* * *
Camille led me to a basin that resembled a volcanic crater.
Standing at the center, she spread her palm downward and recited an incantation.
Stones began to gather from all directions, forming an arch-shaped gate.
Its humble appearance made me skeptical.
“This is really the entrance to the Netherworld?”
“Yes.”
Camille’s curt reply was followed by her rummaging through her pockets.
She suddenly thrust something toward me.
A golden stone—the fourth of Maya’s stones—gleamed in her hand.
Surprised at how easily she handed it over, I took it hesitantly.
Camille spoke impassively.
“You came for that in the first place, didn’t you?”
“I thought you wouldn’t want to part with something of Maya’s.”
“Of course, I don’t want to give it to you. Nor do I want to send you to the Netherworld.”
Startled by the chill in her voice, I looked up.
Camille’s gaze softened as she chuckled.
“But…”
“…”
“Mephisto pisses me off, too.”
Her unexpected answer left me speechless.
How had I not realized it before?
Camille could never forgive Mephisto, who had taken Maya, the one she loved.
A sudden thought crossed my mind, and I voiced it without hesitation.
“Wait. When you said I resembled Maya, was that just an excuse?”
“Sorry. I lied to you once before. In the countless futures I foresaw, there was only one… only one where a boy named Jean defeated Mephisto. That slim hope is what I’ve staked everything on.”
Out of millions of failures, one fleeting success—a miracle.
Camille cupped my trembling face in her hands, offering a rare, gentle smile.
Her warmth made me lower my gaze, ashamed of how frightened I felt now that the moment had come.
“I’m afraid I’ll ruin everything.”
“No. You can do this.”
“…”
“Please, take that stone and avenge Maya for me.”
Camille’s voice was heavy with desperation, stripped of her usual divine authority.
In that moment, she was not a venerable deity but a vulnerable woman in love.
Covering her trembling hands with mine, I nodded.
“I will.”
“…”
“I’ll destroy Mephisto.”
Steeling myself, I offered her a faint smile and turned without hesitation toward the gate.
Just as I was about to open the door, Camille spoke cryptically.
“You really do attract peculiar beings.”
“What?”
“There’s something strange clinging to you. Haven’t you noticed?”
Confused, I glanced around but saw nothing.
Camille seemed about to explain further but closed her mouth, her tone turning stern.
“Jean, just remember one thing. Don’t let the darkness consume you. No matter what.”
As I passed through the gate, the first thing that greeted me was an unnatural and suffocating darkness.
Camille’s warning about the darkness finally made sense.
On my shoulder, Ber whispered urgently.
“There’s a light ahead. Let’s follow it.”
Guided by Ber’s words, I walked toward the faint glow.
As my eyes adjusted, the shapes of slumbering dragons came into focus—curled up in the shadows, as if dead.
These were dragons that, like Ber, had sought the Netherworld Tree but had been unable to find it.
Trapped here, unable to die.
Ber, staring solemnly at the scene, spoke in a low voice.
“They couldn’t find the strength to locate the tree and were too long-lived to die. Now they’re trapped here forever, neither alive nor dead. That’s the fate of most dragons who enter the Netherworld.”
“It’s heartbreaking. So tragic.”
“If I hadn’t met you… I’d have ended up just like them. Neither living nor dying, enduring eternity.”
For once, Ber’s serious expression underscored the gravity of the situation.
I stroked his nose gently, grounding myself.
Then Ber suddenly pricked up his ears.
“Wait. That sound…”
“What?”
“Master, behind you!”
Ber’s panicked cry made me turn, and I saw one of the slumbering dragons lunging at me.
Just before its massive claws could tear into me, Ber shifted into his dragon form and used his tail to push me aside.
As I was flung backward, the two dragons roared and clashed, their confrontation shaking the Netherworld itself.
Krra!
The shrill cry of a dragon pierced the air—an ominous sound that seemed to wake the other dragons, and they all turned their aggression toward Ber.
Even someone as formidable as Ber seemed powerless against the horde that descended upon him.
The savage dragons bit and tore at his wings and legs, leaving his breathing increasingly labored.
I realized things couldn’t continue this way and shouted a command.
“Ber, return to your baby dragon form! Right now!”
At my words, Ber swiftly transformed back into his smaller, infant form.
Bloodied and battered, I scooped him into my arms and ran toward the light without looking back.
The cries of the pursuing dragons echoed menacingly behind me.
“Just a bit further! Faster!”
As a furious dragon lunged to snatch me, I threw myself toward the light.
The moment we crossed the threshold, the space we had just escaped from slammed shut with an earth-shaking crash.
Gasping for breath, I glanced around.
Thankfully, the place we’d reached was not shrouded in darkness but enveloped in a misty forest.
The trees, with their eerie purple hues, gave the area an unsettling feel, but at least no rampaging dragons were in sight.
“Ber! Ber, are you okay?”
Finally feeling safe, I checked Ber’s condition.
His small form was mangled from the dragons’ attacks, and he looked alarmingly weak.
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open.
“Ouch… How humiliating. The great Bermut, laid low by those wretched corpses… It was just their numbers. Cowardly bastards…”
Ber managed a few strained words before his eyes shut again.
His blood, soaking through my shirt, made my head spin.
Panicking, I called his name with a trembling voice.
“Ber.”
“…”
“Ber!”
I pinched his cheek hard in desperation.
His eyes flew open, and he jerked upright, shouting.
“Ow! Ow! Use your words, damn it!”
Seeing his over-the-top reaction, I realized it was a feint.
Relief made my voice waver as I yelled at him.
“Why—why did you play dead? I thought you were really…”
“…”
“I thought you were really gone…”
My voice broke, and I hung my head.
The absurdity of it struck me even as I spoke.
After all, Ber had come here to die.
Whether buried by the Netherwood or torn apart by the dragons, what difference did it make?
I’d planned to let him go with a smile, but now that we were in the Underworld, my heart was breaking.
I rubbed my stinging eyes and lashed out.
“Are you happy now? You finally get to be free of the master who worked you to the bone. I bet you’re thrilled to death! This was your wish all along, wasn’t it? To die. Leaving me behind probably means nothing to you.”
“…”
“Well, it matters to me. I never said anything because I didn’t want to be a burden, but… I hate that you’re leaving. I wanted to keep living happily with you. Together.”
Unable to hold it in anymore, I poured out my true feelings.
Our contract had been clear from the start—I was to bring him to the Netherwood.
I knew we’d part ways eventually. But knowing didn’t make it hurt any less.
As I wiped at my tearful eyes, Ber limped toward me and gently tapped my cheek with his small paw.
“I—uh—I don’t actually have to die, you know. I mentioned it before. If you want, I’m fine staying like this and continuing to have fun together.”
“But if I die, you’ll be left all alone again!”
“…”
“Left alone… to keep missing me forever.”
Compared to a dragon’s lifespan, humans lived in the blink of an eye.
Ber had already said goodbye to countless masters and endured the grief alone.
I didn’t want to burden him with that sorrow again.
No matter how hard or painful it was, I wanted to let him go first.
“That’s why I’ll set you free.”
Ber’s bloodied eyes trembled.
Holding his quiet form close, I stood again, wiping my reddened eyes and sniffing.
“I won’t hold you back out of selfishness.”
With that, I pressed on.
Who knew how far we walked?
The purple-leafed trees gradually thinned.
While scanning the surroundings, something familiar caught my eye—a pink petal landed softly on Ber’s nose.
The petal stirred a memory, and I narrowed my eyes.
“This petal… it’s from…”
Following the trail, I pushed through the thicket.
On the other side, an enormous cherry blossom tree stood in full bloom.
The petals danced in the wind like a beautiful pink snowstorm.
Ber wobbled out of my arms, approaching the tree.
“No way… Could this be?”
“Yes. This is the Netherwood I’ve been searching for.”
Ber reverted to his true form, coiling beneath the massive tree.
Petals began to fall gently onto his body.
I instinctively knew that once his form was fully covered, it would be time to say goodbye.
With a reluctant step, I approached at his beckoning.
My tear-streaked face must have looked pitiful because Ber cracked a joke.
“Where’s the cool composure from earlier when you said you’d let me go?”
“…”
“Don’t be sad. Believe it or not, dragons who’ve lived through their trials are reborn as humans in their next life. Who knows? We might meet again.”
I wanted to brush away the petals already covering him, but I couldn’t.
Tears streamed down my face as Ber nudged his snout against my forehead.
“If we meet again, I’d like to go on another adventure with you. I think I’d do a better job next time. Always arrogant, always stubborn, yet you embraced me with warmth and kindness. Thank you, Master.”
For once, Ber’s mischievous eyes softened with genuine affection.
Stroking his snout, I suppressed my tears and mustered a cheerful tone.
“Fine. Next time, you won’t be my servant. I’ll make you my friend.”
“Truly? Do I deserve such an honor?”
“Yeah.”
Ber looked stunned for a moment before breaking into a wide grin.
The last petal landed softly on his snout.
Before it fully enveloped him, he exclaimed with a joyous laugh.
“This Bermut is happier than if I’d won every gamble in the world!”
As the petals consumed his form, they exploded outward in a flurry.
Ber was gone. I stood frozen, staring at the empty space where he’d been.
“Ber…?”
No response.
No matter how many times I called his name, the only sound was the wind rustling the petals.
Blinking through my tears, something sparkled amidst the blossoms.
Stumbling forward, I picked up the one thing Ber had left behind—the Maya stone.
“The last one…”
With it, the five Sacred Beasts’ stones were complete: Parak, Belges, Oberon, Camille, and Bermut.
As the stones combined, the pocket watch around my neck shimmered with radiant, multicolored light.
It signified I could now wield the power of Maya’s Miracle to save Jerome from Mephisto.
“I can’t stop now, no matter how much it hurts.”
Clutching the pocket watch, I turned my back on the cherry blossom tree and forced my trembling legs to move.
Each step away from the tree made the sorrow grow heavier.
But I pressed forward, swallowing my grief.
“I’m going to make a miracle happen.”
* * *
Ber!!! 😭 Be happy wherever you are!!! 🥹