𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟒𝟔
“. . .From now on, Kyle and I will always be there.
Even when we return to the palace, we’ll sleep together, and wake you if you have nightmares.”
ㅤ
“You’ll wake me up if I have nightmares?”
ㅤ
“Yes. I don’t want to leave the Princess alone in that tower for a second.”
ㅤ
“In that tower. . .”
ㅤ
“The place where you, Princess, were, it’s built like that tower, isn’t it?
There’s no way you were fine being alone in a place like that for fifty years.
You seem happy when you talk about ancient magic,
But you never said a word about how you lived in that place.
. . .You don’t want to remember, do you?”
ㅤ
“Chris. . .”
ㅤ
Thinking about it, I haven’t talked about my time in that tower at all.
Chris and Kyle, too, took it as a matter of course,
Realizing that they knew I was unconsciously avoiding it and yet didn’t ask.
ㅤ
“Kyle was deep in thought just now.
He was wondering if there’s any magic to enter the Princess’ dreams.”
ㅤ
“Eh?”
ㅤ
“Or maybe magic to share dreams.
He was seriously troubled.”
ㅤ
“Eh? He was thinking about that?”
ㅤ
I don’t know any magic to enter dreams or someone’s consciousness.
Magic to interfere with a person’s thoughts or ideas has not been created.
Creating something new like that would be quite difficult, I think.
ㅤ
“Well, he knows it’s difficult, but. . .
He doesn’t want to send Princess back to that tower, that’s all.”
ㅤ
“Send me back? In a dream, right?”
ㅤ
“It’s a dream, but it’s a memory of actually living there.
Wouldn’t that be like experiencing painful things all over again?”
ㅤ
“. . .”
ㅤ
Having nightmares means that’s true, I guess.
I feel guilty for worrying them, but there’s nothing I can do about it myself.
ㅤ
“Ah, I’m not blaming you.
We just feel helpless, that’s all.”
ㅤ
“You two aren’t helpless at all!”
ㅤ
“. . .We are helpless. I don’t want to just watch when Princess is suffering.
Come on, you can say it when it’s painful, okay?
We know about you being a witch, and there are no more secrets, right?
You don’t have to endure anymore.”
ㅤ
“I don’t have to endure. . .? Was I. . .enduring?”
ㅤ
“You were.”
ㅤ
What was I enduring? But if Chris says so, then it must be true.
Even now, as I’m held tightly and allowed to depend on them like this,
I wonder what I was trying to endure.
ㅤ
“. . .If, by some chance, something really were to happen,
And if the princess were to enter the tower again.”
ㅤ
Hearing that I might go back into the tower, my body involuntarily flinches.
I shudder at the thought of going back into that tower.
. . .That’s right. I’m still scared.
The nothingness, the silence, it’s slowly hurting me.
A space where only the sound of my breathing echoes. . .continuously, without end.
I don’t want to go back to that tower.
ㅤ
“Ah, sorry. Don’t be scared.
I shouldn’t have said that, even as an example.”
ㅤ
“. . .It’s okay.”
ㅤ
It’s okay; I’m not in the tower now.
I can hear Chris’ voice. I can feel his warmth from the arms holding me.
I’m not alone. . .I’m not alone. I keep telling myself.
ㅤ
“See, don’t endure. You remembered something unpleasant.
You felt painful. . . It’s okay to say that.
I just wanted you to know that we won’t leave you alone anymore, Princess.
Even if you have to go into the tower, you won’t be alone this time.”
“Eh?”
ㅤ
“We’ll go in with you, Kyle and I.”
ㅤ
“Eh?”
ㅤ
Kyle and him will also enter the tower, the three of us in that tower?
I look at Chris, wondering what he’s talking about, and he’s more serious than usual.
He’s not joking.
ㅤ
“I promised, didn’t I? I’ll always be by your side.
No matter what happens.”
ㅤ
“Really? The tower is narrow, isn’t it?”
ㅤ
“It would be even more cramped if there were three of us.”
ㅤ
“There’s nothing to do, is there?”
ㅤ
“Why not study magic? It would be interesting if the three of us did it, don’t you think?”
ㅤ
“. . . It’s painful, lonely, and hurts.”
ㅤ
“Even if I and Kyle are there?”
ㅤ
If there were three of us. If life in that tower had been with three people.
It surely wouldn’t have been painful.
I think we could have overcome anything. . .
ㅤ
“Really, with the three of us?”
ㅤ
“Yes. It’s true. So, you can relax now.
You won’t be alone anymore.”
ㅤ
“. . . . . .Yeah.”
ㅤ
I’m sure I’ll dream of that tower again.
It’s not something that can be forgotten with just words.
But. . . even if the past can’t be changed, the future can.
ㅤ
“Let’s go to sleep. You can wake me up if something happens.”
ㅤ
“Yeah.”
ㅤ
As we lay down holding hands, Kyle reached out to me from the opposite side.
I thought Kyle had woken up, but he seemed to be fast asleep.
He must have reached out to me in his sleep.
ㅤ
The regular sound of breathing from both sides, and
Breathing in sync with that sound, I too fell asleep before I knew it.
ㅤ
When I woke up, it was the final day of the deadline for war with Kokodia, the seventh morning.
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