Little Pink Starfish

“…Unlike Sha Amon, I have nothing special. I’m just someone who, by luck, was chosen from a young age to live in this Grand Temple.”

“Well.”

Gwen only smiled, neither denying nor affirming Nyne’s words. Nyne, unlike with others, found it satisfying that Gwen had no interest in Amon—but at the same time, felt slightly disappointed by the suggestion that he himself was only an object of research.

“Lan Gwen.”

Nyne sighed while slowly stroking the lizard’s head with his index finger and called Gwen’s name.

“Even if you flatter me, it’s no use. My belief still hasn’t changed—that if you don’t want to die, it’s best for you to walk away from the Lotus Pavilion on your own two feet.”

“Sha Nyne, I always understand well what it is you worry about.”

Gwen knelt before Nyne. He gently clasped the hand that had been stroking the lizard and said resolutely,

“Don’t worry. I’m capable of protecting myself. Even if Priest Iyu and Seinka Hoan attacked me together, they wouldn’t be able to kill me. Not even if dozens of other priests joined in.”

At those words, a deep sense of relief surged through Nyne. He hoped, truly, that Gwen wasn’t bluffing. Nyne looked at him with wavering eyes, then sighed again. The image of Lu entering the Lotus Pavilion hovered in his mind. Ever since then, sleep had eluded him.

“If that’s a lie, I won’t forgive you.”

On edge, his words came out like sharp blades—and Nyne inwardly clicked his tongue at himself. He had wanted to build a friendly relationship with Gwen. As he struggled to smooth over his words, Gwen softly said,

“…It’s been hard, hasn’t it?”

That made Nyne’s breath catch. He met Gwen’s gentle pink eyes. Suddenly, a heavy lump welled up in his throat, and he quickly blinked.

“In other continents, there’s a story like this. In a country of one-eyed people, the person with two eyes becomes the strange one.”

Gwen’s calm voice was soft and beautiful, like it was made of feathers or silk. Just hearing it seemed to soothe Nyne’s sharpened mind.

“You’re not strange or wrong. What’s abnormal are the things done by the people of this domain, and this Grand Temple. You are the only sane one—so of course it’s painful.”

Words he had never once heard in the Grand Temple made Nyne’s eyes tremble. In this sacred land—Trastasa’s holiest place—within this bizarre space with no watching priests, he was, for the first time, truly comforted. Gwen’s hand, holding his, was impossibly warm and soft.

“People are destined to die someday… but I don’t think that means we should throw away a living life for no reason. Especially if the reason comes from a being that isn’t even human.”

Nyne’s heart responded first to the words he had so desperately wanted to hear. As tears threatened to fall, he tightly shut his eyes, trying to steady his breathing and held Gwen’s hand in return. When he finally opened his eyes again, his face bore an unfamiliar expression—even to himself.

“If you want a reward—anything—you can ask for it. Just… would you look after Lu a bit? He’s reckless in word and deed, and doesn’t think things through, but he’s not bad by nature.”

Nyne was worried whether Lu, who had grown up spoiled by his favor, could survive in the Lotus Pavilion. He still felt guilty about how harshly he had treated him last time. Though he asked Gwen earnestly, Nyne bit his lip with embarrassment—Lu had never once treated Gwen kindly. Thankfully, Gwen smiled brightly and answered,

“Don’t worry. I can manage a foolish child.”

“…Good.”

Just a short conversation—just a few words—yet Nyne felt an odd mix of joy and sorrow. When he smiled back, Gwen’s eyes trembled. He had been staring intently at Nyne, but suddenly stood with an oddly hurried movement.

“Shall I bring you a sweet drink? Since you’ll need to sleep right away once you return, I’ll prepare something warm.”

Without waiting for an answer, Gwen rummaged through a large metal cabinet in the corner of the lab. Nyne was quietly surprised at how even more chaotic the inside was than the rest of the lab. Gwen practically climbed inside, pulling out all sorts of objects. Meanwhile, Nyne petted the blinking lizard on his lap and looked around.

Softly chiming bells, transparent glass orbs floating in the air, an unknown creature shifting within a long cylindrical tank—Nyne marveled at all of it. But then, something caught his eye.

“What’s that?”

“What do you mean?”

Even though he’d only murmured, Gwen somehow heard him and shouted from inside the cabinet. Soon he emerged, cradling a small, shabby envelope as if it were precious. As he poured black powder, sugar, and milk into a cup and stirred it with a rattling sound, Nyne looked at the object sticking out from under the table.

He nudged it out with his toe—an object slightly smaller than his hand. A figurine, or rather, a doll—with a very strange appearance.

It was hard, but neither stone nor wood—far too light for that. The doll resembled a person in angular armor, painted finely in white, blue, and black. Nyne realized it looked like the “dolls” the holy priests once showed him—but this was more beautiful, more refined.

“Ah!”

Gwen beamed as he approached, holding a strange dark-brown drink.

“I was wondering where it had gone. I couldn’t find it anywhere…”

He handed Nyne the warm drink and took back the dusty figurine. Nyne skeptically examined the unfamiliar beverage. It smelled sweet and strange. He cautiously took a sip—his eyes widened. A deep, sweet, and savory flavor filled his mouth.

“You found something precious of mine. Thank you.”

Gwen blew the dust away and wiped it with his robe’s hem. With just a few swipes, the figurine gleamed—it must’ve been enchanted cloth.

“Is that a golem?”

“Ah, it’s not grand enough to be called a golem. Just a plastic model… I mean, a small figurine. I think it fell when I was reorganizing the display case recently.”

The way he looked at and handled the figurine was full of affection. Of course—with such a fine figurine, it must’ve been expensive and required great care.

“It’s something from a world that can no longer be seen. I made it from memory, so it’s a bit different from the original, but the reproduction is quite good…”

His hand paused as it brushed over the figurine’s head.

“…The horn is missing.”

Gwen’s voice was calm, but the corners of his eyes trembled slightly. The lizard that had found the figurine earlier scurried back under the table, only to emerge dusty and sneeze. With a mildly sullen look, Gwen placed the figurine where it could be seen.

“Does the drink suit your taste?”

“It’s… alright.”

Nyne answered stiffly, then wondered if he’d sounded too cold and shut his mouth, looking down at the drink. His meals weren’t limited to Trastasa’s cuisine—priests often brought in chefs from across the continent to cure the Sha’s boredom. Yet even he had never tasted this drink before.

“What is this?”

“It’s a beverage made from processed tree fruit. It’s called cocoa. Very popular in other continents.”

The drink had pleased him—Nyne muttered “Coco…” while fiddling with the cup. Gwen suddenly inhaled a short breath. Concerned, Nyne glanced at him.

“Did you inhale dust or something?”

“No, not that… Coco, that’s a nice name too.”

“I like Coco. But whatever—this place could still use a bit of cleaning.”

“Yes…”

Gwen obediently replied and brought over a plate of cookies. They crumbled softly, rich and delicate. Nyne quietly sipped the warm, sweet drink and savored the peaceful, comforting time. Then he looked up at the great spheres and thought:

“…I think I’ll want to come back here again.”