"Listen, Mira. Let's play hide-and-seek, all right?"
No.
Her face was covered in tears as she shook her head desperately.
No.
She didn't want to play hide-and-seek.
"Go hide in the woods, Mira. Hide well. The farther away, the better. Don't let Mommy find you. Don't let anyone find you... Count to one hundred. No, count to one thousand..."
No.
She wouldn't count.
She bit her lower lip aggrievedly.
She didn't know how to count to one thousand.
She didn't want to count to one thousand.
Not at all.
"Then, then Mommy will come find you... Mommy promises, Mira. Let's hook fingers... Don't be afraid, Mira. Mommy will definitely come find you... Definitely..."
No.
Mommy had lied.
Promises from Mommy didn't count.
After counting ten hundreds, Mommy still hadn't come to find her.
She hadn't.
She never had.
Because...
Beneath the frozen sky and snow-covered earth, she trembled as she opened her mouth and drew in a breath of air that chilled her to the marrow.
Because...
Because on that day...
She had been the one to find Mommy first.
"Ahhhhhhh—"
A violent pain struck, forcing the dazed Miranda's eyes wide open as she cried out.
Where—where was she?
Where?
"Ah..."
The power of the Pegasus Movement crawled sluggishly through her body, easing her panic.
Miranda endured the pain and gulped in air, staring blankly at the foul water beneath her.
Right.
She was here.
She was still kneeling in the drainage ditch.
In Emerald City's ghoul tunnels.
Not in that snow-covered forest from her nightmare.
Fortunately.
Miranda panted, unable to keep herself from sighing in relief.
Fortunately.
The female swordswoman laboriously turned her head and found the savior who had dragged her out of her nightmare and called her back to reality:
That strangely curved Back Curved Blade.
At