The sun cast its golden glow over the farm, painting the barley and wheat fields in hues of amber and gold. Beh the shade of a solitary tree, a boy rested his back against the sturdy trunk. His arms were tucked behind his head, and his eyes were shut—not in sleep, though. The warmth of the day mingled with the cool shadows, creating a tranquil moment as the gentle rustle of leaves harmonized with the distant hum of the wind brushing the crops.Suddenly, the light dimmed. The boy’s—Xaren’s—brow twitched, his eyes fluttering open to meet the silhouette of someoanding before him. His gaze adjusted, and there she was—a girl, short like him, her outline crisp, yet her facial features were blurred, as if they refused to e into focus.“What are you doing here, Ren?” She asked in a soft voice that carried a tone of curiosity, and Xaren responded in a ft tone. “Watg the field.”The girl didn’t seem satisfied with his answer. She crossed her arms, leaning closer as she said, “You were sleeping.”Xaren shook his head, sitting up straighter and stretg his arms before leaning back against the tree.“No, I wasn’t sleeping. If I was sleeping, I wouldn’t have known when you arrived. That’s proof enough.” Seeing how disied he was in tinuing the debate oher he was sleeping or not, the girl sighed and shook her head.“Seriously, Ren.” She plopped down beside him, crossing her legs and turning her gaze toward the glowing fields. The two sat in panionable silence for a moment, the serenity of the farm enveloping them. Then she spoke again, breaking the silence. “Hmm, I uand why you like to e here. This is a pretty good spot to sleep.” She spoke in a ptive tone and Xaren just rolled his eyes at her words.“Like I said, I wasn’t sleeping. Seriously, this girl...” Before she could respond to him, Xaren held up a fio shush her, his gaze fixed on the movemeected he edge of the field.A bird fluttered down to per a stalk of barley, and then it began peg it with its beak. Seeing this, Xaren reached for a stone from the bucket on his right side, tossed it up and caught it, before flinging it with practised precisiooruck the stem below the bird, startling it into flight. Surprised by the sight, the girl turo him and sensing her gaze, Xaren shrugged. “What? Didn’t I say I was watg the field? It’s to keep birds and animals from poking holes in our crops.” Seeming to finally believe him, the girl posed another curious question. “How many stones have you thrown today?” Again, Xaren shrugged as he responded. “I don’t keep t. I’ll pick them all up at the end of the day before I head back for dinner.” “So, you’re actually doing some work.” She spoke with a teasing tone and Xaren responded without a shift in his as he leaned back against the tree.“Of course, I’m doing work. And for the record, I like this kind of work. I’d do it forever if I could—it’s easy and peaceful.” As he said that, the girl stood up, brushing off her dress. “Forever, huh? That does sound nice.” “For once, we agree on something.” Xaren quipped, his expression ging into a small smile for the first time today.At the sight, the girl ughed softly, but her ughter quickly quieted as her voice took on a darker tone. “I’m not so sure about that.” Xaren frow the ge in her voice. “What do you mean?” She hesitated a bit before answering. “The adults were ag straoday. When I asked my dad about it, he wouldn’t tell me, but I saer in his room. It said there’s a war happening. A war with demons. And it’s getting serious.” Hearing her , Xaren scoffed and shook his head.“A war with demons? That’s for the soldiers to worry about. What’s more, It’s far from us, on another ti. It has nothing to do with us. The ces of us ever getting caught up in a war are zero.” Xaren spoke nontly as he stretched his legs forward and crossed them, his eyes remaining on the golden expanse of barely and wheat before him.“So, don’t worry about it. I’ll just sit here watg the fields like always. No wars for me. No wars for us.”The girl crouched down in front of him after he spoke, her distorted face tilting slightly as she reached out and ed her small hand around his own.Slowly, she iwiheir fingers.“Just in case. You know, I hear lits up families. Scatters people across distant nds. They lose their homes… and sometimes, they never find their way back to each other.”Xaren sighed after she spoke, rolling his eyes, but he didn’t pull his hand away. Her fiightened slightly around his, and she tinued, her tone shifting a bit.“So, I’m going to pce a spell on you, Ren. Just in case we ever get split up by something like that. No matter where you are, I’ll always be able to find you. Would you allow me to?”To her question, Xaren shook his head, letting out a small ugh, dismissive yet oddly fond. “Do whatever you want.But I told you, no wars for us. No fighting, no splitting up. I’m just going to sit here, watg the fields like always. That’s all there is to it.” The golden light of the fields stretched endlessly, the momeween them quiet, as though nothing could ever break it.“I certainly hope so,” the girl murmured, her voice full of hope.Xare out another long sigh aed himself for the third time. “Like I said, no wars for me, no wars for us.”The instant he said those words, the world seemed to crack like gss. Suddenly, images fshed before him—a kaleidoscope of memories, casg in rapid succession. Fields burned as smoke rose into the skies. Makeshift military training under harsh ands. The csh of ons and cries of battle. panions falling, their faces blurred yet unfettable. Drinks shared iing camaraderie, only for those same friends to be lost the day. Endless fighting, endless near-deaths, endless promotions bought with blood. A final battle, his body battered, his innards spilling out and his life slipping away amidst the chaos. And then—silence. ◇　◇　◇ “??!!”Xaren woke up with a start, his chest rising and falling rapidly as his disoriented gaze darted around the unfamiliar room. Rows of beds stretched out i lines, each dressed with crisp white linens. ets stocked with ly anized gss bottles aal instruments gleamed uhe soft ambient light and the faint st of aigered in the air. He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the lingering haze of his dream which he couldn’t seem to recall.Leaning forward, Xareed his forearms on his knees, his breathing gradually evening out.“Oh, you’re finally awake?”A voice broke the silence, ing from his right. Xaren turo see a face that had retly bee familiar staring back at him.Tanned-brown skin, deep obsidian eyes, and long white hair casg freely down her back, reag her waist. Unlike usual, it wasn’t tied up and instead draped loosely over her shoulders.“…Ilya?”“That’s my name.” She answered simply.Hearing her firmation, Xaren exhaled deeply, gng around the room before asking.“Where are we?”“No idea. I only woke up about 13 minutes and 42 seds ago.”The specificity of her answer made Xaren raise an eyebrow. “That’s… oddly precise.”Ilya simply nodded, raising a hand to gesture toward the space above his head. Following her dire, Xaren turo see a clock embedded in the wall. The sed hand was just pleting its 14th sweep sihe hour hand passed 1.“Oh…” Xaren muttered, staring at the clock for a moment before his gaze shifted to the dar o it. The date printed on it caught his attention, and his eyes widened in shock.“Year 9023?”Until now, Xaren hadn’t sidered what year it was—or whether the dar system he onew was still in use. Now, the date firmed both the year and its tinuity.‘It’s been 10, years…’Bad memories came rushing back. Memories of the fateful battle that ended his life.He remembered it vividly, perhaps because it had occurred on the very first day of the Year 9013.And now, this dar told him it was January 23, Year 9023.‘By my t, I’ve been alive in this new life for at least 20 days. I don’t know how long I was unscious, but if it was 3 days, then that means I was reborly 10 years after I died.’With that thought, Xaren exhaled deeply and shifted his focus back to Ilya, eared to be staring bnkly into the air.‘She’s probably cheg her status. I suppose I should do the same.’And that he did.