In the courtyard of the small estate, Dante adjusted the strap of his shoulder bag and glanced down at his digital travel pass.
He wore a white T-shirt, a black coat, hiking pants, and a pair of yellow-tinted glasses.
He looked young, confident… maybe a little too confident for someone who, in another life, had been 102 years old.
Next to him, Ginny was finishing adjusting her long coat. Her wings, folded tightly against her back, formed a small bump beneath the fabric.
She didn't care — she hated hiding them, but it was the price to pay for traveling unnoticed.
She held Pudding, the ginger cat, close to her chest. He purred softly, unbothered by the tension in the air.
In front of them, Jophiel and Annabelle struggled to keep their emotions in check — torn between sorrow and joy.
— "I'll keep in touch, don't worry." Dante said with a smile.
His voice was calm, his gaze gentle. He'd spent so long playing a role, he'd nearly forgotten what it felt like to speak as himself.
Ginny buried her face in Pudding's fur.
— "I'm gonna miss you, you big furball." she mumbled, her voice muffled.
Pudding let out a quiet meow in response, then hopped down and rubbed up against Jophiel's legs.
The door closed behind them, and a soft silence settled between Dante and Ginny as they walked away from the estate.
They walked for a few seconds without saying a word… then their eyes met.
And they burst out laughing — a shared, cathartic laugh, as if a weight had finally been lifted.
— "Can you believe it ?" Ginny said, shooting him a playful look. "You played the sweet 18-year-old so well, I forgot you were technically dead at 102!"
— "That's quite the compliment," replied Kang Soo Jin — or rather, Dante — with a wry smile. "Think I could've auditioned for a high school rom-com ?"
— "Nah, total flop. You've got the face of an angel but the attitude of Rambo." she teased.
She was teasing him. But deep down… she felt relieved.
---
They walked for several days.
The path led them through steep mountains. In the mornings, the sun shyly peeked over the cliffs, stretched across the sky by midday, scorching their necks, and by nightfall, it vanished into a sea of stars.
Each night, Ginny would take to the skies. Her body soared above the ridges, letting out cries of freedom.
From below, Dante would watch her. He lay on the grass, hands tucked behind his head, eyes lost among the stars.
— "You should come join me up here one day!" Ginny shouted from above.
— "I told you, I've got a weak stomach!" Dante yelled back, laughing. "You want me to puke on your back mid-flight ?"
— "You didn't say that when you begged for your fifteenth plate, liar!"
And they laughed. Every night, it became a routine. Ginny would play across the sky, and Dante would cook a simple soup or toast bread over the fire.
Sometimes, he would talk about the past, and she'd come down to listen, resting her head on his knees, wings folded tight.
— "Do you think people in Almeria will be kind ?" she asked one night, staring into the campfire.
— "Kind ? No. Political. Like everywhere else. But they'll be civilized. They won't hunt us down or track us. That's something, at least."
She nodded slowly. The word civilized still tasted bitter in her mouth — especially coming from slavers.
Being officially registered as someone's slave — even a master like Dante — felt absurd.
But… that's how the world worked. And in his eyes, she had never seen order, domination, or chains.
— "Why Zvrost ?" she asked one morning, as they began their final descent, the capital finally visible in the distance.
Dante shrugged.
— "Because we have to play by the rules. Crossing through the natural border risks being flagged as illegals. And I really don't feel like playing hide-and-seek with the militias again."
— "But it's weird. You used to not care what the system thought of you."
He smiled softly.
— "Back then… I had nothing to lose. Now I have you."
Ginny blushed, looked away, and muttered something inaudible.
Their journey ended at Zvrost, perched like a fortress overlooking the plains.
Towering spires of glass, flying vehicles gliding above suspended tracks, a monorail weaving through metallic arches.
Every intersection buzzed with life : holographic ads, floating newsfeeds, assistant robots moving among pedestrians.
Ginny froze, her mouth slightly open.
— "It's like… a dream."
She followed a drone-camera as it hovered over the crowd, then stared in wonder at a vending machine that spoke multiple languages.
— "It called mam… Dante, it called me mam!"
— "Yeah, and it'll sell you toothpaste for 80 credits a tube. Don't let it charm you." Dante chuckled.
They passed by a massive glass dome serving as the central station. Groups of students in uniform bustled through.
You could see different academy crests sewn onto their sleeves.
Local students, too, were waiting for their daily commute. Some stared, especially at Ginny.
Ginny clutched her bag like a child holding a stuffed toy. Her coat hid her wings, but the bulge on her back drew curious glances.
She tried her best not to look nervous, but the new world was overwhelming.
They reached the checkpoint — a circular structure filled with scanners, walkways, and uniformed agents.
— "Your documents, please."
The agent was a woman with a professional, yet not unfriendly, expression. Dante handed over his passport.
— "Purpose of your entry into Zvrost ?"
— "Academic transfer."
— "You're headed to Almeria ?"
— "That's right."
— "And… she is your—"
She hesitated, checking the registry.
— "Registered servant. Legal code 4053-A. Former private property, rehabilitated under the new integration law."
Of course, everything was fake — but they never checked.
The agent raised an eyebrow, then simply nodded.
— "Alright. We'll take your photo for the file. Just a moment."
Ginny blinked at the flash.
Dante, on the other hand, held his sexy gaze — calm, assured.
The agent paused, then murmured under her breath :
— "You could be a model, you know."
Dante shrugged.
— "I've always preferred action roles."
They chuckled softly. Even Ginny cracked a half-smile.
The process took a few more minutes : retinal scans, biometric validation, digital signatures.
When it was all done, they were handed an electronic file for temporary entry, labeled Foreign Citizens – Limited Access / Passive Surveillance Enabled.
— "You're authorized to remain in Zvrost for twenty-four hours. After that, you'll need to board the convoy to Almeria or leave the city. Welcome to Zvrost!"
— "Understood. Thanks, milady."
They exited the checkpoint in silence. Once outside, Ginny burst into laughter.
— "Milady ? If you were still 102, she would've tased your smug face."
She nudged him playfully.
— "Are you always this charming ?"
— "When I was that age, it was second nature."