Chapter 63 : Good Night, Sweet Dreams

No, another nightmare.

In the dream, Stacy was on top of her, her hands transformed into tentacles, coiling around her body.

As she struggled, lightning burst from her, striking Stacy. For the first time, it turned her to ash, scattering her in the wind.

So, it was only in dreams that she could defeat her?

But the next moment, the ash in her hands reformed into Stacy, pinning her down again. Not just one, but countless Stacys rose from the scattered ash, surrounding her.

They all rushed at her. Milly frantically unleashed her lightning, turning them to ash. But the wind only spread the ash, creating more and more Stacys.

In the end, she was swallowed by the tide, dragged into an endless abyss…

“Hah!”

Milly shot up in bed, the familiar ceiling above her.

Another nightmare. Two nights in a row.

After her breathing calmed, Milly decided to get up and look at the night sky to clear her head. As she was about to get out of bed, she noticed someone beside her.

“Awake?”

Tifna stopped humming the lullaby and took a handkerchief from her pocket, gently wiping the sweat from Milly’s forehead. “You were talking in your sleep just now, quite loudly.”

“Did I wake you? I’m sorry…”

“No, I was passing by your door and heard you.”

After drying her forehead, Tifna gently helped Milly lie back down, as if comforting a child.

“Can you tell me about that person? You always call out that name in your dreams.”

She knew who Tifna was talking about, but the words were stuck in her throat. It was as if she was cursed; she could say the name, but nothing else.

“It’s okay if you can’t talk about it. I’ve asked the Saintess for help. With her connections, she might be able to find that person.”

Feeling the warmth of Tifna’s hand, Milly might have believed her if it weren’t for what had happened this morning.

Tifna had done so much for her, but she couldn’t tell her the truth. She could only force a smile. “Okay.”

Was her smile too forced? Tifna suddenly ruffled her hair. “Close your eyes.”

Not knowing what she was planning, Milly trusted her and slowly closed her eyes. In the darkness, she heard Tifna humming a lullaby, her voice gentle and low.

The lullaby was short. When it ended, Tifna didn’t continue. A hint of fatigue mixed with the gentleness in her eyes.

“When I was little and couldn’t sleep, my brother would always try to sing my mother’s lullaby, but he was always off-key. It was terrible.” She mumbled, a faint smile appearing on her face as she remembered those days.

“But even though it was terrible, it always made me feel safe.”

The smile faded, replaced by a shadow of grief.

“I’m sorry, I’m rambling.” She composed herself and straightened Milly’s messy nightgown.

“It’s okay. And thank you for the lullaby.”

Tifna’s hand seemed to tremble for a moment, but then the lullaby began again.

Her hand was so warm. Accompanied by the melody, the tension from the nightmare slowly melted away, and Milly drifted off to sleep.

Once she was sure Milly was asleep, Tifna gently released her hand and tucked her in. Looking at the sleeping white-haired girl, a tender smile appeared on her lips.

“Good night, Milly. Sweet dreams.”

…

A dreamless night.

Milly rubbed her sleepy eyes as she sat up. The lullaby had helped her sleep well, but she hadn’t woken up naturally. She had faintly heard a noise from outside.

She opened the window and looked down into the backyard. It was just before dawn, the morning mist still lingering.

She found the source of the noise. Tifna was in the yard, practicing with her wooden sword.

“So early?”

She got dressed and went downstairs. The back of Tifna’s shirt was soaked with sweat. Her sword moved so fast, it was a blur. A few broken wooden swords lay on the grass. Had she been practicing all night after singing her to sleep?

Hearing the noise, Tifna slowly stopped. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, I woke up on my own. I was just getting some air and heard you.” Milly went to the sword rack and picked up a wooden sword. “You’ve been practicing all night?”

After a moment of silence, Tifna murmured to herself, “I’m still so far from my brother. If I can’t surpass him, I’ll never be able to avenge him.”

She was about to resume her training when Milly stepped in front of her.

“It’s no fun to practice alone. You promised to teach me,” she said, gripping the wooden sword and taking a stance. “And sparring is a better way to find your weaknesses, right?”

Milly knew that Tifna didn’t really need a training partner right now. She needed company, just like her brother used to be there for her.

Tifna was taken aback for a moment, then took a fighting stance as well.

“Milly, can I ask you for a favor?”

“If I can do it.”

Tifna struck quickly, and Milly instinctively blocked.

“I want you to use that breathing technique.”

She didn’t understand why she had to use it from the start, but since she needed to practice it anyway, Milly nodded and began to regulate her breathing.

The two wooden swords clashed in the air, the crisp sound echoing in the yard.

Milly’s figure gradually overlapped with the memory of her brother. Only now, through Milly’s movements, could she see her brother’s form again. It was so similar, as if he were standing right in front of her, sparring with her once more.

Please forgive her for this selfish request.

With Milly recreating his moves, she finally had another chance to face them.

The impending thrust—she had failed against this move countless times. Now, she had to overcome it. Only then would she have a chance to avenge her brother.

This time, Tifna met the attack head-on, just like in the old days.

But her sword wasn’t knocked out of her hand. She looked back. Milly was on the ground, her wooden sword broken in two.

She had done it. But she also knew that Milly only had the moves, not the strength or speed. Still, it was a step forward.

She threw down her sword and helped Milly up. “I’m sorry, I might have been too eager.”

“It’s okay. That’s what sparring is for.”

Milly brushed herself off and went to get a new sword. Looking at her small figure, a soft “thank you” escaped Tifna’s lips.

Her brother’s death had plunged her into a darkness she couldn’t escape. She thought she would never recover. But then, she met Milly. She didn’t know why, but Milly’s presence had eased her pain, giving her a chance to step out of the shadows.