A red motif.

That was Urie’s first impression.

Long, flowing red hair cascaded down, a few strands falling between the bridge of her nose, neatly tucked behind her right ear. She wore a quaint white dress, a blue cardigan draped over her frame, contrasting with her pale skin. Her eyes, crimson like her hair, met his icy blue gaze.

— I-I'm a boy... am I not!?

For the first time in his life, such a bewildering question slipped into his mind. Urie felt unsettled. The reflection staring back at him wasn’t his—he had neither red eyes nor hair, nor the delicate features before him. He was still wearing a simple shirt and loose pants.

“Uhm—” His lips quivered as he hesitated to speak. Who would try to converse with their own reflection? He inwardly mocked himself. It was just that—a reflection.

The young girl’s face wore a quiet indifference, yet Urie could sense a hidden sorrow behind her calm facade. The weight in her eyes mirrored something he, too, had been carrying, pulling at his heart with an unexpected connection.

— I’ve been wearing that same expression, haven’t I?

A solitary tear traced the girl’s cheek, and, as if on cue, two tears slid down Urie’s face. The feelings he had kept bottled up suddenly poured out, his tears matching the girl’s, a floodgate finally opened.

— Why? Why now?

He had told himself crying wouldn’t change anything. Yet, seeing his own emotions mirrored back at him in that reflection, he couldn’t hold it in any longer.

But strangely, he welcomed the release. Crying alongside a companion—even one born of water—seemed to ease the crushing weight on his chest. Maybe now, he could let go of his fixation on magic. Maybe tomorrow, he could face the world with a clearer heart.

— Maybe I could learn to wield a weapon. A sword? A spear? Magic isn’t the only way to fight mana beasts. And even if I can’t become a mage... I’ll convince mother to let me join the wall guard!

With that resolve forming, Urie noticed how dark it had grown. His mother’s earlier instruction—“Go home before dark”—echoed in his mind, giving him a metaphorical slap on the back of the head.

— Ah! I need to go home before mother gets upset... But... I’m curious...

Now freed from his gloomy thoughts, a strange tingling sensation prickled at Urie’s senses. His gaze drifted back to the young girl’s reflection in the fountain. Her red hair was striking, yet it conflicted with the sorrow that weighed her down.

— Who is this timid-looking girl?

Urie’s thoughts raced. No one in Daerin—or even beyond the Erden wall—possessed such red hair. Was she from another place? Was there a world beyond Daerin that he didn’t know of?

His curiosity spiked, a tuft of his ashen hair standing on end as he considered the possibility.

— An itch I have to scratch!

In an impulsive movement, he stretched out his hand toward the reflection. Was he losing his mind? Surely, it was just an illusion.

— What happens if I touch her?

Their fingers met. A single ripple spread across the water’s surface.

— An illusion, huh?

Urie chuckled bitterly, his heart still heavy. Nothing had changed.

— Time to wake Patty up...

He started to pull away, but then—a faint gasp echoed from the fountain.

“Wha—?”

His fingers, still submerged in the water, felt an odd pull as if something was drawing him in. The sensation spread up his arm, and before he could react, a splash hit his face, followed by a strange, gurgling sound. The world around him went silent, and then—cold.

— Something pulled me in! Was the fountain always this deep? My head should’ve hit the bottom by now! I can’t breathe! Will I drown here!?

Panic gripped him, and he thrashed in the water, but soon realized his struggle was futile. He could no longer hold his breath, yet, instead of sinking further, something strange happened. The water felt strangely calm—comforting, even.

— I... I can breathe?

The realization should have been comforting, but instead, it only deepened his confusion. Just as he started to process the bizarre situation, a sudden impact jolted him forward, and his head broke through the surface of the water.

“Hah! What... happened!?” He gasped for air, propping himself up with his hands and knees as the waterline barely reached his thighs.

He blinked and looked around. The scenery was all wrong.

— Something’s off.

The night sky appeared unnaturally dark, with no stars to illuminate it. The moon above seemed oddly distorted. The streetlamps, recently lit, now stood unlit. The bench—where Patty had been—was empty.

“Patty? Where are you!?” Urie’s voice cracked with panic. She was gone.

— What is happening? Is this still Daerin? Everything feels wrong.

His mind scrambled to make sense of everything, but beyond his attention there was something unsettling—a strange shadow was there beyond the fountain. It was an outline on the ground, lacking any tangible source, and appeared like a pitch-black puddle on the pavement.

Urie, caught in his thoughts, was oblivious to the danger. The being that was emerging from that shadow, slowly but surely, remained completely imperceptible to him. It was an unfortunate consequence of his unawakened mana seed and roots—without them, he couldn’t detect the malevolent creature drawing closer.

— The buildings don’t look right... Should I try to head home first?

Hesitant, Urie climbed out of the fountain, the cool water dripping from him. But as he did, the shadow saw its opportunity. Without warning, a dark, sinister force surged toward him, striking his chest with an unyielding pressure that took his breath away. He was paralyzed, unable to comprehend what was happening. He didn’t even realize he was in immediate danger—how could he defend himself?

As luck would have it, however...

[Bah—! How troublesome, Undine! This thing you have done!]

Urie wasn’t alone. Someone had come to his aid.