《Crown of Thorns》 Chapter 0: PROLOGUE Chapter 0 ¨C PROLOGUE Trantor & editor : Cuties A long long time ago in a faraway country there lived a witch. She was very evil. Just looking at the witch made from darkness was enough to send people shivering with fear. But the people in that country were very nice and kind, so they got along with her. But the evil witch put a curse on those people. The peaceful and happy country was quickly enveloped in darkness and terrible monsters began to appear. The people fought back, but they couldn¡¯t counter the power of a witch. Eventually, the world became a bloodbath, and people groaned from fear and pain. The helpless king gathered the heroes of the country and ordered them to kill the witch. ¡°You can get rid of this misery as long as the witch dies!¡± The warriors began to kill the witch. They stabbed her, burned her, put her in boiling oil, crucified her, strung her from the neck, and starved her for days, but the witch continuously survived. They tried whatever method to kill the witch, but she was always revived and the warriors either left or died one by one over time. The witch¡¯s curse still hasn¡¯t been lifted and the monsters still hurt people. The people who had been hunting the witch for such a long time btedly realized. ¡°The witch is immortal!¡± The wise king decided to confine the witch. He constructed a tower and meant to lock her up in there. Forever, until she dies. When the witch found out about it, she shrieked with evilughter. ¡°Yes, lock me up forever! However, the curse will not be broken!¡± The witch was eventually trapped in the tower, and the whole thing was surrounded by thorn vines to keep anyone from entering. The witch couldn¡¯t escape either, but the monsters continued to appear and people kept dying as long as she lived on. However, as the number of monsters gradually decreased, people took courage and fought against them. The country began to regain peace little by little. As time flew by, people forgot about the tower where the witch was trapped, but they still told stories about her. ¡°When the witch dies, the curse will be broken and no more monsters will appear.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t behave, I might send you to the witch. The witch is really scary and strong.¡± The witch was trapped in a ce that no one knew of, and she couldn¡¯t escape until the curse was lifted, that is, until she died. Forever. Then one day, a young warrior went to look for the witch. ¡°Witch! I will kill you and break the curse!¡± The witch smiled at the warrior as if she were weing an old friend. ¡°Young warrior, so you have white hair. If it¡¯s light then it can remove darkness.¡± Light will set the darkness aside, and gift her with an eternal rest. ¡°My eternal rest has finallye to im me.¡± Said the witch to the warrior. ¡°Kill me.¡± It¡¯s enough now, kill me. Chapter 1 CHAPTER 1 Trantor & editor : Cuties ¡°What? What did you just say?¡± The red eyes of the white-haired boy were shaking greatly, as if my words were surprising. The boy¡¯s hair was blindingly reminiscent of the sunshine I had seen a long time ago. They were brilliant and shining. Enough to make my heart yearn. Ah, I can hear the bell sound. I turned my gaze and looked at the window. It was covered with a thick ck cloth, as if not even a thin ray of hope could be tolerated, but the sound could not be stopped. A faraway bell was ringing. The day has passed. I spent yet another meaningless day. There must be a beautiful sunset outside the window right now. I can¡¯t forget the very warm and sweet sky. The children who heard the bell sounding home one by one, and their mothers awaiting them with crispy baked bread, lukewarm heated milk and soft mashed potatoes. Everyone obviously has a warm and pleasant time. I can only imagine the inside of a house as warm as sunset, a child with a clear smile, and a meal made with sincerity. Maybe it¡¯s a memory I saw a long time ago. It¡¯s so old that it feels like a scene from a fairy tale. ¡°What did you say?¡± My gaze, staring into the distance, turned again to the boy in front of me. It is dark and soggy around. The coldness lingers and allows me to escape from the imagination that melted my heart for a while. This was the reality. I can¡¯t escape from reality. The sudden visitor reminded me of the scenes that I had buried deep inside my heart. No doubt because of the boy¡¯s hair and eyes. I implore the young warrior once again. ¡°I told you to kill me.¡± Maybe if it¡¯s you, you could kill me. The feeling of hope excites me. I thought I lost it a long time ago, but it must have been lurking somewhere. Like the scenes that just popped into my mind. The boy looked quite taken aback and unsure of how to react. The sword he held tightly in his small hand, shakes. I don¡¯t think he can hurt me at all like that. Worry enveloped me. The young warrior is too weak. ¡°They, they said that if the witch dies, the curse will go away! The monsters will disappear and no more people will die!¡± I don¡¯t know who he¡¯s shouting at. It¡¯s more like a cry for himself than for me. Some sort of spell. There¡¯s a reason for him to kill, he¡¯s not doing anything wrong, he¡¯s doing something good. The little boy held himself with more confidence, his eyes sharpening. I decided to help the boy. ¡°So, kill me.¡± Yes, young warrior. You¡¯re not doing wrong. Hurry to kill the cursed witch with the sword you¡¯re holding and save the world. But the boy doesn¡¯t seem to like it when I tell him to kill without any resistance. His face crumpled. He chewed on his lower lip and stared at me, but his eyes seemed to be burning. He looked like the sun that reminded me of happy times, or the pile of firewood that pushed me to the edge of hell. I don¡¯t have the confidence to face this boy for a long time. ¡°Hurry and kill me. With that sword you¡¯re holding.¡± ¡°You! You! Is it that easy for you to ask me to kill you? Don¡¯t you feel sorry for those people who didn¡¯t want to die, or wanted to live longer? They died because of you! You are killing them! Because of you, I can never see them again¡­ Because of you!¡± As he went into a fit of heated shouting, the boy¡¯s hair fluttered this way and that. The white hair, which is both fluffy and soft, disturbs my vision. I lowered my head because I couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°Kill me. Please kill me.¡± A shrill sounded in answer to my words. It was the sound of the boy¡¯s sword falling on the rock floor. The boy stood still for a while and then turned walking away. I don¡¯t know how he came in, but it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for him to get out. I couldn¡¯t raise my head even after the boy left. I thought I¡¯d have some afterimage of his retreating back. I¡¯ve spent so much time peacefully, and now it¡¯s all got messed up in a moment. Why are you suddenly appearing and shaking me up? Why am I reminded of all the things I had painstakingly buried deep down? And why can¡¯t I get my act back together? I picked up the sword that the boy had left behind. It seemed cold, but was surprisingly warm to the touch. The warmth of the boy was quickly discernible. Because it was warmth that I haven¡¯t felt for a long while, something rose in my chest. I put the sword into my heart without further thinking. I always hesitated without realizing it, so I failed to put it in deep enough again this time. Still, I was bleeding and my heart was pounding. I don¡¯t want to live, but I cry out for help. My shivering hands gathered strength and thrust the sword deeper in. The pain has spread all over my body disabling my ability to think of anything. The hot and soggy liquid dampens my body. I fall on the floor and close my eyes quietly. I hope I never open my eyes again. I hope my time ends like this. * The inside of the tower I¡¯m staying in was very humid, with no light seeping in. The wood table had been rotting for a long time because of the dampness andck of sunlight. It smelled bad, but it was better than the smell from my body, so I wasn¡¯t much bothered with it. Ten sheets of paper, which are likely to be torn at any moment, are ced in a regr arrangement on the mostly rotten and hard to recognize table. Each of them had a unique painting and they all meant different things. Cards were my only possession, and reading cards was the only thing I did. I couldn¡¯t tell my own future, but I could roughly guess the outline of it. Through the future could change depending on the people I am involved with or the ce I am staying at. But there is no one rted to me now. They were all gone a long time ago. I was just waiting for the divination I had before toe true. ¡°The bright light will give you eternal rest.¡± I died, and died, but was still revived again. Even if I lost my mind in terrible pain, I ended up opening my eyes. My body was destroyed countless times, hoping for my death, but those wounds were promptly healed to look like scars from a long time ago. The signs of death remain intact on my body, so why does the God of death refuse to take me away? My mind has not allowed me to go crazy to match my broken body. I had to feel the time passing day by day with a sound mind, and even if I wanted to shake off the memories of the past, they didn¡¯t be blurred as if they were imprinted inside my mind. Every time I closed my eyes, I remembered. The sound of a happyugh, the clear sky, the dazzling bright sun. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I opened my eyes to the sudden voice. As I turned my head, I saw the young warrior I had met before, leaning against the wall and staring at me. Human time flowed so fast that it didn¡¯t seem to be that long for me, but he looked more mature than before. How many times have I heard the bell? I thought to myself, looking at the boy whose height and hair grew a little longer, but soon gave up. Because the same time had always passed, there was nothing more ephemeral than counting the number of days. As I sat still without answering, the boy came up to me and asked, looking down at the table. ¡°What is this?¡± I was briefly enchanted by the white scene unfolding before my eyes. I remembered a pair of eyes I had seen ages ago. They were cold and mesmerizing. When I tried to catch the vision, it quickly melted away. The boy in front of me also seemed to be about to disappear. He was all white and transparent. Hair, eyebrows, eyshes, and skin. Just everything. Is it a fantasy that I created? Am I finally starting to go crazy? It was strange that I had lived like this for an immeasurable amount of time, but I still had my sanity intact. The boy was so clean and looked like an angel descending to punish me for being ugly and dirty. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± The moment the boy turned his eyes to me, I had to turn my head hurriedly. The boy¡¯s sun-like eyes reminded me of countless memories and the multiple emotions I felt at the time were woven together, so I was not confident enough to face them. My heart was shaken. ¡°I was reading tarot.¡± I wanted to distract the boy. So I lifted the cards and put them in front of his face. It was hard to recognize what was on them because they were shabby and worn out, so he took the cards to examine carefully. But he soon returned them as if he had lost interest and asked me. ¡°Can you see the future with this?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes, like a sun, like a red moon, like a fire swallowing a dry pile of wood, those fiery, blood-stained eyes fixed me, and I instinctively turned my head and replied, not wanting to see myself reflected in them. ¡°If it were your future.¡± The boy must have been quite curious, so he tilted his head and asked, trying to make eye contact with me. ¡°My future? How is it?¡± I answered. ¡°You die.¡± The boy stayed silent for a while, then smiled and said, ¡°People are all going to die. It¡¯s so obvious.¡± Is it too obvious? Am I not a human being because I can¡¯t do this obvious thing? I¡¯m already way beyond the human category. I answered as I arranged the cards. ¡°You¡¯ll die because of me.¡± As if shocked by my remark, he stiffened. I continued to speak, resting my gaze on the boy¡¯s white hair. ¡°So go hide and don¡¯te out. Don¡¯t evene near here if you don¡¯t intend to kill me.¡± ¡°Lies. You¡¯re lying like that to scare me, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. You die because of me.¡± So run away. The boy turned around and walked away, perhaps understanding my unspoken words. Like the day we first met. I looked down at the cards I was holding. The card that meant death was sitting on top. If that boy kills me, will the future change? Changing the present changes the future. My gaze touched the sword, which he had randomly dumped out on the floor. The sword and its surroundings were stained with dark blood. If the light the divination meant was that boy, he had to drive out the darkness. That way I could find eternal rest and the boy could see a bright future. The young warrior had to kill the witch. Chapter 2 CHAPTER 2 Trantor & editor : Cuties Firewood was greased and soon the fire lit up. The mes grew bigger and bigger, devouring firewood, and quickly came up to my feet, grating my toes. I struggled, unable to stand the heat, but to no avail. I was tied up so tightly, leaving no hope for escape. I watched the approaching me, swallowing audibly, and then my eyes darted to the spectators full of anticipation. They were cheering. Their bright looks revealed their wishes for my death, that they wanted it to be as painful as possible. I looked up at the sky. The sight of the sun, bigger and brighter than the mes beneath my feet greeted me. Won¡¯t you just take me already? I closed my eyes at the pain burning through my legs. Pain that I could not endure no matter how hard I tried gradually soared up though my body. I could feel blood in my mouth. Just why? When I opened my eyes, a terrible darkness assailed me. I felt as if I were trapped inside a ck monster¡¯s mouth, or falling into an endless swamp. It was the same sight I had always seen, and the one I was always going to see. I got used to it a long time ago, but I felt a sense of alienation now. I was well aware of the reason. Seeing the boy¡¯s white hair and sun-like eyes, I thought of things other than darkness. Memories that had been buried deep down resurfaced to haunt me, and my eyes, having seen light for a moment, refused to get back to darkness. Iy still for a long time in order to get used to the darkness. Killing my heart and thoughts like a corpse. I fell asleep as I was, woke up again, looked at the darkness, and seemed to have heard quite a few bells. Though, I probably missed many of those. ¡°Are you dead?¡± My closed eyes opened and registered the image of the boy crouching in front of me. Why does he keeping? I nced at his hands, but he didn¡¯t seem to be holding anything. No, the boy who had left his sword behind thest time couldn¡¯t havee back to kill me. As Iy still, he either lost interest in hearing my answer or got interested in the insides of the tower, the boy walked around to inspect the surroundings. But there was nothing to see. Most of the items were rotting into oblivion, and the rest of them had a repulsive smell, making it difficult to get close to them. Come to think of it, I had the worst stench. I remembered people throwing stones at me, saying that I smelled. The stones hurt me and the blood from the wounds clotted thickly. After a long time, the collected blood rotted and reeked. Gradually it became nasty. But that boy was a little strange. ¡°Are you always doing that?¡± The boy who was snooping around came up again and asked me a question. I replied to the boy, trying my best not to make eye contact. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You look dead.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± It was a tower built to kill the witch. It was them who locked me up in here. Until death, or maybe even after death, I can never get out of here. I died a long time ago. My body and mind were killed so many times. An immortal life did not give me eternal rest, but still, I was as good as dead right now. * Since then, the boy hase to visit whenever he could. Every time he came here, he brought a handful of food. He put it on the rotten table and went back every time, but I just let it be. I didn¡¯t eat it and I didn¡¯t watch him when he came. I feared the visions that would bubble up upon seeing his face. Visions such as people sitting around a table and merrily chatting over a meal. It¡¯s about time to forget these visions. I can¡¯t meet the people in them. I can¡¯t watch them again. I¡¯d rather forget them altogether. They persistently pop up and bother me. At one time they were memories and it was good to see them again, but not now. What¡¯s the point of yearning for them when I can¡¯t go back to those times? ¡°You didn¡¯t eat again? The food¡¯s gone bad!¡± The boy was angry that the food remained the same for days. He yelled at me for not eating it. ¡°Just in case I could die of hunger.¡± I will never eat. I realized a long time ago that even if I starve, I wouldn¡¯t die, but I didn¡¯t have to eat either. The boy seemed to have forgotten. The fact that I¡¯m a witch trapped in a tower. A witch trapped forever, hoping to die. ¡°Do as you please.¡± The boy turned away in a fit of anger and hasn¡¯te back for a while. He should never havee in the first ce. If the boy was the light the divination meant, he had to grow up a little more, and thene to me after he was ready to kill me without hesitation. I¡¯ve never seen such a young warrior before. But the boy reappeared. This time, He started bringing things other than food. In the meantime, he matured a little more. He grew taller and his white hair was longer. I¡¯m always the same, so I don¡¯t feel the flow of time, but human life is so short and ends so fast. It was not good for me to witness, when I had to forget the passage of time as much as possible because I¡¯ll have to get ustomed to being stuck alone in a sterile point in time all over again. ¡°It¡¯s really dirty. Look at the spider webs.¡± The boy moved busily. He seemed to be trying to clean up. Or remove the spider webs with a long stick and sweep the blood on the floor. ¡°What the hell is this?¡± The boy eximed while throwing out the bloody water. He looked curious about what the smelly ckish thing was. I was going to tell him it was blood, but I held my tongue because I didn¡¯t want him to question me further about the source of the blood. I justy there and watching the boy poking around. At first, I thought it was only inside my head because I¡¯d lost it. Finally gone crazy from existing for so long. I was hallucinating about an angel boy who descended to save me from the darkness. Otherwise, he can¡¯t keep showing up. It doesn¡¯t make sense for a young warrior to keep going in and out of the witch¡¯s tower, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, he was also cleaning the tower. Soon the boy tried to draw the curtains because it was too dark to see properly. I approached him and grabbed his hand. A ray of light leaked through the curtains and shone at me for a moment. My heart was pounding because I saw the light that existed only in my memories again. My insides burned. The boy asked me with surprised eyes. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong? No, before that, when did you get here? It was so fast that I didn¡¯t see it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t touch the curtain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very bright and warm outside. It will brighten the dark and damp tower.¡± I knew that too. So was the outside world in my memories. The sun always builds life and makes us feel hopeful. It shouldn¡¯t make me feel dead or that I have to be dead. I must not remember what it was like to feel alive. Greed is endless, so once I got something, I¡¯ll end up wanting something else. I could only bear it if I lived with nothing like I was dead. The witch must live in the dark tower with darkness as her sole friend. Chapter 3 CHAPTER 3 Trantor & editor : Cuties The boy did note often. So I could notice the little changes in his growth every time he came. I felt stuffy because he seemed to be informing me of the time. ¡°The world is going as well as ever except for you,¡± he seemed to say, ¡°you will suffer in a time that will never move forward.¡± The boy brought something with him every time he came. Things like books that could kill time. But the time they made me forget was so insignificant that they were of little use. I just kept them all in one ce and tried to ignore them. As I sat still leaning against the wall, the boy also sat beside me and looked at the darkness. ¡°Is this fun? Don¡¯t you get sick of it?¡± Whatever I did, it was the same in the end. There was no way to spend infinite time. There couldn¡¯t be a way to kill eternal time. I just wanted to forget it all. How long it¡¯s been and how much more I have to spend. But I couldn¡¯t forget time because of the boy. I saw traces of it in the boy¡¯s appearance, and I could feel each passing day as I fell into a routine when I was with him, and when he didn¡¯te, time seemed to go slower. The boy hugged his knees close and reclined his head on his arms, looking at me fixedly. I don¡¯t know what he wants from me. Perhaps he was my new tormentor. Because nothing is more painful than feeling the passage of time for me. ¡°You¡¯re a witch. Don¡¯t you think escaping a tower like this one would be a piece of cake for you?¡± I didn¡¯t get away. There was no point leaving if I were going to be alone anyway. It was better to wait alone for my time in here. But the boy was ruining it. I stared into the darkness without answering. This young warrior can¡¯t understand a witch. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Witch.¡± I was a witch. My name has long since been forgotten. The person who called it was not around. The world called me a witch and I also thought I was a witch. The witch did not need a name. The boy said in reply to my answer. ¡°I don¡¯t have a name, either.¡± Burying his face between his knees, he continued. ¡°Is it still a name if nobody calls it? No. The day my brother died, my name died with him.¡± It was a funny thing. A witch and a warrior without names. I said, ducking my head away from the shiny white hair on the side. ¡°He must¡¯ve died because of me.¡± At my words the boy raised his head. The first day he came, he pointed a sword at me and said that people are dying because of me. They don¡¯t want to die. It¡¯s not time for them die yet, but they¡¯re dying anyway. Because of me. The boy hade to kill me after losing someone who was close to him. Because I killed that someone. Because I¡¯m a witch. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the weak young warrior points his sword to me gain. * Time dragged on. I was in the process of trying to kill my mind because I couldn¡¯t kill my body, but after meeting the boy, my efforts were ruined. The passage of time felt slower as emotions revived. Until when do I have live like this? I would rather spend time sleeping forever, but there was a limit to that. I took out the boy¡¯s sword. I knew far too well that I could not be killed no matter what method I used. It was time to give it up because it was tiring, but my body was lifting the sword. I wanted to end it now. This sword will also rust over time and I will have no more tools to attempt with again. An eternity has passed and everything except me was ending. Eventually, I¡¯m the only one left. I stretched out my arms with the sword clutched firmly in my hand. This time, I wanted to seed with one go. Unlike other things, I could never get used to pain no matter how much I suffered through it. So I closed my eyes tightly and stabbed as hard as I could. But right away someone caught me. When I opened my eyes, I saw something white and got confused. ¡°You, are you crazy?¡± The red eyes were shaking violently. Snapping back to my senses, I hastily retreated. I didn¡¯t like it. The feeling of being trapped in the burning mes. Of the bright sun shining down on me. ¡°Just kill me right now.¡± ¡°What?¡± I handed the sword to the boy. ¡°Kill me with this.¡± ¡°You, now. What are you talking about when I just saved your life?¡± The boy asked back angrily, ring at me sharply. I didn¡¯t raise my head because I didn¡¯t want to face that gaze. So I just opened my mouth again and answered. ¡°Why save me? I¡¯m a witch who has to die.¡± ¡°Witch, is that right?¡± I couldn¡¯t breathe when asked by the boy, who came closer and whispered. His gaze was burning all over me. My eyes must have been shaking. My heart was falling apart. Am I a witch? Are you asking whether I¡¯m really a witch? I was always branded as a witch first without anyone listening to my story. ¡°It was because you cursed the world, and only when you die will it return to its original state,¡± they said. I screamed at the terrible pain, and cried, ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± but they onlyughed at my reaction. A witch? Actually, it didn¡¯t matter to them whether I was a witch or not. They just needed someone to vent their anger on. They needed someone to ease their fear of the unknown and their frustration with unresolved mystery. At first, I was angry at such people, but not anymore. Because I am a witch. ¡°That¡¯s right, I am.¡± I managed to get my feelings together and then answered. The darkness that covered the world was my mother¡¯s fault. I was also guilty of carrying her blood. Maybe the reason why the monster still didn¡¯t disappear is because I¡¯m alive. Perhaps the reason why cannot be killed is because I am given the lives of those who died because of me. Because I¡¯m a witch. Only when I die will the darkness be lifted. The boy sighed faintly at my words and replied, ying with the sword he was holding. ¡°You killed yourself every day like this?¡± The boy¡¯s eyes darted to the soggy puddle on the floor. The boy cleaned up but still couldn¡¯t get rid of it all. It was rotting ck and smelly. It wasn¡¯t just the floor. My whole body was covered with rotten blood as well as my clothes. There couldn¡¯t be a ce to wash here. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it hurt?¡± The boy asked, reaching out his hand to my neck. I backed out hurriedly but he patted my neck without me realizing, touching my horrifying wounds. Some of these were inflicted by me and others by people. It¡¯s funny. This situation. The boy has to kill me, but why is he looking at me withpassion? ¡°You have to kill me to¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know. Stop talking.¡± While saying so, the boy took the sword I was holding. He seemed to have no intention of leaving it behind this time. I had to bite down on my lips hard because of the emotions I had thrown away long ago have resurfaced. Why the hell does this boy shake me up? ¡°You know very well that I¡¯m killing people.¡± ¡°Everyone dies.¡± This sentence has a weirdforting effect on me, is it because no one has ever told me that before? ¡°Remember when you angrily shouted that there were people who didn¡¯t want to die, or wanted to live longer but were killed because of me.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t live forever anyway so just think that it was time for them to die.¡± ¡°But because of me¡­¡± ¡°Stop it.¡± He cut me off sharply and I bit down on my tongue. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can stop now.¡± My heart lightened a little at the boy¡¯s words which were like balm to my wounds. But knowing that human life is fleetingly short and that mine is endless, I forced myself to dismiss the ray of light that sprawled into my mind. If you want to save me, then stab that sword into my heart. Chapter 4 CHAPTER 4 Trantor & editor : Cuties I haven¡¯t seen the boy for a while afterwards. In the meantime, I kept having nightmares. Rather than nightmares, they were actually ancient memories I kept reliving. But after a long time, I couldn¡¯t tell if they were really memories or just my imagination. It urred to me that maybe even the boy was part of the imagination I had created, that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t show up. Is this reality that I¡¯m living now? Maybe even I am an illusion. I stroked at the scars left on my body. I couldn¡¯t remember clearly when I got them and what they originally looked like. Over the years, too many people havee for me and I have suffered too much. I might already be dead and stuck in a dream I¡¯m never waking up from. When I opened my eyes, I could only see the dark. I started having too many thoughts after I met the boy. I tried to kill time as I always did, but it wasn¡¯t easy. The white afterimage bothered me. That beautiful and cold as snow whiteness crept into my mind and rejected the darkness. It must be snowing somewhere. Suddenly, I thought I wanted to see the snow. And then what? After relieving one¡¯s thirst, there was only a greater desire. It was better to get used to longing and forget about it. I hugged my knees and buried my face between them. Boy, why did youe to me and make me so distressed? It was better to be forgotten by people. It was better to wait for the day when no one was looking for me. After meeting the boy, the emotions that I had forgotten came to mind again and made me impatient. The day we first met, I¡¯d have preferred it if he had put a sword in me. I wish he¡¯d stabbed me in the heart and froze it. Then it wouldn¡¯t have been this painful. You won¡¯t evenst forever. You¡¯re going to die in the end. ¡°Asleep?¡± I opened my eyes to a faint voice. I thought it was a hallucination, but I raised myself when I saw the white hair of a boy sitting in front of me. The boy continued his speech in a quiet voice instead of staring at me. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel wronged?¡± I can¡¯t understand what he means. ¡°Isn¡¯t it unfair for you to be called a witch and to be med?¡± He stared at me, waiting for my answer. I kept my mouth shut looking at the darkness that was still filling my tower, and thought that if I didn¡¯t give him an answer, he¡¯d stay like this, so I finally replied. ¡°I have nothing to feel wronged about to tell the truth.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s not true.¡± Do you doubt the world? Are you saying that the world is wrong? It¡¯s a useless thing to do. ¡°I know. The fact that it¡¯s not your fault, but you have to deal with the consequences. And the fact that were so repeatedly used that you started doubting your innocence. In the end, even you don¡¯t believe in yourself.¡± The boy muttered to himself as if he wasn¡¯t expecting an answer. His voice was so lonely and sad. I looked at the boy¡¯s weakly outstretched arm. It wasn¡¯t this long the first time he came. And it wasn¡¯t this sturdy. While I was dreaming, the boy grew up while swallowing time. I always stayed in the past, and the boy faced the future. And I had only bore traces of scar, but the boy wore wounds. ¡°You don¡¯t think I¡¯m a witch?¡± The boy, who had not answered my words for a while, opened his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know that. But I know this. I used to think killing you would end everything, but it wouldn¡¯t. Killing you won¡¯t change anything. Nothing changes when you die. If this is really a curse, then you¡¯re also a victim of it.¡± Victim of the curse, you say. I can¡¯t read the boy¡¯s mind at all. The boy murmured helplessly in a smaller voice. ¡°And so am I.¡± I closed my eyes. It seems that the young warrior will not be able to kill the witch even if he grows older. The light that would save the world, save me, was swallowing itself. The reality was very different from fairy tales. * The boy brought something with him. H kept moving around with a great deal of grunting and groaning. The thing that he had been moving back and forth for a while was none other than water. There was a long water barrel, and there was also arge one that, funnily enough, seemed to fit my size perfectly. The boy handed me a dry cloth. ¡°You must have felt ufortable because you haven¡¯t been able to wash for a long time, but wash as much as you want.¡± He didn¡¯t show it, but my dirt seemed to bother him. The boy left soon but I sat still. My eyes were on the barrels thaty in the dark. It was strange to think that the small tower, the ce where everything was rotting and dying, contained water that made life possible. The boy did. He has sun-like eyes and snow-white hair, and he is living a short life. And he kept telling me that he was alive and connecting with the world. The boy radiated the smell of earth, the warmth of the sun, and the freshness of the wind. I heard augh from somewhere. I was conjuring memories up again. The world was so beautiful before the darkness took over. And I was happy. I didn¡¯t want to go back to that time. There was nothing I could do back there. The future hasn¡¯t changed. I¡¯ll have no choice but to spend a long time again. The water did rot. Unlike other things, it didn¡¯t die and only embraced new lives. It was hard to notice because it was infinitely small, but a small seed was growing inside the barrel. It grew gradually, taking root. But it was clear that this nt was also going to die because there was not much water left. In the meantime, the boy did note to visit. The boy didn¡¯te often from the start. Still, it¡¯s been quite a while since hisst visit. He grew and changed every time he came. And every time he came, I lost hope for my prophesied light. I flipped the card over. It was still saying that light appears and drives away the darkness. It was no longer possible to know what the divination meant. Because the boy was gradually bing like the dark. The young warrior was losing his strength in sympathy with the witch. ¡°What? Does it still say I¡¯m going to die?¡± The hand that grabbed the card was all scarred. The wounds seemed to have healed and left only traces. His long-grown hair was tied together and he spoke with a lower voice than before. The boy turned into a young man while the stagnant water was gradually fading in favor of new life. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Are you still looking at my divination? Why?¡± ¡°To see my divination.¡± He kept asking, not understanding what I was saying, but I ignored it. I got up after organizing the rest of the cards. The boy who has be a young man has surpassed my height. And his personality has also changed a lot. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wash up? Are my words a joke to you?¡± ¡°Why should I listen to you?¡± ¡°When someone shows you goodwill, shouldn¡¯t you at least ept it?¡± Why would I do that? For whom? I tried to take his hand off my arm, but he held it tightly and wouldn¡¯t let it go. He pulled hard and made me face him. The young man¡¯s once neatly bound hair fluttered about. I knew a man with hair simr in color to the young man¡¯s. I thought it was beautiful to the point of enchantment at the time, but not now. The young man¡¯s hair scratched my mind like a sharp dagger. As time went by, the hair that grew longer gradually became sharp and stabbed me. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, aren¡¯t you happy to see me?¡± The young man still didn¡¯t understand me. The more I see him, the more I suffer. ¡°Were you always this small? And were you always this thin? You didn¡¯t keep killing yourself while I was gone, did you?¡± The young man was unaware of his growth. He didn¡¯t know about the rtionship between me and my frozen time. ¡°Didn¡¯t you miss me?¡± Is he trying to teach me how to wait? Was it not enough to unfailingly inform me of the passing time? Is he trying to remind me of the past, make me aware of the present, and even make me wait for the future? You are the cruelest man I have ever met. ¡°I missed you. I thought I was going crazy because I wanted toe see you sooner.¡± You hurt me so much. Chapter 5 CHAPTER 5 Trantor & editor : Cuties The young man grumbled for a long time and was surprised to see the nt growing up in the water. ¡°Did you nt this?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then it must havee along. It¡¯s a waste to throw it away after it¡¯s grown this big, so we¡¯ll have to raise it.¡± Then he proceeded to bring new water. I was in a strange mood when I saw the nt in the corner of the tower. It didn¡¯t really suit the ce to have a creature trying to live in a ce where everything else is dying. Despite theck of light and water, it struggled to grow up. It produced leaves and stretched the stem even though it looked so weak and about to fall any moment. ¡°Make sure to wash this time.¡± The young man brought in a little more water. It seems that he also wanted me to take care of the nt. I decided not to refuse this time. After the young man left, I poured water into therge barrel. Then I wiped off the sticky stuff. My hair that had hardened gradually began to flow down, and my dark body gradually whitened. I threw away the dirty water and poured more. I didn¡¯t know he brought so much water. It was enough for me to wash at least three times. I immersed myself in the full barrel. It¡¯s been a long time. Plenty of thoughts came to mind when I was immersed in the water. It was so clean that it reminded me of the blue sea that I could see inside, the transparent water that flows in the valley, the warm bath before going to bed, the hot springs that were pushing up through the white snow, and even the water that was contained in cups. Countless memories, the longing, bothered me, but I let it go. I was happy. I had no doubt that the happy times wouldst forever. I couldn¡¯t see my caring father often but I still had my mother who gave me a tarot card and looked at me lovingly every time we were together. I was very young at that time and couldn¡¯t remember many things, but we had a great time traveling together and eating delicious food. There were only good people around me. I couldn¡¯t get rid of myughter because I was surrounded with so much love. Until the day darkness swallowed the world. Memories after being driven into a witch came to mind. I was also reminded of one time when a huge stone had been tied to my feet and I was abandoned in the bottom of the river, struggling in the water and forced to drink it over and over again whenever I opened my mouth for a breath. When I looked down at myself, I was covered with terrible wounds; burning marks, small pins from being trapped in a nail box, and mutted wounds with swords. Countless scenes haunted me. The phantom pain from each of them made me shudder. This is why I tried to bury everything deep down. I sank into the water. For it all to get quiet. To break away from my thoughts. The water brought by the young man turned blood-red when I washed my clothes in it roughly. The old rotting stench reeked badly. But I felt a little clean and refreshed. After throwing out the water, I sat back against the wall. That¡¯s how I began to wait. For the young man toe. Pleasee back. It took him long to appear again this time. The young man who came back was still white and red. His young face remained intact, but it was different from before. While he was growing up like this, I remained the same. But that time felt horribly long. The young man said with a look of surprise at the sight of my clean self. ¡°You finally epted what I gave you.¡± It was emaciatedpared to before. There was a shadow on his ever-bright face. I was also distressed. I had a hard time waiting for the young man toe back. How can you tell a witch who forgot the time to wait? The short time I spent after meeting the boy felt slower and more boring than the long time I had spent before meeting the boy. Because he made me feel the flow of time. It was all because he woke my previously dead self up. I¡¯m tired. I want to stop now. I approached the young man and pulled his sword out. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s enough now, please kill me.¡± Like an angel, he was fit to kill a witch. The young warrior had grown up and had to drive out the darkness. He had to give me eternal rest. ¡°What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± ¡°You hade to kill me.¡± ¡°No. I can¡¯t kill you.¡± He told me with a puzzled look on his face. I approached him and gave him his sword. Kill me, please. Let¡¯s get it over with. I held the young man¡¯s hand in silence and put it right on my heart. It happened in a sh. There was not a moment of hesitation. A faint groan came out of his tightly packed teeth. Hisrge red eyes contained the image of a terrible witch. It seemed like he was either being burned at the stake, or howled in the depths of hell. ¡°Hey¡­ hey! Hey!¡± My arm, which was holding the young man¡¯s hand, began to lose strength and sat on the floor. The urgent call of the young man was heard, but was gradually getting distant. If you were the light to drive out the darkness, I wouldn¡¯t have to open my eyes anymore. I hope my time ends like this. * When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was darkness. A shuddering darkness that swallowed the world, swallowed the people I loved, and soon swallowed me. I was cursed and it was no use trying to escape the darkness. I had to spend endless time alone in the dark until the light came and drove me away. The loved ones left a long time ago, and the people I had been associated with always left before me, and the world, tired of war and the invading monsters, turned its arrows on me. Because I was a witch. The pain was terrible, but what made it even harder for me was the fact that I was always left alone. The warriors who came to kill me died before I did. How long should I suffer this pain? ¡°Are, are you up? Are you all right?¡± I was still blinking, and I heard an urgent voice. And soon, light was blurring my vision. The white hair and red eyes were like the sun rising in the dark. The young man¡¯s eyes seemed to be shaking, but eventually he shed tears. He almost sobbed as if it was difficult to control his pent-up emotions. ¡°I thought you were going to die. I was afraid you¡¯d die. I thought you were going to die because of me, and I thought I killed you.¡± The young man¡¯s tears fell on my face. They felt lukewarm to the touch, but soon they got cold. My face got wet and I had the illusion that I was crying. When was thest time I cried? I can¡¯t even remember. Oh, I thought this young man was the light that was going to drive out the darkness. Even though he was gradually losing his light, I still thought that he could kill me. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t it. Because I¡¯m alive again now. I searched my memory to see if I had stopped before I stabbed my heart by mistake or hesitation, but the feeling of the sword that was digging through my chest came to me vividly. I¡¯ve done it once or twice, and I couldn¡¯t have made a mistake. I certainly put the sword in my heart and it was the hand of a young man that held it, though he didn¡¯t mean it. If this young man is not the light, who will kill me? I looked at the young man crying sadly. He was much bigger than when I first saw him, but he was still young. No, he looked young. His crying face was that of a boy without a soul. I was about to apologize, but I closed my mouth. I was sorry to have made a weak and kind young man do this, but unlike the young man who lived a short life, I had yet another eternity to spend. It was resentful and hopeless to make me think of hope or light. It wasn¡¯t enough for him to shake me up, he also failed to save me. I thought that he could kill me, that he could finally bring my time to an end, but he only made me feel the flow of time even more. This rapidly growing young man was sure to die earlier than I did. I wanted to stop seeing his face with all it represented now. ¡°Go back.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯te to me again.¡± ¡°Why? What¡¯s wrong?¡± The young man asked back with a look of embarrassment. His face was drenched with tears. It¡¯s strange to see him cry for fear of my death. Emotion surged through me in one wave. This is why I don¡¯t like this young man. He¡¯s going to die anyway. He¡¯s going to leave me again. Why is he shaking me up? ¡°I don¡¯t need you anymore.¡± Waiting only for the warrior that will surely kill the witch, I said in a cold voice. ¡°I couldn¡¯t change the present, so the future won¡¯t change either. You die because of me. I kill you.¡± So don¡¯te out from hiding. Never show up in front of me again. Live a happy life in a safe ce in your own way. Don¡¯t look for the forgotten witch. Chapter 6 CHAPTER 6 Trantor & editor : Cuties Ten frail sheets of paper were lined up on the table. But, the dust that had been piled up on them was gone because the boy cleaned it off. There were no spider webs hanging under the table either; the boy cleaned those up too. The boy has be a young man, and has not visited me since the day I found out that he was not the warrior who could kill me. Quite a lot of time has passed. It was just horrible for me to think that I still had more time to pass this way. When I turned a card over, the picture of death was revealed. The future was not going to change either because we couldn¡¯t change the present. I know the future but I couldn¡¯t change it. The young man had no choice but to change it himself. I didn¡¯t know when my future wasing. When will the light that will give me eternal reste? How long do I have to wait like this? How long do I have to repeat this terrible time? After organizing the cards, I sat against the wall. It was all right to go back to the way it was. I had to be so dead, forgetting the time, thinking nothing like before I met the boy. I lie on the floor and permeate into the endless darkness. * ¡°Why do you keep pushing me away?¡± The warmth I felt on my cheeks woke me up with a jolt. The young man¡¯s white face was too close. I was so surprised that I tried to escape, but there was a wall behind my back that I couldn¡¯t move. Hot breaths dispersed through the young man¡¯s lips filled with the smell of alcohol. ¡°Why¡­ why do you keep trying to die?¡± Why won¡¯t you let me die when I¡¯m not even alive? And in fact, the young man¡¯s words weren¡¯tpletely sensible because even if I tried to die, I couldn¡¯t, so he didn¡¯t even have to worry about my dying. I turned my head away from the young man¡¯s red eyes. His hand swept down my hair. My flesh shriveled with goose bumps. But the hair he was fumbling with came down to cover my face and neck so I had no choice but to remove his hand. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were this young. I was scared at first, and then I couldn¡¯t recognize it because you were covered in ck things. But now I see you¡¯re younger than me.¡± ¡°You must have forgotten that I am a witch.¡± This young man seemed to forget that I was a witch, though he had been doing that for a while. My time stopped when darkness swallowed the world, just when I was about to be an adult. But the days of my life were immeasurable. I was alive before this young man was born, even before his parents were born, and was going to live even after the young man died. When I first met him, he was a young boy, but now he is a decent young man, and soon he will grow old alone and be dirt. Unlike me. ¡°Yes, witch. This is the tower where the witch is locked up.¡± The young man gave a self-deprecating smile. At first, this young man hade to kill me, a witch. However, starting from a certain point, he tried to save me, and now he tells her not to die. It was beyond myprehension. The young man, who was once a warrior, was trying to save the witch the world was trying to kill. ¡°But you¡¯re really pitiful and affectionate.¡± A young man who was once a warrior was now sympathetic to the witch. I didn¡¯t know whether to be happy or sad. So far no one has sympathized with me. They never tried to find the reason for living an eternal life, nor did they ever stoping up with more ways to kill me. They just branded me as a witch whoid a curse on the world. ¡°And beautiful.¡± The young man was even saying the witch was beautiful. Seeing my skin badly distorted by wounds, my hair and eyes resembling the darkness that drove the world into pain. The eyes of an angelic young man seemed to see the world differently. As a witch, I can¡¯t even imagine how it looked through his eyes. My appearance was so disgusting that I was better off covering my whole body with rotten blood, which smelled bad. I couldn¡¯t find my former self. ¡°Look at me.¡± The young man forced me to turn my head, but I was not confident enough to see myself reflected in his eyes, so I held my head down stubbornly. But I was soon confused by what I heard next. ¡°I love you.¡± It threw me off guard. The young man smiled at my visible surprise. Whenever his body shook, his white hair also disturbed my vision. I had to doubt my ears. Maybe my ears were broken. No, maybe this young man in front of me was a figment of my imagination. There was no other exnation for what I heard just now. It must have been a series of lucid dreams since the first time he aimed his sword at me. At some point, I created the angel that I desperately wanted. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Really?¡± What? That you¡¯re from my imagination? Are you asking whether I had believed you were real this whole time? Are youughing at me for being crushed by a mere phantom? ¡°I¡¯ve never forgotten you since the first time I first saw it. I tried to disregard it, but it was hard. I kept thinking about you without realizing it, and eventually I came. The more I met you, the more I tried to ignore you, the better I liked you. To the point of madness.¡± I couldn¡¯t get myself together. The hand of the young man which was sweeping my hair grabbed me by the back of my neck and pulled me hard and led me right in front of his face. His breath felt hotter. I lowered my gaze and tried not to look into his eyes. This is my fantasy. I ended up going crazy. I spent a long time alone, and I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I created a fantasy. If I don¡¯t get back to reality now, I¡¯ll suffer forever. But the moment the young man buried his face in my shoulder, I couldn¡¯t fool myself anymore. He was hot and solid. This young man was alive and breathing. It wasn¡¯t my imagination. ¡°I understand you. I want to be with you. Don¡¯t push me away.¡± My body trembled at the young man¡¯s whispers. Understand me? You? Is the young man who was once a warrior saying he understands the witch? Has the man who came to kill me,e to love me instead? A witch who is terrible, ugly, dirty, and makes the world groan in pain? Is this another curse given to me? ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You understand me?¡± I pushed the young man hard. As the warmth went away, I felt momentarily cold. It was always like this, though I never thought it was cold, but now I did. It was because of the young man in front of me. He shook everything I was used to. I tore off the clothes covering my neck. The cool air caressed my neck following the ripping sound. The young man, who showed signs of embarrassment for a moment, soon opened his eyes wide. Then he reached out his hand. ¡°The wounds¡­¡± He looked shocked when he saw the wounds on my body that had previously been covered by my hair and clothes. The wounds always healed by themselves, leaving only traces, but new wounds kept adding up to old ones to create terrible shapes. My face hidden in the darkness was simr. It was just less than the rest of my body. ¡°This is what humans did.¡± The young man, reaching out to my neck, hesitated. His hands got suspended in the air. ¡°You¡¯re human, too.¡± Eventually, he withdrew his hand. The young man¡¯s lips opened for a while as if he had something to say, but then they closed up. I spoke without taking my eyes off his lips. ¡°When I see you, I think of the events of those days. The sight of your eyes reminds me of the pain of burning.¡± I remembered the faces of men who caused me pain and the days when I cried endlessly. It shook me, who was as dead as I could possibly be in the dark; to bring all that had sunk deep into my memory to the surface. The hair reminiscent of snow, the eyes reminiscent of the sun, and the face of a young man like sunshine reminded me of happy days. It troubled me by reminding me of the happiness that I could never go back to, and that I could never have again no matter how I desperately wished to. The young man covered his face with his hands. I didn¡¯t know whether it was to stop me from seeing him, or to stop him from seeing me. ¡°And you will die earlier than I will. I will have to spend a long time alone again. You remind me of all my memories and emotions, and you slow down my endless time, and, most of all, you leave. With only satisfied. You don¡¯t think about me who¡¯ll be left behind. Is that what you call understanding me?¡± The young man still didn¡¯t understand me. No, it was better to say that he didn¡¯t even mean to understand me. He only thought from his point of view, he never considered my excruciating situation. That¡¯s why he kepting and shaking me. ¡°If you understand me, don¡¯te back again. Don¡¯t show up in front of me. It¡¯s better for me to wait like the dead as I always have until the warrior who¡¯s going to kill me appears.¡± I couldn¡¯t stand being alive. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± The young man eventually left and I was left alone in the dark. Chapter 7 CHAPTER 7 Trantor & editor : Cuties It¡¯s been quite a while since then. I came to count the bells ringing at the time every day. And I got lost in many dreams. I kept thinking of scenes that I couldn¡¯t tell whether they were from memory or imagination, and now I hummed songs that I couldn¡¯t even remember their lyrics. It was unclear what the young man wanted, but if it was to make the witch even more unhappy then he has done so sessfully. The countless hours I spent trying to make myself forget the time have all gone to waste. Just like when I first got trapped in the tower, I felt every passing of each minute and they dragged on and on. I couldn¡¯t tell exactly how much time had passed because I a few bells, and I had to start counting them from zero again because I often forgot what number I was at. In fact, it was a very insignificant amount of time for me, that keeping track of it felt as useless as counting sand on a beach. And yet, the reason I tried to count the bells was because I wanted to imagine the young man¡¯s time. I counted each day because I wanted to know how he would have changed, what he would look like now, and how he would change in the future. The young man was certainly crueler than any warrior I had ever met. He made me repeat the terrible punishment I had received for being a witch that I tried to ignore. No, maybe the sky that sent such a warrior to a witch is the cruelest. ¡°Witch.¡± ¡°Why are you being like that?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it unfair?¡± ¡°You¡¯re affectionate and¡­¡± ¡°¡­I love you.¡± Whether this echo was a dream or an auditory hallucination, I did not know, but it bothered me, and I curled up because of the afterimage that haunts me both when my eyes are closed and open. It¡¯s no use burying my face or covering my ears with my hands and putting my knees up. The young warrior who came to the lonely me has been an unbearable punishment which was strangling me. Many things that had been dead in me began to shake and wake up because of the young man who saw a woman in my inhuman self who had given up on being human. When will they sink again? Since the day I was trapped in the tower, I haven¡¯t been able to kill myself for a long time, but I¡¯m already overwhelmed by the fact that I have to repeat that time again. I couldn¡¯t breathe because I was frustrated. Still, I don¡¯t die. When will this curse be lifted? ¡°Witch.¡± ¡°I miss you.¡± ¡°I miss you, I said.¡± ¡°I miss you so much.¡± I had barely fallen asleep when I suddenly opened my eyes thinking that I heard the voice of the young man. But there was nothing around me. There was nothing but darkness, as always. But it felt different from usual. Something was more shady and cold. My fingertips trembled with anxiety. I got up and approached the wooden table. I could see the cards neatly ced on it. Since the young man¡¯s departure, I have been trying not to even look at them, so a pile of white dust gathered on them before I knew it. I lifted them in a hurry, and they scattered around. I pulled out a card, and then turned it over. For a moment I forgot to breathe. Again. Mix, then flip. Again. Again. And again. But no matter how many times I repeated this useless action, it was the same card. My trembling hand eventually dropped the card. The cards on the floor came into view through the white dust they left in the air around. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off them for a while and then turned around. I knew I¡¯d regret it, but I couldn¡¯t stop walking even though I knew it was irreversible. The upside-down cards, whether by ident or fate, were nk. Nothing was drawn. There was no future. * The smell of blood stung my nose. It¡¯s been a while since Ist saw the moonlight or felt the night breeze, but I didn¡¯t even have time to care. My eyes were fixed on the man sitting in front of me. The young man, exposed by the permeated moonlight, was covered with blood, making it impossible to recognize his former self. As I approached him a little more, he raised his head, perhaps feeling my presence. He tried to open his swollen eyes and eventually seeded. He raised the corners of his ripped lips and smiled. ¡°Did you¡­ hear¡­ My call?¡± He said every word separately, mixed with heavy intakes of breath. When I thought of the young man who was struggling with his voice, I bit my lips with a stinging pain in my heart. I remembered the poison I had taken before. The insides of my body were hot, bitter, shaken and melted. It felt just like that. The young man¡¯s body trembled little by little. At that moment, I took a step forward, realized that he was smiling and halted. Youugh? How can youugh? I¡¯m confused because it looks so iprehensible. ¡°you came out¡­ so easily¡­ Yet they said that they had you locked up¡­ and were happy with themselves for it¡­ Without knowing that you¡¯re the one who shut yourself in¡­¡± Is that funny? What¡¯s important about that in this situation? Those words only consumed away the rest of his strength. The young man, coughing as if talking was too much effort, spat out a mouthful of blood. It was a familiar sight. As I stood still without saying anything, the young man who looked up and stared at me continued. ¡°So¡­ this is how you must¡¯ve suffered¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t stand it, so I finally opened my mouth. ¡°I told you you were going to die for me, and I warned you not to get involved anymore.¡± ¡°You¡­ you already knew this was gonna happen, right?¡± I knew. The future of the young man had been clear since the day he came to find me as a young warrior. So I told him to run away. ¡°Don¡¯te to me, don¡¯t think of me, live a life that has nothing to do with me.¡± Because I¡¯m the reason the young man dies. However, he ended up dying before my eyes. It was because of me. If it wasn¡¯t for me¡­ ¡°It¡¯s all right, it¡¯s my choice.¡± Why are you making me suffer so much? I was already distressed by you. How hard will it be for me from now on? Just why? ¡°I had missed you¡­ Thank you foring to see me.¡± The young man was dying for me, but he was thanking me. While panting and frowning with pain, he didn¡¯t erase the smile that came up around his mouth. ¡°I wish I could live forever. Without leaving your side.¡± The young man bowed his head and spoke with difficulty, as if holding back his tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ve been selfish to the end¡­ Still¡­ if I were born again, I¡¯de to see you then. I want to.¡± Tears rolled down my cheeks. I couldn¡¯t tell how long it¡¯s been since Ist shed tears. They were still as hot and damp as I remembered them. I couldn¡¯t bear it because I was suffocating and my heart ached. ¡°You already knew, didn¡¯t you? That I woulde to love you.¡± I already knew the young man¡¯s future. So I tried to force him away. I thought it would be like this, too. Light had to drive away darkness, but darkness swallowed it. I tried, but I couldn¡¯t change my destiny. Destiny was so cruel to me. ¡°If, if my death could really release the curse, I would die a hundred times over.¡± My voice was quivering thinly. ¡°I know it¡¯s not because of you. So don¡¯t kill yourself anymore. Because I was happy to meet you¡­¡± Why? Why exactly did you take it this far? I am the witch the world points fingers at, the witch who has taken away the precious person of the young man, and the witch who only has a terrible appearance and stench. If it is really fate, is this also the deity¡¯s will? For me and you, the choice didn¡¯t exist from the beginning. Was the deity able to easily fool the hearts of the young warrior and the witch? Was an existence that I had never felt moving us along the thread of fate? The faintly smiling young man began to gasp loudly. But soon he jabbed out hisst words. ¡°¡­I love you.¡± At the end of his remark, he stopped breathing. The surroundings were still. Only then did I feel the cool wind, the moonlight that had seeped in. The young man¡¯s time had stopped and it was clear that my time in the future would stop again. But it was clear to me that my time which has once again stopped, would feel more excruciating than before. ¡°I already knew, so I tried, but it didn¡¯t work.¡± I approached the already quiet young man and said, Even though I already knew there could be no answer, I couldn¡¯t bear it otherwise. His white hair was dyed red. The white face and eyshes were also stained with red blood. That wasn¡¯t the red I wanted to see. I wanted to see the brilliant, warm, burning red eyes. The eyes that embraced the light, the sun, hope, love, and brilliant colors. Human life is fleeting. It crumbles too easily. Even though I knew it well, I wanted to see the dazzling red eyes again, and I regretted that I did not properly look at them before. I have been trying so hard not to have regrets, and even those efforts were bing regretful. Now I didn¡¯t know how or what to do in the future. If this is the deity¡¯s will, then what do you want from me? I sat down and reached out to the young man. He was still warm. I¡¯m still as I am, but why have you changed so much? Why can¡¯t I change your death, or even follow you in it? I looked around, but there was no one. No one was saddened by the death of the young man. It was no different from me who had been locked up hoping to die. I was unbearably sad when I thought I would always be this lonely and mncholy. I eventually fell on the young man¡¯s body and let out an endless stream of tears. Chapter 8 CHAPTER 8 Trantor & editor : Cuties I couldn¡¯t mend my broken body and mind even after I went back to the tower. In fact, they only copsed more. The tower was filled with the young man¡¯s traces; even the nt which stubbornly pushed up in the dark corner reminded me of him. The man who brought you into this world is gone, yet why are you so desperately trying to blossom? This ce has no sun to shine down on you, no wind to caress you, no clean water to flow through you, so why are you squeezing your everything into bloom? It won¡¯t be long before you also copse anyway in this ce deprived of warmth. It was as if I was looking at the young man. It reminded me of his resilience when he, too, looked fragile enough to fall at any moment. There was not much water left, and it didn¡¯t even suit me to take care of a nt. I¡¯ll have no choice but to watch its flowers wither and die as I watched the young man¡¯s life do. It was the obvious thing. It couldn¡¯t have lived long anyway. Having spent so long a time, I thought that this would be no different from what I went through before, but that was just my illusion. I only btedly realized that the hours I spent with the young man were like snow melting under the bright sun. Like the seed that bloomed inside the tower, the warrior nted a small seed in the witch¡¯s heart and it eventually blossomed. I could no longer bear the darkness swallowing me and everything I loved, or the warriors that hade to kill me, and was engulfed in darkness. Please, I shouted, pleading for death to im me, but no one listened. I wanted to go back to the time from before the young man has shaken me, but I couldn¡¯t. If I could really curse anyone, I wanted to pour all the curses I could on the deity who made me this way. I thought it would be better to wait quietly for the world to copse and my death alone in a ce where there is nothing. But I lost the power to do that which made me resentful. What on earth did I do wrong? What do you want from me? There was no future for me anymore. The young man who was the light to my darkness and key to my eternal rest disappeared along with my future. But what am I supposed to do when I just followed the fate the deity has set? I pushed so hard to change the fate of the young man and tried not to be swallowed by the darkness, and eventually stabbed myself with the sword in his hand. Nevertheless, fate remained unchanged and the youth¡¯s future remained the same, and eventually swallowed by darkness, and eternal rest returned to him. If the light the divination referred to was really him, then I would have died by the sword he wielded. And he should have survived and driven out the darkness. If he was my light and he died, then how can I change the future and find eternal rest? Did everything go wrong the moment the young warrior didn¡¯t kill me at first sight and came to love me instead? I felt like I was going crazy, but the deity didn¡¯t even allow me to go crazy and time went on no matter what I was doing. Asleep or awake, my eyes opened or closed, I was always in the dark and only the asional ringing of the bell would tell me that the world was still going well. As I was just lying still and killing my thought, I heard a voice from somewhere. ¡°Witch! Where are you, witch!¡± I had no power left to greet more visiting warrior, so I was lying still. The owner of the voice shouted loudly, as if he had finally arrived at his destination. ¡°Witch! I will kill you and release the curse!¡± At the moment, a crazy idea urred to me. I opened my eyes with difficulty and looked at the visitor. Then burst outughing at the fact that the ridiculous idea had be a reality. I guess I¡¯m finally crazy. The young warrior, with white hair and red eyes, was very nervous, pointing a short sword at me. I burst into endlessughter at the vivid hallucinations. Soon after, the imaginary warrior seemed to get offended and then angry. ¡°Are you ignoring me? Do you ignore me because I¡¯m young, witch!¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a little happy.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d I was finally allowed to go crazy. I¡¯m d to see the young warrior again, even if it is only through imagination. Will you stay by my side without dying this time? Until I die, or until another warrior shows up to kill me.¡± You won¡¯t die until I do. So I¡¯m d. Was I really that pitiful? I can¡¯t believe I have been given such a gift. I raised myself up. My body was drained of any strength, but I moved it stubbornly. As I crawled slowly, the young warrior waved his sword this way and that frightened. ¡°S, stay away!¡± I was a little disappointed and grumbled because I wasn¡¯t meaning to send the boy away or hurt him. I was just really happy and excited to see him again. ¡°Why are you rejecting me? You said you loved me.¡± ¡°Are you crazy? You¡¯ve been locked up for so long that I guess it¡¯s made you go off your rocker!¡± Yes I¡¯ve gone crazy. It¡¯s none other than you who drove me crazy, boy. I reached out my hand and cut myself with the sword wielded by the young warrior. Perhaps surprised, the boy stepped back and I too was mesmerized for a moment, looking at my bloodstained fingers. ¡°It hurts.¡± The boy answered the mutter without realizing it. He looked clearly embarrassed. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re too close! I told you not toe near me!¡± I also couldn¡¯t hide my bafflement. No matter how wild of an imagination I had, this is just so vivid. Is this also one of my hallucinations? Is pain only part of my imagination? Does your imaginatione alive if you go crazy? I couldn¡¯t understand the situation now, so I looked up and stared at the boy. The bewildered eyes were like the big, twitching sun. They were the same eyes I regretted not having properly looked at before. They were so vivid that I felt like he came back to live. Suddenly I felt something strange. I couldn¡¯t see the things that were supposed to be where the boy stood. When I turned my eyes, all the water bottles, books, rotten food, and nts that the boy had brought were gone. Is this also imagination? The surroundings reminded me of the day when I first met the boy? ¡°Are you a phantom?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? I can¡¯t believe my brother died because of this crazy witch. Give me my brother back! Bring him back!¡± I managed grab a hold of my senses at the sight of the young warrior in tears. Then I reached out and grabbed the boy¡¯s hand. Caught off guard, the boy, whose eyes were wide open, trembled. He seemed to be embarrassed by the situation that he couldn¡¯t understand. So was I. What is this warm body temperature that I feel in my hands? What is this softness? I made this up in my imagination. Really? ¡°W, witch. What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Frightened, the boy asked with a voice close to tears. He did not radiate the image of the strong and angry boy from before. I held the boy in my arms in a hurry. At the moment, the boy who was distressed by the terrible stench came up and hurriedly took it off, but he still stood still with a scared and perplexed look on his face. ¡°Am I dreaming? Or¡­¡± Maybe you had a dream. The boy then replied. ¡°I wish it was a dream, too. Witch, my brother¡¯s dead. What am I gonna do now?¡± The boy eventually burst into tears and something burst through my heart as his tears fell onto my hand. There was no way to know whether I was dreaming, imagining, waking up from a dream, or returning to the past because I couldn¡¯t know the flow of time. It was all mixed up, iprehensible, and hard to believe. And I didn¡¯t know whether I should like the current situation or not. Really, what do I do? Tears streamed from my eyes as well. Chapter 9 CHAPTER 9 Trantor & editor : Cuties When I flipped the deck of cards, the future was back again. Light will set the darkness aside, and give me eternal rest. The future of the young warriors was also back. I couldn¡¯t understand, but I decided to believe this situation. That I woke up from a long dream. As I often had precognitive dreams before, I also saw the future this time. It was a horribly long and vivid dream, but it¡¯s so small and insignificant price to pay for seeing the future. Compared to the time I¡¯ve actually spent, this dream was nothing. And I decided to think calmly because there must be a reason for me to go through this. I used to tell the future through fortune-telling and my foresight, but not to this extent. I could never tell what changes were going to be enticed by my choices, exactly what the consequences were going to be, and what my future, not others¡¯, was like. After the young man died, my future had disappeared. Which meant that the light that the divination referred to, was indeed him. I kept fighting and pushing so that I wouldn¡¯t be swallowed up by the darkness, but it didn¡¯t work and my efforts did not change the future, which could only mean that my method was wrong. Nevertheless, being able to see the future meant that there was a way. It meant that I still had options left. One only option, in fact. Protecting the young warrior. I had no choice but to take care of him so that he could not die until his light grew and he led the darkness away. Instead of pushing him away, I had to keep him by my side and watch over him. The witch trapped in the tower decided to raise the young warrior. Until he grew up and brought the darkness to an end. ¨C ¨C ¨C T/N : This short chapter marks the end of the first volume. There are 4 more to go. I hope you enjoyed the novel so far ^^ Chapter 10 CHAPTER 10 Trantor & editor : Cuties I was crouching in the dark, thinking of countless things. It was unbing of me who always tried to kill my thoughts, my mind, and my time. But now that I have something more important than that, I couldn¡¯t help it. It was the young warrior whom I suddenly met again. I couldn¡¯t get myself together for a while because the boy I thought I¡¯d never see again appeared in front of me. There was no distinction between what was a dream and what was real. It was too long and clear before to be a dream, and it is too vivid now to be a dream now. The inside of the damp, dark tower was the same as it has been before I met the boy. There was nothing but a few items that were covered in cobwebs and dust and smelled bad with rotten blood, and the rotting and ragged furniture. There was no trace of the food, books, daily necessities, and water that the boy had been regrly bringing with him in his spare moments as he grew to a young man. Not that they had disappeared, but as if they had never existed in the first ce. The time I spent with the boy disappeared into thin air. I can¡¯t read my future, nor can I know how it changes following the choices I make, but I don¡¯t understand why I¡¯vee to experience such an ordeal. The bell still rang at the same time every day and I wondered whether it was an echo from an old memory, or if I was hearing it for the first time. But I soon came to the conclusion that it didn¡¯t matter. I wanted to see the boy¡¯s red eyes and white hair. I was sad that I could never see him again. It was heartbreaking to know that he would note even if I waited and waited. I resent the boy for telling me to wait and then leaving. And I regretted having been too afraid to remember how to feel that I pushed him away. I kept my distance from him in order not to regret it but I ended up having regrets anyway which distressed me greatly. Just as the boy turned into a young man and was swallowed by the darkness, it seems that I also was embraced by the light while watching him. No, in fact, from the first time we met, the witch¡¯s darkness was dispersed by light. I couldn¡¯t forget the white hair and red eyes. I tried to turn away, but it was hard. I kept thinking about the boy without knowing and eventually waited. The more I met the boy, the more I tried to ignore him, the more the light grew. So shouldn¡¯t I be d to be able to face the red eyes of the boy whom I thought would never see again, no matter whether I had a precognitive dream, a return to the past, or a very vivid imagination? Of course, the young man who shook the dead witch all over became a young boy again, but human time was so fast that it was certain that he would grow in an instant. It was rather a pleasure to be able to stand by and protect him while also closely regarding his changes which I haven¡¯t fully taken note of before. What I¡¯m worried about now isn¡¯t whether this is a dream or not, the present or the past. It¡¯s about how I should protect the young warrior from being swallowed by darkness and facing a miserable fate. How am I supposed to protect the young warrior while trapped in a tower? I¡¯m not actually locked up. I can always get away if I want. However, I am not confident in facing the world again and facing all the memories and yearnings that I have buried. Most of all, how can a warrior trust and follow me? Not the young man you said he loved me. A young warrior who hates witches without knowing anything. The time the boy spent with me vanished into thin air and his feelings remained as the same the day we first met. He was the young warrior who held out the sword with his trembling little hand, saying, ¡°The reason I lost my precious one is because of the witch¡¯s curse.¡± To keep such a young warrior by my side as a witch? How can that be? And what is the way to grow the light inside him without having him get swallowed up by darkness? I took out my cards because I felt frustrated with the questions that I couldn¡¯t answer. This, too, was better than staying still, although it did not show details. Each card that flipped over had the same thing as if warning me not to cross into the realm of deities, but that didn¡¯t bother me. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I turned my head to the direction or the sudden voice. The young warrior is leaning against the wall and looking at me. I¡¯m so used to the look. The boy, who has grown a little taller and a little beefier,es close, frowning his eyebrows, as if he doesn¡¯t like me looking at him without answering. I still couldn¡¯t find anything to do about the situation, but so much of the boy¡¯s time was already gone. My mind is in a hurry. I know there¡¯s still a lot of time left, but his time is too fast for me. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± The boy¡¯s white hair stretched out like a snowfield as he bent down in front of me. I tucked the hair blocking my view and scanned his sun-white face and red eyes. The boy looked at me, too, as if my reaction was strange to him, but I did not avoid the ming red-eye. When I continuously stared, the boy hurriedly turned his eyes. I thought maybe he wouldn¡¯te. Having embraced the boy who hade visit me for the first time and then crying so much, I thought he might have been frightened by the strange and bizarre look of the witch, but the young warrior appeared just like the imagination I had drawn. Still looked like an angel who came down to punish me. The boy fiddled with the cards with an awkward look, perhaps ashamed of me staring at him. Only then did I recall that he had asked me a question. I¡¯ve kept my gaze on him for a long time because I¡¯ve never actually seen him properly. ¡°I¡¯m reading tarot.¡± The boy asked me the same question again. ¡°Can we see the future with this?¡± The boy¡¯s blooming red flower-like, hot-boiling blood-like, sunset-like eyes that embrace the world affectionately fixed me, but I answered, not avoiding it. ¡°If it were your future.¡± The boy was still as curious as I remembered him. No, he must have just looked curious to me because I¡¯ve long since forgot about human interactions. ¡°My future? How is it?¡± I answered. ¡°You are the light that will save the world.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes were wide open as if my words were surprising. It may be natural to distrust a witch who tells a warrior that he¡¯s going to save the world. Especiallying from the same witch that the world is after. ¡°Lies.¡± I answered as I arranged the cards. ¡°It¡¯s true. You drive out the darkness and save the world.¡± ¡°Why would you tell me that? Then it¡¯s bad for you.¡± The boy¡¯s question made my hand hesitate to organize the cards. It¡¯s not a bad thing. I deserve to be happy. But the young warrior now did not know that I was desperate for death. Because I never begged to be killed before him. Yet. If he finds out that I desperately want to die, he will either stop me like before or turn away, saying, ¡°I can¡¯t do anything good for a witch.¡± But the little boy understood what I meant. ¡°You are the darkness; you¡¯re talking about me killing you, right now. Why are you telling me that?¡± I couldn¡¯t answer for a long time before I managed to open my mouth. ¡°Because the world needs light. Because it¡¯s time to stop.¡± I continued to stare at the boy who, by his turn, cast bewildered eyes in my direction. ¡°I need you, young warrior.¡± Changing the present changes the future. The fact that I wanted death, that my death was solely in the hands of the warrior, showed the concealed bright future of the young warrior. Instead of the death the cards foresaw as his future, I told the future of the warrior I will make it. The boy turned away after a silent stare for a while as if he thought the witch was crazy. I looked down at the cards I was holding. And flipped the card that meant death at the top. The light the divination signifies must be this boy. He was a warrior who would drive out the darkness and give me eternal rest. I¡¯ll change the present of the young warrior. So the future I saw would prove that it was just a nightmare. The witch will be the shadow of the young warrior and stay by his side. ¨C¨C¨C T/N : We started volume 2 everyone yay! It has 20 something chapters. Happy reading! Chapter 11 CHAPTER 11 Trantor & editor : Cuties After sending the boy away like that, I sat back against the wall and looked at the dreary darkness. At one point, the floor wavered and another darkness appeared anew. Although it was no different from the one engulfing the inside of the tower, it was clearly distinguishable as another kind of darkness. And the new darkness, which took a human form, seeped back into the floor and faded away. After looking at the emaciated darkness for a while, I closed my eyes and began to empty my mind. There was nothing difficult about it because it had been a constant task until I met a young warrior. However, there was a new hesitation this time around. I¡¯m scared. I don¡¯t know exactly what¡¯s scary. Am I afraid that everything I¡¯ve built so far will fall apart? Or am I just not confident enough to look at it? Am I worried that the darkness might never leave me or that I might go back to wanting to die soon? ¡°But I can¡¯t do anything at this rate.¡± Determined to protect the young warrior, I had to hover around him. At least I had to know what I didn¡¯t know, what was going on around the boy, and how he would change in the future. Only then could I find a way. Knowing his present would change the future. And to do that, I had to follow the young warrior. I began to look at the world through the darkness that I had just dispersed. But what I see in front of me was not the damp, dreary interior of the tower as usual. I could see the endless steps. And I saw the back of the young warrior going down the stairs. The stairs were steep and messy, as if they were not made to be used, and the asionally staggered while difficultly to descending. Each time he tripped, the boy clicked his tongue, displeased. I followed behind and looked at the boy. The white hair was stained with a dull grayish color, and the surroundings were all dark and hazy. The boy walked a little faster and I got a little closer just in case I missed him. Whatever he felt, the boy stopped walking and looked back. The boy¡¯s red eyes also looked gray, close to ck. The world I am looking at now was made up of only ck and gray. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The boy¡¯s cry echoed and hovered for a long time. The boy, who had been standing still for a while, moved again and I followed suit. The steps made of the same stone that molded the inside of the tower, continued for a long time before they ended. But there was nothing at the end of the stairs. No doorway or windows. Just like up where I¡¯m staying, there¡¯s only a wall of stone. As if too obvious, the boy standing in front of the wall crouched down and began to kick a stone. Every time the boy¡¯s small feet connected, the stone began to slide little by little and light permeated through them. I took a breath for a moment without realizing it. It¡¯s just a light gray sun that doesn¡¯t shine and doesn¡¯t feel warm, but it looks blurry and hazy enough to make it feel darker than the boy¡¯s hair, but I¡¯m not confident of getting out of the tower and going through that shining light. I had a ridiculous idea that it might melt me away. While I was hesitating, the boy seeded in pushing out a stone and a space emerged for the little boy to barely get in and out. And contrary to my expectation that he could get out right away, vines full of sharp thorns blocked the boy¡¯s way. The boy casually reached out to clean up the prickly vines. The thorn vines inflicted minor wounds on the boy¡¯s hands and arms, but even so his expression remained unchanged. And as soon as it was organized enough to get out of, he held out his upper body without hesitation. The untidy vines scratched the boy¡¯s face and body. Bloodstained thorns came into his eyes. I was reminded of the young man who had also beening in and out using the same method. While I was hesitating, the boy went outside, licked his wounds and began to tuck the stone he had pushed back into ce. Standing motionless until the light that had been seeping in gradually diminished and darkness filled me, I rushed into the stone wall. The boy came to me despite the thorns, walls and stairs that stood in his way, what am I hesitating about? When I came out, I could see the back of the boy already walking far away. I tried to follow him in a hurry, but I couldn¡¯t. The whole world was covered in bright gray. I can¡¯t look straight, even though it didn¡¯t blind me. Funny enough, the witch¡¯s tower looked so peaceful. The sun was mellowing gently. A light wind shook the nts that had grown long. The smell of grass, clear wind, and warm sunshine were being conveyed to me, who could only use my sight and hearing. The world, even painted ck and gray, looked to beautiful that I stook still for a while. The colorless world slowly began to color. It started from as far as I could see and gradually, colors seeped closer. The blue sky, the white clouds, and the leaves of the dark green nts were disturbing my eyes. The gale tickled my cheek. It also smelled fragrant. I heardughter from somewhere. The girl¡¯s clearugh shook me somehow. I looked back in a hurry, but I could only see a world of ck and gray again. The world that had been painted with the colors that remained in my memory was gone. I looked at the tower where I was locked up. Surrounded by thorn vines, the tower looked like one giant tree. Some flowers were seen poking their faces between the vines to show off their figure, perhaps because the seeds that flew in the wind dug in. Unlike the interior, where everything was dying, the outside of the tower was brimming with new life. Unlike the tower, which had nothing but the past, the world was moving toward the future. I knew it already, but I couldn¡¯t move for a while because it was different from what I saw in person. After barely snapping up, I turned around looking for the boy who was already turning almost invisible. He was covered withrge trees except for a certain part of him. It was a witch¡¯s forest surrounding the witch¡¯s tower. In this huge forest lived monsters growing up feeding on darkness. It was not a ce for humans to enter. While I was in the tower, the forest would have grown bigger and bigger and now I couldn¡¯t even tell how many more monsters were living in it. Besides, there was nothing like a vige around here before I got stuck in the tower. It was not until I crossed a few mountains blocking the forest that I could see where people lived. The young warrior always had to cross this forest to meet the witch. Alone with his small body. But now that we met again, he was crossing them with the witch. The boy may not know, but he was going to be together with me forever. I¡¯ll protect the boy. I found him walking and hurried to catch up. The boy, who was holding a small sword, was very nervous. The scenery around the witch¡¯s tower changed dramatically as we entered the forest as if it were a dream. This ce is not much different from the inside of the tower. It was dark and gloomy and full of death. Most of the trees took roots in sticky mud were rotten, and yet they grew high andrge, so no sunlight coulde in and even small lives couldn¡¯t sprout. ck fog was blocking the view, and not only the signs of wild animals, but also the sound ofmon birds was not heard. The boy walking through it seemed to have a very keen sense and looked around, held his breath, and stopped still. Every now and then, he turned around a little bit, but I was surprised to find out why. The boy was running away in advance, sensing the existence of a distant monster. It was impossible for humans. Monsters used to rush in before humans could even notice because they approached silently with excellent sense of smell. But the boy ran away before the monster¡¯s nose even found him. I didn¡¯t notice it because of theck of touch, but when I looked closely, he was going in the direction of the wind. Moreover, the ck fog around him would not allow ordinary humans to move a step forward, but the boy dug into the forest, as agile as a wild animal. He was a boy who saw me clearly even in a tower that didn¡¯t permeate a single light. Like a witch who is familiar with the darkness and has nothing to worry about. Why didn¡¯t I notice this fact before? The young warrior, whom I thought he was too weak to kill the witch, was born with an appalling gift. I finally learned how a young warrior could pass through the forest of the witch to the witch¡¯s tower. The young warrior was in fact capable of greater things than just killing the witch and removing the darkness. Perhaps the young warrior can save humans who from suffering. He may not just make the darkness retreat, but may light up the world and make everything change. The witch followed the young warrior and began to picture the future he would create. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 12 CHAPTER 12 Trantor & editor : Cuties The forest was wide and there was no end to the road. There was no distinction between day and night, and I couldn¡¯t rx because I couldn¡¯t tell when, where, and what would pop out. However, the boy sometimes sat on a tree that has rotted away and had only its base left, or dug into the ground, blocked the entrance with rotten leaves, and slept for a while. It looked very smart of him to protect his body in the Witch¡¯s Forest. He was also adept at it. It seemed as if he had learned from someone. The boy was still young and visited the witch¡¯s tower only twice. But byparison he seemed to know too well about the witch¡¯s forest and moved freely. His ability to find something still edible among the rotten fruits that were left with nothing but poison was excellent, and he knew exactly where the water was flowing. He was also seen wetting his throat with clean water and cleaning up his surroundings so that his smell wouldn¡¯t remain. He dismantled and took monster carcasses that were long dead, put nts that grew up with strong energy and were either poisonous or medicinal in his pockets. He was not crossing the forest just to meet the witch, it seems. As we moved away from the monster, our journey was getting longer. Tiredness prevailed on the boy¡¯s face. No wonder, he couldn¡¯t rx for a moment. However, he was still inside the forest and was getting anxious because he couldn¡¯t figure out how much longer he had to walk with his bloody, callused feet. I already knew it wasn¡¯t easy toe to the tower of the witch, but I didn¡¯t know it was this far, so I regretted my behavior of having just let the boy walk away previously. And I was grateful that I have a chance to rectify that. How long did he go after me like that? The boy¡¯s steps slowly began to slow down. He was not always ready to run away anyway. Ever since he crossed the mountain, he has not tried to move around as if he would rather stay in the forest. He limped, finally feeling the pain in his feet be unbearable, fell down, and spent time resting for a long time. The sun gradually prated the witch¡¯s forest. Animal cries and bird chirping were heard from afar. The more he walked, the more fresh the trees became and the smaller nts under his feet were raising their heads for sunlight. The ck fog, which had blocked the view, had already disappeared. The sun brightened as if to bless the boy, and the boy¡¯s hair shone dazzlingly as if to respond. Animals were also ying with grass, perhaps not afraid of the little man. A bird resembling the boy¡¯s dark gray eyes came and rested on his shoulders for a while. I think I¡¯m dreaming because it¡¯s so strange, but the boy enjoyed it all as if it were very natural. Unlike me, who was hated by the sun, the boy was shining more and more beneath it. It was a pity that such a dazzling boy had to be eaten by the dark. And suddenly I had a strange feeling that stimted my old memories. I couldn¡¯t figure out what it was, so I stared at the boy and soon realized. The surroundings were filled with sunshine. I could feel the light that looked light gray to me pack together and care for the boy. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off because I thought I was mistaken. But the dispersed sun rays were definitely gathering around the boy. A crazy idea shed through my mind. Light will set the darkness aside. It urred to me that it might not simply mean killing the witch. It was too early to be sure, so I decided to concentrate on watching the boy. Then followed the boy who was walking again. The boy¡¯s pace slowed down even more as he passed the forest. There was a wall at the end of the road where the boy was so hesitant. A change in the boy¡¯s face came from the moment the wall stretched out so long that no end could be seen. He gradually lost his vitality and soon dimmed. I was following him, but I couldn¡¯t feel his presence. He seemed to have killed himself and made himself disappear. I saw in the boy a witch who was trapped in a tower, killing her thoughts, killing her mind, and eventually killing herself. Like the witch trapped in a tower, the boy entered through the city wall with all his emotions gone. No, he was about to enter. ¡°You, you¡¯re back alive! You came back here again!¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. How can hee back?¡± The soldiers, looking down at the forest from on top of the wall, were surprised to find the boy. I was confused as to why it was so unbelievable for them that the boy hase back from the witch¡¯s forest. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯reing to?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t you get out of here right now?¡± The door did not open and the boy just stood there without saying anything. ¡°You¡¯re persistent. You came back alive from the Witch¡¯s Forest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re just so filthy that you don¡¯t even want to eat monsters, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right!¡± The soldiers burst intoughter. However, when the boy showed no response, they lost interest and cursed at him again. ¡°You sick bastard. If you were born under a human mask, shouldn¡¯t you make up for it by seeking to be the prey of a monster? Do you want to live that much?¡± ¡°Even that Vonus, who died trying to save that monster, is pathetic. His body wasn¡¯t even found, was it? He would have been better off if he¡¯d let him die at the time.¡± The boy reacted for the first time. When he raised his head and looked at the soldier who spoke out. The man trembled shallowly and became angry. ¡°You want to kill me too? Huh? Yeah, I¡¯ll dig out those awful red eyes. Those ominous eyes will be thrown out to be birds¡¯ food, and that cursed hair will be burnt, and the remaining four limbs will be thrown into the forest to be food for the monsters. Then you¡¯ll nevere back. The vigers will cheer!¡± Soldiers around him began to stop the man, who had pulled out a sword as if he woulde down immediately. They were also cursing the boy, nodding their heads as if they sympathized with what the angry man said, but stopped him from killing him. ¡°It must be hard, but bear with it. Aren¡¯t you well aware that Lord has been looking for a boy to rece Vonus since his death? Who are you going to send when that monster is gone? Are you going to go instead?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. We also need someone to go in and out of the witch¡¯s forest. It¡¯s not the time yet, so you hang in there a little.¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to rip off soon even if you don¡¯t do it anyway. Why are you in such a hurry?¡± The soldier put back the sword he was holding, though still gant as if it were a little real. And said, spitting. ¡°Those red eye makes me feel dirty. I feel like I¡¯m cursed. You¡¯re an unlucky bastard. It¡¯s disgusting to see you struggling to live. Where do you think this is, crawling back in every time?¡± The boy, with his head downcast, was quietly epting it all. He didn¡¯t get angry, didn¡¯t cry, didn¡¯t get repulsed, I was just listening calmly. Looking at the scene, one soldier, who was grinding his teeth, cried out. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll open the door. Instead, we need to go to the bathroom right now, but there¡¯s no toilet here and we can¡¯t just discharge anywhere, can we?¡± As soon as they realized what the soldier was saying, the surrounding guards quickly formed a sea ofughter. Then, they didn¡¯t hide their joy and added one at a time. ¡°Oh, yes we can¡¯t just do it anywhere.¡± ¡°But I see a toilet hase just in time. Someone must have brought it for us.¡± ¡°Are we supposed to do it there? If I get to relieve my urgent need, I¡¯ll be d to open the door.¡± Still, the boy was just looking down at the floor with his head down. As if epting their suggestion, the soldiers lowered their pants and began to do their business. The liquid pouring from the high walls scattered in all directions by the wind. But thanks to the utmost concentration they aimed with, most of them shot into the boy¡¯s head. It was a dry sky, but the boy was soaked as if he had been hit by the rain alone. The liquid that ran down the boy¡¯s body was weting the floor, and the boy, who was already small, had be infinitely smaller in front of the big wall. The soldiers standing on the walls were huge enough to easily crush such a boy. ¡°Oh, that was refreshing.¡± ¡°Now that we¡¯ve done our business, we can open the door.¡± ¡°You¡¯re bad luck, but I can¡¯t help it. I have to endure your existence a little more.¡± At the end of his sentence, the gate of the wall began to rise. The boy moved slowly. Footprints were drawn clearly wherever his feet touched. I deliberately swept over the boy¡¯s footprint as if to erase them. The boy¡¯s footprints were like blood from the wounds on his heart, so I couldn¡¯t just leave them. Perhaps the reason why the light disappeared from the young warrior was not only because of the witch¡¯s darkness. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 13 CHAPTER 13 Trantor & editor : Cuties As I entered through the gates, I could see the poorly constructed buildings. Originally, this was not a ce for viges. Because it was close to the Witch¡¯s forest and it existed in the deep mountains. However, seeing the far outstretched walls which seemed no end to them, the residents who have settled in them, and the castle built in a high ce. It seemed like a vige newly built out of necessity. I thought it might have needed a defense line because it was in the monster forest. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve been stuck in the tower, but I already knew that humans don¡¯t change easily. Passers-by were all in terrible shape, mostly women. Except for the soldiers I had seen on the wall, there was no man I encountered. But there were so many children. It was not an exaggeration to say that most of the people in this vige were young children. Where did the young men go? And whose children are in the wombs of the pregnant women? Also, who are the fathers of these young children? This was the ce where the country abandoned its excess of people. It was only made out of necessity, and it didn¡¯t matter how the people inside it lived. It was only made in order for the people in the other ces get to buy time when the monsterse across the forest to attack. To do so, many residents were needed. They needed to increase the number of residents in a confined ce and with a limited number of people, yet there were almost no men around. After all, this was a heaven for some and hell for others. I have seen a ce like this before, so I could make a few guesses. The thin and underfed vige women were busy peeping at the boy. Some women ran away far away or even closed windows and even pulled their curtains down as if they saw a monster. It felt pretty much like looking at a kid with the gue, my heart ached for him. ¡°You¡¯re back again. You¡¯re really gross.¡± ¡°How can youe back alive from the Witch¡¯s Forest? Is it true that monsters avoid you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never heard that there¡¯s something that the monster don¡¯t eat¡­¡± The women would think they were whispering inaudibly, but their voices were clearly transmitted by the wind. The whole vige was buzzing as the murmurs were added from ce to ce. Too much talking made it difficult to understand whom was saying what. But there were words that were particrly clear in the midst of it. ¡°Is he really a monster?¡± ¡°Did he really eat his mother and brother who took him in because he is a monster?¡± ¡°No, it was the lord who took his mother and the monsters who took his brother.¡± ¡°So he¡¯s cursed, too. ¡°Yes, of course. That curse made us suffer like this. You shouldn¡¯t have took him in from the beginning, either. Whether he got eaten by monsters or not, we should have thrown them out in the woods.¡± ¡°His mother, who has embraced him, must be heartbroken under the dirt in regret. I told her she shouldn¡¯t have taken him in.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes darted to the women who was talking and ran away in panic. However, she did not forget to utter a pray. ¡°I¡¯m really scared of that look. How could his eyes have such a color? He is most definitely cursed.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let the curse spread to me. I don¡¯t want to die.¡± The boy began to walk again. Contemptuous nces followed his trail throughout the vige. But the boy didn¡¯t change his expression at all. Women used abusivenguage, cursed, and advised their children to stay away from him. And there were those who asionally looked at him with sympathy andpassion. ¡°In the end, it¡¯s because of the witch that only the innocent are dying.¡± ¡°So didn¡¯t you say you kill the witch and it¡¯s over? You went as if you were going to really end her life, so why did you juste back without doing it? That¡¯s the only way for you to live.¡± The only way to live was to dig a dagger deep into my heart. Pushing him to kill the witch by passing the dangerous forest full of monsters and sending him to the dreary tower where the witch was locked up, it was no different from telling the boy to go and die. Knowing that the witch would not die even if killed multiple times, they pretended that it was all for his sake and pushed him to his extremities. And the young warrior who had nothing but hope has really run to answer their beckoning. To kill the witch. Because he knows he has to die if he doesn¡¯t kill the witch. In the end, he would have turned all his arrows toward the witch. The main culprit of everything is the witch. It¡¯s not because of him; it¡¯s because of the witch. So all will be well once he kills her. That was the only way the boy could go on. But in the end, he failed to kill. On the contrary, he was sympathetic to the witch and was eaten away by the witch¡¯s darkness. The boy, who shouted ¡°It¡¯s because of you,¡± questioned whether it was really because of me. He tried to look at the truth, not themon belief that the witch deserved to die. But from the vigers¡¯ point of view, if the boy who was running to kill the witch alwayses back with his body intact, then he is a monster. So he shouldn¡¯t havee to see the witch. Killing the witch was just an excuse to kick the boy out. It had to be either killing or dying. If the warrior who is pushed to kill a witch fails to kill her, then his presence is unnecessary. They could have said that he had an affair with the witch and killed him. Or they could¡¯ve killed him saying he was actually the witch in disguise. If they¡¯re trying to kill him, it doesn¡¯t matter which pretext theye up with. I already knew. I¡¯ve been watching from the day the boy first came. The fate of a young warrior. The fact that it¡¯s either kill or die. If he kills me and change the present, the future will change, and if he doesn¡¯t, the boy will die. So I kept telling him to run away. If you¡¯re not going to kill me, if you can¡¯t, don¡¯te, don¡¯t think of me, live a life that has nothing to do with me. I told him to go hide out in a safe ce. I always shouted at him to run away. But the young warrior didn¡¯t understand me until he became a young man and eventually lost his light. He could have lived if he had run away far away as I said, but he couldn¡¯t. Rather, heforted me, who was feeling sorry for the young man who going to die because of me. It was not because of the witch, but because of his own choice.¡± In fact, I was well aware of why the boy couldn¡¯t get out of here. Because he¡¯s scared. Because he¡¯s not confident of getting out of here. And he can¡¯t get out of thend where his loved ones are buried. I recalled myself in the past when I couldn¡¯t escape being driven into a witch. The young warrior was much like the witch. * The sun was falling before I knew it. I looked, painting the sunset with colors remaining in my memory, though it only seemed to me as a mixture of dark and pale gray. I painted a deep sunset that was warm and sweet. The clouds hovering slowly looked very soft. I thought I¡¯d never see it again, but I ended up facing it like this. I only joined the world through my sight and hearing, but even though it looked blurred and achromatic, the subdued emotions and memories began to bubble up again. I didn¡¯t care much even though I didn¡¯t know how much time it would spend to forget this time. My time will be over before the boy¡¯s time ends anyway. The end that I¡¯ve been hoping for. I¡¯ll make it happen. Oh, the bell is starting to ring. The bell that I heard in the tower was a sound from this vige. But it wasn¡¯t the vige I imagined. There were no children running around with a clearugh and then going back to dinner, and no friendly mothers preparing crispy baked bread, lukewarm heated milk and soft mashed potatoes for such children. No one had a warm and pleasant time. Instead of what seemed like a scene in a fairy tale, there was only a deste vige like the gray sunset I was seeing now. Those who looked exhausted only took a breather, saying, ¡°I barely gone through the day today.¡± However, only merchants who seemed to havee from other ces had light glinting in their eyes. They approached the boy with interest in the items he brought from the forest and bought them with money or food, although they looked scarce at a nce. The vigers were fed up with the mere encounter with the boy and treated him as a nobody, but not merchants. They were at least treating him like a human being, ordering things that could be brought from the forest. They did not treat him worse than a monster or a cursed scum. The boy sold the bones of the monster he was holding and the herbs in his pocket, took the food and money he had gained, and then moved on again. Merchants looking at his figure exchanged conversations, clicking their tongues. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to hear that you¡¯re treated like a monster, only because you have white hair and red eyes.¡± Although I could not see anything but gray at the moment, I felt the difference between the boy and the others, as the merchant said. No one had a gray as bright as the boy¡¯s hair, and no one had a gray as dark as the boy¡¯s eyes. ¡°But don¡¯t you know? The fact that animals with white fur and red eyes have cursed blood. The animals that are born like that re abandoned in the wild and end up dying. There¡¯s also a saying that they were born to die.¡± There would be no animal to be born just to die. They were just born that way and died earlier than their peers. They were just different in appearance, I know they¡¯re different from other animals but that was not something to be concerned with. ¡°Yes, wouldn¡¯t it have been better if you had died before? It¡¯s a pity that both your mother, Dea, who raised you, and Vonus threw away their lives to protect you. Maybe it is true that you are cursed.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it the owner of this ce who killed Dea and Vonus? He¡¯s a real monster. Look at this town. Does this really seem like a ce for people to live?¡± ¡°Hey, man you¡¯ll get in trouble! What if someone hears that?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything wrong, and who¡¯s listening, so what¡¯s the big deal? Anyway, that¡¯s the only thing I feel sorry for. The next time, there¡¯s a rumor that it was because of the boy, what kind of pain will he live in? Well, maybe that boy really brought it on himself. It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand the grudges of the others since she epted the boy in.¡± The merchant, who was looking at the boy¡¯s back as he was moving away, clicked his tongue and continued. ¡°We¡¯re the only ones going to lose. If that boy dies, we can¡¯t get any more forest goods. If you¡¯re going to kill him anyway, maybe you should have left Vonus alive and killed him.¡± The merchant was not much different from the vigers. No, it was rather more awful. Wearing a mask of sympathy andpassion, it was more cruel to see him scrambling to calcte his own interests. No one cared about the fading light of the young soldier. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 14 CHAPTER 14 Trantor and editor : Cuties I chased after the boy again. The boy¡¯s face was also stark. I hope he hasn¡¯t heard the merchants talk, but there¡¯s no way to confirm it. Soon we arrived at the boy¡¯s house. It was located a long way from the vige and looked too shabby to bebeled a home. A few wooden boards blocked the rain and wind, and around them, the rotting water that the vigers used and threw away flowed. I could see why the boy didn¡¯t care much about the stenching from me or the smell from inside the tower. This ce was no different. There were swarms of insects, including animal carcasses, all kinds of garbage, and even leftover food, and even though I could not smell it, it seemed to be a bad. The boy was about to enter the house after a long journey. From somewhere, a stone hit the boy¡¯s head and bounced off into the rotten water. But the boy showed no emotion. He could not have failed to notice the children around him because he felt the presence of a monster miles away. He would have pretended not to know or ignored them. The young children, who were holding stones, trash, and animal bones, began tough and throw them as if they had found a funny new game. ¡°Hey, you monster! Who do you think you are to keeping back here again?¡± ¡°Get buried in that pile of rubbish and die!¡± ¡°I heard that even monsters avoid you because you¡¯re cursed. Dirty. Bad luck.¡± ¡°That hair color and red eyes are always disgusting. Get the hell out of here! Don¡¯t spread the curse on to the vige. Go to the woods and die! My mom is scared because of you!¡± All the odds and ends thrown by the children gave the boyrge and small scratches. The bread he was holding either rolled into the dirty water or fell on the dirt. And yet, the boy showed no response. He at least used to show his feelings to the witch, but after he came to this ce, his expressions died. His childlike innocence and deftness have disappeared. From the moment he arrived at the wall to the words of the soldiers and the words of the women and the words of the present children, the boy¡¯s heart was constantly scarred and bleeding, but no one knew because it was not visible. I couldn¡¯t tell whether he was trying to hide his hurt feelings from others or gave up early on realizing that it was useless. Soon the children who threw everything they were holding began to look around for something else to throw. One of them tried to throw a thick tree trunk. I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d get much hurt by it, but he was tilting back because of the heavy weight, so I approached the child and grabbed his foot in case he fell into the water. The child, who had lost his bnce and fallen, was puzzled, looking down at his feet. But he didn¡¯t think much of it and quickly got up and threw a stone instead. He seemed to think that he was out of bnce because of the heavy piece of wood. ¡°That monster killed his mother and his brother, but he didn¡¯t kill himself. Terrible.¡± ¡°Everyone¡¯s dying because of you. So get out of here!¡± ¡°I heard the vige has been cursed since you appeared. You¡¯ve been bothering people. It¡¯s all because of you. All will be restored to its original state once you leave! You have to die!¡± The puppet-like child¡¯s body was shaken up. The children paused to examine the boy¡¯s reaction. Then they shouted with more excitement when they saw hisck of reaction. ¡°You¡¯re a monster! Because you¡¯re killing everyone!¡¯ ¡°You monster! Who are you going to kill next?¡± ¡°No! Soon it¡¯s time for the monster to die! There¡¯s no one to hide the monster now!¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all dead, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°You should die too!¡± ¡°Die! Die!¡± The children¡¯sughter was bright. But their words were cruel and piercing. When the boy looked up at the children, they all began to run away. They seemed to believe that the boy¡¯s red eyes are cursed. The boy standing still was covered all over with dirt and bruises. The children seemed to only regard it as a game. They never thought about how it would affect the boy. The boy picked up the bread that fell on the ground and tapped it lightly. Then he went inside and lied down on the floor. The boy was very tired. But he didn¡¯t cry. His dry face looked heavier than his crying face. I came close to him because I thought he was going to die. However, the boy¡¯s eyshes trembled and soon revealed his irises which looked dark gray to me. He was just staring into space without focus. Is it always like this? It looks as if he¡¯s dead. No, maybe he died a long time ago. His heart has been killed many times. What kind of thoughts engulf him while living with those who want him head? Won¡¯t he think he¡¯s already dead? Everything about the boy had faded since entering the city walls. The young warrior who came to the witch¡¯s tower was as bright and warm as the sun. The young warrior walking through the witch¡¯s forest was dashing and outstanding, and under the blessing of the sun, he was more brilliant and beautiful than anyone else. But the young soldier here was too dark. It was as if I was looking at a witch trapped in a tower. I only looked at the boy again after he closed his eyes. The boy¡¯s body, which was already small, has be infinitely smaller crouched on the floor. The space surrounding the boy felt too big byparison. He looked so lonely and mncholy. I thought it might be better if the darkness came down quickly and covered the boy¡¯s miserable appearance. The blood flowing from his new-found wounds wet the floor. The tender boy¡¯s flesh opened immediately upon contact with the objects thrown by the young children. Too many wounds overrode him. But, whether he was too used to it or too uncaring, he left them as they were even though they must hurt. Maybe the wounds in his heart were more painful. The boy was always full of wounds in my memory. His whole body was carved with them, not to mention his face. One day it was a scratch that healed after some time leaving only a small scar behind, but at some point he started getting covered with terribly deep wounds. I was expecting it, but when I saw it with my own eyes, I felt that the young warrior was smaller. From the moment I entered the city walls with the boy, I was looking at him withpassionate eyes. I was asking if it hurt. As the boy did to me, I wanted to ask, but I couldn¡¯t, so I just touched his wounds with my gaze. At that moment the boy¡¯s mouth opened. ¡°Did I¡­¡± I was taken aback by the sudden announcement, but he was just talking to himself. I couldn¡¯t be seen, felt, touched, or spoken to. I was just the shadow of darkness that follows him. Lying still with his eyes closed, the boy¡¯s mouth moved again. ¡°Did I kill them?¡± The boy¡¯s words hovered in the air. No answer was heard, of course. But I was answering. No, boy. Everyone dies. It was just their fate to die. ¡°Was it because of me? Because of me¡­¡± No. It¡¯s not your fault. You¡¯re just powerless. So even though it¡¯s not your fault, you¡¯re dealing with the consequences. And the repetition of those consequences only made you doubt yourself. You just didn¡¯t have the power to protect your loved ones. You are just a victim of anger and resentment from those who criticize and others for being different. ¡°Will it all be over when I die?¡± Nothing will change if you die. Nothing changes. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re the main culprit for bringing these monsters up, nor do you seek to kill people. Just because you die doesn¡¯t mean the monsters disappear, nor do people regain peace and be happy. If this is really a curse, you¡¯re just a victim of it. ¡°The young me saves the world? Lies¡­ Lies.¡± I hoped the boy would have cried, but he was only hurting himself with a dry voice. I wanted to hug the poor shoulder. So I reached out my hand. And a ck mist-like fog slowly covered his body. He wouldn¡¯t feel anything because I purposefully didn¡¯t put strength into it, but I also held him in my arms as carefully as I could, although I also didn¡¯t feel anything. The white boy¡¯s body was covered with shadows. For a moment the boy opened his eyes. Even though I knew I couldn¡¯t be seen, I dispersed and ran away. The red irises seemed to see through me sitting on the tower. I opened my eyes and saw the inside of the tower. It was a familiar space filled with deep darkness, not a world of gray. I hurriedly covered my face. My cheeks were soaking. I didn¡¯t know that I was crying because I could only navigate through my sight and hearing. No, it would have been possible if I wanted to feel my body here, but I didn¡¯t have time. I fell t and grabbed my chest. Emotions that have not been felt before have also begun to rush in at once. I was so stuffed up that I couldn¡¯t make any sound. Tears streamed down nonstop, my heart felt torn and my chest burned. I couldn¡¯t breathe properly. I shed a river of tears. It was so painful. What the boy went through, what he was going to go through, was sad, distressing and pitiful. It was me who always watched coolly, but as soon as my emotions returned, it hurt unbearably. Now I know why the boy said he understood me. The young warrior was much like the witch. I saw an image of the witch chasing after the young warrior and telling him exactly what he had told her. The young warrior always suspected, consoled, andforted the witch, but in fact it was all directed at himself. Saying that everyone dies, not necessarily because of me, and if it was really a curse, then I am just a victim of the curse, and asking if I did not feel that it was fair, and that if I kept saying that I was killing people then I¡¯d eventually believe it¡­ All the words that seemed to be directed at the witch were actually words to himself. The boy was also thinking about himself when he saw a witch trapped in a tower. He thought the witch looked like him and might have been shunned out just like him. Maybe that¡¯s why he felt sorry for the witch who whispered for him to kill her. Although they are twopletely different people, light and darkness, warrior and witch, they look so alike that they felt like they were looking at their mirror image. Their hearts which both held dark futures were simr. I also followed the boy around and kept thinking about my old self. I saw him as the witch, not as the young warrior. I saw a ck-haired girl who was hurt by what people were saying and suffered from guilt and dripped blood from invisible blood. It¡¯s all because of me. I¡¯m the culprit. I saw a girl who said she only needed to die. ¡°No, it¡¯s not because of you. You didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It¡¯s not your fault.¡± They were words said to the warrior, but the one who listened was the witch. For the first time, the witch felt as if she had thrown off her shackles. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 15 CHAPTER 15 Trantor and editor : Cuties One day, a public notice came down. [Catch all those whom dye the world with darkness. Should thee dispatch ¡¯em who art responsible for all¡¯s, the world shall regain peace once more.] It was a particrly cloudy day. It seemed to be about rain any minute. Although it was always a ce blessed by the sun, the whole world was dark because it was covered by clouds. Just like when ck fog was overcast and monsters were pouring out incessantly. And there were men approaching me I was about to start my day as usual. They had the insignia of the country stered on the breast of their robes. The officials caught me before I could understand what was going on. I was dragged away as I was. The vigers were just staring at me being dragged away. As usual, they were busy chatting among themselves. From time to time, I could hear their voices. It was a familiar saying, ¡°Monster,¡± ¡°cursed,¡± ¡°Now I¡¯m going to pay for it,¡± and ¡°Don¡¯t look at me because you¡¯re unlucky.¡± They wielded their words as a weapon which had been deeply thrust into my heart and causing invisible blood to seep, as always. One woman among them approached me. Realizing that she was Mrs. Tenerah, who neatly gathered her white hair, I hurriedly opened my mouth. But there was no time for my voice toe out. ¡°I told you where the witch is, so you make sure to reward me.¡± ¡°You will be rewarded.¡± My eyes, which conveyed my shock, were stered on Mrs. Tenerah¡¯s relieved face. She hurriedly turned and avoided my gaze. The sight of her back was familiar. It was the same back that protected me from people¡¯s criticism. It was Mrs. Tenerah, who always shouted, ¡°I will not let you go if you bother her anymore, because she is not a monster, not a witch, nor is it her fault.¡± I vividly remembered that. But the middle-aged woman with dark brown hair became an old hag with light gray hair over time, turning her back to block my gaze as well, but the reason was different. The woman who always protected me was running away from me. When the woman in front of me disappeared, the vigers began to criticize to their heart¡¯s content. They were furious as if they had been having a hard time enduring me. ¡°As expected, it was all because of you! You¡¯re the main culprit!¡± ¡°That monster ruined our lives!¡± No, it¡¯s not because of me. You know that, too. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought I¡¯d die of disgust whenever I saw that creepy appearance of hers. It¡¯s terrible. A witch born from the dark.¡± I don¡¯t like this appearance either. That¡¯s why I always hid it. I didn¡¯t want them to hate me just because I had ck hair and eyes. But I wasn¡¯t born this way because I wanted to. Don¡¯t look at me. If it bothers you, then you don¡¯t have to look at me. ¡°That bitch killed my husband! If it wasn¡¯t for her!¡± No, your husband died because of the war. You know it well. I didn¡¯t start the war. I didn¡¯t drag your husband to war. But why are you ming me? ¡°Dark and dreadful. Dirty.¡± Don¡¯t curse at me for being dirty in the clothes I gave you. Don¡¯t point fingers at me and now after taking everything I have. ¡°We aged so much, but look at her. She¡¯s still the same. She¡¯s not human either.¡± ¡°I was afraid of that monster¡¯s power. I thought she¡¯d kill me one day. It¡¯s a good thing you¡¯ve got her now.¡± You¡¯ve taken full advantage of my power. You told me to use it for the town, and I couldn¡¯t even rest. Why are you saying that now? Because you don¡¯t need it anymore? I looked through the vigers whoshed out violently, howled and couldn¡¯t control their anger, throwing what they were holding. Among them were the Venaris sisters, with whom I grew up, but have already be mature women, and then there was Mrs. Jodia, who sold her debt by selling all that I had, and, of course, there stood Kaned whom I taught things whenever I had time because she coveted my abilities. They were resenting me, despising me, andughing at me. Everyone already knew. The fact that not all these misfortunes are due to me. The fact that life is painful and loving family members die, poverty is overwhelming, fear and hunger are due to the ruler¡¯s greed; who has been fulfilling his own self-interests ever since the monsters appeared. And the fact that they couldn¡¯t me that ruler, so they just turned all their arrows on me. The world doesn¡¯t change when I resent it, but I will somehow break it down and I may have found the easiest and simplest way to do it. Dragged as I was, I faced the ruler who was upied the highest seat looking down at me. The king, who was said to have descended from heaven, was smiling down at the little woman who would be his sacrificialmb. He was satisfied to see the witch, who will receive the attention of the world and the me of everyone. The witch had to face the real monster and shake in fear. After that, the witch hunt began on arge scale. Like me, those who were the only ones who could use power in the dark died. They disappeared one by one as they fell victim to people¡¯s discontent. And I realized the real curse that came down on me. I found that it was not just a matter of appearance being different. My body was a real monster, getting killed and not dying. It could not have been better than this because I was dark and used dark power and had an immortal life. My destiny was to be killed again and again in order to satisfy the people¡¯s discontent. One day, when I was getting murdered by the warriors who would save the world again, I faced the zing sun. It was such a beautiful sky with brilliant sunshine, but my toes were slowly burning by the fire that people lit around me, and the sun that I looked at for a long time zed as if swallowing me up. Will you please collect me now? Why do you make me go through such an ordeal? Just why? It was useless to resent and beg. No one listens to the story of a witch abandoned by the deity. ¡°Witch.¡± ¡°Are you really a witch?¡± ¡°You¡¯re just a victim of the curse.¡± ¡°Nothing will change if you die.¡± I opened my closed eyes. The terrible darkness, whose end was unknown, weed me. I thought it was a sight I¡¯ve seen for so long and one that I¡¯ll see again and again, but not anymore. I¡¯ve met a warrior who will end my cursed life. It¡¯s a great pleasure to be able to leave myst life to a beautiful warrior with white hair and sun-like eyes to take. Although the young warrior brought back memories that I had forgotten, but I was able to endure it even though I had to face the world which I had neglected again. Because this is the end. I never imagined the day woulde when the word ¡°end¡± would make me feel so happy. Yes. The boy was a young warrior. He was the hero who would kill the witch and save the world from the dark. He was light that would give the witch eternal rest. I crouched down and closed my eyes. I remembered the sight and the voices of the people I saw following the young warrior. The scene immediately turned into a girl with ck hair and eyes and vigers who hurt her. It was because of the warrior that I dreamed of this. Because he seemed so simr to me, I remembered the memories that I had buried. He was ostracized and used just because he was born different, just because he was unique, and was driven out to be hunted by monsters. He became an existence that should not have been born and should be killed right now. Just because he was different. His loved ones leave his side one by one and all the arrows begin to take target in his skin. If something goes wrong, if a problem arises, if anyone gets hurt somewhere, if someone dies, or even if there¡¯s a slight difort, they vent their anger, saying it¡¯s all because of the cursed monster. For them he¡¯s just a means to vent their anger on. Without looking at who really makes them suffer, they may not know who made them act like this, and they may be aware of exactly who it is, but they have no courage to confront it, so they are just picking on the weak and powerless. Like it¡¯s really true that killing him would solve everything. They¡¯ve already made the witch go through that, and now they¡¯ve been doing the same thing over again. Know fairly well that nothing about them changed. Furthermore, this time, they were killing the light that would save the world with their own hands. No. The boy shouldn¡¯t end up like that. I will somehow make the boy light up the world, and then give me eternal rest. He will end the witch¡¯s time that never dies. Unlike the boy, I¡¯m really cursed. It doesn¡¯t matter now whether I am guilty or not. It ends only when I die. No, even if my life doesn¡¯t get everything back to normal, I¡¯ll get it over with. I met a warrior who understood me. He consoled me for the terrible time I spent so far. I believed that I would be consoled once again by the the warrior whose life will change. So I hope that I¡¯ll be able to close my eyes once and for all before such a warrior dies. Before his time is over. That I¡¯d never be left alone ever again. As in the fairy tales, May it end with ¡¸The warrior lived happily ever after upon killing the witch.¡¹ ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 16 CHAPTER 16 Trantor and editor : Cuties The young warrior who has note for a long time appeared. I have been following the boy around and watching him, but I have yet to find a way to keep him by my side. The boy from my memory came close to me with doubts watching me as he grew up into a young man, but the boy in front of me was still young and I couldn¡¯t figure out how to make him understand. The boy, who standing with a frown near the wall, came close looking at me quietly, saying nothing. Then he crouched in front of me and looked into my eyes. I can¡¯t take my eyes off the boy¡¯s hair, which is clearly shining in the dark. But soon my eyes darted to his newest wound. It must have been caused by the thorns when he entered here. His gray-looking expression did not affect me very much, but the red blood oozing from his wound made it look painful and it tugged at my heart. And the tear in his skin was slowly and roughly healing and settling as a scar. It is fortunate that his wounds do not fester or rot, and it is also surprising how they can be healed so cleanly. ¡°You.¡± The boy¡¯s mouth opened and I turned my gaze back to his face. But he hesitates and can¡¯t muster up his words. He¡¯s just such an ordinary boy, but he turns into apletely different person when he enters the city walls. It¡¯s the monsters in human shapes that make the boy change so. People are sometimes so vicious and cruel. The boy, who hesitated to speak, eventually closed his mouth with a small sigh. Then he got up and looked through the inside of the tower. But there¡¯s nothing to see. Most of the items rotted away, and the remaining ones smell bad, making it difficult to get close to them. But the boy looked around as if he didn¡¯t care and soon lifted the cards on the rotten table. The old cards were shuffled at once by the boy¡¯s hands. The boy came with his cards and crouched down in front of me. I looked at the card that the boy put down because I thought what it meant. The card thaty closest to the boy, as if to ridicule my resolution, was showing death. When I reached out and quickly flipped the card over, the boy turned it over again with a puzzled look on his face and looked at the picture. ¡°Why did you flip this all of a sudden?¡± Because I don¡¯t want to see it. Because I¡¯m not confident seeing that future again. Instead of answering, I collected all the cards including the one was interested in and arranged them. When I put the ten cards stacked together on the floor again, the boy continued. ¡°Look at my future.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can see my future. Please look at it.¡± ¡°Do you believe the witch¡¯s fortune telling?¡± As if my words were unexpected, the boy who was facing me nodded. It was such a small nod that I couldn¡¯t see it without looking closely. But I didn¡¯t miss it and there was a stir somewhere in my heart. Because I couldn¡¯t believe the boy who could believe me. I wanted to ask why, but I was not confident in hearing the answer, so I quietly mixed the cards. Maybe it¡¯s just because I want to see the card¡¯s fortune again, or because I don¡¯t think he has a reason to lie. Or I may think that it is not a bad thing, so I don¡¯t have to treat it as a lie. The young warrior was still too far from believing the witch¡¯s words and had no reason to do so, and most of all, he was not a boy who grew up in a reliable environment. I¡¯m not confident looking into it yet. I wasn¡¯t prepared to see what kind of eyes the world is looking at him with and how broken the heart of such a young and beautiful boy is. After mixing the cards, I put them down in a constant array. The boy hugged his knees and looked down with interest. When I turn a card over, he looks at it with his head bent closely even though he can¡¯t interpret it. The boy¡¯s red eyes follow my fingers as they hover over the cards. He looked so cute that I wanted to ask him if he knew. I wanted to burst into lightugher; perhaps the boy¡¯s light has melted the witch¡¯s darkness. The boy¡¯s ability to pull out my long-dead emotions and facial expressions was amazing. The boy who had melted my long time was really like the sun. He was the light that came to ignite the witch¡¯s tower with warmth. As I moved my finger again, of course the boy¡¯s red eyes followed and eventually couldn¡¯t stand it and asked questions. ¡°This is the card you turned over earlier. What does it mean?¡± The pictures on the cards were all alike and so esoteric to the point where he couldn¡¯t figure out what they meant. The meaning could be inferred from the very subtly different characteristics. The card I just flipped over was also the same as the rest; depicting a ck-d woman in the middle holding something against her chest, except that in this card she was holding a dagger, which he keenly recognized. ¡°This must be a distinction.¡± ¡°They¡¯re all a little different. This is a sword, this is a candle, this is a bell¡­ Oh, but is this a person? A person in ck? Why is she holding a sword? It¡¯s like she¡¯s stabbing herself, too.¡± It was difficult to recognize that it was a woman standing in the middle because it was painted ck all over, but it was embarrassing to pinpoint it. What was more embarrassing, however, was the boy¡¯s reaction after interpreting that a woman was holding a dagger to stab herself. He looked over the card again, stiffened at a nce. Then he opened his mouth. ¡°Is it suicide or death? Doesn¡¯t that mean death?¡± I shook my head. The boy looks at me with suspicious eyes not believing me. You can¡¯t easily believe what a witch says. Even if I weren¡¯t a witch, it would have been hard to believe. ¡°Then what is it?¡± ¡°The card you¡¯re holding is your future. It means the light that will drive out the darkness.¡± The dagger held by the ck woman will stab the witch, not the warrior. Hearing my words, he looked at the card again and asked. ¡°But why did you flip it before?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason.¡± ¡°Lies.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve no reason to lie.¡± The boy kept his mouth shut, but his sharp eyes were ungrateful. It was a pity that such a young boy had doubts instead of innocence. I took the card the boy was holding and mixed it up again. But the boys hands covered mine and stopped me. His hands were very warm. It¡¯s been so long since I felt the warmth that I shivered without realizing it. The youngster in memory was also so warm. I look at the boy and my eyes portray the man he grew up into from my memory. His warmth reminded me. ¡°You¡¯ve told me before that I was the light that would drive out the darkness. The warrior who will save the world.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is that all? There are several cards you just flipped over, but why did you only tell me what one of them meant?¡± ¡°The past, the present, and the future. What you wanted to know was the future.¡± ¡°Then is that really my future?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The boy put the cards and his small hands that were covering mine back in ce and soon buried his face between his knees. That sitting position made the little boy look even smaller. I arranged the cards, put them in order, and waited for the boy to speak. He must¡¯ve been curious about something to ask me to read his fortune. And, indeed, a small voice came from the crouching boy. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense.¡± I didn¡¯t know how to make him believe it, so I just looked at him, and the boy opened lifted his head up and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m too weak. How could I when I am this weak? How could I possibly save the world?¡± With his red eyes shaking, the boy looked at me anxiously and then looked at the swallowing darkness around and continued to speak. ¡°How can I drive out the darkness when I¡¯m so weak that I can¡¯t even protect my own body?¡± I spoke then. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡± The boy¡¯s round eyes turned to me. I said again, looking straight at the red in them. ¡°It¡¯s possible because I¡¯m going to make sure you get rid of the darkness.¡± The witch intended to teach the young warrior to make him strong enough to drive out the darkness. To kill the witch. So that the boy who remains can be a hero and live happily. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you, young warrior.¡± May my sincerity reach through to you. I kept staring at the red irises, waiting for the boy¡¯s answer. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 17 CHAPTER 17 Trantor and editor : Cuties I was leaning against the wall and looking inside the tower, but my eyes were not focused on that. They were stered to the boy who was sitting there staring at me. The phantom-like boy opens his mouth and speaks to me. ¡°Okay.¡± I closed my eyes. When I opened them again I was still confined inside the tower. The young warrior, who had been brightening the ce, had already turned away. I followed after him all throughout his path filled with abuse from the guards, harsh words from the vigers, and thrown stones from the kids. When I watched him painfully drag his sagging body inside his shabby hut and fall asleep, I finally turned back. What I just remembered a while ago was when the young warrior came to the witch¡¯s tower and questioned me, after reading his future. He asked how he can save the world when he¡¯s so weak? And I answered that I¡¯d help him. The young warrior experienced surprise, embarrassment, and disbelief all at the same time when I said I would teach him. It was a matter of course. It could not be believed that a witch who covered the world with darkness could help drive it out. But the boy nodded. Rather, it was me who became more embarrassed. It was not an easy choice to make. How can he easily trust me and nod his head gently? He has no idea about how much harm I could inflict on him by sticking to his side. I couldn¡¯t believe it, so I asked him again if he was sure, but the boy just nodded his confirmation. And said. ¡°I want to be strong. If only I could get stronger, I¡¯d nod my head even if it was a devil, not a witch. So I¡¯m going to save the world. I¡¯ll prove it¡¯s not because of me. I¡¯ll make them feel sorry.¡± I felt suffocated and choked because I had a glimpse of the wounded boy¡¯s mind. The boy¡¯s will to sell his soul to the devil has been revealed. The boy was light, even without me. He was a warrior who would save the world one day without my help. But humans were crushing that light. At one point, should he lose his will to live and give up being the light, then that¡¯s it. So the young man in my memory closed his eyes so sadly. A boy who can walk around a witch¡¯s forest and evade monsters cannot be killed with stones thrown by vigers. He was clearly ending his own life. If I wasn¡¯t cursed with an eternal life, it was clear that I would have done the same. I knew that I didn¡¯t do it and that it was a curse thatid on me, but I didn¡¯t run away from the warrior who came to end me. Because I thought I¡¯d had enough. Because I didn¡¯t want to live any longer. Even the young warrior had to change everything before he could achieve that noble endeavor. And fortunately, the boy¡¯s eyes shone when he heard his future that I foretold. He was excited by the hope that he might get strong. He was happy that he was a warrior who would save the world, and not a monster that caused this world to suffer. I couldn¡¯t help him achieve that now, but I was intent on helping him to my best ability, to groom him into the warrior who was going to be a hero saving thends. I intended to be the boy¡¯s shadow, make him shine brighter and keep him from being stepped on before the light inside him could even grow. So I have to make my move. I raised myself up. I still have no confidence to face the world, but I can¡¯t just hide away like this. We have a lot of time, so we could slowly expand the scope little by little. I¡¯ll have to endure even if it is painful and hard because I can finally see the end to this dragging existence of mine. I only have to hold on a little longer until the boy grows up to be a young man, until he saves the world and puts a knife in me. After all, what is a few years if not just a countable number of bell sounds? I tried to calm my heart down and looked ahead beginning to concentrate on the darkness thaty around. Gradually the heavy darkness that enveloped my body, like a ck mist, seeped out of me when I began to see around again, the scenery around me had changed. The first thing I could see was a bed. White and soft nkets were neatly arranged on it. I have no recollection of me arranging them. They* were always considerate enough to do this every time unfailingly, even as I pushed them away and ignored them. I didn¡¯t realize their kindness at the time. If I had known that I¡¯d never experience it again, I¡¯d have at least appreciated it more. Felt it more. Though the heartbreak would¡¯ve stayed the same. I managed to lead my trembling legs to the bed. When I reached out my hand and stroked it, it felt cold because no one lied down on it for a long time. The room was also chilly. But not a speck of dust was on it. As my time had frozen, so has the room. It was the same as thest time I saw it ¡¸That day¡¹. Suddenly I realized that my hands, still buried in the white nket, were very dirty. I examined both hands. They were ck and dirty. Looking down at my feet, they were no different. Turning my head, I looked down at the floor where I walked, and the rug was smeared with my footsteps all over. Anger surged up. I made my precious things dirty. I hurried into the bathroom. Wherever I went, it was natural that this would happen. I wasn¡¯t going to wash up, but I couldn¡¯t help it because I didn¡¯t want everything I touched to get ruined. This ce had to remain the same as the day time stopped. I remembered having spared no energy to ensure that. I was too young to understand why I should do it, but I know it was so important that I couldn¡¯t stop even when I was tired. Soon warm water came out. I crouched in the bathtub, all dressed. I was thoroughly dirty all over. From head to toe, my clothes, my mind, everything was dirty. I crouched under the pouring water, hoping to get clean. ck water flowed down and went down the drain. I bit my lips looking at my figure. No. I can¡¯t get so weak already. But my tears began to mingle with the pouring water. I loved spraying warm water like this. It was always sprinkling. I filled up the tub with water and fell asleep in it. There was someone who woke me up whenever that happened. I still remember their voice, but there was no way for me to hear it again. No one would scold me for taking too long in the shower when I go out now. They left me a long time ago. I was the only one lingering forever in a time that doesn¡¯t flow just like this ce. If I had known in advance that there was such a terrible curse on me, I would have begged them to take me with them. I remember always pushing everything back in my younger days, thinking that I still had many days to live. No. shouldn¡¯t have to do that. It¡¯s a terribly long time for me. Why should I live through it alone? Rather than the pain of being killed several times, the sadness of not seeing my loved ones again was greater. I was afraid that if I fail to reunite with my loved ones beyond the veil soon, they¡¯d get tired of waiting for me and eventually forget all about me. That¡¯s what everyone says when they let their loved ones go. I¡¯ll catch up with you soon, so wait for me. I thought so, too. I thought the breakup was a short time. I was so sad and distressed to see them go but I was sure to see meet them again soon. The curse imposed on me made that impossible. Is there a curse more terrible than this? I¡¯d rather have been taken instead. Eventually, I buried my face in my knees and burst into tears. The warm tears passed through my frozen heart and left only melted ice in their wake. However, they could not wash away the faces of my loved ones. The suffocating longing did not fade away. Only the boy could put an end to my pain now. I had to get this pain to end somehow. There was no one but the young warrior who could save the witch trapped in the past. ¨C¨C¨C * You can¡¯t distinguish the gender in Korean speech so I used ¡®they/them¡¯ for now. Wille back to correctter when it bes clear whom she means. But she probably means a family member. Chapter 18 CHAPTER 18 Trantor and editor : Cuties After crying until the water turned cold, I barely managed to snap back to my senses and escape from the bathroom. There were big mirrors both in the bathroom and in the bedroom, so I had no choice but to face myself even if I didn¡¯t want to. I hesitated and stood before it slowly. The mirror, which had be slightly white due to the steam, quickly returned to its original state and painted my reflection without any dy. I frowned because it was difficult to face my terrible face properly. But then I steeled my resolution and looked. I saw the scars stered all over it. The skin that was so wrinkled to the point that it looked like it belonged to a creepy old woman from a fairy tale book. This was the face the warrior saw. The young man came back again even after seeing this terrible, horrifying face. And he called it beautiful. It was unbelievable at the time, but it was even more so now that I¡¯m looking at it in the mirror. This face is pretty on its own (without the scars), however, it does not seem to belong to a woman. I reached out to the mirror and swept down the figure of the atrocious witch that was contained in it. I could feel the cool touch of the smooth mirror beneath my fingertips as I traced the dark hair that stuck to my wet face, the ominous ck eyes, the twisted skin, the nose that is hard to recognize, and the lips that have be hard like bark due to countless falling scabs. I saw the roughness that the smooth mirror surface did not convey. It was hard to guess when and how I got each scar, as the skin was strangely altered by countless repeated wounds. Getting cut and stabbed with a knife wasmon, trapping me in a nail-stacked box or rubbing my skin to and fro by a stick made of thorns were also a favorites of my tormentors. Even if the flesh healed eventually, it didn¡¯t go back into its original state as I never got the chance for proper treatment andter lost interest in how I looked. It wasn¡¯t just the face. It was even worse below the neck to the point where my face seemed fine. The warriors who came without a break put a sword though my neck or sliced it. The repeated wounds grew thicker and more pronounced. The lower part of my chin was deformed because I was often hung from a tree or a wall. And the ce with the most scars by far was the heart muscle. I couldn¡¯t count how many times my heart exploded. There were many wounds that I made myself. Before I got used to it, and when I wasn¡¯t that desperate, even if I aimed the sword at my heart, my hands would often fail and eventually stab me in the stomach. But all these wounds were nothing. The real horrendous ones were those left behind by the fire. The burnt skin, which seemed to stretch out endlessly, won thepetition for ugliest. Burning. The method of death I had suffered through the most and the most painful of all. What is it with people and burning witches on a pyre? But what was scarier than the mes that devoured me was the sun, which rose to the sky as usual and gave everyone a spark of hope. When I struggled to escape the raging mes below and looked up at the sky, it would also burn as if it would swallow me. It came as a great horror. The fair and glorious light gracing all in existence seemed to shrink away from me. I was more afraid and resentful of the sun, which made me constantly think that I had been abandoned more than the cheers of those who set me aze. Why me? What the hell did I do wrong? I looked at my hand covering the mirror. It, too, was crumpled and gross. It seemed to belong more to a corpse rather than to a living being. Due to repeatedly missing fingernails, some of them could not grow at all, and some of them had stubby fingertips. Unknowingly, I clenched my fist and hid them, but the back of my squinted hand seemed more offensive to the eye so I eventually turned my head away. It was the first time I scrutinized my face ever since my appearance changed. There were no mirrors inside the tower, and I had barely any will to live let alone actively look for a vanity table. So I didn¡¯t know that my appearance would have deteriorated to this extent. No, I expected it, but when I actually looked at it, the impact was iparably greater. I bowed my head down. The still wet ck hair trickled down in front of my face and hid a part of it. It was bright here but dark inside the tower. No matter how dark it was, it would be better to hide this creepy and repulsive figure of mine than do nothing at all. I was thankful that the inside of the tower was dark, so that it could hide the monstrosity that was myself a little bit from the warrior¡¯s keen eyes. Darkness took everything away from me, but it was all I had left. * I thought about throwing away the dress I was wearing because it was so old it looked more like a rag, but I had no other clothes to wear, so I washed it clean. My belongings had already been sold out before. At that time, I did such a foolish thing because I didn¡¯t know this would happen, and I didn¡¯t know that all this would turn into a longing for things I¡¯d never have again. I just wanted to help those who resented the world and had difficulty living, so I did them favors in hopes that they would point their using fingers somewhere else, but if I knew this would happen, I would have kept my precious belongings carefully hidden. If I knew that I would grow to cherish every memory from my long gone life, I¡¯d have protected every single item. I opened the closet just in case, but there were no clothes left. I took out my gown, put it on, and wiped off the rug and nket that I had stained. The more I wiped them, the dirtier they got, the more I cried. Yes, I was originally this cry-baby. I was no different from any other girl who was cheeky, tearful, and full ofughter. For a long time, I killed my emotions and facial expressions and my personality was forgotten just like that, but it came back when I met a certain and bright young warrior. Facing the world in the memories that I had buried, I began to think of my original self. I was a girl who grew up being fed love and nurturing her own dreams in the arms of her caring family. Before bing a witch, I drew a sweet future that I wanted to live in the arms of a man who only loved me before the world was covered in darkness and monsters and wars overflowed. Of course, in that future, there was a premise that the loving family would always be together. My only sister scolded me, saying, ¡°It¡¯s monotonous and boring because it¡¯s so obvious and nd.¡± But she smiled brightly and told me that I would soon meet that man who would love only me, and never let go. Always bright, confident, and so wonderful, that¡¯s how my sister was. And there was my father who told me that he could never let me go after he heard my story. There was also the butler who nodded vehemently behind him and my mother who clicked her tongue, saying, ¡°I can¡¯t help it.¡± It was a simple and harmonious family. Mom. My face stiffened when I thought of my beautiful mother with ck hair and eyes so simr to mine. My hands, which were wiping off the covers, also slowed down. I couldn¡¯t see my mother often because she was like a doll made of darkness. I didn¡¯t know then, but after some time, I could hear what the world was saying. That she was the one to set monsters loose on thend and gue it with darkness and death. People said in chorus. It was my mother who has covered the world with darkness, who has called out monsters and driven them into despair. I didn¡¯t want to believe it, but I remembered the faces of the families who were crying. And my mother whom I hadn¡¯t seen since could neither confirm nor deny the truth of this so it made it harder for me to ignore what was said. More than anything else, there¡¯s no way to know if I¡¯m cursed by the deity or if my mother¡¯s karma has extended to me. Or even, if my witch mother has made it so that whenever she killed someone their remaining lifespan transfers to me. But one thing I know for sure is that I am also guilty of having her blood run in my veins. The darkness always felt familiar andfortable. Even on a day when the world was covered in darkness, it felt like afortable nket to me. When everyone became powerless, nothing changed for me and monsters even gathered around me. There were a lot of monsters invading where I was, so it was safe to me me for the people¡¯s suffering. The people could not have failed to notice that the witch¡¯s forest became infested with monsters because of the witch¡¯s tower. Guilty or not, intended or idental, I was a witch through and through. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 19 CHAPTER 19 Trantor and editor : Cuties I stepped out the door shortly after because there was little left in my room. I passed the always neat hallway and entered the dining room where we gathered together to eat and chat. After a long time, all the food should have rotted away, but it remained the same. Unlike the Witch¡¯s Tower, where everything was dying, this ce remained the same as it was in the past. I didn¡¯t die even if I didn¡¯t eat so I left the food as it was. I just remembered the memories I had made sitting on this table. Then I turned back my steps. I didn¡¯t bother toe here just to reminisce. I knew it already, but my heart still throbbed as I walked around alone where there was no one else. I still feel that if I called their names loudly, they¡¯d answer right away, I can¡¯t believe there was no one here anymore. I¡¯ve spent a long time and nothing has changed. I don¡¯t know where that time has disappeared into again. It was only yesterday that I was in the arms of my loved ones. This may also be a form of curse that has been handed down to me. To make sure I never forget. Maybe have me live through timeless memories which never fade. So maybe that¡¯s why I have never been unable to forget, to recover, or to go mad. After stopping in front of one room, I carefully opened the door. The books filling the room smelled like paper. The man sitting in front of the desk will take his eyes off the book he was reading and ask what happened, but no one is there. I only live in my memory. Something in my heart burns cold. But now tears don¡¯te out. Yeah, I can get used to it like this. It hurts, it¡¯s painful and sad, but it won¡¯t be for long. With a little more patience, I will be able to keep the promise that I was going to follow them soon. Then I can hit his chest in anger, saying, ¡°Do you know how much I suffered because of you telling me to y a little longer then follow you?¡± Walking to the desk, I stroked the sofa in the middle of the room. It was as big as a bed. I could feel the soft touch at the tips of my fingers. I often remembered sleeping here. Then my dad eventually put down what he was doing andy down next to me. He was such a caring father. I could picture a little girl with ck hair lying on the sofa and her father gently holding her. Even though it was in my memory, I was seeing it through someone¡¯s eyes because it¡¯s been too long. I arrived at his desk, but I couldn¡¯t think about what to pack because there were so many books, so I lingered for a long time. But soon I took out some. The books here are difficult. Nothing that would help the boy. I had to read then and ry only the information that he needed. I put the books I took out on the desk and opened the drawer. I could see the book my dad always had. It was actually a notebook. He once said that he wrote down on it the questions that crossed his mind, the knowledge that he suddenly learnt, and the solutions that would be a little more helpful. I also found a notebook that summarizes his umted knowledge. That was the most helpful thing now. My strength doesn¡¯t help the boy. Rather, it would be poisonous to him. All the young warrior needed was my father¡¯s ability. I thought I could look at it carefully and then put it back where it was. But I held it closer to my nose because it seemed like my father¡¯s smell still lingered in its pages. I imagined him scolding me for being so childish even after living longer than anyone else. I¡¯m the same way I always was, deliberately acting childish to get my father¡¯s affection, but the world has changed. Time went by so fast leaving me behind. ¡°Just wait until I grow the young warrior, father.¡± I¡¯m not a witch here so I had to go back to the tower now. I had to go back to being a witch. I left the room after packing up everything else that I needed. * After returning to the tower, I read the books I brought. I chased after the boy even as I read. I felt busy every day. It was fun to study after a long time. As expected, only when the given time is short can you enjoy it as much as you can. There was no hesitation in thinking that there was an end. Death has long since be a great blessing that I wished for. The boy was also living fiercely while I was building up knowledge to teach the young warrior. Perhaps because he heard that he could be strong, that he was not a monster, and that he was a warrior who will save the world, it was different from before. The boy who spent most of his time sleeping moved hard and ate as much as he could. It seemed that he had a newfound desire to live. The vigers still feared and despised the boy who walked in and out of the forest, calling him a monster, but now they didn¡¯t seem to care much. Of course, he was hurt, but still shook it off. He knew they¡¯d end up sorry, so he seemed to hold it in until they did. When the boy changed something, it was the vigers who were embarrassed. The boy, who was always hurt by their words and always looked half-dead, seemed to calmly go about his daily chores with unusual energy and vigor which made them feel uneasy. I, on the other hand, felt that time was running out. I wanted to let him stay at the tower, but I couldn¡¯t. The boy needed a chance. There had to be a ce to protect him until he grew up safely. The witch intends to crown the warrior with hope and peace, but if he found out that his crown was all thanks to the witch, it will immediately be his shackle and turn into a thorny crown that would tighten around the warrior¡¯s resolve. So the witch had to be a shadow and there had to be a fence to protect the bright light of the warrior. To do so, I had to wait and endure the moment. Then one day, the busy boy finally came to the tower. The only time he coulde to the tower was when a merchant went off on a long journey. Between those journeys, he lived in a carefree life, bringing this and that from the forest ording to the needs of the merchants. If there were no merchants, the boy would starve to death. ¡°What¡¯s all this? You didn¡¯t have it before.¡± The boy snooped in wonder at the new addition to the tower. The first thing he said as soon as he walked in was not a hello. His distant attitude jarred down at me so I put down the book I was reading. Come to think of it, he never did say hello. Neither did I. I didn¡¯t wee his first. You can¡¯t say hello to someone who doesn¡¯t wee you. The boy always came to me first and I only pushed him away. It had to be different this time. I opened my mouth. ¡°Long time no see. How have you been?¡± My greeting hardened the boy. I hurriedly lifted the book to cover up my face. I thought it was right to wee him because it was a ce that he will continue toe to, but somehow it was awkward. When I encountered the world in my memory a few days ago, I must have mistaken myself for the past me which was so out of order for my current identity. The boy stood still for a while, then suddenly teased me with his slow steps and came up to me. I tried to hide my face with the book I was holding, but to no avail. The boy stared at me, taking away the book. Another thing that I had forgotten came to mind. ¡°You washed? You¡¯ve be clean.¡± I hurriedly covered my face with my hands. The terrible scars covering my face were a new shame. The boy still had a long way to be a young man, but I couldn¡¯t forget the young man who told me he loved me. I didn¡¯t want to look like this to the young man I¡¯d face again someday. It was fortunate that it was dark here. But it was no use. I was going to keep seeing him, and my scars won¡¯t disappear if I cover them. Plus, the boy in front of me is different from the young man in my memory. I shouldn¡¯t mistake him for the young man I remember. I should be d and grateful for the sole fact that he can grace me with death. I must not forget that greed is endless. I managed to put down my hand that was covering my face. Then took back the book that the boy had taken away. ¡°Why is the witch so young? I heard you lived for a long time.¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a witch. It seems that both the boy from my memories and the one in front of me now keep forgetting who I am. I could feel the boy looking at me, but I tried to ignore him. Fortunately, I could sit still. The boy looked over me like that for a long time. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was amazed to see the witch¡¯s true self, or if he was just curious to examine a new appearance that was so different from others¡¯. ¡°These wounds¡­ Did people hurt you like that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The boy¡¯s gaze hovered over the tips of my fingers. I flinched unconsciously but pretended not to notice his attention. The young man, who remained only in my memory, was shocked and blindsided by the fact that my wounds had been inflicted by human. Because he was human as well. The same species as the ones who made me like this. So I wondered if this boy also harbored such a guilty conscience, but he let out a feeble breath, and looked as if he were in pain. It disappeared so quickly that I wondered if it was an illusion. The boy had an excellent ability to hide his expressions. ¡°¡­ But it hurts.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve¡­ been knocked unconscious by a rock the size of my fist, and I¡¯ve been struggling all week after mistakenly consuming poisonous mushrooms because I¡¯ve been confused. I¡¯ve lost my fingernails while digging under the tree, and I¡¯ve also been hit by an arrow once and haven¡¯t been able to use my legs for a while.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand why the boy was bringing up such stories, but I listened. He suffered so much with that small body of his. Most of the pain that any boy would never experience in his life. And what¡¯s even worse is the fact that he went through that because of fellow human beings. The wounds inflicted by your own kin always hurt more. ¡°There was also an instant when I beaten with a club and broke my finger, and I once got a little burn on my way out when the ce I was staying at was zed.¡± ¡°It must¡¯ve hurt.¡± ¡°It hurt. A lot.¡± Before I knew it, the boy crouched down, with his arms on his knees, looked again at my hand holding the book, and murmured quietly. ¡°It hurt that much, but it only left small scars.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How much more painful has it been to you for it to leave such big scars? I can¡¯t even imagine.¡± I was trying to focus on the book but I couldn¡¯t see the letters. The boy seemed to sympathize with my wounds. The empathy eventually meant understanding the witch and furthermore, pitying. Just as I felt sorry for the boy¡¯s wounds, it meant that the boy also felt sorry for the witch¡¯s wound. ¡°You must really hate them, too. The people who made you hurt¡­¡± The boy looked at the witch¡¯s scars and imagined the process of their creation instead of thinking they were gross or terrible. And he wasforting me, in a way that didn¡¯t sound as if he were give constion to himself. Unlike the youth from my memory, the boy did not consider himself part of the group that bullied the witch. Instead, the boy, the young warrior, stepped out of his light and glimpsed the witch¡¯s dark perspective. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 20 CHAPTER 20 Trantor and editor : Cuties The boy, who hadn¡¯t said anything for a while, took his eyes off me and began to fiddle through the books on the floor. The floor of the tower was so dirty that I ced the books on top of a fine cloth. Fortunately, the boy handled the books carefully, whether because he noticed that they were important to me or it was just his original personality, I didn¡¯t know. He was touching them so delicately that I wanted to say thank you. ¡°Can you read?¡± ¡°Nope, not at all.¡± I expected it, but it was all the more frustrating to hear it myself. There was too much to teach him. The boy did not know, but the road ahead was not easy. And this world, too, was too rotten for him to be recognized only by its natural destiny. He had to be in a position where he could not be stepped on. ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to learn. It¡¯s just because no one taught me.¡± The boy grumbled fearing that I might look down on him. I realized my mistake. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve spoken to people, so I haven¡¯t thought through it well. ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s a pity the world didn¡¯t teach you.¡± Everyone has to learn, that¡¯s the way to changing the world. If you don¡¯t know anything, you can¡¯t get away from the sps of someone you know. The boy¡¯s red eyes caught mine upon hearing my my words. I couldn¡¯t read his thoughts. This little boy had an excellent ability to hide his feelings. He grew up in an environment that made it so that he had no choice but to do so. ¡°You can teach me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± I was going to. I was going to tell him anything. Everything I know. The boy sat next to me, looked through the books, and suddenly asked, as if he had been enlightened. ¡°Where did you get these from?¡± When I didn¡¯t answer, he changed the question. ¡°You can get out of the tower, right?¡±¡± I didn¡¯t answer this either. But his questions continued. ¡°But why aren¡¯t you getting away?¡± I didn¡¯t answer, but the boy¡¯s questions persisted. I took away the book I was reading and looked at his face and deliberated on the answer. Somehow he was more persistent than the boy in my memory. Eventually I opened my mouth. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because there is no need to. And if I do get away, it would be even more painful. The tower would be better.¡± The boy nodded at my answer. The seemingly understanding reaction made me wonder. The boy continued without having to ask. ¡°I also somehow like this ce more. It¡¯s morefortable here.¡± I could see the answer. Maybe the boy knew. There were no using gazes here. There were no people cursing and hurting him. I also liked to be trapped in the tower for that reason. There was also the fact that I didn¡¯t have anyone to see outside, but the bigger motive was that I was free from the eyes of the world here. Nobody looked at me. Nobody swore at me. I didn¡¯t hurt more. This was the tower that locked me and the fence that protected me. The fact that he understood this was pitiful. I felt sorry for the boy who would have wandered around looking for a fence to protect him. ¡°Then might the witch go out when the world gets better?¡± I didn¡¯t answer. That could never happened. Because I¡¯m going to die. I¡¯d rather die here than go out into the world. Nothing would make me happier than ending my life. However, I decided to keep my mouth shut for fear that telling the story would prevent the boy from killing me. Because the boy in my memory did not try to bestow me with the peace of death. And the boy in front of me didn¡¯t understand the fact that if I didn¡¯t die, the sorrow of watching all those around me leave one by one would be unbearable for me. He didn¡¯t seem to know that he was different from me because it was sure that he would die someday. But it was true that the pain of losing loved ones applied equally to both of us, the boy and the witch. I couldn¡¯t know when he¡¯d find out. * I hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to teach him first. he was a boy who had crossed a hard way to be taught by me. I don¡¯t think we have much time, so I need to start as soon as possible. When I put down the book I was reading, the boy turned his eyes to me. I decided to check first. I wanted to see if I felt right. It was all the more so because it was unbelievable. But I can¡¯t readily reach out my hand. I¡¯m worried that he might get scared or run away saying that I¡¯m an evil witch like the rest of them. Otherwise, he might get suspicious of the witch¡¯s motives and deliver serve me a bigger blow. I felt pathetic to be thinking that far. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m even worried that I¡¯ll get hurt. The boy turned over to me as I kept staring at him. Looking at each other in the dark, it felt like time was running slower. Nevertheless, the boy¡¯s red eyes met mine, unwavering, and waited for my mouth to open. I felt like a normal girl when I looked into those eyes. It seemed to be because he treated me as a person, not a witch. I gathered up my courage in the boy¡¯s eyes and raised my palm. And put it in front of the boy¡¯s face. ¡°What do you see?¡± The inside of the tower was filled with deep darkness, so it was difficult to distinguish anything from it. But the boy always pierced though that darkness. He acted as if it were no problem at all. And this time again, he tried to see something while looking at my palm. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t see anything.¡± On my palm clustered a darkness distinct from the darkness that was encroaching the inside of the tower, It clung together and scattered, repeating this motion again and again, breathing over and over again. Soon after, it came up, wrapped around my arm, in ordance with my will. Then again, it seeped into the other familiar darkness. I was controlling the darkness that existed in nature. I could have made it visible, but I purposely only moved my energy. However, he didn¡¯t seem to feel this much. Still, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to feel it himself. He had a natural sense allowing him to walk in and out of the forest. It was never easy to feel the direction of sound and wind and melt into nature and be one with it. ¡°Then how about this?¡± As I reached out to the boy, he flinched and shrugged, and soon realized his mistake and straightened himself. But I couldn¡¯t even touch him. It was because the unintentional act portrayed the boy¡¯s life until now. I saw the life he lead, always having to be anxious and protect his body. I was about to withdraw my outstretched hand. ¡°I was just startled a moment ago. What were you going to do? It¡¯s alright. Try it.¡± The boy grabbed my hand hurriedly and tightly. I set my eyes on the small hand holding mine. Only then did the boy, who realized what he had done, let go. What a strange boy. He¡¯s not afraid of me. In addition, he would take action first before asking if it was okay. I asked him for his permission before starting what I was going to do for him. I don¡¯t know if he really believes me or if he just doesn¡¯t care what happens to him. Nothing can be deduced from the boy¡¯s face. He¡¯s just looking up at me with his stony eyes. A short sigh came out of his innocent and masked face. The boy in my memory looked almost like this except when he cried emotionally. At best, he frowned. It was hard to tell whether he was used to hiding his expression or he had lost them altogether. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you offended?¡± It feels strange that a young warrior cares about the witch¡¯s feelings. Still the young warrior is weak and warm. I was convinced that the warrior in front of me would not kill the witch. So I had to do better. I put my hand on the boy¡¯s shoulder. It was small. It was embarrassing that such a small and young boy had grown bigger than me. I tried to concentrate on my palm, shaking off the image in my memory. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°I can feel something.¡± ¡°Can you exin what it feels like?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s not cold, it¡¯s not warm, but it¡¯s not like there¡¯s nothing¡­ Anyway, there¡¯s something.¡± He was definitely sensitive. It¡¯s not difficult if he could feel the energy. It was fortunate that he was starting to feel his energy and control it. Maybe he doesn¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing because he¡¯s already doing it and no one¡¯s teaching him. That alone was a huge relief. I just wanted my prediction to be right. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 21 CHAPTER 21 Trantor and editor : Cuties I turned my eyes to the seat nestled in the dark. It was a ce that had been prepared in advance. But the boy didn¡¯t reveal his curiosity towards it as if he hadn¡¯t yet found it lying on the floor. Just as I was opening his mouth, the boy asked the question first. ¡°Are you really trying to teach me something?¡± I looked at the boy, wondering what he meant. Didn¡¯t hee here because I offered to teach him? Didn¡¯t he say he would be taught? The boy hesitated for a moment and continued to speak, perhaps noticing my wonder. ¡°No, I¡­ I thought you were just bored.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t teach me because there was nothing in it for you. I thought that you were just a little interested in the boy that appeared when you were bored and decided to tease and harass him a little to alleviate your boredom¡­¡± I was speechless and mmed my mouth into a thin line. Surely there was logic behind the boy¡¯s thinking. It was the reasonable line of thought when facing a witch. It was strange to do such useless things when you might be in danger. I was portrayed as an evil witch who feasted off people¡¯s misery in the outside world after all. When I understood the reasoning behind the boy¡¯s words, another question arose this time. Doesn¡¯t that mean he came here thinking I might hurt him? ¡°You came here thinking you might be hurt by me? Why?¡± The boy kept his mouth shut as if it were difficult for him to say, and then he grudgingly continued. ¡°You were so different from the witch I imagined so I thought you might be honest.¡± ¡°Then what if I were really a bad witch?¡± Throughout the conversation, it urred to me that it wasn¡¯t a story that a warrior and a witch can talk about. Isn¡¯t it more like the image of a mother who teaches her child who acted unreasonably? The warrior is still very young, so I can¡¯t help it. The innocent and honest boy makes me reveal my inner feelings. He¡¯s a boy with a really strange ability. The boy buried his head with his folded arms, perhaps in shame. He said, ¡°I came here, but I don¡¯t know what I was thinking when I did.¡± He must have been worried. No matter how strong he wanted to be and how much he wanted to be recognized by people, I was not an easy person to trust. Indeed, it would have been more painful and tormenting than it is now. He might have simply nodded his head, even to a demon rather than a witch, but he could never have simply went to look for them. He looks up at me and opens his mouth, seemingly having organized his thoughts. Those red eyes are so clear and clean that I think I can trust whatever he says. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t want to kill me, do you?¡± ¡°How can you be sure of that?¡± ¡°If you had intended to kill me, you would have done it at once. I didn¡¯t answer. The boy¡¯s words continued. ¡°You want something from me, don¡¯t you? I don¡¯t know what it is. I don¡¯t know what you can gain from helping me. you won¡¯t tell me even if I ask. You¡¯re helping me because it¡¯s not a bad deal for you.¡± Oh, was it? The boy seems to think he¡¯s making a deal with me. I guess he thought I had something to gain from making him strong and saving the world. Yeah, I¡¯d rather have him think so. I nodded. But the boy hesitated as if he had something more to say. Soon his mouth opened and the boy¡¯s next words embarrassed me beyond measure. ¡°And you¡¯re not at all like what I¡¯ve been hearing about you. You feel morefortable than the people I live with. I think you¡¯re nice. So I thought it would be okay to believe in you.¡± ¡°Different, you say?¡± The boy nodded his head. ¡°You listen to me, you im to be a warrior¡­ Yet you don¡¯t even regard me, a witch, with caution.¡± The boybed his hair and continued to talk. ¡°I¡¯m strange, too, aren¡¯t I? My eyes and hair.¡± ¡°No, they¡¯re beautiful.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes shed an unbelieving light at my words. They¡¯re weird? They are not. The boy¡¯s hair and eyes are beautiful. They were more brilliant than any other color I had ever seen. He was blessed by the sun. It was strange that people thought him strange, not the other way around. ¡°They are like the white snow and the red sun.¡± The boy looked down at the floor, avoiding my gaze, and rubbed his face with his hands. he rubbed it so hard that his cheeks were squashed around. His eyebrows were also heavily knotted together. I was wondering if he was crying, but he wasn¡¯t. There was still no change in his expression, but only his red cheeks and ears were betraying his feelings of embarrassment. He didn¡¯t seem to know how to respond topliments. I had to be cursed to see such beautiful colors, I felt pity for the people who could not see the beauty in them. Their ignorance of the sun and the sunshine that illuminated the world was pitiful. They were living like that, blindfolded in both their eyes and ears, not seeing only what they want to see all the time. ¡°But what is snow?¡± The boy¡¯s question took my eyes off his white hair. It was as white and clean as the boy¡¯s hair. I had only seen it once before when I was very young, but I was fascinated by its mystery. It became strongly imprinted in my mind so as it would not to be forgotten forever. ¡°You¡¯ve never seen it before I guess.¡± The boy nodded his head. ¡°White, clean and cold. When it reaches body temperature, it melts away. Just like a fantasy. It covers the dirt of the world with its own body and bes water that melts and awakens life.¡± ¡°There¡¯s such a thing?¡± The boy asked back in wonder. The two eyes first bore the light. The red jewels within the light were very fascinating. It made me want to have them. But they were like the sun that I couldn¡¯t bear. The boy with his emotions on his face was so cute that I answered without realizing it. ¡°I¡¯ll show youter. Snow that looks just like your hair.¡± The boy nodded his head in full disy of his feelings of joy and I immediately regretted it. What courage did I have to make such a promise to go out of the tower to see snow? But as I looked at the hair of the boy, which was parting in front of his eyes, I also wanted to see the snow that existed only in my memory. Yeah, I can just show him. It¡¯s not difficult. I won¡¯t ever miss it again, so it¡¯s not a bad idea to go see it for thest time. I dragged my hair away from my face with my thumb and index finger and stared at the boy struggling to take a good look. The red irises were trying to see the hair close by. His eyebrows were knit together, but his expression was bright. I thought it might be fun to see snow with this boy. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 22 CHAPTER 22 Trantor and editor : Cuties I walked in front of the prepared magic circle with the boy. The first thing to do was to check the boy¡¯s natural abilities. In order to do so, we needed a magic circle, fortunately, there was a book that exined how to make one. So I focused as much as possible and drew it slowly. Surprised at the new addition to the tower¡¯s floor, the boy crouched in front of it watching it closely. He was trying to touch it, and then hurriedly retreated. It should not have been touched because even a slight change would make itpletely different. I didn¡¯t tell him not to touch it, but the boy took a step back and looked at it with his eyes perhaps sensing my objection. He was very clever. Maybe he¡¯s quick-witted. My face hardened when I thought of the environment that turned the boy into a wild animal. The poor boy who had to hide his true self in order to live and carefully read other people¡¯s thoughts before reacting. But this sensitivity would be a great help for him. I had better think so. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°I have something to confirm so sit in the middle of it.¡± ¡°How can I get over this without stepping on it?¡± The boy paced around the circle, perplexed. It was very wide and full ofplex patterns except in the middle. The papers on it made it even more difficult. They moved at the slightest wind blowing. No matter how agile and small a boy was, it would not be an easy task. So he couldn¡¯t get in easily and just hovered around it, looking for an opening to slip through. He looked just like a small animal facing a stream trying to figure out how to cross but failing. So I decided to help the animal youngling. I used the darkness to cover the circle on the floor. Surprise spread over the boy¡¯s face as something simr to a ck cloud emerged spreading over the magic circle. I was amazed by the boy¡¯s careful reaction. He¡¯s usually not scared. But then again, he must have never seen anything like this before. Those who could use these abilities have long since died and all the items they left behind were handed over to the greedy hands of the royal family and aristocrats. Although, for the boy¡¯s credit, he did show more curiosity than fear at the scene unfolding before his eyes which looked like it jumped straight out of a fairytale. ¡°Is this the witch¡¯s ability?¡± ¡°Yes. Walk up there and sit in the middle.¡± ¡°Wow, it¡¯s weird. What is this?¡± The boy carefully put his foot on the darkness Iid out for him and was treading lightly upon it. But soon, he burst intoughter. ¡°I feel weird. Is this how it feels to step on the clouds?¡± I can¡¯t take my eyes off that innocent smile. His cheeks were swollen with his finely bent eyes twinkling and wide-open mouth. I¡¯ve never seen a face like his before. He sat in the middle and kept ying and tapping the strange darkness underneath him. I couldn¡¯t get rid of it and deprive him of his fun so I just left it a bit longer. It would be a shame to cut his rare moment of amusement short. Everyone was afraid and reluctant to use the ominous power of darkness. It was greatly useful though, so I didn¡¯t hesitate to employ it. It wasn¡¯t until I got dragged away to be tried for witchcraft and sorcery that I realized that it might not have been such a good idea after all, even if I deployed it only for the good of the people. But the boy smiled brightly and yed with it. Far from being afraid of the witch¡¯s dark powers, he was having fun. What a strange boy. The boy, who had been ying like that for a while, quickly lost interest and looked at me. He still looked bright. It urred to me that he didn¡¯t know what expression he was making. With both cheeks taking a reddish glow, he looked younger. Suddenly, the desire to reach out and pet him overtook me and I hurriedly removed the darkness. The boy asked me, unable to hide his regretful expression. He also seemed excited. ¡°Is this what you¡¯re going to teach me? Will I really be able to do this?¡± He seemed happy to learn these abilities. But I couldn¡¯t readily answer. This was something he had to be born with. And even if he were born with it, I couldn¡¯t let him use it for fear that he would end up being trapped in a tower or killed like me. So I¡¯m the only one left who can truly use the ability of controlling darkness. The only skill the boy had to learn was how to kill the darkness. But in fact there was one more option avable besides darkness. I could teach him how to handle it and the boy would be stronger than anyone else. Of course, this too was an ability he had to be born with. But maybe the boy¡­ I opened my mouth hoping that was what I was thinking was correct. ¡°Close your eyes and concentrate on the energy you feel around you.¡± The boy straightened his expression and returned to his original stance. I felt sorry to put an end to his yfulness, but I couldn¡¯t help it because this was more important. The boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath and began to slowly slip in. I poured my energy into the magic circle. May the deity bless him. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the boy with an earnest heart. I hope what I saw wasn¡¯t a fantasy. I wish the future that I saw to bes true. And before long the circle responded to the boy¡¯s energy. It turns out that he indeed had a natural affinity. The problem was the type of affinity he had. If it were darkness like mine, then I would have to seal it away forever, and if it were another type ofmon affinity then it would be of no use. In which case he will not be able to change anything. But luckily, my worries were nothing more than a quirk. ¡°Wh, what is this? Witch, what¡¯s wrong with this?¡± The papers lying on the circle rose into the air startling the boy. Soon after, they began to burn. But it wasn¡¯t fire. They were eaten away by light. They looked like butterflies fluttering their wings and reflecting white light. The boy¡¯s face was also brightened by the light, his brilliant hair and the color of the eyes, enhanced significantly under the illumination. Mouth agape, the boy looked around in wonder and amazement. And I ended up on the floor in the midst of that ridiculous situation. I didn¡¯t believe it. I suspected I was mistaken. The broken sun hovered around the boy enveloping him in shining brilliance, blessing him, and melting the world around him into a beautiful existence. I hope I¡¯m right this time around. ¡°Bright light will set the darkness aside.¡± As if to respond to my words, the circle surrounding the boy radiated light. The light, which soon stretched out from the inside of the tower, brightened the ce that had always been shrouded in darkness. It was too bright for me to open my eyes. I couldn¡¯t bear to look at the boy sitting in it. I hid my face in both hands. The boy approached. The light quickly faded and returned to its original form in a sh. It felt darker than before. I looked up at the boy. I could see his red eyes trembling with fear. But he seemed to shine more brilliantly than anything in my eyes. I remembered the little boy who was blessed with light. The young warrior was a gift from heaven. He was the light of the deity that would drive out the darkness. ¡°The light drives out the darkness¡­¡± He will give me eternal rest. The witch now realized that the young warrior really had the power to kill her. She realized the reason why the warrior in her memory could not kill her, and also what to do in the future so that this young warrior in front of her could. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 23 CHAPTER 23 Trantor and editor : Cuties ¡°You are born from the light.¡± ¡°Light?¡± I sat in front of him and looked at the boy who listened to the story gently. The boy was light. His appearance was not only symbolic, but had the power of God. It was foolish of people man to try to kill such a young warrior without knowing it. No, it was frustrating to know that even if they knew, they would still kill him. It would be nice for him to kill a witch like a fairy tale and live a happy life as a hero, but the reality was not such. When they found out that the nameless wandering warrior had power, some people who felt threatened would reach out and no one would ever give him credit even if he really managed to get rid of the witch and drive out the darkness. That¡¯s why he needed me. I had to be the shadow of the boy and protect him. ¡°A long time ago, there existed sorcerers who could use the energy of nature. Each of them borrowed the energy of their own element from nature, and most of it was fire, water, wind, metal, and darkness.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe you used the energy of nature¡­¡± The boy¡¯s eyes mirrored his surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t you I had light in me? So can I borrow the power of light?¡± The boy tilted his palm while staring at it. It seemed unbelievable. Of course, he¡¯s never thought about it before. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I strangely liked the sun. It was somewhat warm and satisfying when I was enjoying the sun in a bright ce. Is this rted to that?¡± I nodded. The boy under the sun was clearly at ease, even to me. I could feel the sun touching the boy and getting him to shine more brightly. The boy is so sensitive that he may have been feeling the energy unconsciously. He looked at his body as if he couldn¡¯t believe it and breathed a small sigh. Looking at the boy who was holding back hisughter with a proud expression on my face, I, too, was calming my surprised heart. I had thought about it, but I didn¡¯t know he really had the element of light. It was a characteristic that was called the power of God because it is the most outstanding and only two people existed who could wield it. It was said that no one could be born and carry it without God¡¯s blessing. The young warrior before me must have been blessed by God. ¡°But why aren¡¯t they here now? Those sorcerers.¡± ¡°Because ever since the world has been covered in darkness, they have not been able to use their abilities except those sorcerers with the dark element. So only the one with the power of darkness remained, but all those were killed, and in the end it was only me left.¡± ¡°Then the witch¡¯s element is darkness, too.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s also called the power of shadows.¡± ¡°Well, it suits you.¡± I knew that the boy didn¡¯t mean it, but I couldn¡¯t help it. Even I thought I fit in well with the darkness. ck hair and pupils, dark and stark atmosphere. It was natural to point a finger at me for being cursed. Like the darkness that pushed the world into pain. ¡°It¡¯s like the witch swallowed the night sky. I always thought I was rxed and drowsy whenever I saw the witch, but I guess it was because you had the embracing feeling of the night.¡± It was embarrassing to see a young warrior rxing and evennguishing when he was with a witch. Besides, it¡¯s night. Unlike those who were always reminded of the darkness that brought out the monster upon seeing me, I was grateful to the young warrior because he was reminded of something beautiful and wonderful instead. The boy always did. Maybe because of his bright eyes like the sun, he saw me as a woman. Suddenly I thought it was funny. A warrior who illuminates the world with brilliant sunshine and a witch who covers the world quietly. The night made me look forward to the morning more. It felt brighter and more intense to drive out the darkness. It didn¡¯t seem strange to regard it as a witch¡¯s night trying to guide the sun of a boy. ¡°It¡¯s too dark here to see the stars.¡± ¡°Stars?¡± ¡°Yes, stars.¡± He looked at my hair spilt on the floor perhaps unwilling to answer further. Then he said more to himself, as if he had juste up with something. ¡°But why kill everyone with dark power? You¡¯re just using the power of nature.¡± They must have felt threatened. I thought of a smiling ruler looking down at me,. No one can use any other power except for darkness. It¡¯s too threatening and frightening for an ordinary person. It is the same with the emperor, who has lost his energy and has be nothing more than an ordinary man. He must have always been anxious, although he is dominating the country with his powers and soldiers and gradually starting a war. He might have thought that we, who have strong powers, would be able to take over his ce. Although he would have collected the spells and protected his body, he would have thought it was not enough, and it would have been perfect because he needed a victim to take the me of those who were tired of suffering from constant poverty and hunger due to frequent wars, gue and food shortages. But I didn¡¯t have to tell the boy this story. The boy had to stick a knife in instead of understanding the witch or havingpassion. ¡°Because they¡¯re witches. It¡¯s because of those who have dark powers that monsters do not disappear.¡± ¡°All there is left is a witch. If I kill you, the monsters will be gone?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know?¡± The boy frowned at my words. But he didn¡¯t answer. I¡¯m curious again. I wonder what the outside world thinks of me. How they portray me. If they even remember me. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to know much about me. Is the world forgetting about the witch?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of old stories. Do you really not die? Have you lived very long?¡± ¡°Seeing it once is better than hearing it a hundred times.¡± The boy couldn¡¯t understand what she meant, so he just stared at her. I took the sword of such a boy. The witch sitting in front of him took his sword at one sudden point, and the boy¡¯s face was stained with puzzlement. It reminded me. Even the young man in my memory looked very agitated when I took the sword and stabbed myself like this. He even cried because he was afraid I would die. I held the dagger sharp end facing me, set it against my heart, and stabbed with all my strength. No, I was going to. ¡°Stop it!¡± The boy rushed to me and I staggered straight back; the back of my head hitting the stone floor. I frowned at the shock. ¡°What the hell! Are you crazy?¡± Soon, however, I was mesmerized by the sight of the boy, who soon climbed onto me and grabbed my hand holding the sword. It was the first time I had seen the boy¡¯s red eyes so close and that white hair tilted toward me, so I felt like my head was going nk. I managed to calm my nerves down and open my mouth. ¡°Why are you stopping me? When I die, the monsters disappear.¡± ¡°But, still.¡± The boy, embarrassed and at a loss for what to do, managed to give out an excuse he came up with. ¡°You must teach me first! If you die like this, then what about me?¡± The boy is looking at me with a tears look in his eyes. He is such a helpless young warrior. He came to kill the witch and instead, begged her to stay alive with such a sad look on his face. The young man in my memory cried as he looked down at me just like this. So the young man¡¯s tears wet my face. Unconsciously, I wiped my cheek. Nothing was smeared on it but my face still felt wet. I got up in the end. The boy came down from straddling me as I led him to sit right in front of me. He was still holding my hand. It was so hard to see how tightly he held onto me with his small hand to the point that my wrists were sore. So I returned the sword. The boy sighed with relief and hurried to get it. He sped it tightly with one hand just in case it was snatched away again. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re worried about when I¡¯m not dying anyway.¡± The boy, who was staring at me, opened his mouth in response my words. ¡°I really don¡¯t know.¡± I stared at the red irises searching for a deeper meaning. The boy continued to talk biting his lip. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re really a witch. No, I doubt the witch story I heard is true. You don¡¯t look so evil, and you don¡¯t seem to have any reason to bring up monsters and make the world suffer. You don¡¯t look like the witch who killed people again and again. Are you really a witch?¡± I don¡¯t care if I¡¯m a witch or not. You¡¯re still suffering because of me. The young warrior stopped me from wielding a sword, even though he was well aware that he would die if he did not kill me. He¡¯s a boy I can¡¯t quite understand. And I am a witch who can¡¯t understand what such a young warrior says and does. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 24 CHAPTER 24 Trantor and editor : Cuties The boy sat leaning against the wall, seemingly in a bad mood. There was no response when I tried to teach him, and he ignored even if I told him to go back home. The boy should not have stayed here too long, as it took him days toe. Knowing that he can live in the Witch¡¯s Forest for so long, would earn him even more judging eyes. But he didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of going back. He can¡¯t see under his nose because he has his face buried in his arm. The boy seemed particrly fond of that posture. To crouch down. To crouch down and bury his face in his arms. Or perch hi chin on it. Somehow I felt sorry for him and wanted to give him a hug. I tried to concentrate on the book, but my eyes kept darting to the boy. Finally, I closed the book and put it down. I think he might be sitting there on purpose. I can¡¯t ignore just ignore him. ¡°Boy.¡± ¡°My name is not a boy.¡± Then what should I call him? I was rendered speechless with bewilderment. But the boy still only puts his chin on his arms with a sulky look on his face and stares into the dark. Come to think of it, I didn¡¯t know the boy¡¯s name. Once, we had a conversation about him, but his only the answer was that they had no name. I have been called a witch for a long time, and the boy also had no one to call his name. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be called a boy, you should tell me what to call you.¡± ¡°Nothing. My name died with my brother when he died. Everybody calls me a monster.¡± I couldn¡¯t figure out what expression he was making in the dark. It was unbelievable that the two opposites of light and darkness could resemble each other. Maybe it¡¯s because we¡¯re in the same world. Yeah, maybe it¡¯s because the world is the same that¡¯s driving us so hard. ¡°Then should we make a new name?¡± The boy finally looks at me. His eyes were wide open as if he didn¡¯t expect this. I wondered as if I had seen the feeling of joy in those eyes. Is it a pleasure to get a new name? I was about to say again that I had seeded in making him look at me anyway. Realizing what expression he was wearing, the boy quickly turned his head and buried it again in his arm. I had no choice but to stop as it was. I don¡¯t think we can just let it go. After a small sigh at the end, he opened his mouth. ¡°What¡¯s not good about it?¡± The boy did not budge. ¡°I¡¯m not going to die anyway. If you¡¯ve heard rumors about me, you¡¯d know.¡± The boy has been like this ever since I tried to stab myself with my own sword. So that was the only reason he was upset. I didn¡¯t know what to say, but for now I opened my mouth again, thinking that soothing the boy shoulde first. ¡°It was my fault¡­¡± I chose my words carefully. The boy looked at me with a surprised look. But soon asked with a frown. ¡°What about?¡± What kind of embarrassing question is this? I sighed at the direction of the conversation that seems to have changed to that ofmon lovers. But after barely focusing, I answered. ¡°For trying to kill myself.¡± Only then did the boy turn toward me and start to get angry. ¡°How could you try to kill yourself? In front of me! But isn¡¯t it too cruel to try to die in front of a child? And even using my sword.¡± A witch scolded by a warrior, and she¡¯s being scolded for trying to die. It was so absurd that I only closed my eyes and gave out excuses. ¡°No, I really don¡¯t die. Then let me show yo¡­¡± ¡°How can you say that?!¡± The boy sped his sword, shouting. He would not let it be taken away again. The boy in my memory hated and worried that I was going to die, but not to this extent. What¡¯s changed? Were the boy in my memory and the boy in front of me different, or did he changed because of the change in my behavior? I could only keep my mouth shut with embarrassment, but the boy¡¯s nagging continued. ¡°Is it that easy? You¡¯ve been killing yourself like that all this time? Why? It hurts! It¡¯s going to hurt anyway. No matter how much of a witch you are, you can¡¯t not feel pain!¡± The boy¡¯s voice seemed to tremble and he eventually shed tears. The boy bites his lips as if he doesn¡¯t want to cry, but the nasty tears fall down and wet the floor. I gazed at the scene, and he hurriedly bowed his head. My heart ached. I can¡¯t think of anything because the pain has spread even though through my heart even though I didn¡¯t stab it. The boy¡¯s crying made even the witch want to cry. It hurts. I also feel pain. But no one noticed. They didn¡¯t care whether it hurt or not. Because I¡¯m a witch. Why do you acknowledge the pain of a witch? I closed my eyes, calmed my sick chest for a moment, then approached the boy. The boy¡¯s cheeks were drenched with tears. Sitting in front of him, he flinched unnoticeably as I stretched out my hand, but he did not avoid it and let me approach. I wiped away his tears. they were lukewarm. But the boy¡¯s cheeks were very warm. The warmth climbs up my fingers and hugs my wounded witch¡¯s chest. Covering it warmly as if it doesn¡¯t want to be ugly. The boy did. He always came to me first and defended me. He tried to look right at my wounds and even heal them. He looked into the woman who was shunned as a witch. He took out the girl trapped in scars. I can¡¯t push this boy away. When I wiped away his tears with a clumsy touch, the boy burst into tears as if he was filled with sorrow. Tears streamed ceaselessly and wet his face. It was no use wiping them. I didn¡¯t know how to soothe the crying boy. I didn¡¯t know if I should just let him cry orfort him. The reason why he cried was not just because of me, I think. The boy, who cried and sneezed like a baby, continued to talk again. ¡°What if the witch dies, too? What if even the witch dies?¡± I couldn¡¯t hear it properly because of his squealing, but I could see what he was trying to say. I couldn¡¯t figure out what to answer, so I just wiped away his tears. ¡°What if you die because of me?¡± Only then did I notice why the boy cried sadly. Everyone the boy loves is dead. The vigers med the boy. He shouts, ¡°No,¡± but they don¡¯t listen. So he tried to pass it on, saying it was the witch¡¯s fault, but that¡¯s not easy. It¡¯s hard to throw away the guilt of killing someone you love. If the witch dies with his own sword in the meantime. If she dies in front of him¡­ I realized I was short-sighted. The boy was now spouting a story that no one would listen to. He was leaning on a witch who treated him as a warrior when he didn¡¯t treat himself like a human being. Like I did. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me alone. Don¡¯t go and leave me behind.¡± I also peeped at the boy¡¯s wounds and fears, which he had been hiding from people. And I remembered the young man who remained in my memory. The face of a young man who cried, ¡°I thought you were going to die because of me¡±. That¡¯s why. That¡¯s why he was so sad. He¡¯s afraid I¡¯m going to die by myself, and that I¡¯m going to leave him alone. I apologized again. ¡°It was my fault. I won¡¯t do that from now on.¡± Can such a young warrior really kill a witch? Can he kill me? Suddenly, fear grabbed me, but I tried hard to suppress it. The warrior was still so young and weak that he needed a little more time. He had to grow up to be on the side of the rest of the world, not on the witch¡¯s side, until he could aim the sword. And I had to make it that way. That¡¯s what has to happen. The boy, who had been crying for a long time, managed to swallow his tears. Then he pushed my hand away and turned his head, as if he was ashamed to cry in front of me. But darkness does not cover the witch¡¯s eyes. His red eyes, a sniffling nose, and a pouty lip, but unlike before, I can clearly see that his anger has been relieved. ¡°I¡¯m still mad.¡± The boy did not know that saying so was rather tantamount to revealing that he was not displeased anymore. Then he looked down at me with a face that still lingered in tears and frowned. He looks shy rather than angry. His face was so cute that I wanted to burst intoughter. But I didn¡¯t want to raise his anger again, so I suppressed it. ¡°Give me a name.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Give me a new name. Give me the name of the warrior who will light up the world, not the name of the cursed monster. Then I¡¯ll forgive you.¡± The boy, who came to learn from the witch, was giving her homework, and should she fail it, he was going to run far away from her. When I heard him ask me a new name, I saw it in the boy¡¯s twinkling eyes. Forgiveness was no more than an excuse. The boy¡¯s voice was heard, though he was no longer seen because he stepped out of the room. ¡°I¡¯ll give you Ie back next time toe up with my name.¡± And there was only the sound of him rushing down the stairs. I just looked at the ce boy¡¯s disappeared into with a nk look on my face. The witch had to name the warrior who would save the world. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 25 CHAPTER 25 Trantor and editor : Cuties Time passed and the boy came back. In the meantime I have not neglected to follow the boy while preparing to teach him. It was to prepare for a possible event. Fortunately, there has been no change yet. What has changed is that the boy in my memoryes more often than the boy now. Besides if I remember correctly, the boy in my memory has been visiting steadily, but not by these short intervals of time. Because he grew a little more every time he came. The boy¡¯s voice tickled my ear as Ipared the boy in memory with the boy in front of me. ¡°Hi.¡± I think I misheard the boy, and when I look at him, he turns his eyes from me and walks closer to me. ¡°Long time no see.¡± The boy¡¯s voice went on and I realized that I didn¡¯t hear him wrong. And I could barely ept the greeting with a nod. ¡°Yes. Long time no see.¡± Of course, I knew what he had been through, whom he had met and what he had been hurt by as I followed him, but the boy did not know that so he must¡¯ve thought we were meeting after a long while. A quiet time passed after greeting. The boy seemed as awkward as I was. I thought I wouldugh out loud, so I bit my lips. A warrior who says hello to a witch and a witch who wees such a warrior. It¡¯s certainly a strange picture. It was something I had never seen in any fairy tale book. I stared at the boy who was looking at the books for no reason. Still squatting. As I approach him, he turns his head and looks at me. One of the two arms on his knee is tapping the book. Human time is still fast, so he seems a little more mature than before. I thought he was the same, but he wasn¡¯t. He¡¯s bigger than I¡¯ve seen him be before. The new boy¡¯s time, which I don¡¯t feel all the same, has gone as far as it could. Maybe it¡¯s because he was in his growing phase. ¡°Did you find a name for me?¡± ¡°Estevan.¡± ¡°Did you really name me?¡± Wasn¡¯t he the one who asked me toe up with a name for him? Why is he so surprised now? Somehow, I felt like a fool taking all that time to think hard about his new name. But the idea quickly disappeared. It was because the boy¡¯s face began to show signs of joy. ¡°Estevan, Estevan¡­¡± He kept repeating it either because he liked it or he was trying to get used to it, and I suddenly thought of smiling. But the thought quickly disappeared. Because his eyes met with me. He turned his head and didn¡¯t seem to know what to say, seeing that his eye rims were turning red he must be feeling embarrassed. Just as my feelings returned, the boy seemed to gradually retain hisposure. ¡°I¡¯ll call you Evan for short.¡± Evan nods at my words. Then he immediately asked the question. ¡°But what does it mean?¡± ¡°The crown of victory.¡± Evan¡¯s mouth drops open at my answer. It looked like a smile to me as the corners of his mouth went up, but he quickly came back to his original look. Without realizing it, I smiled and quickly shook it off. When I see the lovely little child, I smile like a proud mother. I think I know what it is. I lifted the book, thinking it was fortunate that it was dark here. I was about to start teaching but Evan¡¯s question blocked me. ¡°What¡¯s the witch¡¯s name?¡± I was expecting this question, so I answered it right away. ¡°Witch.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your name, I said?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have one.¡± I also lost my name a long time ago. I thought Evan would understand, but he¡¯s starting insist again and again. I can¡¯t stand it. ¡°I don¡¯t want to call you a witch. Tell me your name.¡± I opened my mouth countless times. ¡°Nyx.¡± ¡°Nyx. I get it. I¡¯ll call you that from now on.¡± Evan nodded with a look of satisfaction. I was relieved at heart that I was d I had thought it over. When Evan was named, I thought this reaction woulde back somehow, so I named myself again. My original name was lost a long time ago, so I thought it would be better to rename the witch just like the young warrior. Evan kept muttering to memorize his name. I sat facing the boy and opened the book. I nned to teach the theory first and then have him learn it slowly. But my words were interrupted again by Evan¡¯s question. ¡°You¡¯re going to teach me here?¡± ¡°Then where do I teach you?¡± ¡°I mean¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be a priority to clean up for now?¡± Evan¡¯s red eyes roamed the ce. The dark and dirty insides of the tower caught my eye. Everywhere his red gaze swept over was just dark, dirty, and dainty. Only the books were neatly ced on a fine cloth. I put the book down again. As Evan said, teaching in such a ce seemed problematic. I¡¯ve never cleaned up since I got trapped in the tower. Everything was rotting away and left untouched until it eventually disappeared. It was because I thought it would be like that, too. There was no reason to be clean and wait for the warrior. Of course, I remembered the shape of the tower after the boy in my memory cleaned it. I remembered a boy who was removing spider webs, sweeping away rotten blood and dusting off the floor. I sat down in front of him, swept the floor with my fingers, and looked at Evan, who frowned at the sight of iting out ck. Evan¡¯s house was no different. Despite losing my sense of smell when I followed him though darkness, it was a mess that I could see. I couldn¡¯t understand trying to clean this ce up while keeping his still. ¡°Let¡¯s clean up, clean up.¡± Evan rose up and moved busily. He wrapped the books on the floor in the fine cloth and put them on the table, found a stick that he couldn¡¯t even grasp what it was originally, and began to remove the cobwebs. Until then, he didn¡¯t forget to grumble at me sitting still. ¡°Don¡¯t just sit still, get up and help me. This is too dirty. I don¡¯t want to be this dirty because I have to keeping.¡± It was clear that he would continue toe. It was only natural as he was being taught by me, but I didn¡¯t know why I was so happy to hear him say it, I barely controlled my expression. I also have recollections of myself waiting for the boy in my memory, wondering whether he¡¯de or not. I pushed him away then, but I won¡¯t do that anymore. I got up and swept the floor. It was something I could easily do with my own power. Evan stopped cleaning the cobwebs and came close to watch what I did. He was amazed to see something like a dark fog pushing ck water away from the floor. ¡°It¡¯s reallyfortable. It¡¯s so nice, but why do you think always think of it as a bad thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s human beings who don¡¯t see it well, no matter how good these powers are, if they can¡¯t have them for themselves, they¡¯ll condemn the people who do.¡± ¡°In Nyx¡¯ eyes, humans must look so foolish.¡± The water collected on the floor gathered in one ce and eventually pushed down the stairs. The sound of water going down the stairs rang out. A ceaseless echo resonated by walls that were blocked without a single window. The stairs were very long and I didn¡¯t know when the water would finish its flight. Suddenly Evan spoke to himself as if he was worried. ¡°I have to go out those stairs. What if they get filled with water all the way down?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen.¡± ¡°Oh, so it¡¯s not a difficult thing for Nyx. But what the hell is that? Is it leaking?¡± Evan looked alternately at the remaining marks on the floor and the ceiling. I didn¡¯t want to answer, so I changed the subject. ¡°Are you done with the spider webs?¡± ¡°Ah right.¡± Evan hurried back to clearing the cobwebs. I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn¡¯t know how he would react I were to tell him that it was my blood. It was a real headache. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to notice and I took a breath. Evan was walking towards the curtains. ¡°It¡¯s too dark to see, so let¡¯s pull the curtains first.¡± I hurried up and grabbed his hand. A stream of light leaked through the curtains and shone on Evan¡¯s white face. I looked at the transparent hair and eyshes, the big red open eyes for a moment. The expression ¡°this boy is really beautiful¡± suits him well. ¡°Why, what¡¯s wrong? But first, when did you get here? You were definitely standing there¡­¡± Evan raised his finger and pointed to where I had just been standing. The light that leaked through the curtains was hanging down to there. The dirty and messy floor caught my eye. It also looked like a bridge that separates the darkness. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t touch the curtain.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too dark and soggy here. It¡¯s very bright and warm outside, so you¡¯ll feel much better just by pulling the curtains.¡± Even after hearing Evan¡¯s words, I couldn¡¯t let go of his hand, which I held onto steadily. I know it¡¯s bright and warm outside. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not confident to face it. I¡¯m not ready to see the brilliant, dazzling sun and leave the gray shadows I grewfortable in. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of the dark nature of Nyx? You¡¯re weak against the sun? Or does it make it hard for you to use your strength without the cover of darkness?¡± He had a worried look on his red eyes. He was looking straight at me with his eyebrows furrowed. Evan¡¯s affinity was light and was most prominent under the sun. Not only was it good for his education, but in fact, for Evan, darkness was not so good. He wouldn¡¯t feel toofortable in here. This was the tower of the witch which did not betray a single ray of light. Nevertheless, Evan worried about me first, so I let go of him. I used to think that I shouldn¡¯t feel alive under the sun because I have to die anyway, but not anymore. I thought it would be nice to let myself feel alive for once. That feeling won¡¯tst forever anyway, and I¡¯ll beid to rest before the boy does. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Then can I pull the curtains off?¡± I nodded slowly and Evan pulled them on my permission. Light seeped into the tower and lit up its interior. The insides of the tower, which had long since been covered with darkness, began to fill with warmth. The dead interior was filled with life. Light seeped into this ce trapped in the past and created the future. I felt still as the white, red, yellow and transparent sun came out and stroked my space. Light pierced through my eyelids even as I closed my eyes. The sun permeated into the reluctant tower just like the young warrior whom I had refused to let into my heart, but he still found his ce in it. ¨C¨C¨C T/N : The name Estevan indeed means what the witch said and is of Spanish origin. It¡¯s considered a variated form of Stephen. Chapter 26 CHAPTER 26 Trantor and editor : Cuties As the insides of the tower brightened, the dirt became more prominent. I didn¡¯t care much about it when it was dark, but when it got revealed; I had a desire to clean it all up. So I started helping Evan diligently. The rotten stuff was piled up on one side. Because I couldn¡¯t take it out right away. Evan said he would throw it out on his way out, but I shook my head knowing that every time he went in and out, he was scratched by thorns and hurt himself. It was possible enough with my ability. It would be difficult still to face the bright world, but I thought it might be possible for me to go out at night. When I saw the light inside the tower, I wanted to see a world painted with colors. It is really true that greed has no end. The insides of the tower were more spacious than I thought. When it was filled with darkness, I couldn¡¯t perceive its vastness well, so it felt new. I used to lean against the wall or lie on the floor, so it didn¡¯t matter whether it was wide or narrow. ¡°Are we done now?¡± ¡°Well, shouldn¡¯t we wipe the dirt off things? My clothes always get all ck.¡± Evan stretched out his palms and nodded at his ckened figure. I had to grow out the water and wipe it off. Besides the bloody spot, the whole floor was dirty. The stench still lingered. But it was difficult to clean up right away, so I decided to do it myself. I thought I could get it done while Evan was back to town. So I was about to open my mouth to voice it, but then I heard the sound of water flowing from somewhere. I turned my head toward the stairs, wondering if there was still any rotten blood left that I hadn¡¯t pushed out. It had already gone down a long time ago and there was nothing left, but I heard the sound again. I walked towards the stairs because I felt like something was stuck somewhere. No, I was about to go. ¡°What is it?¡± Evan grabbed me by the wrist. He was slightly lowering his head, but his flushed face was not hidden from my sight. It was when I opened my mouth to ask the question again that the sound of the water running was heard again. But it wasn¡¯t by the stairs. It wasing out right in front of me. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go.¡± Evan still had a calm face, only his cheeks were red-hot. The sound, simr to that of water flowing, wasing from Evan¡¯s stomach. Only then did I think of hunger. I haven¡¯t eaten ever since I got trapped in the tower because I realized that I don¡¯t die even if I don¡¯t eat, I didn¡¯t remember that Evan in front of me was a human being who had to eat. The idea that he¡¯ll go hungry and eventually die if he doesn¡¯t eat struck me like a waterfall. Before he came here, I saw him pick up some fruits and eat them in the witch¡¯s forest. I also saw him in the vige selling bones and herbs to merchants in exchange for bread and simple dishes. But it was too little. He couldn¡¯t even eat them and often starved. So even the young man in my memory did not grow up properly despite his good physique. He was so thin that his arms and legs looked wobbly, his hair was rough, and his face was gaunt. It shouldn¡¯t have been so. It was important to feed him well. ¡°You¡¯ll have to eat something first.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to eat here. You don¡¯t eat anything at all, do you?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if I don¡¯t eat.¡± ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m fine, too.¡± I¡¯m used to it. Evan muttered in a small voice, but I heard him clearly. A child ustomed to hunger made my heart ache. And when I remembered the boy who brought me food with him, my heart was fluttering. I was overwhelmed by a sense of gratitude towards the boy for giving his precious food to me and guilt for throwing it away without eating it. ¡°It¡¯s my turn to give this time.¡± ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back, so wait a moment.¡± After telling the bewildered boy to wait, I immediately shrouded myself with darkness. The ce I came to was the house I used to live in. The time here was stopped, so the food of that time remained the same. It was fresh and delicious. There was also a pile of materials. For now, I got as much as my eyes saw. I couldn¡¯t afford to take it all. I decided toe back and take my time collecting everything when I got free, so I only kept food that he could eat right away. I knew that I could never see this food again after it was eaten, but I couldn¡¯t help it. The present young warrior was more urgent than the memories of the past. When I returned to the tower, Evan, who was sitting against the wall, hurriedly rose up. Then he opened his mouth. ¡°Where did you g¡­¡± However, he couldn¡¯t finish his sentence and his eyes widened with amazement. He looked at the food in my arms. The red eyes, which were splendid even in the dark, shone more clearly under the light. I avoided his gaze and handed the food over. But food wasn¡¯t the only thing needed. ¡°There¡¯s nowhere to put it down.¡± ¡°Huh? Huh? W, wait!¡± After dumping the food at Evan¡¯s arms, I moved home again. There was only a rotten table in the tower. I couldn¡¯t put the food on top of it, so I looked for a small table. After barely finding the one-man table, I grabbed it and returned to the tower. I kept disappearing. Evan¡¯s expression was strangely changed whenever I reappeared again. I put the table in front of him and set down the food from Evan¡¯s arms one by one. Evan¡¯s stomach roared as if he was ravaged. It was amazing that he didn¡¯t show it. The food was very delicious and soon its smell filled the air. It was cute to see his red eyes roaming around and his mouth swallowing saliva. If he had an animal¡¯s tail, it would¡¯ve been shaking nonstop. However, his expression was calmpared to his appearance. He didn¡¯t even rush in and eat right away. He just looked at the food and the low table and asked questions. ¡°Where the hell are you getting it from? Besides, this table. It looks very expensive.¡± At Evan¡¯s words, I looked at the table I had brought. As soon as I found something suitable to put food on, I brought it with me without hesitation. Now that I see it, it was more like an ornament than a table, with borate carved edges; embroidery embedded everywhere, and glossy surfaces. Come to think of it, the things in my house would be worth a fortune. It was because most of them were gifts. ¡°Just eat.¡± I sat a little apart, avoiding Evan¡¯s gaze full of curiosity. My appearance was more likely to drop than enhance his appetite. It would have been better if it was still dark, but it was too bright now. My hideousness was clearly revealed. But Evan brought the table and sat face to face in front of me. I tried to sneak away, so he held on firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat alone.¡± I was forced to sit back down. The food doesn¡¯t taste good if you eat alone. I know it well, so I sat in front of Evan and covered my face pretending to read a book. Only then did the meal begin. I was mesmerized looking sideways at him over the book I was holding it. ¡°It¡¯s delicious! It¡¯s really delicious. This is good, this is also good, and this, too, is good, too. It¡¯s all food I¡¯m seeing for the first time.¡± It was difficult to decipher his mumblings with his full mouth chewing on food, but I heard him say it was delicious anyway. Perhaps his words were true, but his countenance hurriedly eating was unusually harsh. It was messy. I realized I was frowning and hurriedly arranged my expression. I was at a loss at when to teach table manners. There was too much to teach the young warrior. ¡°Nyx. Try this, too.¡± Evan pushed something through my mouth. I was shocked and ate the food without realizing it. ¡°Delicious, huh?¡± It was delicious. Still mumbling and nodding. A smile came to Evan¡¯s face as to whether he was satisfied with eating well or happy thanks to the delicious food, I did not know. It was a lovely smile. The witch had so much to teach the young warrior, but she thought it wouldn¡¯t be so bad. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 27 Chapter 27 Trantor and editor : cuties After he finished his meal, i was finally able to start teaching. I decided to teach them slowly about letters and manners, and to develop his most urgent abilities first. I exined it to Evan because i thought it would be better to tell him a simple theory about the power he would learn, but he understood and epted it surprisingly easily. I have taught the boy who was coveting the power i was using, but it was difficult for him to understand that energy came from nature itself. When asked me what energy there was in the wind and water, i was speechless. But Evan was already feeling the energy in nature. He knew the energy of water, wind, tree, fire, andnd. I saw that he felt the direction of the wind or the presence of a distant monster. How did he know when no one ever taught him? Of course, i know it¡¯s because he has a more sensitive senses than others. In addition, it may be due to the intense tension he constantly feels; always hanging between life and death. If he doesn¡¯t let his guard down, he will be more sensitive and sharper than anyone else because fearing for one¡¯s life triggers the person¡¯s protective instincts and enhances their senses. But i don¡¯t think that¡¯s all there is to it. Most of all, finding useful things or taking a rest in the forest was never something for someone to do alone. He couldn¡¯t have done it with his natural senses alone. I recalled the boy¡¯s brother whom he said had died because of the witch. When i heard the conversation between the merchants, it seems that the man who came in and out of the forest before was his brother. It is likely that he learned from him. When i thought about it up to there, Evan¡¯s mouth, which had not spoken for a while, opened as if he had been quietly organizing the story i had told him. ¡°My brother told me that everything¡¯s breathing. If i close my eyes and listen to the stories of wind, trees,nd, and water, then they¡¯d show me the way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s great. He has learned the basics of magic himself.¡± ¡°Right?¡± Evan¡¯s face, which had been slightly down, brightened. Then he began to chatter about his brother. ¡°My brother was a forest keeper. He visited even the witch¡¯s forest that no one dared step into, and people praised him for his greatness. He taught me how to walk around the forest and find food there and rest. He understood what nature was saying very well. I, on the other hand, still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°Maybe he was born with those abilities. If he could use magic, he would¡¯ve been a great sorcerer.¡± I frowned with grief. Unlike in the past, when people were highly recognized for their ability, now their only worth is to know their way around the forest. The real curse that came upon this world was neither a monster nor a king blinded by greed. Being prevented from using the natural forces. That would have been the curse. Was it the deity¡¯s arrangement to enlighten human pride? Suddenly i felt watched. Evan¡¯s red eyes were on me. I recalled the fact that i was supposed to be teaching him. Whatever the reason was, it was good for me that the boy was so sensitive. Because it made it easier to teach him. What was a little worrisome was that Evan¡¯s keen senses might realize that i was hovering around him whenever he left my tower. Of course, no matter how astutely he could feel the monsters¡¯ presence and direction of the wind, it was not a problem because he can neither feel, smell, nor hear the shadows, but if he bes more sensitive in the future, he might expose me. I have to be more careful. ¡°I¡¯m curious about something.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°You told me before that people can¡¯t use any other powers but darkness anymore, right?¡± I nodded. Evan¡¯s questions continued. ¡°I was so distracted at the time that i didn¡¯t care¡­ What about me? You said i was the light. Wouldn¡¯t i also be unable to use those powers?¡± ¡°Light is an attribute that humans cannot be born with. It was an ability that could not be used from the beginning. So among all those sorcerers, there were only two divinities able to use it.¡± Evan¡¯s eyes opened wide at my words. There has always been little change in facial expressions, only the eyes used to show emotion. But he¡¯s so full of emotions now that he couldn¡¯t hide it. So he looked more colorful. As his facial expressions and emotions grew more and more, i couldn¡¯t expect how brilliant he would be in the future. Evan, who muttered unbelievingly, asked again. ¡°Then what about me? How was i born?¡± ¡°It¡¯s god¡¯s blessing. So the divinities can call the power of god and could use it under any circumstances. It¡¯s probably the same now. [1]¡± I can¡¯t forget the light that ignited the insides of the tower. The warm brilliant light was the power that was going to drive out the darkness. The heavens sent out a young warrior to relieve mankind of their suffering. ¡°God¡¯s blessing. I can¡¯t believe it. They said i was a monster. They said i was cursed. They said people were dying because of me.¡± ¡°No.¡± I looked into the face of the boy whose joy and suffering shed. It was pitiful that humans could say that such a beautiful sun was cursed. I felt sorry for his situation but i could do nothing about it. It was a pity that they were foolish enough to give up the rope that would save them. ¡°You are a warrior who will save the world. People don¡¯t know that.¡± It would probably still be the same even if they knew. But there was no need to talk about that. It won¡¯t do him any good to know. This young warrior just needs to light up the world. Because I¡¯m going to make that happen. Evan, who had been sitting silent for a while, said, retracing his memory, ¡°I was abandoned in the witch¡¯s forest.¡± He started telling the story out of nowhere, but i could only nod. ¡°There was a ray of lighting down in the dark forest. The light was shining on the baby. My brother, who approached me like i was possessed, held me in his arms and the light disappeared like a lie.¡± Evan¡¯s face was all distorted. He had a strange look that seemed like he was about to cry andugh at the same time. ¡°Even when people pointed fingers at me for being cursed, my mother and brother said no. I¡¯m not cursed; I¡¯m just a little different. They said i was born in the light that¡¯s why my features were white.¡± Eventually, tears formed in Evan¡¯s eyes. As if he was trying to choke a sob, he held his breath and continued. ¡°But they died in the end. My mother and brother. It¡¯s because of me. Mother wouldn¡¯t have been dragged away like that if it weren¡¯t for me, and my brother wouldn¡¯t have been forced to go to war. I¡¯m blessed? No, this is a curse. I¡¯m not a warrior, I¡¯m a monster. That¡¯s how he looked at me, but his eyes were shouting no. He was begging me to say no. He wanted to believe that he was not a monster, that he¡¯s blessed, not cursed. He would have needed someone to refute this. Like his mother and brother, he must have been desperate for a fence to hide him and stop the influx of me. So he must have been confused, finding the witch to turn the arrows towards and ten realizing that she was no different than himself. Is he a monster just like the witch or, is the witch not a monster but just misunderstood like him? He had to confirm. The world says they were both monsters, so even if he wanted to say no, he must have been eating away at himself. Evan¡¯s appearance, which revealed the pain at first nce was pitiful. I reached out and lightly raised the hair covering Evan¡¯s forehead. Instead of patting his hair, I arranged it carefully and lovingly as any mother would do to her child. ¡°No. You¡¯re neither a monster nor cursed. It¡¯s not your fault that you lost your loved ones. You know that. The world was so strong that you couldn¡¯t help it. So you need to be strong in the future. That¡¯s how it works.¡± I looked into his eyed as Evan did to me. I was trying to take care of him. I was clumsy and awkward, but slowly, carefully conveyed my true feelings. ¡°Maybe god has given your mother and brother a special mission. And since they have saved the blessed child of god, your mother and brother must have gone to heaven. They¡¯ll be angels watching over you. The light that surrounds you and touches you might be their gazes.¡± Evan looked up at me with tears in his eyes and his eyebrows furrowed and looked close to busting into tears. But what really burst out of his mouth was not crying butughter. I was embarrassed and just looked at him, and Evan continued. ¡°Do people know? The fact that the witch they fear believes in god and blesses the human beings who have caused her great suffering to be angels.¡± I didn¡¯t know what expression I had on. But I thought I had a simr look to Evan¡¯s. Crying,ughing, angry, dumbfounded, we both seemed to contain numerous facial expressions at once. ¡°You¡¯re so kind, Nyx. You don¡¯t hate humans, do you? You understand, you love, and you pity their stupidity, right?¡± I can¡¯t answer no. They have been so hard on me, and yet I still love, miss and feel sorry for them even though I have been hurt so much under their hands. If I could die and save the world, i would have died hundreds of times to relieve their anger. I thought so. Evan, who was looking at me, bowed his head and trembled. I didn¡¯t know if he was crying orughing. And i couldn¡¯t even confirm it. It was because he brought his head into my arms. I couldn¡¯t push Evan out of my arms and just looked at him. ¡°The witch is not Nyx. We¡¯re not monsters. It¡¯s the world. You know that, right?¡± Only Evan¡¯s voice rang quietly. ¨C¨C¨C [1] t/n: she means that the deity can bless whomever and give them the ability to use god¡¯s power. Chapter 28 CHAPTER 28 Trantor : Cuties ¡ª Editor : WilsonWilson I sent Evan back. Evan hesitated for a long time, and eventually took a heavy step, either because he didn¡¯t learn anything or because he wasn¡¯t confident in facing people again. His back looked very pitiful, but I couldn¡¯t help it. It was not right for a warrior to be in the arms of a witch. However, I couldn¡¯t be at ease following him and seeing him enter his house, not after passing through people¡¯s using gazes and pointing fingers. I felt bad. I felt pathetic because I could neither step up for young Evan nor help him endure the mistreatment. I would rather reveal Evan¡¯s power, and let the people know that he is the light to save the world, but the world had not changed at all while I was trapped in the tower. No, rather, it got filthier. Why am I a witch? Why can¡¯t I be a shield to protect the light and help the world go forward? If this were a fairy tale, then people would admire and follow strong and righteous things. They would kneel before the warrior¡¯s marvelous strength. But the reality is different. The truth is decided by the powerful, and the world will turn its back on him before he can boast of what he has. So you must wait patiently until you meet the shield that will protect your strength, young warrior. He¡¯s too young and too weak to stand up to the world, so he has to wait until the shield appears. Evan¡¯s small crouching figure made me want to embrace his shoulders, but I couldn¡¯t, so I ended up escaping alone like a fugitive. Then I went around the vige and looked at the world that was flowing without rest. I looked at what was going on, who was thinking of what, and what would happen in the future. I was trying to find an opportunity for Evan, but it was quiet. When I came back without much result, the warm interiors of the tower weed me instead of the terrible darkness. The sunset had seeped in and filled the room with beautiful colors. The floor, which seemed to sink like an endless swamp, had been cleared away. He¡¯s obviously like the boy in my memory, but so much has changed around him. I was suddenly ovee with fear. Am I changing the present correctly? Am I able to create the future that I want? But there is no way to confirm. Evan¡¯s future was still showing death, and my future still remained the same. After a little while more, I could see what the future would bring, with this present that I had changed. Because Evan was finally changing, little by little, from the boy in my memory. I decided to clean up the tower and prepare this and that for Evan, who is no more of an ordinary human being than me. Soon, my eyes were ckened and the scenery around me was changed. It was the house where I lived. This was the only ce to bring the things that I needed. It was only natural that the witch could not leave the tower and go to the market or meet a merchant. It was still heartbreaking to have no one, and it was sad that I couldn¡¯t keep what I had in my memory, but I didn¡¯t care. Evan, myst hope, was the top priority. I decided to do my best for the present because all of this woulde as a bigger sadness if I had the same ending again. As I entered the kitchen thinking about what to bring, I could see the mess all over. When I was busy bringing food and utensils for Evan, I turned the floor into a mess, and the remaining food was spilled around everywhere. There were ck marks everywhere I touched. I looked down at my hand. It wasn¡¯t long since I washed, but the tower was so filthy that I also got dirty again. Indeed, cleaning up the tower was a priority. I washed my hands and feet and tidied up what I had messed using water-flowing spells and cleaning tools. After returning to the tower, I poured water all over it. The walls and floors were all dirty. I swept the floor, wiped the walls and windows, pushed furniture, and threw out rotten things. There was no rest at all. While going in and out of my old house, the spots I passed by got dirty again. But it was clear to me that even if I washed myself, it would again be the same because of the dirty tower. I didn¡¯t know what to prioritize, so I just decided to clean the tower first. Meanwhile, the tower gradually darkened. The sun seemed to be setting. I cleaned the stairs and soon wiped my body without much care. After washing, I went to clear out the mess I created in my old house. Now I felt clean. After I washed my clothes, I decided to look for things to take to the tower while waiting for them to dry. I packed food and food storage items, various ingredients, and kitchen utensils. As I had to teach him how to read and write, I looked for paper, pens, and simple books to read. Fortunately, the fairy tale books that I saw when I was young remained the same. I passed my finger through the fairy tale books stuck in the bookcase. I remembered a voice reading a book. I picked out the interesting ones to read. Among them was the story of a warrior saving the princess. I wondered how he would react after reading the story of a warrior who kills the witch and saves the princess. I also thought about what I should take for me to use, however, I couldn¡¯t think of anything right away. The young warrior was what mattered most for now. Andstly, I cleaned and arranged things onest time. Tools for living were ced inside the tower of the witch waiting to be killed. It was so strange and unusual that I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off it for a while. This was no longer the tower where the witch was locked up. It was a home for raising and protecting the warrior. The tower¡¯s interior was dark again because of the night that covered the whole world, but it was apletely different darkness. The items I had brought were reflected faintly in the moonlight. I couldn¡¯t see well, but I felt something was in there, unlike when there was nothing. Is this the starlight Evan was talking about? Suddenly, a silly thought came to mind. I didn¡¯t know why, but I suddenly remembered the boy who was looking to see stars. ¡°I want to see the stars.¡± It suddenly gave me a desire to see the night sky. I hesitated for a moment and then left the tower. Now there was no reason to hesitate, forget, or fear. Rather, I had to get used to it. I had to go a little further. The first thing to wee me was the cool breeze. It was itchy. The gale touching my hair was tickling my heart. And it smelled. It was the scent of flowers that had made themselves bloom, settled among the thorns surrounding the witch¡¯s tower. The smell of grass was also prominent. Every time the wind blew, the scent of grass flew along. I slowly opened my eyes and saw a world covered with darkness. It was darker than the world that I saw in gray, but it was different. There was a shining moon, and there were also stars showing off their brilliance, not willing to lose out in brightness to the moon. The light sank into me. It enveloped me in silence. The view before me was so beautiful that I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off it. I sat on the grass floor like that and looked at it without hesitation. There was no time for boredom, I was kept busy watching floating clouds, creeping stars, and hearing the sounds of grass bugs. The world was still alive and breathing. I was captivated by the indescribable feeling of seeing the world again that existed only in my memory. It got worse as the night receded and the morning came. The world gradually brightened as the sun, which was too bright to look at, emerged, and drove out thefortable darkness. I didn¡¯t expect to see such a scene again, and I didn¡¯t know how beautiful it was, so I didn¡¯t even think to enter the tower and just looked at the world. I couldn¡¯t move because of the beauty of the world. * ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Wee.¡± Time passed and Evan came. The stairs were still dark, so he couldn¡¯t feel anything different, but he was surprised as soon as he entered the room. ¡°What is all this?¡± He looked at the items and food that I brought and expressed his admiration. Maybe he was hungry, so he took a bite from a fruit, and then finally, he noticed me. ¡°It¡¯s yours.¡± I told Evan that he could eat as much as he wanted and pointed to my front seat. Evan managed to understand, walked quickly, and sat down. It was an excited and cheerful walk, without knowing where he was heading. His expression was minimal but bright. It was shining more and more in the sunlight. ¡°Did you prepare this for me? What¡¯s more, The tower and you both got so clean.¡± ¡°You were the one who said it would be better to clean up because you had to keep learning here.¡± ¡°Well, thank you.¡± I nodded at Evan¡¯s acknowledgment. Somehow I felt ashamed, so I hurriedly opened the book. I didn¡¯t know what he was so happy about, but Evan kept smiling. He knew he was smiling, but he didn¡¯t seem to want to hide or suppress it. His smiling face was so lovely. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the book because I couldn¡¯t bear to look at him. ¡°First of all, let me tell you about the power you can use. Light isrgely divided into treatment, purification, and attack.¡± Treatment was literally the ability to heal wounds and scars, while purification was the ability to make dirty things clean, and attack was the ability to burn opponents or make oneself invisible with light. In addition, it was possible to light up or move around or to teleport using light. Just as I used the darkness to do various things, the same went for the light. Depending on how one used it, the abilities varied widely, even if they were of the same nature. And the more natural energy you can hold in your body, the more power you can borrow. It is important to umte knowledge, but one has to deal with and feel the energy of nature in order to grow their reservoir. To do so, it was better to be under the light. Sometimes it would not be bad to teach him under the bright sun, instead of the tower. ¡°I¡¯m going to teach you how to clean up or attack so that you can protect your body once you encounter a monster.¡± Since monsters were born in darkness, the aftermath would be considerable if he attacked them with light. But Evan shook his head at my words. ¡°I¡¯ll start with treatment first.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Evan, who hesitated for a moment to answer, opened his mouth. ¡°I get a lot of scars, don¡¯t I? I want to get rid of these scars.¡± Evan said, showing his arms. I nodded at the remark. Come to think of it, Evan¡¯s most useful ability was healing. No one would hunt him down for being cursed with that as his ability. And everyone would want him. Evan could have saved the world from suffering in the future. ¨C¨C¨C T/N : CoT now has an editor, you can look forward to better english from now on. Chapter 29 CHAPTER 29 Trantor: Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor: WilsonWilson At the same time as I was teaching him, Evan was trying to feel the light with closed eyes. He was already feeling it, Very naturally. Now, all he had to do was to lead the light that was falling on his body and have it move ording to his own will. Then, I could teach in earnest. I got up while looking at his still figure. I moved as quietly as I could in case I interrupted his meditation, but Evan¡¯s red eyes were stuck on me. He looked at me with a puzzled look on his face, as if woken up suddenly from a dream. His gaze focused on the corner of the tower. And when I took out the food, he followed me. He¡¯s still young, so I don¡¯t know whether he is just curious or if his personality is just like that. When he followed my footsteps, I felt like a mother being chased by her baby bird. Still, he didn¡¯t try to interfere with my actions. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m preparing for your meal. Go and finish what you¡¯ve been doing.¡± ¡°But I¡¯ll eat it eventually, anyway.¡± Evan was right, so I closed my mouth and began to arrange the pre-on the table. Evan came up to me and helped set the table. The preparation was done quickly, as the two of us did it together, and Evan soon sat facing me at the opposite end of the table and began eating. I fixed my gaze at Evan, who had lifted the spoon because I didn¡¯t have to eat. Somehow, I felt like waiting for my test results. Because he had all but consumed all the food I had avable, I tried cooking while Evan was back in town. These dishes were the result. Even at a nce, it looked less tasty than the food he had before. Its ingredients were all crooked up, too. Evan was eating casually, his expression not betraying any of his thoughts. I felt relieved inside. When I tasted it, it seemed pretty edible, but I was worried still just in case it didn¡¯t fit his taste buds. I couldn¡¯t help but be afraid of what he was going to say upon trying it. It¡¯s true that it had been a while since Ist cooked, but I was never very good with my hands to begin with. I could hear the voice of my sisterughing at my clumsiness and calling it a hereditary family trait. I was good at everything else but was especially weak at doing things with my hands. My parents also took advantage of their abilities and did not like to do things with their hands. Only the butler did. I felt hopeless whenever I thought that I should continue to cook for him like this. But I couldn¡¯t help it. If I don¡¯t cook, I¡¯ll have only the raw ingredients to feed him. And because there¡¯s no way I could buy a ready-made dish from anywhere, I have no choice but to try tofort myself that my cooking skills will improve gradually. ¡°I think this is different from the food I had before. Am I mistaken?¡± What I¡¯ve been worrying about has happened. Evan, who was eating quietly, asked in a quizzical voice. I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I kept my mouth shut for a while. ¡°Does it taste bad?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s delicious.¡± Unlike before, however, he didn¡¯t look too bright and didn¡¯t shout out that it was delicious every time he chewed on a mouthful. Though, there was nothing I could do about it. ¡°When you eat, you have to keep in mind that you eat together with other people.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡¯s that all of a sudden¡­¡± ¡°Keep your mouth shut and chew slowly so that no food can be seen or heard.¡± Evan tried to chew quietly with his mouth shut after hearing my words, with a look of embarrassment on his face. I continued to talk. ¡°If there¡¯s food already in your mouth, avoid putting another mouthful in or talking as much as you can, and make sure you don¡¯t make a sound when you put your spoon down or touch the bowl. If you spill it, don¡¯t pick it up or wipe it off with your hands, it¡¯ll be hard, but you should try not to spill it as much as possible.¡± Evan was at his wits¡¯ end, with only his ncing eyes, wide open. Since there are not only one or two things to pay attention to, such as how to eat, and being careful not to make a sound, the meal had naturally slowed down. There was no time for him to talk to me about how it tastes. I felt sorry for him, but I deceived myself saying that I started lecturing him about food etiquette in advance because he had to learn basic manners anyway. * ¡°E, van. E, s, te, van. Try to spell it out slowly while writing it down.¡± ¡°What about your name?¡± ¡°Ny, k, s with an x. This is it.¡± ¡°Nyx. So that¡¯s how your name looks like.¡± I began to teach Evan the alphabet, too. I thought I could start with him slowly, though he still had a long way to go to be able to read the fairy tale book I read in my childhood alone. I looked at Evan, who was learning the letters by following his name and the title of the fairy tale book, and then I turned to my own book. I also had to study in order to teach Evan. There were too many things I didn¡¯t know. Evan¡¯s attributes were the exact opposite of mine. Evan admirably looked through the fairy tale book to find the words he had learned. Comparing simr letters, he absorbed knowledge with great enthusiasm. I hated the world and its people for not teaching the boy who was so eager to learn. It was only after the meal that the afternoon sun sank, Evan and I were busy studying separately in the peaceful passage of time. But soon Evan¡¯s expression changed. He was so restless that he couldn¡¯t sit still and even made me nervous watching him. ¡°Is there anything wrong?¡± ¡°Uh, nothing.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± he said, lowering his gaze and trying to study again, but he eventually rose up. I suddenly got up too and looked at Evan because I was wondering what was going on. Hisplexion worsened. He was turning white and even sweating. ¡°Are you sick?¡± Evan waved his hand hurriedly as I approached. I had no choice but to stop walking at his sight. It was an urgent and t refusal. ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the woods for a while.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand him at all; it happened so suddenly. The witch¡¯s forest was dangerous. Why does he want to go there again when he felt uneasy inside my tower¡¯s protective walls? He had to enter the forest and get back home soon anyway. ¡°What business do you have in the woods? It¡¯s dangerous, so pleasee with me¡­¡± ¡°No! No, thanks. I¡¯ll go alone.¡± When I looked at him with a puzzled look, Evan, who was at a loss, blushed and shouted. ¡°Bathroom! I¡¯m in a hurry!¡± Then he rushed to the stairs, saying he would go ande back. There was a loud sound of tapping. It was almost as if a lot of people were running down the stairs because of the echo. But I didn¡¯t have time to mind the urgent footsteps because of the noise I just heard. I totally forgot. Evan is a human being and he has to discharge when he eats. Of course, even when I was tailing Evan, he went to the bathroom often. Whenever he did that, I would deliberately wander far away. No matter how young a boy he was, and no matter how hard I had to guard him, I still should respect his privacy. So when he went to bed, I just came back to the tower. It was not eptable for me to do as I pleased just because he did not know that I was there. No, rather, I had more of an obligation to keep a certain level of boundaries up because he didn¡¯t know. Above all, I was a woman before I was a witch. I wasn¡¯t confident that watching everything about Evan would go off without a hitch. ¡°What to do?¡± It was difficult to follow Evan, who ran out into the witch¡¯s forest, and it was difficult to make a toilet inside the tower. I gave up looking for a ce to make a toilet. I, too, cannot use any ability except to move the darkness. At a time when it is difficult to bring in water and dig the floor, how can we make a toilet? In the end, I was forced to teleport back to my old home. It was to find something useful. I thought there would be more things needed besides education and food, but I was embarrassed that this was the first thing he needed other than those two. There was no knowing how much more difficult things would be in the future, which led to anxiety. I wandered all over the rooms and finally found something useful. When I came back to the tower, Evan weed me with his usual expression. However, his face was still red. I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s because he was in a hurry, because the sun is hot, or because he¡¯s embarrassed. ¡°Where have you been? Where do you keep disappearing to like that?¡± Instead of answering, I handed over what I had brought. The object, about the size of Evan¡¯s face, looked just like a jar, with the inscriptions on the outside making it look fancy and luxurious. Evan was looking around asking what this was. He checked the inside and tried to put his hand in it, so I hurriedly blocked it. ¡°It¡¯s an object with a spell on it. You can¡¯t see what¡¯s inside, you can¡¯t smell it, and you can¡¯t spill it.¡± ¡°Wow, that¡¯s amazing. But why would you¡­? It was then that Evan¡¯s face began to harden, as he was shaking the jar and checking whether it was full or not. I continued to talk. ¡°Use it in the future. You just have to wash it often. I think we can put it under the stairs over there. If it¡¯s ufortable, leave it outside the tower. But not the forest. Because it¡¯s too far and too dangerous.¡± Evan, who took a short breath as if he were dumbfounded by my words, looked down at the jar, holding his mouth shut for a while. But soon he got up and went down the stairs. I deliberately lifted my book again, pretending to be immersed in it. However, I burst intoughter and ended up shedding small tears. I¡¯m shivering. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been since Istughed. ¡°What is this?¡± More and more things were emerging in the witch¡¯s tower. All the signs of life were engraved on it for all kinds of living things. I felt queer and covered my face with the book. But the smile that came up around my mouth doesn¡¯t seem to want to go away. The sunlight seeping through the window felt warm. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 30 CHAPTER 30 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Evan¡¯s time to go back had already passed. Even so, Evan procrastinates and consumes the time. I couldn¡¯t open my mouth easily even though I know I have to send him back. I have to mind the eyes of the world because he still has to bide his time. At some point, the tower without Evan started feeling stark and bleak. I don¡¯t want to send him away. I kept my mouth shut, even though I was well aware that this was also greed. ¡°You know¡­¡± With his red eyes shaking, Evan finally opened his mouth at me. But he couldn¡¯t spit it out and mumbled for a long time. ¡°Can I just not go?¡± Even though I felt the same as Evan, I was about to say no. I can¡¯t be as grumpy as a child. Evan made a tearful face, frowning his eyebrows. I don¡¯t know if he really wants to cry or if he¡¯s appealing to my soft side by appearing desperate enough to cry. ¡°I like it here.¡± Evan added in a hurry, fearing that I might voice my refusal. ¡°Nyx¡¯s eyes are warm. They don¡¯t hurt me. I don¡¯t have to get hurt when I¡¯m here; when I¡¯m with Nyx. Can¡¯t I just stay here?¡± Pausing at the pain that was pushing up from somewhere in my heart, I took a deep and calming breath. Evan was now showing his wounds in front of me. He was begging me not to push him away, showing the pain he was suffering. How crushed has he been? How many wounds does that little boy have in his heart? I thought Evan might have been consoled by the witch who was trapped in the tower. Both his body and mind were tired of the constant shunning of the world. And so, he saw the witch, who had shut herself in a tower, and rted to her. He even thought that she had it worse than him, so he might¡¯ve assumed that he¡¯d be relieved of his burdens if he associates with her. But Evan went further and tried to make her tower a refuge from the eyes of the world. The witch was regarded as a fence to hide behind for the young warrior. How painful must it have been for him? To be willing to open his heart to the witch who cursed the world? Even so, I was heartbroken at the sight of Evan, bleeding nonstop from invisible wounds. If he could stay by my side and no longer suffer from this, then I could stay together with him for as long as he allowed. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s really the way for Evan. Will he be able to stay here and then go out into the world when the timees? Maybe he¡¯d give up bing a warrior and would want to hide away from people. Or what if he just grows to resent and hate the people he¡¯s supposed to protect? The witch¡¯s tower can¡¯t give Evan a happy life. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go. I just want to stay here.¡± Evan¡¯s blurry face reminded me of the young man who exists only in memory. ¡®Don¡¯t push me away.¡¯ I remembered the voice of the young man saying, ¡°Don¡¯t push me away.¡± I could hear an appeal to let him stay by my side because he alone understood me. The world that pushed a young boy to the edge of a cliff was so scary. I hated the world that made him hurt so. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Huh? Do you want me to stay here? Or not?¡± I answered again, looking at Evan¡¯s face, which was wheezing with bewilderment and joy. ¡°Stay here. Not for long, however. Because you have to fulfill your destiny.¡± I knew I shouldn¡¯t, but I let it go. I can¡¯t push Evan away anymore, especially when he was begging me not to turn my back on him. In order for him to get his chance, I know he shouldn¡¯t be here, and I know that the witch¡¯s tower shouldn¡¯t be his fence. As if happy to just stay for a while, Evan was about to smile broadly, but he soon frowned, his smile faltered. Still, his vague smile hung awkwardly in the air between us. In a way, he seemed to be holding back hisughter. However, as he nodded strongly, I was also happy and decided to ignore what wasn¡¯t important. I won¡¯t be able to be with him for a long time, but I hoped I could take care of Evan for a moment. Yeah, just for a moment. * The future had changed the next time I turned the cards. The warrior who was incited by people to go kill the witch eventually chose to side with her, so his death by human hands was pushed a little further away. But it¡¯s still too early to be happy. Even though I already knew this much, I stopped him from staying in the witch¡¯s tower. Death may be far away, but the God of Death is still with us anyway. I couldn¡¯t help it because he was born with white fur and red eyes. Due to their unusual appearance, animals born with those characteristics are always in danger, they are abandoned by the herd and are too visible to hide from wild predators. Thus, he needed a fence to protect him from danger, not the witch, who was the enemy of the world, but the leader of the pack, protecting him from the crowd. So, I let him live with the people outside the witch¡¯s tower and patiently waited for an opportunity. But now that things havee to this end, there was only one way. ¡°I have no choice but to create my own opportunities.¡± I raised my head, closed my eyes, and a gray world unfolded before me. But it was neither the tower nor the witch¡¯s forest. The ce I was looking at was Evan¡¯s house. There was someone standing around somewhere Evan wouldn¡¯t be. Unlike the skinny vigers, men with glossy faces and fluttering flesh stood inside and made the already narrow house feel even more cramped. The man, dressed in fancy clothing that didn¡¯t match Evan¡¯s house at all, was grumbling and tapping on a few furniture pieces and floorboards with his cane. Heined that most of them were dirty, smelly, that this ce was cursed and worse than a stable. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that he would be home by now? I thought it would be fun, so I came here myself for the first time in a long while, but it turned out to be a waste of time!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, please forgive me.¡± The man was angry, wielding his cane at a guard several timesrger than he was. His visceral face was full of venom. And it contained the arrogance of someone who did not fear the heavens. I knew who he was. It was Teror, the second son of Baron Behemen, the lord of this vige. While following Evan¡¯s footsteps, I tried to find out about a lot of things; The vige and its people, the witch¡¯s forest and rumors, and even the world that would have changed ceaselessly while I was locked up. So there was no way I wouldn¡¯t know who the person before me was. And I knew why he came to Evan¡¯s house. ¡°The official letter came in, and I had arrived here to deliver it personally. A saucy fellow, it¡¯s a pity I couldn¡¯t see his despaired expression. Is he dead?¡± ¡°He hasn¡¯te back since he entered the Witch¡¯s Forest, so maybe he was eaten by a monster.¡± ¡°Eeeh, not fun. What¡¯s the name of the man who imed to have saved that cursed one? I remember him having dried-up rice straw-like hair and eyes resembling the defecation of a smelly beast. Vernus? Vernas?¡± ¡°His name was Vonus.¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Right. I can¡¯t forget that servile and pitiful look of his. I broke one of his legs, and he looked so hopeless. I guess he had faith in something on my territory. I was wondering if this brat would be just as fun as his brother was.¡± I thought that this would be the case myself. It was because no matter how hectic the battlefield is, the person with excellent perceptive skills and senses must¡¯ve been able to protect his body somehow. Perhaps the young warrior was aware of this fact and wanted to step forward to demand justice for his brother. However, no body had been found. Moreover, people did not care; they had already forgotten all about the man who died on their behalf. Evan¡¯s brother was not a ¡®monster,¡¯ but a human being. That title was reserved for Teror, who is now smiling like a demon before me. ¡°Damn it. Then who the hell am I supposed to send? I can¡¯t go myself, can I?¡± Teror left Evan¡¯s house, frowning. The official letter they had received would have asked them to send the manpower needed for the war. Otherwise, they would receive punishment. Usually, it was necessary to refrain from doing so, but no one actually sent their own children. Resulting in most vigescking men, and only very young children were left. If Evan had been sent to town, then he would have suffered under Teror¡¯s bullying. At the same time, I felt stuffy. There would have been no better chance than a battlefield. It was clear that if it had been the same as before, he would have gone to war. But it had changed because of my decision. I was wondering what to do, but then I heard Evan¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­what are you doing?¡± When I woke up, Evan was approaching me with a disheveled look. Although he slept well, he tossed and turned strongly, perhaps because he was dreaming. Thanks to that, Evan¡¯s white hair stretched and puffed up. It was so cute that I almostughed. I turned my head in a hurry and greeted him, picking up the cards again. ¡°Hi.¡± ¡°Yes, hello to Nyx, too. Did you sleep well?¡± I couldn¡¯t sleep well. He swallowed what I wanted to answer and nodded quietly. My eyes were on the sofa and nket that did not match the witch¡¯s tower. Ever since Evan said he would stay at the witch¡¯s tower, I had to bring this and that so he could sleepfortably. And when I brought those things in, I remembered things I hadn¡¯t thought about. Should we sleep together? Or should we sleep separately? It was impossible to bring two suchrge objects inside the narrow tower, but there were still many rules preventing me from sleeping beside Evan. The fact that I¡¯m a witch was one of them, but I was afraid that it would scare him or make him ufortable. Added to the fact that I couldn¡¯t forget what he looked like after he grew up, even though he¡¯s young now. I¡¯m, finally, not confident that I couldy by Evan¡¯s side. But I couldn¡¯t show it, so I had to wait for Evan to fall asleep, and then lean against the wall and paste my eyes on him. Since I¡¯ve been sleeping until now, I didn¡¯t have to sleepfortably. Even when I was alone, I would just put my head on the wall ory on the floor. Though he still has a long way to grow up, I feel pathetic and ashamed for not being able to see him as a young boy, even though he may not be the young man who generously showed his heart to me. To hide my feelings, I put down the cards and started to read the future again. The card I reversed revealed death. Just as Evan¡¯s future has changed, so has Teror¡¯s future. After all, is it Teror who goes to war? Or would there be another situation? While my mind was all over the ce, Evan stood beside me, looking down at me. ¡°Who¡¯s fortune-telling is that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the right time.¡± He asked me again what I meant because he didn¡¯t understand me, but I didn¡¯t answer. Evan frowned with a discontented look. I then went to prepare breakfast to keep his mouth shut before he got more persistent. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 31 CHAPTER 31 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to go out today.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I continued to cast my eyes at the disheveled Evan. After the meal, Evan went to sit by the window, trying to feel the light, without me having to say anything. Thanks to the sunlight surrounding Evan, he looked even more white, almost transparent. I stared at his white hair and red eyes and soon turned to the window. Despite the changing future enticed by my different decisions, Evan¡¯s ability was almost at a standstill. I was getting impatient because there wasn¡¯t much time left, even though I knew I couldn¡¯t help it. I was afraid that I would see the young man who was covered with wounds again, and that I would continue to live a life that would never end alone. It was better to hurry a little. To seize the opportunity thates. To send him there, as soon as I see a fence that is not the tower of the witch. I had to focus on developing his abilities. So I decided to go outside first. In the first ce, the idea of educating with limited light was wrong. It was foolish to teach Evan, blessed by the sun, without showing him to the sun. I hardened my resolve and grabbed Evan¡¯s arm. Evan looked at me with a curious look on his face, but he did not refuse. A ck mist covered the both of us and was soon dissipated with clear winds. And instead of the deste tower, bright sunlight and thick grasses weed us. ¡°Oh? What is this? Have we gone outside? This fast? Just like that?¡± Evan looked around in a sh, spouting questions. It was his first time teleporting, so he was trying to check out if the ground under his feet was solid, his gaze full of admiration and excitement. Soon after, he closed his eyes and felt the sun touching him. That rxed, joyful look lightened my mind, too. The breaking rays of sunshine were shining brighter around Evan. There was such a quick way for me toe out, but I couldn¡¯t understand what I was so afraid of that I wouldn¡¯te out. I looked at Evan leaning against the tower, avoiding the long grass. Evan was standing still to ept the light; perhaps it was because of the sun that he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. It would be better to let him enjoy his leisure for a while rather than give him a headache with lessons. Evan seemed to be leaving himself to light and wind, but in fact, he was trying to control the light that had stayed around, just as I had taught him. The amount was so vast that I thought he might definitely improve his skills by himself. But Evan, who had been doing that for a while, suddenly ran to the tower, cleared up the thorns, and began pushing the stones away. I was about to ask him a question because I didn¡¯t understand why he was going in. ¡°I came out after a long time, so I¡¯m going to clean this off. Stay here. I¡¯ll be right back. You can¡¯t go anywhere! Okay?¡± Evan continued to emphasize, hiding the jar he pulled out behind his back, perhaps he was ashamed to show it to me. I thought it was something for me to say, but I just nodded quietly. Evan entered the forest, though I eventually sent a shadow to chase after him. But when Evan arrived at the stream, instead of washing the jar, he put it down nearby and went into the water. Come to think of it, Evan had not even been able to wash properly. When I realized why he went there, I quickly removed the shadow. Gazing at the swarms of floating clouds, for the first time in a long while, I also enjoyed a rxing time. Evan returned as I was drinking in the sight of the world, unaware of time. His white hair clung tightly to his cheeks and neck, and his clothes were soaked, so I could hear a rustling sound whenever he took a step. Why was he in so much of a hurry that he didn¡¯t even let his clothes dry? Anyway, I thought it was lucky that he had returned safely, so I brought a dry cloth and wiped his head. His hair, which seemed too thin and transparent, had dampened with water. I liked the feeling of slipping my fingers through it, so I shook off the water while concentrating as much as I could. Evan, who had been standing still so far, smiled thinly. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­ You just act so motherly.¡± A mother. Yeah, I¡¯m more like a mother now. Not a woman, not a lover. The young man in memory may have seen me like that, but to the boy in front of me now, he saw me in a motherly light at best. What kind of feelings do I have for such a boy? What am I hoping for? I felt hot in the face. It was funny for me to have affection for a warrior, but it was even more embarrassing for me to feel the same way about his younger self, which did not know me as his older self did. The witch stayed in the past, looking at the future, not the present. No, is this considered staying in the past? Because I¡¯m drawing a young man who remains only in my memory. Am I still stuck in the past? Because of this indescribable feeling that had overwhelmed me, I could not say anything. Thus, Evan¡¯s voice continued. ¡°My mom used to drape a towel over my head and shake it just like this when I came back wet. She scolded me, saying that I might get sick if I don¡¯t dry my hair properly. That kind of thing will never happen again, was what I thought¡­¡± Evan¡¯s voice betrayed the loneliness he was feeling. He seemed to also be thinking of a person who only remained in his memories, his mother. Somehow I felt relieved. I¡¯m not the only one who stays in the past. ¡°Sometimes, memories shackle me. I¡¯m happy to recall those happy feelings, but I¡¯m sad that I can¡¯t go back to those times. I feel fortunate to see them like that, but I think I¡¯d rather forget about them.¡± ¡°Do you feel the same too, Nyx?¡± When Evan¡¯s question went unanswered, he continued on with a monologue-like banter. ¡°Oh, you did say that you¡¯ve lived a long time. Then you must have more memories than I do. It must be much more painful and sadder. You get as sad as you are happy when you recall them, and it hurts as much as you miss them¡­ Are you all right?¡± Evan¡¯s question stopped my hands, which was shaking the wetness off his hair. He was a young warrior whom I didn¡¯t think would understand a witch. The young man in my memory closed his eyes without fully understanding the witch till the very end. However, the boy in front of me was well aware of the witch¡¯s pain and sorrow. What made him change so much? Was it the change in my behavior that had made this difference? I nodded at Evan¡¯s frowned brow. The red eyes filled with worries were melting my heart. I couldn¡¯t help it. How can I push away his past, future, or present self? How can I¡­ how can I hold him so delicately in the broken heart of a witch? Evan, who roughly shook off his head to dispel the water, sat under the sun and dried himself in the warm sunlight. I had also sat around him and began to read. But not long after, Evan began asking many questions. ¡°I was wondering, why is it so peaceful around the tower? The Witch¡¯s Forest is so terrifying, but it¡¯s like a different world. Does Nyx know why?¡± ¡°Because things that are made with dark powers are kept out. Neither monsters nor ck fog that builds up the monster¡¯s power can get in here.¡± The tower holds an immortal witch who cannot have been stopped by mere thorn vines. Thanks to this, the witch¡¯s tower was surrounded by apletely differentndscape. Evan, who nodded as if he was convinced, asked again. ¡°Then how do you get in and out? Didn¡¯t they do this to keep you locked in?¡± It was because I¡¯m not entirely dark. But I didn¡¯t answer Evan. Hisst question hung in the air between us. Though, he kept his mouth shut, not inquiring any further. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 32 CHAPTER 32 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson The peaceful days went by, unbing of the witch. Evan must have gotten used to living with the witch, he ate well, slept well, and became brighter day by day. Today, too, Evan was sitting by the window reading, feeling the sun shining on his body. Putting down the book I was reading, I turned to Evan. Evan, the small boy, was growing up. He grew taller, his arms and legs became a little longer and sturdier. His hair, fluttering under his ears, touched his shoulder. I thought I should cut it for him since he looked ufortable, but I ended up leaving it as it was. It was cute to see his hair behind his ears, showing his fair cheeks, or shaking above his head like an animal¡¯s. Come to think of it, the boy who stayed in my memory gradually grew out his hair, and eventually tied it together. It looked good, but the stronger the person is, the more annoying long hair bes, so I will have no choice but to cut it short for himter on. So it might be better to let it grow for as long as it can for the time being. As well as the changes in his appearance, Evan¡¯s intellectual level has also grown considerably. From eating quietly and neatly to being able to read fairy tales. I was proud and satisfied with the strong steps he was taking toward bing a warrior. The more light he absorbed, the stronger Evan became. It was even phenomenal to the point that it appeared to me to be God¡¯s will for him to quickly embrace all the light he can and drive out the darkness. Evan raised his head from his book, saw me staring at him, and soon looked down again and started reading aloud. ¡°The soldier stabbed the witch with the sword he was holding. The evil witchughed until the end. I¡¯ll be back. It won¡¯t end so easily. The witch was in, and the world found peace. The warrior married the princess he had rescued, and lived happily ever after! The end!¡± As if some letters were hard for him to read, he stammered in that part, but I nodded at him for reading it all until the end. ¡°You¡¯ve improved a lot. You can read more difficult books now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve worked so hard. So I don¡¯t have to read these fairy tales anymore?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you like to read them?¡± ¡°They¡¯re not fun. What is all this? Witches alwayse out as viins¡­¡± ¡°Because they¡¯re witches.¡± ¡°What, are witches all bad?¡± I smiled slightly at Evan¡¯s grumbling, then covered it with the book I was holding in a hurry. It¡¯s so bright here that I might not be able to hide it anymore soon. However, upon hearing Evan¡¯s words that followed, saying, ¡°Some witches are not bad,¡± I kept smiling. As I tried to organize my facial expression, Evan¡¯s voice continued. ¡°Why does the witch in fairy tales always kidnap a princess? If you¡¯re that strong, you can just kill them all. It¡¯s strange to keep the princess breathing and well until the warriores.¡± She¡¯s waiting for the warrior, for the warrior¡¯s sake. I looked at Evan tilting his head, looking through the book as if it were a strange artifact. I had a desire to reach out and pat his white hair. As time went by, my greed grew more and more. I had a pulling desire to stay with him, and that desire kept on growing until I started wanting to be with him forever. I wanted to see the boy getting older and grow into the young man in my memories, and I wanted to see a child who looked just like him. I knew this would happen. There was no end to greed, the more I had, the more I wanted. The idea that it would be nice to meet my end at the hands of the warrior grew bigger, diversifying itself like this. Even though it was an impossible dream, I was greedy. Evan asked, still ncing at the fairy tale. ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the witch kill the warrior?¡± I knew the answer to Evan¡¯s question. ¡°Why don¡¯t you think of it like this?¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°The witch set things up on purpose. She knew it would happen. She helped the warrior save the princess.¡± To make the warrior happy. Evan¡¯s eyebrows frowned at my words. He seemed not to understand. ¡°Then what does the witch get from it? She¡¯s going to die. Why would she do that?¡± Because she loves him. Because she loves the warrior. But I can¡¯t tell Evan that much. If it is revealed to the world that the witch loves the warrior, it will be a curse in itself and will put the warrior under their control again. He can¡¯t be happy if he¡¯s known as a hero who was loved by witches. It would no longer be the story of a warrior who had saved the world. The witch in the fairy tale loved the warrior. However, she couldn¡¯t express her feelings, and so she might have hoped for the warrior¡¯s happiness. Maybe she helped him marry the princess and live a decent life. The princess is much more beautiful than herself, the princess and warrior suit each other. It is better for the warrior to end her cursed life with his hands so that he can be recognized by everyone and live happily ever after. If her cursed life is over, and if the warrior can reap something from it and be happy with his own life, then nothing would be happier than that for the witch. That¡¯s what I wish for. I would be happier if I could die in his hands. If only I could finish my cursed life and never wake up again, and if I could give him wealth, honor, and love, there would be nothing more to wish for. And so, my useless greed must be pressed on hard to keep the end goal clear. I opened my mouth, cutting off the greed of raising myself from my dark abyss. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, do you want me to tell you another story?¡± Evan¡¯s eyes widened. But soon, he nodded his head in joy, quickly sitting beside me. The sun, which had been embracing Evan until just now, followed. The warm andnguid temperature of the sunshine reached me, too. The ever-white Evan had be the sun in itself. He was driving out the darkness and chill around me already. I closed my book and put it down. Then I organized the tale that came to my mind. Evan¡¯s words had reminded me of a story my sister told me as a child. This story is not one that he can hear from the people here. I¡¯m telling it to him because he said that he didn¡¯t like how the princess in the fairy tale was always caught by the witch and was eventually saved by a warrior. In the meantime, Evan is sitting quietly, crouching, and waiting for my words. His expectant red eyes are very cute. ¡°Once upon a time, there lived a princess named Pyeong-gang. This is that princess¡¯s story.¡± ¡°Pyo¡­Gaang?¡± ¡°Pyeong-gang.¡± ¡°Pyeoonga¡­ang. Why is her name so difficult? I can¡¯t pronounce it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s from an old forgottennguage, it¡¯s been long gone now.¡± Actually, my sister said that it was a foreignnguage not from here, but I didn¡¯t mean to tell him that. No, I wanted to, but I knew very little. My sister had a lot of secrets. ¡°Why did it disappear?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because people are afterfort, and that thenguage is too hard.¡± Evan, who was trying to pronounce the word Pyeong-gang, asked again. ¡°Can you teach it to me?¡± ¡°Why would you want to learn that. There¡¯s nothing to use it for.¡± When I spoke decisively, Evan¡¯s eyebrows frowned, and he eventually nodded. Learning was also greed. The more one learned, the more they will eventually want to learn its written words. He seemed to want to learn morenguages. But as I said, I didn¡¯t want to teach it to him because he had no way to use it. Leaning against the wall, I turned to my side and opened my mouth, looking at Evan prepared to hear the story. ¡°In the vige where Princess Pyeonggang lives, there was a man called Ondal the fool. He was a hard-working man with his elderly mother. He was called a fool because he didn¡¯t learn anything.¡± ¡°It¡¯s too much to call him a fool when no one ever taught him.¡± What Evan said was right. They tease someone, calling him a fool without even thinking of educating them first. It wasn¡¯t that he was a fool; it was that the world was a fool. I nodded and continued. Ever since she was young, Princess Pyeonggang has cried so much that the king would tease his daughter, saying, ¡°If you keep crying, I¡¯ll marry you to Ondal the fool.¡± After a long time, Princess Pyeonggang, who had grown old enough to get married, really ran out of the pce to marry Ondal the fool. ¡°Ever since I was young, you said you would send me to marry Ondal the fool. And now, if you don¡¯t, who would still believe in the royal order? And thus, she married Ondal, telling the king not to lie. Are you listening?¡± I asked Evan, who was unresponsive. Evan replied, nodding his head, and said with anguid voice. ¡°I¡¯m listening. Nyx¡¯s voice, it¡¯s great. Keep narrating to me.¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, I resumed telling the story again¡ªyears after Princess Pyeonggang¡¯s marriage, Ondal ended up saving the kingdom from great peril. This was because the princess sold her valuables from the pce. She bought a house, a horse, and taught Ondal everything she knew. I remembered my sister, the one who told me this story. My sister told me that if I had the ability, I could make my man a general without having to marry a better man. So I have to study and build up my strength. She added, ¡°If they be better, there won¡¯t be an instance where we have to grieve them under the dirt.¡± As my sister said, I was weak and childish, but I tried to study and develop my strength. And now I can use that ability. If my sister had seen it, she would haveplimented me for doing well. I turned my head because it seemed to be quiet next to me. Evan was dozing off with his eyes closed. He seemed to feel tired after quietly listening to the story, even though it was still bright out. After reaching out and carefully wrapping Evan¡¯s head, I led it toward my shoulder so that he can sleep in a more rxed position. I stroked Evan¡¯s hair with my other hand, lifting my head to look at the bright window. There was one thing Princess Pyeonggang didn¡¯t know. It was the fact that her beloved husband would eventually die on the battlefield. She should not have pushed her loved one to the extremities, but she didn¡¯t seem to know that. I closed my eyes, brooding over the lessons of my sister¡¯s story. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 33 CHAPTER 33 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson All of a sudden, my senses returned. When I opened my sleepy eyes, I could feel the moonlight creeping in. I kept blinking for a long time. I had to pull myself together. I was talking to Evan, and then I fell asleep. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had this kind of peaceful slumber, so I felt as if both my body and mind were rxed. Evan? Turning my head to my side, I found no one. I was trying to get up, wondering where he had gone at this time, but something flopped down. When I looked down, I could see Evan¡¯s sleeping nket. Two small feet were seen in front of it. Slowly raising my eyes, I saw feet, and then legs, surrounded by two arms. Then his neck and face, red eyes and soft white hair. ¡°You woke up?¡± I felt somewhat awkward and was looking for words to say in answer, but then Evan continued on. ¡°You can sleep more. You look tired.¡± I look tired? Come to think of it; I don¡¯t remember sleepingfortably ever since Evan entered the tower. The witch¡¯s tower, where there was no day and night, had a flow of time, making it difficult for me to sleep whenever I wanted. Evan¡¯s normal lifestyle forced me to follow his pace and movement. Unlike before, when I used to lie down and spend most of my time sleeping, I had to stay awake and keep active, which became a little hard for me. It was true that I didn¡¯t get that tired even if I didn¡¯t sleep, but I wasn¡¯t exactly used to it. Evan still crouched, wrapped his knees in both arms, and stared at me. I could see the moonlight seeping in from behind. For Evan, even the moon seemed to bless him. Moonlight scattered about the tower. His face had be almost transparent with the white glow, and only his unusual red-zed eyes were vividly visible. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what he meant, so I looked at him. Evan stretched out his trembling hand, it was such a careful and delicate touch, just like that time he first touched the storybook that I couldn¡¯t even think of dodging it. Evan¡¯s hand eventually swept down my cheek. As if the blessing of light given to Evan had passed on to me, I could feel the warmth and itching through my cheeks. I raised my hand and touched the face Evan is stroking. I felt a bumpy scar. Oh, this is what he meant? He¡¯s been interested in my scars before, but it was in the dark. My face must look even more horrible in a bright ce. It was better covered with dried up blood. Evan had his back against the moonlight, but I was receiving bits of light scattering from behind him. My scars were probably easy to see, but I don¡¯t want him to see them. This would also be greed. It was only a meaningless desire not to show my ugly looks to the warrior. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± It was a wound that had healed a long time ago. Now, it was just a scar. It can¡¯t hurt, but Evan frowned. His red irises were filled with pain. I can¡¯t understand why he¡¯s hurt after seeing it. He reacted the same before. He keeps proving that he¡¯s a weak and tender boy. The difference was that he had only sympathised with the pain at the time. But now, he is angry. ¡°How could they have done this?¡± I don¡¯t know who he¡¯s asking. He seemed to be talking to the world rather than me. He seemed angry at the world for making the witch like this. I reached out again and grabbed Evan¡¯s hand, patting my wound. He¡¯s grown a lot since I first saw him. He was still a young boy, though. It had to be a long time before he¡¯d be a young man. But my eyes kept seeing the young man who exists only in my memory. The young man, who touched the wound on my neck and asked if it hurt, was heartbroken when he heard that humans had made it like that. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± I finally uttered what I couldn¡¯t say at that time. I was using the boy in front of me as a substitute. To hear the words that I couldn¡¯t tell the young man who was worried and sad for me. Yeah, this was enough. I was just happy to be able to meet the boy again and stay beside him. My past wounds wereforted by the sight of the red eyes and white hair that I had missed and thought I would never see again. The warm facial expressions, the diverse emotions, and the ever brighter light warmed my heart. Evan¡¯s existence itself was a blessing to me. I¡¯m happy by the sole fact of his existence and appreciated it, as if like a blessing. I used to think that he was another curse handed down to me, but not anymore. I think that he was a gift sent for me to enjoy myst moments of life, myst breaths, and to close my eyes with a smile on my face. I can be happy because this is thest of it. There is an end, so I can have as much as I want. I can hope and enjoy to my heart¡¯s content. All because I could die first. Now that I can see the end. ¡°I¡¯ll quickly build up my strength¡­¡± Evan spoke to himself, closed his mouth, and continued again. ¡°Don¡¯t you want revenge against the people who made you hurt like this? Don¡¯t you hate the world? They made Nyx hurt and ended up leaving you alone.¡± ¡°Whatever you do, do not try to get revenge. A broken te cannot be mended and return to its original form. No, even if it is mended, the scars remain. Scars that may pale but do not fade away.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°And sometimes, it¡¯s more hellish to be alive than to die. You just have to wait and see. They will pay for their sins.¡± Evan was staring down at the floor, with his chin on his knees in a pose that made it impossible to figure out what he was thinking. I suddenly remembered that I couldn¡¯t even feed Evan dinner. I slept for quite a long time. I was about to get up and walk to prepare a meal. I wondered, when had Evan woken up? Since when had he been like that? He didn¡¯t wake me up, only crouched in front of me and looked at me. He looked at me? Why was he doing that? But there was no room for asking him. It was because of Evan, who was holding my arm. Evan crouched down and stretched out his arms to grab my wrist. Evan¡¯s small body tilted, his movement made me unable to take my eyes off the thin stretch of white hair. Evan¡¯s hair was whiter in the moonlight. Evan looked up at me and opened his mouth. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To prepare your meal.¡± I barely answered and tried to walk again, but he didn¡¯t let go of my wrist. I turned my sight to his red eyes, still staring at me. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because he doesn¡¯t have a facial expression or if it¡¯s hard to recognise since he had never shown many facial expressions before. What¡¯s going on? What happened while I was sleeping? Evan let go of my wrist and raised himself. Then, he came toward me. Perhaps because the inside of the tower is dark, Evan¡¯s face is also blurred. After finishing the meal, we sat face to face and lifted the book. But I couldn¡¯t read anymore because Evan was taking my book away. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°Nyx.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you want to make me grow up and save the world just like in the stories you told me?¡± He must have thought about them while I was asleep. He must¡¯ve guessed my intentions after he heard the story of Pyeong-gang, who saved the world by teaching a fool. And the story of the witch, who intentionally helped the warrior. But he doesn¡¯t know; the real reason why the witch and Pyeong-gang did what they did. And what I could get from doing the same. He can never know that killing me is the best thing he can do for me. I nodded silently, hiding these facts. ¡°Because you have to be a warrior and save the world. You have to be the white snow that covers the dirt and sprouts new hope. Because you¡¯re the sun that will save the people, that¡¯s why I¡¯m teaching you.¡± ¡°So if I do what you want, you¡¯ll stay with me, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I think I know Evan¡¯s mind somehow. Evan seemed anxious that I might disappear somewhere. Whenever I would go away for a while because I needed something, he would rush to ask where I was off to. There¡¯s no telling whether it was because the people next to him have all died and left him alone, or because he worried that he would lose the fence of the witch. On the contrary, I was the one worried that Evan would either get hurt or leave, but he would not know that either. Evan shouldn¡¯t have stayed here. And there was no way this could have continued. This was not where Evan could be happy. In order to turn Evan into a warrior and have him light up the world, he eventually had to leave the tower of the witch, and only then could he know true happiness. God¡¯s gift should not be hidden within the witch¡¯s arms. I suddenly wanted to see the snow. It urred to me that the cold, beautiful and white snow was likely to calm the heart of the witch, who was being ckened by endless greed. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 34 CHAPTER 34 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson After stopping by the house, I came back to the tower. Evan, who was crouching against the wall, hurriedly stood up. Not noticing that his hair was a mess, he left it as it is. It seemed inevitable since there were no mirrors in the towers. ¡°You woke up early.¡± It was still early, so I didn¡¯t expect him to be awake. I was nning to go ande back quickly while he was sleeping. ¡°What is all this?¡± Evan couldn¡¯t hide his amazement at the clothes that I had brought; I didn¡¯t have a choice after all. There were no thick coats, cotton mufflers, or padded wool sweaters because it was warm in the Witch¡¯s Forest, including Evan¡¯s vige, and all the way to nearby countries as well. It was natural that he didn¡¯t know how to wear them, so I had no choice but to put them on him one by one. Evan had a curious look on his face, but he lined up his arms and stretched out his legs in line with my movements. ¡°It¡¯s too hot, though.¡± ¡°It¡¯s cold there, so you have to dress warmly.¡± ¡°There?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ce full of snow.¡± ¡°¡­Eyes?¡± Evan¡¯s eyes glistened at the word snow. I got up after wearingyers of clothes I brought from home; a scarf and thick shoes. Evan¡¯s little body was buried under his clothes. There was nothing left of mine, so I ended up taking my sister¡¯s belongings. My sister¡¯s room is sealed, so I can¡¯t enter it, but the room where I kept the stuff I used when I was young was fine. I was able to find clothes for Evan from my father¡¯s closet. It was too cute and colorful for a boy to wear, and it was a little too big, but it fits him more or less. Even Evan¡¯s white hair and red eyes looked very well with the scarf¡¯s pink color, so he looked like a girl. It was all the more so because he had such fine and delicate features. Evan looked at the clothes with amazement and asked me a question. ¡°Is this yours?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then whose is it?¡± I was trying to answer my sister¡¯s, but I couldn¡¯t help keeping my mouth shut because I thought he would ask me whether I had a family, where they were now, and why they didn¡¯t help me. And as I was about to start, Evan pulled my wrist and said, ¡°What about Nyx? It¡¯s cold there. Nyx¡¯s clothes are too thin. ¡° ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± It didn¡¯t matter because I didn¡¯t suffer much from cold or heat. There was no way for me to die from illnesses. Evan held my hands shouting ¡°No,¡± but then I looked at the map I had brought from home, and then I quickly teleported us. It was a long time ago, so I was worried that it might have changed a lot, but fortunately, it was a white world that had weed us. The mountains, the trees, the fields, and the sky were all white. I was captivated by the blindingly white world and the reflection of the light. My lips hung open. The fluttering snow glistened like jewel dust whenever the wind blew. It had been a long time since we stood still after teleporting. ¡°It¡¯s cold.¡± It was Evan who moved first. Evan crouched on the floor and buried his hands in the snow. Before I knew it, the tip of his nose and fingers turned a simr pink to the clothes he was wearing, creating a lovely look, though I was worried that he might have a hard time bearing with the unfamiliar cold. However, Evan¡¯s face shone brightly. Like the snow-covered world, Evan¡¯s white face was colored with joy. ¡°It¡¯s really pretty. I never imagined there was such a thing like this.¡± Evan jumped about excitedly, carving his footprints everywhere. As soon as it reached his body temperature, the snow melted, which made him wonder in awe, so he constantly scooped it up and put it on his face. The drops of water formed and flowed down, but he didn¡¯t seem to care. The snow Evan was throwing scattered to me in the wind. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the glowing light. And when I saw Evan smiling brightly in between, my chest ached. It was so beautiful that I almost cried. Evan, shining brilliantly in the sun and snow, made me suddenly be anxious because it was like the fantasy that I had drawn. ¡°Nyx, youe here too. Don¡¯t just stand still like that.¡± But Evan¡¯s hand, which was leading my own hand, and the cold snow that I feel under my feet, were telling me that it was not a dream. No, I was whispering to myself, hoping it wasn¡¯t. To believe it, to think it¡¯s real. ¡°It¡¯s this pretty, but you said that it looks like my hair? Is that how it seems to your eyes?¡± Evan asked me, pumping his hands full of snow and bringing it to his face. He seemed to want topare. As he was buried in the sparkling snow, I looked at the white hair that had shone more brightly, then reached out and shook it off his face, nodding my head. ¡°Yes. Your hair is as clean and beautiful as the snow you see now.¡± ¡°You know that you look very mysterious right now, too, right? Standing in the middle of a white world, you stand out magnificently.¡± I looked down at my body. I felt like I was misced. But I didn¡¯t have time to ponder it for long because Evan began to spin around me and have fun. His hair fluttering about in the wind caught my sight. He wasughing as pure as ever. The fine curved eyes, the red irises shining like the sun, and the pink-colored cheeks, nose, and lips were all lovely. I thought it might be fun to see snow with Evan, but it was much more fun than I had initially thought, and so a smile crept into my mouth. I looked up at the sky, hiding my smile with my hands. The snow that Evan had sprinkled fluttered on his face, soon turning into drops of water. I was standing like that for a long time because I liked the feeling. A lot of memories came to mind, but Evan¡¯sughter drove them away. The cold wind prated coolly into my stuffy heart. The sun was shining in the sky, and the white snow, glistening under my feet, driving the witch¡¯s darkness away. It was burning away my endless greed. I was whispering, ¡°What more could I want when I¡¯m so happy?¡± * Evan rolled in the snow and yed around, making snowmen, perhaps forgetting that it was cold. Other than the fact that he had many questions, Evan hasn¡¯t been much of a child. Except for that one time when he yed with the ck clouds I created. But the Evan in front of me now seemed to be just his age. He did look morefortable and alive before, but not as much as today. Evan, lying on the snow and ying like he was sshing water, made me burst intoughter that I tried hard to hold back. ¡°Nyx, Nyx!¡± Evan ran to me, covered in snow. In the wind, the snow on his hair scattered all over the ce, making Evan himself look like a doll made out of snow. Evan came up to me, leaning under a tree and ran straight into my arms. I was frozen by his sudden action. But I felt Evan¡¯s cold body and carefully wrapped his little back. ¡°It¡¯s warm.¡± ¡°Are you cold? Shall we go back?¡± ¡°No, not yet. When I feel cold, I can get warm like this, and then I can y some more.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even have a warm body temperature.¡± I had a low body temperature. I remembered my sister¡¯s saying that my hands were cool and pleasant. She also said, ¡°How can such a thing be hereditary?¡± But Evan shook his head and hugged me deeper. ¡°No, it¡¯s warm.¡± After running around like a child, he seemed to have decided to keep acting childlike. I was embarrassed by Evan¡¯s unfamiliar appearance, but I felt good about the warm body in my arms, so I thought it wouldn¡¯t be as bad as I thought. ¡°There¡¯s a lot of light here. Can you feel it, Nyx?¡± Before I could even answer, Evan raised his palm and created a faint light. I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise, looking closely at the light he had created; it was as bright as the moonshine. Evan also continued with a big smile. ¡°Do you see? The light has begun to follow my intentions.¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s great.¡± It was really great. How long had it been since he began learning it? But it quickly disappeared, as though it was not easy for him to withhold for long. Evan smiled hard with a paleplexion. ¡°I need to get stronger quickly.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t overwork yourself.¡± ¡°You know, when I get used to this, will I be able to get around freely like you?¡± Evan, standing up as I nodded, opened his arms toward the sky and epted the light. Then he cried out in joy. ¡°Then, I cane to see wherever you are, wherever you go!¡± If you did, I wouldn¡¯t want anything more. But you will eventually grow up beautifully and shine brilliantly beyond the reach of a witch. The day that my hand touches your light will be the day when I breathe myst. I could not look at Evan standing under the light, but I looked at the snowfield, stretching out in the distance. Then he tried to hold back hisughter, saying, ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to be together like this.¡± After that, Evan tried to keep the light moving, but he fell asleep, supposedly exhausted. I teleported him, still sleeping, back to the tower, stripped him of his cold frozen coat, and covered him with a nket. After that, I read the cards like a habit, but I soon stopped. Thest upside-down card was as white as the snow that I had just seen. There was no future. I closed my eyes to see how Evan¡¯s death would ur, whether it was a chance or a poison. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 35 CHAPTER 35 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson I could see an archaic castle made of gray. After leaving the soldiers guarding it behind, I gradually entered deep inside. Quickly permeating through a hall full of colorful decorations that did not match the vige at all, I floated towards the direction of the sounds. Unusual guests were in attendance. They were chatting quietly in front of a table full of all kinds of food. Their expressions were not very bright. In particr, Baron Behemen¡¯s face was crumpled, as if he would swear at any moment. It was because of the man sitting across from him. The man muttered to himself with a sour look. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look as dangerous as the rumors have said.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because you don¡¯t know anything. People are dying in the untimely invasion of monsters. There are no men but the soldiers who guard the front wall. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°So you sent two kids this time? And kids that are no better than a dying skeleton at that? ¡°What, what do you mean skeletons. It seems that there was an ident in the middle of the road because it was so remote. Besides, they¡¯re not that young. It¡¯s because they couldn¡¯t eat properly that made them look like¡­¡± ¡°I mean, they don¡¯t even eat well enough for them to look their age. And well, I don¡¯t think that was going to happen were you to share a little bit of the food you have. And an ident¡­ Every child whoes from here seems to be in some sort of ident. No one¡¯s ever been in good shape. Why didn¡¯t you mind them? We need more people, that¡¯s why we call for them, but they don¡¯t help much. You must¡¯ve felt relieved when this didn¡¯te back to haunt you.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­¡± Baron Behemen kept his mouth shut as if he had nothing to say, though his expression was remarkably vile. His arrogance of stabbing the sky was revealed. It was as if he was inwardly asking, ¡°whom do you dare to lecture?!¡±. His eyebrows were severely distorted, but he soon tried to smile, and then he spoke. ¡°It¡¯s still a dangerous ce anyway. I can¡¯t rx for a moment. There¡¯s no immediate way to live on the day of the monsters¡¯ invasion, I also have to buy enough time until I hear news from the country, and that¡¯s not a lot of support.¡± He then looked around for no reason and continued to speak in a low voice. ¡°So I¡¯d like you to put in a good word for¡­¡± A man with a bright uniform and a national symbol answered with a smile as if he could not understand Baron Behemen¡¯s words. ¡°I¡¯d like to check it out myself first. Actually, I came to the Witch¡¯s Forest a long time ago, and I remember that it wasn¡¯t such a scary ce.¡± Baron Behemen hurriedly waved his hand at the remark. ¡°Oh, no. What do you mean it¡¯s not a scary ce? That can¡¯t be! With how dangerous of a ce the Witch¡¯s Forest is? It¡¯s a ce that you can¡¯t get in without a forest ranger. And the only one left is noting back. He was a genius about the woods, but he ended up being eaten by monsters.¡± Then he nced, but the man nodded as if he had be interested. ¡°There¡¯s even a forest keeper¡­ It would be worse than a battlefield then, no? Although I¡¯m the one in charge of the expedition, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that difficult.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you¡¯ve been active in numerous battlefields and monster hunts. You¡¯ve made a great contribution this time, too. But as soon as you got back, you got assigned to the Witch¡¯s Forest. Since you¡¯re here, why don¡¯t you take a break? Why would you have to do such a dangerous thing¡­¡± The man interrupted Baron Behemen¡¯s words and said, ¡°If there is no one to guide me through the forest tomorrow, I¡¯ll go and get back at my own discretion. I¡¯ll have to get up now to be ready. So¡­ oh, thank you for the delicious meal.¡± ¡°Yes? Oh, yes¡­¡± The man left the door with a nk look on his face, leaving Baron Behemen to his woes. I hesitated between following the baron, who remained, and the man who strode off and ended up choosing thetter. He was out of my expectations. It had urred to me that he would be rted to Teror¡¯s death. Several men waiting outside followed as the man began to walk. They looked like knights, wearing simr uniforms. Each had a good physique and a sharp sword. The man who had just talked to Baron Behemen stood out amongst them all. He was tall and didn¡¯t look too old on the outside, but there was an unusual atmosphere about him. They walked across the hall with no hesitation; perhaps they had already been assigned to their rooms. As the uniformed men walked down the hall, which was heavily decorated with colorful ornaments, I had thought that this ce was simr to a pce. The man¡¯s voice broke the silence of the ce, which had only ryed the sounds of footsteps for a while. ¡°It¡¯s very colorful. If you don¡¯t know it, you might think that this is a pce.¡± His expression was very cold and hard. When he talked to Baron Behemen a little while ago, he felt a little light. In just a moment, however, I could feel the weight of his voice. It was thick, low, and heavy. As if he were someone else entirely. ¡°Leader, why would they leave such a man alone? The vige people we passed through all looked haggard and hopeless. I¡¯m sure everyone knows that it¡¯s the result of all the viger¡¯s wealth being concentrated in the castle here¡­¡± ¡°Of course they know. But they¡¯re not interested. They just need to stop the monsters from crossing the mountain. Or at least have enough time to prepare for the country¡¯s defense. You still don¡¯t know? The fact that the person sitting on that high of a ce would even throw away his family in order to follow his own greed.¡± ¡°Le-Leader. No matter what, courtesy to His Majesty should¡­¡± ¡°Courtesy?¡± The man turned away and looked at the person who had spoken. His gaze was so fierce and sharp that the other person¡¯s open mouth slowly closed. The man, who had been ring still for a while, moved his steps again and spoke. ¡°This country is simr to rotten water, and the one in the middle of that rotten water is His Majesty. Yes, he¡¯s the one who got me here, and so I should be polite. No matter how dirty and ugly he is, I will swear allegiance to him.¡± Those who followed the man¡¯s footsteps, without saying anything, just looked at his back and tried to minimize their presence. The man spoke in a self-contradictory voice again. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to. I don¡¯t want any honor in this country. But even so, at least I don¡¯t want to throw away my pride. I don¡¯t want to put my feet in there. If there is any hope, we can¡¯t help but avoid rotten water because it pollutes clean water. In the end, there is no way this country will have a bright future.¡± One of the men who kept his mouth shut at the end of the remark continued. ¡°Leader, are you really going to the Witch¡¯s Forest tomorrow?¡± ¡°Yes. You must have felt it, too. It doesn¡¯t look as dangerous as they think. I¡¯m so angry to see how much support he¡¯s received.¡± ¡°Rumor has it that in the middle of the Witch¡¯s Forest, there is a tower where the Witch is trapped¡­¡± ¡°Do you believe that?¡± The men looked at each other with puzzled faces as the man they called Leader burst intoughter. It was not long before his words continued. ¡°He must have been afraid of the unfavorable eyes of the world, regarding his selfishness to satisfy his greed. And so he needed something to ce their resentment on. It¡¯s just a fairy tale. A fairy tale that will dazzle the people. It wouldn¡¯t have been difficult for people to see only what they wanted to see and believe only what they wanted to believe. They¡¯re so naive. Or are they clever and just didn¡¯t have the confidence to face the truth?¡± ¡°So you mean it¡¯s really a fairy tale?¡± ¡°Yes. There was no such story saying that the darkness swallowed the world after the witch appeared. The witch began to show up only after everyone was confused by the darkness that had engulfed the world. It was also instigated by the highest person in authority. I managed to find the books in the imperial pce. They tried to distort all the facts, but the truth never disappears.¡± ¡°Well, then the witches¡­¡± ¡°They¡¯re victims. Those are the poor ones who sacrificed themselves for the greed of the ugly old man.¡± I didn¡¯t know that there would be anyone left looking for the truth; A warrior who goes through the same thing and understands the world, and a knight who stands back and looks at the truth. This must have been another one of God¡¯s arrangements for the world. At the end of his words, silence reigned again, and so I immediately returned to the ce where Baron Behemen was. Baron Behemen was hurling abuse at the table as if his anger had not been resolved. He broke most of the articles, saying, ¡°How dare you be so rude to a nobleman?¡± In other words, he imagined himself to hit the man from earlier. And because knights also had titles, they would probably be of simr rank; a small Baron who only ruled the mountain vige.¡±This is a big deal, indeed. If there are reports that this ce is not as dangerous as they thought, support will be reduced. Maybe the interference with the town will get worse. How do I stop him?¡± Greed was endless, and the more you had, the more you wanted. There were people who would not mind doing anything to keep what they had. One of them was the emperor, who made the world grovel in pain. The nobles who believed and followed the emperor were bound to be the same. The faithful would have died early or been pushed far away, and only those who were equally eager to fill their stomachs remained. The reality was that the only knight wishing to know the truth was flung to the battlefield, fighting a war that would only benefit the tyrant even more. And when I saw the state of the remote ruler of a remote territory, far from the country¡¯s center, I easily concluded that nobles in other ces would only have more, not less. ¡°If that knight dies¡­ If the knight, who¡¯s done a lot of work on the battlefield, dies, his doubts about this ce will be solved all at once, and he won¡¯t have to send anyone back¡­¡± Baron Behemen¡¯s eyes shined horribly as he was muttering to himself. Then, he gave the order to bring Teror in right away. I had thought of the emperor, who was said to be a man capable of throwing away his family to keep his greed. What big or small rulers did was all one and the same. There was nothing more to watch, so I returned to the tower and flipped the deck of cards. There was no future for both the unknown man and Teror. Since the world is rotten and cannot see the light, there is no way for this world to be saved. I approached the sleeping Evan and gently swept down his white hair. A soft texture trickled down between my fingers. I touched it, but it didn¡¯t remain in my hand. The white hair went off like a mirage, like melting snow. I was already prepared for this, but my heart was pounding. Don¡¯t be so weak. It¡¯s just the beginning, and the road ahead will be even tougher, you shouldn¡¯t worry about the short loneliness after sending Evan. If you do anything wrong, you will be left alone again and live forever in an endless longing. Whether it¡¯ll end up being a fence, shackles, or obstacles, the opportunity is now. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m meant to meet him or if I¡¯m meant to change his fate, but I decided to take advantage of this opportunity. There are no coincidences. No, even if there are, there is no coincidence that happens when you want it to. It¡¯s either fate or chance. I had been thinking of changing my destiny since the beginning, so it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to link my fate with his. If each of the two separate cogwheels of fate were to be linked, then everything would finally start anew and stray away from the past. Yes. Those who see the truth and those who are seeking the truth, if the two of them meet and undergo a change, there will be plenty of possibilities. ¨C¨C¨C T/N : My spider senses are tingling, do we have a second ML? (???.???)???? Chapter 36 CHAPTER 36 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson The next day, a group of people entered into the witch¡¯s forest. They were guests who came to Baron¡¯s estatest night. Their steps were rxed as if they were taking a walk, but their eyes were sharp. There was also a heavy tension that could no sooner cut anything daring to approach. Even though they were all covered in a dark fog and unable to see even an inch ahead, they dug themselves out like wild animals, stalking their prey and slowly approaching so that the prey could not notice. Simr to those who have seen death and have never taken a step in vain. ¡°Is it that in the Witch¡¯s Forest¡­ darkness is more palpable? It¡¯s darker and thicker than before.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see anything.¡± ¡°Be careful. It may be no less than a rumor, but it¡¯s certainly a dangerous ce.¡± ¡°Nat!¡± And in front of them, Teror, whose nervousness could not be seen, was walking in the ck mist with a sneer. ¡°It¡¯s okay. This is not a monsters¡¯ path. What are you so nervous about?¡± The two boys, who were following him loaded with luggage, were shaking with faces as white as ghosts, but Teror hummed himself as if he were hunting in a quiet mountain. It was a very unbing sight. No matter who saw it, they were men with extraordinary spirits, especially with how they were holding on to their weapons, ready to strike at any given moment. However, Teror, who wouldn¡¯t even be able to escape them, let alone strike back, was proudly parading his fat belly before them. After looking around their surroundings, the leader grabbed Teror, who was walking freely and questioned him. ¡°Do you know the way?¡± Teror replied in a sarcastic voice. ¡°Because I¡¯d just be taking a stroll here, not knowing where I¡¯m going?¡± The leader narrowed his eyes thinly, looking down at Teror, who was much smaller than himself. It felt as if he was looking into his insides. Teror only smiled at him. ¡°You seem pretty confident to be walking in a ce where it¡¯s hard to navigate due to its abundance of wild energy. Unlike someone who said he was too scared of monsters.¡± ¡°You know, I grew up here. I may be worse than a forest keeper, but I know a path to escape a monster. Of course, there¡¯s no way we can avoid one if we go any further. Well, if you¡¯re scared, why don¡¯t we just go back?¡± The leader raised an eyebrow at Teror¡¯s provocation. Simultaneously, the men standing behind him were fired up and gave off a ferocious look. Teror¡¯s face had instantaneously turned pale, and the boys next to him had begun to cry. The little children looked overwhelmed, just standing there. The leader¡¯s gaze seemed to reach the boys and then came back to Teror. ¡°Why don¡¯t you send those kids back? They¡¯re just a burden.¡± Hope rose on the boys¡¯ faces. But it died again when Teror spoke. ¡°Then who will carry that luggage? I¡¯ll think about it if you¡¯ll carry it yourself.¡± The leader¡¯s lips closed in a straight line. His eyes, which had been cold and blunt, were now filled with anger for the first time. Teror did not avoid his gaze, raising his head to see if his self-esteem was hurting after he had taken a step back unwittingly. The arrogant figure looked just like his father¡¯s. Soon, the leader¡¯s eyes regained their indifference, he turned back and approached the members. Stepping a few steps away was enough to conceal him from Teror¡¯s sight in the heavy fog. He opened his mouth, looking toward Teror, buried in a ck mist with only his blurry outline vaguely showing. ¡°As you may have felt, it¡¯s too dangerous to go as it is. You seem to have been toocent, relying only on past memories. If it were for us, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem, but you lot with us, we¡¯d certainly be in danger. Let¡¯s go back for now.¡± ¡°Yes? But¡­¡± ¡°Turn back, everyone.¡± The leader¡¯s words ended there, but the members nodded their heads gently. I looked towards the tower. To be exact, I looked at the end of the road they were walking on. Is there something wrong? Why is the present changing? Teror and the man¡¯s cards were obviously white, but did the future change in that short period of time? Turning my eyes, I looked at the man called the leader. Clearly young, but with eyes mixed with indifference and sharpness, possessing well-knit muscles that must not have been built in just a short period of time. His atmosphere seemed much more mature. His eyes knew to see through the truth. I thought he would know the truth of Evan. So I tried to change his fate and make them face each other. But if he goes back like this, if the future changes beyond my control, my ns will go awry. I was about to use my strength to force it. ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°Sa, save me! Argh!¡± A thin scream rang out in the tranquil witch¡¯s forest. I hurried to the ce where I heard the screams. And not too far away, I could see the boys again. They looked terrified, seemingly crying until just a little while ago. It was after they had already been brutally mutted. The dagger, apparently having been ripped off the boys, were thrown away at random. And the de¡¯s owner was waiting for the men who were running, wiping away the blood with a handkerchief. The boys had fallen down with their eyes still wide open. Their cheeks were stained with transparent tears. Their faces, distorted with pain, ovepped with Evan¡¯s. In the tower, my breathing got short. I was still stuck in my memory, even though he was a young man remaining only in my thoughts, I was unable to shake off Evan¡¯s death. ¡°What¡¯s going on¡­?¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± Soon after, the men stopped running, as if they had lost their words in the sight ahead. Their gazes, which had been fixed on the two boys submerged in the newfound pool of blood, were now transferred over to Teror, who stood in front of them. After rummaging through the bags the boys were carrying, Teror took out a small bucket and spilled the contents as they were. It was none other than blood that had poured out of it. The ever-pouring blood soaked the ground, And the excess blood, which had not yet been absorbed by the dirt, was flowing in all directions. Blood sprinkled over the dead boys¡¯ body, dyeing their corpses with a dark gray. The smell of blood, though fresh, was palpable. Teror burst into a frenzy, shaking his body to see the reactions of the stupidly hardened men. ¡°It¡¯s worth seeing. It¡¯s worth seeing. That¡¯s the funniest expression I¡¯ve seentely. Confused? Can¡¯t believe the situation you¡¯re in? So, now¡¯s the time to be scared. You smell blood in the middle of a witch¡¯s forest. What do you think is going to happen?¡± Teror¡¯s eyes glistened with madness. I could hardly see them as human anymore. At his words, I managed toe to my senses. I am in the present. I met the boy whom I thought I would never be able to see again. I can change the present. I can change his future. I should protect him so that I never see him making that pained, deathly pale expression again. And so I should think calmly. What¡¯s going on here? Is this chance? Or is this poison for him? The leader¡¯s face was distorted. The members behind were also in great turmoil. Looking around, he began to pull the sword. Something wasing up. A terrible and ferocious entity had been squeezing the men¡¯s bodies. ¡°Are you crazy?! Are you out of your mind to do this? You¡¯re going to die with us! Why the hell did you do this?!¡± ¡°No way. Only you guys are going to die. Why would I kill myself by doing something useless? If you lot had been quiet, I wouldn¡¯t have had to feed you to the monsters.¡± As soon as Teror¡¯s words ended, the atmosphere around him changed dramatically. Even though I had lost my sense of touch in this form, I could notice the abnormal calmness before the storm in the air. The men¡¯s facial expressions instantly darkened. The reason was soon to be known. It was because the monsters had begun to show up. ¡°Uhm.¡± Upon finally noticing that he was drooling, one of the men unwittingly bit his lip. The monsters, which appeared one by one in the ck fog, looked so terrible that it was frightening just toe face to face with them. Their size was enormous; there¡¯s no way they¡¯de to subdue the Witch¡¯s Forest. These monsters had been here for a long time and have only grown bigger. They¡¯re probably worse than any monster these men have ever seen. Their shaking eyes were all but telling the answer. I suddenly realized. All of this had happened without my intervention. The current situation had not changed at all, and theing future has happened ording to the fortune that I had read in the cards. This was meant to be fate. Although Teror¡¯s future had been altered by my actions, I thought that this situation was somehow bound to happen eventually. I remembered that the young warrior who remained only in my memory would have been here instead of Teror. That was all I changed¡ªbringing the warrior who is supposed to be in town to the tower. Originally though, it was Evan who was supposed to be in Teror¡¯s ce. The boy couldn¡¯te to see me for a long time until he became a young man. And the young man who came after was much different from when he was a boy. I had agonized over what had changed him, what had swallowed his light, but now I knew the answer. Everyone seemed to suspect that this ce was more peaceful than expected. In the end, they had no choice but to send someone to find out about the situation here. The young warrior in my memory was living in the vige, not the tower of witches, so he had no choice but to guide those who came inspecting to the forest. Both the lord in the capital and the lord in the vige would do anything to protect what they had. And so, the method he chose this time was to murder the inspecting men using monsters. Evan at the time was far from to death, he would have survived it somehow, but whether the other men were dead or not, the lord of the vige would not have left Evan be. Not when he knew the truth. And so he was as good as a dead man from then onwards. This was the key¡ªthe key to changing Evan¡¯s future. I finally found a small cogwheel that would change the present. I realized from the beginning that I was destined to meet both Evan and the man named the leader. And that their fates were in my hands. ¨C¨C¨C T/N : I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte with this chapter I¡¯ve been busy with some IRL issues *sobs* I¡¯ll make it up to you guys on the weekend with a double update. Chapter 37 CHAPTER 37 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson When I opened my eyes, a white world unfolded. For a moment, I felt like I was in a field of snow, and I was mesmerized for a moment. The cold air and the smell of snow were missing, but the dazzling beauty was the same. As I slowly lowered my eyes, I saw white eyshes that hung long and red sun-like eyes. Every time he blinked, his eyshes covered his irises and made it look as though clouds were hiding the sun. Evan, who resembles the wonders of nature, sat close by me and looked up at me with his chin raised. I closed my eyes again because the clear gaze seemed to have pierced me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Did you have a bad divination?¡± I opened my eyes to Evan¡¯s voice and looked down at the card I was holding. It was as white as Evan¡¯s hair. It was Teror¡¯s divination. It was about toe true. I flipped the card and shuffled it with the rest. Evan is still just looking up at me. I know that time is running out. If not now, I may never be able to use my influence. This was an opportunity given to me. It was the first step toward turning Evan into a warrior. And no one could be more qualified to serve as Evan¡¯s fence. So I have to tell him, I have to let him know of this. My mouth refused to cooperate. ¡°Nyx, you don¡¯t look good. What¡¯s the matter?¡± I straightened out my furrowed brows. I tried not to make it obvious, but I was caught. Evan has recovered everything the witch had lost. Her emotions, as well as her facial expressions too. So it¡¯s even harder. To let Evan go. To be left alone again. The cards, which had been shuffled recklessly, were put down in a constant arrangement and turned over. As if tough at my troubles, the god of death is still lurking beside Evan. The god of death whispers to me. Give me your warrior, and I¡¯ll give you eternal life. It¡¯s as sweet as the devil¡¯s temptation, but it¡¯s bitter poison to me. I don¡¯t need an eternity. What I want most is death. Protect the warrior from the god of death. And to have him take me instead. Yes, in order to save the warrior, I had to die. Now the road is open, what am I waiting for? If I can¡¯t change the future, I¡¯ll be alone forever. What would a brief breakup amount to inparison with endless agony? I put down my cards and turned my eyes to Evan. ¡°Evan.¡± ¡°Yes, say it.¡± His earnest red eyes, staring at me as if he would listen to whatever I say, are heartbreaking. No matter what the world is, no matter how ugly and dirty it is, he is like the sun that illuminates us all, consistently warm. How can I be so unhappy when the sun, which I thought had abandoned me and turned away from me, rose up here and looked at me? I stared into those eyes for a moment, pulled something out of my sleeves, and handed it to Evan. Evan unwittingly epted it and could not conceal his bewilderment. ¡°What is this?¡± Evan looked at the thing and asked. The borately carved object looked like a ne, it also looked like an ornament worn on a garment, but it had a subtle glow. It was responding to Evan¡¯s energy. The object that was close to silver in my hand had turned white in Evan¡¯s hand. In the wind, the engraved pattern in the middle revealed itself clearly. ¡°You keep it. From now on, this is yours.¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something that will protect you.¡± You don¡¯t have to know yet, Evan. It won¡¯t be long before he found out anyway. Rather, it was more important for me to know what was going on now and what to do in the future. ¡°Evan, you must go out into the world now.¡± Evan¡¯s eyes widened at my words. Soon after, he shook his head, furrowing his eyebrows. Evan¡¯s white hair scattered about. Then he looks up at me with a tearful face. Evan seems to know what to do in order to appeal to my soft side. I think he is intentionally expressing his feelings. Evan continued his words with eyes full of sorrow. ¡°Do I have to? Can¡¯t I just stay here?¡± No. You can¡¯t stay in the witch¡¯s arms forever. You must go into the pack that will protect you. And you must build up your strength in it. Instead of being ostracized, you have to be recognized. The witch¡¯s tower was not much of a safe ce for Evan anyway. There may be people who visit the tower of the witch, simr to right now, but the witch won¡¯t be able to hide Evan and protect him. He may be killed. As a witch, I don¡¯t die, but Evan does. I can¡¯t face Evan¡¯s death again. When I didn¡¯t answer, Evan begged me, sping at the hem of my dress. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go. I don¡¯t want to be separated from Nyx.¡± I didn¡¯t want to part with you, either. I¡¯m so happy that I spent time with Evan that I want us to stay like this forever. But if things continue like this, in the end, Evan will die. And I¡¯ll be robbed with a weapon of remembrance, which will only get worse with my unending time. The Evan right now would never kill me. Evan must stand on the side of the world and aim a sword at my heart. ¡°If you don¡¯t follow your destiny, there¡¯s no reason for me to be with you either.¡± If Evan wouldn¡¯t kill me, I¡¯d rather push him away. I know there¡¯s no use in doing that, I know that its toote, but I couldn¡¯t get any more attached to him. I didn¡¯t want to hurt for a long time by building more and more memories. Evan stared at me with his fluttering red eyes as if he had been shocked by my words. His wounded-looking pupils tugged at my heart. The cut in my heart, which Evan had tried to soothe, was again bared open and bleeding. Up until now, the two of us had only been soothing each other¡¯s wounds. But now that the situation had changed, we were hurting each other instead. I hated myself, the one who knew of Evan¡¯s fears, and what Evan desperately wants. I hated this situation; Evan is bound to get hurt no matter what I do. But I couldn¡¯t help it if I wanted to end my world. The current wound is nothing. And to Evan, I¡¯m no different than a dear childhood teddy bear. If you lose the teddy bear that you love so much that you always had it in your arms, you feel as though you¡¯ve lost everything at the time. But the moment you turn to a new doll, you forget about it as if its a trivial thing. ¡°Evan.¡± I called Evan, who was staring down at the floor with his lips clenched. Evan raised his head at my call and faced me. His eyebrows were broodingly knit together. When I first saw him, he looked just like that. But it felt very different from when I first saw him. Before I knew it, the young boy had grown this much. It is strange even though I knew well that human time went by fast. He¡¯ll soon be a young man, just like the young man who remains only in my memory. Will you think of me even then? Evan stretched out his hand. He hugged me as he was groaning faintly from his own heartache. He hugged me as if he knew I was hurting. As if he were soothing me. Evan, who had been doing it for a long time, muttered in a small voice. ¡°¡­stay.¡± ¡°What?¡± When I asked again, Evan fell out of my arms and immediately turned back. Looking at Evan¡¯s back, I tried to ask him again, but his words were faster than mine. ¡°What should I do?¡± And Evan¡¯s eyes, which had turned back and looked at me, were very serious and sharp. * Back in the gray world, the world I saw as a shadow was terrible. The knights were covered in wounds, breathing heavily, perhaps exhausted from dealing with the monsters. On the floor were the bodies of the monsters they took care of and the carcass of the person previously known as Teror. Teror was torn to the point where he couldn¡¯t be recognized. His blood dripped around him, touching a bead, rolling around the floor. I knew what the bead was. It was because I saw the Baron giving it to Teror the day before. He reassured Teror that he could return to the castle at any time, saying that it held a protective charm. Whether he¡¯s seen using it many times, or he never imagined that his father would kill him, Teror believed only in the power of that fake bead and came into the Witch¡¯s forest. He didn¡¯t know that he was the son of a person who would abandon his family for greed. ¡°Damn it, this son of a bitch.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t see the end, sir. What should we do?¡± ¡°¡­there¡¯s no way to get out.¡± The number of monsters that came in propelled by the smell of blood was enormous. It was fortunate that the monsters hadn¡¯te at them all at once. And there were some things that couldn¡¯t be easily rushed, perhaps because they had already seen several other monsters killed without hesitation. That part was fortunate, but it only proved that the monsters were more intelligent than the average animal, so they were harder to deal with. As time went by, the knights were pushed back until there was no ce to run to anymore. Leaning against each other, they braced themselves to die at any time. I waited for someone, constantly looking to the direction of the witch¡¯s tower. I was holding back the monsters¡¯ feet, just in case it was toote for him to overturn the current situation. Soon, however, Evan, whom I had been waiting for, appeared. The knights could not hide their embarrassment. They wondered just when did the boy who did not fit in with the witch¡¯s forest appeared. The monsters rushed in delight at the fact that a new prey had appeared. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 38 CHAPTER 38 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson When a boy as bright as the sun appeared in a dark gray-colored world, it felt as if a heavenly ray of light had lit up the dark recesses. It was such a mysterious and foreign feeling that put me under the illusion of having briefly escaped the world stained with blood. But that peace didn¡¯tst long. Until now, the monsters had been obsessed with the food in front of them. They had not noticed Evan quietly digging through their ranks. But when he came closer to the front, his unique appearance stood out. All eyes were pinned on him, not just the eyes of the people, but also the eyes of the monsters. Naturally, the monsters would prefer to hunt the closest pray to them. So they all rushed at Evan and even engaged in fights with each other in order to get to him first. But eventually, only one seeded in getting out of the narrow area cramped with monsters. Then, without hesitation, it threw itself at Evan with its mouth wide open. Evan just stood still and looked at it, even as the sharp,rge teeth came close to him, ready to prate his skin and tear at his bones. I hurriedly grabbed the monster¡¯s leg just in case Evan got hurt, but I didn¡¯t have to. It was because the man named the leader had not hesitated to block the monster¡¯s attack. But thanks to that, the rest of the knights were in danger, so he shouted at Evan without taking the sword that blocked the monster¡¯s teeth. ¡°Hurry and get away from here!¡± The monster roared its head, angry for being denied its meal. No matter how many battles he had fought, they were not enough to make him face so many monsters head-on, which were several times bigger and stronger than he was. He tried to hold out, but he gradually began to be pushed back, so much so that his feet left trails that stretched long on the ground as he was shoved. However, Evan stood still behind the man¡¯s back, blinking his eyes innocently. From Evan¡¯s point of view, the leader¡¯s interference in the scene and shouting at him was uncalled for. ¡°What are you doing, not running away?¡± Evan looked at the man and the monster alternately and closed his eyespletely. The scene stirred up a sense of bewilderment in the man¡¯s face, previously crumpled from pain and tiredness. The same went for the rest of the knights who had narrowly blocked the monsters upon their leader¡¯s absence. But soon, their eyes opened wide. Some looked nkly at one ce, slowly putting down the swords that were blocking the monster¡¯s fangs. The monsters, who were rushing at them, also turned their heads to the light that could be felt somewhere. Evan stood in the middle of the light pack. His body was shining white, to be exact. At first, the light, which was dim enough to be ignored, gradually brightened. And soon, Evan was shining dazzlingly enough to seem invisible. The light lit up not only the leader who stood directly in front of Evan, but also the monsters with their open mouths, and then burst out in a sh to brighten up the area where the knights and monsters stood. At the moment, the witch¡¯s forest was enveloped in silence. As the white light spread through the ck mist, the trees and nts that entered the sphere of its influence revealed their decaying bodies. Then it became more and more widespread, slowly driving out the darkness out of the witch¡¯s forest. As if the sun had risen and enveloped it in silence. Those who looked around at the unbelievable sight looked at Evan again with shocked eyes. The dazzling white light surrounding Evan had faded, but a swarm of white rays, so bright in the dark witch¡¯s forest, hovered around him, clearly revealing his appearance. Evan¡¯s perplexed expression was not hidden. A roar began to reverberate in the witch¡¯s forest, which had been so calm for a short moment. It was the sound of monsters burning under the glistening light. The swarm of white lights scorched the monsters¡¯ bodies, turning them into ashes. The monsters that were not reached by it were running away in fear. Evan¡¯s light was driving away monsters as well as the darkness of the witch¡¯s forest. It all happened so quickly that not only the knights, but also Evan were all in a state of dazed stupor. The situation continued until all the monsters scattered and disappeared. Before long, the light slowly faded away and dissipated. Then the ck mist, which had been lifted by the light, gathered again around them. The knights sank as if their legs had been loosened and took a deep breath. It was a bloodbath all around, but no one cared. Their eyes were still fixed on Evan. The leader, who looked down at Evan with a shocked look no different from his knights¡¯ asked. ¡°What was that just now?¡± Evan took something out of his sleeves instead of answering. It was the very thing I gave him. Evan was also embarrassed, so he seemed to be gawking at the ornament that clearly created this situation. The object was sprinkled with light powder and soon turned as subtle as it was when Evan first took it. The light powder scattered into the air and disappeared without a trace. Simr to the remnants of the monsters. ¡°Nyx¡­¡± Evan seemed to have noticed what the light powder was. But he didn¡¯t have time to think of it deeply because the leader opened his mouth again. ¡°Th, that¡¯s¡­¡± The leader stretched out his trembling hand. Evan, who had a skeptical look for a moment, handed it to him. He brought it to his face inspecting it, and muttered with a look of surprise. ¡°Without a doubt.¡± He also seemed to recognize it¡ªthe pattern inscribed on the object. If a man with an eye for the truth recognizes that symbol, the object, and the power that Evan possesses, he will certainly not let it go. I was relieved to think that my prediction was right. Even if he only knew the inscriptions on the object. The leader, who had not been able to take his eyes off the object for a while, opened his mouth again. ¡°Who are you?¡± Evan replied in his usual indifferent tone. ¡°I¡¯m a forest keeper who was driven out of town and wandered through the woods.¡± It didn¡¯t matter whether the leader believed it or not. At least the leader flew to protect Evan from the monster rather than suspect and question him first, even though he was a boy who suddenly appeared in a dangerous ce and had an unusual appearance. He had a keen sense of danger akin to an animal¡¯s thanks to his countless battles, but he probably didn¡¯t feel that Evan posed any threat to them. He asked again. ¡°What kind of power was that just now?¡± After hesitating for a moment, Evan answered. ¡°I was born in the light and I am loved by the light.¡± Evan didn¡¯t say he was a monster or cursed. It meant that he thought he was blessed with the power that he had. It was fortunate that the time he spent in the witch¡¯s tower was not so wasted. And even though Evan¡¯s words could be considered absurd, the leader¡¯s expression became somewhat brighter. At first nce, it seemed like his emotions of joy were revealed. He said, stroking the pattern on the object he was holding with his thumb. ¡°Light, what a magnificent thing. Wasn¡¯t the world full of despair?¡± Perhaps the man knows the value of the object and the power of Evan. The man turned away and muttered in a low voice, looking at Evan¡¯s eyes, which now looked dark gray to me and red to them. ¡°Maybe God didn¡¯t abandon us after all.¡± Simultaneously, the cogwheels of fate, which had been spinning, were interlocked with a ck. And slowly, slowly began to spin again. The future everyone will face now will be different than before. * They immediately returned to the feudal castle and charged Baron Behemen with his sins. He turned pale when he faced the people, whom he thought would die, again, of course. And he was angry that only his son died. But he soon remembered what was about to happen to him and tried to fix it btedly with a sheen white face. Of course, it was all useless. ¡°I will report every single thing I¡¯ve ever experienced here. Very detailed, just as it is. Oh, of course, that includes to how you use the support of the pce and what the Witch¡¯s Forest is like.¡± They may want to kill Baron Behemen, who was restless in front of their eyes with a sword pointed at his neck, but he was still a nobleman. It was beyond their control. So they got ready to go back to the pce. At that time, Evan was loading himself into the carriage they had traveled in when they came. It was because the leader asked him toe along with them. Evan nodded his head gently. I was worried he¡¯d said he wouldn¡¯t go, but it was a relief. Evan seemed to intend to follow my instructions. He seemed determined to walk the path of a warrior as given by his fate. But Evan¡¯s expression was lonely. His empty gaze broke my heart. Evan fidgeted with the thing I gave him and couldn¡¯t lift his head up easily. There was a charm in it. It was something that I had prepared in advance to protect Evan. By responding to his energy and creating a greater light. It reacted to Evan¡¯s power and lost its purpose; once it had done its part, he no longer needed it. Because it was the leader¡¯s turn to act as Evan¡¯s fence, not the charm, I only told Evan to go and use the object¡¯s power, and then the monsters would retreat. I was embarrassed because I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d believe me to the point of doing everything I said blindly, but it was the result of my n. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry on along.¡± The leader and the knights returned to the carriage. Some got on the wagon, and some left the vige on horseback. Evan was asked about the witch¡¯s tower, but he replied that there was no such thing just as I taught him, so they no longer cared. They also seemed to regard it as a fairy tale that would dazzle people. The witch¡¯s tower and the witch trapped to die became such a folktale story. Evan, leaning heavily on the chair, could not take his eyes off the window, as if he was feeling awkward inside the wobbly carriage. His eyes stopped on the witch¡¯s forest longingly. Evan muttered in a voice so small that he himself could not hear. ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say. I¡¯ll be the warrior you want me to be, so¡­¡± His words didn¡¯t go on till the end, but I knew. When Evan hugged me in the tower, I heard his infinitesimal mutter. ¡°Always stay here. You can¡¯t go anywhere. So that I cane to see you anytime.¡± I¡¯d be perfectly happy if you would. But Evan, you must leave me and live outside in the world. You must be someone who will end up meeting colleagues, find a woman to love, and eventually forget about the cursed witch. Be a man who will burry the witch in the fairy tale, along with his own childhood memories. Nevertheless, I will always stay by your side. I will be your shadow and protect you. Until the veryst moment. After watching the warrior¡¯s departing, the witch went back to the tower¡ªto the ce where no one is awaiting her return. ¨C¨C¨C T/N : 2 more chapters before we reach volume 3! Chapter 39 CHAPTER 39 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson After the warrior left the tower, I heard the ringing of countless bells. The vacancy left behind by the warrior had made me distressed, but I persisted in following him around. I know that it will be even more painful if all of this fails. The witch¡¯s sense of time was still the same, but it always seemed to went by fast for others. Evan¡¯s small height had grown to the point where he can now stand up to a world that ignores the truth. His shoulders, which used to be thin enough to be surrounded by the witch¡¯s arms, had be wide enough to give shelter to the suffering people. Much like the young man who remained in my memory, he grew up beautifully, and yet he changed so much that I almost mistook him for someone else. The pale, pitifully thin face was now moderately tanned. His scars still remain, but it was not from terrible wounds inflicted by others; it was scars of glory, given from hard training. The white hair, which had a transparent glow whenever sunlight touched it, was cut off until it barely came under his ears. His arms and legs, which had been urately assimted to twigs due to malnourishment, were hardened through training. But most of all, Evan¡¯s eyes glistened with sunshine. No longer containing death, they were filled with hope. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off those jeweled eyes. As he swung his sword, Evan felt hispanions approaching. Gasping for breath, he halted his training. Sweat from his forehead rolled down and stayed at the tip of his chin. Evan hurriedly swept away his bangs, which were clinging to his forehead. His hair, dampened with sweat, obediently stuck to the side, revealing white eyebrows, simr to that of his hair. One of the men who approached said. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself, aren¡¯t you tired?¡± ¡°I still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°But, Evan, you¡¯ve already improved a lot.¡± Evan was no longer called a monster. Surrounded by helpless vigers poking at his wounds to distract themselves from their suffering, he was shining. Evan¡¯s lips, slightly twisting at the man¡¯s words, soon formed a small smile. As if he were trying to hold backughter. The way he smiled with his eyebrows slightly furrowed with the corners of his mouth drawn in a graceful line was not much different from the young warrior he had seen before, which sent a strange sense of relief through me. Evan muttered in a quiet voice. ¡°Not yet¡­ not enough.¡± Yes, unlike before, he has grown a lot, but he was stillcking. Although he now could control more light than before by absorbing knowledge learned from the witch, it was difficult to grow by himself. However, there was more than one warrior who was bestowed to the world under god¡¯s will. I looked at the world as the brave boy grew up. The cogwheels of fate that I joined with the warriors were already moving before I prompted them. One of them was Yohan, the Commander of the Knights, who took in Evan and helped him grow up like this. ¡°Evan is training so hard, but what are the rest of you doing?¡± ¡°Eek!¡± ¡°Le, Commander!¡± When Yohan showed up with his arms folded, the trainees quickly returned to their ces and began wielding their swords. Frowning, he mumbled, as if displeased with them. ¡°How will I even take these people along?¡± Evan, who overheard his muttering, asked with glistening eyes. ¡°Will you be taking us somewhere?¡± ¡°Yes. A monster is said to have appeared on the western outskirts. I thought I¡¯d take you guys with me this time, but I¡¯d be lucky if you weren¡¯t a burden.¡± ¡°We can do it!¡± Even with Evan¡¯s loud answer, Yohan¡¯s face showed no sign of straightening out. Even though Evan had already grown up enough to do his part, Yohan still seemed doubtful. However, Evan¡¯s skills were so outstanding that he thought he could actually be helpful and not be a burden. As soon as he thought so, he muttered in a slightly more rxed voice. ¡°¡­better than nothing.¡± Evan¡¯s expression was a little brighter. It wasn¡¯t much different from the smile he shed in front of the witch. As such, my worries were relieved because it meant that he believed in and followed the Commander wholeheartedly. Knight Commander Yohan. An unfortunate knight. He was hated by the emperor early on because he was good at what he did. But he was honest, cold, blunt, and above all, he could see through the lies. Instead of livingfortably in the pce, he came out to his private residence and went to and fro on the battlefield with his followers. There was always a shortage of people, and when he told the nobles, they sent only useless young children who could not lift a sword with their skinny arms. And so he took in trainees. Evan was one of them. After leaving the tower of the witch, he was growing up safely in the fence of Yohan. And it wasn¡¯t just him. ¡°Yes, Evan. How¡¯s your training going?¡± ¡°Oh, Mr. Neriato.¡± Contrasting his tone in the previous conversation, Evan replied in a depressed voice to the elderly man¡¯s question. Even though he was struggling to walk and supported himself with a cane¡­ ¡°I¡¯m still in the same ce as I had been before. I can¡¯t wait to be strong¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so impatient, Evan. You¡¯re great enough, even now.¡± Neriato, the sorcerer. He was the only person who was said to have lived the longest, just after the emperor and the witch. It is said that he started learning magic on his own at a tender age. His experience was going to make for great lessons for Evan. Yohan, who had thought of this idea, went to invite the sorcerer here. Of course, light attributes can¡¯t be learned anywhere, and Neriato lost his power a long time ago, so he couldn¡¯t be of much help, but it was still possible for him to provide theories and guidance. Still, Evan had no choice but to do it himself to be one with nature. ¡°By the way, have you heard of the rumors going around? The Archduchess Heleina had been bestowed the title of Princess.¡± ¡°The title of Princess, by the emperor who has never even let a possible sessor live?¡± ¡°Yes, so it seems the nobility, without exception, are seeking after the Archduchess Heleina. Though it won¡¯t be easy since I hear that she is different from the greedy Emperor, but¡­¡± ¡°They already have so much. How much more do they want to have? I think this might lead to the start of a war.¡± ¡°It seems fine. They¡¯ve all got the same things. They just have different levels of greed. Aren¡¯t they just cowards who are anxious to lose what they have?¡± Time went on, and the world changed ordingly, but there were things that remained the same. They were the emperor and the nobles. They were still anxious to satisfy their greed, so their interests were in sync. So far, no problems had risen, but everyone is worried that they don¡¯t know when or where the war will break out. Unlike past aristocrats who performed their rights and duties well, these people only abused their power. They did not hesitate to do anything if it meant they could have more, so they were deeply offended by each other. The cogwheels, which were moving together, began to twist significantly when the emperor knotted the Princess title to Heleina. In a way, it was only natural for them to covet a crown next to riches. And apart from the warrior, the witch¡¯s cogwheel, which had been stopped before, also began to roll. I looked for more cogwheels to link with me around the world as the warrior grew up. The first is Margarita, who is serving as a knight in the Marquisate and hiding the power of darkness. The second is Lue, a woman who narrowly managed to evade death, but was sold as a ve rolling here and there. The third is Kato, who lives in a slum, hiding the power of darkness. The fourth is Trudeau, a daughter of a wealthy family who had been deprived of her riches and is now homeless. All of them held the power of darkness but were lucky enough to stay alive. Those who barely survived were distressed and suffering in pain and loneliness while hiding. I searched for them and reached out my hand. ¡°Be my strength.¡± They recognized me at a nce and were willing to follow me when I showed up in the dark. They all hated. They despised. They hated those who made them this way and despised those who did nothing to prevent it. They turned their backs on the world that killed those who were born in the dark and made the remaining ones hide and grovel in the dirt. For those who lost everything they had and even lost their parents, the advent of witches was nothing short of a blessing. It¡¯s time to change the world. They held my hand without knowing that the world they wanted was much different from the world the witch wanted. Having lived in blood, they wanted blood in return¡ªthey wanted the world to cry. I was sorry and felt guilty to take advantage of their emotions, but there was no other way. So I called myself a witch. They were either witches to the world or witches to themselves. If I could make a warrior and change the world, I would be willing to be a witch. This was what I believed. After that, I embraced three others wielding the power of darkness beside them, and then the eighth andst person, Ruadhan. ¡°If I could help you with what little strength I have, I¡¯d be happy to use it.¡± In the end, nine Shadows* gathered in one ce. Following Umbra, the Lord of Darkness and the ruler of Shadows. Around the witch, eight cogwheels joined and began to rotate slowly. The young warrior had grown up, and all the characters who will lead the fairy tale are ready. There was only one thing left, waiting for the right time. When the fairy tale begins, when the warrior shines. Now, the witch¡¯s story was about toe to an end. ¨C¨C¨C * T/N : Shadows is how we will refer to those who use the power of Darkness. Chapter 40 CHAPTER 40 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson When I turned over the card in front of me, I saw a future that was different from before. The Commander¡¯s previously white card was changed to glory, and Evan¡¯s card, where the Death God constantly haunted, was turned into victory. It was the result of finding the key that held the future and reversing their fate. With their fate reversed, the situation around them had changed. Even the warrior¡¯s future changed because the witch had managed to change the warrior¡¯s present time. But that¡¯s not enough. As long as the world did not change, so long as the opportunity did note, the glory of the warrior would still be desired. Although themander¡¯s fence protected Evan from the God of Death, his future was not so bright, considering the world¡¯s neglect of the truth. That¡¯s why he needed me¡ªthe witch who will turn the warrior into a hero. I pressed the hat I was wearing down to cover my face and moved on. Opening the door, I walked through the endless passage of darkness and was greeted by arge space. This was a ce filled with darkness, no different from the tower of the witch. A ce where people dressed simr to me stood in their designated areas. As I walked past them, everyone bowed their heads and became polite. I climbed across the empty space onto the tform. There was arge statue in the room shaped like a nine-tailed beast. It was a statue of a dark divinity called Umbra, the ruler of Shadows, who was worshipped by those who stood before me. This room was thest remaining gathering ce of Darkness. It was also the source of all things to begin. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± People raised their heads when I opened my mouth. Their glistening eyes were revealed under their down pressed hats. ¡°We¡¯ve been waiting for a long time. This deep grudge has been hidden in the dark. It¡¯s their turn now. They will pay for their sins.¡± I looked through the shining eyes in the dark and continued to talk. ¡°They who disturb us shall close their eyes in the deep darkness.¡± At the end of what I said, people disappeared one by one. They seemed to be swallowed by the darkness, scattered like a ck fog. They turned into Shadows and permeated through the floor. Born in the dark and disappeared into the dark. I remained alone and muttered, looking up at Umbra¡¯s statue. ¡°The world will be enveloped in darkness.¡± For them to crave light. The darker it is, the brighter the sun shines. The fairy tale of the warrior had just begun. ¨C¨C¨C T/N : final chapter of V2. Author¡¯s note -> the end of the trapped witch raising the warrior arc. Chapter 41 CHAPTER 41 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson This is a battlefield. The sword bes a brush. The blood bes paint, tainting the whole world with a shade of dark gray. The trickling drops of blood drench the faces and bodies of those wielding swords beneath. The glistening emotions in their eyes are murderous and make their hearts beat with purpose. Killing, killing, and killing again. This ce is hell on earth. They have no ill will toward each other. No, they never had any. However, if they don¡¯t kill, they¡¯ll be in a position of dying themselves, and as they watched their colleagues die, bad feelings arose. Maybe they¡¯ve gone half crazy. Blood is bound to call blood. I had set foot in hell. The marble, which would have been polished countless times by maids, had long been covered in crimson blood. The bodies, which continued to pile upon it, were forming a river of blood. The walls, which would have entertained the eyes of the passers-by, were also soiled and devastated that they could not retrieve their original form. However, the luxurious chandeliers hanging from the ceiling were still intact, creating a very strange feeling. But I kept an indifferent appearance, not caring what was going on under me. It was as if, somewhere around here, the emperor was waiting for me. ¡°¡­Argh!¡± I wanted to push one of the men confronting me with a sword back but he ended up hitting the opposite wall. The man¡¯s body had been buried into the wallpaper, staining it with blood. But no one paid it any mind. The master, who would have had them punished severely for even a single dust stain, would have either run away or died by now. ¡°Arghhh!¡± The man pushed to the wall ended up with a sword stuck in his chest. His wide-open eyes shed with an incredible feeling. But soon, they lost their light and drooped. And the man who stuck the sword in the other¡¯s chest was also pinned to the wall with a sword in his back. I took my eyes off the two bodies that had be one ornament and walked forward. The road was blocked by people who were struggling, but I didn¡¯t care. No one cared about me, either. What a miserable and terrible reception. I hadn¡¯t known the way to meet him was so full of obstacles. But I didn¡¯t take my eyes off of it on purpose. It is the least I could do to respect those who are nothing but scapegoats to fill the stomachs of the greedy. It¡¯s the least level of consciousness I could afford, to those who die unmourned in the backstage of unacknowledged fairy tales. Look at these dying lives. What thing is so valuable, so much so to be worth all their lives? My destination was getting closer before I knew it. Gradually, I raised my body and breathed life into the shadow, and it simply moved ording to my will. The smell of blood was pungent in the air. The world, which was all gray, had turned crimson. This ce was brilliant with white and golden colors. So the red that was staining it became more prominent and horrible. When I took a step with my tangible form, I could feel the bewilderment from below. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s the witch!¡± Finally, the one who found me had loudly called out, and silence followed that one cry on the battlefield. Those who were aiming their swords to kill each other looked at me, stopping as they were. They had to kill the public enemy first before they killed each other. So it was by no means strange for them to rush right at me. I turned again and walked towards my destination. The darkness that was slowly creeping from under my feet filled the space around me like fog from hell. I was lost in the dark and nowhere to be seen. They called out for me in confused voices and died with blows from a sword, not knowing whether it came from an ally or an enemy. I walked out firmly, listening to their painful screams. Soon a tall, big door weed me. It looked so beautiful and noble without a drop of blood. They were either fighting to protect this door or to enter it. They will either protect the King¡¯s crown or take it. The people here would be divided into those two parts. I caught the doorknob. At that moment, a strange sensation spread through my hand all throughout my body quickly. I had already known, but the strange feeling could not easily be overlooked. As I managed to open the door, I saw arge, beautiful, magnificent room I had never seen the like of anywhere before. It was a room decorated with gold and all kinds of precious jewels that would have appeared only in fairy tales, with the feather decorations of heavenly birds and flowers that bloomed once in a century. And the one sitting on the chair at the very end, at the highest level, weed me. ¡°You¡¯rete. How dare you make the son of heaven wait?¡± Thezy curve of the corners of his mouth was no different from that time in my memory when he condemned me as a witch. I¡¯ve been looking forward to this day. And we have finally met again. The one who created the perception of the vile witch, all to hide the fact that he was a monster. The one who made many people suffer. I opened my mouth and said, ¡°He who has been abandoned by heaven cannot be given the title of the son of heaven.¡± But the emperor only gave a twisted smile and said nothing. The distance between the emperor and me was too far, and I began to shorten it step by step. Outside, many people were bleeding to death, but this ce was so ancient and beautiful. As if it had nothing to do with the outside. It¡¯s as if all those things exist to make this ce shine brighter. It was even more colorful and brilliant, which made it all the more bizarre. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d still be alive. As expected, the witch is different.¡± ¡°And you, as expected, are no different.¡± ¡°Yes, but unlike you, I¡¯ve tried so hard to live like this. If I had been able to get hold of that immortality of yours, your life would have changed a lot, too.¡± I don¡¯t understand why he kept on increasing his lifeline by stealing other people¡¯s lives. That doesn¡¯t mean he can live forever. He¡¯ll eventually have to die. The emperor continued in a voice of satisfaction. ¡°But today, you will die here.¡± I know. I also want that. I waited for this day to finish everything and start again. As I stood in the middle without saying anything, he lifted a finger and began speaking. ¡°You¡¯ve been overconfident because you¡¯ve lived, but there¡¯s someone who can kill even a witch.¡± As if to respond to his call, someone appeared behind the curtain. In the midst of silence, only the pitter-patter of footsteps filled the room. As soon as I stood beside the emperor, I stopped breathing at his beauty. His hair and eyshes, clear and transparent, it was like that of snow. Red eyes simr to the sun, containing a brilliant light in them. He was a warrior I¡¯ve seen before, but a lot of things had changed. His eyes, which used to contain only goodness, became sharp. His slender shoulders and arms were healthy and moderately tanned. Evan, who grew up as a young man, was manly and beautiful. And it was heartwarming. I was d and happy to see him again. The sword in his hand was directed at me. ¡°Witch.¡± Yes, Evan. No, warrior. It¡¯s finally time. The young and weak warrior had grown up with light. Every day it became clearer as the witch covered the world with darkness. Therefore, even in the bloodstained imperial pce, he was blessed with light alone. Even by the side of the emperor who was abandoned by God, he was loved by God. My darkness dissipated like fog near him. It was as if I were about to crumble like ashes. As soon as I reached the light, I looked up at the falling darkness and looked up to face the warrior. It was like a statue made of snow and sun, but the emotions in the eyes were different. Instead of looking at me warmly and affectionately, he had a coolness, bafflement, and wonder to the witch. Unable to keep up with my gaze, he looked again at the emperor, who wasughing with ridicule as if he had already won. And so I smiled too. Just as the witch dies here, the emperor will also have his long life ended. As for the warrior, for Evan. People will cheer. They will be pleased with the birth of a new emperor. The nobles, who had squeezed themselves and caused more pain, will dly wee the warrior who destroyed me¡ªthe one who covered the world with darkness and killed the emperor before dying. Those who have hoped and hoped again for the birth of a new sun will support a young king who will change the world and write a new history. I stand here now to crown Evan. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 42 CHAPTER 42 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson The darkness that was surrounding the corridor gathered together, growing bigger beside me. It soon opened its mouth as if meaning to swallow both the emperor and the warrior. A dark swamp unfolded, with no bottom or end. And as it reached out and headed for the emperor, darkness rushed to devour him. But before it even reached him, it began to burn by light. It was because of the warrior, who was blocking the darkness from the emperor. His bright light shattered the witch¡¯s darkness. I was d and grateful that he had grown this way, and so stood on the other side from me. He must be able to kill the witch. As happy as the witch to think so, the warrior said. ¡°Why? Why the hell?¡± He asked, tightening his grip on the sword he was holding. His cold and wounded re turned into that of a sword, stabbing me in the heart and soon tearing me to pieces. If it became known that the warrior knew the witch, the crown that should have been gloriously handed to him would immediately turn itself into a crown of thorns. But, only me, the emperor, and the warrior were present here. The emperor did not doubt that the warrior would kill the witch, or else he would have more troops here to protect his body rather than to stop the rebels. In the first ce, an ordinary human was not even a witch¡¯s opponent, so his choice could be considered wise. I brought up what I had prepared beforehand. ¡°Did you believe in witches?¡± The warrior was visibly rigid. ¡°The witch I knew wasn¡¯t like this. She was kind, warm, friendly, and loved humans. She was not a witch but was pushed into bing one. That¡¯s what I thought. Am I wrong, Nyx?¡± As the word Nyx came out of his mouth, I ended up closing my eyes. The warrior did not seem to want to believe the current situation. He seemed to want to hear from me. To confirm that it was not me who had done all this. ¡°What are you doing?¡± The Emperor¡¯s yell brought him to his senses. I can¡¯t break down everything I¡¯ve tried so far. This is the first andst chance. Twisting my lips, I spoke. ¡°It¡¯s pathetic that you¡¯ve still been thinking that all this time, you small little human.¡± Evan¡¯s eyes opened wide. I continued to ignore the hurt in them. ¡°I was going to do this from the start. I thought, if you were pathetically weak and kind enough, so much so that you would believe in me, then you wouldn¡¯t interfere with my ns. I would¡¯ve thought that you¡¯d catch on by now. Human, you can¡¯t kill me, just as I expected.¡± I felt heartache in Evan¡¯s deep eyes. He didn¡¯t show as much emotion as I thought, as much as in my dream, and it made me sadder. It was a pity that he was the one who showed everything to me. ¡°Nyx. Didn¡¯t you want a new world? Weren¡¯t you hoping for a beautiful world, not revenge? Wasn¡¯t that why you wanted me to be a warrior?¡± ¡°Did you believe that?¡± I said, twisting my lips. ¡°Funny, humble and insignificant. You seriously didn¡¯t think I¡¯d love humans, who¡¯d only ever caused me pain, did you? I knew at once that you would be a hindrance. So I reached out my hand pretending to be kind, and you got conceited as if you were something special. That¡¯s pathetic. Human beings are all like that, and you¡¯re no different. When hope dies down, they are filled with more despair. Seeing you fall into the abyss, I don¡¯t think my efforts have been in vain.¡± Evan kept his mouth shut. Next to him, the emperor shuddered with anxiety and shouted. But I couldn¡¯t hear his words at all. I continued to speak in a voice as attentive and friendly as possible. ¡°All those things you believed in were false, warrior. Still, it¡¯s a little sad to see you like that. I¡¯ll give you onest chance. It¡¯s a reward for all the fun I¡¯ve had with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kill me. Try and kill me.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± His eyes were strained with bewilderment. I had hoped he would be provoked and quickly flung his sword away. I wanted to run away from this situation. I wanted to stop. It was so terrible, so horrible that Evan had to do this. ¡°Kill me,e on. This is the first andst chance for you. Your sword can kill me. Come on, put that sword to my heart, warrior.¡± And as I smiled, the warrior¡¯s face crumpled. It was an expression I had never seen before. Even if I were only a witch who remained in his old memories like a folktale from childhood, he still opened his heart to me and relied on me. But how sick and tired he must be, now when I suddenly changed and weighed down on him. The warrior had aplicated gaze and a wounded face, and he soon froze cold. Then, he opened his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ve made a mistake, witch. Hope is bound to disappear soon, but if you don¡¯t miss it to the end, it will eventually be a weapon to ovee despair. I chased the end and came to this position. Whatever purpose you had may be, I should thank you. The monster you raised for fun will end up swallowing you.¡± But the warrior only aimed at me with the tip of the sword, and could not easily push it in. No matter how much I wished for the light, a weak warrior will not be able to get rid of my darkness easily. ¡°As expected of you weakling, there¡¯s nothing you can do. Yourst chance is over, warrior.¡± I rushed in with the darkness. I read the bafflement and the agony of the moment in the widened eyes of the warrior. Even if I attack the warrior like this, I wasn¡¯t sure that his sword would stab me in the heart. So I turned the ck sword that had sprung up in my hand back to the emperor. ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty!¡± My sword prated the heart of the Emperor with great precision. The terrible feeling was conveyed through the palm of my hand holding the sword. It felt quite different from when I stabbed myself in the heart. The emperor¡¯s face was struck with astonishment, perhaps because he didn¡¯t think I would be aiming for him. In addition, he didn¡¯t even think I would be so fast. His big eyes shook without him uttering a sound. Soon death crept up his face, and blood began to flow around his mouth. ¡°Kugh¡­! Kurgh!¡± Blood spattered as he coughed. I wanted to dig a little deeper and take his life for sure, but I couldn¡¯t. I was also losing my strength as fast as the blood that was flowing. When I managed to lower my blurry gaze, I could see a sword sticking out through my body. Before stabbing the emperor, the warrior¡¯s sword prated my chest first, but I was ustomed to pain, so I did not shake. However, a white light was gently spreading, driving out the witch¡¯s darkness. I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. The light reminded me of the white butterfly that a young warrior had called to long ago. The reality was that the charm I gave him was burning with light and looked like a white butterfly, but I thought that the white butterfly sent down by the deity was dancing around him. The butterfly brightened the face of the warrior, driving away from the darkness around him. The warrior¡¯s face seen from such a bright ce was very beautiful and soothing. For he was the only hope in the world and the only warrior who would be able to give me death, so I was d to meet such a human. As it was dripping down from the sword, my blood continually soaked the floor. There have been countless times when I took my own life, but a feeling I¡¯ve never felt before had captured me. It was the fear of death. I also felt a sense of freedom for the fact that I won¡¯t have to miss the warrior, who was most likely going to die first if he didn¡¯t kill me, and that I didn¡¯t have to be afraid of the possibility of the warrior¡¯s life going wrong. Turning my head to look at him, the witch was trapped in the warriors red eyes. They were as brilliant and hot as the fire that was burning the witch. It was as if the sun itself had enacted judgement upon the witch. Once again, as he was holding his sword, the warrior¡¯s grip tightened, burning my heart. His light burned and melted in my body. The pain that began in my chest had spread throughout my whole body. Although it was not the pain of the flesh, it was the pain of the heart. Instead of the warrior¡¯s light fading, the witch¡¯s darkness was fading. Yes, this is what I¡¯ve wanted so much. It¡¯s finally over, and the witch will only exist somewhere in fairy tales. From now on, the warrior will live happily ever after. The warrior was strong, overcame the witch¡¯s whispers, and had a ray of hope that would never be extinguished. But why does it hurt so much? A burst of blood suddenly rose up. With a calm expression, the warrior pulled his sword out. My blood sullied the warrior and dyed his white hair. I was full of sorrow and regret. I thought I had a big hole in my body. Everything was slipping out through that hole¡ªblood, strength, life, emotion, and thoughts. As I was slowly falling, I didn¡¯t miss the sight of him having an unpleasant look on his face. Simr to the young man in memory, his arms and legs were long and tough; they were reliable enough to carry the world. However, he was not the young man who loved the witch. He wasn¡¯t the young man who understood the witch, who wanted to see the real her and eventually found the woman hidden under her shell. The warrior moved his long, strong arms and legs and approached the emperor. He called out for His Majesty, but the emperor¡¯s breath has long since ceased. The warrior had a forlorn expression. As I was delirious, cheers erupted outside the door. And not long after, someone came in. ¡°Fa-father¡­ Aaaaaah!¡± The woman who screamed either because of the emperor or the witch was in a pitiful state. The warrior held the slender, delicate and beautiful woman, so unlike the witch in his arms. Several knights who heard the woman¡¯s scream entered the room. They were the Imperial Guards. It had meant the rebels¡¯ defeat. That¡¯s a relief. I had thought so, and gazed at the warrior¡¯s feet, supporting the woman out. As if to harbour my desire to reach there, my blood flowed in the direction of the warrior, but it was soon trampled on by the Guards. The view gradually blurred, and my eyes kept closing. I tried to hold out, but it wasn¡¯t easy. The pain was already dulling, and I felt strongly that this would be thest time I¡¯d feel it. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was either blood or tears around my eyes. ¨C Witch, you know¡­ ¨C Witch, witch! What are you doing? ¨C ¡­Nyx. ¨C Nyx, I¡¯m d I could be together with Nyx. I was also happy. The end of my long life was filled with joy. The persistent eternity that was considered a curse had finallye to an end. I closed my eyes, recalling the smile of my warrior. A clearughter resounded in my head, but the voice had also gradually be cloudier and cloudier. And soon, only the still silence embraced me. ¨C¨C¨C T/N : *sniff* I¡¯m not crying, you are! *sniff* Chapter 43 CHAPTER 43 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson I¡¯m out of breath. Subconsciously, I took in numerous sharp inhales. This feeling was simr to thirst. I was thirsty even if I drank, and I was suffocating even if I had breathed and breathed again. As I opened my eyes for what seemed like a long time, gasping for air, the dark surroundings weed me. Is this hell? As I hurriedly got up, a cool breeze brushed past me. Reflexively, I touched my forehead. Sweat had caused my flowing hair to cling to my wet face. When I swept it up, a wind that blew from an unknown direction cooled my face. I looked around me. It was pitch-ck, though I could see glimpses of something from time to time. If I were to borrow from the words of the young warrior, they were stars. It felt like an empty night sky. But if you look closely, there are stars casting shy lights into the absolute darkness of the night. They were a phenomenon that would have been there from the beginning. It was not until I came to my senses that I could recollect traces and memories of my life with the young warrior. This was the tower of the witch. I wiped the dampness off my face, not knowing whether I was wiping sweat or tears with the palm of my hand. Tears were still running nonstop. I eventually grabbed my chest. It hurt. It hurt so much that I felt like I was going to die right at this moment. It was painful and excruciating, more so than the poisons I had taken before, or the swords that I had stabbed myself with. The ce where his sword had cut through to my heart was burning in pain, but was otherwise remained intact. I couldn¡¯t breathe properly through the pain and crying, so I gasped and sobbed for a long time. Am I alive now? Then what is it? What are all thosest wishes and endings that I¡¯ve always dreamed of so vividly, desperately, and anxiously? Was it just a dream? Am I back in the past? Or am I really alive and trapped in the tower? I didn¡¯t know the time, so I couldn¡¯t tell where today was situated¡ªpast, present, or future. I¡¯ve been in a situation that seemed too real to be a dream; I don¡¯t understand it now, more than before. It was the same as when the young warrior became a young man and died. But then the young warrior came back and found a new beginning. But now? How can I tell when it is and what it was about? I looked around calmly, leaving behind droplets of tears. The objects in the tower were nothing different from when the young warrior had left the witch¡¯s arms. The young warrior had never touched these things since his youth, so it was difficult to figure out the timeline. But there was one thing I could know. It was clear that if I had really gone to the pce to be killed by a warrior, this tower would have been neatly arranged. I had to be prepared for anything that might happen because they were going toe here to make sure that the witch was really dead. I couldn¡¯t leave a trace of someone else besides the witch. The hard-won crown of the warrior should not have be a crown of thorns. So it meant that this was at least before I went to the pce. Was that a dream, a return to the past, or a precognitive dream? I don¡¯t know why this happened again. It was so vivid. I finally thought it was over. But why? Why? Why have I gone back to the past again? ¡°Does this mean that it can¡¯t end this easily?¡± The tears that had barely stopped began streaming down all over again. I cried, tearing out at my burning heart. But I stillughed. Laughter came out through with my sobs. The joy of seeing the warrior again swept over my heart. It was a rising emotion of relief, knowing that I could still have the future I wanted. I¡¯m going to die. I can die. I don¡¯t have to live while missing the warrior forever. So it¡¯s okay to let him go now. Until the veryst moment, I can keep a close eye on the warrior whom I was trying to capture in my view before closing my eyes. There is an end. And because of that, I can have as much greed as I want. I can hope and enjoy to my heart¡¯s content. I have nothing to miss. Butughter turned again into howling. My heart ached. I didn¡¯t know why it hurt so much. No, I think I know. The warrior who would have felt betrayed and hurt, his crumpling face, the pitch-ck darkness and shattered childhood feelings raging behind his brilliant eyes, and the warrior who eventually put a sword into the witch¡¯s chest, the warrior who cut the past with his own hands. I was both sad and happy, and my heart ached as myughter crackled. I bothughed and cried on my knees for a long time. And then I got up. Realizing that it wasn¡¯t real, I remembered what happened before I fell asleep. It felt like I had gone far away deep into the past, but in reality, it had only been a few hours back. I closed my eyes and called for a shadow. And what it was looking at unfolded. Young men in matching clothes swung their swords. They all had a strong look in their eyes, but they also had a serious and somehow innocent and yful air to them. Their faces and bodies were drenched with sweat. The wind was cool and fast enough to sway their hair this way and that, but that alone was not enough to cool off their sweat. Evan was among them. His hair, brighter than anyone else¡¯s, fluttered actively. His bright eyes glistened continuously to reveal his joyous and overwhelming inner thoughts. His innocent and pure face had turned quite serious and sharp, but when his eyes bent and smiled, he was as lovely as when he was young. He grew up to be the most reliable and beautiful young man in the vast world, as he stands alone. His arms and shoulders wielding the sword were harder than the young man who remained only in memory. And his face was full of light and hope, shining under the blessing of the sun. The young man in my memory was a boy who couldn¡¯t smile brightly because of his painful wounds. He gradually grew up into losing his light and ended up as if he had killed himself. So the witch imed herself to be his fence. Inside of which, Evan, who grew up with protection and education, learned hope and hardened his will. The minor change eventually created the current Evan, which was very much different from the youth in my memory. Evan, the boy who was about to change, left the witch¡¯s arms and now belonged to a new fence called the Knights¡¯ Commander. When the group formed, he met his peers, went through the same things with them, healed their wounds, and began looking at humans differently. He continued on to absorb many things that he could not learn from a witch. With the help of Yohan, the Commander of the Knights, he trained his body by learning swordsmanship and chess. He also trained his mind byughing and chatting with many people. His natural agility and sensitivity had improved his skills to an unrivaled extent, making him the subject of envy and jealousy to those who, at first, fought simrly to him at equal grounds. ¡°Oh, I can¡¯t stand it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s a real monster.¡± Evan¡¯s face was visibly hardened by what others said. Even though he knew that the ¡°monster¡± they meant was something different from the ¡°monster¡± he heard as a child, he still reacted unconsciously. But soon, he quickly hid it behind a thin smile. He had grown so much inparison to the past, but that doesn¡¯t mean he can just throw away all his past wounds. I felt sorry for that. Still, it was fortunate that he became so easygoing that he couldugh his sorrows away. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense and just practice more.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sick of it, really.¡± Evan and his colleague¡¯sughter resounded. He bore a smile that had the power to open my heart, like a cool breeze on a hot summer¡¯s day. In addition to training, Evan sometimes chased after Yohan to ughter monsters. But he still stayed behind. It was because Yohan put his safety first. Nothing was as good as actual battles to train him, so he took him along whenever possible. But he didn¡¯t risk his life. Evan was a valuable being to Yohan. Having always been alone and neglected, once he met Yohan, he knew his family and colleagues. At the same time, he forgot the witch. As he went through what all ordinary boys experienced, Evan grew up. His memories of witches were buried deep like the fairy tales he read as a child. Perhaps the pity and friendliness he had for the witch at the time disappeared, too. As if the child had be an adult and lost his innocence. Evan, a boy who was acting as if he would not forget me, stopped looking for or thinking about the witch as he became a young man. Even if he heard the story of the witch¡¯s forest, the witch¡¯s tower, and the witch, he only looked for a moment and quickly turned his head as if it had nothing to do with him. Yeah, that was obvious. It should have been like this from the beginning. To the warrior, the witch¡¯s tower was nothing more than a fairy tale. It¡¯s so distant and insignificant. As if only the memory of the faint smell of books remained. That was the right thing. Only then could the witch be the source of all evil, not the person to sympathize with and understand. He was right to forget the witch¡¯s forest and grow up inside the fence of his family andpanions. Only then would he realize what was more precious. When Evan stayed alone in the training camp where he wielded his sword, I thought it was peaceful. Although it was a grey world because I was using the eyes of a Shadow, I could still feel the clear sky and vast fields. Like a flock of sheep, clouds were ying in a mellow, rxed manner, a bird freely crossing between them, with the sound of leaves rustling in the wind. The ce where Evan stayed was so beautiful. My heart ached. The world shouldn¡¯t be this nice. It makes me want to learn happiness by living in this world. I was so afraid to covet that. I kept myself in the tower, turning away from the outside, and keeping to my old memories. But I also knew that it was because Evan was so good to be around. Without him, all this beauty will turn into pain. To tear me apart as a cruel and fresh weapon of a memory that can never be erased. So I had to be in the God of Death¡¯s arms before I could taste more pain. Definitely. Still, I was relieved to think that death was not too far away. I looked at the world endlessly and rejoiced at the fact that I could die. Although Evan forgot the witch, he did not forget the sorcery he had learned from the witch. He practiced steadily. He tried to feel the light and control it. Of course, there was a limit to the power he could use. Even if he were born in the light, it would certainly take a long time to realize that for himself. Thus, Evan was joined by the sorcerer Neriano. ¡°The light is always here. I can feel it. I can make it shine on my own. But that¡¯s it. The light doesn¡¯t lend me strength.¡± He used to indicate frustration with his unrelenting skills. Whenever that happened, Neriano and Yohanforted him. ¡°Don¡¯t be impatient.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not easy to feel nature. Some people take decades to get to that stage. You are very quick, sensitive, and smart, so you can get what you want.¡± Evan was despondent, but he was no longer irritated with himself. How fortunate for there to be someone who said what I wanted to say. Neriano and Yohan carefully walked out of the room so Evan could train alone. They talked with a slightly excited look as soon as they got out of the room. ¡°I can feel his light getting stronger day by day.¡± ¡°Evan would be the only hope to light up this world.¡± ¡°Oh, of course.¡± They already knew. The fact that Evan is a warrior who was to save this world. That means they also knew that until the time came, they had to keep well-protected. They were only waiting for that day. I was also eager for that day. I was preparing hard for it so that we all got what we wanted. I looked at Evan, buried in the light, closing his eyes with a peaceful face resembling that of a baby, peacefully sleeping in his mother¡¯s womb. I then turned the Shadow away and moved to another ce. To the only ce in the dark where it was bright, colorful, and full ofughter. A world full of cries of pain. It was the Imperial Pce. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 44 CHAPTER 44 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson The pce, which had previously been bathed by the rebel¡¯s and imperial guard¡¯s blood, was as peaceful, colorful, and rich as ever. Its floors, which had been flooded by a river of blood and dead bodies, were now glittering its bright marbles. And delicately carved columns hung with all kinds of dazzling decorations on its walls. The maids were busy with food, and the aristocrats who stumbled about and walked with sses of wine asionally stood out. Often I could hear the coquettishughter of a woman on the terrace. The hell I sawst night was of a different ce. No, actually, there is hell out there. It was full of people crying. They could not eat, heal their wounds, nor could they save their loved ones. It was not as clean, peaceful, or beautiful as it was here. Their faces were dark, and their eyes were lifeless. No light can be found in their gazes, as all the light in the world is gathered here. Some lived because they couldn¡¯t live, and some died because they couldn¡¯t live. The world was so unfair. There¡¯s everything here, but there¡¯s nothing out there. Having lost all theirughter, hope, happiness, and joy, they became brutal, sharp, andpliant with each passing day. They lived thinking that this was the way it was supposed to be. They ignored those who made them suffer¡ªbelieving that their suffering was due to the darkness and the witch. So, they continued living like that, making and pointing fingers at victims who suffer more than them. They were repeating the eternal bane. But the people here were different. They kept everything and tried to get even more. It hade to be like this because they are also the same. Because they think they were born to have it. Because everything in this world belongs to them. That¡¯s why I was going to start a war and revolt. No, the revolution had yet to take ce. And so, this area was filled withughter, but it was all just a mask. Those who used to wield their words to protect what they had and to have more were justughing and chatting, hiding their true intentions. And because of their greed, those who wielded swords at each other hovered around withzy faces. Their eyes, shining bright with life, had a sense of boredom in them, and those who were putting their swords in each other only passed by as if uninterested. They often peeped at the nobledies who shed fake smiles that didn¡¯t touch their eyes. If the pce I saw in my dream were hell, then the pce before me now was a mud field where the irrational pigs ate and rolled around. ¡°We can¡¯t see His Majesty again today.¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time since I saw him.¡± ¡°There¡¯s been a rumor going around. People have been saying that he¡¯s not feeling very well¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s lived so many years, hasn¡¯t he? I was curious about his secret, but I guess there¡¯s a limit to it.¡± They chattered freely about the son of heaven, implicitly revealing their wishes for him to meet the Creator, hoping for a new emperor. And unlike people dying outside, they wanted an emperor who would fill their stomachs even more, not an emperor who would change the world. ¡°With no sessors, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll have a son-inw.¡± May that son-inw be his own son, and may he have this country. This was what everyone was hoping for, as greed crept into the eyes of all those who had this conversation. Countless men already surrounded the imperial princesses who were in attendance. Some of them gave generous attention to the bees seeking the flowers. But those aware of how to use their brains knew. That these princesses aren¡¯t much to look at all. ¡°Isn¡¯t Princess Heleina by far the most powerful?¡± ¡°she is the First imperial princess, and His Majesty dotes on her so much¡­¡± ¡°But I can¡¯t see her as well as His Majesty. Where are they hiding?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that she looks like a sassy beauty. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and beautiful features. She¡¯s a wonder for the beholder.¡± ¡°You think that¡¯s it? She¡¯s pure, nice, polite and easygoing.¡± ¡°So, unlike anyone else, she wouldn¡¯t show up in such a ce like this.¡± Theyughed at the other princesses who were surrounded by men. They seem to have forgotten that their situation is also simr. ¡°I can¡¯t find fault with her, so how covetous she must be.¡± Unlike her father, Heleina has no greed, so she is rumored to stay away from aristocrats. She didn¡¯t want to get anything, so she didn¡¯t have to be rted to court happenings. Heleina, the first imperial princess to be crowned, had many things to carry on her shoulders. The most important thing was that the emperor loved her. The emperor has lived for a long time. The heir apparent lost his life under his hands, and the royal daughters were often dying in loneliness because of their old age. That¡¯s why Heleina couldn¡¯t have been the first princess. However, on the day she was granted the title, the emperor decreed her to be so. That meant one thing. He admitted to himself that he had only a few days left to live. That¡¯s why he now has a person in mind who will seed him. Of course, I don¡¯t know what will happen in the future, and I don¡¯t know when it will be, but it was also an opportunity for Heleina, although she¡¯s already past the age of marriage. If it weren¡¯t for Heleina, then the next princess, and if she, too, wasn¡¯t, then the next princess. Many people once coveted the most powerful princess, Heleina. But, simr to the emperor, she stayed in her room and didn¡¯t show up. But I knew where Heleina was. As I entered the room, where she stayed hidden away from the nobles, there was a beautiful and colorful woman, exactly as rumored. She looked precisely like the woman who was held in Evan¡¯s arms in my dream. As if they were the same person. Since I have never seen anyone resembling her in the pce, she is probably the same person as the woman in my dream. Heleina was as innocent and easygoing as the rumors had said. She didn¡¯t look to be greedy, so it felt as if she was keeping away from the nobility. And in fact, she hated her father¡¯s greed. As evidenced by that, the bowl brought by the maid contained only a very moderate amount of food. ¡°A lot of food will be thrown away today, too. The remaining food will be given to livestock, but it will still be left in abundance, so the leftovers will be used as manure. How could they be so unaware of their wastefulness?¡± Somedays, I heard her muttering to herself. The maids were all the more heartily respectful when she took a portion of her food and handed it out to them. She was a wise woman who knew what really mattered. She was also a strong woman who came across the dangerous pce for fear of her father. I thought that a woman like that would be a perfect match for a warrior. She was also the most likely sessor, so it was clear that she would be a reliable sword and shield. Of course, it was only part of a n that was not yet set in stone. What was certain, though, was that some of those who saw the truth remained. They were covered in darkness and filled with despair, but there was certainly hope in them. I thought it would never be a coincidence that those hopes were living in the same era as the warrior and that he would grow up with them and pursue the same goal. A knight who prates the lies to get to the truth, serving as a fence for the warrior. A living sorcerer who can teach him about light by his side. And a princess who grew up beautifully. All while the young boy turned into a warrior, bing both shield and sword, coveted by many. This was fate. They were people prophesied by the cards of the goddess. However, they are still the same. If their hopes were gathered and entangled, it would surely drive out the darkness. They were going to help the warrior. And the mission was given to me to make sure that the cogwheels, which were rotating separately, were rolled together. That¡¯s what the witch had to do. It was a way to create the warrior. ¡°Are you all right?¡± I heard a man¡¯s voice from somewhere. But the princess had no reaction. ¡°Nyx.¡± Only then did I realize that the sound was calling me. It was not the Shadow, but the voice of the one who called me where my flesh was. I already knew the owner of that voice, heavy and cool, polite, yet blunt. When I opened my eyes, I could see only darkness. Looking at a world filled with light gray, I felt endless despair as I looked at a ce filled with deep darkness. Even though I know that this is my world, and I know that this is a world that fits well with witches. When I turned my head and looked toward the stairs, I could feel the sound of footsteps. Someone came to the tower, where only the warrior used toe and go. But I know well that they don¡¯t like it, so they¡¯re just standing on the stairs, and didn¡¯te in here. That¡¯s all I allowed them. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll be waiting.¡± At the end of my answer, there was no sign of people around anymore. I got up, wore ck clothes, and pressed my hat deeply down over my face. Then I moved to the ce where they would be waiting. While the warrior was growing up, the witch also did not neglect her preparations. To make them wish for a new sun, to bring little hopes together, and to make those very hopes ready to crown him with a new world in the end. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 45 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson I teleported myself to the ce where that man and I would meet. Aside from being full of darkness, the ce I had teleported into was empty, just like how the tower was before I met the warrior. A space that is full of nothing but darkness; it was simply a space for witches. I took a few steps forward and opened the door. The haze of the candle glimmered in. For those who were born and lived in the dark, light was not necessary. But on the other hand, it was a device that they had prepared. Fearing the dark, they did not want it. The darkness wasfortable and ufortable at the same time. Because even though I knew I was dark, I didn¡¯t want to be dark. The candlesticks were ced on a small table. In front of it, a man sitting on a chair stood up and bowed down. His movements stirred the light, disturbing our two shadows. ¡°You didn¡¯te, so I was worried about what happened. I¡¯m sorry for the rudeness.¡± The man who raised his upper body again was generally sharp. A little skinny body made me feel that way. The gray hair, neat and wrinkle-free clothes in one piece showed his neat and delicate personality, and the sses blocking his sleek eyes were quite sharp. But behind his spectacles, his grayish-brown eyes were full of worries. His expression remained unchanged, but he was certainly honest and warm enough to convey his feelings only with his eyes. He was a friendly, blunt, warm, and cool man. He was the only one who knew of my ns, and he was the only one who helped me. ¡°Ruadhan.¡± I always felt both grateful and sorry for this man who had been a great help to me. ¡°Never do that from now on. If anything really happened to me, you¡¯d be in danger.¡± ¡°If anything happens to you, then the whole lot of us would already be in trouble.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that. I¡¯ve already shown you the way. I¡¯m not going to die anyway, so we just have to hide and wait for the right time.¡± ¡°¡­okay. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Ruadhan bowed down, saying so. When I sat on the chair, he sat on his chair, too. His face turned into a warm expression lighted by the candlewick. Gray hair and gray eyes, which were unusually cool in the dark, were also warmly colored, contrary to his looks. Ruadhan. He had changed a lot from when I first met him. His long hair, now neatly tied up, was tangled up and knotted. Back then, he looked at me out of focus because he didn¡¯t even wear spectacles. His eyes were as ck as the void. It was like seeing a world where time stopped. If the world that was going on stopped as it was, then he would surely turn that color. He was a man with such cold and sad colors. He told me he would be supportive and still spoke to me with lifeless and dry eyes. ¡°The world¡­ I still love this world. I also long for it.¡± ¡°I love and miss the mother of a child who looks at the blue sky, the pair of birds ying freely in the sky, the leaves of the passing wind, the children running under it with a clear smile, and their mothers, who look upon them lovingly, and all that is peaceful and beautiful.¡± He locked himself up, unable to endure the world surrounded by darkness. Not because he hated the world, but because he couldn¡¯t handle the copsing of all those beautiful things. That¡¯s why, when I said that I was a witch, he said he couldn¡¯t help me. It was the first time I¡¯ve seen a person that dead inside who still loved the world. I was just looking for people to help me. I was going to find and use those who were hidden and gnawed into darkness. So all the others I met were living with their hearts burning with hatred. But the man in front of me was different. He loved the world that made him this way. He missed it. I couldn¡¯t bear to use him. So I said. I want to change the world, too. I want a new sun to defeat the darkness and bring light to the world. Light permeated into his eyes for the first time. That was the power of the warrior. His presence gave hope to such a dead man. That¡¯s what the warrior was. Hope. He remained silent for a long time as if lost in thought. Then, he opened his mouth. Blood had formed on his cracked lips, but he did not seem to care at all. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Nyx.¡± ¡°May I take your word for it?¡± ¡°It depends on whether you believe it or not. Only¡­¡± Ruadhan looked into me hesitatingly. I continued to speak without avoiding his gaze. ¡°I need you. For the world. For the warrior who will change the world.¡± He was not an easily manipted pawn that doesn¡¯t know the witch¡¯s true intentions. But, I needed someone to help the witch and move the pawns. I thought I would make it happen somehow, but facing Ruadhan, I knew that I absolutely needed him. In this world of despair, it was a great help in itself that there was someone else who had missed the glory of the past and waited for a beautiful future again. The fact that my dream was not in vain has given me hope that everyone is longing for it deep down in their hearts. It was the same for Ruadhan, too. With a slightly revived look, he said. ¡°Will the beautiful dayse again? Can you really make that happen?¡± I answered. ¡°The new sun is waiting for the right time. The day to light up the world. He will eventually drive out the Darkness.¡± I was sure. Evan, the shining warrior, was born for the world. It was a hope God hadid out to save the world. I had to protect, grow, and eventually to reveal it to the world. They needed a witch who would make the world suffer more and worse. ¡°If only a little bit of my strength would help you, then I¡¯d be happy to.¡± Ruadhan took my hand. And ever since, I¡¯ve taken on all the work I have to do. While I watched the world and made ns, I taught those who, like Evan, had been ostracized and distressed, such as witches. In a world covered with darkness, it was not too difficult to teach them, because darkness could help them use their power. Of course, since he could use the power of darkness, Ruadhan was also one of them. He absorbed my teachings and easily controlled his strength. At the time when Evan was growing, and those who were assigned were preparing for their respective positions, everyone had finally been assigned a role. Ruadhan lightly raised his spectacles and held up the papers piled up on the table. He read them down in a cool, emotionless tone of voice. ¡°Lue, who entered the court as the daughter-inw of Marquess Garrence, found the map, scope of security activities, and the time when shifts change. She is still unreliable and has little area of activity, so she can¡¯t give you direct help.¡± ¡°How about Margarita?¡± ¡°He still serves as a knight of the Marquess of Tyran, and Trudeau hase to deliver food supplies to the Imperial Pce. Kato¡¯s pub is well-known, and as you said, the main customers are mercenaries. And the rest of them decided to help me. And¡­¡± ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°The Count of Genadio has found the new concubine¡¯s residence.¡± I lifted my head and looked at Ruadhan. He put down the paper that he was reading and faced me. All the preparations areplete. As if to inform me, I could see the future I wanted. I told my future that the day I had been waiting for wasing. Now, all I had to do was move. I opened my mouth to Ruadhan, who was attentive to my every reaction. ¡°¡­ Begin.¡± The witch reached out her ck hand to the world. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 46 CHAPTER 46 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson ¡°I¡¯m telling you, I haven¡¯t even heard of such a situation before. No, does it even make sense for them to disappear in just one night?¡± ¡°I know! The building and the food are all the same, but only the people are gone. What a surprise!¡± All the people in Garrence¡¯s Marquisate disappeared overnight. The clothes they wore, the food they ate, and even the pots they were cooking in were untouched, but there were no people. The imperial pce was turned upside down. Not only that, but the whole world also began to rattle. People were stuck at home in a terrible atmosphere that smelled of blood. It was under investigation at the pce to find out the whole story, but there was still no answer. So everyone only made one guess or another. At times like this, mercenaries who could smell money chatted over drinks at bars. I overheard people¡¯s conversations at the tavern. I needed to know what they thought. ¡°You know, the Marquess Tyran covets the Garrence estate. Did he perhaps send someone?¡± ¡°What kind of person would do all that in such a brief span of time? Can you do it?¡± ¡°No, of course not, but¡­¡± ¡°If there were a war, then I¡¯d understand, but this is not the answer. Did they find any trace of poison?¡± ¡°Then there must have been corpses at least. No matter how much poison they used, even if they¡¯re all killed, is it even possible to clean up all those bodies overnight?¡± ¡°This really doesn¡¯t make sense!¡± Some raised their voices in excitement. In contrast, others were afraid of whether the dead bodies would suddenly appear again, or whether it was the act of monsters. Everyone flinched at the word ¡°monsters.¡± They have been dealing with a number of monsters so far, but they have not seen one that has the ability to make all the people in arge mansion disappear in such a short amount of time, not even leaving a trace. ¡°Maybe a new monster has emerged?¡± The words whitened the faces of the people in the pub. Some tried hard tough and said it couldn¡¯t be, but their voices were not very sure. That¡¯s because everyone thinks that it might be the truth. Then, a man came up. Whileying his ss on the table, he whispered. ¡°Perhaps not a monster.¡± The mercenaries who heard him asked with a suspicious look. ¡°How can you be so sure?¡± Then the man who brought the drink pulled a chair from around him and said, ¡°I overheard what my guests were saying. They said that there¡¯s no way for monsters to be at the Marquisate of Garrence. And that they found something that shouldn¡¯t have been there.¡± ¡°What, what is it?¡± He bent down to narrow his distance from the mercenaries. Then he looked around and whispered. ¡°It¡¯s a sword. A sword with blood on it.¡± ¡°Swo- sword?¡± ¡°Are you saying that it was really done by a human?¡± ¡°And it was not just an ordinary sword. There were two snakes tangled on the handle of the sword.¡± ¡°Two snakes¡­!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the emblem of the Marquess of Tyran?!¡± As the mercenaries roared loudly, the man looked around hurriedly and shushed them by bringing his index finger to his mouth. The mercenaries also fell silent at his warning, but they still could not erase their expressions of surprise. ¡°Did the Marquis of Tyran really send someone?¡± ¡°Also, if you say they had a patterned sword¡­ Then they couldn¡¯t have been mercenaries like us.¡± ¡°Ey, that¡¯s ridiculous. No matter how talented they are, they can¡¯t get rid of everyone in that big mansion, can they?¡± ¡°That is correct. In addition, the Marquisate of Garrence had hired a lot of mercenaries to keep the Tyran Marquisate in check.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. There was also a rumor that there were far more guards in the mansion than we knew. And you¡¯re saying that this was really the work of ordinary people? What have they done with all the bodies if it were true? Besides, there¡¯s a rumor going around that not a drop of blood has been found!¡± ¡°And it¡¯s strange that the sword was found. They hid the body, but left the sword with their emblem? Did they purposely want to show that they¡¯re from the Tyran Marquisate or what?¡± The mercenaries seemed to dismiss it more and more, but the man¡¯s expression remained serious. He hesitated a little and said with a deep sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I can say this¡­¡± ¡°What else is there?¡± ¡°Hurry and tell us.¡± The frustrated mercenaries continued to pester him as he dragged on without speaking. Then, he continued, as if he had no other choice. ¡°I heard rumors that the Marquess of Tyran has joined hands with the Death God.¡± The mercenaries gave a nk look at his words. But soon, they giggled. They had considered his words to be fake news. The man muttered with a look of despair as if he didn¡¯t care about their reactions. ¡°I¡¯m very afraid. Afraid of the unexined circumstances, and of the rumors speaking about the Death God that had suddenly appeared out of the blue. Besides, I feel uneasy for some reason. I think this is only the beginning.¡± His heartfeltmentation stopped the mercenaries fromughing and looked at each other. They tried to put on a sullen smile, but panic spread to their eyes. The people in the mansion that disappeared overnight, the sword which was found there, and the rumors saying that the Death God was involved in something that could not have been done without the help of monsters; all of these things were extraordinary and fear-inducing. The man, who was the one who nted seeds of anxiety and fear in the mercenary¡¯s hearts, stood up from his seat, shaking his head with a sigh. Then he returned to his seat. His name was Kato, a believer in Umbra, the ruler of Shadows, and one of the members of the group who joined hands with the witch to shake the world. He smiled secretly, looking at where I was hiding. * At a time when the outside world was agitated by wild rumors, the atmosphere in the Imperial Pce was no different. I teleported into the Central Pce¡¯s Conference Hall and observed the nobles. Everyone was gathering for a meeting, but they had no answer to the mystery of the swordid in the middle of the table. The sword¡¯s hilt, which looked even more ominous due to the blood still clinging to it, was engraved with two snakes tangled together, symbolizing the Marquisate of Tyran. Out of nowhere, the Marquess of Tyran, who had been given suspicious looks, was running wild and screaming his innocence. ¡°This must be nder! Otherwise, why would my sword be found there?¡± Everyone avoided his gaze. Then the Marquess of Tyran went wild and shouted, again and again, screaming that he was not the criminal. In fact, it didn¡¯t seem necessary. I thought that since the Marquess of Tyran isn¡¯t being captured thrown in the dungeons and is instead sitting safe and sound in this meeting, then that proves that they believe in what he says. No, no one would believe in the sword in front of their eyes. Not only is it impossible to exterminate all the people inside the mansion overnight¡ªwithout even leaving a drop of blood. But even if there was a way to make it possible, then the man who did such a feat wouldn¡¯t have made the mistake of leaving the sword behind. That¡¯s why, instead of locking the Marquess of Tyran up in prison, everyone chose to hold an emergency meeting instead. Who had hated the Marquess of Garrence so much and left the sword of the Marquis Tyran? How is that possible? And why? ¡°I doubt that Marquess Garrence really died.¡± ¡°Did he perhaps go and went into hiding to throw us into a state of chaos?¡± ¡°It¡¯s also true that it¡¯s unbelievable. How do you hide all those people overnight? There is no way to do it while avoiding the eyes of others. Besides, what the hell is this sword¡­¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand that, either. That sword has definitely been hanging on the wall. It¡¯s a sword that was personally bestowed by the Son of Heaven to me in the past. I think someone was determined to steal it to frame me as the criminal. I¡¯ve had my men check it out, and the sword is gone without a trace. I¡¯m investigating everyone in the mansion, so I¡¯m sure something wille up soon.¡± No, nothing was going toe up. The person who stole the sword would have vanished. Margarita, a knight in the Tyran Marquisate and a person of the witch¡¯s, was ordered to show themselves or hide depending on the situation. If necessary, they would make a statement about all this with his position as a Knight of the Tyran Marquisate. Otherwise, they would hide and only show up when their power was needed. ¡°It¡¯s amazing in itself for there to be a man great enough to be able to steal from the mansion.¡± ¡°If they were that capable don¡¯t you think they could also raid Garrence¡¯s mansion?¡± ¡°So you really think Marquess Garrence was killed? Is that so?¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t have a body, do you? I think he ran away rather than that. Of course, there¡¯s no way to know why.¡± The conversation swirled in ce. It was because the most important ¡°why?¡± was unknown. The most likely culprit to find the reason was by far the Marquess of Tyran. His rtionship with Marquess Garrence was not very cordial, and he had always coveted his estate. He knew that they tried to pressure him and swallow him somehow whenever they had time, so they doubted him. But, on the other hand, they were not any more suspicious of him, since they could not believe him to be thispetent. The problem was that there were people who were trying to check and swallow the Marquis of Tyran, just as the Marquess of Tyran had tried to keep the Marquess of Garrence in check and swallow him. They don¡¯t want to miss this great opportunity. As I expected, they secretly led the conversation to frame Marquess Tyran as the culprit. ¡°From what I hear, a new monster has appeared, and rumors have been circting about the Death God¡¯s emergence.¡± ¡°I agree with the idea that being able to do this is bound to be beyond the human category. Whether they ran away or were killed overnight, this cannot be done by humans.¡± ¡°In the past, there¡¯s been this story. A man who sells his soul to the devil possesses the power of the devil. Maybe that¡¯s what the rumors meant by Death God¡­¡± When he looked at the Marquess of Tyran at the end of his speech, thetter shouted with an angry face. ¡°What are you saying to me now? You don¡¯t believe in fairy tales that only kids can read, do you? Were you always such a short-thinking man?¡± ¡°Oho, you¡¯re going too far!¡± ¡°Why are you so restless? Does your conscience prickle?¡± The Marquess of Tyran¡¯s lips trembled. With anger and anxiety, he was at a loss for what to do. The atmosphere was unusual. They would simply not believe that he was innocent if they didn¡¯t want him to be. They are all willing to kill their own children to fill their stomachs. They knew each other well. And I knew what the Marquess of Tyran was most afraid of. It was the Son of Heaven who was not present in this gathering. He valued his life the most and killed everyone who threatened him. And the Marquess of Tyran, rumored to have sold his soul to the devil, must be a great source of anxiousness for him. The Marquess of Tyran hurriedly turned the arrow. ¡°The Count of Dyne who says so has more reason to be doubted! What is the reason you went to the Marquisate of Garrence so early in the morning for? Why did you kick a door that no one would open to make sure that it was empty?!¡± ¡°That, that¡¯s¡­¡± Then Count Lothuria, who had oftenined from Count Dyne, interfered and helped out. ¡°Oh,e to think of it, Count Dyne had enough reason to do so. It¡¯s an open fact that you have a rtionship with the Marchioness of Garrence. For you to go this far and do something like this, did something go wrong with the Marchioness?¡± ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡± ¡°Hmmm, I suspect Count Lothuria, who did this out of spite for losing farnd to Marquess Garrence before. If it weren¡¯t for that¡­¡± ¡°All, all of a sudden, why would you drag me in?¡± Eventually, the Conference Hall became a mess. It was because of the aristocrats who didn¡¯t miss the opportunity and kept on biting each other out. They dug up reasons by mentioning the past, and those who were offended mentioned things that had nothing to do with the incident to attack the others. I watched the conversation, which was going in circles for a while, and stepped out of there. In the end, they all pointed fingers at each other in their belief that even if they were to go down, they would not do so without a fight. Or without dragging the others down with them. The witch only wants one thing; Fear to be nted in their minds. Fear of beings unknown. Fear of beings that they have long forgotten. I wanted them to fear that everything they¡¯ve been taking for granted might fall apart. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 47 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson The Knights that were with Evan were buzzing at the news. And since they belonged to the country, they were the most sensitive to the noble¡¯s movements. For now, though, they were just a group of knights who mainly focused on the destruction of outside monsters, staying out of the center of the action. But as long as they belonged to the country, they had no choice but to heed the emperor¡¯s call. That is why they wanted to avoid war. Either way, they would have to aim swords at their fellow knights, and even kill those hired swords who were fighting for money. The trainees, who were exposed to the atmosphere, were busy talking about it whenever they got together. ¡°Will there really be a war?¡± ¡°Who knows, but I hear they¡¯re also hiring a lot of mercenaries in Genadio County. Maybe they¡¯re trying to fight Count Phyletto.¡± ¡°Is it true that Count Genadio had taken away the woman of Count Phyletto?¡± ¡°Then isn¡¯t Count Phyletto supposed to prepare for war?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± ¡°The Marquess of Tyran is a bigger deal than that. If he¡¯s involved in the war, then it¡¯ll be bigger.¡± ¡°No, Count Phyletto and Count Genadio are more urgent. The other ones wouldn¡¯t be in such a hurry, since the most likely suspect, Marquess Tyran, is iming innocence.¡± ¡°But I heard that Marquess Garrence found the sword of Marquess Tyran. And with blood on it at that.¡± ¡°But think about it. There was no blood in the mansion. Who can pull that off? It would be impossible even if it were Evan. Isn¡¯t that right, Evan?¡± Evan sat absent-mindedly and came to his senses at the sound of calling him. There was a clear light in his dimly locked eyes. He blinked his white eyshes a couple of times, and soon said, bending thinly. ¡°Why¡¯s my name mentioned there?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re the strongest out of all of us.¡± Evan twisted his lips andughed as if dumbfounded. During the time when Evan, the boy, turned into a young man, his tender lines became manly and thick, and his nice eyes became sharp. Nevertheless, the smile, which he shed with a little frown, looked just like the young Evan¡¯s. My heart ached a little at the thought of Evan at the time. Evan, who was looking at me and calling me a witch, grew up like this. He was so close, and yet, so far away. I think I could touch him if I had reached out, but I should never do. The world of the warrior was here, and my world was inside a tower that had been stalled ever since the day that Evan left. The day we met again, the day we faced each other again, it had to be that day, the day when his sword would be aimed for my heart. So, now I had to settle just watching him from a bit far away. I had to be thankful for being able to see him like this. I¡¯ll have to watch more and more until I close my eyes, then I¡¯ll have fewer regrets on thatst day. I nced at Evan with a smile. ¡°Even if it were you, not me. No matter how much poison or skill, there¡¯s no way to clean up all those bodies without a trace. It¡¯s impossible.¡± ¡°Yes, it is very much so impossible.¡± When a very low and powerful voice came out of the gap between the young voices, everyone turned their eyes in its direction. There came Yohan, the leader of the Knights. He strode along and continued his speech. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make any sense for the corpses to be put in a wagon, and even if they did, they would be caught while on the move. It would be a waste of time if they were to erase the traces of so many wagon wheels and footprints.¡± ¡°Then, do you have any idea as to what had happened?¡± Yohan replied with a cold face. ¡°No.¡± Taking his eyes off of those who lowered their heads in disappointment, he called Evan. ¡°Come see me for a moment.¡± As he said so, he took the lead by moving his steps first. ¡°¡­yes!¡± Evan answered btedly. Following his footsteps, he entered Yohan¡¯s ordinary-looking room. However, when he looked closely, he could see that the ce was not at all ordinary; it was full of traces, including soot, which was hard to understand. Neriano, Evan¡¯s sorcery teacher, was there, too. ¡°Have you arrived?¡± Evan greeted Neriano by bowing his head slightly to him. He rummaged through his poach and pulled something out. At first nce, it seemed to be a in shoe. ¡°What is this about?¡± ¡°Please see if there¡¯s anything wrong with it.¡± Evan epted the shoes with a curious look. He soon shook his head and asked, as if he could not feel anything special after carefully examining it. ¡°It¡¯s just a regr shoe, but why do you ask?¡± In his reply, Neriano and Yohan expressed regret. Neriano, by sighing almost inaudibly, and Yohan, by linking his arms together. As Evan¡¯s curiosity grew bigger, Neriano¡¯s answer continued. ¡°You¡¯ve also heard the rumors, so you must know. About what happened to Marquess Garrence.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. I¡¯ve already heard.¡± ¡°A lot of people disappeared out of nowhere. No matter how hard I think about it, that¡¯s something no ordinary man can do. Whether Marquess Garrence is alive or not.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I thought, too. Is there a secret passage in the mansion?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Yohan spoke on. ¡°I¡¯ve already taken architects, thieves, and others to investigate, but they didn¡¯t find anything. The only thing they found was the basement that had a hidden entrance. And they found this shoe there.¡± Evan looked again at the shoe he was holding. The shoe reminded me of something. I almost passed by without knowing that there was a basement, but I felt a presence there. Even if the door was locked tight, the Shadow and smoke could prate even through tiny crevices. And I found Marquess Garrence shivering in there. He abandoned everyone and hid in the basement so he alone can live. Simr to a mouse, he hid quickly and sensibly, so much so that no one knew when and how he had run away. Their ability to preserve their own lives was nothing short of admirable. He must have identally dropped a shoe while I was killing and moving him. But even if my hands touched that shoe, there was no way they could feel my strength or find anything from it. ¡°I thought you might feel something from it, Evan. That was why I picked up the shoe.¡± Evan looked at them with his eyes slightly surprised. But he quickly spoke with a serene expression that was no different from his usual self. ¡°Is it magic, after all?¡± ¡°What else could it be? No trick can do this, if not magic.¡± Neriano, who had memories and experiences of using magic, was linking this impossible thing to magic. But the only people who could currently use magic were Evan and those who hid in the dark. Evan looked over at the shoe again. He shook his head, saying as if he could not feel anything. Disappointment spread over Neriano¡¯s face. Yohan nodded his head, as if to convey that he had expected it to an extent, and said. ¡°You don¡¯t feel anything, either. Well¡­ and I don¡¯t even think there¡¯s a sorcerer alive who could use such great force. It couldn¡¯t have been easy, even if you have someone to teach you, but how would anyone learn this by themselves? I¡¯ll look into it with the possibility of another secret passage or escape in mind.¡± ¡°By any chance¡­¡± Yohan¡¯s and Evan¡¯s gazes fell on Neriano as he stretched his words. ¡°¡­ Is it not the witch?¡± Their faces shook slightly. But soon, Yohan spoke with a sneer. ¡°No way. It¡¯s just an illusion created by the Emperor.¡± But Neriano couldn¡¯t get rid of his uneasiness. ¡°There were rumors going around that the Death God or the evil were responsible. They said the witch doesn¡¯t die, so she might still be alive. No, there must be a witch somewhere. She was a great sorcerer. Whether she was a witch or not, she was using great magic.¡± Neriano said that he was a sorcerer who had lived for a long time, but he showed a very different reaction from those who called these rumors nothing but a fairy tale. No matter how much I experienced when I was young, there was a difference between what I experienced and what I heard. Yohan¡¯s face also became quite serious. It was then that Evan, who was still looking into the shoe, opened his mouth. ¡°Not a witch.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± Evan said to Yohan, who asked back with a curious look. ¡°¡­not a witch.¡± ¡°How can you be sure of that?¡± Indeed, how are you sure of that? With Yohan¡¯s question, I nced at Evan with my heart in my throat, but he just spoke again with a firm look. ¡°No, it¡¯s not. It¡¯s just not.¡± I felt a part of my heart falling apart. He still hadn¡¯t forgotten the fairytale from his childhood. He still believed in the witch. Stupidly. It¡¯s very easy to turn faith into doubt, but he ended up saying that it was not the witch. Not the witch. The witch doesn¡¯t do this. Even now that time had passed, I was very grateful to him for believing in me. But on the other hand, I was also ashamed of having to betray his faith. It was inevitable. Furthermore, I was relieved. To think that on the day he learned all these truths, he would hate the witch as much as he was disappointed with her. That witch whom Evan trusted and followed, she stayed only in his old memories. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 48 CHAPTER 48 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson As many people were aware, war clouds were hanging between Count Genadio and Count Phyletto. However, the situation regarding Marquess Garrence was so big and unbelievable that they were slightly dyed. While the people were making numerous guesses, Count Genadio¡¯s mansion was attracting as many mercenaries as possible. And Count Phyletto, who was in no position to hire mercenaries as much as Count Genadio, was troubled in his office. His face was twisted with all sorts of anger. ¡°How dare you doubt me? An insignificant thing such as you¡­!¡± Unable to ovee his anger, he turned his desk upside down, screaming. In an instant, the room was in a mess. The maids and other workers were startled by the loud noise. They quickly left the room, sprinting away in fear. His face, smeared with madness, resembled a demon likely to appear in old stories. While crashing down what was left of his office, something had suddenly caught Count Phyletto¡¯s eyes. He stopped, dead in his tracks. I felt his gaze linger on me and was surprised for a moment, but soon I looked away, realizing that it was the object in front of me he was starting at. He trudged along and grabbed something from the messy floor. It was a woman¡¯s jewelry. He held it with a careful and delicate touch. He looked at it with sorrowful eyes. The owner of the jewelry was no longer in this world. She was brutally murdered. And it was Count Phyletto who was known as the culprit. Count Genadio was sure of it. Everyone else suspected Count Phyletto as well. Some nobles even admitted that Count Genadio had a just cause for war. Because it was so widely known, the reason Genadio and Phyletto were at odds with each other was because of a woman. The woman who ended up as Genadio¡¯s concubine. Knowing the inside story of Count Phyletto well, I could imagine how unjust and resentful his mind would be feeling. In the first ce, she was the woman Phyletto wanted first. Count Genadio had stolen and hidden the woman that he so loved and cherished. To be exact, the woman chose Count Genadio herself, but that was not what mattered. It didn¡¯t matter much to me either. If she had chosen Count Phyletto, I would have visited Genadio. In any case, Count Phyletto wanted her back. Heined of injustice, saying that she belonged to him. But Count Phyletto could not surpass Count Genadio, not in power nor in money. Genadio¡¯s connections were also unbeatable. He opened his eyes andined about this situation in which he was left with no choice but to lose his beloved woman. Not only was he deprived of the woman whom he loved and cherished, but she was also eventually murdered in cold blood, and he was falsely used of killing her. His face, looking pitifully at the ornament, was again distorted with anger. His face was dyed with raw madness. ¡°How dare that thief use anyone of murder?! I will kill him, I¡¯m going to kill them all!¡± The ornament he held in his hand broke under his strong grip. Because of that, his palm was wet with blood and was dirtying the floor. But, he didn¡¯t care. His eyes were bloodshot. His tears were about to flow, but they quickly retreated. The fire in his heart had dried his tears up. However, there was no way to put out his fire. How? How can he possibly kill him? ¡°If I had more power¡­ If only I had more strength¡­! I¡¯d turn everything upside down.¡± I sat down and stared at Count Phyletto, who was unable to control his anger. And then, I approached him, whispering in his ear. ¡°Should I help you?¡± He looked around in surprise. Embarrassment and astonishment spread over his eyes. But there was nothing he could see. He looked around with his ears sped, soon cursing himself for being a madman. I whispered again. ¡°I know everything that Genadio did. I¡¯ll kill him if you want.¡± ¡°Who, who are you?¡± Phyletto jumped up and shouted. His face was ck with fear. Pulling out his sword, he looked around and backed away, little by little. When the wall touched his back, he straightened his hand that was holding the sword with a bit of a relieved look. His trembling hands quickly returned to normal. I raised myself up. A panicked groan escaped from his mouth as he caught sight of arge figure, simr to a human being; however, it was nothing but a Shadow. ¡°Be not afraid, for I havee to help you. And I will lend you my strength.¡± ¡°Do-don¡¯te near!¡± He hurriedly tried to wield the sword, but before he knew it, his hands and feet were all bound with Shadows. I approached his shaking frame and whispered to him. ¡°Isn¡¯t Genadio hateful? He stole the woman you love, killed her, and then had you used of it. I know the reason behind his actions. It¡¯s because he covets what you have. It was to take everything you have. That¡¯s how humans are, are they not?¡± Count Phyletto¡¯s face, trembling with fear, cooled down at the first mention of Count Genadio. Hatred beat fear. I hurried on since I didn¡¯t want to miss the chance. ¡°It¡¯s not difficult. The County of Genadio will all disappear without a trace. Not only Genadio, but his knights, his mercenaries, his maids, cooks, and gardeners will all disappear. I¡¯ll make that happen.¡± Count Phyletto opened his eyes wide as if something had lit inside his mind. And for the first time, he asked with a serious face. ¡°Was it you who made Marquess Garrence that way? Who the hell are you?¡± ¡°Who I am matters not. What does matter is whether or not you will make Genadio pay, isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­Are you the devil? Or are you the Death God?¡± ¡°You may think so if you wish.¡± Phyletto was lost in thought. I got rid of the Shadow that was gripping his limbs. He looked at me, arge mass of darkness, and said with a suspicious look. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°Nothing- I¡¯m just having fun.¡± Staring nkly upon my answer, he soon burst intoughter. Starting with a shivering smile, he soonughed loudly with his head down. And with a glimmer of madness, he said. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re the devil. Am I supposed to make a deal with the devil?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a deal. I don¡¯t want anything from you.¡± ¡°Then, can I say what I want separately without a price?¡± ¡°You just name it.¡± Twisting his lips, Phyletto smiled. He raised only the corners of his lips, leaving his eyes untouched. It was such a distorted and wicked smile that it had created a cruel and terrible feeling. And it was all the more so because of his sunken eyes and the unpleasant emotions that filled them. He spoke in a voice that even felt greedy. ¡°Save Count Genadio. And drag him in front of me. Then I¡¯ll give you my soul in a heartbeat.¡± I smiled at him. If I had a face, my smile would not have been much different from Phyletto¡¯s. I answered Phyletto, who was much more stupid than I expected. ¡°Of course.¡± Then I headed straight to Count Genadio. What would happen there would be a little different from the Marquisate of Garrence. Tomorrow this ce will be empty, and people will be terrified. Whether it was a monster, a Death God, or a devil, humans began to believe in something they could not deal with, and they were going to be eroded by a greater fear. However, the heavenly beings who value their lives the most will keep hiding. They will not show themselves, as they have done so far. And the victims of everything will continue to suffer. After all, they are the most terrifying. The people will want a new ruler who will fight against the fear and save everyone, rather than a son of heaven, the ruler who will never protect nor guide them. I will create a big stir among those who arecent and those not even considering making a change or moving forward. This cruel step would be the trigger; the witch had thought so. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 49 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson The imperial pce was once again overturned. Marquess Tyran and Marquess Garrence were both relieved at Count Genadio¡¯s disappearance, but they were still afraid of the unknown. Though they were revealed to be clear of the nobles¡¯ doubt, ridiculous as it may be, they were still afraid of the possibility of something like this happening again to themselves. That idea might havee to all the nobles¡¯ heads, but it was only a murmur in the hall, and no one could easily bring it up. However, there was one person among them who was twisting to hold backughter. It was Count Phyletto. Giggling with mad eyes, he remembered Count Genadio, who was trapped in the basement and wailed in pain. Everyone looked at him with a curious look, but as he was already half-crazed, he didn¡¯t even notice. No, he wasn¡¯t interested. ¡°Why are you smiling so much? Is this situation funny to you?¡± Although the unbearable Marquess of Tyran said something, Count Phyletto had only answered with a tone that was mixed with ridicule. ¡°What else isn¡¯t funny? Have you ever expected this to happen? It¡¯s amazing. It¡¯s fun. Stop frowning like that and smile. You¡¯ll get wrinkles.¡± ¡°¡­What?e again?¡± The Marquess of Tyran froze, for he had lost his words. He was then helped by other aristocrats. ¡°Funny? Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°And what form of insolence is this? Won¡¯t you apologize to Marquess Tyran right away?¡± Count Phyletto was still leaning back in his chair, giggling. ncing through the nobility gathered together with a very saucy look, he said. ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Count Phyletto!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not interested in these boorish meetings, so don¡¯t bother me anymore. You won¡¯t even get the answer if you get together and squirm, will you? If you have time for that, go home and take good care of your health. You never know when it¡¯s going to be your turn.¡± ¡°This, this¡­!¡± ¡°You arrogant bastard¡­¡± Count Phyletto stormed out of his seat. In the background were the voices of other nobles who were unable to contain their anger. Some clicked their tongues as if they thought that he had gone mad because he couldn¡¯t handle the situation. Heughed at their exmations as he would upon hearing an entertaining joke. ¡°How can it be so easy? I don¡¯t understand why I¡¯ve been trying to avoid putting those little shits back in their ces.¡± All the way down to get in his carriage, he was lost in thought, giggled, and then was lost in thought again. He then repeated the same cycle of facial expressions. However, he did not forget to look around him. Greed grew in his eyes and had smeared his face with conceit. He raised his head as if everything he saw was now his own. ¡°Are you with me now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When I answered, his face was all the more grotesquely distorted. Then, heughed out loud, and soon, he continued on with a fierce smile. ¡°You said yesterday that it¡¯s fun for you to help me. Would you be willing to try something more interesting?¡± His tone of speech had changed. He seemed to have felt that he should not treat me recklessly. I gave him an answer without much deliberation. ¡°I¡¯ll judge whether it¡¯s interesting or not.¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be a lot of fun.¡± As he nced over the pce, his gaze glistened as if he were a snake. It was disgusting to see how humans change if given strength. Does dealing with a devil give one the power of the devil? No. Humans already resembled devils in the first ce. But it was good for me that Count Phyletto had changed like this, so I looked at his greed without a wording out of my mouth. The crazier he was, the better it was for me. No matter how much more blood it brings, and no matter how cruel it makes him. * ¡°Are you all right?¡± I came to my senses by the voice of Ruadhan. His gray-brown eyes were warmer with anxiety. I remembered; he was looking over the current situation and was reporting it to me. I nodded at him and opened my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Could you tell me from the beginning?¡± ¡°You look tired. If you¡¯re having a hard time, you can rest. I can handle it by myself.¡± ¡°Absolutely not.¡± ¡°¡­I should havee forward. I expected it to some extent, but I didn¡¯t expect you to suffer this much¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my job. It¡¯s my sin. Ruadhan, you have already shared enough of my burden. It¡¯s just sinful, so please don¡¯t stretch your hands any further.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Please.¡± He looked at me and breathed a small sigh. Unlike his cold face, his sigh was so warm that I almost wanted to lean on him. I almost confessed how exhausted my tired body and mind were. The eyes of the terrified, the blood that dyed the floor, and the sacrifice of those who did nothing wrong; they all weighed down on me. Even if I could barely fall asleep, I was still bound in my dreams. And even when I woke up, I couldn¡¯t get out of it. I had already anticipated it, but all this was a great burden to me and had weighed me down. I thought that maybe I wouldn¡¯t be able to meet my beloved family. If heaven were fair, I would die a terrible death and go deep underground, like my beloved family, who struggled to save the world. Maybe that¡¯s the reason for the warrior¡¯s stay with me. It¡¯s both a great pleasure and great sorrow to face his sword. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Ruadhan asked again, perhaps having noticed that I wasn¡¯t feeling very well. I nodded. Then, I nodded and nodded again, as if it would really be all right doing that. I was fine. No, I should be fine. It shouldn¡¯t be this tiring and exhausting. It¡¯s just the beginning. Yeah, it¡¯s just the beginning. ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± When I asked Ruadhan, he hesitated for a moment. Then he continued his words in a resigned voice. ¡°We have spread the rumor as you ordered. The rumors had been spreading faster since there had been not one or two people who witnessed Count Genadio at the Count¡¯s mansion. As rumors circted that Count Phyletto had a deal with either the Death God or the devil, the other aristocrats began to keep him in check. And since the mercenaries were frightened, no one had signed a contract with Count Phyletto. He doesn¡¯t seem to care, though.¡± He had no choice not to care. Because he trusted me. Because he thought I was good enough. And that was a clear fact. Even if there had been an abundance of mercenaries, they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle people who use powers that had disappeared a long time ago. It made them even more terrified. ¡°We made it so that Margarita, who was active as a knight under Marquess Tyran, attacked another noble with a sword. After only making a ruckus, he quickly escaped. But thanks to that, Marquess Tyran will continue to be framed as the one who made a contract with the devil. There is already a living witness to this who was enticed by Count Phyletto, so no one will believe in him even if he ims innocence. Rumor has it that it was the Marquess of Tyran who had made Marquess Garrence like that.¡± ¡°What about the Son of Heaven?¡± ¡°There is no response yet. However, we have spread rumors by supplying food ingredients to the pce. It will only be a matter of time before the rumors stir the entire pce. Lue, who was ady-in-waiting at the Marquisate of Garrence, also seeped into the pce in the midst of chaos. The Heavenly Pce will be difficult, but no other ce will be able to escape her influence.¡± ¡°There¡¯s going to be a war soon.¡± ¡°Yes, regardless of his opponent, Count Phyletto is blinded by ambition and appears to be nning to wage war mercilessly. And I think other families who were after Tyran are nning to take advantage of the opportunity. The number of mercenaries going in and out of Kato¡¯s tavern had also dropped dramatically.¡± I nodded. The bnce had been tipped off, and their close-knitted rtionship had now copsed. They were going to fight, to swallow each other, and to protect themselves. I had to help Count Phyletto bnce the power of the aristocracy by pretending to fight and make him and other aristocrats lose more strength. Now, I had to slowly confuse the world and make it even more miserable. To make more people howl in pain. And since there are not enough mercenaries to go into the war, ordinary people will get dragged in. And then, there won¡¯t even be enough of those. ¡°Let the monster move.¡± For a moment, Ruadhan looked at me in silence. His eyes were blended with worry, pity, and anxiety, creating a warm yet poignant color. It was as if he was asking me, ¡°Do you really have to do this?¡± There is no way to know if he is worried about the world, or if he is worried that I might have to suffer in the end by manipting things like this. But he finally turned his eyes away from me and said what I wanted to hear. ¡°¡­Yes, I understand.¡± I had to make things grow bigger and bigger. To make the world aware of the witch. And to make the warrior, Evan, suspect the witch. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 50 CHAPTER 50 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Eventually, the war broke out. And instead of running away or sumbing to his doom, the Marquess of Tyran chose to fight. His chances of winning were pitiful, but he seemed to have been holding on to hisst remaining pride. It didn¡¯t matter anyway. He will be defeated, and the rest of the aristocracy will once again fight amongst themselves to devour what¡¯s left of the Tyran Marquisate. I just wanted them to be as desperate as they could possibly be. Count Phyletto had me on his back. I fought his fights, and I did everything he wanted. However, instead of emptying mansions, I led to war. I wanted the nobles to self-destruct. They wanted to pour money, food, and troops into each other¡¯s hands. So now that there¡¯s a war going on around the Marquess of Tyran, I told Count Phyletto to absorb small forces first while the big fish are looking away from him. It wasn¡¯t even a chore to coax him, as he was already blind. And since he seemed to think that growing his forces was a priority, he had fallen in love with the fun of swallowing people around him. I gave him strength when I felt his defenses to be weak. I reduced his numbers when I felt his troops to be excessive. He drove the momentum he had into a winning streak. He got more and more and more. And as the number of aristocrats decreased, he became even more fierce. When Count Phyletto started a war, he did so without rest nor hesitation. As a result, the rest of thend had be anxious. They struggled to build up its power. And theck of both funds and troops needed to wage war had driven them to make alliances with each other. Simrly, while Count Phyletto built his strength, other aristocrats absorbed their surroundings and developed their own forces. The whole territory had turned into a battlefield. There was no use crying for a cease-fire. If one didn¡¯t want war, one had no choice but to willingly surrender or to wage war on weaker forces and build up strength so that no one would dare attack them. Forming alliances was a rather peaceful way to go about getting stronger. Usually, they would enlist all the people of the territory to their armies. And if that were not enough, they would seize the surroundingnds and forcefully add the area¡¯s poption to their troops. Naturally, the discontent and fear of the people of the provinces grew. There was a global tragedy. They were enlisted by force. It became difficult to see a young man in the vige. Those who had to fight to protect the people of the territory were busy filling the remaining nobles¡¯ stomachs with their lives. Whether the people died or not, the troops to fight were the priority. The screams went on. The locals, who hade to intervene in the territorial fights, cried out at the terrible reality. Only then did they resent the ruling ss, not the darkness. Darkness did nothing to harm them, for it was the rulers who did. This was the truth that could no longer be ignored. But that wasn¡¯t the end. For the monster invasion had begun, starting from the outside. In the meantime, the continent has be wider and wider due to the constant violence and war, and the monsters that had previously been pushed back suddenly began to invade in groups. The monsters liked the darkness. That¡¯s why the witch¡¯s tower and forest were swarmed with them. So what happens when those who use the power of Darkness deliberatelyy and arrange the dark? The present situation proved my expectations to be correct. The monsters had moved the way I wanted them to. All I had to do was open the way for them. In the end, hell had spread both in and outside of the continent. The people were stuck. Nevertheless, the Son of Heaven remains unmoving. However, fearing that they would be invaded, the security of all the pces, including the Heavenly Pce, was strengthened. Perhaps after the situation had been settled to some extent, thest nobleman, possessing an abundance of powers on his back, might invade the pce. I wanted it to be Count Phillips. I was trying to make that happen. And since the monster subjugation had to be done by both the state and ordinary citizens, the Son of Heaven had no choice but to divide his forces to protect both sides. As usual, the Knights of Evan¡¯s Order began to destroy monsters. From the beginning, Yohan was a man who only worked on the outside to destroy monsters, and he would probably stay outside unless the rebels invaded the pce. That¡¯s why I moved the monsters. I intended to make it even more painful, but I wanted Evan to be involved in something other than the war. Since it wasn¡¯t time, I didn¡¯t want to run into him just yet, and instead of murdering innocent people, he¡¯ll be busy killing monsters. It wouldn¡¯t be toote for him toe there on the day the imperial pce gets attacked. I chased after Evan. They were moving to where the monsters appeared. The road was really disastrous. Everyone¡¯s faces were downcast. It would be heartbreaking to look only at women wailing through viges where there are no men to be seen except for old, dying grandfathers. ¡°If they want to fight each other, why must they involve the innocent?¡± ¡°My words exactly! What on earth did these people do wrong?¡± Those that are driven to war and those who remain in viges will only want to live. And horrible, unforgivable things that ordinary people will never experience will be exposed to them both. So it might be better for them to face a monster than to be driven to war. After all, it is much better to kill a monster than to ughter their own kin. Yohan and the Knights took the lead in fighting the monsters. Ordinary people who have never fought properly before were ced as far back as possible. It was to avoid having his Knights getting hurt trying to save them by blocking the way or making it hard to kill the monsters. And Evan fought back as much as any other trainee. Evan, with hair brighter than anyone else¡¯s, and eyes more radiant than anyone else¡¯s, he was so beautiful as he fought to the best of his ability. Every time he swung his sword, his fists that held it tightly, his arm muscles he had properly positioned, and his firm shoulders had unfolded like a painting. His tight jaw and sharp eyes were very manly and exuded strength. His sword cut through the wind and tore the monsters open. More than ever, time seemed to stop. Evan, who grew up quickly and had a brain fitter than the people around him, was seen secretly to them as a manly warrior, acting as their shield and sword. He looked like an angel who appeared to save the people from hell on earth. It was also because he was shining exceptionally in a world filled with darkness, for Evan was blessed with light in the midst of a pitch-ck world. Watching Evan like that, I was very nervous about the sudden change in the situation. Evan, who was fighting well, made a mistake. ¡°Uh¡­¡± He swung his sword between two monsters and lost his bnce. The monster, which did not miss the opportunity, stretched its long wed arm toward his face. Evan hurriedly turned around and tried to back off, but the distance was too narrow. The monster¡¯s ws were about to tear Evan¡¯s face. His eyes opened wide. I rushed and grabbed the arms and legs of the attacking monster. The monster¡¯s ws, which could not be blocked entirely, only scraped Evan¡¯s cheek and passed by him. He turned only his eyes and looked at his own grazed cheek. His drooping white eyshes caught my eye, but he quickly raised his eyes again and rushed at the monster. His slightly frowned eyebrows, sharp eyes, and twisted corners of his mouth, Evan, who ran with a strange look on his face, seemed to be aiming at me, so I left the monster andgged behind. It was a thoughtless act, but I felt unpleasant feelings toward myself. I shouldn¡¯t have dodged it. But it was not the time yet, so Iforted myself by saying, ¡°I have to avoid him until the timees.¡± The blood of the monster seeped into the ground where I was hiding. Evan, who had already easily handled the remaining monsters, swept his hair, which tickled his forehead up, looking around at the monster carcasses lying around him. Sweat-soaked, his hair was clinging to one side, revealing half of his white forehead. But it quickly began to descend slowly. ¡°That could have been a disaster.¡± He had just touched his cheek with a slightly perplexed look, perhaps much surprised by the attack. Then, he groaned, twisting his eyebrows as if it had been hurt a lot. I felt very sorry for that. I was afraid that he might get a scar because the wound was oozing blood. Still, he could have been hurt even more if I were to react a wee littleter, so it was fortunate for it to have stopped at this level. Evan also muttered with a look of relief. ¡°If I were a littleter¡­ No, even if its ws were a little longer? No. It was definitely a distance close enough to reach my face.¡± He thought about it afterward. With a heavy heart and a tilted head, he sat down with a perplexed expression. However, there was no time to be so rxed. The surrounding area was still miserable, and the number of monsters rushing in was endless. He ran back, fixing his sword again. I also followed him into the battlefield. Evan was obviously skilled and had excellent natural sense and agility. So, while there were few people who could face him at the training camp, he was particrly weak in the real world. Yohan seemed to ce him behind him, either because he knew that or because he was afraid he might get hurt. Evan¡¯s role was not to deal with monsters up front, but to finish the monsters they had missed, or to deal with the monsters that rushed at people. But when the number increased, he often made these mistakes. Either giving the monsters an opening or losing his bnce by being rxed, which was so unlike him. When those moments urred, I quickly helped or stopped the attacks. No one could distinguish me from the shadow, so he just thought that he was lucky, that he was too good, or that the monster had a bad aim. The number of monsters had greatly decreased ever since Evan started fighting with them. I signaled to Ruadhan, who was waiting behind the monsters. As his Darkness began to recede, so did the monsters. It was why people thought the monster was running away. ¡°The monsters, the monsters are running away!¡± ¡°Hurrah! We won!¡± ¡°Chase the ones running away till the end!¡± The monsters that had fallen back were stuck. People were intoxicated with victory, cheering, and wielding their weapons. In no time, Evan, who was full of small wounds, also shed a smile seeing their behavior. It was a smile that quickly vanished, but it was certainly a bright, innocent, and lovely one like the day he first saw my Darkness cloud when he was young. Author¡¯s note: I¡¯m suddenly curious. What do you want for a happy ending? The witch to die safely, and the warrior to live happily ever after? The witch to stay with the warrior, but be unable to die? What is truly a happy ending would depend on what each person thinks, I guess. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 51 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson In the world where darkness had been subdued, the smell of blood was oveid with as much spection and gossip as the dripping blood that had been soaked on the floor. They tried to escape the unbelievable reality. This was a sign of a world soon to be destroyed, a sign foretelling that there was no hope left in this ce where God had abandoned. People¡¯s fears began to shape and wander through the gap. ¡°The darkness began to move.¡± ¡°The witch appeared.¡± ¡°I saw a witch at Count Phyletto¡¯s!¡± ¡°All this must be the work of the witch!¡± The devil¡¯s whispering was turned into the Death God, which was then turned into the witch¡¯s revenge, and so ran the people¡¯s mouths. Otherwise, there was a deep fear in the minds of those who were anxious about these happenings. Those who had already experienced the dark ages died a long time ago, and rumors about witches only came down as fairy tales, but they ricocheted like that of pebbles that had been thrown into a calmke. Their vague fear had created a witch that was bigger than the story told based on the horrific reality. Rumors spread from the center, hitting the imperial pce, and eventually reached the Order of the Knights. Working hard to stop the monster¡¯s attacks, the trainees, who had not yet be full members, were busy grumbling over their meals. ¡°Hey, have you heard the rumors? The witch has appeared.¡± ¡°Ay, no way. There can¡¯t be a witch.¡± ¡°They say there had been several eyewitnesses, iming to have seen the witch.¡± ¡°Is that true?¡± So all the weird things that have been happening in the meantime were the witch¡¯s doing?¡± ¡°Actually, I was a little suspicious of it too. Honestly, none of it could be done without the witch. Even if it were a monster¡­ With a monster as strong as that, we wouldn¡¯t be fighting like this.¡± ¡°They did say that the witch was really strong¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot about it too. I thought it was just a fairy tale, but perhaps it¡¯s not?¡± The murmurs grew louder. Evan was silently eating as it spread. But if one were to look at him closely, one could see that he was looking around with a slightly uneasy nce. Those who were whispering around him didn¡¯t notice Evan¡¯s difort. It was then when a loud voice burst out. ¡°What are you doing?¡± It was Yohan, the Knight Commander. He took a step as powerful as his voice. As if drenched in cold water, the trainees were all frozen in surprise. Then, they dispersed, looking out for a ce to hide. Those who returned to their seats were eager to finish their meal quietly. As they were on the move, break time was quite short. There was no time to talk like this. Perhaps they could receive a call for them to move again even though they didn¡¯t even finish eating, so their hands were in a hurry to make round trips with their spoons. Yohan looked at them with his arms folded. The young trainees did not seem to like it yet. One of the members, who was watching the situation behind him, asked stealthily. ¡°Commander, sir. What do you think of this?¡± ¡°Think of what?¡± ¡°No, the witch¡­ I¡¯ve heard rumors that the witch has appeared.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same for me. There¡¯ve been more than one or two people who¡¯ve seen her. When we went to the Witch¡¯s Forest before, we should have visited the tower.¡± The trainees looked at the leader, then at the members alternately with curious eyes. At the same time, they kept stuffing food into their faces, not knowing whether the rice grains went into their noses or mouths. Evan stopped eating and was looking motionlessly at Yohan. He seemed to be curious about his thoughts. Yohan looked at the members. Clicking his tongue, he said. ¡°I would have told you already. It¡¯s just a rumor. I¡¯ve heard rumors that a witch existed and that she was a great sorcerer. But think about it, do you really think people can live that long? You have a head, right? It is said that even the Son of Heaven, who has lived the longest, does not show signs of strength anymore, and the sorcerer, Neriano, has long since lost his strength. It¡¯s God¡¯s blessing that he¡¯s lived this long. But do you think witches are any different?¡± ¡°Of course not, but¡­¡± ¡°If it were a witch, wouldn¡¯t it be possible? But at the same time, this could¡¯ve been done by something other than the witch.¡± Yohan was shaking his head and nned on opening his mouth. ¡°No.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes were on Evan. He went on again. ¡°Not the witch.¡± I felt sorry for Evan, who still believed in the witch. But above all, I felt anxious that others might harbor ill will toward him if he continues to be this sped over my heart. Yohan also walked up to him and asked, refusing to let it go this time. ¡°You¡¯ve always been sure that it wasn¡¯t the witch. Is there a reason for that?¡± Evan looked up at Yohan with an expressionless face. I couldn¡¯t read his mind at all. I wanted to shut his mouth with a Shadow. I wanted to stop him from saying anything about the witch. She was nothing but poison to him. It was something like that that would end everything that she had nned before it even started. ¡°I asked if there was a reason.¡± Evan¡¯s lips, which had been closed until then, opened gently. He remained still with his mouth slightly open for a little while longer. And then he replied. ¡°There was nothing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There was nothing in the Witch¡¯s Tower. There was no sign of a witch or anything rted to witches. From the very beginning, it was nk and cold, as if there was nothing in it.¡± Then his surroundings got agitated. Not only the trainees but also the members were surprised. Yohan, who was surprised for a while, opened his eyes wide and asked, frowning. ¡°How do you know that? Have you ever been to the witch¡¯s tower?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure you said you didn¡¯t see the witch¡¯s tower¡­¡± ¡°No, there was. It was just that there was nothing inside it. I thought it waspletely unrted to the witch¡¯s tower because there was aplete absence of life in it, so I considered it as an ordinary building.¡± A scream-like exmation burst out among the trainees. ¡°That, that¡¯s ridiculous!¡± ¡°I heard that there were monsters in the Witch¡¯s forest, but they¡¯re too big and horrifyingpared to the ones we see here.¡± ¡°It is said that the Witch¡¯s Tower is hard to even find because of the thorn vines!¡± But there was no change in Yohan¡¯s face. It was the same with the members. The ce where they first met Evan was in the Witch¡¯s Forest, and because he had good enough senses, he allowed him to eat and sleep with them. Yohan muttered in a voice that was tainted with a faint sense of disbelief. ¡°You¡¯ve been to the Witch¡¯s Tower¡­¡± ¡°I went to see her because I heard that if I could kill her, the monsters would disappear. But there was nothing there.¡± Evan lied with a stern look. He and I met there, but he spoke as if he genuinely forgot what had happened there. But I knew. No matter how long ago it was or how much he had grown, he couldn¡¯t make the memories disappear as if they never happened. They might have be clouded, but I knew that they were settled in his memories, simr to a childhood teddy bear or a fairy tale book. I knew for a fact that Evan was lying just now. I just didn¡¯t know why he wanted to go as far as to tell them that there was no witch. The room, which had been quiet for some time, awoke at the voice of Yohan. ¡°You hear that? There¡¯s no witch. It¡¯s a story made to dazzle people. If you¡¯ve got enough energy left to talk about this, then we can start right away. Get ready to move.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Co-Commander!¡± ¡°What are you doing, not getting ready quickly?¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± ¡°Ahhhh!¡± The trainees were in tears as they looked down at their lunch boxes, which they had not yet eaten half of. Evan, however, was preparing to move calmly with an expressionless face. * It was deep in the night. The sky, which was dyed dark gray, gradually changed to ck. The moon, emitting a soft glow, reced the zing sun. It was calm and peaceful. I entered the tent where Evan was sleeping. The Shadow had no sound, smell, appearance, or touch, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about being caught, but he had such sensitive senses that I came in as slowly as possible and stood in front of Evan. Turning to his side and sleeping half-covered under the nket, he looked so gentle and innocent that you wouldn¡¯t think he was the young man who had fought with a monster a little while ago. Obviously, he had grown stronger and more masculine than anyone else, but his thick lines, sharp angles, and scarred hard arms, which were exposed above the quilt, were showing his maturity. However, his sleeping face was still fragile¡ªwhat a contradictory appearance. He was still mysterious and beautiful, with his bright, slender hair and eyshes, handsome but beautiful nose, manly and delicate lips. Just a moment ago, he was battling monsters, and now he is sleeping like a boy. The strange and mysterious feelings that I felt when I first saw them had captivated me again. The boy who was not like any man in this world, but like the fantasy I had created, has grown into a young man who is no different. I nced at the wound thaty across such a delicate cheek. It was a wound that happened a while ago. But it wasn¡¯t the only one. He had been injured on the side of his eyebrow. He had a big scar on the arm that he fell on today, and there was a small bruise next to it. Even if Evan¡¯s light is not strong enough topletely heal himself, the wounds do notst long. But they still hurt my heart. I¡¯m sorry. The shadow stretched out and carefully swept down the wounds. Just in case he opened his eyes like that day a long time ago, I took care of it as gently as I could. He must have been exhausted, so he slept soundly. Without my sense of touch, it was a bit of a pity that I could not feel the softness of his cheeks and the warmth of his body temperature. He has been by my side before, though. He has been there to share that warmth with me. While Evan was not getting reminded of the witch, those times were not lost to me. They were not forgotten because the blessing of oblivion was denied to me. It might be a blessing. I¡¯ve always thought of it as a curse, but not in this situation. Still, how fortunate it is to be able to see him like this. Evan may not know, but ever since I let him go, there had been no day that I spent without him. We were always together. I always watched and stayed with him. I had a duty to protect the young warrior. My role was to help the young warrior until he grew up safely and drove out the Darkness. To be his Shadow, to bring out a brighter light, to lead the sun on, and eventually drive out the darkness. Yes. The time for me to brace myself against weakness was nearing. I raised myself while sweeping down Evan¡¯s cheek. It was not the time to feel sorry for this small wound. I will hurt him even more in the future. I just hope Evan will bear with it well. May he not get hurt too much. For a long time, I looked at his fast asleep self and eventually returned to the witch¡¯s tower after making an earnest wish. The characters, who had been ready for a long time, were now moving on and setting the stage forpleting the story. The puppets would move along the witch¡¯s fingertips toplete a fairy tale¡ªa fairy tale for the warrior hero. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 52 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Not long after the rumor concerning the witch¡¯s appearance had circted, new rumors had followed. It was the rumor stating that ¡°Light exists.¡± It began on the battlefield. The rumor, which had been passed down by soldiers¡¯ mouths, hit the center, and eventually, the pce. ¡°Light will drive the darkness away.¡± Rumors pertaining to that of a warrior, the only one who can solve all this, and the one who can kill the witch, they have spread throughout the world through word of mouth. The rumors added that his Light could not only kill the immortal witch but also bring the miserable world back to its past glorious days. People recalled the stories they heard from their grandparents a long time ago. In the glory days, there was Light, and the sorcerers, who used its power, stood by heaven. The Light showed its power greatest when darkness had struck the world. However, though it could not win over it, many were able to survive thanks to the Light. The Light was a symbol of hope for the world to return to its past form. ¡°Nyx, we¡¯re all here.¡± I stood up at Ruadhan¡¯s calm voice. He was reading fortunes with cards on the table, then he reached out and flipped thest card. Death was a little further away in Evan¡¯s future. As long as I was there, as long as there were Yohan and Neriano, who knew of Evan¡¯s true power, and as long as there was an emperor who needed it, death would not befall him. I followed Ruadhan, who walked ahead across the pitch-ck corridor. I arrived in arge space and climbed up the tform alongside the statue of Umbra. It was then when I saw a different Darkness waiting in the dim area. They were lowering their heads, wearing deep hats, just like me. I deliberately kept them from seeing each other¡¯s faces, just in case. It was also forbidden for them to meet separately. I shouted at them. ¡°The Light has appeared.¡± Darkness rippled like waves. I continued without giving a moment for their confusion to subside. ¡°Light threatens Darkness.¡± Darkness was lifted off their faces. Even in the dark, their eyes twinkled ck. There was a lot of anger about this that might interfere with my work. My heart sank at this moment. Their eyes felt like venomous snakes¡¯ fangs. I felt as if they were going to run at Evan and bite him. Just in case anxiety might seep out of my voice, I took a brief stop. Then, I opened my mouth. ¡°The Light will be of significant help to the emperor. Did you know that? This is the Light that used to stand by and protect the Son of Heaven in the past. The Light heals, blesses, and purifies. If the Light stays by the emperor¡¯s side, we will not be able to enter the pce, and if the light spreads out to the world, there will be even fewer ces for us to stay.¡± In the days of glory in the past, there was always a sorcerer who ruled the Light by the side of the Son of Heaven. He healed the emperor to keep him from bing weak, blessed the pce so that the goddess could be with him, and purified it so that Darkness could not approach the pce. If the present emperor had his hands on the Light, he might regain his health and vigor. Although he is already an emperor abandoned by the Goddess, it was clear that he would not be easily removed. Noticing the existence of Light, the Shadows would not spare it in order to avoid interference with our work. I told them about the purpose of this gathering. ¡°Find the Light. Find the warrior that the people praise.¡± ¡°¡­But how?¡± ¡°The Light will stay around him. As Darkness gathers beside us, Light will be with him. Find the bright and brilliant.¡± I added thest words to those who bowed their heads as if they understood. ¡°¡­and kill it.¡± At the end of my order, the Shadows disappeared one by one. Soon, when there was no one left, I had to lean on the statue of Umbra so as not to copse. Ruadhan hurriedly asked. ¡°Are you all right?¡± I was fine. I was okay, even if I wasn¡¯t really okay. I should be okay. He knew. Who the Light is. And what that Light is to me. He was looking at me with a look of understanding, but at the same time, total iprehension. ¡°Why on earth did you do this?¡± Ruadhan lowered his back. His sses slid down a bit on his sharp nose, revealing his gray-brown eyes, and they were full of heartfelt concern. He knew. The pain I am suffering as I proceed with my work¡ªthe burden on my mind. And even if I didn¡¯t answer, he knew. All this was the path that I had created for the warrior. * There was a change in Yohan¡¯s behavior. ¡°Evan.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself fall off my side wherever we go in the future.¡± ¡°¡­yes?¡± Evan couldn¡¯t hide his curiosity. However, Yohan emphasized that he should never, under any circumstances, wander away from him to look around. He seemed quite unsettled. It was the same when fighting monsters. Originally, Yohan took the lead, and Evan fought in the back row. But somehow, he ended up following after Evan to the back. Thanks to this, the members who stopped the monsters in the front line had a hard time and were more injured than usual. Nevertheless, Yohan did not leave Evan¡¯s surroundings. He was even hurt once because he couldn¡¯t concentrate much on the battle. Evan fought with great tension, perhaps because Yohan was around. He made few mistakes and, unlike Yohan, was able to finish the battle with few minor wounds. Thanks to Yohan¡¯s presence at Evan¡¯s side, I was able to step forward and try to make the other members get hurt less. After the battle, they could not hide their bewildered looks. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the monsters¡¯ condition a little strange today?¡± ¡°Oh, did you feel it, too?¡± ¡°Me too! I felt it, too. Did the monster stop attacking?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d we didn¡¯t get hurt much. But did the monsters eat something bad?¡± They exchanged untimely jokes. It also meant that no one was seriously injured. However, the battle still proved to be difficult, and some people were still bleeding, so it was not all peaceful. Some people groaned, trying to disinfect their wounds, while others were relieved that no one died today. ¡°zero dead, fifty-two with minor injuries, and seven seriously injured!¡± ¡°There are many injured today.¡± When Yohan grumbled at the unit¡¯s report, Evan, who was wrapping a bandage around his own wound, muttered with a puzzled expression. ¡°Isn¡¯t it because the Commander is fighting behind?¡± And when he tapped his wound, Yohan¡¯s eyebrows knit in obvious pain. Despite his fierce face, Evan continued in a slightly rustic voice. ¡°It¡¯s very surprising that no one has died from the battles in a while. But wouldn¡¯t it get more serious if we leave things as they are? Today, many people would have been badly hurt if things went wrong.¡± Yohan cut him off with a dumbfounded expression. ¡°Why are you telling me that?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got to stand in front. Because your strength can boost our morale and also reduce our risks.¡± ¡°It sounds like a lot of people were hurt because I couldn¡¯t serve as a shield.¡± Evan said with a smile. ¡°A shield? Aren¡¯t you the Knight¡¯s Sword? It¡¯s hard for the rest to move because the sword is behind them.¡± Usually, like any Commander responsible for its units, the one in charge stays behind to shout instructions at his knights. This is because if the leader were to die by mistake, everything would fall apart. But Yohan was different. Not only does he hate staying behind, but his style of fighting was also more prominent when he was on the frontlines. With his very sensitive senses, he quickly noticed where the monsters wereing from with the direction of the wind, just like Evan. While dealing with multiple monsters, he also noticed the monsters he had missed and his men who were in danger. His powerful and quick-witted abilities were just as good as his keen senses. I thought that if Yohan had been born in the age of glory, he must have be an excellent sorcerer. Evan asked Yohan with interest. ¡°Why in the world did you do that today?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing for you to know.¡± ¡°Are you going to keep doing that?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to do as much as I can.¡± ¡°At this rate, the next thing you¡¯ll say is that you¡¯ll start sleeping alongside me, as well as apanying me to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s a good idea, too.¡± ¡°Commander, sir.¡± Evan¡¯s face turned white. Then Yohanughed and tapped Evan on the head. He seemed to know what he was worried about. Evan, a little relieved by hisughter, grumbled with a disgruntled look. ¡°I can¡¯t fight the way I want to because the Commander is always behind me. I have my own way of fighting, and it¡¯s very ufortable with you behind.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re usually hurt? Your way of doing things must be gentle and rxed.¡± Evan was struck dumb at his words. Evan was certainly out of the ordinary today. He fought harder and didn¡¯t get hurt. There was no gap in his movements, and he didn¡¯t make any mistakes this time. I thought it might be because there was a difference between training and real-life practice, but when I heard what Yohan said, I felt a little rxed. Evan raised himself up and started to walk away. He grumbled, ¡°Are you fighting beside me to keep me from being intimidated?¡± At the spur of the moment, Yohan grabbed him with a stiff face. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Evan answered with a startled look. ¡°I-I¡¯m trying to get this cleaned¡­¡± There was a bloody towel in his hand. It was the same towel that Yohan used to wipe away his blood. Yohan nodded with a small sigh, perhaps realizing he was acting particrly sensitive. Evan left the tent with an iprehensible look on his face. I tried to follow Evan but then paused for a moment when I heard Yohan mumble. ¡°Is there really a witch?¡± Even Yohan, who did not believe in the existence of witches, was being shaken. I left the tent, feeling that my n was going smoothly. The emperor knows that witches exist. But he doesn¡¯t know that warriors exist. Yohan knows there is a warrior. But he doesn¡¯t know that witches exist. But what if everyone was after the supposed warrior? Who would be the one trying their best to get rid of the warrior? And why would they kill those who shine brilliantly, even at a great risk to themselves? ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 53 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Atst, the Son of Heaven had moved. The emperor, who had never interfered with anything thus far, had appeared in a rumor. ¡°Find him and bring him to me right now.¡± When rumors circted that the Son of Heaven had moved, a ray of light had prated into the hearts of those who were full of despair. Everyone began to trust the rumors as if they had already turned out to be true. Now, they¡¯re starting to believe that all this was the doing of the witch and that there was a warrior who could kill that witch. When one or two people believed, it increased to five or six, which then increased to ten. It simply stopped being transmitted as mere rumors and turned into a fact. And everyone joined forces to find soldiers and to protect those who were believed to be the warrior. The knights were also aware of the rumor. The fact that those with bright hair and particrly bright eyes were being killed. And that, under the orders of the Emperor, many were checking every nook and cranny, taking anyone who seemed to have brilliant features to the pce. As such, Evan couldn¡¯t help but know about it, too. ¡°Commander!¡± As Evan entered the tent screaming, Yohan looked at him with a still frown. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Have you known all this time?¡± Yohan¡¯s eyes shook for a moment. Evan spoke again as if he had not missed it. ¡°You knew. That¡¯s why you¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± He jerked his head around and tried to lie down again, but Evan strode towards him and put his arms on the bed, leaning his upper body forward. Yohan made a sour face, perhaps annoyed at Evan¡¯s actions. Evan was different from any other trainee, and especially his rtionship with Yohan was beyond description. Maybe it felt like that because of how close those two people were. As if they were family. Evan looked at Yohan and saw his face crumpled. He asked again, raising his upper body. ¡°He¡¯s looking for the Light¡ªthe Son of Heaven. I think I am that Light. What do you think?¡± Evan seemed to have chosen to ask outright. Instead of answering, Yohan smiled and asked Evan back. ¡°So? What do you intend to do?¡± Evan¡¯s face was perplexed, perhaps because he didn¡¯t expect to be asked such a question like this. ¡°Well, I¡­¡± Looking at Evan like that, Yohan lifted the corners of his lips even more. He threw something at Evan with a smile. When Evan, who had been taken in a daze, looked at it with questioning eyes, pointing his jaw at it, Yohan said. ¡°Wear it all over your face. I¡¯ve felt it for a long time, but you stand out too much.¡± Looking at what was given to him, Evan stretched out the object that was in his hand. It was a thin cloth. But when he looked closely, it wasn¡¯t just a piece of cloth. It was sewn so that one could wear it around their head. It seemed to be a decorative cloth designed to cover half of the hair and face. Yohan opened his mouth as he watched Evan fidgeting with the cloth. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the time yet. You just have to wait quietly.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Nothing you need to know. If you have time to y like this, then go train more. Light? I don¡¯t know how a man who can¡¯t even handle light be so conceited.¡± Evan¡¯s face hardened. He soon curled his lips, bowed his head, and left the tent. Yohan was right. No matter how bright, he could do nothing with how he currently was. He couldn¡¯t even be sure if he is able to protect his own body. That¡¯s why Yohan wanted to keep him by his side and watch him closely. Evan won¡¯t be able to do it alone if the enemyes. Maybe the time is a little different from what the witch thinks it is. I didn¡¯t exactly know what he was thinking about protecting Evan. However, I only knew that he thought he was their only hope, just like I did. One would not know what his intentions were unless one asked him directly¡ªthrough Evan, how does he want to change the world, what were his ns, and what would happen when the ¡°time¡± came? I came out of the tent and chased after Evan. And as he passed by, the trainees gathered around and regarded him closely. Their nces were unusual, and I overheard them sneaking up and whispering. They seemed to have heard the rumor. ¡°Evan¡¯s the brightest I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. What¡¯s a color brighter than white?¡± ¡°Does that even exist?¡± ¡°And it always feels a little brighter around Evan, isn¡¯t it? Am I mistaken?¡± ¡°Hm, I¡¯ve never seen it, so I don¡¯t know. But aren¡¯t you too rxed? You were even looking toward him when you were fighting.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? He likes Evan a lot. He often looks worried that Evan¡¯s going to get hurt.¡± ¡°Hey, what are you¡­ That¡¯s nonsense¡­¡± There was a burst ofughter. Upon realizing that he was caught staring at Evan, the child¡¯s face turned red. Then the boys began to tease him when they saw him make such faces. ¡°You think you¡¯re any different? You said that you kept seeing Evan strangely!¡± ¡°When did I ever!¡± ¡°And you, too, have been chasing Evan around!¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­that¡¯s because Evan is strong and cool! Honestly, who wouldn¡¯t fall for Evan when they see him swing a sword?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. Should I say that it¡¯s kind of intriguing? No, is it mysterious? It¡¯s definitely the same sword and the same movement, but it¡¯s strangely differenting from him. It¡¯s like it¡¯s shining.¡± ¡°See? I¡¯m not the only one who thinks that. Evan is the warrior the Son of Heaven is looking for, ¡®Light¡¯ was it? Something like that?¡± The trainees were again troubled with serious faces. It seemed to be the same for both the young and older men. Realizing that I didn¡¯t have to worry so much, I headed to the tent where Evan was staying. He sat on the floor, closed his eyes, and still felt the Light. Unlike the training grounds, this tent was only temporary, so there was no room for practice. It was going to continue until this was over, and until they returned to Yohan¡¯s private residence. I nced at the breaking light around him. It was brilliant and beautiful. The little group of invisible light showed off its figure, glistening like the most precious jewels in the world. They fell on Evan¡¯s bright hair, slipped on his nose, stayed on his long,rge fingers, and passed over his rich eyshes. After looking at him for so long, his bright eyshes trembled, and his dark eyes opened. They were as transparent as ss beads. When he blinked a couple of times, his eyes, which I could see only a little bit of between his fluttering eyshes, were opened round. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off them, so I stared at his irises only. I could fully understand the minds of the trainees who said they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off Evan because he was such a beautiful and mysterious man. ¡°¡­when.¡± I came to my senses at Evan¡¯s sudden voice. I was surprised, but he was only talking to himself. ¡°When will I be what I want?¡± He seemed upset that he could not handle the Light at will. It could have been frustrating because he¡¯s been in the same ce for quite a while. I wanted to tell him not to be impatient, that it¡¯s okay, and that he¡¯s doing well, but I felt sorry that I couldn¡¯t. I stroked Evan¡¯s long shadow behind his back. This was all I could do. * Yohan, the knights, and the trainees did not stop the hunt for monsters. In fact, when the monsters started their invasion, they managed to put a stop to them. And they did such a good job that the monsters quickly ran away from them after putting up a good fight. And when they chased them around, they almost became hunters. The more they won, the higher their morale became, and the more powerful the people of the province became in order to aid them in hunting monsters. Evan had also fought hard. However, the only difference was that Yohan was fighting in the front, not by his side. And that Evan¡¯s bright hair and half his face were covered with a thin cloth. The knights and trainees already knew Evan¡¯s original hair color, but there was no big problem because the rest of the people did not see Evan¡¯s face except for the few locals who kept following him and fighting alongside them. Most of all, very few people thought that the person rumored to be the Light would be the trainee that was right in front of them. That is because rumors were supposed to be exaggerated. They imagined that the Light and the warrior would, at a nce, look different from an ordinary human being. Because of this, both the Son of Heaven and the witches in search of the said warrior were confused. The number of innocent people they dragged and killed was reduced. There were many people who had bright hair and eyes, if not as much as Evan. It was fortunate for Evan. At least it¡¯s going to take them some time to get interested in the people fighting monsters outside. When Yohan took the lead, Evan fought in his own way. But it wasn¡¯t very good. He still sported big and small wounds. Evan seemed a little rxed, as Yohan said. At one point, he would suddenly be in danger, as if he were deliberately creating a close call situation. It was a strange thing even though I thought it would be hard to do it on purpose. I had no choice but to help him little by little each time. However, Evan had one or two wounds on his body. His face was distorted quite painfully. It was a pity that I couldn¡¯t do anything more to help him. Today, as usual, the knights were wiping out the monsters that hade all the way to the front of the vige. There were a bit too many people fighting with the monsters. If this ce had copsed, the monsters would reach the center of the vige, where the women and children were gathered. So except for the sounds of fighting, the road was very quiet. As people wereing to help, more so than usual, the knights¡¯ behavior was restricted. Originally, they would have rushed head-on into the fight and have wrapped it up by now, but this time around, they only blocked the monsters¡¯ way or stopped their attacks by limiting their radius of action. So they fought far apart or in a way that helped the people of the province deal with them together. Evan chose to fight far away. As he was only a trainee, he was not officially recognized as a knight. But his skills did not fall back by much, so there was no problem with him breaking formation. I was worried about his frequent mistakes, so I was sticking to him and helping him little by little. Another monster approached Evan¡¯s back as he was dealing with another. Seeing that there were minor wounds on the monster¡¯s arms and legs, it seemed that someone else had been fighting with it. But for some reason, there was no one around. Evan tried to look behind his back, rolling his eyes wide as he noticed that the second monster had already gotten closer to him. But the monster in front of him did not let go of his sword, so he could not easily pull himself out. He eventually abandoned the sword and backed away. Then he took two daggers out of his waistband, held them, and faced the other monster that was rushing in. He quickly moved his long, hard legs, kicked the monster, buried one dagger inside it, and then fell back between the two monsters. He wouldn¡¯t get a big wound from this, but his n seemed to be; either look for a chance to get his sword back from the monster or join the fight with someone else. I also kept watching, only for the monster to throw away Evan¡¯s sword. As soon as the monster threw away the sword, I was going to carefully direct it near Evan. But somehow, the monster didn¡¯t let go of the sword, and my wonder grew. As Evan was busy fending off one monster, the other one took advantage of the gap in his attention, throwing the sword toward his back. The sword that was thrown by the monster was very fast. And by the time Evan noticed and tried to avoid it, it had already been toote. I received the sword without hesitation by blowing a shadow. And I tried to keep it contained in me somehow, but I couldn¡¯t bear its speed and strength. Eventually, the sword, flying at a terrifying speed, tore off my shadow and prated through it to get to Evan, who was standing behind me. That was thest scene I saw. ¡°Huck! Kugh!¡± When I opened my eyes, I could only see the dark. It was the tower of the witch. I repeatedly coughed at the pain of the blow. Then blood flowed from my lips. The dripping blood soaked my body and clothes. The shadow fell to pieces. The Darkness that was connected to me was scattered and forced back in. It became a sharp dagger and made my whole body a wreck. My uncontrobly shaking body made me cough up blood and vomit. Iy down on the floor. It was painful and ufortable. Breathless and with a blurred vision, I felt like I was going to die, but I¡¯m not going to die, so I¡¯ll probably wake up a littleter. It didn¡¯t matter. But what I was worried about was Evan, whom I couldn¡¯t watch over. I couldn¡¯tpletely absorb the impact of the hit, so it would have hurt Evan a lot, too. It would make for a big threat to him if he was hit while surrounded by monsters like that. I have to go and protect him. ¡°¡­x!¡± I seemed to hear Evan¡¯s voice,ing from a very far away ce. ¡°¡­Nyx!¡± Evan¡¯s voice, which had been engraved deep into my memory, seemed to havee to mind when it heard my earnest wish. ¡°¡­Evan¡­¡± As I was d to hear Evan¡¯s voice, I let go of the leash of consciousness. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 54 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson I had a dream. Evan was in front of me. He was young again, and he looked like when he was a boy. I was d to see that young and lovely figure again and hugged him without realizing it. Tears streamed down. I thought I shouldn¡¯t cry, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I was thrilled and happy to see him after such a long time. His body temperature was still warm. I fell back in a hurry, just in case I smelled. But the hand holding the boy¡¯s small shoulder refused to be removed. I thought he¡¯d disappear once I let go of him. Such anxiety upset me. So, as I looked at him, Evan¡¯s eyes were flushed with embarrassment, and he rolled his red eyes. But he didn¡¯t shake me off. Instead, he just smiled a clumsy smile with a slight frown. Evan reached out his little hand and cupped my cheek. My tears formed on the tip of his little finger. Iughed. He smiled as if telling me not to worry. Then Evan¡¯s face became brighter. His slender eyes and plump cheeks were so lovely that I burst intoughter, basking in the glorious sight of him. At first, Evan¡¯s eyes widened, following my strange behavior, but he soon joined me with a smile of his own. The surroundings brightened up. Surprised, I looked around and found the two of us in a white patch of snow. There was a white, clean, and pretty field of snow that had resembled Evan¡¯s hair. Evan looked at the snow and tried to run around with a look of excitement. I grabbed his hand in a hurry. A curious look fell on me, but I still didn¡¯t let go of him. If I let go of this hand, I would never see him again. Young Evan was only in my memory, and I would never meet him again. I wanted to enjoy this moment even more. Evan must have noticed my feelings, but he held my hand tightly. We both yed in the snow, holding hands. The snow was not cold at all. Rather, it was warm. It was so cozy and warm that I almost cried again. It was a peaceful feeling that I haven¡¯t felt in a long time. I was so happy that I had this opportunity. Evan was a blessing in itself. It made me forget the life of the cursed witch. Snow fell from the sky. It was warm, too, as it patted my face. It was very soft and carefully touched all over my face, my forehead, cheeks, eyelids, the tip of my nose and mouth, sharing its warmth and tenderness before falling. When I stretched my palm out to receive it, a thump had sounded repeatedly. Then the sound grew louder and spread out into the world. The whole world thumped. I spread my arms as if I were hugging the world. Then this time, the sound prated into my arms. Under my skin, I could feel the sound and vibration all over my body. It was like a heartbeat. ¡°¡­Nyx?¡± I heard Evan¡¯s voice. I opened my eyes and frowned at the disturbance. I wish I hadn¡¯t woken up from that dream. I closed my eyes just in case I could fall back asleep again. But I had no choice but to open my eyes soon. I heard a thumping sounding through my skin. It was the heartbeat-like sound that I had heard in my dream. I couldn¡¯t understand it at all, so I was blinking, and something hard and hot touched my cheek. ¡°Nyx! Are you up?¡± The thing that had touched my cheek gave a slight force and lifted my face. Unconsciously, I raised my head. And I was mesmerized by the sight that wasid before my eyes. There he was, Evan. And he was very close, too. Evan was calling me from a short distance. ¡°Nyx!¡± Is this a dream? I looked at him nkly. I was definitely with little Evan, and he grew up like this. No, Evan was right to grow up. The Evan in front of me was what he is now. I guess I¡¯m dreaming a new dream. His hand, which was touching my cheek, wrapped around the back of my head and held me tightly. His hot, firm body touched my forehead and cheek. And the thumping sound rang out loudly. I couldn¡¯t tell if it was my heartbeat or his. ¡°I¡¯m d¡­ That¡¯s a relief. Nyx, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± What? What are you sorry about? While I was listening to Evan¡¯s constant whispers of apology, I recalled the memory from before I lost my consciousness. Evan was in danger. I was in a position to apologize, not to receive an apology. What about now? Is the fight over? Is Evan all right? This is a dream I don¡¯t want to ever wake up from, but I didn¡¯t have the time to be at leisure. I had to confirm his situation as soon as possible. But I can¡¯t break out of my dream, far from it. As he held me in his arms, Evan¡¯s body temperature, breath, and voice were only bing clearer and clearer. I inadvertently put my palm on his body to push him away, but felt a firm, broad body unlike before and stopped. A thin garment was hiding his body under the palm of my hand, and below it, his temperature was hot. My cheeks and ears touching his body kept hearing the sound of his heart. His voice, continually apologizing, was heard throughout his body, sounding heavy as if he were speaking from a faraway ce, in a cave. I felt very strange. I could barely say a word after a long daze. ¡°¡­Evan?¡± When I called out Evan¡¯s name, he held my hand tightly over his body and bowed his head. I slowly lifted my face in the breath that I felt over my head. Evan was looking at me very closely. Full of anxiety, his red eyes captured me. His eyes were no different from those of the boy Evan, but other than that, many things were different. The eyes, which held goodness but had also harbored deep sadness, became sharp, and the small, bumpy nose stretched out longer. His ever frowning eyebrows became thicker, and his soft jawline sharpened. And the lovely round face became manly. I¡¯ve seen Evan grow up almost every day, but it¡¯s always been through the gray eyes of a shadow, and it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen it so clearly. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen such vivid colors. The white and red, so intense they made me faint. They were as brilliant and beautiful as the sun. But on the other hand, it was frightening, for I dared not to look up into him closely. ¡°Nyx? Nyx, are you alright? Are you really okay?¡± ¡°¡­how?¡± How? How could Evan be here? How can this not be a dream? Am I just having a vivid dream? Am I looking at another future? I hurriedly raised my upper body. Sticking my chest up, I lifted myself up and looked down at him. He was lying down. Surprised by my actions, he was looking up with his eyes wide open, his white hair touched the floor and scattered about. Only then could I notice that I had been leaning on Evan¡¯s arm. I finally realized that I had been lying down. As I looked around, I could see the inside of the deste tower. The only thing out of ce was Evan and me lying down. And because I brought a lot of things to take care of the young Evan. The inside of the tower seemed strangely brightened, and the curtains were pulled down. The prating light touched Evan and me. It was warm. It¡¯s been a long time since the tower was so beautiful, warm, and bright. It was the first time since Evan left. Is it because Evan is here? Evan was the only one who could change the witch¡¯s tower this way. ¡°Nyx, are you alright? You¡¯re okay, right?¡± When I looked around in a daze, Evan got up and looked at me. The bright light touched Evan and broke about, creating an aura. His white hair shone, and his red eyes glowed. His eyes were full of apprehension. Every time his lips opened, he called the witch¡¯s name, and with every sound of it, my heart sank. When he reached out and put his hand to my cheek again, it was burning hot. His previously small hand was big enough to cover my face. It was much different from looking at him with the eyes of a Shadow, the world of ck and white, without the sense of touch, taste, smell. I was speechless with embarrassment. It was hard for me to even think. Although his face had been tanned in the sun, when the light permeated through the window crevice and touched him, he glowed white and felt like a doll carved from ivory. At that moment, my face came to mind¡ªmy horribly dirty and gross face. I don¡¯t want to show him this face so close in such a bright ce. I hurriedly pulled out his hand and turned around. I still can¡¯t believe what¡¯s going on. Is this a reality? or is this a dream? I can¡¯t tell until I wake up, so I have to wait. He looked at my hand and came a little closer. I tried to back down as much as I could, but his hand held me by the shoulder. I remembered the young man who remained only in my memory. At some point, Evan grew up enough to pin down the witch. I tried to cover my face using my hair because I was not confident looking into his eyes, but he grabbed my hair with his left hand as if he would not tolerate it. I stared down at the floor without hesitation. ¡°Nyx. Look at me. I just got here, and it¡¯s been so long¡­ Didn¡¯t you miss me?¡± I missed you. I was surprised by the ovepping voices of the young man in my memory with this Evan that was standing in front of me. Evan, who grew up into the young man in memory, was always so confusing, even though I knew that many things were different. I couldn¡¯t forget. ¡°Hm? Didn¡¯t you miss me?¡± I missed you. Very much. I always wanted to see you even though I was always watching you. I wanted to keep you beside me like this. However, I was grateful that I at least could do so even if it were with the eyes of a shadow. But what about the current situation? ¡°Is this a dream? Are you a figment of my imagination?¡± Evan looked at me with a distant eye, as if he were contemting whether I had gone cuckoo. And soon, he burst intoughter. The frowning smile of his remained the same. I nced at him and looked at the floor in a hurry. ¡°No, Nyx. This isn¡¯t a dream.¡± Though Evan¡¯s voice went on, I couldn¡¯t believe his answer, and so, I said nothing. ¡°You know, I can use my strength now. I can finally use my power.¡± As soon as his words were finished, a white Light gathered around him. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the Light. Like a swarm of white butterflies, the light passed over Evan¡¯s body and went up to his face. Unknowingly, I followed it up, and there was Evan¡¯s smiling face at the end. While I was dazed, Evan gave me a strong hug, turning my hair behind my neck, holding it with one hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I¡¯mte. I wanted toe a little earlier, but things didn¡¯t go my way.¡± Was that what he meant by saying sorry? Evan kept whispering that he was sorry, even though he didn¡¯t have anything to apologize to me. I felt his heat, his heartbeat, and the warm light that had spread around him, and realized that this was reality. He really came to me. Why? How? I gave him a good shove. ¡°Go.¡± His face strained with embarrassment. Evan¡¯s lips were quivering, but I didn¡¯t give him a chance to pout. ¡°Go back.¡± Evan shouldn¡¯t havee here. He had to live in the midst of people while forgetting about the witch. I believed it was going to happen. So, why is he here? I felt uneasy. This was not what I wanted. It wasn¡¯t in my n. Evan¡¯s pain grows bigger. The weight of the witch¡¯s guilt is getting added. The witch felt guilty toward the hurting warrior and resented the reality that she had no choice but to drive him away again. Furthermore, the future of the witch is bing unstable. Both the end of the witch and the hope of the world is bing unstable. It is all the more important now to end her long and endless curse, which is so selfish and simply cruel. I¡¯d rather be a witch than miss you for leaving me all my life. ¡°Go back, nevere here again.¡± So Evan, please, forget about the witch. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 55 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Without Evan, the tower was empty. This would be natural, but it only felt like that because Evan had stayed for a while. Crouching against the wall, I frowned at the sunlight reaching the end of my foot. It was like Evan. I couldn¡¯t push it away, nor could I run away from it. I wanted to have it, and I¡¯ve always craved it. Even though I can¡¯t have nor should have it. I pulled myself up to close the curtains, making it dark inside the tower again. As if I was falling, I crouched down in front of the window. The ces where Evan¡¯s hand touched, the ears that had heard Evan¡¯s voice, and the eyes that had contained Evan¡¯s brilliant colors, seemed to have be strange. Evan tried to persuade me as I kept pestering him to go back, but he eventually left the tower as if he had given up. As a boy, he went down the stairs and got hurt by the thorns. But now, as a young man, he didn¡¯t leave through the forest but disappeared with a white Light. As he said, he has seeded in handling Light. Maybe he used that power toe to me. Just like I did for him. Once used, his power will be more adept and will never be forgotten. That means I can¡¯t stop Evan froming here. It means I don¡¯t know when or how he might appear. If he shows up when I¡¯m not here, there¡¯s a chance that he¡¯ll notice the witch¡¯s n too soon. Or if my tail is too long, I¡¯ll get caught, and people might follow me. ¡®Don¡¯t evere here again.¡¯ There was no doubt about it; before he went back, his gaze looked hurt, only for such an insignificant thing such as this. His future wounds would be even bigger. The more he forgets me, the farther away he stays from me, and the less involved he gets with me, the less hurt he will be. Evan still didn¡¯t understand me, and I just felt sorry for him. And I didn¡¯t know that the more he did, the more painful it was for me either. He still did not try to understand the witch. Why the hell did hee here? Did Evan want to be praised by me? Did he want to brag about how much he¡¯s learned? Or was it that he felt too bad for me being alone in the tower? He was too soft and pure. He tried to understand the witch and felt pity for her. He may have felt sorry for me who would be alone in the future, as he has done so far. That must be why he came here like this. I closed my eyes tightly and buried my face between my knees. If anyone knew Evan hade to the Witch¡¯s Tower or even the Witch¡¯s Forest¡­ If it bes known to the emperor who knows that witches exist¡­ And to the believers of Umbra who believed in and followed the witch¡­ It was terrible. It was so terrible that I didn¡¯t want to think anymore. I hurried myself and teleported somewhere. The surroundingndscape has changed. And in it, Ruadhan, who was sitting in front of a small candle, stood up in astonishment. ¡°Ny- Nyx.¡± He looked at me with his eyebrows knit and his eyes dimmed, perhaps because he had been resting for a while, with his sses on the table. He was groping on the table with his hands, but I didn¡¯t want to prolong this chaotic situation, so I hurriedly asked him without giving him a chance to wear sses. ¡°This must not be a dream, is it? Is this the present or the future? Can you exin what¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Nyx, did you dream again?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Whether that was a dream or a reality. No, I don¡¯t even know if this is real now.¡± Ruadhan knew about my dreams. I let him know of the future that I saw. I also exined about the past dreams in which I had failed, and what made things how they are now. He looked at me, unable to conceal his confusion, and soon carefully put his hand on my shoulder. ¡°Calm down.¡± I felt a little soothed, looking into those warm, cool eyes. Previously, I used to wander for a long time because I couldn¡¯t distinguish between dream and reality. But now, someone was around me. It certainly was a great help. To me, Ruadhan was always a man whom I was grateful and sorry to. ¡°Ruadhan¡­ Evan, the warrior, came to me.¡± Ruadhan looked very surprised. His expression was shaking for a while. But soon, he calmly nodded. It was as if he had already expected it. ¡°What happened back then?¡± Then, with a hint of surprise, Ruadhan asked. ¡°Seeing as you don¡¯t know about this, did something happen?¡± ¡°I was attacked by a monster and lost my consciousness for a while.¡± Only then did Ruadhan¡¯s eyes thin as if he were convinced of something. He must¡¯ve been a little flustered since I had disappeared when I was the one to give the signal for the monsters to retreat as things went normally. ¡°I see. Are you all right now? Where did you get hurt¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. Tell me what happened.¡± ¡°I was just trying to sort it out. How this would affect your ns¡­¡± Did I stay passed out for a long time? I couldn¡¯t have possibly been distracted by Evan. After the Shadow was shattered, I lost my consciousness, and there was no way for me to know what was going on afterward. Usually, it would take a while for me to get back to my senses whenever I took my own life. Maybe it was the same this time, too. Moreover, after I came to my senses, I felt so well. It was like getting hurt was but a dream. When I thought so, I felt anxious. As if he had noticed my impatience, he continued, frowning again and trying to have me focus. ¡°The monsters there were wiped out. I almost got caught up in it.¡± ¡°What does that¡­?¡± No matter how many people joined in on the fight, it was almost impossible for them to get rid of all the monsters. All my doubts died down at the words of Ruadhan. ¡°It was the Light. The Light you were talking about turned the situation upside down. The Light apparently emanated from the warrior Evan¡¯s body, quickly wiping out the monsters, and then disappeared. At the same time, the wounds inflicted on everyone there were healed, and Evan, likewise, disappeared without a trace, leaving the people there in utter chaos.¡± Light. I covered my mouth with my hands. Otherwise, it seemed like a groan would have escaped out. Evan¡¯s use of light is weed, but not like this. Otherwise, while the Emperor and the witches are looking for the warrior, there¡¯s no doubt that if he shows off his strength so grandly¡­ ¡°E, Evan probably went back there by now. I¡¯m going to see him.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t think you need to be in such a hurry if you are to go back there.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± His eyes glistened like a poisonous snake¡¯s, the gaze that seemed to want to bite Evan with his mouth wide open soon caught me. He nodded as if he knew what I was worried about. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to reach Evan.¡± ¡°Howe?¡± ¡°Yohan, themander of the Knights¡¯ Order, had a strange object. As soon as Evan disappeared with the Light, he cleared his surroundings and took something out. I couldn¡¯t even go near him after that.¡± I need to look into what kind of object it is, but if what Ruadhan said is true, I would not have to be impatient. If Ruadhan Couldn¡¯t get in, then other witches wouldn¡¯t be able to either. I heaved my chest up and down. However, as the Light¡¯s whereabouts had been revealed, the Son of Heaven had probably already made his move. It was in the hands of Yohan whether to hide Evan or send him to the pce. I couldn¡¯t figure out his n, so I had to wait and see what would happen. ¡°His powers were revealed too soon, creating a bit of trouble. As to how this will affect your ns¡­¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be fine.¡± If Evan were to enter the pce, there would be no great danger for him. No, rather, it was a good thing that would get him out of the witches¡¯ threat. The witch had yet to show herself properly, and the emperor was not an adventurous character. He wouldn¡¯t risking to the Witch¡¯s Forest nor the Tower. There was a high possibility that he would only take a little leisurely look at the situation, gauge my ns, and entice me toe instead of moving in person. As it was full of traps, the pce is a very safe ce for the Emperor and a very dangerous ce for witches. Above all, Evan must have just awakened his powers; he would still be clumsy handling it. The emperor would not yet fully trust Evan. He would more likely force him to heal him and maintain his surroundings instead of confronting the witch whose involvement he was unsure of. If Evan had safely entered the emperor¡¯s arms, the witch¡¯s ns would not be disrupted. The original order she issued for her witches was to find the warrior; this was to make the emperor aware of his existence and keeping him by his side. Not to doubt the Light that came out of the blue. I sat down in a chair, heaving a small sigh. And as I covered my face with my palms, I could hear Ruadhan¡¯s worried voice. ¡°Are you all right?¡± The words I most frequently heard from him seemed to be exmations of worry. I felt bad to keep worrying him, so I nodded and put my hands away. The candle in front of me shook as I moved, creating a glimmer of my movements. ¡°By all means, I¡¯vee to realize what you were saying. Evan has the power to drive out the Darkness. I¡¯m sure you¡¯d have been surprised had you seen it. As soon as the Light spread, all the monsters turned into powder and were blown away with the wind. And those who were hurt came back to their original form, praising this strange and wonderful thing.¡± I had already seen it before, so I listened, recalling what it was like back then. He was sure to be a great force for the Son of Heaven and a great threat to the Witch. Sitting in front of me, Ruadhan finally found his sses. He groped for the cloth he had next to him, grabbed it in his hand, wiped his sses off, and said, fixing them on his face. ¡°But why would he visit you? In fact, I was surprised to see him suddenly disappear. So, I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d really go there. At first, I was going to wait a little longer and then go to Nyx¡¯s¡­¡± I was also curious about that. Why did Evane to the Witch¡¯s Tower? After all that trouble. Moreover, it was also strange that he hade to realize his strength at that time. Perhaps after I had disappeared, he was in great danger and unwittingly used his powers? Usually, in an emergency, one uses as much strength as one can. If that were the case, then I could only say that my presence had kept Evan from awakening his full potential. And I was thinking that, if Evan had used Light when I was there, then I might have gotten even more hurt by his Light than by the sword thrown by the monster. There was another thing to wonder about. Listening to Ruadhan, I realized that it hadn¡¯t been that long since I passed out. When had my body been able to recover this fast? I inadvertently pressed against my chest muscles with my palms, and when I became aware of Ruadhan¡¯s gaze, I raised my head. Before I knew it, he was staring at me with his sses on. He still had a calm, dry face, but he was mysteriously absent-minded with embarrassment in his eyes. And because I was embarrassed, I also asked him, since it was the first time I had seen such a disconcerted expression on his face, other than when we met for the first time. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Oh, that, that¡¯s.¡± Ruadhan stammered, so unlike himself, and hurriedly avoided making eye contact. He lowered his head a little, making the sses run down his nose, but he seemed so distracted that he could not even notice it. He insisted on the posture as if he had been sober for a while, and soon raised his sses as usual, and said, ¡°Nyx, did you not notice?¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± Ruadhan answered, pointing his index finger at his cheek. ¡°All your scars are gone.¡± ¡°What? What do you¡­¡± I inadvertently put my hand on my cheek and stopped. The feeling of my skin has changed. The skin, which was all rough and patched up, has be smooth and seamless. I brushed my cheek down without hesitation. I felt like my hand was slipping as soon as it touched it. My forehead, nose bridge, lips, and neck, which were full of regrown skin, had all softened. When I rolled up my sleeves in a hurry, my arms looked white and smooth. I jumped out of my seat and wrapped my face in both hands. Everywhere I touched felt different from before. ¡°The light has healing powers¡­ Was it done by the warrior, too?¡± To Ruadhan¡¯s question, I remembered the dream I had before I woke up. It was a white world. A world of warm light enveloping me. It was snowing all over, but it was very warm and soft. It disappeared, stroking my face, forehead, nose, and cheeks. I closed my eyes tightly. Otherwise, tears would have flowed down. The young man in my memory had found the woman inside a hideous, gross witch. And now, Evan had pulled her out. That was what happened. ¡°¡­Evan.¡± Simr to a groan, a voice had escaped out of my mouth. And in a heartbreaking whisper, it had formed into his name and scattered into the air. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 56 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Rumors speaking of the warrior¡¯s appearance had flown into the ears of the son of heaven, which had finally moved him to take action. To be exact, those ordered by the Son of Heaven began moving toward Evan¡¯s location. Unlike them, the Shadows could move to where they wanted at an instance, sometimes aimed to approach Evan in their physical forms. However, following Ruadhan¡¯s words, it was impossible for them to even get close. It was all thanks to the object that Yohan had brought out. I was well aware of what the item was. After all, I¡¯ve given it to Evan before. The object, which had been able to defeat the monsters covering the Witch¡¯s Forest on the first day of his first encounter with the Knights, was doing its job well for some reason, even though it should have never been usable again. I could note that Yohan knew precisely about the object. He didn¡¯t merely recognize the patterns and symbols and then left it by Evan¡¯s side. He kept it, in case Evan¡¯s power awakened, revealing himself to be a warrior. And just as the witch had a charm reacting to Evan¡¯s power, she made another kind of charm that produced a protective shield so that darkness could not approach, and released it using the power contained in the object. Perhaps the charm had the help of the sorcerer Neriano, but what was more surprising was that Yohan knew various details of the object. Having seen through the fact that the witch¡¯s existence was merely a distraction created by the emperor, he was more insightful than I initially thought and had great knowledge of the long-forgotten past. I thought, maybe he wasn¡¯t just a simple knight, because he wasn¡¯t someone who easily lets go of something he wanted to know without getting to the bottom of it. ¡°What exactly is this object¡­?¡± Evan was busy looking at the thing that seemed to hold simr properties to the power he used. When the witch kicked him out, he couldn¡¯t hide his hurt expression, but now I feel strange since he didn¡¯t seem to mind me kicking him out again that much. Perhaps Evan wasn¡¯t as hurt as I thought he might be. It was both pleasant and bitter to think so. And I had to realize once again how selfish and cruel I was to be thinking this. It was a pity to know that my greed, too, was endless, so I tried to control myself, but it still popped out at times like this. Yohan inly ordered Evan to pack his things, as if he didn¡¯t care much about his opinion on the matter. As usual, Evan casually asked him questions. ¡°Are you thinking of moving to the next location?¡± ¡°No, the hunt is over.¡± Evan¡¯s eyes were wide open. He stood in a dazed stupor for a moment, startled by the unexpected reply. Then, he approached Yohan and asked him again. ¡°What do you mean the hunt is over? We still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°How can you call a hunter a hunter when he turns into a prey? How could you hunt while being hunted?¡± ¡°Pardon me?¡± Soon, Evan understood what Yohan said. He added with a smile, ¡°What are you so worried about? I can move the Light at will now. With this power, we will be able to exterminate all the iing monsters.¡± But Yohan¡¯s face was still stiff. He spoke in a dry voice. ¡°The hunters who are after you may be those who go far beyond my expectations. And¡­¡± Yohan continued, looking at Evan¡¯s clear eyes full of wonder. ¡°This is not where you belong.¡± Waiting to hear more of his exnation, Evan couldn¡¯t take his eyes off Yohan. Turning his head, Yohan muttered to himself as he continued to pack his things. ¡°It happened sooner than I expected, but we¡¯ll just have to get ready¡­ It looks like it¡¯ll get very busy for a while.¡± I realized that it would get busy for me too. The war was still raging on, it was too much just to watch and coordinate the situation, and now we¡¯ll have to chase not only after Evan but also after Yohan. I had to find out what he was thinking and what he was preparing for. Is Yohan of the same mind as the witch? Or is he going to disrupt her ns? What should I do if he intends to interrupt them? * It was not long before the people sent by the imperial pce arrived. Yohan got on their wagon without a hitch. The same was true of the sorcerer, Neriano. Subsequently, Evan, feeling aplex mix of bewilderment and anxiety, climbed on. As the Commander was away for a while, the remaining members and trainees had no choice but to wait. I watched to see them off, seeped into the carriage, and began to move with Yohan, Evan, and Neriano, as they traveled to the Imperial Pce. The journey there was nothing special. The thing that produced the shield against the darkness was in Evan¡¯s hand, and its power was not exhausted. All Darkness, except for me, would not even be able to approach this carriage. Problems arose as we entered the Imperial Pce. I couldn¡¯t get to where the emperor was. No, I could approach it, but once I walked in, I couldn¡¯t get out. The reason why the emperor did not leave it was clear. It was because it was impregnable by all enemies, including myself. However, it was fortunate that Lue, a believer in Umbra, who entered the pce in the midst of confusion, could tell the way around it. No matter how powerful the pce is, the power of the spell engraved there will inevitably weaken over time. It was clear that the emperor was in the safest ce possible and that he kept all the powerful objects close to him. In other words, since Lue uses the power of Darkness, wherever she could approach was outside its sphere of influence. That means I could get in and out of the area as well. And if I give her a little more time, Lue would eventually be able to guess where the emperor would be. If she narrows it down by marking where she can move, his position will be revealed. So I didn¡¯t have to be impatient. Still, I was frustrated. I didn¡¯t know what the emperor, Yohan, Neriano, and Evan would have to talk about in the ce that I couldn¡¯t enter. It got worse as Evan stayed inside for longer. I waited impatiently for Evan, and only after a long timeter, I could see him leaving the pce. I quickly followed behind him, but for some reason, the mood had subsided coldly. As they walked in silence, Evan, Yohan, and Neriano all had aplicated look on their faces. Perhaps the emperor doesn¡¯t believe in Evan? Or is there another reason? The three climbed into the carriage. But instead of exiting the castle, the carriage stopped in front of another pce a little further off from the Heavenly Pce. And only Evan and Neriano got off. The carriage, carrying Yohan alone, set off again outside the castle, and the remaining two were guided into the pce. The pce was empty as if no one had lived there for a long time. Only then did I remember. Unlike before, there are no longer that many people living in this big and colorful pce. The Emperor, who values his life and regards others as enemies, was said to have taken his children¡¯s lives by his own hands. Thus, I recalled that the Son of Heaven was confined only to the Heavenly Pce. The rest of the pces were almost empty, except for the Central Pce, which is akin to that of a pig¡¯s field. And stretching out around the Central Pce, There are small andrge pces. In there lived the women who did not want to be associated with aristocrats, like Princess Heleina, or who waited only for the day they died of old age. Usually, the emperor threw his people away to a pce that doesn¡¯t look livable in any way and stays in the center, feeling the noise. But even that has be rather difficult. The aristocrats who used to eat, drink, and enjoy the pce life are currently busy with the war and do note to the pce anymore. Perhaps, on the day of their return, they might lead the rebels. It might as well be better to hope that they will nevere. A voice breaking the silence was heard, the footsteps of Evan, Neriano, and their guide resounded. ¡°You can stay here from now on. I was told to send maids to wait on you, so if you need anything, please let them know. They will provide anything you could ever need.¡± He then bowed lightly, turned around, and walked away. Then, he added his next words as if they had suddenlye to mind. ¡°Oh, if you can, don¡¯t go near the Heavenly Pce, that is¡­ if you value your life. If you need to see the Central Pce, you can ask a maid to show you around. Then make yourself at home.¡± Then this time, Evan was the one to speak. ¡°How long will we be staying here? And what are we supposed to do here?¡± He replied with a polite, impertinent smile. ¡°His Majesty just asked me to bring you here. So you can stay here until His Majesty tells you otherwise. And¡­¡± He paused for a moment and then said with a deeper smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you do. You don¡¯t have to do anything, or you can do anything you want. Whatever works, since you have full authority here. Everyone who hase to this pce has done the same so far.¡± That¡¯s how he finished speaking, and he often began to walk away. I could picture what was going on now. The Son of Heaven values his own life to the point where even his children could not escape his sword. So he can¡¯t trust a warrior, who had suddenly shown up, and leave his back exposed to him, can he? He had to know who he was, and what he¡¯s going to do with him. He probably nned to keep the warrior by his side and watch him closely. After all, he is rumored to have the power to kill the witch and rid the world from Darkness. I expected this to an extent. However, I was a little taken aback. I didn¡¯t think he would go as far as letting him stay in the pce. These were the people who, no matter how brave or bright they were, only ended up being used by the emperor, without any consideration, until they burned out. If it had not been for such rumors, Evan¡¯s power would have been considered a great threat and have been buried in the cradle before it could have grown further. Yohan, who brought him to the emperor¡¯s side, was an undoubtedly smart man. He knew he was a fence and noticed that the emperor would act as a bigger one. The emperor realized that Evan might be of help to him for now, so he kept him alive. However, if other nobles began to look at him as a source of anxiety, it was not clear when and how Yohan would rush in. After all, the witches were not the only ones to hunt Evan. ¡°What exactly is this? I need to hear an exnation.¡± Evan¡¯s voice rang out inside the pce, a little while after the guide disappeared. He asked, handing over the object I had given him to Neriano. ¡°You didn¡¯t even know what it was? Wasn¡¯t the item yours?¡± Evan, who had been flinching for a while, must have realized his mistake. He closed his mouth, biting his lip, and then opened his mouth again. ¡°No, it¡¯s mine. It was given to me. But I haven¡¯t heard anything about this item. I just heard that it¡¯s mine and that I should keep it. What exactly is this thing? What were you talking about back when we were in the Heavenly Pce? something about charms and holy spells?¡± As I expected, that thing seemed to have exerted great power upon meeting the Son of Heaven. It seemed that Evan, who had never been so curious about what the item was, had now realized that it was an unusual thing and now wanted to ask for an exnation. With his eyes fixed on the object that Evan was holding, Neriano opened his mouth. ¡°I told you one day. There have been many sorcerers, but there were only two of them. Those people who were dealing with Light used the incredible power of healing, blessing, and purification.¡± ¡°I know that. But what the hell does that have to do with this stuff?¡± Neriano squinted his half-closed eyes because of his drooping eyelids. The wind made the impression itself feel entirely different. He then clicked his tongue and continued his words. ¡°Have you felt nothing here?¡± ¡°Feel¡­ what¡­¡± At that very moment, Evan shut his mouth with a perplexed look, as if he had just realized something. Neriano¡¯s exnation thus continued. His disciple, who still had a long way to go, didn¡¯t conceal how pathetic he felt at his own ignorance. ¡°The fact that the past glory days, the most peaceful and beautiful of times, continue to be talked about until this day also means that the power of the divine sorcerers was just as great. I¡¯m sure you felt it. The sacred spells that remain in the Heavenly Pce. One of the two divine sorcerers was too engrossed in conveying his love to the goddess, so much so that he did not show his face. However, the other stayed in the imperial pce, working hard to protect this ce and the country. That item is his mark. It¡¯s a sign indicating his identity as a pce sorcerer, and it¡¯s engraved with a difficult spell that most sorcerers can¡¯t even interpret. I had also tried my hand at interpreting it. So it¡¯s a precious item that nearly got buried in this world.¡± In great surprise, Evan¡¯s eyes widened, his pupils dted. Not noticing Evan¡¯s reaction, Neriano gazed far away and muttered to himself. ¡°The person who gave you this item must have been associated with the Imperial Pce sorcerer. Maybe you¡¯re of the same blood as the pce sorcerer. Otherwise, it¡¯s hard to exin how you can manipte Light. Perhaps Yohan thought the same, that¡¯s why he kept you by his side.¡± Evan audibly swallowed several times. With aplicated look on his face, he managed to utter a few words. ¡°Why¡­? Why did he leave me by his side?¡± ¡°Because your power may be the only hope to reenact the past glory days once again.¡± Evan stared nkly at Neriano. He slowly turned to the object he was holding around in his fingers. He knew he was a warrior. No, he had to know. Even if he forgot the witch, he should not forget what she said. He should never forget that he was a warrior, destined to drive out the Darkness. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 57 CHAPTER 57 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Evan calmly adapted to life in the Imperial Pce. The emperor ignored Evan almost to the point of neglect. But Evan took care of his own life. The meals that the maids brought were not too bad, and the clothes they prepared were well fitted. They offered to prepare everything he needed, and all the clothes he wore were luxurious and elegant. Evan, dressed in such clothes, looked princely. As if he had literally jumped out from a fairy tale. With an angelic face, manly body, and fancy clothes added, it was not too unreasonable to mistake him for one. It may have been ufortable to wear a uniform for the first time, but Evan didn¡¯t utter a single word of protest. He wore such clothes and wielded a sword to train. The clothes werefortable enough not to restrain his movement. His figure was so wonderful that maids often secretly watched him or blushed when they saw him while he was training. But the most surprising thing was that he did not refuse to let them help him bathe. Of course, at first, his face got all red, and he was very shy, but unexpectedly, he left himself to their hands. I couldn¡¯t get out of it until Evan had undressed because it came as a little shock to me. It wasn¡¯t until his coat fell over my shadow that I coulde out of the bathroom after pulling out of my stupor. But no one came out except me. I could only hear the asional rustling of water. There was no woman in the training camp, so I had no idea, but Evan was definitely a man. The boy, who was small and innocent, grew up like this and became a manly warrior. I had forgotten that fact for a moment. His interest in the opposite sex was only natural, and he was attractive enough to be able to seduce any woman he fancied. I recalled the words of the man who guided Evan all the way here. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what you do. You don¡¯t have to do anything, or you can do anything you want. Whatever works, since you have full authority here. Everyone who hase to this pce has done the same so far.¡± I thought that it meant freedom, but now that I think about it, it was quite a straightforward invitation. To send maids to wait on Evan and say that it was okay for him to do anything, and to say that other people who came to this pce before him have done the same does not leave much for the imagination. Neriano was busy building his knowledge in the Central Pce. Yohan went back to the Knights¡¯ Order and continued his struggle. In other words, Evan was the only one here. And there were young and charming women beside him who were clearly very interested. I thought for a moment. Can I stay with Evan like this? He didn¡¯t know that I was following him. And so far, I didn¡¯t follow him to the bathroom to protect his minimum privacy. But I didn¡¯t even consider that there might be a ce even more secretive than a bathroom. While I was still looking at Evan practicing sorcery with his eyes closed, I thought I should put off thinking of what had not yet happened. If that were to happen, then I could just stray away from him for a while. Yeah, that would work. I kept holding back my desire to run away. Not wanting to witness such things in person, I bit down on my trembling heart. What do I care about that? I¡¯m only in a position to appreciate that I can look at him from afar, that I can die earlier and not miss him as much as I did before in that dreadful first premonitory dream. But not long after, my worries became a reality and appeared before my eyes. Evan led a maid into his room. Not shrugging off his leading hand, the maid followed Evan into his room with an unmistakable look of joy that I had spotted at first nce. Then, Evan sat on the bed. He stayed still while she began to unwrap her dress of her own volition. I ran out of the room because I couldn¡¯t watch any further. But just because I can¡¯t see it doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t hear it. Behind the closed door was the sound of rustling cloth, pitter-patter of footsteps, and before long, the squeaking of the bed. There was no way to know if Evan was the one lying down or if the maid was the one lying down, but I didn¡¯t want to know more. ¡°Pretty. Long eyshes, red lips, and white skin.¡± I couldn¡¯t stand the voice and finally opened my eyes. Instead of the grayish-colored pce, the inside of the ck Tower unfolded. His voice turned into a hot fire, and I felt his heart burning as if it had turned aze. I swallowed hurriedly. His words seemed to touch me. Unlike the witches, he seemed to say that he was satisfied with the soft, clean, and pretty maid. Thanks to Evan¡¯s Light, his goodness and kindness cleared my wounds, but that doesn¡¯t mean that my hideous face was gone. I covered my face with my trembling hands. ¡°For just this kind of thing¡­ What does this even weigh against¡­¡± What kind of indecent thought is this? How do I even darepare myself with her? How could I envy her? A witch would never dare to cross over a warrior in the first ce. All I have to do is wish him happiness. Wasn¡¯t it wrong to get hurt by this? No, isn¡¯t it greedy just to think of it? When was I even a woman? How dare I want to be a woman? Even if the young man in my memory saw the woman in me, I could not reach Evan as a woman now. That¡¯s just pathetic and nasty. To be remembered as a witch, or to be a woman, even though I was already a witch. Iy down on the floor with my chest, not easily calmed. As the day had dawned, I couldn¡¯t even go to Evan until the birds sang. Not counting the day that I had lost my consciousness; it was the first time I hadn¡¯t seen him for so long. * Ever since that time, Evan has drawn the maid into his bedroom every night. For some reason, he insisted on the same maid. She seemed very pleased. I still couldn¡¯t handle it and used toe back running to the tower like a haunted game. But my heart didn¡¯t burn as it did at first. It was a little calmer. In the first ce, it was ridiculous for me to react like that. I was nothing more than Evan¡¯s shadow. I had to do nothing except chasing him, looking at him, and protecting him. I became a little worried. The warrior was not supposed to give his heart to a maid. No, it didn¡¯t matter if he gave his heart, but it would be a little difficult if a love child were to be born in between them. Evan had to drive out the Darkness and wear a crown. In order to do so, the emperor¡¯s blood was necessary. But I couldn¡¯t separate Evan from the maid, so I was just a little nervous. I hoped Neriano or Yohan would find out soon. Then they would probably put a stop to it. They must already know. The fact that not only Evan¡¯s power but also the Son of Heaven¡¯s authority must be added to reenact the glory era. The best thing was for Evan to marry the princess and have a son. Aside from his interest in his maid, Evan didn¡¯t make much difference in his routine. He still practiced in his spare time and often went to the Imperial Pce library, where Neriano was locked up to read books. Evan was initially interested in building his knowledge. He had many questions and was eager to learn more as though there were at least a few things that I had not taught him before. It was only natural that he liked the ce where there were many books. There were so many books about sorcery that it had be very helpful for Evan, Neriano, and all the other sorcerer¡¯s studies. Evan took a book and went around the main pce hall to interpret the spells. The more he did so, the more adept he became in handling Light. Rather than to satisfy his curiosity, Neriano thought it more important to develop Evan¡¯s skills. And so he had also read almost all the books rted to divine sorcery. What was a little unusual though, was that instead of divine sorcery, Neriano was more interested in the powerful imperial sorcerer. Maybe he¡¯s trying to find Evan¡¯s roots. However, little has been revealed about the pce sorcerer, and it was probably hard to find any personal information. Still, he scrutinized books that recorded the time when the divine sorcerer stayed in the pce, what he had been doing, and the spell he had created. Either way, his ability to interpret spells was so great that it was sure to be of great help to Evan. It was one day when Evan was maturing by the second. For some reason, Evan didn¡¯t wait in his room. I thought it was a little strange since he was putting the maid on his bed every single night. As far as I know, Evan was quite strong, but I was worried that he might be sick. The reason remains unknown. However, when all the maids returned to their respective rooms, a white Light gathered around Evan, soon disappearing a momentter. He used a teleportation spell, and it was the first time I had seen it. I froze and soon looked around in a flurry. I couldn¡¯t find him when he disappeared like this. Maybe he went to Yohan. He had never seen him ever since he entered the pce, so I thought maybe he went to him. I tried to teleport into the ce where Yohan stayed, but then a tickle spread on my cheek. I inadvertently tried to touch my cheek but then remembered that I was materializing as a Shadow. The Shadow used nothing but sight and hearing. Then what I¡¯m feeling right now¡­ ¡°What, are you awake already?¡± When I opened my eyes, someone who should never havee here talked to me. Even inside the dark tower, I could know that he was none other than Evan, with his striking white hair and piercing red eyes. Amid the unexpected situation, I stared at him without uttering a sound. And with a slight frown, he smiled¡ªstill the same twisted smile. He briefly nced at me, standing from a distance close enough for me to touch him if only I stretched my hand a little. He looked around and then said, facing me again. ¡°Nyx, I¡¯m here.¡± The ce where his gaze touched felt ticklish. His fingers seemed to be fiddling with my cheek. The tickling that I felt through my cheeks spread throughout my whole body. At the same time, I had to feel the exact opposite, as my heart was overflowing and falling into a deep abyss. I was so happy to see Evan again that my eyes twinkled. But it was also suffocatingly frustrating and sad that the warrior came to visit the witch. I felt fear. It was the fear that the warrior might be caughting here, and at the same time, the fear that the witch might not be able to expel him a second time. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 58 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson ¡°Nyx.¡± After staring at Evan for a while, I managed toe to my senses and held his hand that was patting my cheek. He was brushing my cheek with his thumb alone. The unfamiliar sensation poked through my body. When I held his hand, he turned around. And with happiness in his eyes, he wrapped my hand tightly. It was a hand that I had thought was only long and pretty, but it was unexpectedly big, which made me embarrassed. ¡°Won¡¯t you say ¡°Wee¡±?¡± Evan¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. It was a friendly way of speaking that was no different from before, but his voice was very low and thick, so the overall feeling waspletely different. In the past, I had felt his naivety and felt a strange pity for his longing for a mother¡¯s affection. But now, I felt like he was whispering to a lover. It was friendly and soothing and had a force that was hard to resist. His voice, which has matured as much as his appearance, had a heavy echo. It made me feel like I was infinitely weak and small, unlike when he was a boy. He was no longer a boy whom I had to protect and care for, but a young man who made me want to copse as I was. I almost said, ¡°Wee,¡± just as he said. But I couldn¡¯t. I shook my head, pulling out my hand that had been caught by Evan. And as I tried to back down, he held my hand again. ¡°Why? Why aren¡¯t you saying it?¡± The low-pitched voice was still friendly andnguid, but strange feelings came through with it. Obviously, he was asking me questions, but they didn¡¯t feel like questions. They felt like he was reprimanding me for not weing him. He was grumbling at me for not doing so. Evan sounded just like when he was a child. I felt a little relieved. Having grown up through countless situations and fights, it felt strange that a boy who was weak enough to lean on a witch was now a young man who had his own life. However, all of it quickly fell apart, and I saw the boy I knew in him. The thought of Evan as I knew him made me feel relieved. It was as if the time when we were apart had melted away. I opened my mouth and called him. ¡°Evan.¡± ¡°Yes? Talk to me, Nyx.¡± ¡°Why do you keeping here?¡± For a moment, Evan looked nkly at the unexpected question. He quickly asked back with an iprehensible look. ¡°Then why does Nyx keep telling me not toe?¡± Are you sure you don¡¯t know? Even if Evan is not a warrior, there is nothing good about being with a witch. Has he forgotten the time he had suffered from being driven into a monster? The world is now in a state of anxiety, and the people are anxious about a long-forgotten witch. And even if he put that fact aside for a moment, he can¡¯t forget that I¡¯m a witch. Come to my side: how? And why? Unable to answer, I looked only at the floor. Evan, with his upper body slightly bent, tried to look at me face to face. His tilted face caused the white hair covering his forehead to favor one side. And his clear, innocent red eyes looked up at me. He continued, speaking on eye-level from me. ¡°I told you to wait here because I was sure I¡¯d do what Nyx had told me to do. If I can use my strength, then I cane to see you anytime. So I only hoped for that and tried hard. But why are you just pushing me away?¡± Evan, the boy, had innocent eyes that seemed to be scarred. But the current Evan was a little different. As he grew up, his facial structure changed slightly, and his eyes became sharper. As I looked up at him, however, I could still see traces of those bygone days. He was no longer a boy. He became beautiful and manly, and so he couldn¡¯t be as outspoken as he was before, but the atmosphere that he created with his sullen expression using me of having let him down made me feelplicated. Evan must have been born with a knack for putting me in trouble. ¡°But, Evan.¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t understand Nyx¡¯s mind. Nyx, let me ask you one thing.¡± Although the way he looked at me was sad, his voice was powerful. He spoke softly in a low-pitched voice, as if he were trying to persuade me, or implore me, but that didn¡¯t mean I was in a more advantageous position. It was quite the opposite. I thought asking him to go would be an act done for his sake, but when I heard him speak so, I felt as if I had thought wrongly. I answered unconsciously. ¡°Yes.¡± Evan asked me a question as if he had been waiting for me to answer. ¡°You still want me to be a warrior? You want me to save the world?¡± I was startled. It was as if I had been set on fire. I almost forgot why I pushed him away. Evan¡¯s way of expressing himself with his whole body made me feel extra sorry for him, which is why I always told him as he liked when he acted this way in his younger days. I want Evan to wear the crown, I want him to be the sun to illuminate the world, and I want him to kill me in the process. I want to stop now. For a long time, I realized what it was like to be alone. And when the young man in my memory died next to me, I realized once again how much more painful it was going to get, and how great a curse it was that I could not die no matter what I did. I know for a fact that, until I breathe myst, I will not forget the young man who had closed his eyes in blood. I also know how long my curse willst if I don¡¯t die now. Forever. So I can¡¯t give up dying by Evan¡¯s sword. It was the meaning of my life now, my only goal. I can bear all the pain now, for there is hope that it will end soon. I can look at the world without turning a blind eye to it because I know that my ending is possible. And so I cannot bring myself to give up on Evan. What matters to me is the ¡°end.¡± But the problem was Evan. To die by Evan¡¯s sword is my greatest joy and happiness, but not Evan¡¯s, who will have to kill me. I wasn¡¯t the one who would get hurt. I like it when Evan is around, but I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll be hurt and suffer more if he doesn¡¯t sever himself from me. It¡¯ll end for me once I die with his sword, but I¡¯m afraid it won¡¯t be the same for him. That is all. I¡¯m sure I know that, and I¡¯m trying to push him away for that reason. But looking into his eyes, they seemed to tell me that I was wrong. I had to keep myself from closing my eyes and hiding my face. If Evan weren¡¯t here, I would have closed my eyes tightly and tried to numb the pain. However, I soon managed to open my mouth with an expression close to my usual one. ¡°I know that you will save this world. It¡¯s getting closer to the future that I¡¯ve seen. I¡¯ve dreamed of it for a long time, and that¡¯s all I want from you. But Evan, this ce is nothing but poison to you. If you want to do as I say, then you should stoping here. I¡¯m sure you also know this¡­ You should know.¡± Evan, knitting his eyebrows for a moment, asked. ¡°That¡¯s all you want from me? Bing a warrior?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How can I be a warrior? What the hell is this warrior that you are talking about?¡± ¡°To light the world by the Emperor¡¯s side. As you probably know, there is a threat to the world. You will drive out that Darkness and be a new hope.¡± The threat I was referring to was of myself. I was going to lie to Evan if he asked what it was, but he said nothing. When everyone talked about the witch being behind everything, Evan reminded me of the way he shouted, ¡°Not the witch.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand why the small, naive boy still believed and relied on me even though he had grown up this much. I don¡¯t know what it was like, for the witch¡¯s tower to be Evan¡¯s whole world. But now, so much was beside him. I didn¡¯t know why he was going this far when it was so dangerous for him. No, I didn¡¯t want to know. I didn¡¯t want to know what he thought of this ce, what exactly it meant to him. Knowing that will be a standard for guessing how hurt he will be after he finds out the truth. Evan seemed to be thinking things over deeply. But soon he said with a slightly brighter look. ¡°Well, that¡¯s it. That¡¯s all that you want from me anyway, right? Then I can do what you want.¡± What I truly want is death. All you can do for me is to stick the sword in your hand through my chest. His words, unknowing of the truth, were said in a way that he would do anything. It made me both happy and sad. So I made no answer, and he continued with a smiling, yet frowning, and at the same time, vague expression. ¡°Then, Nyx, you have to listen to what I want as well.¡± He added in a stronger voice, perhaps having felt my reluctance. ¡°Don¡¯t push me away.¡± At first nce, the voice of the young man who remained only in memory, ovepped with his. Even though many things have changed, I often felt like I¡¯ve gone back to the past whenever he says or does the same things as the man from my dream. I keep mistaking him for the young man of that time. I¡¯m sure there are enough differences between the two to call them separate people. ¡°Always stay here. So that I cane to see you anytime.¡± ¡°Evan.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what you want, so why won¡¯t you listen to what I want?¡± The closer he gets to me, the more pained he will feel after learning the entirety of the truth. But now that he had put me on the spot, the desire to do as he says had soared. I wanted to obey him, ignoring that it would grow his pain, only for my own pleasure. ¡°¡­You¡¯re going to have a hard time.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care, Nyx. I cane here without anyone knowing. You just have to stay here. Don¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll do whatever you want. I¡¯ll help you achieve whatever you want through me.¡± I took it in apletely different way, but after he allowed it, I felt a little relieved. Rather, that¡¯s what I had believed.* ¡°¡­Right.¡± Before I knew it, I had be a witch that would put her own joy first and cause more pain to the warrior. ¨C¨C¨C *T/N: meaning that she understood that as him allowing her to borrow his hand in order to die. Chapter 59 CHAPTER 59 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson After giving my permission, Evan busily wandered around the inside of the tower, looking at this and that. As I sat against the wall, I chased him only with my eyes. A strange feeling seized me. Had the inside of the tower always been this low and narrow? I¡¯ve never felt it to be small before. It was always filled with pitch-ck darkness. And I used to regard it as a swamp that seemed to be sucking me into a bottomless pit. It certainly wasn¡¯t a veryrge space, but it had always used to seem empty. As if it was a void that would devour everything. But when Evan stood inside it, it just turned into a small, ordinary tower as though it were bending itself to his will. The boy, who was busy moving around to clean up the inside of the tower only yesterday, was so big that he could cross the whole space in only a few steps. Whenever he strode his long legs a few times, he moved from one end of the tower to the other, and just by raising his head, he touched a cobweb that had settled on the ceiling. The furniture I had brought to take care of the then child Evan was too small for the Evan of today, making the tower feel cramped. Whenever he would turn around or swing his arm, the furniture would interfere with his movements, causing him to have a faint frown on his face. The books, which had stacked up to the boy¡¯s knees, were easily swept aside by him with one hand. It was a little confusing for me to decide whether the books were originally so small or whether it was Evan¡¯s hands and arms that got so big. The boy, who used to jump around, sang praises of how amazing the fog made from Darkness was. And now, he had grown into a young man who had created Light by saying that the tower was too dark. I¡¯ve been watching the whole process, but what is this feeling that I¡¯m getting now? Why is it so strange? He walked back in front of me as if he had lost interest in looking around. Then he crouched down, put his arm on his knee, and looked at me quietly. The posture remained unchanged from childhood, almost pushing me to crack a smile. It was strange. He had changed so much up to this point, but I can¡¯t believe that this trivial action was enough to confirm that he¡¯s indeed the person I knew. I looked at Evan, who fluttered one arm using his knee as a lever, and then hurriedly turned my head, realizing that his gaze was quite explicit. His eyes were persistently looking at my face. Only then could I recall that Evan had healed my scars. I didn¡¯t know whether I should say thank you or not. But Evan never opened his mouth about it. Maybe it was unintentional healing. Maybe it wasn¡¯t very interesting for him. Interest¡­ Right, perhaps he merely thought, ¡°so this was her real face¡± in passing, then forgot about it. ¡°Nyx.¡± Why do I feel so strange every time Evan calls my name? It was not the boy¡¯s thin and weak voice; rather, it was a deep and slightly intimidating voice. And it was so strange. I¡¯ve always been watching from the sidelines, but the voice he had used to call only me, not others, felt very different. ¡°Nyx?¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I answered as he tilted his head and started to call for me again. As a child, he was a bit of a stickler, not giving up until he was answered, like trying to force eye contact if I didn¡¯t look at him. In the end, I couldn¡¯t win against his stubbornness, so there were a lot of times when I gave up early on. Evan stretched his arms over his knees and continued, burying his chin in them. ¡°What have you been up to while I was gone?¡± I didn¡¯t expect him to ask any questions, so I didn¡¯t answer. But he only looked persistently at me and rephrased his question. ¡°Since you sent me out to be a warrior, what have you been doing here alone?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Evan stared with narrowed eyes, either suspicious of my answer or trying to gauge the truth. So I added some words to his benefit. ¡°Just like it¡¯s been so far.¡± Only then did Evan open his eyes wide as if he remembered. ¡°That¡¯s right. Nyx always did nothing. You seem a little different now, but you still do nothing.¡± It seemed that he was not aware of what changed me. He¡¯s the one who woke the dead witch up, and he¡¯s the one who made her move. Evan muttered, ¡°That was the case at the time,¡± then turned his eyes my way to ask me again. ¡°Hey, can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°¡­¡± If he had any questions, Evan would always ask without hesitation, so I felt a little uneasy when he asked permission first. It was akin to insinuating that this was an important question for him. Evan said again if my expectations were correct. ¡°I really want you to answer it.¡± ¡°¡­What is it?¡± Instead of answering, he rummaged through his pockets and pulled something out. As soon as I realized what it was, my head was filled with countless thoughts. What do you want to know? How far should I tell you? All the small memories of the object with all their apanying agony surged up. ¡°This¡­ What exactly is this?¡± Evan still had a faint glowing from the object on his palm. Perhaps it was because the charm in it reacted to Evan¡¯s power. Or maybe the engravings on the object still haven¡¯t lost their effect. ¡°The Imperial Pce sorcerer¡­It¡¯s a kind of an identity token.¡± Each aristocrat used to have a family pattern, carrying objects or weapons engraved with them. This thing did not represent a family, but it had more power than that. Because the title of the Imperial Pce sorcerer itself was unique to only one person throughout all history. Evan looked at me with a slightly subdued look. As depth added to his contemting red eyes, the atmosphere itself feltpletely different. His astute and keen perception was quite sharp. ¡°I see why you gave this to me.¡± The pce sorcerer was of great help to the emperor. There had been only one so far, and the benefits of it have gone beyond description. No matter how long ago it was, no matter how greedy he was about his life and what he had, and no matter what kind of power he had or how much strength he would give, the present emperor could not easily turn a blind eye to it. It is now nothing more than a mere object forgotten along with the past glory, but for Evan, blessed with Light, it could have been a shield to protect him, and an identity card to assert his own lineage. The Imperial Pce sorcerer was a figure whose entire existence was almost kept secret. The people had no way of knowing about his bloodline. However, this object was buried along with the Imperial Pce sorcerer, who died when the world was swept away by Darkness. And it was of significant interest just because the boy who used his same Light had the object. Evan probably noticed from the reaction of Yohan, Neriano, and the Son of Heaven on the day he first went to the pce. The meaning of this item. And its strength. ¡°My question is.¡± Evan¡¯s gaze sank a little further. It seemed to dig into the bottom of my heart. ¡°How have youe into the possession of this item? This is it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When I think about it, there are more than one or two strange things. Whenever you went anywhere, you used to bring a bunch of amazing and precious things. Among them was that book. I can read that book now. You can see that it¡¯s a very high leveled and detailed divine sorcery book. And it¡¯s not even in the Imperial Pce library.¡± So don¡¯t even think about cheating your way out of this. Evan was saying so. I hoped Evan¡¯s growth would cloud his memories of what was happening with me, but it had been a little frustrating to see that he still remembered it so clearly. My childhood is almost entirely buried in memory. Those memories that I also really don¡¯t want to forget are now so clouded that I can never recall them in detail whenever I want to take a trip down memoryne. The sound of a pen grazing over a piece of paper, thenguid sunshineing through a crack in the curtain, the wide, fluffy armchair. I liked the smell of books and the people there. I was happy to have a family that loved me. My childhood was so peaceful and beautiful. I looked up, trying to bury my rising memories deep, just like this old space of mine, which had been forgotten. ¡°You.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You must have forgotten again. The fact that I was the witch who lived longer than anyone else.¡± ¡°What does that¡­¡± ¡°Where the Imperial Pce sorcerer lived, where he was buried. I mean, there¡¯s no way that I didn¡¯t know that.¡± Evan looked at me with a little surprise. ¡°So, this object came from there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Evan opened his lips as if he wanted to say something more. ncing at his grown-up face, I knew what he wanted to say. ¡°Did you think I had something to do with the object?¡± Evan¡¯s eyes shook almost unnoticeably, indicating that I hit the bull¡¯s eye. I muttered self-deprecatingly, casting my eyes at the object in his hand. ¡°¡­I am a witch. Born in the dark, living in the dark.¡± Should such beautiful people* have something to do with such dark things? Moreover, something like that of a witch? It is no different from the crown of the warrior turning into a crown of thorns as soon as it is revealed that he is rted to the witch. ¨C¨C¨C *T/N : meaning those who use the power of Light. Chapter 60 CHAPTER 60 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Just like when he was young, Evan tried to be by the witch¡¯s side. Unable to break his stubbornness, I gave in and eventually allowed him toe to the Witch¡¯s Tower. Even though I knew it was going to be painful. But Evan, unlike in his childhood, did not insist on staying in the Witch¡¯s Tower. Feeling the deepening of the night, he raised himself up. And when he was ready to go, he disappeared with the Light, leaving behind only a promise that he woulde again. It was a pretty big change. Very different from the boy who stayed in the tower. Even as he came to the witch¡¯s tower, Evan spent his daily life as usual. One thing that changed a little was that Neriano went to meet people who had connections with the sorcerer, be that as small as it may be. He was a very long-lived man and had been very young when he had started using magic. His experience was invaluable. That¡¯s why he was able to help Evan a whole lot. But Neriano seemed tock knowledge about the divine sorcerer. He wanted to know stories about the time when he was alive by asking the elderly, who are most likely to have heard various tales from their parents or grandparents. I didn¡¯t make much of his behavior. In fact, it seemed right to say that there was no time for me to care. It was too much just to watch for Evan¡¯s visits. I had to also turn my eyes away from him from time to time to see how the world was going. And on top of that, I had to meet with Ruadhan to coordinate current situations and organize future ns. I couldn¡¯t do it all at once, so I usually began to move in earnest when Evan went to bed. He still took his maid into the bedroom, and it was a bit of a pity for me not to be able to see him sleep, but I was not around all the time anyway, so I returned to the tower at that point. Evan, surprisingly, had not visited the Witch¡¯s Tower in a while. So, without any distractions bothering me, I kept an eye on the aristocrats and tried to keep the bnce from tipping. The aristocrats looked a little tired from the prolonged fight. As such, I showed them hope. I gave food to those whocked food and gave soldiers to those whocked soldiers. In other words, I gave them the illusion that they could eventually win. As if they were already the witch¡¯s puppets, the aristocrats moved along the thread and proceeded with the story I was writing. Variousndlords were reced from time to time. The emperor did not seem to have any intention of taking action against the aristocracy in his empire. It urred to me that he might not be interested in whoever the owner of the estate was because it was all his own anyway. It would be good for the nobles topromise on their own. Otherwise, he will only have to settle the rebelster on. Maybe that was the wisest thing. Now the nobles were in a state of being both invisible and deaf. Because, of course, they fell into the witch¡¯s whispers and went crazy with greed. After seeing Evan go to bed, I returned back to the tower. I looked around the suffering world. They were now really believing in witches. All this was the work of the witch. Rumors had spread that it was the witch who had driven the nobles to be blinded crazy by greed, that¡¯s why they kept causing war. And it was true since there were also many witnesses. Someone must¡¯ve witnessed a Shadow attacking soldiers on the battlefield. Someone else must¡¯ve seen Count Phyletto talking to the air. And another must have noticed that when victory was just around the corner, the defense line either solidified or copsed in the blink of an eye. There were even those convinced that it was a witch who was moving the monsters. The rumor was considered to be true when only three people attested to it. Moreover, the emperor did not move despite the situation. And because of that, I had to be more confident. He hid in the Heavenly Pce for fear of the witch. Rumors circted that he would hold hands with a witch and y nobles. At the same time, rumors about the warrior had spread far and wide. There were many who saw the Light of the warrior. It was the obvious truth. And since the truth weighed more than mere rumors, many people talked about the warrior; because it gave them hope. Most also knew that he had already gone to the pce. Rumors that the Son of Heaven had locked him up in fear of his power, or that he was training in anticipation of the right time had circted constantly. As the center of the rumors, Kato¡¯s tavern was making more sess day after day. Although the number of mercenaries, who were the main customers, had decreased by a significant margin, the central part of the emperor¡¯s territory was a little off from the war. And so, it was filled with refugees lucky enough to sneak away from the warringnds. They picked up the rumors and spread them, hoping that the emperor would solve the issue quickly, And hoping that anyone, if not the emperor, would step in to end their despair. As the people¡¯s anguish and desperation deepened, interest in the warrior grew. They hoped he would solve all this as he had exterminated the monsters. They prayed that he would aim his sword at the witch, the main culprit behind this tragedy. I couldn¡¯t get back to the tower until nightfall. I was going to rest a little, but I could feel some noiseing from the stairs. ¡°Ny- Nyx.¡± Coming at an hour thiste, I noticed that something unusual has happened to Ruadhan¡¯s behavior. He was so baffled that he could not hide his feelings. Ruadhan was not a man easily agitated. He was always cool and dry with a face that supported little change of expression. He had sharp eyes and sses that, coupled with a calm tone and behavior, made him look rather cold. Of course, it may look like that on the surface, but in reality, he was a man with a warm and generous heart. But in any case, his current behavior was so unlike him. As he hurried to the stairs, he courteously gave a light bow and continued his words with a cracked face. No matter how urgent it was, or how hectic it was, he shouldn¡¯t have forgotten to wear his sses. ¡°Sorry for thete hour, but it¡¯s urgent.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Margarita has been captured.¡± I couldn¡¯tprehend what he said, so I stared nkly at him. As if in a state of shame, he continued with a dark, wobbly face. ¡°Margarita¡­ went to the warrior and attacked him.¡± For a moment, I had the illusion that my time stopped. Ignoring my frozen response, Ruadhan shook his head and uttered deep sighs as if he could not believe it himself. He swept back his hair that ran a little down his face as if he had roughly tied it up in his haste before, and said. ¡°I think Lue did it. She would often stay in the pce and observe the movements of the warriors. It was also Lue who ran to me and told me about it.¡± ¡°S- so? What happened to Evan?¡± I asked, biting down on a scream. Aftering to my senses a little, I was flooded with worries about Evan. I wanted to run to him right away, but the situation was so severe that I thought it to be a priority to figure it out first. My rationality can suppress my emotions even in this situation because I had been killing my feelings for a long time. Although he was frowning, Ruadhan answered my question with a straight face. ¡°I don¡¯t know what had happened exactly, but I don¡¯t think he was in the room. He must have attacked Margarita, who was rushing out of the pce. After hearing Lue¡¯s story, I rushed over to her side, but the warrior had already taken her away. The pce where the warrior is staying is heavily guarded and full of sharp tension. I came back here because I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible for me to find out more on my own.¡± For now, Evan was safe. I leaned against the wall, feeling dizzy with the relief that had flooded me such a short amount of time. Ruadhan hurriedly grabbed me by the shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m not good enough¡­¡± ¡°No. No. We need to assess the situation first.¡± After calming down a little, a bigger problem had weighed me down. Margarita was caught. She used the power of darkness, but she was no more than a young student. Besides, unlike me, she was an ordinary human being who would die if killed. How the hell am I supposed to save her? That wasn¡¯t all. Perhaps the possibility of the emperor not killing her was high. He had to dig up her background. She tried to kill the warrior,ing all the way to the pce. Maybe he¡¯d also try to figure out how she found out about the ce where the warrior was staying. Then Lue would be in danger, too. It would be very likely that they¡¯d discover that the witch was really behind all of this after all. It¡¯s too early. All of the preparations are not yetplete. I closed my eyes and looked at the pce. I had to get Margarita out. As soon as possible. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 61 CHAPTER 61 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson But s, I could not find Margarita. As Ruadhan said, the pce where Evan was staying at had extremely tight security. As I was unnoticeable as a shadow, I slipped through the cracks and searched every nook and cranny. However, I did not find anything. Neither Margarita nor Evan were in the pce. Only the maids, who were under investigation, were present. Their screams filled the room. As they were being interrogated, the easiest way to get the truth was through the use of fear and pain. ¡°We- we know nothing!¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, please believe us!¡± One of them was already reduced to a pitiful state and could only barely open her eyes. It didn¡¯t take much time for me to identify her as the woman going in and out of Evan¡¯s bed-chamber. Her beautiful and delicate face was a mess. She seemed to have been the prime suspect since she was the woman to have spent the most time with Evan. ¡°I¡­ nothing¡­ no¡­ thing¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of her. She had to be punished even though she did nothing wrong. How was I any different from these people? ¡°But I did¡­ nothing¡­ wrong¡­¡± The tears in her eyes streamed down her cheeks. These people did nothing wrong, and so the investigation would end here because there wasn¡¯t anything to be learned from them, but my heart felt so heavy that I could not bring myself to move. My sins only grew as time went by. The thought that this might not just end with my death tormented me. After not being able to take my eyes off these innocent victims for a long while, I hurriedly left the ce. Evan, Neriano, and Margarita were nowhere to be seen in the Central Pce. That means they must be in the Heavenly Pce. I circled the Heavenly Pce, searching, but it was fruitless. If the emperor had said that he wanted to see Evan himself, then he had probably stayed closer to the emperor. I spent days surrounding the pce to confirm if my prediction was right, but I could not even confirm if Evan was unharmed, let alone the whole ount of the story. As my heart burned ck with worry until only ashes remained, I saw someone step out from the Heavenly Pce. It was Evan and Neriano. His face had be so emaciated in that short period of time. His expression was dark, and his gaze was fierce. He looked so alien that I could not go any closer to him. He seemed to know everything. His stay was not short, so I thought he¡¯d have heard it all. Margarita was a human, after all. She was also a human, weak to pain and fear. No matter how great her hatred was, she could not have withstood the threat of death. How much had she said? The fortunate thing was that all the members were not well-informed on the entirety of my ns, Margarita included. Except for the fact that the witch had appeared, and that the witch had asked the Shadows to lend her their powers. The witch propelled the nobles to start the war. And the reason for it? For revenge. Those were people who knew that the witch hated the world. I deliberately had them only reveal their faces to me and not to each other and made it so that I was the only one who acted on the outside. All that was done so that if things go wrong, no, even if things go right, the arrows would all be directed at me alone. I wanted to hear details about how things went, but those two only walked on silently. In the hallway, only the footsteps of the servants who guided Evan and Neriano resounded. The silence which seemed to have stretched endlessly was cut short with Neriano¡¯s voice. ¡°Evan, perhaps you already know, but I n to go meet Yohan. Will you go along with me?¡± ¡°No. If it¡¯s that same story, then I don¡¯t want to talk about it any further. I don¡¯t want to think about it.¡± ¡°Alright. I understand how you feel. I was careless because I didn¡¯t expect that they woulde all the way to the pce. You must¡¯ve been very surprised by this, weren¡¯t you? But still, it was very fortunate. That they came after you when you weren¡¯t there¡­¡± ¡°Neriano, sir.¡± ¡°Ahem ahem. It seems that I started spouting useless things in my old age.¡± He looked around him cautiously, as if he were monitoring his surroundings. Then, Neriano spoke again. ¡°If you stay in the Heavenly Pce, things like this won¡¯t ever happen again. The Son of Heaven probably thinks along these lines as well. But you never know, so make sure to make a powerful magic circle so that no one could approach you.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± The emperor¡¯s response wasn¡¯t unexpected. The witch is after the warrior, for obvious reasons. As I was looking for Evan, I picked up bits and pieces and got the gist of what had happened here. As Evan was chasing Margarita, he used the power of Light to attack her. Those who witnessed it were unable to conceal their amazement. Perhaps the emperor has heard of that and decided to keep Evan by his side, Realizing that he¡¯d be of great help to him. He would be less neglectful of him now, unlike before. ¡°Speaking of which, I never thought he¡¯d let you stay at the Heavenly Pce. It seems that the Son of Heaven ns to rely on you. He must¡¯ve been surprised by your skills. Not even that. Especially that healing magic that could be called the power of God. It heals both wounds and scars to perfection, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, it also clears the mind and soul, so how could he not find you incredible? Anyone would not be able to help but crave that power.¡± Evan made no reaction to his words. His back looked sturdy and cold. It was impossible to read his mind like that. I couldn¡¯t figure out how he was feeling or if he would go visit the witch again. As Evan continued to be unresponsive, Neriano went on about his power. When they had finally arrived at their destination, their guide pointed to the room at the right corner and said it was the ce for Evan to stay. ¡°Evan¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯d like to rest a little.¡± ¡°All¡­ alright. I¡¯m sorry, you must¡¯ve been so tired. Make sure to rest well. I¡¯ll be off now then.¡± ¡°Yes, Have a safe trip.¡± Neriano looked at Evan, lying in bed, with worried eyes, and soon left the room quietly. He got ready to leave immediately and hopped onto the carriage. It seemed that the emperor had already finished talking. Evan must have been really tired, hey on the bed and seemed to fall asleep. I was worried about him because he had never missed washing up even after being exhausted from training. So I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him for a long time, and his eyes suddenly opened. Even though I knew that I couldn¡¯t be seen, I was momentarily shocked. So I hurriedly hid under the bed. Evan got up and walked a few steps away from his bed. And then, light enveloped him. I¡¯ve seen it many times already, so I knew that he was teleporting somewhere. However, it was his destination that I ignored¡­ ¡°Nyx.¡± I doubted my ears. I thought that maybe I had been hearing hallucinations. ¡°Nyx.¡± I heard his voice again. Following that, I felt something pressing down on my body. As I slowly opened my eyes, I saw something white fluttering before them. And I heard the sound of breathing by my ear. Something was leaning on my shoulder. Evan came to see me. And he was hugging me tightly. He put his long legs on the ground and bent his back to hug me as I was leaning against the wall. His arms were around my neck, stroking my ck hair, and I could feel his breaths as heid his head on his arm, breathing right into my neck. His warm breaths tickled both my ear and neck. ¡°¡­ Evan.¡± ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s stay like this for a moment.¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what Evan¡¯s action meant, so my mind wentpletely nk. With his skin touching mine, I could feel his pain; that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t hide my miserable expression. I was d that he couldn¡¯t see my face now because it was hard for me to control my expression. His body, holding me, felt lighter and more powerless than ever. My shoulders, which were carrying some of his weight, did not feel heavy at all. Instead, the heaviness in my heart was intolerable, as if I had carried him in my heart. I lifted my weak arms up, meaning to pat Evan on the back, but quickly changed my mind. I was the one who shook Evan so hard that he became this sad. I did not deserve tofort him. Whether or not he knew the truth. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 62 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Evan, who had held me ever so tightly for a while, slowly rose up and separated himself from me. Instead of taking off his arm that he had wrapped over my shoulder, he lightly grabbed it with his hand and faced me head-on. Evan was so close. When I tried to twist my body, he held my shoulder tightly and blocked me from moving. I had no choice but to look away with my head slightly lowered. As if he didn¡¯t like my actions, he tilted his head and tried to lift me up to his eye level. His face, which I was forced to look at, was a little bright, contrary to my expectations. No, it was brighter than usual. The corners of his mouth went up slightly, creating a sense of mischievousness. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off his face. I wondered if I had misread his feelings because of his smile. Even though it seemed to me that he was in no situation tough, his smile deepened a little as if he were greatly satisfied with something. At the same time, his eyebrows slightly frowned in a familiar way. I wanted to say something, but I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I just kept my mouth shut and focused on avoiding eye contact. I couldn¡¯t even speak and had so much to hide that I couldn¡¯t open my mouth. Evan didn¡¯t know I was trailing him, and he shouldn¡¯t find out about it. I had to make the usual face of the witch who has been trapped in a tower all this time. On the other hand, it was very difficult to prevent my anxiety from being revealed at the thought that he might have discovered everything. Evan looked at my face as if he were staring at my deepest secrets. Afterward, after letting go of his arms, he fell apart from me. I was fortunate to get out of his persistent gaze, but it was too early to be relieved. All because he hadid down on myp. As if he was going to look me up from the bottom with my head down, he made eye contact while lying down. As I tried to raise my head after figuring out the situation, he put his hands around my cheeks again. I was caught in a tight squeeze. My dark hair hung over Evan¡¯s head like a curtain. As a result, since it felt more intimate with only two people inside, I was under the illusion that the tower had gotten narrower. The feeling was so strange to me. And so.. so nerve-wracking. His lips, which had been sealed up to this point, opened as I tried to get out of his hand by forcefully shaking my face. ¡°Nyx, do you know what I¡¯ve been through?¡± My heart sank. Time seemed to drag on. When I froze to the ground, he lowered his hands, which had been holding my cheeks. As they went down, I felt chills because of his fingers sweeping down my cheeks. However, I looked at him on my own ord, growing more concerned about what the hell he was trying to say or what he was thinking. Evan was still smiling, but his red eyes were a little subdued. He continued his words as if he had not expected an answer from me. ¡°I could have been in trouble. I had a hard time. So don¡¯t keep avoiding me. Don¡¯t avoid me. Comfort me.¡± His voice was so low and heavy, but he deliberately exaggerated and put on a wretched tone and expression, making the whole thing seem like humorous and childish whining. I wondered, is it safe to assume that nothing had been revealed because Evan is so indifferent and unhesitant about leaning on me? No, is it so unimportant that he was attacked by the Darkness? There¡¯s a rumor that the witch had appeared, and that she¡¯s after the warrior, and if he¡¯s really attacked, wouldn¡¯t it be normal for him to doubt me? ¡°Don¡¯t you wonder what¡¯s going on? Aren¡¯t you worried about me?¡± Because of Evan¡¯s question, I was able to get out of the swamp that was sucking me infinitely. If he had said this much, then I should be worried for him, just as he said. And so I hesitated for a while, and then, I opened my mouth. ¡°Did anything¡­ Happen?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just anything.¡± He sighed so loudly that I felt that he had deliberately exaggerated again. His broad chest swelled and then sank dramatically. As if just thinking about it was horrible and painful to him. ¡°I could have never been able to you again. I was attacked by someone who sneaked in at night while I was sleeping.¡± ¡°¡­so?¡± ¡°What are you asking? So what did I do? Or, so what happened?¡± What else would I have wondered about if I had known nothing? This short thought crossed my mind, but I had nothing to think back in answer. ¡°I¡¯m asking what happened. You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± Evan looked at me nkly instead of answering. Blinking his eyes a couple of times, looking up like that for some reason, he replied with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Fortunately, I did not encounter the uninvited guest.¡± Even so, I was curious. I certainly came back to the tower after seeing Evan enter the room with the servant, so why was no one there? But I couldn¡¯t ask, so I kept my mouth shut, and he added as if he had read my mind. ¡°It was a good thing. I couldn¡¯t sleep that day, so I went for a walk. Maybe they came in then. When I entered the pce after a walk, I ran into the uninvited guest just in time. They just wielded their sword. That¡¯s why I attacked.¡± ¡°Good thing.¡± Was he on a walk? I breathed a sigh of relief. If Evan had been in a deep slumber, something terrible would have happened, just as he said. Why did Lue make such a mistake? He would have checked not only Evan¡¯s residence but also the whole radius of action. He didn¡¯t expect him to go for a walk that day, but he was too careless. The original n was for him to keep watch because he should be prepared for what might happen. Of course, it was lucky that he was careless. ¡°So, what happened to the man?¡± For a moment, Evan¡¯s face hardened. The change came so much that he couldn¡¯t hide his embarrassment that he asked with a slightly deeper look. His voice was also infinitely low and dry. ¡°When did I ever say he was a man?¡± I realized my mistake and felt my mind go cold. And only after hesitating a little did I manage to answer in a voice that was barely quivering. ¡°I thought it would definitely be a man. It must have been my prejudice.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± Evan looked into my eyes for a moment and soon continued,ughing again. ¡°Well, it¡¯s true. I wouldn¡¯t have attacked if he were a girl. This is probably what you thought. And as you expected, he¡¯s a man.¡± I breathed in heavily and then slowly exhaled, unable to sigh. He continued his words as if he had not noticed my reaction. ¡°That¡¯s not the point, so to finish, I managed to catch him. He was pretty good at swordsmanship, but as you know, I can use magic, so he¡¯s no match for me. And he was dragged into prison by a group of soldiers. He¡¯s in prison now, inside the pce where the emperor is supposed to stay. Thanks to that, I¡¯ve been to all the corners of the Heavenly Pce¡­ Aah!¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Have I mentioned that I was staying at the Imperial Pce?¡± Come to think of it, he never said anything about it. Of course, I knew, so I hurriedly tried to save the situation and asked, shaking my head quickly. ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. Since when have you been staying there?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while. Nyx must have been a little perplexed, too. Me speaking of the pce and the Royal Guard out of the blue, sorry, I was also taken by surprise.¡± I was all the more flustered that he noticed that I wasn¡¯t fazed by this. I hesitated for a moment in fear that he might have taken notice, and then changed the direction of our words. ¡°That¡¯s fine, but can youe here like this when you¡¯re staying at the pce?¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Fortunately, however, Evan answered with a nonchnt attitude, as if he hadn¡¯t been suspicious of anything. I tried to hide my impatience and asked more questions. ¡°So, did you find anything out of the man?¡± ¡°Not at all. He didn¡¯t say anything. Even though I¡¯ve been harassing him for quite a long time.¡± I feared that I was going to murmur something to myself that he shouldn¡¯t hear. So I kept my mouth tightly shut. How much pain must have he endured? It agonized the witch all the more because she had gone through simr torment before, and so her heart ached, imagining how much pain he must have suffered through. So why did he do such a reckless thing in the first ce¡­? Still, it was a relief. If he didn¡¯t say anything, doesn¡¯t that mean that neither my presence nor the witch¡¯s group had been revealed? Only then did I understand. That¡¯s why Evan came to me so casually, telling me this story, and the Emperor didn¡¯t move to catch the rest of the witches. Even so, Evan might have suspected the witch at least once, but I was amazed, grateful, and sorry to hear that. ¡°I put him back in jail for now. I¡¯ll wait a little while until he feels like talking and¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°If that doesn¡¯t work, then I¡¯ll just give him death.¡± When the word death came out of his mouth, my body trembled. I was seized with a strange feeling. The thought came to me; Evan was no longer the infinitely weak and na?ve child anymore, and he could now say that he was killing people in a carefree manner. During his time away from the witch, it urred to me that, while the boy grew up and became a young man, his appearance was not the only thing that had changed. In any case, it was a good thing that he hadn¡¯t killed Lue yet. I¡¯ll have to rescue him before he finally gives up his stubbornness and reveals everything he knows. I found out that he was in the Heavenly Pce, but the problem was that I couldn¡¯t get in there. The longer I dragged on, the more dangerous it became, so I had to find a way, and fast. ¡°It¡¯s been a terrible day. I don¡¯t want to ever go through it again. That¡¯s what you think, too, right, Nyx?¡± ¡°¡­yes. You¡¯ll have to be careful not to let this happen again.¡± ¡°Yes, I will. In the future, I don¡¯t think I should let my guard down even when I sleep.¡± ¡°Do so.¡± Unknowingly, I looked down at him with a slightly worried look. Perhaps having read my uneasy expression, he put on a seemingly bright smile and said. ¡°But still, it¡¯s fine. I have a person who gets worried about me like this. From here on out, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll have many things toin about from time to time.¡± I couldn¡¯t bear to meet his red irises, which seemed genuinely pleased to believe in me. So I put my palm over his eyes. Evan called me in a mysterious voice, but I dodged the situation by lying again. ¡°You must be tired, so sleep a little. Because this ce is safe.¡± Evan, blindfolded by my palm, opened his mouth slightly. He soon replied, curling the corners of his mouth up. ¡°Nyx, are you willing to lend your knees for me?¡± ¡°¡­yes.¡± ¡°Then, I must not decline.¡± He began closing his eyes, turning his head and shoulders toward my body. I stared at his face, which seemed a little happy. Eventually, Evan¡¯s eyes shut tightly. Is quitting everything I¡¯m doing and simply existing as the nice and friendly witch he believes in the only way to keep Evan happy? Do I have no choice but to give up death? I can¡¯t live my life while missing him with a body that never dies. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 63 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Evan came to the witch¡¯s tower whenever he could. I had to find Margarita and rescue him quickly. But with Evaning to the tower every day and night whenever he had the time, finding and rescuing proved to be a very difficult task. Besides, Evan wasn¡¯t just making simple visits. ¡°Evan.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± As soon as he came, I called Evan, who was lying on myp and staring up at the ceiling. He only answered with a naive look, as if he really knew nothing. That look was both ridiculous and mesmerizing, so I breathed a short sigh and said. ¡°If you keeping to me like this, everyone will be suspicious.¡± Then, he replied with an exaggerated look, as if there was no need to worry at all. ¡°It¡¯s all right. Nobody¡¯s looking for me now.¡± As Evan said, no one came near his room, but if his tail was long, he would eventually be caught one day. If the emperor suddenly came into his room, how will he escape? How is he going to avoid his doubts? ¡°But still, Evan¡­¡± My words didn¡¯t go on till the end. Because he stretched out his arms and hugged me around the waist, afterward, he buried his face in my stomach, murmuring contentedly. ¡°Well, that¡¯s good. This reminds me of the old days, right? I hugged Nyx a lot back then.¡± No, never. I looked down at him with a look of bafflement. But with his eyes closed, before I knew it, he was burying his face with a smile of genuine satisfaction. It was only three times that I had hugged little Evan. He was young at the time, but unlike other children, he was hurt and distanced himself from me because he did not trust people. It was hard to even see him smiling properly. But what about now? The fact that it¡¯s hard to see him smile properly still stands true to this day. But at the same time, his personality had changed dramatically. He spoke freely and got involved. This situation is strange now, so I couldn¡¯t help but try to push him away, but he naturally clung to me. He may have thought of me as a mother bird who protected him during his childhood, but I wasn¡¯t. As long as there existed a young man who had grown from being a baby bird and hase to see me as a woman in my memory, then Evan will always be a man to me. Of course, I know my situation well, and I know what will happen in the future, so I try to look at him with a parent¡¯s heart who would put everything down for their child, but it didn¡¯t work out well. Once he woke me up, I couldn¡¯t easily go back to my previousatose-like state. So I yearned for death even more. I know it won¡¯t end otherwise. Before I knew it, he was asleep, emitting the sound of steady breathing. I eventually gave up pushing him away and gave a short sigh. In fact, it couldn¡¯t have been bad. No, it was rather good. A strange throbbing covered me, and warmth poured in from where Evan touched me. His temperature filled my empty chest. When did he grow up like this? I looked down at his face and was struck with unfamiliarity. I watched him grow up, but it felt odd to see him all matured like this so closely for the second time. It was strange that he became such a big and reliable man. Indeed, human time was too fast. So it felt all the more shorter for me. I couldn¡¯t stand by for that short time. He was very cruel to make me spend such a short but intense time. The cruelty was not going to go away. Not until he had finished my life with his own hands. * Water that came from a ce unknown had wet my feet. As I casually looked down, I realized that the water was very red. The water, which had been flowing ceaselessly, became more and more solid. It wet my feet, wet my knees, and soon, wet my back. I groaned at the red water that came up to my waist. There was a pungent metallic smell. It wasn¡¯t just water; it was blood. It had already turned into a river of blood. And something floated down the current. It was a man. No, it was a corpse. His face was white, and his eyes were wide open. He had been cooled down rmingly, but the feelings in his eyes didn¡¯t go away; fear and terror. It was thest expression the dead human had made before losing his life. One by one, the number of bodies that had been washed away increased to dozens and hundreds. I turned around and ran off to avoid it, but my feet didn¡¯t move well. As they were submerged in the water, they became heavy and hard to control. In the meantime, the bodies that came by the swift current finally surrounded me. But the bodies were somehow familiar. I found a familiar face among them, and I eventually shut my mouth. The woman who was brutally mutted was the woman I had killed¡ªa woman who was sacrificed for the wrath of Count Phyletto, for the war between the nobles. I couldn¡¯t ce the guilt of murder on Ruadhan, and so I killed her myself with my own hands¡­ ¨C I don¡¯t want to die. An eerie voice stupefied me. ¨C Help me. ¨C I didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­ ¨C Nothing, nothing¡­ ¨C Why should I suffer this pain? The voices, which had been bursting out one or two words at a time, suddenly turned into a roar. The bodies were all victims of this incident¡ªthose who died because of me, those whom I killed. ¡°No. You would¡¯ve died even if it weren¡¯t for me. It was a war that would have happened one day. I¡¯m sure it was going to be like this. Be it war or subjugation, you, or your children, you¡¯d have still ended up with the same ending!¡± I screamed with fear. I knew it was an excuse I made for myself. But I felt it was unfair, too. ¡°Why? Why only me? You killed me, too. You¡¯ve killed and killed me again and again. I was hurt more than you. It was more painful for me each time. It was worse and more painful!¡± ¨C I want to live. ¨C I don¡¯t want to die¡­ ¡°Stop it. Please don¡¯t do this. I didn¡¯t want to either. Me, too. I really¡­ I didn¡¯t want anyone to be hurt. I wish it could have ended with one¡­¡± Suddenly, something twirled around my leg. I pulled it hard. I fell into the blood. It was all red all around. I couldn¡¯t breathe, so I tried to get out, but countless hands pulled me down. ¨C I resent you, I resent you. Before I knew it, the bodies were staring at me with their eyes open. It was terrible. I was afraid of the wrongs I did to them by causing their deaths. One day they would have died, no, they actually had a hand in their own deaths, I knew it well. But no man deserves to die. And I don¡¯t have the authority to kill them. I was suffocating. Blood flowed in constantly through my nose and mouth. I struggled to get out, but it didn¡¯t work. They¡¯ve been getting more and more tied to me¡ªheavy, fearful, and distressed. ¡°¡­x!¡± At that moment, a ray of light came down upon the blood. The light reached me across the water. ¡°Nyx!¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Nyx, are you awake? Let me see, are you all right?¡± I looked at Evan breathlessly. He was looking down at me with anxious eyes. His white hair shone like sunlight. A little while ago, it had felt like a ray of light, shining on me in the blood. His red eyes reminded me of the river of blood that had devoured me. I shuddered as I was captured in them. He seemed to havee to both save and punish me. ¡°Nyx, did you have a nightmare? It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m here. Huh? I¡¯m right next to you.¡± Evan stroked my face and hair with a very careful and friendly touch. It was warm and soft. He was looking at me andforting me, as if he were dealing with a baby. I felt like I was about to cry. My eyes stung. I bit my lips and held back my tears. He wrapped my cheeks in both palms. Then, he came a little closer and inspected my face. I closed my eyes tightly, fearing that he might catch this feeling that I wanted to cry, that I might cry at any moment. I didn¡¯t want to show any emotion, but I couldn¡¯t afford aposed face. At that moment, something touched my eyes. It was soft and warm. It fell so quickly that I wondered if it was an illusion. When I opened my eyes, Evan¡¯s red eyes were right in front of mine. He was so close that I stopped breathing. He came a little closer. I closed my eyes unknowingly, and something touched me again in the same ce it had touched just now. Light as a feather, it gently touched my eyelids before falling apart. It didn¡¯t take me much time to realize what it was. My body began to tremble. I couldn¡¯t believe the current situation, so I began wondering if this was all a dream. He held me in his arms. His chest was very wide, to the point where I could drown in them. And his arms were also very long and hard, enough to wrap around me. I leaned against his chest and listened quietly to his heartbeat. I felt like it had calmed me down quickly. My trembling body had already gotten more stable. ¡°You gave me strength whenever I was having a hard time, whenever I was in pain. Now, it¡¯s my turn. For that, I¡¯ll be by your side.¡± When I heard his voice vibrating throughout his body, it felt as if I was caught in a dream. I held back my sobbing. It wasn¡¯t because I felt relieved. I didn¡¯t feel like I had someone to protect me from my dream. It was painful. My heart was broken. All this was my sin. It was such a sin that would never be redeemed, and there was no way to atone for it. The fear shouldn¡¯t have disappeared so easily. It should not have been this easy to feel safe and lighthearted just by being in Evan¡¯s arms. The witch had to suffer, right until her veryst breath. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 64 CHAPTER 64 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson A little calmed down, I sat leaning against the wall. Evan, too, sat leaning against the wall next to me like that. His hand was on the back of mine. I tried to carefully pull it out of his grasp, but he immediately grabbed my hand and wouldn¡¯t let it go. All of Evan¡¯s actions confused me. They made me think that I was a woman just like when the young man who remained in his memory made me feel. But unlike him, Evan was away from me for a long while as he grew up, so even if he had feelings for me, I thought they wouldn¡¯t go much deeper than a distant memory. Is he doing it just to beforted by me? Does he want me to be supportive, as he said? I have also once wiped Evan¡¯s tears, hugged him, and held his hand. I hoped Evan¡¯s feelings would not be that deep. I hoped they would stop. I couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. I couldn¡¯t handle Evan. The deeper his feelings, the greater his sense of betrayal will be, the greater his pain will inevitably be. I hoped he would feel the least hurt possible. It¡¯s already toote, but I really wanted it to be less painful. What¡¯s a littleforting is that his life is shorter than mine. He won¡¯t have that much time to suffer. ¡°Nyx.¡± Evan, who had been silent until now, broke his silence. I just looked forward without answering. ¡°I¡¯ve asked you before, but¡­ Don¡¯t you want to get revenge Nyx?¡± I was ovee with anxiety, remembering whether I had unconsciously ranted to him. I remembered what I dreamed, what I did and what I said there. There was a lot of dangerous talk mixed in. No, I wouldn¡¯t have done that. When I didn¡¯t say anything, he added. ¡°I heard you muttering in your sleep. It was painful. It was horryfying. Stop it now. I was wondering if it had anything to do with your past.¡± I frowned unconsciously. But I¡¯m a little relieved that it won¡¯t be a big problem, but Evan said in an urgent voice, ¡°Maybe I misunderstood a little when I looked at your face.¡± Then with a louder, more confident voice, he said. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to talk. I¡¯m sorry. I reminded you of something hurtful.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that.¡± I breathed a small sigh and continued my words. ¡°I¡¯ve answered before, but it¡¯s all useless. That doesn¡¯t mean what happened will go away and it won¡¯t heal.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t that unfair?¡± What¡¯s wrong with him? I¡¯m a witch anyway. I answered this for him before, but today I gave him a different answer while making sure to keep my thoughts hidden. ¡°Even if it¡¯s unfair, what difference does it make? What they want from me is not the truth anyway. What matters to them is not the truth. They simply looked to beforted by looking at someone who was more in a difficult and distressed situation than they were in, someone to suffer instead of them. In such a situation, this a very simple and sure method. By ostracizing those who are different, they could build closer ties between simr people.¡± Most of all, I am not in a position to cry over being be falsely used. Because I was no different than those people who ostracized me. That¡¯s why Darkness should not rule over the world. Darkness is just a change of stance, but nothing fundamental changes with it. Everything has to be started over from scratch. It has to be toppled upside down. Those who were satisfied with the creation of one such a thing as a witch or a monster had to know that this was not all. They had to be realize that nothing would change at all. They had to understand why I had to go so far. Change may begin with a trivial thing, but it eventually spreads out to touch the whole. ¡°I just want the world to change. That¡¯s why I need you.¡± ¡°Then tell me what kind of world you want.¡± I thought for a moment and then opened my mouth. ¡°A bright, peaceful world. A world without war, without exploitation, without discrimination. A world in which one acknowledges, epts, and respects differences. A world of giving, sharing and understanding. A world where anyone can learn, teach, and be recognized if they have the ability.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be a little hard?¡± There was once such a world, but Evan didn¡¯t know. He might never know. It¡¯s hard to turn back the time into those peaceful days. It really took a lot of time for me to make it like that again. But that¡¯s on the premise that everyone is trying to make that happen. ¡°I hope it¡¯s at least a world where you can have a happy time. Just enough so that all families alike can just get together and have a cozy time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too¡­ Isn¡¯t that too simple?¡± Is that so? How many families are eating together now? Before that, is there a family left with all its members reunited? The head of the families and brothers who were taken to the battlefield, the mothers who were driven into the streets to make ends meet, the children slowly dying in the cold reality that no one was looking out for them. ¡°A father whoes home from a long day at work, a mother who¡¯s prepared a warm meal while waiting for her husband, children who have spent the day learning things even if they don¡¯t want to¡­ all gathered around one table; eating and filling each other in about how their day went. It is by no means simple. It¡¯s the most peaceful and beautiful world. It takes a lot to achieve that.¡± There was a time when that was possible. No, there was a time when such a thing was natural. At that time, there was no shortage of men in the viges, nock of ce to teach kids, and if one had the ability, they could be recognized for their talents. There were no families who were forced to be separated, nor people who died in loneliness due to discrimination or exclusion. ¡°Is that perhaps your story?¡± When I couldn¡¯t answer his unexpected question, Evan turned to me and asked again. ¡°I want to hear it. How was your family like? If you don¡¯t like talking about your family, then tell me about you. What were you like when you were a kid?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I told you, too. About my brother. I could tell you more if you¡¯re curious. My mother picked me up in the woods and raised me firmly against the opposition of the vigers¡­¡± ¡°¡­Fine.¡± I didn¡¯t want to hear Evan¡¯s story that much. Because I already knew it. I knew it all very well already, so I couldn¡¯t make him relive his horrible past again. I hesitated for a moment and finally opened my mouth. ¡°There was a time when I had a family, too. Back then, I also lived while dreaming. I could at least dream in the world I lived in. Because there were many ways to achieve one¡¯s dreams.¡± ¡°What was your dream?¡± ¡°¡­It was ordinary.¡± ¡°What were the ordinary dreams of those days?¡± Meeting a man who loves me and being loved for the rest of my life. I couldn¡¯t bear to tell him, so I shut my mouth. Then Evan asked another question. ¡°You were so ordinary, why the hell¡­¡± ¡°Have I be a witch?¡± Evan replied it with a small nod as if it were hard for him to voice it. ¡°Well, it¡¯s like asking you why you became a monster. My world ended with Darkness. I was too young, and there was nothing I could do and I knew nothing. I¡¯ve always been under protection, and one day I¡¯ve be the only one who doesn¡¯t remember ever making a decision on my own¡­¡± Now that I think about it, I only did pathetic things. I didn¡¯t run away and I didn¡¯t even think to make my voice heard. I was just afraid. Of everything. Would it have been a little different if it were the me now who faced those challenging times? Maybe I could have changed a lot on day I was driven to be a witch¡­ ¡°And my family¡­ At the time when the world was covered with Darkness, they passed away as many did. But if there¡¯s anything else, it¡¯s just that my family has tried their best to protect the world. They have dedicated themselves for that cause to the extent that I, a young child at the time, could hardly understand.¡± What my family didn¡¯t know was that after Darkness covered the world, I became a witch and suffered so much. I didn¡¯t die under the curse, and I really became a witch myself. If they knew, they might have taken me with them to the afterlife. Of course it might not have been possible. ¡°Nyx¡¯s family struggled to protect the world, so why aren¡¯t they being recognized for it? How could people have treated you like that when you were part in such a family?¡± I felt it was so unfair at first, but not anymore. As I said just now, it wasn¡¯t the truth that mattered to them. And my family has long since been forgotten. The world does not remember the sacrifices of others for very long. Sometimes even their sacrifices are bound to be distorted. I stammered, remembering my fallen family but then stopped because the corner of my heart seemed to burn cold. It still hurt. I miss them, to the point where it was painful just to think of them. ¡°My family members were bright and beautiful enough for me to feel sorry for turning up like this. So unlike them.¡± ¡°¡­Nyx.¡± The existence of someone like me was nothing but a disgrace to the family name. It was better just to bury it deep in my memory and not show it to anyone. It was wrong to talk about all this because of Evan¡¯s question. I hurriedly changed the subject. ¡°Make a world where children can live happily, Evan.¡± ¡°Children?¡± ¡°A world where children are happy is truly peaceful and beautiful. Don¡¯t forget your childhood. Don¡¯t let there be sick or lonely children anymore.¡± There should have been no more children being driven into bing monsters or witches. But a world where children are happy could never be made easy. In order for a child to be happy, parents had to be happy and so, everyone¡¯s happiness had to be guaranteed which is no easy feat. The world where children dream of a bright futures, and the world where they can keep their dreams, must have been the most peaceful and beautiful world. It¡¯s a difficult job, but Evan could do it. Evan just needed to create a world where the type of childhood he had could never be repeated. If it were a warrior who looks at the witch and understands her, if it were Evan who tries to be a warrior for then witch, it will be possible. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 65 CHAPTER 65 Trantor : Cuties ¨C¨C¨C Editor : WilsonWilson Evan left me no choice but to entrust all my work to Ruadhan, because he had beening to the tower at all times, day and night, and without any notice so all my work was left to him. It was because I didn¡¯t want him toe when I was away. He was already a man with a lot of work to do and I felt sorry that he was carrying more of my load. But he just nodded, saying, ¡°I see,¡± withoutining. And he added a few words, ¡°Be careful and don¡¯t overdo it.¡± I also heard him mutter that I might as well quit if I felt I was too tired. Unlike his blunt face and dry voice, he was such a sweet man. Evan kepting to the tower, and it felt like things had changed a lot. Originally, the tower was the ce where the witch was kept, and it was a terrible and painful space. But as Evan came and went, it became an ordinary and happy space. On the other hand, the people of the world who had kept the witch in the tower and lived well in their own way were going through hell now. Those who didn¡¯t die, lived on. They managed to keep going but with dead eyes. Having lost both their families and happiness. Just like that. Lue seemed to be unable to escape from the shock, saying that she had been the cause of what Margarita had done. It¡¯s only my assumption, but it also seemed that she had a deep rtionship with Margarita. I wanted to save Margarita as soon as possible, but it wasn¡¯t easy. I couldn¡¯t even find out where he was in the first ce, so I hoped he was safe, and I hoped his stubbornness wouldn¡¯t be broken forever. I didn¡¯t want Evan to know the truth. It¡¯s not the time yet. The aristocrats¡¯ war, which is pushing people into pain, wasing to an end. Many nobles lost their lives and were almost entirely absorbed by Count Phyletto. Previously, I thought that it would be okay to settle things down after seeing the people¡¯sints and fears reaching their peak and they start crying out for the brave ones to step in and save them. They were no longer content with the reality that was now upon them. They were hoping for someone, anyone, to put an end to all this pain. More and more people were taking their own lives. Because they no longer believed that they could be saved. So I nned to give Count Phyletto all thend. Many nobles have already died and those who cared for their own lives have given up themselves. The only aristocrats who had escaped from this war were those who had no desire or power in the first ce. Thest thing Count Phyletto, who had all thend, was going to aim for, was the one in the middle, the Imperial Pce. And the Emperor began to move slowly. The biggest change was that Evan began toe and go deep into the Heavenly Pce. Perhaps the emperor was looking for him. His ability was a great help to the emperor. He was able to heal his weakened body and keep himself safe. Evan was lucky to get busy, but it wasn¡¯t all good. Every time Evan entered the depths of the pce, I could not keep up. I couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on there or what conversation was. ¡°Nyx.¡± After Evan had disappeared from the pce, I hurriedly opened my eyes at the voice calling for me. A shadow fluttered on the side of the stairs. ¡°Ruadhan.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to havee suddenly.¡± He was still politely treating me with a neat expression and manners. Normally, he would have teleported, but not today. It was because he didn¡¯t know when Evan woulde in. Actually, I was a little nervous even now. So asked in a voice of urgency. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± I once told Ruadhan that Evan kepting to the tower. Evan, who knows that I am trapped in the tower, would have great doubts were he to find out that I have actually been meeting with Ruadhan and other people. So I warned Ruadhan not toe, exining this. And yet, he came¡­ ¡°The movements of Yohan are unusual. I was forced toe here because I thought you should know that it was totally unexpected.¡± ¡°Yohan?¡± Ruadhan nodded his head in a solemn way and raised the sses again, which had slid slightly down his nose when he owed. His sharp eyes and nose, and his mouth, which evoked a chilling feeling, were hardened. I¡¯ve been too busy to pay much attention to Yohan. I visited him a few times because I didn¡¯t know what he was thinking, but as he has done so far, he was only struggling with monster hunting. He was still driving the monsters inside, guiding them inside, and making the outer extremities of the territory a little less cmite. Yohan, the Knights¡¯ Order, and the trainees helped him hunt monsters. Whenever that happened, doubts about Evan, the warrior, grew. Hisst manifestation of power was so powerful that they sometimes eximed saying, ¡°What the hell is he doing when he could kill all monsters in a moment?¡± A little while ago the sorcerer Neriano went to Yohan to inform him about Margarita attacking Evan but as far as I remember, they didn¡¯t talk about anything else. In fact, Evan has been visiting me every day since then, so I was busy making sure that everything was going as nned and that nothing was wrong with my witches so I didn¡¯t pay much attention to him. I was wondering if there was anything going on with Evan, but¡­ Upon hearing Ruadhan¡¯s report, I immediately followed after Yohan. He, who was supposed to be holding the monster off on the outskirts of the city, was riding around to meet the nobles for some reason. Many nobles have already died, and the nobles who quietly survived at this time were those who had nond to begin with, or those who had given up theirnd. In the first ce, all that¡¯s left of the nobility was those who were pushed out of the highlights, whether by their own doing or otherwise. Possessing no family name, no means and no wealth, nothing but a title. And most of those whom Yohan was meeting were aristocrats who voluntarily left the center of attention. Those who have voluntarily stepped back because they were not interested in politics itself. And when the emperor held his ce for a long time and only had a nobles by his side who could fulfill his own interests, those who did not died, were either threatened, or resigned of their own ord. Yohan was going around to meet those people. This wasn¡¯t something that nobles and knights could have anything to do about anyway. Perhaps that¡¯s why he only went around greeting the nobles without saying anything. The nobles received him well because he was a guest but still they weren¡¯t that happy to know that the national hero and Commander of the Knights Order abruptly rode a horse and came to visit them. However, Yohan talked with a bright face as if their concerns had nothing to do with him. ¡°But it¡¯s very quiet here. That¡¯s a relief.¡± ¡°What¡¯s a relief? You didn¡¯t see it when you were walking through town? There are few men left in this town. Besides, the remaining women and children are starving to death due to the increased amount of tribute they have to offer.¡± The nobleman¡¯s face was tinged with displeasure, but Yohan answered with a carefree look, as if he didn¡¯t care much. ¡°Why don¡¯t I know that? But it¡¯s better than anywhere else. Other ces are having it really hard. There are ces where viges are trampled on and burnt to ashes. Grain? There are countless ces where the fields are ruined and there are no immediate sources of food.¡± ¡°¡­so what? What the hell is going on here? I have a lot of work to do. Don¡¯t change the subject, just tell me what you want from me.¡± ¡°Have you¡­¡± Yohan paused for a moment and opened his mouth without avoiding the gaze the nobleman pinned him with. ¡°Perhaps heard the rumors? That a warrior has appeared.¡± ¡°Of course I heard the rumors. They¡¯re not a very reliable, but judging by what¡¯s going on in the heart of the country, the rumors of the witch or the Death God are as good as true. Then there¡¯s no denying that a warrior might really exist. But why are you¡­?¡± ¡°I hope Count Temus will be of help to the warrior.¡± ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°¡­you want a new country, don¡¯t you? He¡¯s the one who will make the country we want.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the witch trying to make Evan a warrior. I expected it, but I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise. I didn¡¯t know that he would go as far as meeting nobles and making allies to help him. The witch confused the world and took advantage of the momentum, and was the chief engineer behind building up Evan¡¯s power. The world is eager for the existence of the warrior, and soon the Emperor will be in great danger. The Commander seemed to be walking on the same path as the witch. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 66 Team : Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie While Yohan met with nobles and grew his connections, Evan had been working for the Emperor, going in and out of his pce. It never urred to me that Evan was unaware of Yohan¡¯s ns. It seemed like Yohan was also waiting for the right time to act, just as I was. I had initially hoped that Yohan would quickly persuade all the nobles to stand by him so that they could have one of their own seize the throne while the rebels and the Royal Guards were fighting. I thought that if my ns were sessful, the noble faction would fall apart , the emperor would die by my hands, and a new ruler would be born; with him, the birth of the new era that everyone wanted. And another yer I didn¡¯t expect began to get involved with Evan. ¡°We meet again.¡± Princess Heleina, a beautiful woman whose looks mirrored the Emperor¡¯s, possessing lovely blond hair and sapphire blue eyes. She used to greet the emperor from time to time when the nobles were rarely seen in the Central Pce, so now that there was no one else, she went in and out of the pce more freely. Naturally, she had no choice but to frequently meet Evan, who lived in the pce and stayed by the Emperor¡¯s side, helping and healing him. However, I could not go inside the Heavenly Pce, so I only caught sight of them when they entered the pce separately prior to now. As they walked together, getting farther away from me, I noticed that the two seemed to have gotten a little closer. ¡°I think you came earlier than usual today.¡± ¡°The weather is so nice today, so I came out to look around, only to find myself heading here. . The Royal Pce is indeed big, but I think this the only ce to rx in.¡± ¡°There are so many pces but they¡¯re so boring. All the people we ever meet there are the workers.¡± ¡°They can¡¯t help it. They need to make a living.¡± Everyone felt the unusual atmosphere in the pce. Rumors quickly spread inside the pce, and soon, they had no choice but to know how the war was going. Now; what would happen if thest standing noble, who was rumored to have joined hands with the witch, came here? That concern was why Trudeau, one of the witch¡¯s followers, was ordered toe and go in and out of the pce¡ªbringing in groceries to try and spread rumors through the kitchen staff. I looked at the two people talking in their own little amicable world. It was a gray world in the eyes of the Shadow, but I painted it with the colors that remained in my memory. My eyes colored the scene themselves without my permission. With white hair and red eyes, Evan was tall, beautiful, and manly. Due to his extensive training, his moderately tanned skin looked healthy, and even though his body was covered with clothes, the outline of his sturdy physique could still be seen. Standing beside him was Heleina. She was a beautiful, slender woman, simr to a porcin doll, with blond hair and blue eyes. White, transparent, and pure. Her slim, feminine body made the dress she was wearing look all the more morous, even though it was not very fancy to begin with. They shined. As if to bless the beautiful pair, the sky cascaded light beams around them, creating a glow. The flowers bloomed in the periphery with bright colors and distinct freshness. It was all so dazzling that I wasn¡¯t confident that I could keep my eyes on them. This was a good thing. She was an excellent match for Evan. She was bright and beautiful, and unlike others, she knew how to see the world properly. In addition, she was a woman who was cherished by the Emperor. She had everything. She was a necessary and fitting woman for Evan. Yes, unlike the witch. In the past, Evan had been involved with the witch. Since then, a lot had changed; I molded it with my own hands, for Evan¡¯s future. But I was not a princess. I haven¡¯t done anything to bring them closer yet. Perhaps my dream was actually a precognitive dream. After all, the two of them got involved without me intervening. Everything was going the way I wanted it to. I was so d that this was the case. Somewhere in my heart, it felt like I was being poisoned. As a result, I could no longer watch. So, instead, I returned to the tower. * As the days went by, Evan¡¯s visits to the Emperor became more frequent and longersting. Even though he had more time to meet Princess Heleina, he still came to the Witch¡¯s Towerte at night. Teleporting to the tower whenever he so pleased , there were times when I didn¡¯t even know he was there. It was a good thing that he came when I was busy looking at the world through Shadows, because he woke me up by calling me like he thought I was asleep. But if he hade during the time when I was looking at the tarot cards¡­ ¡°Nyx!¡± Something warm and heavy had been firmly attached behind my back. Before I realized what it was, a pair of arms stretched out on both sides of my face and hugged my shoulder. Suddenly, Evan¡¯s face appeared very closely next to mine. ¡°Are you looking at the future again?¡± He was so close that it was like he was whispering inside my ear. His voice rang low and I could feel his breath. I couldn¡¯t turn my face, so I put down my cards and tried to get up, but he reached out with his arm and grabbed my hand. Simultaneously, his upper body pressed harder against my back. He was still hugging my shoulder with the other hand, holding it firmly, not giving me a chance to move. I was stuck in his caging embrace. I could feel his warmth on my back, shoulders, arms, neck and face, and it felt like my mind was turning white. ¡°Whose future did you see this time?¡± His hair tickled my cheek. If I were to turn my head only slightly, our faces would probably touch . I sat still without saying anything and he moved the hand that he was holding me with and flipped the card underneath his palm. ¡°What does this mean?¡± ¡°That the future I want isn¡¯t too far away.¡± ¡°That means I¡¯m a warrior?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Evan asked again for confirmation in a pleased voice, his arms letting go of me. My body immediately felt empty; my back, arms, and shoulders ached at theck of his physical touch. ¡°Anyway, I came to show you this.¡± I turned around to see what he wanted to show me. He pulled the sword out of the sheath he was wearing on his waist and pointed the tip at me. My breath caught in my throat. The sword looked very familiar. The Evan I saw in my dream ovepped with the Evan standing before*. I felt like he was the warrior who had stabbed me in the heart. ¡°Amazing, right?¡± /*TN : she means the second dream here, the one where she dies at the hand of Evan while murdering the Emperor*/ Evan swung the sword lightly andughed curiously, as if he hadn¡¯t noticed my reaction. A piercing sh sounded through the ck air. Unlike just a moment ago, his sword was no longer directed at me, but I couldn¡¯t shake off this ufortable feeling. I managed to open my mouth. ¡°Did you get it from the Emperor?¡± ¡°Yes. What a great sword. I love it; it¡¯s like it was made for me.¡± Evan disyed his swordsmanship skillfully, as if he were really satisfied. His white hair fluttered lightly as he moved. His sharp red eyes were already stained with seriousness and his taut lips and slightly furrowed brows were more masculine than anyone else¡¯s. Every time he swung the sword, the muscles in his arms flexed and his fist, which gripped the sword, tightened. Although he was big and strong, his movements were very light. His sword strokes greatly resembled a butterfly¡¯s wings;you couldn¡¯t even hear his footsteps. I nkly stared at his figure. I took another step towards my dream, towards the future. All kinds ofplicated feelings washed over me. Shortly after, his movements began to feel unnatural. He was inside a narrow tower with me next to him. He couldn¡¯t use all the room he needed, leading to his movements being restrained, so I moved to the wall. His back facing me, he swung the sword toward me, showing off his colossal figure. I was seeing his back one moment and the next, he was pointing the sword at me. He shouted as if he didn¡¯t expect me to be there, his face flushing with embarrassment. He managed to snap out of it by pulling the sword towards his body. But I also tried to avoid the sword and lost my bnce somehow, falling to the side. ¡°N-Nyx!¡± It all happened in a sh. When I came to my senses,I found myself lying on the floor with no pain. A pair of hands held me tightly. I was in Evan¡¯s arms. I had heard a sharp ng and Evan dropped to the floor after he tossed the sword aside. I could hear his rough breathing over my head and could feel his heart beating fast through his body that touched mine. There was no way to know if it was my heart or Evan¡¯s. ¡°Nyx, are you all right?¡± He raised his upper body by covering my head with one hand and prompting himself up with the other. As he looked down at me from above, I thought of the young man from my memory. A young man who cried, saying, ¡°I thought you were going to die.¡± ¡°Nyx?¡± His forehead was exposed by a slight lift in his bangs. The mysterious and beautiful eyebrows were shown, and the white and transparent eyshes repeatedly blinked, covering his red eyes full of worries. I looked up at him vacantly. After managing toe to my senses, I opened my mouth. ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡± I raised myself up by pushing my shoulder. No, I tried to get up. But as soon as I raised my upper body, Evan gave a strong hug with the hand that was covering my head. As he leaned his face on my head, he mumbled. Something ticklish ran over my head. It was his lips, grazing over my forehead. ¡°Evan?¡± I called his name out of embarrassment. Instead of answering, he raised himself up and sat down as he held my head. I, who had only raised my upper body in a clumsy manner until then, also came to a sitting position on the floor. He wrapped my waist with his arm that was touching the floor. With one hand around the back of my head and the other around my waist, he gave me a strong hug. I tried to push him away with great surprise, but not only was I rendered immobile, my hand fell in limp embarrassment again and again, making it difficult for me to give it proper strength. ¡°¡­Evan! What the hell is this?¡± ¡°Nyx.¡± Evan still spoke in a slightly muffled voice, his lips sealed to my head. ¡°Were you originally this small? I thought you were very big.¡± I wasn¡¯t small, he was just too big. He had grown so much before he knew it. ¡°Why are you so skinny? Why do you look so young and fragile?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why are you so tiny? Making me worried¡­¡± Evan swept his hand down my back. I held back my sigh that almost escaped without me realizing it. He also seemed to feel that I was so weak, just as I thought Evan was so strong. It was simply because of differences in physique, and if there were other reasons, then I didn¡¯t want to know them. The afterimage of Evan standing with Heleina came to my mind. Two bright and beautiful people smiling. They looked like a painting, and they looked natural. It was such a figure that didn¡¯t suit me. That I dared not dream of. Eventually, I closed my eyes, trying to block out all my thoughts. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 67 CHAPTER 67 Team : Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie Neriano grew his knowledge by meeting the descendants of the sorcerers who disappeared a long time ago, Yohan sought a new world by meeting the aristocrats who had been kicked out of the capital, and Heleina spent more time with Evan in and out of the pce. Everything was in sync and moving toward the future I had looked at. Each one was different and moved separately, but in the end, they all converged toward a singr path. There was only one way they would go. I tried to remember the ce I saw in my dream, there isn¡¯t much left; Evan, standing by the Emperor¡¯s side. The sword which I saw in my dream. And Count Phyletto, gradually reaching out to the pce. The world weighed down by fear of witches, crying out for a warrior to save them. It was a reminder that time was running out. Although the warrior could not forget the witch, it was not enough for him to trust her fully by simply going in and out of the tower. However, I did not doubt that he would aim a sword at me if he knew the whole truth. If he found out that I was the one who made the world this way and the one who was aiming for the warrior, he would have no choice but to kill me, just like in my dream. If I im that everything I ever said to him was false, that all the favors I showed him were for my own amusement, and that everything that I had him know and believe in was all for the sake of using him, then his childhood memories would be turned into nightmares, and his friendly red eyes would immediately cool. Since he had firmly believed that I was not a witch, the shock would be even greater if it turned out that it was me all along. It will hurt him so much at first, but his hurt will soon turn into anger, and he will direct that anger toward me. He¡¯ll want to kill the witch who had made him suffer; the witch who made the world like this. Which was exactly what I wanted. Before I knew it, I returned to Evan¡¯s room and approached him, who was caught in a deep slumber. I then stretched out the Shadow and cupped his still face, which had lost a lot of its sense of youth. It resembled that of the young man who was only in my memory, but at the same time, it was very different. From the day I first saw him, I brushed my fingers through his white hair, remembering the first time he had evere to visit me, knowing that he was the warrior of my salvation. Young Evan¡¯s hair was shaggy because there was no one to trim it for him, and the young man in my memory roughly tied up his loose strands of hair. But Evan, who was sleeping now, had his hair cut short to make it easier for him to practice. Still, I tried to sweep it over because it had grown a little longer and covered his forehead, but the Shadow just passed over it. His white eyebrows were still as delicate, but they were thicker than before. The eyes below them were peacefully concealed beneath his eyelids and eyshes. I missed his red irises, which were dyed a red color, as beautiful as the sun burning the witch, as of a flower blooming in antiquity. Still, unlike the young man who died in a lonely way, I could see him whenever I wanted. I didn¡¯t have to be in pain, missing someone I¡¯ll never see again. So I was very d and thankful. I couldn¡¯t believe that I didn¡¯t have to suffer that much anymore. I felt sorry for him as he has to stay behind and suffer, but I couldn¡¯t give up on the one opportunity to reach the end of my life either. I couldn¡¯t repeat the pain I had already experienced once. I wanted to pass it on to Evan, who had a short, fast life. It was thest of my selfishness and greed. The shadow continued passing over his rich and mysterious eyshes and came down to his nose. The small, squishy, lovely nose had gotten so long, high, and sharp. His nose, which had changed as much as his eyes, made his face feel like a different person in general, giving him the reliable air of a man, not a weak boy. The Shadow then rose to the tip of his high nose and moved to the lips below it. Although he still looked soft and affectionate, his tightly closed lips also showed strength. The Shadow that reached there hesitated. Because I remembered the memory of those same lips, kissing my eyes and head. And although it was much different from the young man in my memory, who had seen a woman in me, its effect remained the same. It let me know that I am also a woman. His actions awoke the woman inside me. In addition, I looked at his thick jawline and ears that looked just like his childhood self. I stared and memorized Evan¡¯s sleeping face. I had to remember his face even when I closed my eyes because I didn¡¯t want to forget him well after my death, so I tried to see him again and again and imprint his image in my memory. Evan, I am so, so happy to have met you. Thank you so much for coloring the end of my cursed life with happiness. And I¡¯m sorry to give you this pain. I don¡¯t expect you to understand that it¡¯s inevitable, but I do pray that you don¡¯t get too hurt. The Shadow fell on his body, obviously unable to feel anything. I won¡¯t be able to do that ever again. * The whole world was screaming. Count Phyletto, who eventually overthrew so many nobles and seized all thend, immediately turned to the pce. The soldiers all looked tired. It would not be strange if they copsed just like that. Moreover, their eyes were dark, and no light could be seen in them. They didn¡¯t want to protect anyone, and they didn¡¯t want to kill anyone. How painful must it have been for them to be forced toe to the task of killing their fellow people? They came all the way here, wielding swords, in order not to die. Everywhere they walked, dead bodies were dumped under their feet. The river of blood had soaked their clothes. They went on, killing and killing people almost reflexively, marching on without souls. Even if a colleague, who had just been eating together with them, suddenly died, or even if someone they had beenughing with until recently ran to the enemy¡¯s side, they just wielded their sword mechanically. They just wanted to go back alive. It didn¡¯t matter who gave them orders. They were soldiers, willing to betray and turn their backs on any master at any time if that meant their survival. That was the reality of today. But the pce was different. They stood in the position to protect the country. As they calmly mauled the mercenaries wielding their swords with evil intent. At first nce, the seemingly insignificant difference in mindset produced a great change. It was Count Phyletto, who had absorbed all thend and soldiers. Still, he struggled, unable to even enter the capital. The number of people dying had sadly increased. He asked the witch for help. I helped, knowing that Evan was in the middle of the pce. The rebels turned into the witch¡¯s army and aimed for the pce. Eventually, even the knights, who were pursuing the monsters, gathered in the capital. They fought for the country. No, they fought to protect the Imperial Pce. It was there where they fought to protect their emperors. The emperors, who stayed there, even though he doesn¡¯t care about their lives. Knowing that well, Yohan was forced toe to the capital, but he put the lives of the Knights¡¯ Order and his trainees as the utmost priority. He fell back, pretending to be waiting for orders, which was unlike himself. ¡°Stay back! We fight from the back!¡± But this ce was a mess; it was not a fight between both systematically trained knights. The enemy were mercenaries, fighting for money, and young people, fighting because they didn¡¯t want to die. And sometimes, the fight developed in a way that waspletely unexpected. Not only Yohan but also the knights and trainees were in danger. Knowing that the attacking group would lose their lives, protecting Yohan¡¯s people while empowering Count Phyletto meant there was nothing I could do. Evan would be sad if they died or got hurt. He¡¯d be in pain, and my guilt would be nothingpared to his grief. I put priority on what was currently happening because I couldn¡¯t have even known what Evan was doing when the emperor was threatened. Such terrible days had passed. As time went by, people became more and more tired. It was the same with Yohan. He had to move more, especially to protect his knights and trainees. He stood back because he wanted to avoid killing as much as he could but constantly wielded a sword to save his life or another¡¯s. Count Phyletto¡¯s soldiers were insignificant, and their motivation was far lower than that of the knights, but their numbers were enormous. He pushed them without distinction between day and night. The knights had little time to rest. Eventually, they began to be pushed out. And soon after, the capital fell. Yohan must have thought everyone was going to die so he took the lead in fighting the battle. Specialized in fighting ahead enough to be regarded as the Knights¡¯ Sword, he dealt a heavy blow to the enemy, even though he had only moved a little. The more soldiers he fought, the more aimed for him. Count Phyletto sent arge number of people there, perhaps because he thought he had to kill Yohan. I tried hard to protect him, but sneaking up on him wasn¡¯t enough. There was a limit to changing the direction of an arrow, tripping a soldier¡¯s foot, or striking a sword so that the attack would deviate. There were so many that even that was hard. So despite all that effort, the Commander was in grave danger. He fell off the horse and lost his consciousness because he couldn¡¯t bear the weight of his heavy armor. I gave up on protecting him and teleported him away from the battlefield and into the pce, helping him little by little. When I took off his armor, I noticed a big cut on his stomach. He had a framerger than anyone else and had a manly body, but he had no way to escape the sword that came through his armor. Still, his muscles were so tightly woven that it seemed like he¡¯d have no big problem in moving around. I looked at him, breathing a little with ease after I healed his wound. His face was covered with small cuts. I whispered to him wholeheartedly. ¡°You must protect Evan. Never die. Never.¡± It would be too much for him to go back and fight right away, but there was nothing wrong with his life, so I left him like that, leaving before he came to his senses. I teleported back to the battlefield to protect the rest of his knights and the trainees. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 68 CHAPTER 68 Team : Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re overdoing it.¡± Ruadhan said as I looked up at him. His endlessly cool face was faltering. And with his hand shaking, quite different from his usual steady movements, heid a candle in front of me. I was grateful for his sincere concern, and I answered in a slightly lighthearted voice. ¡°There¡¯s not much time left. I can see the end now. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve had a hard time helping me. Thank you very much.¡± Ruadhan¡¯s face faltered even more. It seemed as if there was a crack in his dry, cool face. He looked down at the floor with his brows furrowed and then opened his mouth again, looking back up at me. ¡°Nyx.¡± ¡°Yes, what is it?¡± ¡°¡­Can you¡­please, stop?¡± ¡°Ruadhan.¡± ¡°I understand your heart better than anyone else. I also know why you¡¯re doing this and why you have to do it. But this is the end¡­ Isn¡¯t your life too precious to be discarded so?¡± Ruadhan¡¯s expression was quite shaken. His friendly gray-brown eyes deepened mournfully, as if they were about to shed tears. However, the coldness in his eyes prevailed in the end; thus, they didn¡¯t really show tears. Nevertheless, he still looked unusually restless. As he said, my life was very painful. It was a cursed life filled with a series of endless suffering. However, I am pretty happy now, before that endes. I am happy to have met Evan. I am also grateful for having been able to find someone who sincerely cares for me stay by my side like Ruadhan. Besides, how can I be lonely and tired when there are people who walk with me until the end of my journey? ¡°I¡¯m fine. If there¡¯s anything to be worried about, it¡¯s taking care of things after I go. I¡¯m sure that if it¡¯s you, Ruadhan, you would handle everything as I wish, but what about the others? Please take care of yourself and try to make sure that the world you and I wantedes to be.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that.¡± ¡°I hope that you will also be happy, Ruadhan.¡± With eyes filled with sadness, he stood there quietly for a long time. Then, he opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m happy. I¡¯m so happy that I got afraid of the future.¡± When I looked at him with a bit of shock on my face, he continued with a tearful expression. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you suffer anymore, and I don¡¯t want to see the world rebuilt at your own expense. Can¡¯t you understand my feelings?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I hated the warrior, Evan, for the first time.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± I gently held my hands together around the burning candle in front of me. It was an object that glowed at the expense of its own body. Somehow, it looked like me and felt friendly for some reason. It was a pleasure for me just to give Evan the strength to shine his light. Driving darkness away everywhere, along with the witch, who only pushed people into pain, a witch who made their futures bleak. ¡°I¡¯m very grateful that I can end my life. I always feel sorry for the victims of my selfish greed. So I hope that you will stop making any more sacrifices. That¡¯s myst wish and dream.¡± Ruadhan stood silent for a while, then got up after bowing deeply. After fixing the sses on his nose, he left the room without a sound. His back looked very lonely. My selfishness and greed did not only harm the people of the world. I didn¡¯t know how to pay for this crime. May it end with my death. May everything be over soon. * Because of the rebels, Evan became more and more difficult to see. The more they dug around the pce, the more Evan could not fall away from the emperor¡¯s side. Perhaps the Emperor noticed that he was a warrior, the only hope to kill the witch. Princess Heleina did not show up at all after moving her residence to the pce. I was frustrated because I didn¡¯t know what was going on there where I couldn¡¯t get in. As Evan was not able toe to the tower and was confined to the pce, I turned my eyes to the world. I followed the aristocrats who sought work to help Evan. I also followed Neriano who was sticking to Yohan and treating him. Thetter was unable to run to the battlefield due to his previous deep wound. And so, he stuck to running things from behind. It was only a matter of time before Phyletto had swallowed the pce. Of course, I wasn¡¯t worried because I would escape all this chaos in the end, even if I stirred them up too much. As I roamed around the battlefield, I found Yohan wielding a sword in his barracks and moving slowly. It was obvious that he would be the enemy¡¯s goal again once he appeared on the battleground so I was hoping he would slow down a little more. Yohan got on the horse and headed for the battlefield. He was the man who would be the biggest strength and the most reliable fence for Evan, so he had to follow and help him, not risk killing himself. Screams and cries that had been heard from afar began to grow louder. Some were running while followed by the sharp tip of a fast arrow. I couldn¡¯t hide my confusion when I saw people screaming painfully on the floor. When he reached the battlefield, Yohan immediately dug into the cracks and swung his sword. As the fast and powerful man passed on his horse, the people in front of him copsed in a sh and died without much resistance. The enemies lost their fighting spirit and retreated helplessly. However, some of the enemy forces shouted and attacked, jumping in with their swords. In the distance, arrows flew incessantly and threatened him. As usual, I protected him by grabbing the attacker¡¯s feet and striking out arrows and anything that would make him lose his bnce or endanger his life. After fighting for a long time, I looked around and found that Yohan stood in the lead and defended the pce more strongly than anyone else. Their disheveled ranks gradually took shape, and the energy of the Knights and trainees who saw that their leader hade was clearly restored. His presence alone changed the mood dramatically. It was then that Yohan, who had been leading the way in dealing with enemies boldly, called me. ¡°Witch.¡± I looked at him in astonishment. Did he notice the Shadow buried in the dark? But he was still wielding his sword and destroying the enemy without giving a look to the side where the Shadow was. His voice continued as I tried to calm myself, even though I was deeply shaken. ¡°Witch. I know you¡¯re here.¡± I was so surprised that I stopped breathing. It was natural that the Shadow could not breathe anyway, but my body was connected to it through my consciousness, and so it stopped breathing. I almost broke off from the Shadow and came back to the tower. That¡¯s how much my mind was shaken. I wondered if it was just a question, so I stopped for a minute and pondered. ¡°Come to my barracks when the night gets deeper. I¡¯ll wait.¡± I had no choice but to realize that he had finally noticed my presence at the end of the day by the time his next words were uttered. However, doubts could not be easily erased. How? Did someone see the Shadow move? Or did you just guess? If that¡¯s not it¡­ ¡°Pleasee. I¡¯m sure you¡¯lle. It¡¯s about Evan.¡± Did he hear my whispering voice? I must have been losing my mind. I wasn¡¯t able to recover in such a short time. I was worried about what to do. Now that everything is running toward the end, what effect will this have? If Evan finds out the truth now, will there be any difference? I quietly nced at Yohan to try and read his thoughts, but he was busy swinging his sword with a cold face. Only his taut mouth and his firm eyes showed that he had no doubts that I had heard him. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 69 Team : Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie The night was bleary. Because of the heavy clouds that reigned these past few days, the sky was so dark that it was hard to see the sun even during the day. With its bright moon concealed, the night sky was ck and cold. Hence, the day had little to no difference from the night. I slowly stepped into the barracks. There, Yohan was sitting in front of a table temporarily set up by him, as if waiting for someone. Because of his cross-legged sitting position, his body was tilted to one side, making him feel very arrogant and confident. I remembered the first time I saw him. I also regarded him with the same impression as now because of his appearance and tone. But in reality, he was someone with deep thoughts and a brain sharp enough to prate lies. In addition, he was good enough of a person to save his colleagues and protect an unknown boy. He was thinking of making Evan a warrior and was actually rallying to make it happen. Such a man was asking to see me. He said he had something to talk about regarding Evan, not to anyone else, but a witch. His intention was all too unclear. To discern his motives, I had no choice but to show up. Yohan got up. His eyes, which had been a little drowsy, opened wide. What used to be a Shadow gradually materialized into a witch in the figure of a human. When I appeared, his eyes lit up with the concentration of a hunter watching his prey. His body tensed up. ¡°You surprised me.¡± ¡°Why did you call for me?¡± I stood at a moderate distance from him and asked. His sword could not hurt me, but it would do us no good to make a fuss. Yohan stared at me without saying a word for a long time. Then, he opened his mouth with a wry smile, as if he were dumbfounded. ¡°I¡¯m embarrassed because you¡¯re so different from what I thought. I didn¡¯t know you were this young. Besides, like this¡­ This is how¡­ Ha.¡± He couldn¡¯t spell his words to the end and gave a short sigh in surrender. ¡°You must have forgotten that I am a witch.¡± His behavior suddenly ovepped with Evan¡¯s, and he frowned for a moment. In addition to smiling vaguely and forgetting to be guarded in front of a witch, there were quite a few simrities between the two. He answered me with a slightly exaggerated nod. ¡°Right. Witch. Witches can¡¯t bepared to ordinary humans. Well, we¡¯d better sit down. You don¡¯t intend to stand and talk like this, do you?¡± ¡°Did you call me here to chat?¡± ¡°Did you think I called you here to fight? Alone in the middle of nowhere? No matter how fearless I am, it¡¯s not enough to do so against a witch.¡± I made silent eye contact with the intention of gauging his true thoughts. Yohan epted it without avoiding my gaze. As he said, it was useless for him to attack me. If he heard the rumor, he¡¯d already know. Having a conversation really seemed to be his only purpose, seeing that he brought me to a ce where no one was around. As I walked in front of him and sat down on a chair that seemed to have been put there for me, he slowly sat down, too. His eyes were fixed on me. The barracks were brighter than I thought. Several candles were lit, with their shadows dancing beneath the mes. I looked around and felt him ring at me so I turned my head to him. Come to think of it, this was the first time I looked at Yohan in my physical body, not with the eyes of the Shadow. It felt a little strange to see him with color for the first time. Just like he had told me, he was also embarrassed because I was different from how he imagined. He was a firm, outspoken man. From the perspective of Shadow, I knew that he had a lighter color than others, but he was actually brighter than I thought. His hair was tinum, and his eyes were golden. It was a very vivid amber color. He wasn¡¯t as bright as Evan, but he still felt as strange as he was. Things about his fate, or his future, came to my mind constantly. As Evan¡¯s present changed, Yohan, who almost died in the forest of monsters, eventually survived. To be exact, he was saved thanks to the witch who sent Evan there. At that time, I thought his fate had changed simply because of Evan, but now I think that might not be the case. Perhaps, because of Evan, he was also a warrior destined to save the world. I couldn¡¯t help but think of how things would have drastically changed if such a trivial thing had been done differently. ¡°You look pretty conflicted.¡± I came to my senses at Yohan¡¯s voice. He was always a man who gave off a sharp sword-like feeling, but he was so adept that the way he spoke and the atmosphere of the conversation seemed a little familiar. ¡°Since when did you know I existed?¡± ¡°From some time ago.¡± He continued as I stared nkly at his unexpected answer, unable to utter anything. ¡°You didn¡¯t think I¡¯d notice? There were many unnatural things.¡± Would Evan have noticed it, too? I got rmed for a while, but Evan was acting too indifferent for me to say that. Like he really doesn¡¯t know anything. ¡°What did you want to say to me?¡± I didn¡¯t want to drag the conversation for too long, so I directly asked his purpose. However, he immediately answered with a question. ¡°I¡¯ll ask first. What the hell are you thinking?¡± His expression became serious. His deep, focused eyes were reminiscent of a predator¡¯s who, if simply not pleased, would rush in and bite. I thought for a moment and decided to reveal the truth, whether he believed it or not. If we are of the same mind, it¡¯s better to act together anyway. ¡°I want to change the world.¡± Yohan¡¯s face visibly flinched as if he had heard an absurd answer. And soon, he asked hesitantly. ¡°What does that mean?¡± ¡°Literally that, I¡¯m trying to change the world. I want to end this Darkness now. To do so, Evan is needed. Evan is the only hope and Light. You already know that, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t understand.¡± Bewilderedly, he continued again after a short contemtive pause. ¡°So? What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I intend to crown Evan.¡± Yohan¡¯s face hardened. His eyes cooled rapidly. The man, who was bright in vivid colors, looked cold with his chilling gaze. ¡°No matter what you think, Yohan, I want to end this Darkness. I¡¯m thinking of it. If the warrior, Evan, wears the crown, a new era will begin. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± Yohan, who had been staring at me with a stiff face for a long time, closed his eyes, heaving a small sigh. When he opened them back up, he looked as stern as usual. He folded his arms against the chair and squinted his eyes as if to measure me. ¡°I¡¯d like to know why you want to do that.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to tell you.¡± Yohan leaned his upper body again, with his arms on the table, shortening the distance between him and me. He said with a mischievous smile. ¡°Is it because your blood is mixed with Light? Is that why you crave the Light?¡± This time I was the one shocked. Unable to conceal his astonishment, Yohan said with a feisty smile. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. The witch, the one who covered the world with Darkness, is not fully made of the Dark. How can Darkness and Light coexist in one body at the same time?¡± ¡°¡­how did you¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no reason for me to tell you that.¡± I felt my fingertips tremble. I hurriedly hid them under my clothes, but his sharp gaze did not miss that small action and followed it. ¡°I should thank you anyway. You gave Evan the Emperor¡¯s trust when you handed him the Imperial Sorcerer¡¯s seal. That¡¯s probably why you gave it to Evan, no? I can¡¯t doubt your true intentions. Even you wouldn¡¯t have given away your father¡¯s belongings that easily.¡± ¡°Just how?¡± In the end, I couldn¡¯t restrain myself. I stood up and asked him impatiently. ¡°How the hell did you know all that?¡± And with a cold smile, Yohan said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. I¡¯m not going to tell anyone. Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯re worried about?¡± That¡¯s right. I was extremely afraid of news of my family being revealed. My lovely and strong family members, my family that used to use bright Light and was envied for it. Now that their lives had been sacrificed for the world, they had been forgotten. However, their honor would still be tarnished if it was revealed that they were the witch¡¯s family. The Light would not exist as beautifully and as vividly now as it was then. The people craved Light because what my family had done was so bright and beautiful. Evan could only be weed by them if my family did not exist as the sun and hope in their memories. When I looked at Yohan without saying anything, he waved a hand and urged me to sit back down. He looked at me with his chin up, his head tilted slightly, and hair that was woven into a thin, shiny gold thread trickling down his forehead. He had delicate and beautiful hair that didn¡¯t match his manly, scarred face. ¡°I hear the Imperial Pce Sorcerer also had an affinity for both Light and Darkness. Is that what made you? Are the stories of your mother being a witch and controlling the monsters just a lie?¡± After sitting down, I couldn¡¯t open my mouth for a long time, and I barely answered. ¡°No, it¡¯s all true. Therefore, I am a witch. I¡¯ve been cursed.¡± ¡°Cursed. Do you mean cursed to be immortal?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Yohan looked down at the table. As if deep in thought, he was unable to speak. I didn¡¯t feel like having any more of this conversation. I wanted to evade this situation quickly. ¡°In any case, I just want to help Evan change the world.¡± ¡°Do you want to change your perception?¡± ¡°No.¡± Yohan looked at me with a frown, unbelieving. Perception? I didn¡¯t want such grandeur. For it was an impossible feat using the power of Evan alone. ¡°All I want is a new world. Perception does not change easily, and for the Light to shine brighter, Darkness must exist, and if needed, evil deeds must bemitted. Of course, only by me. By the witch alone.¡± I didn¡¯t want the other Darkness wielders to be harmed because of me. It was fortunate that Yohan knew better that no one else was at fault. ¡°What the hell can you get by doing that?¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked him back. After sitting in silence for a long time, deep in thought, Yohan raised his head. ¡°If we have the same goal, we can work together. So what¡¯s your n?¡± * ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 70 Team : Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie Eventually, the defense line guarding the pce copsed. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, the rebels rushed in a sh. Watching them from afar, I slowly moved towards the pce. The sky was still dark, but it was a little brighter than it was a while ago. The light was about to be more and more widespread. Dawn wasing. The world will be brighter than ever if this darkness is lifted. That was what I believed. The Heavenly Pce was tightly closed. In front of it was a crowd of knights, equipped with swords, waiting for the rebels toe in so they could defend the castle. It was the same behind the doors, inside the pce, everywhere. I wanted to see Evan one more time before everything was over but he was stuck in the pce and didn¡¯t show up. There was also no way to know whether it was by his own free will or if he was forced to. Yohan, who would havee forward and fought head-on like he always did, took advantage of the confusion to help the rebels advance forward. No one noticed him because he moved stealthily during a time of utter chaos. Last night, I remembered Yohan talking with his Knights and trainees. ¡°¡­You guys.¡± Yohan¡¯s low and heavy voice immediately silenced his surroundings. Yohan looked over them and continued. ¡°Do you believe in me?¡± After being silent for a while, they replied with a look that said, ¡°Why do you even have to ask such a thing?¡± ¡°¡­of course.¡± ¡°We will follow you even through hell.¡± ¡°You are the one who brought us here. To us, you are our mentor, parent, and the country we look up to after being abandoned by our families.¡± When the Knights¡¯ Order, who had been with him for a long time, said so, the trainees behind them also nodded determinedly. When Yohan encountered Evan, a boy whose identity was unknown in the Witch¡¯s Forest, he not only saved him but also took him under his wing, believing only in his abilities. Yohan was such a man. I knew that the Knights¡¯ Order and the trainees would reply with such an answer even before hearing them speak. They were people who had trusted and followed Yohan for years, the very people who epted Evan as one of their and whom Evan relied on and got along with like family. I knew exactly how much strength his followers would put towards such a dedicated leader who also poured his trust and affection on them. Yohan looked at them with warm eyes for a while before opening his mouth again. ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± He gave a brief ount of his n. It was a very short and intense n. ¡°You just have to trust me and follow me. However, I can¡¯t even take responsibility for your lives, so protect yourselves somehow. Survive, ande to the end of this hard road with me to wee a new world.¡± ¡°Yes, sir! Understood!¡± They chose to protect Yohan instead of the Imperial Pce. The knights, who were supposed to prevent the rebels from entering, were opening a way up for them until they pushed into the pce. Before I knew it, I looked through the people who fought fiercely both inside and outside the pce. It didn¡¯t really hit me that this would be thest time. I even wondered whether this was a dream or not. Looking at those who died and killed each other reminded me of the time when I was constantly being killed. Someday, I¡¯ll die. It¡¯ll be over. That hope alone did not stop the warriors who hade to visit me. There were times when I tried to understand why they couldn¡¯t help but kill me. As I arrived in front of the pce, I looked up. Countless scenes flooded my mind. The emperor who looked down at me, Margarita whom I couldn¡¯t save, Evan and Heleina who were chatting here, Evan who was sleeping, Evan who was walking with a cold face, Evan who was carrying a book from the Imperial Pce Library, and Evan who couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the sky that was clearer than usual. Evan was at the end of my life. And what a happy ending that was. I¡¯m regretful that I couldn¡¯t see him for a little while longer, but I was at least happy to be with him at the very end. Yes, even if he was pointing a sword at me, even if his face showed hurt or even anger at my betrayal. I turned my head and looked far away. In the end, there would be Ruadhan and the rest of the knights who helped me. Ruadhan probably wasn¡¯t looking at where I was. As soon as I die, and as soon as the Emperor dies and a new King is born, they would follow myst order and guide the Knights into the ce I prepared for them and bide their time. I was both grateful and apologetic to them until the very end. One of them had gone the same way as me, one had done all he could do for me, and one will work for those who will remain after my death. They were people who had to hide and operate things in the dark while Ifortably closed my eyes. ¡°Thank you, Ruadhan.¡± I greeted with sincerity and turned my eyes away. I had intentionally prevented them froming to war because I could no longer afford to see lives lost and making more people sad. Though it may not make much of a difference now, I had hoped that they could live a life where they could dream of happiness andfort. It seemed that it would lighten the load thaty in my mind, although faintly. I looked at the Witch¡¯s Forest and Tower that would be somewhere in the distance. I had lived there alone for a long time. Killing memories, killing emotions, and killing myself just like that. I thought I¡¯d be trapped in that state forever, but a warrior appeared before me like a dream. Young Evan showed up. And as he transformed into a young man, the boy brought out the woman buried deep inside the witch and reminded her of all her memories and emotions. He made her realize that she was a woman, not a witch. It was a great curse and almost turned into a tragedy*, but everything returned to its ce and was given another chance¡ªthe opportunity to turn a young monster into a warrior. I did my best, and I ended up here. I saw, thought, learned, and realized many things in the process, but it will end soon. You don¡¯t have to suffer as you did in the past. //TN: Meaning the first dream she had of Evan dying. Blood spattered and screams constantly sounded, but the path I went on was exceptionally wet with blood, and even if I swept it over clean, it got wet again, but my guilt was very dull. I didn¡¯t know whether it was because I knew I would soon be in a simr situation to them or because I would make it so that they no longer suffered. They¡¯re also victims. They¡¯re innocent. Evan, please, make a world where this terrible thing doesn¡¯t happen anymore. Create a world where no more witches and young monsters are born; a world without an evil Emperor who uses people as disposable pawns. At my demise, make a world without witches. His bright hair and sun-like eyes were drawn in my mind¡¯s eye. Carrying both warmth and brilliance, he was sure to be the new hope and glory. Witches really only exist in fairy tales, and those who have seen the dark will wee the new world. I had hoped that it would end with, ¡¸Upon killing the witch, the warrior lived happily ever after. ¡¹Just as the fairy tale went. I brushed past the people and eventually reached the pce. Through a woman named Lue and through a knight named Yohan, we were able to figure out the Heavenly Pce¡¯s interior and where the location of the Emperor was. Yohan knew the whereabouts of the emperor, perhaps because Evan was staying here. He told me about it without reserve, proving that he really intended to believe and follow Evan, even though he knew I would kill the Emperor. From the very beginning, the current Emperor was a man regarded as the center of the dirty swamp, so Yohan might have weed my existence. As I entered and traversed through the pce, the only thing that had changed was the scenery. The battle was still raging outside. Swords collided with swords, nging sharply, and blood spewing from here and there wet the floor. The glimmering emotions in the rebels¡¯ eyes were infernal, and without a moment¡¯s hesitation, they flung anyone¡¯s hearts out. This ce, where death and killing prevailed, was literally hell on earth. I set foot in that hell. The marble, which would have been polished countless times by maids, had long been covered in deep blood. It was bing a crimson river, with bodies piled up. The walls, which would have entertained the eyes of the passers-by, were so soiled and deformed to the point that their original form could not be recognized. However, the luxurious lights hanging from the ceiling were still hanging, creating a very strange feeling. As if they didn¡¯t care what was going on under them, they sparkled endlessly. Somewhere in here, the Emperor was waiting for me. ¡°¡­Gasp!¡± I pushed back one of the men blocking my way with a sword, and he ended up being flung against the wall. The wind stained the wallpaper that swallowed in the man¡¯s body with blood. But no one cared about it. The maids, who would have been punished for a single dust stain, all of them had either ran away or died. ¡°Argh!¡± The man pushed to the wall ended up with a sword stuck in his chest. His wide-open eyes, shing an incredible feeling, soon lost their light and drooped. The man who stuck the sword through the first guy was also pinned on the wall after being hit with a sword to his back. I remembered what I saw in my dream. It was definitely my future. It was my dream. And if the reality that I am facing now was the same as my dream, then I will end up facing the future that I wanted. I took my eyes off the two bodies that had be one ornament and walked forward. The road was blocked by people struggling, but I didn¡¯t care. No one cared about me, either, as I swept blood under my feet. Before I knew it, my destination was getting closer. Gradually, I raised my body and breathed life into the Shadow, which simply moved ording to my will. The smell of blood was pungent and colored. When I took a determined step, I could feel a small ache in my chest. ¡°W-witch!¡± Finally, the one who found me had loudly called out. Silence descended on the battlefield. Those who were holding swords trying to kill each other looked at me, stopping as they were. They had to kill the public enemy first before they killed each other. So it was by no means strange to see them rushing right at me. I turned again and walked towards my destination. The Darkness that crawled from under my feet filled my back like a fog from hell. Stuck in the dark, unable to see, they called out to me in a confused voice before dying to a sword, not knowing whether it came from an ally or an enemy. I walked out firmly, listening to those pained and agonizing screams. Soon, a big tall door weed me. It looked so beautiful and noble, unstained without a drop of blood. I caught the doorknob. At that moment, a strange sensation quickly spread from my hand throughout my body. Though I already know what it was, this strange feeling was not easily ignored. As I managed to open the door, I saw arge, beautiful, magnificent room I had never seen anywhere. I could see someone weing me in the farthest and highest chair in the room. ¡°You¡¯rete. How dare you make the Son of Heaven wait?¡± The smile that rolled up the corners of my mouth was nothing different from the one made by the witch in my memory. We finally met again. I¡¯ve been looking forward to this day. The one who created a witch to hide the fact that he was a monster and the one who made many people close their eyes in pain. I finally stood before him. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 71 CHAPTER 71 Team : Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie I opened my mouth and replied with, ¡°He who has been abandoned by heaven cannot be given the title of the Son of Heaven.¡± But the Emperor only gave a twisted smile, saying nothing. The distance between the two of us was vast but I began to narrow it. The Emperor did not look as old or sickly as I thought he would. His graying blond hair was not as morous as before, but he still had clear blue eyes. As he was soon to die, rumor has it that the Emperor had bestowed the title of Princess. However, actually facing him now, he didn¡¯t look like he was at death¡¯s door. Perhaps it was due to the added strength of the warrior, Evan, as his Light heals people. ¡°I never thought you¡¯d still be alive. Witches are indeed different.¡± ¡°You¡¯re no different yourself.¡± ¡°Yes, but unlike you, I¡¯ve tried so hard in order to live like this. If I had been able to get hold of that immortality, your life would have changed a lot, too.¡± I don¡¯t understand why he keeps on increasing his lifespan through other people¡¯s lives. That doesn¡¯t mean he can live forever. He¡¯ll eventually die. The Emperor continued in a satisfied voice. ¡°But today, you will die here.¡± I know. I also want that. I waited for this day to finish everything and start again. As I stood in the middle without saying anything, he spoke, lifting a finger. ¡°I don¡¯t know what confidence you had to tantlye here. There¡¯s no way you didn¡¯t know that there was someone here who could kill you.¡± As if to respond to his call, someone appeared from behind the curtain. In the midst of silence, only the pitter-patter of his footsteps filled the room. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off him, whom I hadn¡¯t seen in such a long time. Snow-like clean and transparent hair and eyshes, red eyes like that of the sun, containing brilliant light inside them. He was manly but beautiful, and it warmed my heart to see him like that. I was happy and grateful to be able to see him at my end, but on the one hand, my heart sank. The sword in his hand was directed at me. ¡°Witch.¡± Yes, Evan. No, warrior. It¡¯s finally time. The young and weak warrior grew up with Light. It became clearer every day as the witch covered the world with Darkness. Therefore, in the bloodstained imperial pce, he alone was blessed with Light. Even by the Emperor¡¯s side, who was abandoned by God, the warrior continued to be loved by God. My Darkness dissipated like fog, though I was not even near him. It was as if I were about to crumble like ashes. As soon as I reached the Light, I looked around at the falling Darkness, leading my gaze up to face the warrior. His eyes were like statues of the sun, and yet, they were so cool. They felt like hard, beautiful jewels. I looked at the Emperor again because I couldn¡¯t confidently continue to face his gaze, knowing that it wouldn¡¯t be as friendly and warm as before. Perhaps having smelled his victory, the emperor shed a ridiculing smile. So I smiled as well. Just as the witch dies here, the Emperor¡¯s long-winded lifetime will also end. People will cheer. They will be pleased with the birth of a new Emperor. They will wee the warrior who killed the witch, who had pitted the nobles against one another and made them self-destruct, who had covered the world in Darkness, and who had even murdered the Emperor. They will wee the warrior with open arms. Those who have hoped and prayed for the birth of a new sun will support the young King who will change the world and write a new history. I stand here now to crown Evan. The Darkness that was surrounding the corridor condensed together. Growing bigger beside me, it soon opened its mouth as if to swallow the Emperor and the warrior. A dark swamp unfolded, with no bottom nor end. As I pointed my arm toward the Emperor, Darkness rushed forward to devour him. But even before it reached him, it began to get burned by Light. The warrior blocked its way to the emperor. His bright Light shattered the witch¡¯s Darkness. I was d and grateful that he had grown this way, and so, stood on the opposite side from me. He really can kill me, just like in the future I¡¯ve seen. As soon as I was happy thinking this, the Emperor roared. ¡°Kill that witch right now!¡± I decided to help the Emperor¡¯s words get through to Evan, who hesitated to move. ¡°Are you really able to kill me? Evan, don¡¯t you cherish me?¡± ¡°¡­Nyx. What the hell is this? Why on earth would you do this?¡± Evan asked, with a visibly stiff face. I curled up the ends of my lips and answered with a smile. ¡°I was going to do this from the start. I thought that I wouldn¡¯t bother you if you were pathetically weak and kind enough to believe me. That¡¯s right, Evan. You can¡¯t kill me.¡± ¡°What the hell is going on? Do you perhaps¡­ the witch¡­!¡± If it became known that the warrior knew the witch, the crown that should have been glorifying him would immediately turn itself into the crown of thorns, but only me, the Emperor, and the warrior were present here. I felt my heart ache at the look in Evan¡¯s deep eyes. He didn¡¯t show as much emotion as I thought, the same as in my dream, and it made me sadder. It was a pity that I was the one he chose to show his everything to. ¡°Nyx. Didn¡¯t you want a new world? Didn¡¯t you wish for a beautiful world, not revenge? Wasn¡¯t that why you wanted me to be a warrior?¡± ¡°Did you believe that?¡± I said, twisting my lips. ¡°How fun. You worthless and insignificant human, you didn¡¯t think I would love humans, who had only ever caused me pain, did you? I knew at once that you would be a hindrance, so I reached out my hand, pretending to be kind, and you got conceited as if you were something. How pathetic. Human beings are like that, and you are no different.¡± Evan kept his mouth shut. Next to him, the Emperor shuddered with anxiety. The Emperor shouted, but I couldn¡¯t hear his words at all. I continued to speak in a voice as attentive and friendly as possible. ¡°All those things you believed in were false, warrior. Still, it¡¯s a little sad to see you like that. I¡¯ll give you onest chance. It¡¯s a reward for all the fun I¡¯ve had.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kill me. Try and kill me.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Evan¡¯s face shook visibly for the first time. His eyes were stained with bafflement. I had hoped he would be provoked and quickly flung his sword. I wanted to run away from this situation. I wanted it all to stop. It was so terrible that Evan had to suffer through this. ¡°Come on, kill me. This is your first andst chance. You can kill me with that sword. Hurry, stick that sword to my heart, warrior.¡± Then I opened my arms and posed as if I were weing him for a hug. I was trying to look arrogant and conceited, but it wasn¡¯t easy. The tips of my hands trembled slightly. I would rather have him yell at me and get angry and hurt, but it was more painful because he still kept his mouth shut as if he didn¡¯t believe this reality. I was afraid that he would still be in denial about my involvement in this. Evan, who had been standing still for a long time, opened his mouth and asked. ¡°You¡¯re asking me to kill you?¡± ¡°Yes. Didn¡¯t you already know? That the only warrior who will kill me is yourself. That¡¯s as true as day. You can kill me. So go ahead and kill me. Are you still weak and foolish enough to fail to raise your sword at such an opportunity? Are you still nothing more than a monster like in your childhood, a monster who did nothing on his own?¡± His eyes opened wide. Soon after, however, he couldn¡¯t hold back hisughter. With his body shaking, he eventually covered his face with one hand and smiled coolly. When he lowered his hand and faced me again, it was after his expression changed dramatically. No, not just his facial expressions. His whole atmosphere, his pupils¡­ everything was different. The Evan I¡¯ve known so far was nowhere to be seen. When I was phased by the illusion that he had turned into someone else, he spoke, with a look of ridicule. ¡°So that was it. Oh, why didn¡¯t I notice something so simple before? I was stupid. I didn¡¯t have toe this far. The answer was that Light drove out Darkness, and the answer was right in front of me all this time.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Now, I see. Now I know everything!¡± He seemed to be both in a good mood and a bad mood¡ªboth angry and smiling. The Emperor, who was constantly being ignored, approached Evan and shouted, fearing that he might have gone crazy because he could not handle the great pain. ¡°What the hell is this? Go and kill her right now. Urgh¡­ keugh!¡± ¡°E-Evan!¡± Unknowingly, I screamed his name. But it waste. His sword had already prated the body of the Emperor. He looked up at Evan with his unbelieving eyes, but soon after, death took him. The blood, flowing from his mouth and his sword-pierced chest, had soaked the floor. The blood that had not been absorbed slowly flowed before me. I looked at it with nk eyes. The scene slowly caught my eye as if the time had slowed down for everyone except for me. I couldn¡¯t understand the current situation. With his sword in the Emperor¡¯s body, Evan pushed him away with a face of calmness and frightful coldness. The Emperor copsed on the floor, with the sword still attached to his body. Evan, who was wiping away the white hair and blood on his face, turned his head toward me. I stumbled back unknowingly. But he came to me with no hesitation at all¡ªwielding no weapons, with an expression that had a hint of arrogance. ¡°What-what the hell is going on¡­¡± ¡°What you wanted was death?¡± I couldn¡¯t hide my surprised expression when he cut me off and asked me dryly. I quickly tried to look as indifferent as usual, but my trembling body and racing heart were notplying. ¡°The thing that I could do for you, I mean, was it because you wanted death that you did all this?¡± Evan came close without minding my current state. Closer, and then closer. I couldn¡¯t read any emotion in his eyes, so I was going crazy. ¡°Oh, I guess it¡¯s over already.¡± A heavy voice fell between us. When I turned my head in a hurry, Yohan stood with his sword dripping blood. He looked a little tired. I didn¡¯t know what was going on at all, and this alone was shocking and overwhelming enough. But, Evan, who had been standing in front of me, sat with his knee bent. ¡°Yes, my Liege.¡± I felt a chill in my head. Evan added that title to Yohan as if he were very familiar with it. ¡°Give me your orders, my Liege.¡± Taking off his helmet and sweeping up his sweaty hair, as if he were very familiar with the situation, Yohan spoke. ¡°¡­Take care of the remaining rebels.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, I understand!¡± After raising himself up, Evan whispered something to me as I was still frozen with shock, and then left through the door. I couldn¡¯t help but copse on the floor as I was. I stared nkly down at the floor. I heard Yohan walking toward me, but I had no time to care. ¨C Wait for me a little bit. I¡¯ll be right back. He knew that I wouldn¡¯t run away. He figured out that what I wanted was death. But, knowing that, if he hadn¡¯t killed me yet, then doesn¡¯t that mean that he doesn¡¯t n on killing me at all?? Doesn¡¯t that mean that the future that the witch wants will note to be? ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 72 CHAPTER 72 Team : Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie ¡°Evan must have figured out your purpose in the end.¡± Yohan came up and stood toward me, facing me. I managed to stop looking down at the floor endlessly and raised my head, meeting his gaze to match his height, which, to me, seemed as tall as the ceiling at this moment. I found him looking at me with strange eyes. ¡°I wonder what that is, but I¡¯ll bear it for now. I¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± ¡°This¡­ what the hell is going on here? What¡­ has happened?¡± Painstakingly, I opened my uplying mouth, and stupidly asked. I could feel my lips trembling. My voice was so shaky and choked that almost no one could hear it. Yohan spoke with a blunt face. ¡°Evan had already begun to serve me as his Master since a long time ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you had nned to make Evan king and rule over the world from behind him, then you were wrong. Evan also tried to stop it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it!¡± When I cut him off with a roar, a slight confusion took over his face and quickly disappeared. I looked down at the floor. I caught sight of my fists that I held tightly. They were noticeably shaking. No, that¡¯s not what I wanted. This is not it. ¡°That¡¯s not what I wanted!¡± After a pause, he crouched in front of me. His hand extended towards my face and lifted my chin and forced me to face him again. With only a slight frown on his eyebrows, he opened his mouth with an indifferent expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know your purpose, but what¡¯s clear is that you tried to make Evan King just as you said before. But why? Why did you try so hard for Evan?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­Is it because you¡¯re in love with Evan?¡± My eyes widened. My feelings, which I had tried so hard to hide, were discovered. How does this man know so much about me? How in the world? He then saidnguidly, as if my surprised expression were insignificant. ¡°Then this is something for you to be happy about. Evan chose to be by your side.¡± I doubted my ears. I couldn¡¯t understand what Yohan was saying, so I just nkly stared until he took his hand off my chin and straightened himself. ¡°What does that¡­?¡± When Yohan opened his mouth again, he also answered in a voice tinged with emptiness. ¡°You¡¯vee a long way, to the point of being a bit pitiful. Evan was never interested in the throne to begin with. What he wanted was the witch and not the crown. It seems like he¡¯s finally figured out a way to get her.¡± My heart was in shambles. Something constantly rose, pressing down on its chest. I tried to bury it back down but to no avail. A sob broke through my lips. It grew stronger and stronger, and eventually, it came like a wave and hit me. I burst into tears as I copsed on the floor. The floor quickly absorbed my tears. The illusion that there would be no trace of it no matter how much I cried seized me, and I gagged. At the same time, all my pent-up emotions poured out. ¡°¡­It can¡¯t be like this.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This just can¡¯t be. I must die by Evan¡¯s hand. Evan has to live happily. Just as the hero in the fairy tale kills the witch and brings a happy ending, that¡¯s how it should end. Why? What the hell happened? since when did it start going wrong? What did I do wrong? Why can¡¯t I die? Why are things progressing like this?¡± My dream wasn¡¯t like this. Knowing Evan¡¯s true feelings for me was a happy and great thing, but right now, it only brought me pain. He is a man whose feelings I cannot ept and with whom I can never live happily ever after. He should have been fueled by feelings of betrayal and anger and flung his sword at me. I made a river of many victims¡¯ blood trying to make that happen. There was a flood of people whom I had killed in order to die, and yet, I still couldn¡¯t die. Why must I suffer such a terrible thing? Maybe he didn¡¯t notice the truth. Did he not believe it? Perhaps he has turned a blind eye to the fact that I have done all this, that I am the cause of all this, and that I am the Darkness itself. Yohan had moved on and approached the dead Emperor who still had the sword pierced through his chest. He kicked the Emperor¡¯s body, once again checking if he was really dead, and then spat on it. No matter how much of a criminal someone was, one was to be polite to the deceased. Moreover, because Yohan was a knight, I couldn¡¯t believe he did such a thing, but I didn¡¯t have the energy to care. Feeling dizzy, I fell to the floor and muttered, ¡°The warrior should kill the witch,¡± incessantly until I heard Yohan¡¯s voice. ¡°A fairy tale, you say?¡± He smiled faintly and then began again. ¡°Fairy tales and reality are very different. I can tell just by looking at the witch crying in front of me right now.¡± As Yohan walked towards the door, he murmured, as if he were speaking to himself. ¡°Oh,e to think of it, I once believed in fairy tales, too. So, in my younger days, there was a time when the fear of losing my mother, being discovered, and then killed pushed me into the forest of the witch.¡± I raised my upper body in a daze. But my arms, which were touching the floor, were so weak that I could not prompt myself enough to look at Yohan¡¯s face. I saw his feet standing near the entrance and facing my way through my clouded eyes. ¡°I believed it would be all over once I met the witch. So I recklessly entered the Witch¡¯s Forest, but in the end, I could not find the Witch¡¯s Tower. No, maybe I gave up on finding it halfway. I wasn¡¯t as pure as Evan to push myself to keep looking, believing that the Witch¡¯s Tower was sure to be somewhere inside the deep and wide forest. That¡¯s right. I knew too much. I wasn¡¯t as clean as Evan was.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So I came back, telling myself that there were no witches in the world. That¡¯s how far the fairy tale went.¡± Yohan¡¯s leg headed for the door again. Then there was the sound of the doorknob turning. He opened the door and murmured in a whisper. ¡°But I regret it now. I should have looked more if I had known that this would happen. If I had known that there really was a witch. If I had known that the witch in the fairy tale was this kind of witch. If I had, I would have found her first. I should have trusted my innocence of childhood more and went into the tower.¡± * The rebels were defeated. When Evan used his strength, they lost all their fighting spirit and knelt down. They were not wielding their swords to protect anyone in the first ce. So, threatened with their lives, the rebels copsed to the floor. Evan¡¯s Light healed the wounded, and at the same time, mended their broken hearts. They praised the Light that appeared through the dark, shedding tears at its warmth. Meanwhile, Count Phyletto, blinded by greed, was caught trying to resist until the end. He kept calling for me. He looked for the witch who he fully trusted and believed to be unconditionally on his side. But I couldn¡¯t go there, because Evan had also held me with my hands tied. The object holding my hand was glistening faintly. I was already aware of what the delicately carved seal was. It had bound my strength, and I had be a witch who could not use any powers. ¡°All the rebels were captured. They gave up without resistance. Are you still going to rebel until the end, Phyletto?¡± ¡°You, you dare! How dare you call me by my name? The Emperor is dead! And I am worthy of being the master of this pce with all thend and all the soldiers! Won¡¯t you let me go right now?¡± ¡°This insolent fellow¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Let it go.¡± Yohan couldn¡¯t ovee his anger. He approached Count Phyletto, with bloodshot eyes, brimming with rage and whispered something to him. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡± Count Phyletto looked distant and could not even see the object in front of him. Yohan said after clicking his tongue. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you this. Now that the Emperor is dead, if there was only one person who inherited the imperial blood other than the princess, would you recognize him as the Emperor?¡± Count Phyletto¡¯s face was firm. The same was true for me and all those around me. Only Evan, holding me by his side as if he were hugging me, had a nonchnt expression. By the time the people gradually became noisy, making their exmations of disbelief, the voice of a gentle yet powerful woman was heard. ¡°What are you doing? How dare you not honor the Emperor? Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°P, princess!¡± The woman, walking with her rich blonde hair, was none other than Princess Heleina. Those who saw her hurriedly cleared the way. Heleina, who crossed through the crowd in gentle steps, stood before Yohan, greeted him lightly, and then raised herself. ¡°Your Majesty, everything is ready.¡± ¡°Princess Heleina, I think the title of Your Majesty is too much.¡± ¡°If we hold the coronation ceremony soon, everything will be sorted out, so why is the order of things so important?¡± ¡°Really? But isn¡¯t there much left to settle before the coronation? Anyway, you¡¯re all set. It must not have been easy, but you¡¯ve had a hard time preparing things by yourself.¡± ¡°It was a great help to have the sorcerer Neriano by my side.¡± The rtionship between the two was unusual. I¡¯ve never seen Yohan and Princess Heleina meet, but they¡¯ve exchanged stories that I didn¡¯t know anything about at all. Even though I was attentively listening to what they said, I couldn¡¯t understand a word because my head was soplicated. I just felt more tangled in the thread of an unknown end. ¡°Your Highness the Princess?¡± ¡°Your¡­ Your Majesty?¡± Everyone muttered in an incredible voice. But there was no time to think for long because Yohan gave orders to Evan. ¡°You take care of the witch and the rest of her party. I¡¯ll leave it entirely up to you!¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Evan led me just as I was and started heading for an unknown location. The rest of the men followed Yohan to the end of the hall. I realized that there was so much I didn¡¯t know and that something very unusual had been going on. So I stopped walking and asked Evan, who looked at me in wonder. ¡°Evan, what do you mean a party? What the hell does that mean?¡± Evan smiled. It was a very twisted and cold smile. ¡°You, you can¡¯t mean¡­ don¡¯t tell me the others have¡­¡± ¡°Was Ruadhan his name? His name, I mean¡­ he kept inquiring about you until the end. To the point of persistence.¡± I realized what it felt like to have the hair stand on point all over my body. Goosebumps ran all over my back. The world of the witch, all the dreams she wanted, instantly fell apart. ¨C¨C¨C TN : I do not know how to react to this sudden change of mood in the story¡­ Share your thoughts in thements/discord channel and let me know what you think of it ? ¤Ä ?_? ?¤Ä Chapter 73 Team : Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie ¡°What have you done to Ruadhan?¡± ¡°Why? Are you worried about him?¡± ¡°Evan, Evan¡­! Don¡¯t do this, please don¡¯t do this to me.¡± I grabbed Evan¡¯s arm and hung onto it desperately. He still looked down at me with cold eyes. His eyes were neither warm nor friendly anymore. I was terrified of them. If you¡¯re going to see me with such eyes, if you¡¯re going to look at me like that, then it¡¯d be better if you¡¯d just kill me. Please end it all. I took in a rough breath, grabbed the hem of his sleeve as if hanging onto the Grim Reaper¡¯s cloak, then slowly lowered my head. Burying my face in his arm, I muttered. ¡°That¡¯s right. As you may already know, I made all this happen. If killing other people was not enough, I also tried to kill you, too. So kill me. You¡¯re better off killing me, Evan.¡± After staying silent for a while, he grabbed me by the shoulders and started dragging me off somewhere. His powerful grip came out of nowhere, and his hands holding my shoulderscked kindness. I felt tears welling up in my eyes. Then he opened one of the doors which filled the long corridor and shoved me inside. He followed me and closed the door. Instead of pulling out his sword, he grabbed me by the neck and swallowed my lips. After standing motionless; struck dumb at the unexpected situation, I hurried to push him away. As I pushed at his chest with my tied hands, he grabbed them firmly with one hand and held the back of my neck with the other even more forcefully, deepening the kiss further. He swallowed my lips, ravaged my mouth, and pinched my tongue whenever it dodged his. It was a very urgent and primal kiss. I gradually felt theck of air in my lungs. He crushed me mercilessly. Not allowing me any room for escape or protest, he was madly coveting something buried profoundly in the depths of me. I tried to take a hurried breath or appeal to him by calling his name whenever his jaw moved, but he did not leave me much of a gap. Not knowing whether it was moaning or weeping, only the sound of my whimpering breaths leaked, agitating him more instead of appeasing him. Having been blocking my mouth and tenaciously clinging to my lips for a long while, as if he was seeking something unknown in them, Evan slowly fell apart from me. I hurriedly tried to fill my empty lungs with fresh air until my head, which felt nk, started working again. The tears that I¡¯ve been restraining fell like a waterfall. All the emotions I had suppressed all this while came descending on me all at once. Once they broke free, they burst out without a break, so I couldn¡¯t swallow them back down. ¡°Hu, heung.¡± It was painful. I was afraid. I couldn¡¯t believe the current situation I was in. It was hard to believe that the person in front of me was Evan. Evan, as I¡¯ve known him so far, wasn¡¯t like this, and it felt like everything I had known was falling apart. Evan wiped away my tears from a close enough distance for him to feel my breath and to kiss me again. Unlike before, he did it softly and sweetly. His movement was so light and delicate as when it was when he wasforting me before. His touch was but an illusion of delicate feathers passing near my cheek. It was like he was whispering, ¡°I am the Evan that you know, don¡¯t doubt that.¡± He was making me even more confused. Quietly, he whispered, brushing his lips with mine. ¡°You want me to kill you?¡± His voice, which was quieter than usual, contained a strange power, so it was clearly carried to my ears even in the midst of my weeping. His lips, touching mine, moved again. ¡°¡­Do you think I¡¯ll let you go?¡± He kissed me slowly and deeply. Soon after, his lips, as if regretful, hesitated on the edge of my chin and moved to my cheek slowly. He kissed my tears and licked his lips with a satisfying expression. His eyes were burning. They resembled the sun that was zing with the eagerness to swallow the witch. Staring at the mes dancing in his eyes alone gave me a scorching feeling. ¡°I can finally have you. I worked so hard in order to make this day happen. How can you tell me to let you go just like that?¡± ¡°¡­Evan.¡± I could barely open my mouth and call out his name. I tried to avoid his gaze and kept my eyes downcast. Trying not to let my shaken state show in my voice, I then said. ¡°The thing I had hoped for, the thing I wanted from you¡­!¡± He imed my lips again. As if he didn¡¯t want to hear any more wordse out from them. It was rough and urgent, although not as much as his first kiss. Without knowing, my arms tightened, but he fastened his hand to my wrists tightly and didn¡¯t let go. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn¡¯t move. By the time my wrists started getting sore in his grip, and my squeezed rib cage was screaming for air, he separated himself from me. However, although he stopped kissing me, he still stood close enough for him to touch me again at any time. He whispered with a cold expression and an even colder voice. ¡°Stop provoking me.¡± There was no warmth. Not in the way he spoke nor in the way his hand swept down my neck. His eyes were dangerously narrowed. It was as if they could explode at any minute. When I silently tried to turn my head away, he applied strength to the hand that was stroking my neck, making me look back at him. One thing was clear; there was no way for me to get away from Evan. Unless he let go, I could not escape his arms. Evan said in a low, eerie voice, akin to the cry of an animal. ¡°I thought you only stayed in the tower, but you seem to have been walking around and meeting a lot of people. I thought you would have only stayed in the tower when I went away, so I obediently listened to your wishes. I tried so hard because I thought that if I did as you wanted, you wouldn¡¯t have to go and find someone else, right? I¡¯ve already suffered a great wound because of you. I¡¯ve almost copsed once before from the shock. You kept threatening that if I didn¡¯t follow my fate, then you wouldn¡¯t need me to be by your side. I didn¡¯t know you would be so good at lying. Wearing an indifferent look at that.¡± A great feeling of hurt was revealed behind his burning eyes. I bit my lips and held a groan from escaping my mouth. I was only concerned that my ns were going to go wrong, so I couldn¡¯t think of the betrayal, shock, and pain he would have felt. At this moment, he must be feeling more pain than I was. The feelings of the witch who was already prepared were notparable to those of the warrior who had trusted and followed her since young. And in his words, I couldn¡¯t shake my feelings of embarrassment as I encountered a truth I had never thought of. Was he saying he was going to be a warrior not because the witch wanted it, or because he wanted it, but because he wanted me to stay put? Was it just to keep the witch by his side? Far be it from my will, he whispered, wiping away another drop of my tears. ¡°It was difficult for me to endure it. It was agonizing for me to bite down the feeling of wanting to ruin everything.¡± Evan¡¯s face was showing signs of his suffering. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his hurt eyes shook visibly. ¡°Until that day, the day when I knew the truth, I still believed that you would be looking at me alone, but I have already reached the limit. I swallowed back the endless feelings of betrayal and sadness in order not to offend you. I had to lie on yourp with a smile, pretending to know nothing, in case you would avoid me if you found out that I knew the truth. And I had to hide my urge to brutally scold you while watching you lie until the end. Did you know that?¡± My breath was caught in my throat. Because I thought I knew which day he was talking about. Even though he ran to the witch and showed off his betrayed and wounded heart, she thought there was nothing strange about him because he smiled naturally and hugged her. I thought he knew nothing, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Did he actually know the whole truth? Did he hide the fact that he knew the truth despite having found out about my n? I felt like my heart was being torn apart. It hurt so much that I grabbed my chest with the arm that pushed him away. I couldn¡¯t breathe properly, and my heart raced violently until a thumping sound rang out in my ears. I couldn¡¯t imagine what he would have thought as he looked at me, how he would have felt or what emotions would have seized him whileughing at me on the inside. No, I didn¡¯t want to imagine. What was he thinking when he came to see me knowing that the witch he trusted with all his heart was trying to kill him? How could it have been possible for him to appear in front of me, pretending to be fine while hiding his shattered heart? The shattered pieces of his heart must have scratched, torn, and ate away at the rest of him. Frustrated and utterly livid, he peeled my hand off my chest and wrapped it in his, as if my action of sping my chest was driving him crazy. He said with an enticing nce as the previous coldness in his eyes vanishedpletely. ¡°But it¡¯s okay. In return, I can have you like this. Rather, it gave me a chance. I¡¯ve been following you, whom I had believed knew nothing, and I¡¯ve been waiting for the day when we could be like this, for all the time that is toe. Waiting for the day when I could find out what the hell you wanted me to do and what your true goal was. I believed that if I yed the role of a good warrior, just as you wished, then our rtionship that began when I was young would not end. I earnestly hoped that it shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­Why? Why the hell would you go that far¡­?¡± Evanughed at my lingering question. It was definitely the same frowning smile he always wore in his childhood, but the feeling of it was clearly different. The smile, which felt both adorable and uneasy at first nce, slowly turned into a spider web that had trapped me and made it impossible for me to escape. He looked with a satisfied expression at the prey that had already been tied up in his intricately woven spider web. Then, he slowly buried his face in my shoulder, muttering as he guided his lips to my exposed neck. ¡°The people don¡¯t know of the precious treasure trapped in the tower.¡± In his breath, I trembled at the unfamiliar tickling sensation that started from the neck and spread all throughout my whole body. Perhaps liking my reaction, he bit and nibbled at my throat for a long time. He slowly licked the bite marks he had left behind, then climbed up my neck again, brushing his lips over my skin all the way up to my ear, and whispered. ¡°I¡¯m not going to give anyone the treasure that God gave me, the crown surrounded by thorns which God had failed to recognize.¡± I faced him with a trembling gaze. Suddenly, he looked at my face, locking his eyes with mine, and said with a terrifyingly pretty smile. ¡°I¡¯m the real winner here, not the new Emperor who will rule this country, not the Empress who will be able to dream of the future she wants by his side, and not the people who will be taken with the new era.¡± As if enchanted, Evan plucked my quivering lips again. A satisfied smile lingered on his mouth. Hisughter climbed up my neck and filled my heart. I stared at the smiling Evan, my body a shivering mess, and my head brindled with confusion. The fairy tale of the witch who imed Darkness for the sake of the Light is over. However, the witch could not have a happy ending. Because of the warrior who became the Light in order to have the Darkness¡­ ¨C¨C¨C Author¡¯s note : The fairy tale for the warrior has only just begun. The final meaning of Crown of Thorns has now been revealed. The Crown surrounded by thorns, abandoned by God. It was referring to Nyx. Chapter 74 Team : Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie The new emperor¡¯s crowning ceremony took ce peacefully and naturally. It was all thanks to Heleina, the princess, and Neriano, the sorcerer, who both waited until all the preparations werepleted. The people weed the new Emperor, who killed the tyrant and discarded the nobles who had pushed them into misery. Since the Emperor could not rule the vast territory alone, new nobles took residence in the empty territory. The nobles who had either been pushed out of the capital or left it of their own ord and those whom Yohan had sought to meet, were appointed as the new feudal lords. Even so, the number of nobles were stillcking, so the remaining positions were filled by those who made great contributions in either war or the subjugation of monsters. Most of them were knights who followed Yohan. The new nobles, as well as the existing ones, supported the new Emperor. They didn¡¯t doubt that the present Emperor was capable because they knew the secret of the current Emperor¡¯s birth; a fact that, for some reason, I didn¡¯t know. It wasn¡¯t until he became Emperor that Yohan revealed himself to be one of the countless illegitimate children of the former Emperor who decided to rule out of his resentment for his mother¡¯s unfair murder. I¡¯ve always been chasing and watching Evan, Yohan, and many others, and yet they all shared truths and made ns without my knowledge. They had already made ns for a new Emperor and to create a new world. They were only looking for an opportunity. Even Princess Heleina, whose encounter with Yohan I had never witnessed, looked at him with warm eyes, relied on him, and followed him. He arranged all this so that he could be Emperor, and even though Yohan was already qualified, he dered his marriage to her, strengthening his position. As a princess, she was supposed to be Empress, and even during their wedding preparation period, the bloodshed hadn¡¯t ceased while dealing with the rebels and old nobles¡¯ remnants. All the witches who had covered the world with Darkness were captured and imprisoned in the Heavenly Pce. But I was an exception. I had to follow Evan as he led me and watched the situation. Even though I saw Margarita¡¯s body, which had been dead for a long time and was being eaten away by maggots, Evan dragged me around and made me face the cruel reality I had wanted to ignore. Instead of looking at Evan and rejoicing at the warrior¡¯s appearance, people rejoiced at the resurrection of the Imperial Pce Sorcerer, who had long since disappeared. The existence of the Imperial Pce Sorcerer, who brightly lit the world while guarding the Son of Heaven, was bound to be great hope in itself. Everyone looked forward to him, bringing the glorious era back again next to the new Emperor. With a new Emperor, an Empress guarding by his side, and people full of hope, everything had changed so that the same past does not repeat itself again. All of this was what the witch wanted, so I should be happy too, but I was not. It was Yohan, not Evan, who wore the crown, with Heleina staying by his side. And I, who had to crown Evan and face my death simultaneously, am still here, alive like this, unable to die for all eternity. Evan, who was so fragile, sweet, warm, and who shuddered at the horrors of the world, was only speaking in a quiet whisper, with a cool, dry, twisted gaze that had stuck to him out of nowhere. ¡°I told you not to stimte me anymore. There is a limit to my putting up with it. No, I¡¯ve already reached my limit countless times, so I don¡¯t know what will happen anymore.¡± Still, in that unbelievable reality, I mumbled for him to kill me, and he did not hesitate to threaten me. ¡°For now, I have to put up with it until all the loose ends are tied, but if you keep doing this, I can¡¯t help it. Do you want me to have you in front of everyone¡¯s eyes and announce that I became a warrior in order to have the witch? Do you want me to dere that? If that happens, people will be surprised. Eximing that the warrior is saying that he loves the witch! Do you really want that?¡± Shocked out of my wits, I kept my mouth shut and then slowly shook my head no. He hugged me from behind as I frantically shook my head. As soon as I conceded, he hugged me tighter and shed a satisfied smile. ¡°Good girl. Yes, that¡¯s how it should be. I thought I was going to die, holding back all my feelings and desires and pretending to be innocent for fear that you might leave, that you might run away. So don¡¯t stimte me any further, got it?¡± At the same time, Evan leaned his face on my head, patting the area around my belly, and continued hugging me. He was incredibly different from the Evan I¡¯ve known so far. So many things had changed to the point that it seemed to me that the Evan I knew had never existed. ¡°As soon as this is organized, he will probably provide a ce for us to live. A ce no one knows, where no one cane. Because that was the only condition that I put out.¡± ¡°¡­Conditions?¡± ¡°Yes, condition. You really don¡¯t have the slightest idea how much effort I have put into this.¡± Evan whispered quietly, holding his lips closely over my head. ¡°Now, I will never leave? you again. Never. You can¡¯t go anywhere, Nyx.¡± The warrior trapped the witch in a tower. So no one could see her. ¨C¨C¨C T/N : end of volume 3. Chapter 75: The Warriors Story - CHAPTER 75 ¨C The Warrior¡¯s Story Team: Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie A rattling sound resonated. As Evan lifted the object from the table, it bumped into the ss and made a cold sound. Evan quietly looked down at the item, wrapping it tightly in his palm. At first nce, his eyes were ring with sorrow. This was because he was reminded of the witch who had handed the item to him and the woman whom the mere thought of turning made him feel warm. It was the witch, Nyx. She made the world tremble in fear, with an immortal body. She was thought to have been a very evil and cruel creature, but she was actually just a very pitiful woman. Foolishly good and lovely, unlike the rumors and fairy tales. ¡°Nyx¡­¡± Evan held the object all-day long, calling out Nyx¡¯s name. But his voice vanished into thin air, leaving without an echo. There was no answer to be found, not here, nor there. Originally, he wouldn¡¯t have called out Nyx¡¯s name carelessly, even if there were no one around. However, now it¡¯s been made possible because there was no one else in this space, not just physically, but also spiritually. Unseen, untouched, unheard, she disappeared the moment he brought her maid into the room. Just in case, he stayed in the room all night long for a few days, but Nyx never came. She had always kept out of Evan¡¯s private life. It was a relief. That meant that he could move on his own. But he couldn¡¯t move easily. Would that be okay? If things went wrong, wouldn¡¯t Nyx get hurt? Evan settled down on the table, holding the object tightly. He couldn¡¯t figure out where to start and how to solve it, his mind tooplicated. ¡°Nyx, what the hell do you want?¡± Evan murmured with a sigh. He started to recall all his old memories while fiddling with the object in his hand. It was something he¡¯d been repeating over and over, thinking that there may have been something he¡¯d missed. Something very important¡­ A witch trapped in a tower. He had heard her story when he was very young. When his mother and brother were alive, they exined why the Witch¡¯s Forest was called that. It was a fairytale handed down from generation to generation. But his brother clearly believed the witch was alive. There had to be a witch¡¯s tower somewhere in the forest. There were more monsters living in the forest, so he couldn¡¯t approach it. However, it couldn¡¯t have just been a simple fairy tale. There was no way for Evan to know whether what his brother had said were just boundless words to tease his younger sibling or if he had really believed it. Before long, Evan had indeed found the witch¡¯s tower. It was after his only brother died. He didn¡¯t want to believe that he was cursing everyone to death. He thought that everything was her fault and that it would be all over if he killed her. Whether it was true or not, Evan was almost ready to die trying because that was all he could do. Even if he had survived, he would¡¯ve lived a life worse than death, so deep down, he knew he was going there to die. When Evan arrived at the tower, it was not a witch that had greeted him, but a woman, crying with a heartbreaking look on her face. The womanughed as she cried. Then she said, I¡¯m d I got to see you again¡­ It was certainly the first time he had seen her, but she still said so- begging him to stay by her side with an earnest and affectionate heart. Evan was shocked by her unimaginable actions and left the tower as if he were running away. But not long after, Evan revisited the tower of the witch. Just because it was so different from what he had imagined, he didn¡¯t intend to believe in her. Even if she smiled and cried with such a sad expression and held him tight as if she would never let him slip away again, she could not be trusted. But he wondered. Why was she chasing him? Why was she helping him? From the moment he left the witch¡¯s tower, he felt something chasing after him. At first, he thought it was an illusion because it was silent, odorless, unnoticed, and invisible. But it was only aftering to town that he became certain that it was there. It was something that followed Evan the whole time across the Witch¡¯s Forest, past the walls, past the vigers, and into his home. It helped him when the children were throwing stones at him and even hugged him when hey still in his room, closing his eyes tightly. It felt like such a foreign feeling that words failed to describe it. To think that something Evan couldn¡¯t evenprehend was hugging andforting him. When he opened his eyes in amazement, there were only the remnants of a ck mist, scattering away in the blink of an eye. Evan had never seen anything like that before. It was much like the ck mist that had filled the witch¡¯s forest, yet, it was very different. It was lighter, warmer, and friendlier. After raising himself up, he looked around for a long while, unable to hide his confusion. And before long, he concluded that it was the power of the witch. Witches use great powers that humans can¡¯t dare to imagine. The first thing that he felt anything simr to this was definitely inside the tower of the witch. So he went back there, meaning to ask her why she was following after him. Upon entering the tower, Evan gasped inaudibly. He looked at her excessively thin and weak appearance, along with a blurred outline. It was as if she were about to break. ¡°You¡­ I mean¡­¡± But no further words came out. His throat was choked up, and he couldn¡¯t get his voice out. Evan didn¡¯t know the reason at the time, but now he thought he did. His adolescent self unconsciously realized that if he had let her know of the fact that he had been made aware of her tailing him, then she wouldn¡¯t be chasing him anymore. He didn¡¯t want to lose thepany of that faint, invisible existence even if he couldn¡¯t touch nor acknowledge it. Be it a witch or otherwise, it made little difference to him. It hovered around him, prevented others from harming him, and even consoled him for an unknown reason. He didn¡¯t want to push away the only thing that came to his rescue unsolicited with his own hands. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to. He had thought that there would be no one to stay with him and protect him anymore. How could he push away anyone who was willing to do that for him? If the mysterious existence disappears, he will really be abandoned in this vast and deste world. So how could he help drive it away? So, instead of asking why she was chasing him, Evan tried to figure out the witch¡¯s intentions on his own. But the only thing the witch told him was the incredible story of warriors and helped him be one. Still, he decided to follow her. At least the witch trusted him and treated him like a human being instead of calling him a monster, whether she meant it or not. And so, Evan began to go in and out of the witch¡¯s tower. He thought it was a little scary at first. Not even a single beam of light permeated the tower and none of its furniture remained intact. It was literally a ce for the dead. It was so bright and beautiful around the tower, but inside it seemed to be reduced to a miniature of the dreary witch¡¯s forest. Above all, what was really dark was the witch herself. It was like a fairy tale; her face was cold and she had a dreamy expression the first time he saw her, but she didn¡¯t express any emotion. Moreover, she was so thin that she looked like she was about to crumble and disappear with the slightest gust of the wind. She was so very anxious, both in her appearance and her atmosphere. He thought it wouldn¡¯t be very unusual were she to disappear without a trace if he just looked away for a moment. The tower already looked uninhabited, so it would make more sense for him to have hallucinated all of this. But she brought a lot of things from somewhere as if she were really trying to keep her word that she¡¯d teach Evan. All of the items seemed precious and unusual. In addition, she was clean, unlike the first time he saw her. She had painful traces that made his eyes frown just by looking at them. She wasn¡¯t just skinny. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how she came to get such scars. How great her pain must have been when his body ached at the smallest of scratches. He felt a deeper connection with her when the witch carelessly tried to kill herself. When Evan saw her trying to put a sword in her chest without hesitation, saying she was not going to die, it was difficult for Evan to escape from the great shock. No matter how much of a witch she was, it can¡¯t be painless, but how familiar was she with death to be able to kill herself so boldly? ¡°Stop it! What¡¯s wrong with you? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Why are you stopping me? When I die, the monsters will disappear.¡± ¡°But still¡­ you have to teach me! What if you die without keeping your promise?¡± He realized his innermost thoughts for why he was stopping the witch from dying. The fact that he was relying on her. It was a very short time that they spent together. Furthermore, she was a witch feared and scorned by many for driving the world into darkness, ultimately causing the death of his older brother. She was also the only one he had. After losing his family, no one approached him. He was always alone, and he¡¯d rather be lonely, but the people didn¡¯t leave him be and constantly harassed him. Regardless, the fact that his loved ones died because of him was so horrifying and painful that their scorn felt like they were hammering a nail on his open wound. It was a pain that wouldn¡¯t end until or even after his death. Meanwhile, the witch he met epted him. She acknowledged and watched over him. She always followed him around and looked at his inner self, not at his sole outer appearance, and branded him as a monster as others did. He had a glimpse of hope in a life of despair. She was the only one like that. What was so important about her being a witch or not? Actually, he already knew. It was the lord who killed his family. Not himself, not the witch, not even Darkness, nor monsters, but a human being, just like him. And it didn¡¯t really matter to him if the world suffered from Darkness now that no one was left by his side. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me alone. Don¡¯t leave me alone.¡± So he decided that he would never be parted from the witch. He was not going to let her whither into nothingness like the rest of his family, and he was certainly not going to be left alone again. At that time, he didn¡¯t want to miss out on the one who may be thest person to ever really look at him, but his solemn determination grew bigger day in and day out until it eventually became a ck obsession that ate him up. A gruesome tenacity and earnestness, as such, was Evan¡¯s obsession. * * * ¨C¨C¨C T/N: This is the start of Evan¡¯s POV, it¡¯s marked as a side story in the original work, but I will keep it as part of V3 in order not to confuse the order. Chapter 76: The Warrior’s Story - CHAPTER 76 ¨C The Warrior¡¯s Story Team: Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie ¡°Did you find a name for me?¡± ¡°Estevan.¡± ¡°You really did?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Estevan¡­ Es-, tevan¡­ wWhat does it mean?¡± ¡°It means the crown of victory. I¡¯ll call you Evan for short.¡± Nyx, the woman who named him Evan after he had lost his name, was different from the witch in the fairy tale. She was friendly and fragile. Instead of ming the humans, who had made her suffer so, she still warmly loved them warmly. That was the thing about her that Evan couldn¡¯t understand at all. It was hard to believe. IAnd it was really strange to see that Nyx, who had been turned into a wicked witch and was unfairly trapped in a tower for so long, to be that forgiving when he himself had dreamed of the day he¡¯d have revenge on the people who harmed him and his family. ¡°Do the people know? That the witch they fear believes in God and blesses the humans who have caused her great pain?¡± She was but a kind and warm woman. A woman who, at first nceencounter, appears to be calm,posed, and cold. But in reality, she had tolerated everyone¡¯s faults and generously shared her peace and affection. That was the real identity of the woman whom people called a witch. TAnd the more time they spent together, the more he felt that Nyx and himself were simr to each other. Yes, he was definitely not a monster. He moved in and out of the Witch¡¯s Forest because he had keener senses and a healthier body than others. But he was just an ordinary boy who acted childish to his mother and butted heads with his brother. It was none other than the world which had made him into a monster. ¡°The witch is not Nyx. We¡¯re not monsters. It¡¯s the world. You know that, right?¡± He was sure that this was how Nyx came to be a witch, too. Evan wanted to get Nyx back to her original appearance. She was very mysterious and pretty when she said that his white hair and red eyes were beautiful. Even in the dark tower, her ck eyes that glowed silently as if they had stars in them, her ck eyshes that huang long over them, and her ck hair that floweds down to her waist were dazzlingly beautiful. He thought that her real appearance was trapped under all those scars, hiding her great beauty, resembling the night sky and shining gracefully. He couldn¡¯t wait to clear out all of her horribly painful scars. ¡°I¡¯ll start by teaching you about the power you possess. Light isrgely divided into healing, purification, and attack. I¡¯m going to teach you to purify and attack so that you can protect yourself even if you run into a monster.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start with healing first.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­I get a lot of wounds, don¡¯t I? And I want to get rid of these scars.¡± Evan showed his arm to Nyx. He couldn¡¯t bear to outright tell her that he wanted to remove her scars since he was sure that she¡¯d reject him. He tried to control the light better, hiding his inner thoughts. After all the scars were gone, the image of a beautiful woman with ck hair and eyes seemed to smile at him with gratitude. He was neither interested in bing a warrior nor in saving the world, but he wanted to punish those who had hurt him and his family, and he wanted to make herugh, so he tried hard. TAnd the witch would stay in the tower until he turned into a warrior, and she would always watch him until he achieved what she wanted. Nyx used to always go somewhere. She left the tower too easily. The world didn¡¯t lock Nyx up, but rather, she trapped herself in the tower, so anxiety weighed on his whole body when she disappeared. He was afraid that she might nevere back at some point, and that he would be alone again. He always wanted her to be in the tower. To never go anywhere. From the beginning, she was so hazy and unattainable that it wouldn¡¯t be strange for her to disappear at any time, leaving him alone in an empty tower. Feeling like she was but a dream, and that there was no one in there, to begin with. That he was mistaken. Or that he, eventually, went crazy and created a fantasy. So every time Nyx came back, both joy and sadness overwhelmed him. He was flooded with both relief and anxiety. He wanted to be angry about why she kept going out, but he also wanted to cry because he was thankful that she came back. He wanted to hold onto her so tightly that she never went anywhere, but he couldn¡¯t say anything for fear that she might run away. He was a real mess. So once, he grabbed onto her clothes without realizing it while she was sleeping. It was when she told him the story of an oldnguage that disappeared while reading a fairy tale book. Nyx¡¯s calming voice was very clear. In addition to her calm tone, it felt veryfortable and sweet to listen to her soft voice that he just drifted into sleep. When he opened his eyes, the tower was dim and Nyx sat next to Evan and fell asleep leaning against the wall. It was the first time he saw her sleeping face, so he crouched in front of her for a long time. He hurriedly brought a nket and covered her. She was no different from ordinary people when sleeping soundly. Her eyes were closed, her breathing was quiet, and every time her heart thumped, her chest rose heaved up and down. When he reached out his hand and grabbed the hem of the clothes, he felt the touch of her skin under the fabric on the palm of his hand. She was no fantasy, she¡¯s definitely a living woman in front of me, Evan thought. ¡°Don¡¯t go. Don¡¯t go anywhere. Stay here. Don¡¯t leave me alone.¡± He¡¯s always wanted to say this. His voice that she couldn¡¯t hear carried through the quiet tower. Please don¡¯t leave me alone. I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll suddenly disappear all of a sudden, and the fear of being alone again is driving me crazy. The more time he spent with Nyx, the more he was filled with small happiness, and, ironically, the more anxious he felt. As if he were standing on a tower built with clouds. He didn¡¯t know when and how it was going to copse. Evan sping the hem of Nyx¡¯s clothing with his hand was a silent cry that he never wanted to be parted from her. Nyx was a womanparable to the night. No matter how much he wanted to hold onto her, he couldn¡¯t help but say goodbye when the sun rose. Or a shadow he always saw around and thought it¡¯d always be with him, but he couldn¡¯t hold on to it. Nyx, who looked at Evan affectionately and spoke warmly of, took care of him like a mother and sometimes hugged him like a woman, but she was always a few steps away, making Evan shudder with anxiety. Lingering so far away as if she were about to leave. His craving for her somehow burned, setting him on fire. Soon after, Nyx woke up. The ck eyes, which glowed softly in the moonlight, were truly mysteriously transparent and beautiful. He couldn¡¯t take his own eyes off them. Her beauty was obstructed by a scar., Iit looked so painful that it made him frown. Anger red up. The thought that the world was what made him so nervous about her existence tore away at him. ¡°I¡¯m going to build up my strength and¡­¡± I¡¯ll pay back all those who made her like this. aAnd I will bring back Nyx¡¯s beauty and her peaceful life. Evan thoughtasked, swallowing the bitter thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t you want revenge on the humans who made you like this? Don¡¯t you hate the world? It did nothing but hurt and deserted you.¡± ¡°Whatever you do, you can¡¯t get revenge. As the broken te cannot return to its original form, the wounds that have already urred do not heal. No, they will heal, but they will leave a scar. A scar that may be hazy but will never be erased.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°SAnd sometimes living is a punishment worse than hell. It¡¯s just a matter of waiting to see. They¡¯ll pay for it eventually.¡± After saying so, she quickly got up and Evan hurriedly grabbed her hand. Afraid she¡¯ll disappear again. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To prepare your meal.¡± Still, Evan couldn¡¯t let go of her hand. His insides were all in a mess. Don¡¯t go, stay here. I¡¯m anxious¡ª I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll leave me. Just as you¡¯ve collected me so easily, you might throw me away all the same. If I be useless, you might kick me out like an old sock. He liked Nyx¡¯s warmth. And he hoped that she¡¯d always look at him with such warm eyes. But he knew. tThat humans do not do good deeds for no reason. Only two people, his mother, and brother, ever showered him with affection without expecting anything in return. Nyx was no different, either., bBecause she wanted something from him from the get-go and kept him by her side for that reason. ASo as long as he could be useful to her, Evan believed that she would stay with him as long as she could. But he still couldn¡¯t figure out what she wanted. There was no way to know what Nyx really wanted. Why did she make him into a warrior? What can she get from it? The questions that had begun to fester in his mind were never solved. ¡°You raised me and wanted me to grow up so I can save the world just as you¡¯ve told me?¡± ¡°You have to be a warrior and save the world. You have to cover up the Darkness and be the fountain from which a new hope can sprout. You have to be the sun that will save people. That¡¯s why I¡¯m teaching you all this.¡± ¡°So if I do what you want, will you stay with me?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In any case, she would stay by his side until he achieved her purpose, and he had to do his best to be a warrior. But that didn¡¯t mean he wanted to be a warrior and save the world. When the world gets better, the witch no longer has to be in the tower. She obviously locked herself away in there by her own volition. Evan thought it was because she hated the world, just like he did. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 77: The Warriors Story CHAPTER 77 ¨C The Warrior¡¯s Story Team : Cuties, WilsonWilson, Stephanie He tried not to leave the witch¡¯s side, but the time for it hase nheless. It was shortly after Evan had just begun to deal with light. He went to the white snowfield and when he buried himself within it, he saw the slender and mystifying figure of Nyx. Feeling the full glow of light, Evan finally started to control it. It was all but a short-lived dream that had been arranged to deepen the despair ahead. Nyx shuffled the cards again, and this time too, Evan spectated her. The day was not much different from usual. Evan watched Nyx close her eyes while arranging her deck of cards, just like always, refusing to miss her rare moments of defenselessness. Opening her eyes again, Nyx¡¯s expression was deeply somber. Her ck eyes, which were deep like clouds, actually betrayed emotion. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Is the future bad?¡± When Evan asked, she turned the card over instead of answering. It was a white card. Maybe it meant a good thing, but there was a thin crack in Nyx¡¯s expression and that induced anxiety in Evan¡¯s mind. ¡°Nyx, you don¡¯t look so good. What¡¯s going on?¡± Nyx shuffled the deck again and put them down one by one, but a card Evan was unfamiliar with had popped up. No matter how he looked at it, it portrayed the figure of a man who drove a sword into his own heart which, ording to Nyx, meant a warrior who¡¯d save the world. ¡°Evan.¡± ¡°Yes, tell me.¡± Whatever she says, whatever she asks, I¡¯ll do it. Just as long as she doesn¡¯t leave me. Evan looked up at Nyx with clear eyes, and after a moment of hesitation, she took something out of her arms. The object was made of clean silver. At first sight, it looked to be a ne or an essory for an outfit, but it was finely carved overall. With just a nce, Evan could recognize that it was a very valuable item. After unwittingly receiving the item handed by Nyx, Evan held the object and was flustered by the subtle light on his palm. Somehow, the object no longer felt foreign. He was sure it was his first time seeing it, but it felt very familiar. Warmth and satisfaction that was akin to being under the sun rose within him. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Keep it with you. From now on, this is yours.¡± ¡°But what is it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something to protect you.¡± Evan stroked the sharp pattern with his thumb and halted his motion at Nyx¡¯s next words. ¡°Evan, you must go out to the world now.¡± He expected it, but not this soon. When she allowed him to stay in the tower, she said, ¡°You will have to leave at some point, and we will have to say goodbye when the timees,¡± but Evan didn¡¯t want to. He didn¡¯t like it. So he shook his head vehemently with tears streaming down his face. Having experienced it many times before, Evan knew that Nyx was a very caring and tender-hearted woman, so he was counting on weakening her resolve once more by begging her to let him stay. ¡°Do I have to? Can¡¯t I just stay here? I don¡¯t want to go. I don¡¯t want to be parted with you.¡± He begged, holding her knuckles, but she replied coldly. ¡°If you don¡¯t follow your destiny, I have no reason to be with you.¡± Evan felt his feet failing him. All the things that he¡¯d been holding onto in order to go on had swiftly rose and copsed. In the end, Nyx was indeed keeping him around because he was useful. Had he stopped being useful for her, she could have left him anytime. she could discard him as easily as she had collected him. It hurt all the same, despite him having expected it. It was so painful that it hurt just to breathe. ¡°Evan.¡± He couldn¡¯t show all that emotion to Nyx so he sealed his lips and endured. Even if he tried to stay by her side like this, he was sure to be abandoned soon. But if he did as she wished, she may always stay by his side even though he can¡¯t be with her. Just like how she¡¯d been doing all this time. So it might be better to go along with what she wanted. It may be painful and agonizing right now, but at least she won¡¯t leave this ce. He cane to find her himself. If he followed his destiny, then Nyx will be there for him. Evan reached out and hugged her. ¡°Always stay here. You can¡¯t go anywhere. So that I cane to see you anytime.¡± I¡¯ll do anything if you allow that. If you keep looking at me with warm eyes, if you pat me with a friendly hand, there¡¯ll be nothing more I can ask for. I will do anything if you stay with me, even if I can never reach you, and only feel the illusion of being with you. Evan became a moth. He kept pping his wings to catch the moon, but he ended up dying of exhaustion. Unable to give up the burning moon despite his inability to touch it. ¡°What should I do?¡± Evan left Nyx¡¯s arms and went into the world again. * Evan followed the Knights¡¯ Commander¡¯s instructions and went to his private home for training. There were many students of simr age to his, and the other members were also kind and friendly. It was the ce where he had the normal and pleasant routine that he had hoped for. Nevertheless, Evan felt empty in a corner of his mind. If he had met Yohan before Nyx, he would have enjoyed his current situation to his heart¡¯s content. However, the emptiness in his mind could never be filled, all because he lost his heart¡¯s most earnest wish. But he didn¡¯t let it show. At least he felt something following him, so he tried to be content with that. He couldn¡¯t see, feel, or hear her voice, but she was with him. She wouldn¡¯t know how happy he was knowing that. He hasn¡¯t forgotten her for a single day. He always thought about the witch who hade to his rescue since he was left alone in the world, who helped him mend his wounds and find his own light. Rather than bing blurred day by day, his memory of her became clearer and clearer. He wished he could control the light fully, so he could go and see her. It was his only wish and goal. To his child self, Nyx was the only human on earth he never wanted to lose. But as he grew older, his perception of her had been ovee with greed. He was overwhelmed by emotions of wanting to keep her all to himself, to never give her to anyone. Nevertheless, his greed had not eaten him. Evan was d that Nyx was in the tower watching him, and he was relieved to find that he was still useful to her that if he was in danger or hurt, her Shadow approached him carefully and protected and petted him. That alone was satisfying, so he quietly focused on his own growth as she wanted. But in fact, the anxiety in his mind was only subdued by a little. Not only did Evan not want Nyx to leave the tower, but he also didn¡¯t want anyone else to visit the witch. He was always anxious that someone might visit her. Although he covered the tower with a thorny vine, he was still very upset since not all of it was hidden. What if someone visited her and found out that the witch was actually a nice and kind woman? What if she ended up stepping out of the tower and lived her life to the fullest¡­ without him? It was not only once or twice that he wished the witch¡¯s forest and tower to be forgotten forever. He often had nightmares that there was no one in the tower, that he was left alone because he was no longer useful. So every time the world was shaken with dark deeds and the existence of the witch was questioned, Evan had always denied it. ¡°Not the witch.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve always been convinced that it was not the work of a witch. Is there a reason?¡± The witch was not a woman to do so. I was a fact well-known to him. But he couldn¡¯t say that. ¡°I asked if there was a reason.¡± Why do people keep thinking of the witch? Can¡¯t they just erase her from their memories forever? ¡°There was nothing.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There was nothing in the witch¡¯s tower. There was no witch, nor anything rted to witches. From the very beginning, there was nothing but an empty and cold space.¡± ¡°How do you know that? Have you ever been to the tower of the witch?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You certainly said that you didn¡¯t see such a tower¡­¡± ¡°No, there was. It was just that there was nothing in it. I thought it was of no rtion to any witch so I didn¡¯t speak of it before. ¡° ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve been to the Witch¡¯s Tower.¡± ¡°I heard that killing the witch would make the monsters disappear, so I went there. But there was nothing.¡± There is a witch¡¯s tower in the witch¡¯s forest and there is a witch living in it. But he didn¡¯t want anyone to know that. He wanted only himself to ever know her. Only Evan should have known that the witch, a terrible, cruel, and feared existence, was actually a caring, beautiful, and lovely woman. * * * ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 78: The Warriors Story CHAPTER 78 Team : Starrynight, WilsonWilson, Stephanie Evan liked it when the Witch¡¯s Shadow watched over him. It was for that simple reason that he had intentionally made it difficult to handle things that could be easily managed¡ªoftentimes even hurting himself on purpose. Because at night, a Shadow always came and stroked his wound. He was content that it was not much different from Nyx, who cared for his heart with warm eyes and a tender touch when he was younger. If she was only protecting him because she needed him, would she care if he was getting hurt or not? Isn¡¯t the Shadow that carefully swept away his wounds proof that she valued him, if just for a tiny bit? Evan hoped so, for even if the love that she held for him was small, even if she did not value him as much as he valued her, it would be good enough. After Nyx disappeared, Evan called out her precious name, sweeping down the wounds that her shadow had stroked. ¡°¡­Nyx.¡± When Evan fell asleep, Nyx¡¯s Shadow would slip away, allowing him his privacy. He knew the moment he no longer sensed her Shadow¡¯s presence. She had never once crossed the line, even as she was certain that he could not feel her Shadow. It was a token of her consideration and kindness. ¡°Nyx.¡± He missed her. Her name spread warmth through his chest as he called it. He wanted to meet her desperately. She, who had looked at him with tranquil and unambiguous eyes when he called her. He had grown big and strong with his constant training and believed that he was ready to aplish whatever Nyx desired. He wondered; would she be happy to see him again? Would sheugh? He had always remembered her face, along with her exhausted and lonely expression. He was inherently anxious that if he were to even stray a little, she would dissipate from his life and he¡¯d never be able to hold on to her. The only thing he¡¯d be able to do is helplessly stare at the ce she drifted away from like a gust of wind. Is there any way to hold on to her? Is there any way to make sure she stays with him at all times? So he didn¡¯t have to dread the moment when she¡¯d disappear? * Contrary to Evan¡¯s wishes, the streets were whispering about the witch. Rumors had been circting endlessly amongst the people, speaking of a witch as the culprit who had incited monsters and was the one who caused the war between nobles. Evan refused to believe it was her. She wasn¡¯t that kind of a person. He understood the human who loved the world and showed him how to do the same. Nyx was a woman whoforted and persuaded him that ¡°Revenge is futile.¡± Nyx, throwing the world into torment? That couldn¡¯t be right. Moreover, her Shadow was still following him. It did disappear when he fell asleep, but it was more of a routine that had been repeated for a long time because she respected his privacy. It had been chasing him almost all day. There were times when it disappeared, but it was only for a short while. Now that he thought about it, she might have been exploring the world through her Shadow while sitting still, eyes closed and her back to the wall. However, no matter how powerful she was, he realized that it was impossible for her to see or move in two ces at the same time, as she would look a little hazy whenever he called for or touched her. And she closed her eyes whenever she started looking into the outside world again. Her incapability of being in two ces simultaneously meant that the gossip going around was false. Evan strongly believed so, but he didn¡¯t have anyone to acknowledge his opinion even if he voiced it, and most importantly, he said from his own lips that there was no such thing as witches. He thought that it would be a relief if she were to be a frightening being, as no one would dare toe near her in that case. He felt sorry for Nyx, but he hoped that it would never be revealed that she was such a nice and tender woman. Evan covered his hair with a cloth that Yohan had handed him and continued to fight with the monsters. For some reason, rumors were circting that only a warrior with bright Light could kill the witch. So, not only the emperor but also those who were seized by fear were looking for such a warrior. In truth, the fact that people with bright colors were dragged away and killed was not a mere baseless rumor. Evan recalled the time when he first met Yohan. His Light drove out the darkness that covered the witch¡¯s forest and crushed the monsters into ashes. It was understandable that if the rumors were true and a person who provoked monsters and orchestrated war between nobles had really existed, then that person¡¯s power should naturally be feared. All of which was but more proof that it was not Nyx, for she was the one who revealed to him that he possessed such power. Seeing that she followed him everywhere, she didn¡¯t have to go around killing other kids, she could easily take his life whenever she pleased, being that she had the power and an abundance of opportunities to do so. Therefore, the suspect couldn¡¯t have been Nyx. While thinking about this, Evan made a grave mistake while fighting; a monster had taken his sword. He, of course, could have taken it back or retreated into a safe distance, however, he deliberately let himself be in danger by getting caught between two monsters. Whenever this happened, Nyx would try to protect him. There would be a big wave of Shadows appearing in urgency. And if he were to get hurt, she would pet him. Evan didn¡¯t really care how badly he got hurt or if he got hurt at all; as long as she could express that she was worried about him and he could feel her touch. But something unexpected happened. The monster, who had taken Evan¡¯s sword, made a powerful strike with it while he was turning his back. There was no way out of the sword¡¯s path, which was thrown quickly with such ruthless power, no matter how fast he tried to move. He tried to back down, twisting his body to avoid fatal injuries, but at that moment, a ck fog emerged blocking his front. In the blink of an eye, Nyx¡¯s Shadow shielded his front and tried to absorb the hit of the sword thrown by the monster with its body. However, thanks to the added speed of the sword, the hit wasn¡¯t blockedpletely, and it eventually tore through the shadow and dug into Evan¡¯s shoulder. But Evan had no time to care about his pain because he felt that Nyx¡¯s Shadow was forcibly scattered until it finally disappeared. ¡°N¡ªNyx¡­¡± If the sword was embedded in her even though she blocked it in her Shadow form, then she must have received a great shock. Because if one had been using their magic without a break, the forceful cancetion of it would cause great pain to the sorcerer¡¯s spirit connected to it. Perhaps leading to their death. Evan¡¯s heart pounded loudly, his eyes were wide open and bloodshot red. He remembered Nyx struggling in pain. Because of me, she was trying to save me and ended up like this. Because of me¡­! ¡°Nyx.¡± Light responded to his anger and desperation, covering his surroundings with a white gleam that engulfed the monsters around him too. The wounds on Evan¡¯s body, as well as on everyone moaning in pain around him, vanished without a trace. The monsters were scattered into ashes before having a chance to utter a scream and at the same time, Evan disappeared, leaving only sparkles of lights. While everyone was dumbfounded about this miraculous turn of events, it was in front of the witch¡¯s tower, Nyx¡¯s, that he reappeared. ¡°Nyx.¡± He found her lying down on the floor, already thin and anxious-looking, bleeding from her mouth, and felt something breaking. His legs trembled, Evan was filled with fear. He feared that he might lose Nyx, that she might not open her eyes ever again because of him. He managed to get in front of her and plopped down. Then, he opened his faint trembling mouth and called out to her. ¡°Nyx.¡± Aftering to his senses, he hurriedly approached her face and heard a very weak but existing breathing sound. He was relieved. She did say she wouldn¡¯t die anyway, but it couldn¡¯t have urred to him in this situation. Even if she wouldn¡¯t, he couldn¡¯t wait until she woke up on her own, so heid next to her. After quickly wiping away the tears that had suddenly formed, he hugged her and began to pour all the energy he could. He felt like crying. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry... Evan began thinking of himself as terrible, horrible, disgusting, and all kinds of negative qualities; it had all swallowed him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m so sorry, Nyx.¡± His restraints burst, all the forces that he had not been able to control before were overflowing and filling his surroundings, this was not something he could revoke in an instant. But Evan continued to scatter Light onto Nyx, making the inside of the tower a scenery of white light, turning it into apletely different ce; simr to a snowfield that he had seen before. Evan had been consistently transmitting his energy to the extent of exhaustion, it would have been normal for him to faint and lose consciousness for a long period of time. But he managed to slowly lift himself, even though his face was pale, it was lightened with relief because Nyx¡¯s breathing became normal. And in the haze of his fading Light, Evan saw Nyx¡¯s true appearance for the first time. His light healed her wound and further healed all her scars. The removed horrifying traces revealed a woman so young and thin, more beautiful than expected. Her rough, lumped skin was now as white and transparent as a newborn babe¡¯s; her hair, which was thin due to malnutrition, was now as smooth as the best of silk. In addition to that delicate, thin, and feminine eyebrows, dark downcast eyshes formed. Instead of a thick nose, hers stretched out in a dense yet lovely way, with lips that looked soft and moist. Evan unwittingly reached out his trembling hand and swept Nyx¡¯s cheek. The flesh on his fingertips was so soft that it seemed to melt. At the same time, the tip of Nyx¡¯s lips rose slightly. Even though it was a small movement, Evan¡¯s heart dropped. It didn¡¯t matter how much she was covered with scars; her beauty did not fade. He knew who she was. Yet, he wasn¡¯t able to get a hold of himself, how could he? After all, seeing her so effortlessly glorious, if she were to open her eyes right now, if her magnificent eyes were to be coupled with her true bewitching appearance, he wouldn¡¯t be capable of handling his throbbing heart. He felt uneasy; he was scared of touching her because of how delicate and thin her arms and slender neck were. He strongly thought that it would not be easy to control himself and endure this strong urge, that he had never felt before, rising within him, confusing him. So he tried to stand slowly, but he was surprised by a sudden thin hand that gripped the hem of his clothes. He carefully wrapped his hand around hers, unable to hide his tearful expression. Her hand was cold yet soft and so fragile. To think that such a young and vulnerable woman like her was a witch ¨C and if that was not enough, she had also been inflicted with terrible scars. How painful it must have been. Evan slowlyid by Nyx¡¯s side and hugged her with his other arm. She was so light that he felt no weight even though her head was resting on his arm. He brushed her ck hair away with his fingers, and as he looked down so close, he could see her teeth and red tongue between her slightly open lips. The calm, sweet, and warm breath seemed to be able to possess the power to devour him if he were to get any closer. Evan slipped his fingers into the hair on the back of her head and lifted it, feeling the soft hair. Then, he lowered his head to face her. He traced her white cheeks, her previously-cracked lips, which made her look pitiful, and the bridge of her high nose, then he removed his hand. He could not stop himself from lustfully gazing at her lips and lightly kissing her chin. With the desire continuing to rise, the hand around her hair was tightening, but he did not covet her lips at the end. Instead, he affectionately pressed his on her forehead and waited for her to wake up. * * * ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 79: The Warriors Story CHAPTER 79 Team: Starrynight, WilsonWilson, Stephanie This was the first time he had been able to unleash his power, and as a result, Evan¡¯s consciousness continued to be cloudy because of the strain. He was obliged to hold onto her, repeating over and over that she had to wake up, though it was no easy task. At a certain moment, Nyx, who was still in his arms, flinched and slowly reached out her arms to wrap them around his waist. Surprised by the sudden movement, Evan tried to dodge her, but Nyx sank deeper and deeper into his embrace. He could no longer retreat, persuaded by the fact that her cheek was nted on his chest, giving strength to his hold. Evan was so taken aback that he called her name without realizing it. ¡°¡­Nyx?¡± It was torture. The small, thin, and soft body of a woman resting in his arms made him simultaneously happy and in pain. Soon after he realized Nyx was starting to wake up, he hurriedly cupped her cheek and lifted it. ¡°Nyx! Are you awake?¡± She gazed at him nkly, unable to grasp the current situation, so Evan called her more urgently. ¡°Nyx!¡± Evan was truly relieved. He already knew that she would wake up soon after her breathing had stabilized and her scars vanished, but he still couldn¡¯t shake away his nervousness. As he was still haunted by the lingering image of Nyx¡¯s body lying and bleeding on the floor, Evan hadn¡¯t realized how truly terrified he was. He tightened his embrace around her head and whispered. ¡°It¡¯s alright now. Thank God. I¡¯m sorry, Nyx. I¡¯m so sorry.¡± Evan apologized to Nyx as he gently brushed her hair from his arms. He shouldn¡¯t have done that. How terrible it is that he almost put her in danger because of his shorings. Nyx released herself from Evan¡¯s hold. Confused, she called his name quietly. ¡°¡­Evan?¡± At that moment, Evan became overwhelmed by the fact that he heard Nyx¡¯s voice again. As he was able to listen to her calling his name while facing her, the weight of guilt was lifted from his shoulders. Lowering his head, Evan held her hand, allowing her to push her body upward with it. As he faced her, slowly raising her head, his heartbeat became unsteady. Her dark, reflective, jewel-like eyes engulfed him with an indescribable joy. He missed her, most ardently. Oh, how long had he waited to see her again! Although his visit was ascribed to her copsing due to his fault, he thought that it was better than not seeing her at all, at least until he could use his strength properly. He was indeed sorry for the pain he had caused, but selfishly, he was very satisfied with the oue. Yet for some reason, Nyx froze without uttering a sound. She seemed to be lost in a daze, her deep pupils were frantically dting. She was consumed by an intertwined web of emotions, raging unbeknownst between fear and anxiety. Evan became anxious again, realizing for the first time that he was a much simpler man than he had thought himself to be, one who couldn¡¯t get a grip on himself. ¡°Nyx? Nyx, are you okay? Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­How?¡± Nyx lifted herself urgently. Reflexively, Evan followed suit and raised his upper body upright, forcing him to sit on the floor and look up at her. She looked around with great concern. Evan, harboring fear and anxiety in his heart, had asked if she had a problem he didn¡¯t know about. ¡°Nyx, are you okay? You¡¯re all right, aren¡¯t you? He reached out his hand to Nyx, but she struck it coldly. He then firmly approached her and held her shoulders. They felt so thin under his touch. She was so small and sad that he wanted to hug her and make her stay in his embrace forever. Eventually, he surrendered to his urge, but Nyx resisted him. ¡°Go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Go back, and nevere here again.¡± Nyx was still pushing Evan away. She did the same when he was younger, not letting him stay by her side despite her caring attitude. She didn¡¯t know that Evan was getting impatient. He had finally met her again, yet, without knowing that his heart was burning with longing, she had asked him separate from her. She said that, without knowing that he constantly pondered and contemted on how to stay by her side, all while she was bing a mirage that might disappear at any time. Evan was deeply hurt by Nyx¡¯s attitude, who, unlike him, did not seem to want to see him that much, but he did not reveal it. He was the one who wanted, craved, and hoped for her from the beginning. Wouldn¡¯t it be madness to get angry when he was the one to greed over her from the beginning? Besides, if he had acted on his desires and ended up driving her to permanently leave his side, how would he handle it? Evan tried to stifle the darkness that was slowly rising from deep within him and covered it with a forcedugh. It was alright. She was always with him and that alone was enough to satisfy him. Besides, she stayed in the tower, just as she promised him, always looking at him from there. Now that he could control Light, he coulde here if he so wished. He thought that he could find out what she was anxious about since he was at least old enough to know that a warrior could not be together with a witch. Like when he was young, Evan could persuade the caring and soft-hearted Nyx to find a way to be with him. Yes, if he meets her expectations just as she desires, he can stay with her forever. So he¡¯d better not lose his patience now. Evan returned to where he had been. She was a moon that he could not have, even if he had desperately clung to it dozens or hundreds of times. But even so, he could still gaze at it from far away. So, for now, it was important to keep that moon secure in its ce. He could also think of ways to have the moon for himself. So stealthily that the moon would not notice. The desire to be with her grew into a deep obsession with every repeated rejection. It was gradually devouring Evan without him noticing. He was greeted with awe as he returned to where he was. He btedly realized that he had done something extraordinary. Before that, he was possessed by his worry about Nyx, so he hadpletely forgotten what he had done. As he hurried to the ce where Yohan was staying, white Light wasing out. It was embarrassing because it was not much different from the power he used. What had he done to unleash it? Neriano, who was pacing in the tent, weed him anxiously. ¡°E¡ª Evan!¡± ¡°Oh, Neriano.¡± ¡°Where have you been? What happened ?¡± Evan smiled awkwardly because he couldn¡¯t answer anything, but Yohan, who was sitting on the bed, said as he approached. ¡°Good thing you¡¯re all right.¡± ¡°¡­Sorry for causing trouble.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right. You¡¯re not used to it yet.¡± It was a good thing he thought. Yohan was definitely a knight, but, surprisingly, hismander had a good knowledge of magic. Evan remembered what Nyx had told him once, when she saw that he was able to walk in and out of the witch¡¯s forest, she concluded that themander must have been an excellent sorcerer who had mastered the basics of magic. From his point of view,mander Yohan was simr to himself. He had a different sense of sensitivity and greater physical strength than ordinary humans. Perhaps a sorcerer would have been able to use his powers. Now that only two elements could be used, Light and Darkness, there was no way to know what kind of attributes the sorcerer would have. Yohan handed something to Evan, who was standing awkwardly. ¡°It¡¯s only temporary, so you keep it. It¡¯ll keep shining.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± It was none other than the same thing that Nyx had given him. There, it was shining brightly inside the tent. He was very familiar with it; it was simr to the Light that had filled the witch¡¯s forest when he had first met Yohan. ¡°What is this¡­?¡± Evan wondered about the object in his hand. However, he couldn¡¯t directly ask the two people who it belonged to, so he decided to keep it to himself. ¡°Take care of your luggage.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of moving to the next location?¡± ¡°No, the hunt is over.¡± ¡°Over? But we still have a long way to go.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve turned a hunter into prey, and yet you¡¯re not even aware of it. How can you be so insensitive and call yourself a hunter?¡± ¡°What?¡± Evan thought for a moment and thenughed. He could use Light now. The problem was that he was not used to dealing with it yet, so he wouldn¡¯t be able to use it against monsters. ¡°What are you worried about? you can control the Light now. With this power, we can exterminate all the monsters that face us.¡± ¡°The hunters who¡¯lle after you are probably far beyond my capabilities. And¡­ this is not where you¡¯re going to be.¡± So where is he going to be? Evan¡¯s curiosity had overwhelmed him, but he only had to follow the leader. And so he packed his luggage without saying a word. The ne that was returned to him did not fade in response to his power. Neriano interpreted the sorcerer¡¯s lines on the object and said he kept the amulet, but it was not easy to apprehend. Even though it is true that it shined with his power, why did it shine in Yohan¡¯s hands? Since neither Yohan nor Neriano can use magic, doesn¡¯t this mean that this item contains the power to use magic? He didn¡¯t know what it all meant, but it was clear that it was very precious. And it was thanks to Yohan, who doubted Evan for having such a thing in the witch¡¯s forest, Neriano, who went straight into his study as soon as he saw it, and Nyx, who said that it would protect him. Evan thought that there was something more that he didn¡¯t know, but he was going to wait until he was told first. Soon after, a carriage sent from the pce had arrived. Evan got in, and headed to the pce, with Yohan, Neriano, and Nyx¡¯s Shadow following him. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 80: The Warriors story CHAPTER 80 Team: Starrynight, WilsonWilson, Stephanie ¡®How ordinary.¡¯ That was all that came to Evan¡¯s mind upon meeting the emperor. From his all but graying hair that left no room for anyone to attempt guessing his actual hair color, to his dimmed but sharp blue eyes, all the way to his gaunt face which emitted a distasteful aura, the emperor was exactly how Evan had imagined him to be. Yet he could not help but feel that the emperor was nothing more than a mundane existence. He didn¡¯t convey the impression of the heavenly ruler of the Empire, not of a son of God blessed by the Goddess, nor of an emperor of tremendous power and authority to subdue anyone. It was Yohan¡¯s spirit, however, who was handing over Nyx¡¯s artifact to Evan, that fit the description perfectly. It may be because of his surrounding aura that had hardened more than usual, but it was obvious that he was more suited to be the emperor, and it wasn¡¯t due to the difference of age or strength. No ce could escape the emperor¡¯s scrutiny from his high seat. Evan hadn¡¯t dwelled on that thought for long though because Neriano¡¯s next words shocked him senseless. ¡°This is the token of Ferrero, the one and only holy sorcerer. It is the emblem that represents the imperial sorcerer. Evan, who carried that object, is clearly able to control the Light. This is definitely the goddess¡¯s blessing. A miracle.¡± ¡°The Imperial sorcerer, you say?¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty, as you¡¯ll remember. That power will surely be of great help.¡± ¡°Oh, of course, I know. Definitely. Many people have witnessed his power more than once. Thete Emperor had also managed to establish his reign thanks to the power of the Imperial sorcerer. But that was because people could do magic at the time, was it not?¡± ¡°I¡¯m very curious about that, but I can certainly say that he can use the power of Light. Maybe he is the resurrection of the Imperial sorcerer.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ the Imperial sorcerer¡­ It¡¯s been a long time since Ist heard of him. That position was taken by one person only. It¡¯s no exaggeration to say that the Imperial sorcerer was the highest position in this pce, aside from thete Emperor and me. Such great ability indeed, did a sign or a mark appear? And howe at this time precisely?¡± The Emperor¡¯s eyes were on Evan. There was nothing he could say or add so he kept to himself. The story goes that there were actually two sacred sorcerers in history. One worked for the Empire as an Imperial sorcerer, and the other one roamed the world to spread the love of the Goddess. It was no exaggeration to say that the Imperial sorcerer was the mastermind of the glory era and he was also said to be a great man. Now, this artifact belonged to Evan; how could this make sense? The person who gave this to him was none other than Nyx! The witch who uses Darkness which is considered an element to fear, Nyx! ¡°¡­I understand. Leave.¡± The emperor¡¯s gaze pierced through Evan¡¯s mind as if he was trying to gauge his feelings. He then shook his hand in the air, ordering him to leave his presence. Evan walked out of the door, saying nothing but his greetings and farewell. Soon after, a man who appeared to be the Grand Chambein approached Evan and said that he would guide him to his residence. Only Neriano and Evan were allowed to enter there, and Yohan of course, themander of the Knights. Eventually, he had been ordered to leave the throne room. Evan wanted to ask why, but he couldn¡¯t do that because the person in charge, Yohan, nodded calmly without opening his mouth. As he walked a little longer, Nyx¡¯s Shadow, who was hovering in the hallway, seemed unable to enter the throne hall for some reason. It was the first time Evan saw her Shadow retreat and not show up again. After riding in a carriage that had awaited them in front of the entrance, what appeared after moving a little further from the main imperial pce was a smaller pce. It felt a little shabbypared to the emperor¡¯s, but it wasrge and colorful because it was another imperial pce. When Evan and Neriano headed off, the carriage that was carrying Yohan went out along with theirs. Evan stared at the building and followed the guide inside. ¡°You can stay here from now on. They said they would also send the maids to serve, so if you need anything, please let them know. Most of what you need will probably be brought by the maids,¡± He added suddenly after giving a stiff bow as if he had only just remembered. ¡°Oh, stay away from the main pce as much as you can. If you value your life, that is. If you have anything you need there, you can ask a maid to guide you. Well then, make yourself at home.¡± ¡°How long do I have to stay here? And what am I supposed to do here?¡± ¡°I was ordered to bring you here, that¡¯s all I know. So you can stay here until The Son of Heaven orders otherwise. And¡­ It doesn¡¯t matter what you do. You have nothing to do here and you don¡¯t need to. Everyone whoes to the pce has already done enough.¡± After finishing his speech, the grand chambein left the pce without looking back. Evan, who waited until the sound of his steps disappeared, asked, lifting the object that was still emitting Light. ¡°What the hell is this? I need to hear an exnation.¡± ¡°You had that thing with you even though you didn¡¯t know what it was? But isn¡¯t the item yours?¡± It wasn¡¯t his originally. Nyx gave it to him, saying that it was his from that moment on. ¡°No, it is mine. It was given to me, but I wasn¡¯t told anything about it. I was only informed to keep it as my property. What does it do? What do you mean it belonged to the Imperial sorcerer? ¡°I¡¯ve always told you, haven¡¯t I? There were many sorcerers back in the day; however, only 2 among them were holy sorcerers. They mobilized astoundingly frightening powers of healing, blessing, and purification.¡± ¡°I know that. But what the hell does that have to do with this thing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you feel anything here?¡± ¡°Feel what¡­ ?¡± His words made Evan shiver from the inside as if he had poured cold water on his head. The heavenly pce was full of familiar energy. He thought that he knew what it was even if he didn¡¯t say it out loud, and why Nyx¡¯s Shadow couldn¡¯te after him there. Though she seemed to be strong enough to go in and out of the tower freely, this was the imperial pce. It couldn¡¯t simply have charms to merely restrict unwanted visitors cast on it. ¡°The fact that the era of glory, the most peaceful and prosperous of all eras, still continues to be talked about even though it was so long ago means that the power of the sacred sorcerers was just as great. I¡¯m sure you felt it, too. The sacred spells that remain in the pce. One of the two sorcerers of the sacred family was busy conveying the goddess¡¯s love while hiding his appearance, but the other stayed in the imperial pce and worked hard to protect this ce along with the empire. This object is his token. It¡¯s an emblem that represents an Imperial sorcerer, and it¡¯s a piece of magic that most sorcerers can¡¯t even interpret. I, myself, have tried desperately to do so too, but to no avail. It¡¯s a precious thing that almost got buried in this world.¡± Is this item really the token of an imperial sorcerer? Evan looked nkly as he stared at the object in his hand again. ¡°The man who gave you this must have something to do with the Imperial sorcerer. There is a possibility that you have the blood of the imperial sorcerer, but if you don¡¯t, then it will be difficult to exin your capabilities with Light. I have you by my side because I believe that the former is true.¡± ¡°Why¡­? Why do you keep me by your side?¡± ¡°Because your power may be the only hope to bring back the glorious days of the past.¡± It was an unbelievable story. If that was true, then how can Nyx, the one who gave this to him, be rted to the Imperial sorcerer? Come to think of it, he wasn¡¯t the only one who was weird. Nyx definitely taught him all about his power, which was born from the Light, despite using the power of Darkness herself. He remembered the books she was always reading. Now that he thought about it, they were all books that tackled holy magic. How was Nyx able to do that? Evan couldn¡¯t believe that she was connected to the Imperial sorcerer. Even though he knew it couldn¡¯t be, ridiculous thoughts rushed through his mind. It¡¯s absurd to think that Nyx might have the blood of the Imperial sorcerer. However, doubts have turned into convictions. Come to think of it, she definitely went in and out of the tower, which was supposed to block Darkness. And although she couldn¡¯t enter the heavenly pce, she could still feel the holy magic in it. She was a Dark creature, he doubted the emperor would have let her in willingly... ¡®Nyx, just who the hell are you?¡¯ He was curious about her origin from the beginning. So far, it was just a small doubt in his mind, but he was satisfied with the fact that he knew the truth of a witch that no one else knew. Furthermore, it urred to him that this might be the only way to get her. Yohan could help him since he knew the truth. There was nothing Evan wouldn¡¯t do to get Nyx, whom he so needed. Evan had to wait and see if this is an opportunity or a poison, but he didn¡¯t intend to give up easily. Since then, Evan had taken the maids into his room, looking for a way to avoid Nyx¡¯s gaze. When he brought a maid into his room, Nyx¡¯s Shadow would leave through the door. Once he put them on the bed and whispered in their ear, the Shadow disappears entirely. ¡°Pretty. Long eyshes, red lips, and white skin. ¡° He recalled Nyx¡¯s ck eyshes, red lips, and white skin. He just brought the calmest and quietest maid into the room, but he was surprised that the atmosphere was quite simr to the one when he was with Nyx. Somehow, he felt ashamed as if he had revealed his feelings for Nyx, who seemed to have been exposed to his taste, but it was only for a while. After Nyx disappeared like that, he closed his mouth and whispered sweetly his small thanks to the maid, and asked to be left alone. She was definitely calm and timid, and she liked it even more when his feelings were expressed without the need to touch her, it made them sincere. It was not very pleasant to use a woman, but there was nothing else he could do, so he threw away the guilt of his conscience. And after days of trying this tactic, Nyx surely kept away from his private life and he noticed that she didn¡¯te back all night long. Evan had finally found a way to move freely without her keeping watch over him. Evan, who had been struggling for days and days to remember the past, had finally got on his feet. It still bothered him that Nyx¡¯s real goal was still unknown, but he decided to face one issue at a time. If Yohan truly were the Commander that Evan knew, then he would definitely see through the truth and give him a helping hand. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 81: The Warriors story CHAPTER 81 Team: Starrynight, WilsonWilson, Stephanie ¡°Commander.¡± After waking up the slumbering Neriano, Evan immediately entered Yohan¡¯s chamber. His appearance was met with displeasure. As Yohan was readying himself to bed, he did not appreciate the disturbance sote at night. No matter how close the both of them seem to be, it did not justify such rudeness, and this has made the atmosphere grow colder in the room. ¡°What is it, Evan?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry for thete intrusion, but this is the only chance I have. I came here to tell you something about this item. It was the witch who gave it to me.¡± ¡°What the ..?¡± ¡°Evan, are you sick?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m perfectly fine right now.¡± As Evan¡¯s behavior was out of the usual, Yohan worriedly got out of his bed, and Neriano approached him with an anxious look. Evan held out the object he was holding, still emitting a subtle glow, such a magical item must indeed have been given by a witch. ¡°Evan, the witch gave it to you, that¡¯s a very iplete exnation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a story that¡¯s too long to be told by detail, so to put it simply; I went to the tower of the witch when I was a child. And I met a witch there. She was the one who gave me this item, and it wasn¡¯t the only magical thing there, the Witch¡¯s Tower was full of sacred magic just like the one in this object. I think the witch is rted by blood to the Imperial sorcerer and I¡¯d like to find out more about it .¡± ¡°Eh, Evan, is that true?¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. She was also the one who taught me magic.¡± ¡°But I remember you¡¯ve said you¡¯ve never met a witch¡­¡± ¡°That was a lie. I lied saying that there were no witches in case somebody decided to seek the tower. I was afraid she would get hurt. And I¡¯m sure she¡¯s not the witch in the circting rumor. I believe so, rather, she quite loves the world and wants to restore it to its original beauty.¡± ¡°You want me to believe that now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m betting everything on you right now. Maybe she¡¯ll be killed as the evil witch, and maybe she¡¯ll be in danger, but I¡¯m trying to reveal the truth to you because I trust you. I think you¡¯ll see through a lie if what I¡¯m saying really was one.¡± The two looked down at the token in Evan¡¯s hand without uttering a word, trying to process what they had just heard. Evan mumbled, stroking the object fondly, just as he used to do when left alone contemting. ¡°The witch is a friendly and warm person. I don¡¯t understand why she¡¯s painted out to be evil.¡± Yohan finally spoke after being lost in deep thoughts. ¡°And why are you telling us this story now?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say this was a token of the Imperial sorcerer? And the man who handed it to me must have something to do with him?¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s say what you¡¯re saying is true. It is the witch who gave you the item, and so she is rted to the Imperial sorcerer. What¡¯s next?¡± Evan bit hard on his lips. What wrong had shemitted? Was using her of witchcraft and locking her up in the tower not enough, so now they¡¯re turning her into the center of the rumors? What rtion does she even have to those rumors? But these were Evan¡¯s personal feelings. It was nothing more than a belief that shouldn¡¯t be forced on anyone. Evan spoke, barely making himself audible. ¡°¡­The witch wants to make me a warrior.¡± ¡°A warrior?¡± ¡°She ns to change the world to a better state through my help. That¡¯s why she gave me this item and why she taught me. She believes that my Light can change the world. And wasn¡¯t that what you wanted, too?¡± Evan was the only hope to restore the age of glory. Yohan also wanted to restore it. But if he were to achieve that, then he needed Evan¡¯s help. If the truth of his association with the witch were toe to light or if he had refused to cooperate, then both Neriano¡¯s and Yohan¡¯s dream would dissipate in the blink of an eye. Yohan asked in a stern tone, only now noticing Evan¡¯s feelings. ¡°What are you saying now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not actually interested in creating a better world. But I¡¯m determined to be a warrior as the witch wishes me to be. She took care of me and protected me for that. It¡¯s just that¡­¡± ¡°Just¡­ what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what the witch¡¯s goal is. I don¡¯t know why she wants to make me a warrior, and what she can get out of it. That¡¯s why I came to see you. There¡¯s not much I can do to avoid her watching eyes. So I need your¡¯s and Neriano¡¯s help. Then, I¡¯ll try my best to cooperate with what you¡¯re doing.¡± ¡°Even if it doesn¡¯t align with the witch¡¯s intentions?¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± Evan wondered out loud at Yohan¡¯spelling question. Then, he kept quiet. Neriano¡¯s expression was also unusual. This made Evan realize that there was something more to the story than he already knew. And it could be the real reason why Yohan kept him around. ¡°But, Evan, what do you mean when you say you can¡¯t avoid the witch¡¯s eyes?¡± ¡°Oh, actually, the witch¡¯s Shadow follows me.¡± ¡°Well, does it now?¡± Neriano looked around in surprise and Yoan did the same, his scrutiny changing ces restlessly. Evan shook his head and said. ¡°Not now. She let me be. The witch is quite respective of my privacy, that¡¯s why I am here now.¡± ¡°Oh, thank God.¡± Neriano sighed as if he were exhausted. Yohan, However, was upied by his own spections. Evan repeated. ¡°What I wish to know is whether the witch is rted to the Imperial sorcerer or not. And if possible, any other information about her. I want to know if she just wants to revive the age of glory, or if her intentions are fueled with personal revenge, or maybe some other goal that I can¡¯t predict. Besides, since the witch wants to make me a warrior, isn¡¯t it better for you too to find out her purpose? I can not presume that this information will be disturbing nor helpful.¡± After listening to Evan¡¯s words, Neriano asked. ¡°Then, Evan, why don¡¯t we meet the witch in person? If we share the same goal, we can move toward it together¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± Evan¡¯s clear refusal astonished both Neriano and Yohan. ¡°That will not work.¡± Evan was very much forward with his objection, drawing curious eyes from the two people facing him. Thankfully, they both bit down on their feelings. He didn¡¯t let his true intention be revealed, for he wanted to keep the witch¡¯s existence to himself only. He hurriedly gave another exnation. ¡°The witch can actually leave the tower at any time, and she¡¯s iming to be stuck in it as a cover. If we go meet with her, there is a good chance that she might run away to a ce where no one can find her, and thus, we¡¯ll lose ess to her forever. Wouldn¡¯t that be more of an interruption to our n rather than a step forward? ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s been able to live by herself all this time¡­ But if what you say is true then your concern is a valid one¡­¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s wise to do what she wishes until we know her true purpose while pretending you don¡¯t know anything.¡± ¡°¡­For now.¡± When Yohan said so, Neriano nodded agreeing. Evan let out an inadvertent sigh of relief. Yohan, who was staring at the sight of him, murmured. ¡°You seem quite close to her. It seems like there¡¯s another reason for finding out the purpose of the witch without trying to harm her¡­¡± Evan shot his eyes while keeping his mouth shut to Yohan¡¯s sharp gaze. Yohan asked in a more subdued voice. ¡°Did you happen to fall in love with her?¡± Love? Can this be called love? Evan stiffened. He has not once before tried to gouge out his feelings for her and only wished that she¡¯d stay with him, always. That she¡¯d never leave him, ever. He wanted to spend his forever with her, constantly gazing upon her face and never separating from her. He was so happy just being with her that he had no care for how the rest of the world was doing, only settling for the aching desire in his heart to have her by his side. That desire was so big that he had consistently been terrified of the idea of being separated from her, which is why he had left her nest to be a warrior as per her wishes, pretending to be ignorant of her Shadow that was his eternalpanion. And, secretly, he was more than satisfied with the arrangement. He has indeed avoided reaching out to her in any way, in an attempt to keep her whereabouts secret and thus keeping her safe, far from danger¡¯s way, even if the price was for him to be in it. And in doing so he found a way to hold on to her once more. Could this be called love? When Evan couldn¡¯t give an answer, Neriano was shocked. ¡°What kind of nonsense is this? Are you serious, Evan? You can¡¯t. Absolutely not. No matter how strong your belief in her innocence, she is still someone who is perceived as an evil witch. The only thing she¡¯ll do is shackle you, no good thing will evere out of this.¡± But Evan didn¡¯t say anything. It didn¡¯t matter whether he was shackled or not. All he wished for was to relieve her of injustice, but if he could just stay by her side, that would be enough. If he knew her purpose, he could at least find out why he was there, to begin with. As if they knew of his deep-rooted need for her, both Neriano and Yohan demanded that he sever these feelings of his. s, little did they know, for if only he could be with Nyx, then that would be enough for him. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 82: The Warriors story CHAPTER 82- The Warrior¡¯s story Team: Starrynight, WilsonWilson, Stephanie Yohan and Neriano began their journey of collecting information about the Imperial sorcerer. Everyone they had sought after kept their mouths tightly shut, pretending not to know anything, which ignited Yohan¡¯s keen senses that were much simr to Evan¡¯s. He, too, seemed to have picked up the trail of something shady going on, perhaps that was why he no longer doubted the witch. Since it didn¡¯t seem possible to trace the bloodline of the Imperial sorcerer, they did not rte any stories about the witch to anyone, and instead made use of books rted to the Holy magic. The streets were already howling with whispers about the witch, but Evan, Yohan, and Neriano did not participate in the spreading of rumors and acted as if they didn¡¯t have the slightest interest in the matter. Evan still brought the maid into his room every night, and just when the shadow disappeared, he would put her to sleep in a separate ce other than the maids¡¯ room. Immediately after that, he would then take Neriano to Yohan¡¯s where they had a meeting to exchange any information they found that day. He recounted to them how he met the witch along with other small stories about her. The more information they knew, the better. In the process, Evan¡¯s feelings were revealed without any heed or doubt to Yohan and Neriano, who both had found it to be unthinkable. They couldn¡¯t fathom that she was such a creature, that she still loved the world, and they certainly couldn¡¯t believe that Evan had been meeting her ever since a young age. However, Evan simply thought that their spections arose from the fact that Yohan and Neriano did not meet Nyx, and thus, couldn¡¯t understand, for the memories they had and the struggles they went through together had made their shared time more warm, beautiful, and serene. Would this not be called love?¡­ Yes, she was a woman whom one could not help but love. Furthermore, at that time, he was as good as dead. It was no exaggeration to say that he went to the tower of the witch to die. Instead, he came back to life when he met her. After receiving a new name, he started a new life. How can she not be everything to him when she was the woman who gave him a new heart? Losing her meant losing everything. Wouldn¡¯t doing everything in his power to win her be but a natural consequence? She was everything to him. There were numerous books in the pce, but for some reason, stories about the Imperial sorcerer were extremely rare. Neriano said that the Imperial sorcerer was indeed a secretive figure, but this level ofck of information was rming. One would wonder how it could be so scarce. They met the limit to the knowledge depicted in the books eventually, hence why Neriano and Yohan began searching and meeting up with people who were rted to the Imperial Sorcerer. The emperor was told that it was all in favor of teaching Evan, he acquiesced since there was nothing they could do to harm him even if they sought those people out. Neriano approached the said people pretending to seek information about the Holy magic. But little did they know, he was in fact, secretly collecting data about the Imperial Sorcerer. However, it was easier said than done, the most urgent of his concerns was the fact that being open about his inquiries would draw the witch¡¯s unsolicited attention, and even if that weren¡¯t the case, the information he originally had on the Imperial Sorcerer was scarce, to say the least, which made it hard for him to even formte proper questions. Eventually, they were left with a sole choice; having Evan deliberately catch the witch¡¯s attention instead. He had many questions stored, and in return, she had many secrets none of which could be revealed easily, but it was better than not attempting anything. As soon as it was decided, Evan went to Nyx instead of Yohan that night under the deep blue sky of thete-night view. Transporting into the Tower, he glimpsed Nyx¡¯s serene appearance, calmly leaning against the wall. Evan approached her, taking carefully nimble steps. He has seen her face many times before, but she always had a puzzled andplicated expression that made her seem ufortable, unlike the expression he was looking at in the present moment. Not wanting to disturb such a scene, he refrained from calling her name, instead, he crouched in front of her and watched her quietly. It was very dark inside the tower, but that couldn¡¯t block his vision from sensing her white delicate face, mysterious hair, flowery red lips, and eyshes that had bent in an attractive manner. Her beauty baffled him. How can she be so delicate, feminine, young, and lovely? In the presence of such raw and innocent beauty engulfed in a blurry atmosphere, one¡¯s mind would be worn out from the sad aura created by it. She was a very strange and mysterious woman, and just the idea of touching her was enough to make him anxious. Yet, at the same time, he wanted to hold her in his arms, which had caused a possessive desire to rise within him to the point that he didn¡¯t want to give her up to anyone. The battle raging within him came to end. The victor; his own desire. And so, he embraced her as if he would never let go. He longed for her. He has been eagerly waiting for the day they¡¯ll meet again. And since there was no end to a human¡¯s greed, he also yearned to touch her when the meeting urs. He didn¡¯t know what else he would want next should this desire be fulfilled, but it was a burden too heavy to bear or to even think of its consequences. He raised his hand and caressed her cheek, letting the soft feeling of her skin linger on his fingertips. A simple gesture. A stretched-out hand that stroked her face. The moment it happened, he desperately wanted to wrap her in his arms in order to relish the feeling of her skin along with her body¡¯s temperature against his. However, if he gets to do that, he¡¯d want to explore her wondrous body from head to toe next. Heaven knows what more he¡¯d want after he¡¯s done that. As he swept her cheeks with his thumb again, her trembling ck eyshes moved slowly. Eyes with chestnut color appeared under the rich and lustrous eyshes. They were very calm and deep, yet strangely transparent. Her misty eyes trembled as soon as they met his, betraying her bafflement and then quickly disguising it. It concealed her transparency like dark clouds. She had an excellent ability to hide her innermost thoughts. Still, he thought to himself that he was very satisfied that the beautiful eyes were aimed toward him, so he smiled without realizing it. ¡°What, are you awake already?¡± He lowered his gaze to her cheek and lightly caressed it with his thumb before making eye contact with her bottomless orbs again. ¡°Nyx, I¡¯m here.¡± But Nyx only stared at him without saying a word. Evan called her name again. ¡°Nyx.¡± It was a name that made him feel anxious. It was a name that¡¯s been scattered into the air as he had called it countless times. He wanted to have it, but couldn¡¯t. It was a name that made him frustrated and drove him mad. She held Evan¡¯s hand, still stroking her cheek after a while. She hurriedly sped her cool, thin hand that touched his own. The feeling of being held by her hand was very satisfying. It was such a simple act, but he felt as if he had held her in an eternal fast embrace. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to wee me?¡± She was the one to greet him when he was young. She wouldn¡¯t fathom how happy it had made him, nor the overwhelming feeling of having one¡¯s existence recognized. It was the first time someone had epted him, and now, that someone happened to be the same person who had been pushing him away. Even though she epted him only to push him away again, he couldn¡¯t forget that she was always warm toward him and hugged him. A memory that cannot be resurrected now, for there seemed to be an invisible barrier surrounding her. A hard, cold wall that would not let him in. She was oblivious to the amount of anxiety he was battling. He felt like she would vanish at any given moment. After starting to lose hope of having her around again, he suspected himself to mistake his fantasy for reality. A torment that he went through thest time he met her and now again. Even though she was in his arms, he still wasn¡¯t certain she was there. She eventually shook her head and pulled her hand away from his, signaling a clear rejection. Evan grabbed her hand again with an urgent sp. He didn¡¯t want to miss it. He didn¡¯t want to lose it. He wanted to believe that they were together again. ¡°Why? Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°¡­Evan.¡± ¡°Tell me, Nyx.¡± ¡°Why do you keeping here?¡± ¡°Why do you keep telling me not toe?¡± He already knew the reason himself. Nyx wanted him to be a warrior for her sake, and he couldn¡¯t achieve that if he chose to stay with her. It used to be difficult to understand in the past, but in the present, he had no choice but to ept the truth. He too made it clear. She would stay in the tower, then he¡¯de to her anytime he could. How long had he been waiting for that day, only so she could try so hard to push him away? He didn¡¯t want to stay away anymore. He indeed managed to get through this dreadful time, but if she were to ask him to do it again, he wouldn¡¯t be able to. Evan barely held back his innermost thoughts and tilted his head. She had always bowed her head and avoided attention, so he tried to lower himself to look at her. He knew that she was a very caring and affectionate woman who was better than anyone else, so he tried to look desperate and sad. ¡°I asked you to wait here because I¡¯d do what you told me to do. If I could use my strength, then I cane to see you anytime. So I only hoped and worked hard for that. But what about you, Nyx, why are you pushing me away ?¡± ¡°But, Evan¡ª¡± ¡°I know, it¡¯s not like you don¡¯t understand what I¡¯m thinking. Nyx, let me ask you one thing.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you still want me to be a warrior? Do you want to save the world?¡± What on earth did this woman want? If he could figure that out, he might find a way to get hold of her atst. ¡°I know you¡¯re going to save this world. You are getting closer to the future I foresaw. I¡¯ve dreamed of it a long time ago, and that¡¯s all I want from you. But Evan, this ce is nothing but poison to you. You shouldn¡¯te here to do what you want. I think you probably know why, that¡¯s what I believe, anyway.¡± ¡°Is that all you want from me? Bing a warrior?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nyx only repeated that she wanted to save the world by making Evan a warrior. So he couldn¡¯t figure out what the hell she could get from it. What will she do if the world changes? That would be the end of his mission, so he would not have to be around anymore, would he? When he was young, he only said yes to her wishes, ¡°Be a warrior,¡± but now he doesn¡¯t even know what a warrior was. To change the world was impossible on one¡¯s own. Even Yohan, the Knight Commander who had such strong and bright eyes, would not bet his life and death against monsters. ¡°What should I do to be a warrior? What the hell is this warrior that you¡¯re talking about?¡± ¡°Light up the world by the Emperor¡¯s side. As you may know, there is a lingering threat that haunts the world. You will drive out the Darkness and be the new hope.¡± Evan had never considered the witch to be a threat to the world. This was simply because, with her power, she wouldn¡¯t need to use such a difficult method to get it done. What was more, it was no other than Nyx herself who taught him the fact that he was the greatest threat to her existence, so the devilish viin they speak of couldn¡¯t have been her. So, who is this unknown person doing evil deeds while impersonating the witch? Did Nyx anticipate that and raised him to save the world from such an existence? So that we can do it? But what the hell will that get her? Did she just purely and genuinely love the world? But s, he eximed in vain, for there was no answer to his questions in sight. He felt like he was spinning around in empty circles. He did not seek revenge, what he sought from her was the termination of his mission, so what could he do to have her? What the hell were they going to do? His thoughts were driving him mad, but all he did wasugh and say, ¡°Well, that¡¯ll be enough. That¡¯s all Nyx wants from me anyway, right? Then I will do what you want.¡± If she wanted him to stay with the Emperor, he would. Even if she were to tell him to fight an unknown being, he would do that. If she wanted, he could kill the person who made her do this, or he could burn the world. No matter what she wanted. As long as she needed him. As long as she was there for him. ¡°Then, Nyx, you have to do what I want.¡± His statement was met with Nyx¡¯s questioning dark eyes. There has always been one thing he dearly wanted, but she didn¡¯t seem to know it. Or maybe she was just pretending to be oblivious. ¡°Don¡¯t push me away.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t reject me. Please stay with me. I¡¯m really going mad. I¡¯m afraid of you abandoning me. I¡¯m afraid of never seeing you again.¡¯ ¡°Always stay here. So that I cane and see you anytime.¡± ¡°Evan.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do what you want, so why don¡¯t you listen to what I want?¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯ll have a hard time.¡± The caring and soft-hearted Nyx eventually showed signs of shaking. Just in case she would miss it, Evan said in a hurry. ¡°I don¡¯t care, Nyx. I cane without anyone knowing. You just need to stay here. Don¡¯t go anywhere. I¡¯ll do everything you want. I will try to achieve it through me.¡± Maybe Evan¡¯s earnest heart worked, but Nyx eventually nodded. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He barely managed to grab hold of her with an anxious mind once more, but that was more than enough for him. The moon would always be here, even if he couldn¡¯t see it above the clouds. So he had to find a way to catch it before it disappeared, once and for all. No matter what. ¨C¨C¨C Chapter 83: The Warriors story CHAPTER 83 Team: Starrynight, WilsonWilson, Stephanie Nyx had persistently insisted that she had no connection with the Imperial Sorcerer. She justified her knowledge of the location of his grave by the fact that she had lived longer than anyone, and so, she had prevailed upon to bear the knowledge. Evan couldn¡¯t conceal his skepticism, but he couldn¡¯t pressure her for more answers, so he let it go. However, he had not halted his pointed excursion of digging into the Imperial Sorcerer¡¯s past on that ount. A day finally came when he chanced upon an aristocrat who knew of him¡ªthough not of his rtion. His family imed the peerage of the empire and eventually ascended to the count title. None of them had been born with an affinity to magic, but he knew details about the bloodline of the Imperial Sorcerer that, for some reason, were not inscribed anywhere. ¡°I heard that the Imperial sorcerer led a quiet life. That¡¯s why it was difficult to see him even within the temple. Was that all? It was also said that he lived in arge mansion,rge enough that it seemed limitless. It had only one angle-like butler who favored silence. And so there was no way for gossip to leak. I¡¯ve heard that he used all the power he had to love and care for his family.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so? But how did you get such secret information ?¡± ¡°My grandfather told me. He said that he had seen the Imperial sorcerer in person, you want to know what he said? Oh yeah, my grandfather said that he had wronged the Imperial Sorcerer¡¯s daughter before. Then, one day, the Sorcerer visited in the middle of the night in a fit of rage¡­ He (my grandfather) was frightened of dying without even uttering a scream of pain.¡± The count looked quite pleased as he told the story he heard from his grandfather. But Evan didn¡¯t have much time and could not afford to listen to such irrelevant stories. So he hurriedly stopped him and asked. ¡°What we are curious about is the family of the Imperial sorcerer. If you know anything, please tell us.¡± ¡°Oh, of course. Hmm, I was told that I¡¯d lose my life if I were to spread anything about this, but no one remains now to exact that punishment, so it should be okay, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Absolutely.¡± ¡°Now, where did I leave it off at¡­? Ah right right, I was telling you about the Imperial Sorcerer¡¯s daughter, wasn¡¯t I? Grandfather did say that he could build up bridges with the Imperial Sorcerer thanks to that incident, but how could he not have been afraid? For the Imperial Sorcerer was a man whom neither noble nor sorcerer could dare treat carelessly. And if it weren¡¯t enough-¡° ¡°Excuse me ¡­ I¡¯m sorry to interrupt. What we want to hear is the family story of the Imperial sorcerer.¡± ¡°Dear me. Do forgive me, I keep getting carried away in my reminiscing. The Imperial Sorcerer had 2 daughters. Grandfather had never heard about his wife, but he was well-informed about his daughter.¡± He had two daughters. Evan and Neriano¡¯s eyes widened to the revtion. The count, who had briefly dampened his throat, continued his horse speech. ¡°One of them he adopted before marrying, and she was the one whom grandfather knew. This fact was not revealed to the world, but she had been secretly loved by the Goddess.¡± ¡°Th-the saintess? The saintess was the Imperial Sorcerer¡¯s daughter? Heavens above! To think that the only 2 holy sorcerers in history were thus rted. What a shock.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It¡¯s an astounding thing, isn¡¯t it? I was greatly surprised by it as well. How could they have harbored such an incredible strength right under the Emperor¡¯s nose? Grandfather had witnessed the magnitude of that strength first-hand.¡± ¡°I am more curious about his other daughter.¡± Neriano seemed excited to find the connection between the saintess and the Imperial Sorcerer, but not Evan. Because all he was curious about was Nyx. The count shot Evan a resentful look because he kept interrupting him, but stillplied with his request. ¡° The Imperial Sorcerer got himself a wife and weed a second daughter. My grandfather had never seen her, but he said he¡¯d heard about her repeatedly from the saintess. She looked like her father, the Imperial Sorcerer, but she was very lovely and beautiful with ck hair and eyes to match.¡± Evan broke in a cold sweat. ck hair and eyes¡­ ¡°The Imperial Sorcerer was well-known for being a Holy magician, but he was actually a Dark sorcerer before that. To support this im, grandfather attested that the Imperial Sorcerer had used a Shadow to grab at his neck when he visited him that time. His second daughter was rumored to have inherited that same power and could employ Darkness. He used toin that she was always sad and isted. As if her personality was rted to her magic, she rarely ever made an appearance and kept to her room most of the time. The Imperial Sorcerer could use the two sources of power, so it seemed that hers was indeed Darkness.¡± The count kept on talking excitedly, but it no longer reached Evan¡¯s ears. He just stared at Neriano, absentmindedly, as well. His hand, holding the ss, trembled slightly. The Imperial Sorcerer had two daughters, the second of whom had resembled and used the power of Darkness. And the woman who gave Evan a token belonging to the Imperial Sorcerer also resembles and uses Darkness. Is it really a coincidence? Evan fiddled with the token he had in his pocket. If this is true, then Nyx was indeed the daughter of the Imperial Sorcerer, Yohan and Neriano would have no choice but to believe that she was only a victim. However, that was not enough. It was impossible to figure out Nyx¡¯s true purpose. Evan constantly recalled andbined clues he had found so far. The witch was trying to make him a warrior, the only hope to recreate the glory days of the past, and gave him a token of the Imperial Sorcerer who made those days. Does she want to be a monarch? The thought crossed his mind. She was hoping for a new world. However, there were no chances of that happening under the reign of the present king, which is why there was a need for a new ruler to drive the change. Perhaps her ultimate goal was to use Evan into bing that very ruler. No, he thought it would have been better if it were like that. Then he could give her as many crowns as she wanted. No matter how much blood she gets on his hands, he can do anything she desires. If it were something of that sort, then it is an easy feat. Besides, he thought, a world ruled by such a warm and wise woman would be much more beautiful and peaceful than the one they had now. Unfortunately, however, what she wanted didn¡¯t seem to be the crown. *** Evan¡¯s hollow eyes looked down at the man in front of him. Thetter was pushed against the wall with his arms and legs tied up and covered in blood. And yet, he was in a strange state. His wounds were dangerous, and considering the amount of blood on the floor, he should have died a long time ago, but his face that should have been distorted with fear and anger was very calm and serene as if nothing was wrong. Evan, standing in front of him without losing a drop of blood, was in danger of copsing at any moment. His eyes could not sink any deeper, his face was dry. Emptiness and anxiety were taking over him. ¡°Evan, are you okay?¡± He heard Neriano calling him, but his tight mouth did not open. He believed that if he spoke, all the emotions he had been withholding would leak out of him uncontrobly, thus he resulted in turning his body away, holding back his many thoughts and memories. However, a voice from behind caught him. ¡°¡­Kill me.¡± As he stood tall without a word, the man continued in a mocking voice. ¡°I¡¯ve failed, but the world will eventually fall into Darkness. The witch will kill you.¡± Said the man, losing all semnce of reason. Was he talking about the witch with his filthy mouth? How dare he mention the witch? Evan turned back and took his sword out of his waistband. Then, he put it through the jabbering man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Ha¡­hahaa!¡± ¡°E¨CEvan!¡± Neriano called Evan¡¯s name, but it was toote. His sword prated the man front to back. With a bout of anger, Evan gave a twist to the sword in his hand, cutting the man¡¯s annoying hysterics short. Yet, he was ovee with a shaking that only his fingertips betrayed. It wasn¡¯t until Evan had calmed down that he turned back, not even bothering to retrieve his sword from the man¡¯s body. As if he didn¡¯t need it anymore. He still could not believe it, long after he walked out of the dungeons. He was attacked. To those who im to be followers of the witch. He had a target on his back, and his hunters were no other than those who imed to be the witch¡¯s followers. He was on his way to meet Yohan after using the maid to gain some private time like any other day. They kept listening to the count¡¯s story and getting information about the Imperial Sorcerer and his family. And eventually, they were resigned to believe that the witch who had given the Imperial Sorcerer¡¯s token to Evan could only be his daughter. Evan thought that it was a rather good thing. Either way, he knew the witch to be inherently different from how the stories and rumors depicted her, and that conviction has deepened now that he had met someone* who believed the same. So he had at least thought that she wouldn¡¯t turn into his enemy or meddle with his ns. He thought that this new revtion would further deepen their rtionship. Then, he came back to the pce, and all prior hopes had copsed. For he had been greeted by a most unsolicited visitor, one who had sneaked into his quarterste at night. ¡®Nyx, This has to be a lie. This is all but a lie, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Evan¡¯s steps slowed down gradually and eventually came to a halt. He was out of breath, with both of his eyes trembling and droplets of cold sweat drenching his back. His mind was disoriented while his unbnced clumsy steps echoed in the deserted endless hallway. It felt like the world was spinning. A terrible feeling pressed down on him. It was simr to the day when he had lost everything, even his brother. Anger, sadness, and unknown despair were pulling him by the ankle. He felt like he could never escape it. He moved his unsteady feet and walked to the wall. He barely managed to rest his palm on it and leaned back. As he raised his head, he could see the night sky through the window. The night sky, so beautiful and still, had made a mess of his present reality. He looked at the moon floating in the sky with eyes gleaming with tears, yet he did not cry. His dry gaze was as blurry as if it were a reflection in a barrel of water. ¨C¡®The witch was the one who gave me the order! She sent me to kill you!¡¯ The man¡¯s voice echoed in his head. Humans were weak; so easily consumed by fear and pain. And healing, being one of Evan¡¯s abilities, prevented him from ever getting the freedom of death. Constantly being interrogated in a most harrowing cycle of torture, with a tired body and soul, he ended up confessing softly, though his confessions sounded nothing but sphemy to his interrogator: -The witch came to me and asked whether I wanted revenge, -It was the witch who trained me to bend Darkness to my will¡­. -She had a face covered in scars and ck hair. -She said the warrior had a bright light that gleamed like no other¡­ -She told me to find such a person and kill him -She told me to kill the warrior. She told him to kill me. The witch. It was not anyone else but Nyx! ¡®Did she not need me anymore? Or was she peeved by me constantly clinging onto her? Did she not want to see me ever again? Have I been abandoned by her?¡¯ ¡®No, it can¡¯t be.¡¯ That can¡¯t be true. Nyx could kill him at any time. She was more than able to kill the young and powerless child who had visited the tower. But it was she who taught him how to defend himself. There were plenty of chances to kill him without having to chase him to such ends. When he slept, when he washed up, when he ate. He was always full of unguarded moments and she could have effortlessly taken his life by any of her Shadows. She could do it all too easily, if only she had felt like it. That is why she didn¡¯t have to send someone else to kill him. It doesn¡¯t make sense. Rather, it was Nyx who became dangerous. What is the point of making things go this far even when they are in danger of her? In addition, she made his search and training vague even though she knew exactly what to expect of this warrior. Evan covered his face with his hands. He felt calm when he couldn¡¯t see anything. Cold seeped inside his head. That¡¯s right. Nyx had no intention of killing him. Even if the witch really wanted revenge, gathered darkness, and tried to do something unknown to him, it was not to kill him. Perhaps she only used me as bait to have her followers do her bidding. She certainly told him not long ago to be a warrior, which can only mean that he still held some value to her¨CThat he was useful still. So she couldn¡¯t have ordered the man to kill him in this way. At least, she must not have meant to kill him. ¡°However,¡­¡± There was no denying that his life had been endangered regardless. Whether she had meant him ill or not was of little importance. The fact that she put him in harm¡¯s way in such a manner was proof of how insignificant his existence was to her. He was the only one who had wanted, cared for, longed for, and cherished her so ardently. He knew his feelings were not equally returned, yet he was inclined by selfish desire to believe the opposite. He was at least of the understanding that she had put some importance on his well-being since she had coddled all his wounds. Then why was she torturing him to this extent? Why were her actions so misleading, filling him with all sorts of expectations and greed? He¡¯d rather not ept her kindness from the beginning. He¡¯d rather leave her alone. If she is going to make him crave the sweetness he¡¯s tasted for such a short while, then she shouldn¡¯t have given it to him at all. He slowly wiped the wetness off his face with both hands then looked up to see the now clear moon. Evan¡¯s red eyes shone steadily under the moonshine. Coupled with such breathtaking scenery, his image looked picturesque from afar. And yet, up close, one would not help but notice the sharp prowess that was building within him, ready to cut through anything anytime like a double-edged de. The looming aura of gray misery had engulfed his presence in stark contrast to his oh so widely rumored brightness. *T/N: The someone he means is the count because he didn¡¯t describe the Imperial Sorcerer¡¯s second daughter, whom he believed to be Nyx, as a vile witch. ¨C¨C¨C The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!