And especially that you don't think I'm being fair.)

Nova sighed, knowing he wouldn't win this battle. (I'll just stop thinking.)

(Good call.) Anny's mental voice sounded idignant, but he could tell she was amused.

Their thoughts were interrupted by Millie's whispering from ahead. "What is that monster?"

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