The room was empty. Nothing had happened.
Yet in Gwen's eyes, translucent figures appeared around her one by one.
They were all her friends—her imaginary friends.
"Hey, Gwen, here to play with us again?" A pure white horse spoke as it rubbed its face against her cheek. Its white mane rippled like ocean waves, and a pair of wings beneath its ribs were covered in fluffy feathers.
"Hmph, she only summons us when she's in trouble." The girl beside it crossed her arms and snorted.
The girl looked almost exactly like Gwen, except she was much taller. Her long white hair fell to her waist, her figure was perfect, and her features were cold and sharp. She wore a suit of silver-white armor and carried a longsword.
Like a glacier quietly burning.
This was the grown-up version of herself from Gwen's imagination.
A group of children nearby laughed and played noisily.
"Wow, little Gwen, don't say that. Can't I just miss you guys?" Gwen put on an exaggeratedly heartbroken expression, as though tears would spill from her eyes the next second. Yet her eyes were full of happiness and contentment.
Gwen was very happy to have so many friends by her side.
At first, these imaginary friends had existed only in her imagination: adorable pets, her cool grown-up self, and little companions who would come whenever she called and always play with her.
Whenever she was lonely, in pain, or so hungry that she felt faint, she imagined having a group of friends who cared about her, helped her, and did the things she wanted to do but did not dare to.
She knew perfectly well that they were imaginary, yet she could not stop herself from sinking into that fantasy.
But after forming the connection, everything had changed.
[Captain]'s