After meeting the monarch, Finn led me back to the room where I had awakened. I collapsed onto that enormous bed, feeling the soft sheets envelop my body like a comforting embrace. Exhaustion overtook me, but my mind refused to rest.
—Ahhhh… maybe I should've taken the money —I muttered to myself, staring blankly at the ceiling as if the answers were written there.
After accepting training with that muscle-bound sack called Valdor, the monarch's knights took my money. Two hundred sifted silver coins—enough to live two centuries without a care. And now here I was, penniless, with only the promise of training they claimed would be costly enough to justify stealing my fortune.
— Seriously, will the training really be that expensive? —I murmured, stretching on the bed, feeling tension drain from my muscles.
I glanced at my shirt discarded on a shelf. As I picked it up, I noticed a half-open drawer. Curiosity won. I opened it carefully and found that journal that had brought me here. I held it in my hands, lifting it before me, and opened it again. But like the first time, its pages were filled with symbols and words I couldn't comprehend.
—What an irritating mystery… —I whispered, closing the book in frustration.
As I did, a small image fluttered to the floor. I picked it up gently. It was a picture of that brown-haired girl.
—She might be Princess Kimono —I murmured, though my understanding went no further.
I rose from the bed, returning the book to the drawer and covering it with my hole-riddled shirt. I walked to the room's only window, drawing the curtain aside with a soft motion.
What I saw through the glass stole my breath.
—Th… this world has three moons —I whispered, unable to close my mouth.
I pressed my hand against the glass as if I could reach one of those moons. I tried to comprehend the majesty of that sky. I looked down at my hand, tracing the circumference of that red stone.
—That stone… brought me to a fantasy world —a lump formed in my throat. Only one thought crossed my mind: —Did that god… plan all of this? —I wondered, doubt seizing me.
Three knocks at the door shattered my thoughts.
—Come in! —I said, snapping the blinds shut.
The door opened softly, and a maid entered. Her loose red hair cascaded like a river of blood, but her eyes… her eyes were an even deeper red. My body reacted before my mind could process it. I sensed no threat, yet I stepped back anyway.
Is she a Vendida? I asked myself, shifting into a defensive stance.
I didn't fully understand the term, but if they were dangerous enough to warrant execution… did that mean I was in danger?
But then… my gaze settled on her face. Her neutral expression twisted into sadness, as if my reaction had wounded her. In her hands, she held a silver tray. Another surprise?
She bowed slightly, her movements elegant and measured.
—Pink-haired youth —her voice was calm but overly calculated. Her face returned to indifference. I sensed a drop of disdain radiating from her—. The monarch personally requested I bring you a gift.
She gripped the tray's protruding handle and lifted the lid with precision.
—The monarch wishes you close. Beyond your training, you'll have duties in the kingdom.
When I saw the tray's contents, my eyebrow twitched.
—What…?
It was a black butler's suit—elegant fabric, soft to the touch, but clearly easy to ruin. I held it in my hands, confused.
—Why should I accept this?
—These are the monarch's orders, Pink-haired youth —her gaze was uncomfortable; I felt her revulsion toward me.
—You don't have to call me "pink-haired." My name's Marl.
—Yes… —for a second, I saw her bite her tongue, as if holding back something worse.
The air thickened with discomfort.
—What's your name?
—I am called… Kenia —she averted her eyes—. I must leave now.
She turned her back to me. I stopped her abruptly.
—Did I offend you?
—No, young Stimson —she avoided my gaze—. My duty is fulfilled. I must retire.
A strange weight settled in my chest. Subtle but nagging.
—Hey… —I said before she could leave.
She paused but didn't turn.
—Sorry for mistaking you for a Vendida. I still don't understand what they are…
Silence lingered before her reply.
—Do not worry. I'm accustomed to it —her tone grew colder. A chasm widened between us—. Rest today. Tomorrow will be long.
I nodded without emotion, scratching my elbow.
—Th… thanks.
She left without another word. Only the door's slam echoed behind me.
I fell back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. I pressed a hand to my chest, feeling an empty pressure.
—Why do I feel like this…?
It wasn't my fault for reacting that way. I didn't understand this world or its rules. Yet her gaze left a bitter taste.
I stretched one last time, pulling the sheets over myself. Sleep crept in.
The moons glowed above, but a piercing sound—almost a shriek—tore through the night's tranquility, jolting me awake.
I sat up, my heart pounding. This wasn't ordinary. Something inside urged me to investigate.
I crept through the castle's cold halls, following that unsettling echo. My steps were silent, but my breath grew heavier. Finally, I reached a slightly ajar door.
A faint light spilled out: a blue fire burned on the floor, casting dancing shadows on the stone walls.
And there she was…
The red-haired maid.
But this wasn't the calculated, unshakable woman from before. Her posture was hunched, as if crushed by an invisible weight. Her shoulders trembled, and in her hands, she clutched a worn picture I couldn't fully see—only the silhouette of a blue-haired youth. Droplets fell from her, staining the floor.
Is she crying? I thought, my heart tightening.
—Why…? —her voice was frail, clawing at my heart. She hugged the picture tighter—. Why didn't you come back!… Why not for me? —My breath hitched.
The scene felt familiar—painfully familiar. My chest constricted.
I closed my eyes. A click sounded, and like magic, Kenia's image vanished. Had my eyes deceived me?
I swallowed hard. Now, my sister stood before me. She lay on the floor, clutching a picture of our parents.
—You promised! You said they'd return…!
Her voice was identical to my little sister's. I didn't know how to react. There she stood before me.
—Liar! —I felt those words pierce through me.
I took a step forward, desperate to see her clearly…
But then my waist brushed against a shelf. The slight disturbance rattled a vase, which teetered until gravity claimed it and sent it plummeting.
—Damn it! —I hissed.
My body moved before my mind could process it, but it was futile. The vase was inches from shattering when a swift hand caught it at the last second. I heard another click, an echo in my ears.
I turned and met Finn's stern gaze as she gripped the vase firmly. Her blue eyes glowed in the darkness, dissolving that eerie light. But before I could thank her, a shattered scream erupted from the room.
—Who's there!?
Kenia's voice—broken, as if each word teetered on collapse.
—It's just me, sister —Finn replied, calm but restrained.
A thick silence fell, until Kenia spoke again.
—Shut the door and leave, Finn!
Every syllable sounded like a desperate plea, a tearless sob.
Finn didn't hesitate. She closed the door soundlessly, then—still gripping my wrist—led me down the hall to the kitchen.
—Why were you watching my sister? —she asked, no anger in her tone, only… concern.
—I… just heard a strange noise. I didn't know it was her —I murmured, an uncomfortable weight settling in my chest.
Finn held my gaze for a moment, as if measuring my words. Then I pressed:
—You know what's wrong with her, don't you? —I stared directly into her eyes.
—She… —Finn bit her tongue before speaking—. She's just sad.
Liar.
Her eyes darted away, and her voice trembled for just an instant. Enough for me to notice.
—Don't you think we should help her? Not leave her alone like this —I caught myself biting my tongue as I spoke.
—No, Marl —Finn stopped me with a light pressure on my arm—. She needs to face this alone.
—Alone? —I frowned.
—Please… just rest. Don't… don't disturb her.
Her voice was different this time. A tone I'd never heard from her before.
Her situation wasn't the same as mine. But it felt just as personal.
Her blue eyes began to glow, emitting an eerie light.
—Just… just leave her be.
I didn't know how to respond. I nodded, though something inside me twisted with discomfort.
I returned to my room, passing Kenia's door again. I forced myself to keep walking, but I couldn't block out the sounds.
Muffled whimpers. Thuds against the floor.
My body tensed.
I… knew that sound.
It was the sound of someone refusing to let go.
Who couldn't accept letting go.
My jaw clenched. Every part of me wanted to burst in, to tell her I understood, that she shouldn't bear this alone. But then…
That feeling.
That crushing weight in my chest surged.
Worry.
Finn was hiding something. Something about her sister.
A knot formed in my throat. The pieces connected. And one thought crystallized:
Is this how Rinn felt?
A stab of pain shot through my stomach.
—No… Rinn endured this for ten years…
My thoughts shattered as Kenia's voice roared from the room:
—Finn, get out!!! Leave me alone…!!!
Her voice cracked.
Every word was a fracture in her soul.
I clenched my fists.
She wasn't asking to be alone.
She was demanding it.
And in that moment…
I heard…
"Marl, get out!!! Leave me alone…!!!"
As if it were my own sister screaming at me.
I swallowed hard, my hands trembling.
With that bitterness, I returned to my room.
I sat on the bed, shoulders slumped. A whirlwind of emotions consumed me. But one took the lead:
This isn't my problem.
That emotion was rage.
It's not my fault the boy in the picture never returned, or that he died.
I started walking back to my room. But for some reason, I turned to look at the door. I wanted to leave. But my fists clenched. I'd been there.
I lay on the bed, her whimpers still audible. Not my problem. Yet it still hurt.
—This isn't an escape… just another world.