A Broken Vow

Ethan dreamed.

A dream of Lilian playing with a boy who seemed to be around ten to twelve years old beside the Lake Shore.

“Lilian, I’ll marry you when I grow up,” the boy, who looked just like Ethan when he was younger, said with a smile.

“Marriage?” Lilian tilted her head in confusion. “Why would you marry me?”

“Because Mother said that when I grow up, I’ll marry an amazing lady just like her,” the boy replied. “Lilian is amazing, so you must be my wife when I grow up.”

“… What kind of logic is that?” Lilian smiled faintly. “You humans sure are funny. But when you grow up, I’m sure you will forget about these things.”

“I won’t!” the boy said. “I even have this!”

The boy took something out of his pocket and presented it to Lilian with a big smile on his face.

“A ring?” Lilian observed the ring on the boy’s hand. “This blue gem is quite mysterious. I can feel a faint power emanating from it.”