Age: 7 years
"Kylia... Kylia... Kylia!!" Del called out to Kylia, who was sitting in the middle of the garden lost in thought. However, Kylia didn't seem to hear him and remained motionless like a statue.
Del slowly approached her, but even the sound of his footsteps couldn't awaken Kylia from her reverie. Del gently shook Kylia's shoulder until she turned to face him.
Kylia was wearing a mask while outside her room, but Del could still see her golden eyes turning red. Without needing to know why, Del hugged Kylia tightly and stroked her back. By placing Kylia's ear to his chest, Del wanted to let her know that he was there with the sound of his heartbeat.
"Del?" Kylia's voice still sounded distant, indicating that she wasn't fully awake.
"It's okay... It's just a dream... I'm here my fate... I'm here... you are safe... I'm here... I will always be with you my fate!" Del repeated those words over and over again, trying to call Kylia back to consciousness.
Del could feel Kylia's soul fluctuating and become stronger. This was a sign that Kylia was still in the world of dreams. Del didn't know what was happening in Kylia's dream, but he knew that Kylia's previous life had been filled with suffering and fear.
By sucking K's nutrition from Del's body, Kylia became stronger day by day. Her Sacred Seed was growing and almost ready to sprout. With that, her soul, which had been trapped due to Kylia's weak body, began to show signs of rapid adaptation.
As a result, for the past few months, Kylia not only dreamed while she slept but also when her mind was relaxed. It was as if something was controlling her body, and Kylia would always walk alone in an unconscious state. Her eyes were empty, and sometimes tears would start streaming down her face.
Despite that, Kylia couldn't remember the details of her dreams. She only felt emotions, pain, and fear. As a result, when she woke up, Kylia would feel very confused, followed by an overwhelming sense of fear.
Luckily Del is always by her side, accompanying Kylia in this terrifying process. However, sometimes there are times when Del cannot be by Kylia's side, like when she is taking a bath or changing clothes. Actually, Del has tried to stay by Kylia's side every second, but Chika firmly forbids Del from doing so.
Somehow Chika managed to convince Kylia not to let Del bathe with her or see her change clothes. As a result, Del could only follow the will of the two women after Kylia firmly prohibited him.
"It's okay... It's just a dream... I'm here, my fate... I'm here... you are safe... I'm here... I will always be with you, my fate!" Del repeated those words.
Continuously hugging and rubbing Kylia's back, whispering the same words and bringing Kylia's ear closer to hear his heartbeat. Several minutes later, consciousness returned to Kylia's golden eyes.
The first reaction she felt was confusion. Kylia didn't know where she was and what had just happened to her. But before fear came, Kylia felt the warmth of Del's embrace and the comfort of his heartbeat.
Kylia didn't scream hysterically like before. She hugged Del tightly and took a deep breath of his scent. Tears fell from her closed eyes, but a beautiful smile was carved on her face.
"Del... Thank you," Kylia whispered.
"Anytime, my fate," Del replied.
They continued to hug tightly for several minutes until Kylia woke up and separated herself from Del. Although her body was still trembling with the fear and pain that had not yet disappeared, Kylia tried to smile.
"I am fine," she said softly. Although her face was covered by a mask, Kylia knew that Del could see her smile.
Del didn't answer, only gently stroking Kylia's masked cheek. Kylia could read the clear concern in Del's eyes. Although her face was smiling, Kylia knew she couldn't hide her true feelings from Del.
Sometimes their connected feelings became a problem for Kylia. She desperately wanted to hide the pain and fear but couldn't do so. She didn't want to see Del worried; she wanted Del to always be someone who was arrogant, brave, and full of confidence.
Kylia knew that Del was someone who wouldn't budge even if he were skinned alive. Even so, he looked so worried as if he wanted to cry when he saw Kylia in pain. Kylia hated Del's worried look, which made her hate herself even more for being weak.
"I'm really okay... please..." Kylia pleaded.
A smile formed on Del's face, and he became the person Kylia wanted him to be again.
"This time you walk into the garden," he said, looking at the flowers around them.
"hmm.." Kylia nodded.
The flower garden around them was very vast with various flowers growing in it. It was a shame that a place with the name Flower Garden didn't have a large flower garden in it.
Del pointed to a flower and asked, "Do you know what flower this is?"
Kylia looked at the heart-shaped flower with pink and white colors that stood out from the long stem that hung down.
She then answered, "Bleeding heart flower, also known as Lamprocapnos spectabilis or Dicentra spectabilis, a flower that originated from East Asia."
"And that one?" Del pointed to another flower.
Kylia's gaze turned to the beautiful colorful flower, "Tulip, originating from Turkey and Central Asia. Tulips grow from bulbs harvested in the fall and planted in winter to bloom in the spring. This flower is also considered a symbol of beauty, love, and fertility. Del, do you want to woo me with tulips?" Kylia joked.
"Well... No.. Should I? I am not that romantic, hahaha... Do you know all the flowers in this garden, Kylia?"
"Maybe... Well... I'm not that smart, but we always have our dates in the library or book room, so it's only natural that I read one or two books about flowers, right?" Kylia retorted.
"Hahaha," Del could only laugh awkwardly and scratch the back of his head.
Unfortunately, Del is not a romantic man who can put words together or take a girl on a date to a beautiful place. He prefers to stay quiet and read books. As a result, Del and Kylia rarely share stories or share their experiences with each other. For Del, it's enough for Kylia to be near him; he doesn't need any romantic moments or anything similar to be happy with her.
Nevertheless, Del has already told Kylia everything he needs to tell her. He doesn't want to hide his true identity, but he has never told detailed stories of his life in the Cultivation World. The same goes for Kylia; she has never told the details of her suffering while living in the Blume family.
"Well..." Del tried to change the topic of the conversation. "Do you know what kind of flower this is?" Del pointed to a flora.
The flora that Del gestured to was not actually a flower, but rather a plant. This plant has thin, hair-like clusters of leaves that give it a unique and attractive appearance.
"That's Spanish moss, a type of epiphytic plant in the Bromeliaceae family that grows in Central and South America. This plant is not a true moss, although it's called 'moss' in its common name, and it's not a species of cotton either, although it's sometimes called 'Spanish moss cotton'." Kylia answered, recalling the explanation in the book about flowers she had read.
"You're right, but do you know another name for Spanish moss?"
Kylia shook her head.
"Another name for Spanish moss is God's beard," Del smiled.
"God's beard?" Kylia tilted her head.
"Yup, God's beard. There's a story about this plant. Do you want to hear it?" Del gently stroked Kylia's head.
Quickly, Kylia nodded, "Tell me, Del!" she exclaimed eagerly.
"Hehehe... Okay. Once upon a time, there was a god named Gorez Goz. Gorez Goz was a love god who had a very long beard. One day, while Gorez Goz was walking along the riverbank, he saw a beautiful woman washing clothes.
"The woman was so beautiful that Gorez Goz was mesmerized. He couldn't take his eyes off her face, which was like the moon, and her eyes, which were like the sun. Despite being a love god, Gorez Goz was unable to restrain his own heart. At that moment, he fell deeply in love.
"With a heart full of love, Gorez Goz approached the beautiful woman. He greeted her with enthusiasm, eager to hear her response. Unfortunately, all Gorez Goz received was the woman's screams of terror. She was frightened by his face, which was covered with a long beard.
"The woman ran away in fear and left her dirty clothes behind. Gorez Goz didn't give up, though. He chased after her with great haste. But his persistent pursuit only made the woman more afraid. She chose to jump into the swift river.
"Gorez Goz persevered, knowing that love is a precious gift that is only granted to humanity. As a love god, Gorez Goz had long been envious of humans finding their own love. Despite being a god of love, Gorez Goz always felt a sense of loneliness until the day he experienced love himself.
"Gorez Goz made up his mind to pursue the beautiful woman, even to the end of the world. He jumped into the swift river and was carried away by the current. His long beard got caught on a protruding tree branch, causing him great pain. But the woman, who was swimming away, made him forget the pain. With a heavy heart, Gorez Goz cut his long and thick beard and finally caught up with the beautiful woman.
"As they arrived at the riverbank, the woman was taken aback by the sight of Gorez Goz's handsome face, no longer obscured by his lengthy beard. She immediately fell in love with the handsome Gorez Goz, and they began a new story together.
"The beard of Gorez Goz, which was cut off, transformed into a plant called God's Beard."
"Wow," Kylia was amazed by the story.