PFLWPL 07

CHAPTER 07……………………………………

Thinking back to what she had learned in class, Lin finally understood what was happening.

“That’s right! They said the first time an ability manifests, you get super exhausted—like you’ve been running all day!”

When she had opened her eyes that morning, she’d been so excited because of the “original story” that she hadn’t noticed anything unusual. But now that she thought about it, her body had probably been completely drained right after awakening her ability—it made sense she’d been so tired.

“And then I got all worked up and ran straight here…”

Even for a healthy person, suddenly moving their body right after waking up wasn’t good.

In her case, it wasn’t just fatigue—she had clearly pushed herself too far and collapsed.

Lin reflected a little.

“From now on, no intense exercise right after waking up. Always stretch first!”

Moving too suddenly after opening one’s eyes was something even people with low blood pressure could faint from—a dangerous act indeed.

Recalling the advice Earth people had earnestly shared on YouTube, Lin nodded solemnly.

After this quick self-evaluation, she turned back to her uncle with sparkling, expectant eyes.

“Anyway, Uncle! The important thing is—we’ll get to see Mom and Grandpa again! Because in the future—”

Ten years later. She was about to explain how her grandfather would return when her body suddenly tilted.

“Lin!”

“My lady!”

The sounds of people running toward her grew faint as her vision went black. When she opened her eyes again, several hours had passed.

“Huh?”

Sure, she was a weak mutant beastkin with all kinds of minor ailments—but narcolepsy wasn’t one of them.

Perplexed, Lin tilted her head.

Anyway, the important thing was to tell Uncle Theo the amazing truth she’d seen with her ability last night…!

“Uncle Theo! You see, exactly ten—”

“Lin! Doctor!”

Once again, Lin collapsed mid-sentence, and a startled Theodore shouted for the physician.

After several rounds of examinations and another round of medicine, Lin finally started to get a sense of how her new ability worked.

“So… other than saying ‘Grandpa will return and Mom will wake up,’ I can’t say anything else yet.”

For now, she could only repeat that single sentence she’d said the first time.

“To say more, I’ll have to get stronger.”

It felt like trying to lift something impossibly heavy—her ability fizzled out before fully activating.

The fainting spells happened because she was trying to use power beyond her limit, like an overloaded machine suddenly losing power.

Still, Lin didn’t feel bad.

Because even the failure was proof that her ability had awakened.

She wasn’t a useless mutant who couldn’t stir even a breeze—she was a beastkin child blessed with a unique ability.

Feeling proud again, Lin tugged on her uncle’s sleeve.

“Anyway, the most important thing is, I managed to tell Uncle!”

She spoke with a confident smile.

“Uncle, Mom’s going to wake up!”

“…What?”

“And you don’t have to worry about Grandpa either! Just wait a bit, and he’ll come back here!”

“……”

Strange.

Uncle Theo loved both her mom and grandpa—shouldn’t he be happy to hear that?

But the smile she’d imagined on his face didn’t appear.

“Uncle Theo?”

Lin tilted her head. His expression looked nothing like joy.

“Hmm. Lin, where did you hear that?”

“I didn’t hear it—I saw it! With my own eyes!”

“Huh? Where… exactly?”

“In my dream last night!”

“Oh.”

Theodore finally sighed in relief.

“I see. They must’ve come to visit you in your dreams because they miss you.”

“Huh? No, no! It wasn’t that kind of dream.”

“What?”

“I told you, I awakened my ability! That’s what it was!”

“…Huh?”

“It’s like a dream, but not really. Through that dream, I went somewhere and saw the ‘original story’—you know, what’s going to happen in the future! Mom and Grandpa too!”

Lin did her best to explain how her ability wasn’t just a normal dream, as long as she didn’t fall asleep again mid-sentence.

She couldn’t yet talk about the original story itself—it took too much strength—but telling him about Earth was no problem.

After all, Earth stories were fascinating! Surely that would convince her uncle that her vision had been something amazing.

But as she looked up at him expectantly—

Theodore suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.

“Eh? Uncle?”

“…Lin.”

“Mm?”

“It’s okay.”

He spoke firmly.

“Lin. You don’t have to make up stories just to make me happy. All I want is for you to stay healthy.”

“Make up? But I really saw it! With my ability!”

“Sometimes dreams can feel that real.”

“No! I’m telling you, it was my ability!”

Realizing her uncle didn’t believe her, Lin thumped her chest in frustration.

“Adults! They’re just like those narrow-minded grown-ups from The Little Prince! I need some kind of proof even they can understand… Oh! My horn!”

She suddenly remembered—her horn had appeared the very night her ability awakened.

“They must be connected! Every time I use my ability, my forehead gets all warm!”

Surely that was clear proof anyone could see.

Full of confidence, Lin proudly told her uncle about the physical change she’d noticed.

“What? A horn? Doctor!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

And so, her reward for trying to convince him was an avalanche of medical tests, ordered by a panicked Theodore and carried out by the family physician.

“…Judging by the results, thankfully, there are no negative reactions in the young lady’s body. In this case, it seems appropriate to interpret this as, hmm… a manifestation of her species’ inherent traits.”

“I see.”

‘I did my best.’

Lin lay sprawled on her bed, utterly exhausted from the mountain of tests.

Theodore, meanwhile, listened stiffly as the physician concluded: since she was already a mutant beastkin, developing an unusual new trait wasn’t too strange—and her health showed no issues.

Lin glanced at her uncle’s somber face, rolled her eyes, and cheerfully broke the heavy silence.

“Maybe I’m a unicorn!”

“What?”

The first time the horn appeared, she’d been scared—but then she remembered the unicorns she’d seen in Earth videos.

The internet, which showed everything under the sun, had images of both pegasuses like her and unicorns that looked like beastkin too.

“Uncle, uncle! A unicorn is like us, but instead of wings, they have a horn on their forehead!”

Her detailed explanation, unfortunately, only deepened Theodore’s worry.

“Lin… Unicorns are mythical creatures. They don’t actually exist.”

It was like how there were giraffes, rhinos, or narwhals—but no horses with horns.

Even if it meant disappointing her, Theodore felt he had to teach her reality.

“Dreams aren’t the same as reality, Lin. You can’t believe everything you see in them.”

He spoke firmly, worried she might get lost in her fantasy world—but Lin couldn’t understand.

“Of course they’re different! I know that! Dreams are dreams—but what I saw in the ‘original story’ isn’t the same thing!”

Frustrated that her uncle didn’t react the way she’d hoped, Lin puffed up her cheeks and shouted, trying to channel her ability again.

“‘Grandpa will return, and Mom will wake up!’ I definitely saw it with my power!”

“Lin—your forehead! It’s glowing!”

Through her tousled hair, her forehead gleamed faintly with light.

“I see… so that’s what she meant by ‘manifesting her ability.’”

As the adults stared in shock, Lin proudly straightened her back.

“See? I told you I was right!”

“Yes… congratulations, Lin.”