(The flashback continued)

"...Are you crying?"

Alicia's tears flowed uncontrollably like a river dam. The boy hid and flinched, unsure what to do and at a loss because he hadn't seen a woman cry since birth.

"Do not cry!" People will believe that I made you cry. Hey, don't cry... okay?"

The boy grinded his teeth after failing to calm the troubled Alicia.

"All right, I got it! I'm going to save the bird!"

The boy dashed to the big tree and climbed its trunk in one swift motion. The mother cat was about to pounce on the bird, its mouth wide open. The boy jumped over the thick branch without hesitation, judging that he was running out of time.

Chirp, chirp, chirp!

Swoosh!

“Ahhhh!”

Boom!

At that moment, various sounds mingled with harmonious sounds that filled the entire garden.

Alicia came running up, stunned, to see the boy fall to the ground.

"Do you feel okay?"

The boy made an uneasy face and groaned softly. The small, little bird was in his hand, and the mother cat, terrified, fled. The little bird flew up into the blue sky as soon as the boy opened his hand, flapping its wings joyfully.

“Ah…”

Alicia's eyes widened.

The boy's voice came from below, while he was distracted by the bird, which had now become a small dot.

“What? I put my precious body in danger for you, and you don't care?"

Only then did Alicia turn to face the irritated boy.

"I apologize. Are you in pain?"

“Nope.”

He said bluntly as he stood up with Alicia's assistance.

Alicia gave him a worried look.

Fortunately, as he mentioned, he did not sustain any injuries other than his torn and filthy clothing.

His face was covered in black soil, so Alicia wiped it away with her hand. The boy's purple eyes widened briefly before closing.

"What is your name...?"

"Did you see it?" Alicia asked, excitedly.

“What?” The boy was confused.

"I recognize that bird."

"Which bird?"

"It was Ataraxia!"

Ataraxia was a mythical bird that only appeared in myths. The same thing happened in Coulson. They, too, had a mythical bird named Myastra. Myastra was a half-god, half-human who lived between the human and divine realms. It was no different than any other bird in the human world.

Because mythical birds were frequently threatened, they would grant the person who saved their lives one wish.

"You know, when the bird flew into the sky, it grew so large that it sparked brightly. "I clearly saw it!"

"I see... wow, that's incredible." So I saw something fantastic."

The boy was about to say something, but he quickly shut his mouth and sighed. Despite what he said, it was clear from his expression that he wasn't the least bit surprised, but Alicia didn't care. His response made her feel honored.

"You have that wish."

“Hmm?”

Alicia looked around and quickly found what she was looking for: a small yellow feather that had fallen to the floor. She handed it to the boy.

"You saved the life of the bird. With this, make a wish."

Without saying anything, the boy picked up the yellow feather.

The tip of his lips raised slightly.