Another day, another person who needs a theraphy, and me

   The park was quiet at night. A soft breeze stirred the leaves, carrying with it the faint scent of flowers that had long since closed their petals for the evening. Lanterns lined the gravel paths, their glow gentle and warm, casting long shadows across the benches and trees.

   Lilith sat slouched on one of those benches, her crimson eyes clouded with frustration. Her hands gripped the hem of her cloak, knuckles pale in the moonlight.

   “Grandpa, you idiot,” she muttered under her breath, her voice raw.

   “So this is where you end up when you get into an argument?”

   "Kyaa!" she jumped nearly a foot off the bench. “D-don’t sneak up on me like that!”

   “My bad.” 

   I raised my hands lightly in apology, though the crooked smile tugging at my lips betrayed the fact that I wasn’t sorry in the slightest. 

   I sat down beside her, the bench creaking softly under our combined weight. For a while, neither of us spoke. The sounds of the park filled the silence—leaves rustling, the faint chirping of crickets, the occasional ripple of water from the fountain nearby.

   “…Did Grandpa send you here to drag me back?” 

   Finally, Lilith broke the silence. I shook my head. 

   “No. Zephyra asked me to come after you.” I leaned back slightly, eyes on the stars peeking between tree branches. “But I never said I’d bring you back.”

   “…I see.” Her head tilted slightly, her expression easing. 

   For a moment she looked conflicted, caught between relief and frustration. I studied her quietly, then spoke.

   “You know… a little over two months ago, I had a similar argument with Zephyra.”

   Her eyes flicked toward me. “With Aunt Zephyra?”

   “Yeah.” I nodded. “She hid something from me. I got pissed, stormed out, and left the house—just like you did.”

   Lilith leaned in slightly, listening.

   “But well... there’s a small difference. You came here, to a park in the middle of the city.” I gave a humorless chuckle. “When, I had to spent the night in the forest, with nothing but trees and wild animals around. And to make it even worse, when I woke up… I was in a cage, captured by bandits like a wild animal.” 

   “…I don’t know what to say... My condolences.”

   “Thanks.” I stretched my arms, forcing a lighter tone. “It all worked out in the end, so it’s in the past now. Which means—” I turned to her, eyes narrowing. “Now it’s your turn. What’s your story?”

   Lilith hesitated. Her shoulders tensed, and her gaze drifted to the ground.

   Seeing that, I added quickly, “If you don’t want to talk, fine. I’ll do the talking instead.”

   Her eyes flicked back to me, puzzled.

   “I’ve been thinking about something for a while.” I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. “That time in the slums—you broke my teleportation spell. Just shattered it like it was nothing. I was thinking, how did you do that?”

   She stiffened, her fingers curling tightly around her cloak.

   Interruption of a spell is not hard. You just need to write the same magical circle on the one that is being casted, but in reverse. The teleportation spells are simple in structure. Basic enough that they’re widely known—though very few people can actually use them, since the mana cost is ridiculous. But that simplicity makes them flexible. The formula can be rewritten in countless ways and still give the same result. That's why knowing the structure of a particular teleportation spell is not a simple task, which makes breaking it practically impossible. Unless…

   “…You have Sacred Eyes, aren't you?”

   The sharp intake of her breath confirmed it before she even spoke.

   “So I was right,” I said quietly.

   Sacred Eyes—rare genetical mutation, that not only allows the user to freely analyze and disrupt the creation of a spell, but also possess a hidden ability. It is said that there are as many kinds of Sacred Eyes as the users, each one with different power.

   Lilith let out a long sigh, resignation settling over her like a heavy cloak. 

   “At this point… there’s no use hiding it anymore.”

   She lifted her gaze to meet mine. Her voice was steady, though tinged with vulnerability.
“I possess the Mystical Eyes of Prophecy. With them, I can see visions of the future—glimpses of what I need to do to achieve my goals.”

   As she spoke, her irises shifted. For just a fleeting moment, her crimson eyes bloomed into a soft pink, shimmering like the petals of a sakura tree. Then, just as quickly, they returned to normal.

   “…That’s why you were following us that day,” I concluded. “You used your eyes to guide you, to find the solution for your current problems with the Silverbane family.”

   “Yes. I had a vision that day… where I saw you and the others, in that park. That’s why I came.”

   “I see.” 

   I mulled it over, thoughts racing. A power that showed her the paths toward her goals… Invaluable. But dangerous. Too dangerous. People would kill to possess an ability like that.

   “How many people know?” I asked.

   “…Only my parents. And Grandpa Rex.”

   I leaned back, exhaling slowly. “That explains a lot. No wonder Rex is so overprotective.” I looked at her, my tone sharpening. “But if possible, I’d rather hear the whole story from you.”

   Lilith hesitated, chewing her lip. For a long moment, silence stretched between us again. Finally, she nodded.

   “…Alright. I owe you that much. After all, I dragged you and the others into our personal mess.”

   Her gaze dropped to her hands, clenched tightly together. When she spoke again, her voice carried a faint tremble, as if touching a wound long scarred but never healed.

   “It all started when I was five years old…”