Chapter 9 - Tonight, Under the Moon

The rainfall mixed with the blood on the cobblestones.

Kagar's strength had slowly been eroded by the cold, damp storm, but

he was more concerned with it erasing the spots of blood that dotted the

ground. He looked back to check for his opponent, but there was no sign. It

had been like that for a while now—he was being pursued by someone who

would not show themselves.

"Dammit… Is this the witch's doing…?"

When Kagar tried to leave the Farsas castle city, someone had attacked

him. He thought it must've been someone Tinasha had set on him, but the

assailant had only launched a few intermittent attacks, toying with him. The

sun had set, and there weren't many people around. Kagar pressed a hand to

his bleeding side.

"If only I could use a transportation array…"

Ever since he sustained the first wound, Kagar could cast almost no

spells. That first hit must have placed some sort of sealing magic inside his

body. He rounded the closest corner, almost slipping on the slick street.

No sooner did he turn onto the next street than a white light flashed

before him.

"…Huh?"

Suddenly, his vision dimmed, and he collapsed on the spot.

Kagar saw a rapidly spreading pool of blood and his own leg lying

severed on the ground.

"Ah… Aaaaaahhh!" he shrieked, his panicked cries echoing up the alley.

Then, he heard the sound of footsteps splashing through a puddle. A petite

young woman was standing beneath the curtain of rain. She wore no cloak,

her wet silver hair glittered like a knife, and that alone attracted Kagar's

notice. He stretched out a hand to her, his vision blurry.

"Sa…ve…"

"You want me to save you? You don't seem to realize who's killing

you." Her voice was cruel. By the time Kagar realized what she'd meant, it

was far too late.

The envoy was speechless as he realized that the one tailing him all this

time, the far superior mage, was this very girl.

Indelible hatred blazed in her eyes. "How dare you so shamelessly show

yourself here. Your lord killed him, you know, in front of me. Even if I redo

it all, your crime will stand forever. Do you understand?"

Two red orbs glowed in the darkness. There came the low growl of a

beast. The creature that appeared behind the silver-haired girl held only

death in its visage. Kagar knew that his end was imminent and let out a

scream.

"L-Lord Lanak… Ah, guh…"

His hoarse cry for his lord soon became a twisted mix of shrieks and

gurgles. Amid the strong stench of blood and the sounds of chewing…the

girl brushed back her wet silver hair and turned to head toward the castle.

"My familiar was finally able to slip in through a hole in Cuscull's barrier.

They've amassed a sizable number of mages there, including many spiritual

sorcerers."

All those listening to the witch's report in the study looked upset. Lazar

and Miralys stood pale-faced against the wall, while Oscar toyed with a

porcelain figurine as he listened. It was obvious from his expression that he

found this entirely undesirable.

"With so many mages, do they plan to mount a war?" Oscar inquired.

"I can't say for certain. Apparently, they're also attempting to summon

demons."

"How many regular soldiers do they have?"

"The same as their number of mages. It's around two hundred. Not a

huge amount, but my familiar couldn't break into the palace, so there may

very well be more."

Normally, a castle was occupied by twenty to thirty mages. Major

nations could have up to fifty, but there had never been a country with two

hundred standing mages.

Oscar picked up on something in what Tinasha had said. "You said

palace. Do they have a monarchy?"

"It appears they do. I don't know who the king is, but it doesn't look to

be the lord of the former territory."

"If it's a country based around magic, then their ruler is probably a

mage, too." Oscar crossed his hands behind his head and rested his feet on

his desk. He normally wouldn't assume such a lazy pose and only did so

when thinking over something difficult. "For now, and I'm sorry about the

trouble, but could you send out scouts periodically? I don't think this is

going to end peacefully."

"Understood," Tinasha replied.

Oscar had a bad feeling but couldn't do anything about it at this stage.

He brought his feet down to the floor and picked up the documents he'd yet

to deal with. Then he remembered something else and looked back up.

"Oh, I nearly forgot. Apparently, Ettard isn't feeling well."

Old General Ettard was the oldest military man in Farsas and one of the

symbols of the nation's leadership. Standing up against the wall, Miralys

looked gloomier by the second.

"Miss Miralys, you came here on General Ettard's recommendation,

didn't you?" Lazar asked with concern in his voice after noticing the girl.

"Yes… We're only distant relatives, but he still did his best to help me.

It's all thanks to General Ettard that I'm here now," Miralys admitted. Her

light-blond hair looked dull and lank, perhaps because of how depressed

she was. Though her face still had childish edges to it, she was very

beautiful. In a few years, she was sure to turn the heads of every person in

the castle.

Miralys had arrived less than a year ago under the good offices of

General Ettard, and she was only sixteen years old. It was a great

opportunity to learn royal etiquette. With such experience, she'd face few

hardships in the future. Likely because she was the crown prince's attendant

and often in his study, Tinasha taught her how to brew tea, and Lazar taught

her matters of the court. She was growing and maturing by the day.

Oscar gazed at his attendant, his chin resting on his hands. "You can go

visit Ettard whenever you want. I'm sure he'll be glad to see you."

"Th-thank you very much," Miralys said.

"It probably comes with the territory now that he's so old, but

apparently, he's having a hard time waking up lately."

The gloom in Oscar's words caused the witch to respond quietly, "That

seems pretty sudden. Als must be worried."

"Yeah, the old man's always had a soft spot for Als. I owe a huge debt to

him myself," Oscar replied.

Before coming to the castle, Als had visited Ettard's mansion frequently

to learn swordplay. When he was younger, Ettard had been the foremost

swordsman in the country, and he had spared no effort in teaching what he

knew to children. He'd often instructed a young Oscar on the fundamentals

as well.

Over ten years ago, after Ettard learned of the curse, he told Oscar amid

swordplay pointers, "Your Highness, despair eats away at people. Your will

must be unfaltering. The results will fall in line with that."

What he said affirmed the power of honesty and determination. Even

now, Oscar often recalled that lesson.

The prince looked up and met the witch's gaze. "Don't die until after

I'm gone, got it?"

Tinasha looked a little shocked, then gave him a pained grin.

Three days later, Ettard died in his sleep.

He left no close family behind. After a solemn and subdued funeral, his

estate was distributed, according to his will, among those with whom he'd

been close. With permission from the king, Als assumed Ettard's position

regarding the knowledge of the witch's curse placed on the prince.

The young general, who now stood at the head of the military officers in

both name and substance, sighed regretfully after listening to Oscar tell the

long story. "I never guessed you have such a curse on you…"

"It's annoying, right?"

Two days after Ettard was safely buried, Als came to the study to pay his

respects. Over tea with Oscar, Lazar, and Tinasha, Als was informed of

Oscar's circumstances, and the soldier offered his heartfelt condolences. He

glanced at Tinasha from across the table. "Doesn't that mean things look

pretty bad if Miss Tinasha doesn't agree to marry you?"

"Yep, end of the royal line," Oscar agreed.

"I'm not marrying him!" Tinasha cried.

Oscar and Als seemed oddly in sync, while Tinasha was anything but.

Her face was tight with annoyance. "I'm analyzing the curse as we speak!"

"You don't need to try so hard," Oscar said lazily.

"Don't try to dampen my enthusiasm!"

The witch looked ready to bite Oscar's head off, and Als eyed her

curiously. "What don't you like about His Highness?" he asked point-blank,

as his lord appeared to have almost no flaws.

Such a question appeared to be something of a direct hit to Tinasha.

She'd never been asked that before, and her eyes grew wide. "I… If you're

asking me what, then… What don't I like?"

"Don't ask me," said Oscar.

Lazar, who'd been drinking his tea in silence up until that point, piped

up. "Isn't it how he loves to tease people? That's a pretty bad habit."

"That might be it," agreed Tinasha.

"Quiet, Lazar…," Oscar warned, glaring at him coldly, and Lazar shrank

meekly.

Sensing this conversation could become a quagmire, the witch

interjected, "However, we have over half a year left in our contract. I'm

sure I'll figure this curse out."

"Let's hope so," Oscar said vaguely, then nodded.

Tinasha had the sense they weren't seeing eye to eye on the subject, but

it was likely better not to overthink things. Rolling her eyes at Oscar, she

got to her feet.

When she did, her leg bumped against the table, and the sugar bowl fell

off the edge. The dish made a tink as it hit the floor.

"Oh… I'm sorry."

"Are you all right?"

Tinasha leaned down to pick up the bowl. Fortunately, only the lid was

broken. With a wave of her hand, the scattered sugar rose up and went back

into the dish like before. She handed it to Lazar and started picking up the

pieces of the shattered lid by hand.

Oscar watched her, looking quizzical. "You're not going to fix it?"

"You can't restore something that's broken. Even though you can stop

time, you can't rewind it. If the pieces were bigger, I could repair it, but it's

not possible after it's been shattered… Sorry."

"No, I don't care. Don't cut your finger."

Als looked on at the sight, sighing to no one in particular, and said, "So

even magic isn't infallible."

"That's the truth of all living things." The witch laughed.

Als nodded, impressed…then caught sight of the clock on the wall and

leaped to his feet. "Whoa, I've gotta get out on city patrol. Lately, people

have reported sightings of a demonic spirit."

"In the city? I haven't heard anything about that," said Oscar.

"Well, nothing's for certain. All we know is that it might be one. It's

pure hearsay. Someone saw something that looked like a stray dog with red,

glowing eyes. Chances are high they were mistaken, and we haven't had

any reports of injury," Als explained with a shrug, and Tinasha's brows

furrowed.

"That's concerning. If that really is a demonic spirit, it's either pretty

smart or someone's controlling it. There may be no reports of injury

because they did a good job making sure none would be found," the witch

hypothesized.

Oscar, Als, and Lazar all exchanged looks. Oscar crossed his hands

behind his head. "Maybe, but we still don't have any proof. Report to me if

you find anything. If there really is a demonic spirit, we'll bring it to light,"

the crown prince ordered, standing up to get back to work himself.

A dream of a past long gone that would never come again.

The girl had fallen asleep curled up on her warm bed but realized that, at

some point, she'd been taken from it. Blinking sleep-heavy eyes open, she

saw she was heading down a dim corridor.

"…Aeti, did you wake up?" came a kind voice. She was being rocked

comfortably in someone's arms. She looked up at the boy carrying her.

She knew him well; he was closer to her than anyone. She smiled in

relief. "What's going on?"

"Something good's about to happen. I knew you had to see it."

"Something important?"

"Yeah, very important. As important as you are."

She burst out laughing at his sweet words. She wasn't yet at the age

where such flattery could really affect her.

Still, she knew he did care for her, and she loved him dearly. It was true

that he was more important to her than anyone. Feeling relieved, her eyes

grew heavy again. "But I'm still sleepy."

"You can sleep."

"…Sleepy…"

Once again, her eyes drifted shut.

The two made their way down the long corridor.

The sun had just begun to set when Oscar reached a good stopping place in

his work and went to Tinasha's room to get her approval on the Cuscull

investigation. He rapped lightly on the door, but there was no response.

"Tinasha, are you there?"

He touched the doorknob, and it opened easily. It clearly wasn't locked.

Instead, Oscar saw a barrier erected at the entry. He hesitated a little but

then stepped through. Fortunately, most likely because he was her contract

holder, the magical blockade allowed him to pass with no discomfort or ill

effects.

As soon as Oscar entered, he saw Tinasha. She was dozing in a chair

next to a scrying bowl with sigils floating up from it. He nudged her

shoulder, but she was clearly too exhausted, not even responding.

"Don't sleep in a chair…," Oscar chided quietly.

He picked her up. Normally, she weighed nothing at all, but because she

was unconscious and not using magic, there was weight to her. Still, she

was light. She stirred once but didn't wake up.

He looked down at the witch in his arms. "So defenseless."

Her slim, soft body.

Usually, he tried not to think too much about it, but now that he'd

touched such an alluring creature, a desire to make her his own roared

within Oscar. He wanted to kiss her porcelain-white skin and leave a mark.

It didn't matter if it was possible, he simply wanted to have her. A feeling

akin to lavish impatience smoldered deep within his chest, but Oscar knew

this feeling didn't indicate what he truly wanted.

Tinasha had entrusted him with not her heart or body but her life—and

had done so rather carelessly.

He could kill her at any time.

The idea that she was doing it knowingly was something Oscar disliked.

That she could be doing so unconsciously seemed endearing to him,

however.

Oscar wondered when he'd gotten so attached. He shook his head at

himself, aware that he was just as bad as his great-grandfather.

If she weren't a witch… No, Oscar refused to think that way. If that were

the case, they likely never would've met, and he didn't want to so casually

toss aside how Tinasha had lived and the decisions she'd made based on

that experience.

She seemed perfect, but she was unstable.

He didn't want to know every detail of her past. It was fine if she never

told him.

What Oscar wanted was not her heart, nor body, soul, or life. Rather, he

wanted her to feel attached to him. Oscar desired for Tinasha to take his

hand and say that he was more precious to her than anything. Just like a

child might've. He knew it was foolish, but foolishness didn't seem like

such a bad thing to Oscar.

Oscar brought the witch to the bed and laid her down carefully, so as not

to wake her. When he tried to retract his arms from underneath her, she

suddenly shot up. Her eyes were wide with astonishment, or perhaps fear, as

she looked up at Oscar.

It was the first time Oscar had seen Tinasha look this way, and it startled

him. Instinctively, he laid a hand on her head. "Tinasha."

"Oh… Oscar…?"

"Yes."

In his arms, she let out a deep sigh, and he could feel the tension

draining from her. He released her, noticing she seemed pale, but her eyes

still burned with the same light they always did.

"Sorry. I had a bad dream…," Tinasha explained.

"Because you were sleeping in the chair. If you're going to sleep, rest

properly," Oscar instructed, again placing a hand on her head. Tinasha

offered him a smile, though it seemed somewhat weak.

The witch blinked up at him, her eyes shining. "Did you need

something?"

"No, it can wait. You get some rest," answered Oscar.

The Cuscull situation wasn't so urgent that he needed to push her for

answers when she wasn't feeling up to it.

Oscar ruffled Tinasha's head, messing up the ink-black strands.

To himself, he whispered a wish for nothing to harm the witch, even in

her dreams.

A cup of tea was set before Oscar in his office, not by his protector witch

but by Miralys, his lady-in-waiting. Oscar thanked her and took the cup.

"Where's Tinasha?"

"I believe she's in her room. Busy…analyzing? Or something like that."

Whereas before, Oscar hadn't known if Tinasha was working on the

curse analysis or not, things seemed to be proceeding more smoothly ever

since Lucrezia's evil prank. Perhaps Tinasha had gotten some help. In

recent days, she was often holed up in her room, focused solely on her task.

Oscar knew it was for his sake but still sipped at his tea feeling

disappointed. Fortunately, it tasted exactly the same as the tea the witch

would have brewed, and he had no complaints.

Lazar came in with some documents. Oscar muttered to no one in

particular, "More? I want to hurry up and finish this so I can go bother

Tinasha."

"Stop that, Your Highness. If you go too far, she'll get angry with you."

"Even so, our contract has an expiration date. I want to do what I can

before it runs out."

After Tinasha left, Oscar could just climb the tower again, but she'd

probably be mad at him for that.

Then, Lazar clapped his hands together like he'd just remembered

something. "That's right, His Majesty summoned Miss Tinasha earlier, so

she's not in her room now."

"Father did? Why did he call her in?"

"I'm not sure…"

Normally, Oscar's father took no interest in the witch. What business did

he have with her, then? Even if it had to do with their visitor from the other

day, it was odd he would go straight to her without involving Oscar at all.

The prince silenced his thoughts before they began spiraling for too long

and got up. "What room are they in? I'll go, too."

"What? No, I don't think…," Lazar started to say, but he wasn't given

the chance to finish.

Oscar strode out of the study, and Lazar followed after him in a panic.

Dumbfounded, Miralys watched them both go.

Ignoring the soldier stationed at the door, Oscar approached the entrance

to a hall deep within the castle. Inside were the king, the royal council

members, Chief Mage Kumu, and General Als—all the key players in

Farsas. Each had their gaze fixed on the witch, who stood in the center.

Tinasha looked over her shoulder to see Oscar, and her eyes grew wide.

Stone-faced, Oscar marched into the room and stood in front of her

protectively.

"Father, what business do you have with my guardian?" he asked, a

barely suppressed edge to his voice.

King Kevin was slack-jawed for a second but soon gave a strained

smile. "I do have business with her, but it's not what you're thinking. I only

wished for some advice."

"Advice?" Oscar asked, puzzled.

"About your future bride."

When Oscar heard the word bride, all he could think of was Tinasha. No

one else came to mind, and he didn't want to consider anyone else.

As if anticipating such a thought, the king continued, "The woman who

will become your queen needs to have strong magical resistance, right?

Which is why you're bothering the witch."

"I'm not bothering her," Oscar objected.

"He is," Tinasha added flatly. Oscar was overcome with the urge to turn

around and pinch her. Such an action would only derail things even further,

however, so he refrained.

The king went on. "Then what would you think if there was someone

else who had such resistance? You only have to make her your queen. I am

asking Miss Tinasha to ascertain if the girl in question has the required

strength."

"And who is this mysterious girl…?" Oscar asked.

It was clear King Kevin was referring to someone besides Tinasha.

Oscar frowned in confusion, and Tinasha answered, "It's barely enough,

but I think she has a chance. It should work as long as she's supported with

a little magic. It appears she can't use magic herself, so once I'm free, I'll

formulate a support spell and pass it to Kumu. Please enchant her with it

once she's pregnant."

"Tinasha?" Oscar cut in, curious. The conversation was about him, but

he was the only one not part of the actual talks. Oscar turned to see Tinasha

looking at him, composed as ever.

He saw no hint of an answer in the witch's eyes but deduced the identity

of the candidate almost immediately.

"Miralys?"

"Correct," Tinasha affirmed.

Ettard's distant relative. Though she'd come to the castle to learn

etiquette, it had been highly unusual for her to be suddenly assigned as the

crown prince's lady-in-waiting. In reality, she'd been placed near him as a

potential future queen from the start. Oscar was the only one who never

knew.

All of a sudden, Miralys appeared in a corner of his study awaiting

orders patiently. Oscar had thought so little of her. Dumbstruck, he asked

Tinasha, "Did you know about this?"

"I was only told about it now. I could tell she had magical power sealed

away, though. In terms of pure magic, she has a little more than a court

mage, so I had a hunch she was a potential bride for you. Apparently, she's

from a family lineage that passes down magic through their bloodline in an

unusual way. Once the previous generation dies, the next inherits that

magic… Ettard must have known about that and brought her to the castle."

With the trick revealed, Oscar at last understood. Accepting it was

another matter entirely, however. He threw a little glare at his protector.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I knew you'd make that face if I did."

"But I'm making it now even though you didn't tell me."

"I guess you are…," Tinasha said, bringing a hand to her chin

thoughtfully, as if she'd only noticed for the first time.

Oscar wanted to keep arguing, but his father interjected. "That's enough.

Everyone is only doing what they must for your sake. Where do you think

that attitude is going to get you? Why are you so arrogant as to think you

can solve this all on your own?"

"I don't intend to solve it on my own. It's just…," Oscar tried to protest.

"You still have plenty of time. Don't refuse outright. Get to know her

properly."

The king stood up, an indication that the conversation was over. He

evidently would not be entertaining any objections, as he left the room

swiftly. Oscar considered going after him but heard the sound of a lock

clicking and realized that Tinasha had already disappeared, too. He turned

to face Lazar, who seemed at loose ends.

"…Couldn't they have waited just one second?!" Oscar cried.

"Your Highness… I understand how you feel, but please stop…," Lazar

murmured obediently, teary-eyed though his shoulders were shaking with

rage.

In the week that followed, Oscar got to know Miralys, while Tinasha didn't

visit the study once. The barrier she'd placed on Oscar kept him safe

enough, and her research on the curse didn't require his presence. It felt as

though Tinasha had only been there with him to make tea, and she'd let

Miralys assume that role completely.

Many castle residents relaxed now that the witch was making herself

scarce. Those who knew her well felt the castle was emptier without her,

however. Sylvia and the other mages all looked disappointed, though they

didn't speak of it openly.

Oscar was no exception. A clawing irritation mounted in him every day

he spent without his protector.

"Who can I complain to about this situation…?" he lamented, elbows

planted on his study desk.

It was very rare to see the prince in such a state. Lazar gazed at him

sympathetically, while Miralys looked ashamed. Gathering her resolve, she

stepped forward. "Um, Your Highness, I'm really very sorry…"

"No, don't worry about it. There isn't much that can be done."

He didn't intend to blame an ignorant bystander. He wanted to complain

to his father and the others who'd made this decision without him. Most had

probably insisted that Oscar couldn't make a witch queen.

Before this choice had been made, Tinasha always helped Oscar out

with other matters unrelated to her job as his protector—complaining the

whole way, of course. Oscar hated that some people were so narrow-minded

as to not assess her fairly. He'd thought his father understood until he'd

presented Oscar with a different bride.

Without realizing he was doing it, Oscar let out a long sigh.

"Even her…"

Tinasha hadn't been fazed at all at the presence of a new potential

partner for Oscar. He hadn't dared to hope she'd get jealous, but it was a

little discouraging that she hadn't displayed any sort of attachment toward

him. Tinasha had grown to be more open with Oscar since the day they first

met, but he supposed that, in the end, he was just someone passing by in her

life.

"…I guess I'll just do my work," Oscar said, his voice languid.

"I do appreciate that about you, Your Highness…" Lazar did his best to

comfort the prince.

"Rest assured, I'm good and pissed about this."

"Then let's get this taken care of… Do you want to talk to Miss

Tinasha? She's gone back to her tower today, so let's set up a time."

Lazar was Oscar's childhood friend. He'd been with the prince for a

very long time and knew him extremely well. Nodding, Oscar accepted the

stack of documents.

"Don't you pay it any mind, either. Just act the same as normal. Sorry

you got dragged into my issue." Oscar told Miralys while his eyes remained

fixed on the papers.

"I-I'm really sorry…," she apologized meekly. She really was sweet and

lovely. Oscar understood why some had thought he'd have a change of

heart with her around, but for him, there was none comparable to the witch.

Oscar recalled something he'd heard earlier about the lady-in-waiting.

"Oh right, apparently your magic is sealed away. Who sealed it?"

"My mother. I inherited my powers when my grandmother passed away,

but my mother had some magic, too… And Master Kumu reinforced the

seal."

"I see. So it's double-sealed."

Oscar had been worried that his training to see magic had been

ineffective. This seemed to be a rather extraordinary case. Likely, it was

only because Tinasha was a witch that she was able to see through such

powerful magic restriction.

The thought that something about all this wasn't quite right continued to

needle at Oscar's mind, however. Unfortunately, all that proved to be good

for was wasting precious time. He discarded his thoughts, took care of his

most crucial work, arranged for the rest to go to his father, and left the

castle before nightfall.

"Hey, are you free?"

"Does it look like I am?" Tinasha replied dryly to Lucrezia, who had

suddenly appeared sitting on one of the tower's windowsills as Tinasha

chanted an incantation for analysis. She looked up from her scrying bowl

and gave Lucrezia a little grin. "I suppose I should be thanking you. I'm

making good progress. I think I almost have the whole thing analyzed."

"What? Really? I salute your hard work and talent."

"I do take my work more seriously than you do," Tinasha said, pausing

her efforts to order Litola to bring the tea settings and hot water. It was a

perfect time for a break, so Tinasha started brewing some tea for her friend.

"Next time, tell me how to make those cookies."

"Of course. It's not a difficult recipe," Lucrezia said, getting down off

the windowsill and sinking into a seat quite naturally. Twirling a lightbrown curl around her finger, she watched her friend prepare the cups. "You

don't have to work so hard, you know. Just give him a child."

"Are you serious? Besides, I've already been relieved from that duty."

"Oh?" Lucrezia sounded surprised, and Tinasha explained about

Miralys. During the explanation, the tea leaves reached prime steeping time,

so Tinasha began pouring. Lucrezia listened to the story in shock.

When at last she'd heard the whole tale, the visiting witch cast an

incredulous look at her friend. "What in the world? Isn't that a bit

suspicious? She just happens to show up right then, while you were still

there."

"She is there on someone's suggestion… She's a nice enough girl. I've

been monitoring her," Tinasha reasoned.

"What will you do if there's someone pulling the strings here?" Lucrezia

asked.

"I'll handle them if they show themselves. There's nothing any common

mage could do to him now anyway."

Tinasha's words spoke to her faith in Oscar, but Lucrezia immediately

made a face. "If you know that, then there's all the more reason for you to

grab the reins."

"By reins, do you mean Oscar's?" Tinasha asked.

"I'd really prefer it if you didn't train him to be so dangerous and just let

him loose into the wild."

Lucrezia had apparently struck at something Tinasha didn't appreciate,

and she let out a little groan. She hadn't told Lucrezia the details of what

she'd taught Oscar, but her friend evidently knew all about it already.

Beneath Lucrezia's cold stare, Tinasha shook her head dispiritedly. "It'll

be fine. He's not the kind of person to throw his weight around recklessly."

"No matter how put together he is, he's still just twenty years old. You

shouldn't put him in the same category as a dried-up husk like you,"

Lucrezia chided.

"D-dried-up husk…?"

"Quite dried-up, in a sense."

The remark left Tinasha unsure how best to respond. Unable to think of

a reply, she merely set a cup of tea before Lucrezia. Contained within the

creamy-white porcelain was a light-crimson liquid. A refreshing scent

wafted up from it, and Lucrezia broke into a smile.

"I really love the tea you brew," she said.

"Thank you," Tinasha replied, sitting down to join her friend before

putting both elbows on the table and resting her chin on her hands in a

display of poor manners. Her thoughts turned again to the issues plaguing

her contractee. "I think it's a good thing for him to have more options.

Don't you think it's better for him to get to choose his wife? I'd feel bad for

him if I was the only option."

"Are you being serious?" Lucrezia asked.

"This really isn't the time to be joking," Tinasha responded flatly. Such

a clueless reply nearly drove Lucrezia to scream.

Apparently, Tinasha really had no idea that Oscar saw her as just another

person. He didn't fear her like so many others did, nor did he gaze at her in

reverence and longing, as Regius had. Tinasha believed that her worth lay

only in her power as a witch and that Oscar only cared about her because of

what she was. It seemed Tinasha really didn't know herself at all.

Choosing not to point out such things, Lucrezia held her tongue. Instead,

she gave her friend some more substantial advice. "Remember this: You

were human before you were ever a witch."

Tinasha gave no verbal answer but flushed shyly.

Immediately after Lucrezia departed, Tinasha returned to her research with

renewed focus. She was so absorbed that she didn't look down at Litola

until after the familiar had called out to her many times over.

"What is it?" Tinasha finally asked.

"As I said, you have a challenger," replied the little doll-like thing.

Frowning at the words, Tinasha replied, "The entrance is supposed to be

closed."

"He came via transportation array. It's Prince Oscar."

"What?"

The witch was so shocked that her analysis spell pattern very nearly

dissolved. Hurriedly, she set a spell to anchor it. "Are all the tower's

mechanisms working?"

"They are, but…"

"Tinasha!" Oscar cried, slamming the door open violently.

"Whoa!" Tinasha met the sudden arrival with an indescribable

expression.

"What's with that reaction?" Oscar asked.

"You just set the record for fewest challengers and the record for

shortest time all at once… This really exceeds all human limits."

"I don't care about that."

He sheathed his sword and took the witch up in his arms like a child,

though perhaps a bit rougher than that. He looked into her astonished eyes.

"Why won't you come to see me?"

"Because I'm busy," Tinasha answered, glancing at the scrying bowl

next to her. Oscar followed her eyes and saw a spell pattern of intricately

entangled red strings glowing faintly as it floated above the basin sitting

atop a pedestal.

Oscar knew better than anyone what the hovering magical arrangement

meant and, with irritation in his voice, replied, "You don't have to rush."

"I want to get it done while I can," the witch calmly fired back.

Something about her tone spoke of the distance between her and humans. It

was a gap that had grown wide over Tinasha's many years. Oscar closed his

eyes instead of sighing, then put the witch down. She stumbled a little as

she landed on level ground, and Oscar reached out to steady her.

"You shouldn't push yourself so hard," he cautioned.

Whether it was training him or researching the curse, Tinasha was acting

like she didn't have much time left. Before, she'd often taken time to relax

and read books in the lounge. Evidently, something must have changed.

Tinasha smiled, her eyes crinkling up. "I've lived for so long already.

It's too late now." There seemed to be no dark shadow of unhappiness in the

witch's eyes as she spoke, which came as a relief to Oscar, if only a little.

"I get anxious whenever you're not around. It makes me want to leave

the castle…"

"What nonsense are you talking about? Have some self-respect,"

Tinasha quipped lightly as she had done many times before, but then, she

noticed Oscar's face and frowned.

Oscar hadn't said it as just a joke. It was clear something was deeply

troubling him. Tinasha floated up a little until she could look Oscar in the

eye. "Try to consider how your father feels. He's thinking of you here."

"I don't like the way he's doing it."

"Even so. He feels responsible for the curse the Witch of Silence placed

on you. That's why getting yourself stuck with a witch for a wife would be

a bad idea. Your father doesn't want you any more involved with witches

than you already are."

"My father and I are different, and you and the Witch of Silence are

different."

"Oscar…," Tinasha scolded him, and the prince felt the need to concede.

He made a conscious effort to cool off.

Dark eyes met Oscar's gaze.

"All right. I'm sorry," he said, admitting he was in the wrong. Tinasha

gave him a relieved smile, alighting on the ground and pointing to the

scrying bowl. "The analysis is almost done. Once it is, I'll come back to the

castle. You can tell me anytime if you find someone you want to marry

besides Miralys; I'll ensure you have that freedom."

"You're almost done? You've really made that much progress?" Oscar

was rather surprised.

"Yes, I've been giving it my best effort," Tinasha said, waving a hand

toward the scrying bowl, and the spell pattern began slowly revolving in the

air. Over the witch's head, Oscar scrutinized the eerie yet delicate sigil.

"What do you think of Miralys?" he asked.

"I think she's an obedient, good girl. I am monitoring her, though, just in

case. You don't need to worry—I'll handle it if something happens."

"Aren't you the one always yelling at me to keep my guard up?" Oscar

inquired rhetorically.

"What are you saying? You should trust her," replied Tinasha with a

gentle tone. Veiled beneath her words was a clear lack of attachment to

Oscar, something the prince hated.

There was still time yet, however. Nothing needed to be rushed. Oscar

remained strangely confident.

Tinasha flung out both hands and recited an incantation at the spell

pattern for a little while, but nothing happened. After catching her breath,

Tinasha simply stared at the complex magical sequence floating above her

scrying bowl. Her sigh of disappointment filled the room.

"The nonsense I'm about to say must never leave this room," declared

Tinasha, quite suddenly.

"What is it?" Oscar asked.

"The 'blessing' the Witch of Silence put on you and your bloodline…

It's really beautiful. It's woven together very prettily, with an intricate and

delicate arrangement of spells. I can only admire how well-made it is.

Nothing about it appears extraneous."

"I see," Oscar replied. He looked closer and saw that, indeed, the spell

pattern was composed of twenty circles accompanied by little threads. It

truly did appear to be one cohesive work of art. He had never looked at his

own curse in such a way before and gazed at the complicated configuration.

Next to him, the witch shook her head a little. "When you look at it, you

realize it's an expression of both love and hate. It's very…frightening."

"Frightening…?" Oscar fell silent. He didn't know what Tinasha meant.

Which part was love and which hate? What about it was so scary to

Tinasha?

Even if he asked, he trusted Tinasha not to answer, so instead, he

wrapped his arms around the uneasy-looking witch from behind. He hooked

his chin over the top of her head, and she craned her neck to look up at him.

He could tell she was giggling a little.

"Whenever you reach a stopping point, make us some dinner," Oscar

said.

"Okay, okay," Tinasha replied.

A rare bit of sun peeked through on a particularly cloudy day.

Als didn't care about the weather, however. He was sitting on a chair in

the courtyard and had been sinking deep in his worries for a while now. He

just sat there with his legs crossed and a gloomy look on his face.

For the past few days, he'd been moping and fretting over something,

but he couldn't find anyone to talk to about it. It wasn't something he could

talk over with Meredina, his usual confidant, and there was no one else with

whom he was comfortable discussing it. He couldn't even decide if it was

something to mention to others in the first place.

Lost in thought as he cracked his knuckles, Als caught sight of

something red in the corner of his eye and looked up. It was a small dragon

carrying a paper package of some sort in its mouth.

Half rising to his feet, Als was about to yell to the dragon when a

woman's voice called out the very name he nearly had.

"Nark!"

Her voice carried well, like a slender flute. A black-haired witch floated

down from one of the upper ramparts bordering the courtyard. Recognizing

her, Als couldn't help but cry out, "Miss Tinasha!"

She looked in Als's direction with some surprise, hearing her name

called so suddenly. "What is it?"

"I've been looking for you but couldn't track you down…"

"I-I'm sorry," Tinasha admitted, landing on the ground and stepping

over to him. Nark settled on her shoulder. "Is something wrong?"

Wordlessly, Als took the witch's hand and led her over to a shaded area

somewhat separated from the castle walls. Nark deposited the paper

package in its master's hands and calmly flitted off. After watching the

dragon fly away, Als broached the subject in a whisper. "It's about

Miralys… I looked into General Ettard's estate, but nothing related to her

came up. Yes, he personally introduced her to me as well, but I'd never

heard of him having any distant relatives. It's been bothering me for a

while, but then he fell ill, and I wasn't able to confirm it with him…"

Miralys seemed in every way to be just an ordinary girl, but her origins

were murky. Still, everyone had readily accepted her because she was

attached to Ettard, a senior adviser. Now that he was dead, previous doubts

began surfacing at the forefront of peoples' minds. Whether she became

queen or not, a satisfying answer was needed.

Tinasha listened intently and let out a little groan once Als had finished

speaking. Hesitantly, she explained, "I've kept quiet on this because I

thought Oscar would make a fuss. The truth is, right after coming to this

castle, I looked into whether any woman anywhere on the entire mainland

could be his wife… I turned up none who could survive the curse save for

witches."

"Could that be because Miralys's grandmother still had the family magic

when you did the search?"

"I didn't filter by age. If I had, every witch would've been completely

excluded. Even without such parameters, my inquiry turned up no woman

who holds the amount of magical power Miralys does. It's the reason I've

been curious about her, too," Tinasha explained.

"Have you told anyone else about this?" asked Als.

"I haven't. I thought I should let Oscar go into this without any

preconceptions, since it's still a good chance for him to have a proper

bride," replied Tinasha.

Als looked to the sky in a beseeching manner. He never expected a

witch to be so dense—or maybe clueless was a better word. This beautiful

witch's strangely thoughtful actions were only further muddying the

situation.

Tinasha, with no idea as to what Als was really thinking, crossed her

arms and fell into thought. "There's something else. Even if there's some

sort of catch to her being here, I don't know if the target is the Farsas royal

family or to get me out of here. Deciding on a plan would be far easier if we

knew which."

"Ah, I see," Als said, recalling the envoy from Cuscull who'd shown up

two months ago. If there was some mastermind behind that man and

Miralys, they wouldn't be able to do anything to the royal family unless

they first removed Tinasha from Farsas.

Als began pondering what the goal of such efforts might be when he

suddenly noticed a girl standing in the shadows of a pillar, facing the

courtyard. She was gazing out on the grounds in a daze, seemingly unaware

that Als had spotted her.

After checking to make sure the girl wasn't looking their way, Als

turned to the witch and gave her a roguish grin. "Miss Tinasha, I believe I

have an idea."

"What is it?" asked the witch.

"Let's find out if the goal is you or His Highness," Als said, then drew

her slender body to him with a hand around her waist. With his other hand,

he tipped up her chin. Her eyes widened in shock for a second, but she

grasped the situation quickly enough and closed her eyes somewhat

ruefully. She wound her creamy-white arms around his neck.

Als brought his face to her smooth porcelain cheeks. To anyone

watching from the castle, it should have looked like they were kissing.

After making sure the girl had dashed off in a panic, Als let go of Tinasha,

who immediately began laughing aloud.

"You're terrible," she said.

"It came with some perks. Two birds with one stone," Als replied,

winking at her. Both Als and Tinasha knew that the girl concealed in that

shadow had been Miralys. Thus, they had pretended to be lovers in front of

her. If Miralys's ultimate goal was Oscar, then she wouldn't do anything,

but if it was Tinasha, she'd likely make some kind of move related to

Tinasha's lover being a general of the kingdom.

Als slapped his own shoulder. "I hope this clears up some things for us."

"Will it be worth the dangerous game we just played?" Tinasha

wondered, grinning at Als like a mischievous child.

It was obvious enough that Tinasha thought of this as someone else's

problem, and Als gave a shrug. "I think His Highness will kill me if he

finds out…"

"What about Meredina?" Tinasha teased.

"…"

Als fell silent, and the witch giggled and floated up into the air. She

brought her lips close to Als's ear. "I'll let you know once I get an answer."

"Please do."

The witch promptly disappeared into thin air. Relieved of the burden

he'd been carrying deep in his heart, Als headed for the training grounds

with a spring in his step.

He was completely unaware that there was someone on the third-floor

passageway who had witnessed the whole thing.

"Als! Where did you go?"

Meredina was waiting right outside the entrance to the corridor that led

to the training grounds, and once she caught sight of him, she flung the

cloth she'd been using to polish her sword at him as hard as she could. Als

caught it in one hand.

"Sorry, sorry. I'll head right to training," he said, guessing at the reason

for her action.

"His Highness is waiting for you. Did you do something?"

"What?"

"He is not in a good mood. He's going to put you through the wringer."

It took less than a second for Als to understand what was happening. He

could feel the blood draining from his face.

As Als contemplated his potentially imminent death, a clueless

Meredina dragged him to the training grounds.

In her chambers, Tinasha was working to unravel the curse when she

received a summons from Oscar and went to his rooms. She thought of

entering via his balcony door as she usually did, but as long as he had a real

fiancée in Miralys, she thought it better to put a stop to such acts. She stood

in the hallway and knocked on the door normally. A reply from inside came

back right away, bidding her to enter.

"Oscar, did you need something?" Tinasha asked, entering with curiosity

in her voice. He was standing by the window and beckoned her over

without saying anything. Without so much as a hint of caution, she

approached to stand at his side. He looked down at her expressionlessly.

"What did you do today?" Oscar asked.

"The usual. Working on curse analysis and listening to reports from my

familiars. Oh… Nark went out on an errand. He picked up some rare tea

leaves from Lucrezia. I'll make them into a tea later," Tinasha recounted.

She smiled amiably at Oscar but realized his stony expression hadn't

changed at all. "What's wrong?"

Tinasha touched his face, moving to float up. Oscar grabbed hold of her

wrist, pulling her close to him. She lost her balance in the air and crashed

into him.

"Hey! What's going on? Ah!"

Just then, Tinasha heard a metallic clink. She looked at the hand he'd

caught hold of and saw a broad silver bracelet on her wrist. She was

puzzled for a second, but all too soon she realized what it was.

"D-don't tell me this is…"

"Sekta, a sealing ornament passed down alongside Akashia. It's made of

the same material."

Tinasha tried to amass magical power in her hand, but it dispersed

without taking shape. It couldn't be formed into a spell configuration,

either. Such an effect, and the very idea that such a fearsome object existed,

was enough to send a bolt of fear down Tinasha's spine.

"Oscar!" she cried, looking up at him reproachfully as she was unable to

comprehend why he was doing this. When she saw the look in Oscar's eyes,

she stiffened. There was clear anger there, the first she'd ever seen in the

prince.

For the first time since Tinasha had become a witch, she felt true terror

from the bottom of her heart.

She was rendered immobile, and Oscar tipped up her chin until she

faced him. He glared right into her dark eyes. "I knew you didn't get it, but

I had no idea it was this bad. I planned on waiting patiently, but even I have

my limits."

"Oscar…?" Tinasha asked, aware her voice was trembling. She wanted

to look away, but Oscar's hold on her face was firm. She blanched and felt

dizzy.

His low voice swept over her body. "Tinasha, I didn't bring you here to

let another man have you."

At last, she finally grasped what was happening. Oscar must have seen

what had transpired earlier.

Tinasha opened her mouth to explain, but before she could, Oscar

picked her up. He threw her a chilly glance, and she froze. He began

walking with her in his arms, and she felt her vision dim.

Arms holding her up. The sensation of being carried. A long-gone,

irretrievable memory surfaced.

It was hard to breathe. Fear dominated her body.

"…Oscar… Stop… Put me down…," she murmured, but her pleas went

unheeded. He laid her on the bed, then held her wrists down.

Tinasha was shaking with childlike fear as Oscar whispered, "You don't

understand anything, so I'm going to teach you until it sinks into your

bones."

He lifted his head to see that her face was as pallid as a corpse. Her dark

eyes looked unfocused. She was just staring into space, shivering minutely.

He let out a little sigh and lightly patted one ivory cheek, but she remained

frozen, as if she hadn't seen his character break.

"…Stop… I don't like this…," she whispered.

"Tinasha?"

She wasn't acting right. Oscar lifted her torso and wrapped an arm

around her back to support her.

Tinasha slapped away his hand.

A nearby water jug on the table exploded into pieces. Uncontrolled, raw

magic began swirling in the room.

Uh-oh, Oscar thought just as Tinasha twisted and ducked away from

him. Now facedown on the bed, she used her trembling arms to push herself

up and whirl on him.

Her eyes as she fixed her gaze on him again were those of a wounded

wild animal.

A furious rage filled her dark eyes, but not to kill. It was the urge to

protect herself.

The bracelet on Tinasha's right hand continued to diffuse her magic, but

even without the ability to cast a spell, she still possessed an immense

amount of magical power. That energy bubbled forth through the bracelet,

completely uncontrolled and ran amok through the room. It sent random

things flying and crashing into the walls, destroying them one after another.

A shard from a broken vase flew toward the bed and bounced off Oscar's

protective barrier.

It was like being in the middle of a storm. Despite the danger, Oscar

didn't take his eyes off Tinasha. Anyone else would've been too frightened

to meet her gaze, but he met her eyes and leaned forward with no hesitation

to reach out for a white cheek.

"Tinasha."

He touched her tense face. His warmth was steady and real. Upon

feeling that warmth, the witch's eyes widened.

"Ah…"

Instantly, her fury dispersed, and the maelstrom of objects ceased. Oscar

reached out for her with his other hand and pulled her into his arms. He

patted her back gently.

"Sorry. I only meant to startle you. I shouldn't have done that," Oscar

admitted.

"…No, I… I'm sorry," Tinasha responded, now seemingly embarrassed

over her deadly impulses. She reached out with still finely trembling hands

to clutch hold of his shirt. "I'm sorry… Really…"

"The fault is mine," Oscar said, and Tinasha raised her head. She still

looked pale.

She stared at him, puzzled. "Why?"

Snorting despite himself at how innocent and childlike she looked, he

hugged his witch tight.

"What? You beat him up?"

"Sorry."

"You should be telling that to Als…," Tinasha said, at her wit's end as

she sat on Oscar's lap.

"I told him that if he had something to say, he should just say it."

"There was no way he would! Not with all eyes on him like that!"

protested Tinasha.

"He told me he had nothing to offer in his defense," Oscar explained.

"Als needs to choose his words better!"

Oscar hooked his chin over the indignant witch's head. He touched her

hand to check on it and noted that she'd finally stopped trembling.

"I didn't cause him any serious injuries. We had about ten matches backto-back. Worst he's got are bruises."

"I'll go heal him later…," Tinasha declared. As Oscar held her in his

arms, he thought it looked like she'd returned to normal.

Oscar had only intended to get a little angry and threaten her, but he

seriously regretted what a stupid thing he'd done after seeing Tinasha's

unexpected reaction. It had only ever been his intention to cherish her, but

he'd gotten his priorities backward and wound up hurting her instead. This

was a lesson engraved deep in his heart, one he'd never repeat.

Concealing his inner thoughts, Oscar instead just poked Tinasha's cheek.

"Still, don't keep information like that from me. Miralys does really seem

insanely suspicious."

"Augh, so you think so, too…?" Tinasha asked, her eyes cast down

despondently. She'd given him a brief report about all the things she'd

learned about the curious lady-in-waiting. "I mean, it's possible she's just

being used… And she's so cute and everything. I didn't want to destroy the

chances of you falling for her."

"Listen, you…," Oscar said, heaving a huge sigh and digging his fingers

into her temples. "I'm trying to tell you that you don't understand

anything!"

"Ow-ow-ow!" Tinasha yelped, flailing around, and Oscar let her go. He

watched her clutch her head painfully with tears in her eyes and felt an

indescribable wave of exhaustion come over him. If this kept up, how many

more times would he have to tease her? Perhaps it was best to just get this

all over with now.

"Hey, come with me," Oscar said, lifting her up under the arms and

setting her on her feet like a doll. As he left the room, he called for Lazar.

"Did you call for me? Ah—the furnishings are all broken… What in the

world…?"

"Don't worry about that. I need to see my dad. Oh yeah, bring Miralys,

too."

"At the moment, His Majesty is in the audience chamber discussing his

birthday ceremony with the royal council."

King Kevin held an annual royal birthday ceremony as an opportunity to

deepen diplomatic relations with other countries. Farsas was the largest

nation in the mainland, as well as the most stable in terms of both military

might and cultural accomplishments. In respect of such achievements,

aristocrats and government officials from neighboring nations gathered in

Farsas on the king's birthday.

"Oh yeah? That's perfect. That's where I'll be going, then," Oscar

declared.

"What?!" Lazar exclaimed in reply.

"That's enough. Go look for Miralys—and hurry."

Flustered, Lazar took off, and Oscar grabbed a very bewildered Tinasha

and set out.

"Oscar, what are you going to do? If we're going to look into Miralys's

background, we shouldn't let her know what we're doing."

"I'm going to take care of that, too, but I'm starting with you first."

"What? Why me? All I've been doing is working to break your

curse…," the witch said, sounding just like a child dreading a lecture. Oscar

led her to the hall, and the two burst in. All eyes were immediately drawn to

the sudden arrival of the crown prince and his witch.

"Allow me to interrupt," said Oscar, finally letting go of Tinasha's hand

and striding right up to his father, who was seated on a high throne. Entirely

confused, the royal council and magistrates retreated to stand along the

walls. With nothing to do herself, Tinasha stood fixed where she was.

After only a few moments, Lazar entered with Miralys in tow.

Unsurprisingly, she looked around the room uneasily before coming to

stand behind Tinasha. The king looked thunderstruck at his parade of

sudden visitors.

"What is this? What's going on?" demanded the king.

"It seems a lot of people are laboring under some kind of

misunderstanding, so I'd like to take this chance to clear everything up,"

Oscar stated. He then turned back to look at Tinasha, who only tilted her

head at him. It was clear she still hadn't a clue what was happening.

Refusing to break eye contact with her, Oscar raised his voice so everyone

present could hear him. "I don't keep Tinasha with me because I have no

other choice. I'm doing it because I like her. It's pointless for you to parade

other girls in front of me. Really, it's just a hassle. I don't intend to choose

anyone but her."

At that, the hall fell silent. Some members of the royal council looked

stunned, while others frowned hopelessly.

The king brought one hand to his mouth and sighed, as if he'd fully

anticipated his son's announcement. Miralys's face was a frozen mask as

she stood stock-still.

None appeared more floored than Tinasha herself as she stared at Oscar

in blank amazement with her jaw wide open. "What?"

Oscar sounded frustrated as he replied, "Do you really not get it? I've

spelled it out so many times. It doesn't matter if I have one choice or a

thousand. I'll always choose you. So stop trying to spin it as something

else; it's getting annoying."

Tinasha was left completely speechless by this turn of events. All the

color drained from her beautiful face before she turned a bright red. Oscar

watched it happen with amusement.

Content to leave the matter at that for the moment, Oscar then turned to

Miralys. "That's how I feel. Sorry, but I don't plan on marrying you. And as

for your origins, I'll be carrying out an investigation after you've been

temporarily removed from the castle. If nothing fishy turns up, you can

come back as an apprentice lady-in-waiting."

"U-um, Your Highness, I really haven't…," Miralys started to protest.

"It's just to be on the safe side. I'm not going to lock you up, although

you will be monitored," Oscar said, signaling with his eyes to a magistrate

who quickly approached the girl. She wore a startled expression as the

magistrate tried to walk her out of the room.

At that moment, Tinasha suddenly snapped out of her strange state,

muttering, "Huh… Just now, the castle wards…"

The sound of something shattering echoed throughout the room. Oscar

and Tinasha whirled back at the same time, but Tinasha was the one closer

to Miralys.

The witch broke into a run, her arms outstretched. She grabbed the

magistrate by the scruff of the neck before he could leave the room.

A white flash of light seared Tinasha's eyes. It was a simple and finely

honed spell designed to tear its target apart.

With practiced motions, Tinasha attempted to throw up a defensive wall

but quickly realized she was still wearing the bracelet.

"Oh…"

"Tinasha!" Oscar shouted, moving to wrap himself around her.

Unfortunately, the light proved quicker…

A burning pain lanced through Tinasha's eyes. Her vision a mess of red,

Tinasha cried out, "Oscar! Run!"

It all happened so quickly that most were at a loss for understanding

what had really occurred. All anyone knew for certain was that Tinasha had

pulled the magistrate down, Oscar had tried to stop her, and now she was

bleeding in his arms.

Only Oscar and Tinasha understood what it all meant. Only them…and

Miralys.

Oscar glared at the girl. "You…"

"Sorry, but I can't allow myself to be removed from the castle. I still

have business here," Miralys boldly asserted with a fearless look in her

eyes. The obedient, fearful girl was gone. Magic sparked at her fingertips,

and her light-blond hair turned translucent silver.

Miralys's eyes blazed as she fixed her gaze on Oscar. "If only you'd

stayed unaware just a bit longer, I could've left you out of it for a while. But

I suppose this is as good a time as any."

"I guess you used your powers to take off the sealing ornaments Kumu

put on you… What's your game here?" Oscar demanded as he tended to the

woman in his arms. The magic attack had left Tinasha's skin lacerated in a

line from her leg to her left eye. If Oscar hadn't pulled her back in time, the

attack might have torn into her organs. As Tinasha drew shallow breaths,

Oscar reached for the bracelet, and the royal sealing ornament hit the floor

with a ping.

"Sorry, Tinasha… Can you heal it?" he murmured to his protector.

Had she been able to use magic, she likely wouldn't have sustained any

wounds at all. Oscar felt like he was going to go mad with remorse thinking

about what would happen to Tinasha's blood-spattered eye.

In a hoarse voice, she answered, "I'll…be fine… You need to…run…"

As Tinasha spoke, her wounds began healing. Watching the lacerations

on her white cheeks disappear, Oscar felt some of the deepest relief in his

life, but that was why he refused to listen.

"You get out of here. Go get treated by Kumu," he urged.

It was his fault she'd gotten injured. There was absolutely no way he

was going to leave her and run.

Exhaling, Tinasha returned to her feet. She glared at Miralys through her

right eye. "No… She's aiming for you, Oscar. That's why she hurt me."

"I wasn't really aiming for you," Miralys admitted to Oscar. "It just

would've been satisfying if I'd happened to kill you along the way. I mean,

if you hadn't stabbed him, maybe he wouldn't have gotten killed."

"He? Who are you talking about?" asked Oscar.

Miralys's lips curved up in a smile, but her eyes held unwavering anger.

Something about Miralys's words and the color of her hair reminded

Oscar of someone. "Are you…the girl who was with that mage?"

When the mage Oscar confronted at Ynureid was in the castle city, he'd

had a silver-haired girl with him. Miralys was that girl. She'd changed her

hair color and infiltrated the castle.

Tinasha wiped the blood off her lips. "The one from the festival? You

didn't have any magic back then. What happened?"

"Haven't I already told you?" Miralys said, raising her right hand. A

spell formed there, and as Tinasha saw it, she flung out her hands.

There was the ear-ringing sound of magic colliding. Gloom infused the

girl's voice as she spoke. "Our family passes down magic through the

bloodline. He died…so I've inherited his powers."

Miralys lashed out with a ray of white light, which Tinasha withstood

behind a protective wall she erected. Despite blocking the attack, the witch

had a feeling this was going to be annoying.

There was something headed for Oscar and Tinasha. Its presence had

been a constant ever since the castle wards had been shattered. Whatever it

was, its bloodlust was palpable. Tinasha knew the others couldn't handle

this situation and said to them, "There's no time. You need to evacuate

now…along with him."

Oscar was covered in Tinasha's blood from when he'd shielded her, and

the efficacy of his protective barrier was dropping sharply. Miralys had

likely heard at the training grounds about the trick to weakening the defense

Tinasha had placed on him. It certainly explained why she'd attacked

Tinasha first. Miralys must've known that as long as Oscar's barrier was up,

she couldn't take him on.

"Really… We've been completely underestimated," Tinasha spat. She

was still sore all over. It would take some time for her slashed eye to heal

completely. For the moment, she was going to have to fight using only her

good one. She exhaled, then used magic to shut out the pain that would

have otherwise slowed her down.

When Tinasha looked up, she saw a new combatant had entered the fray.

"…So the eyewitness reports from the castle city were true?"

A silver wolf loped in silently from the corridor. Too ominously

beautiful to be a stray dog, it was none other than the demonic beast

Tinasha thought she'd defeated back at the magical lake.

The beast was much smaller than before, roughly the same size as a

regular wolf, but its aura of fiendish, swirling magical power was the same.

The witch snorted at the sight of the red jewel embedded in the beast's

forehead.

"You used the core to regenerate it? How very clever of you."

"He did it, not me. It was pretty careless of you, not collecting all the

pieces of the core," said Miralys.

"I'm speechless. I suppose I'll just have to clean up my mess," Tinasha

replied.

The situation for the witch was hardly ideal. She'd numbed her pain but

could still only see out of one eye. She could move, but not without extreme

discomfort. Worst of all, she'd lost a fair amount of blood. Tinasha wasn't

sure how far she could go in such a state.

The witch was confident in her ability to crush any opponent… Unless

that opponent was a demonic beast.

Seventy years ago, she'd battled the monster while shielding soldiers.

While they were wholly outclassed against the creature, at least they'd

chosen to put their lives on the line. Now the battle was to be in the middle

of a castle filled with court ladies and magistrates. Tinasha would have to

choose her actions very carefully, lest the castle turn into a sea of blood.

With several different spells in mind, Tinasha made to move forward,

but a man grabbed her shoulder and held her back. Before she could speak,

Oscar stepped in front of her. The sight of his broad back brought her to her

senses, and she yelled, "I told you to get back! She'll forcibly teleport you

away!"

"You're the one who needs to get a grip on the reality of the situation.

You can't be on the front line with that eye." Oscar spoke in an

uncharacteristic tone. His words were bereft of naïveté. Oscar's was the low

voice of a man on a battlefield.

Reflexively, Tinasha gasped slightly. With all the authority of a ruler,

Oscar asked, "What did you train me for? Let me right this wrong for you."

"Oscar…"

"It'll be fine. I'll figure something out."

Oscar had not been born with such dauntless confidence. It was the

result of many bloody struggles and the ceaseless effort he'd put into

everything since he was a child. He was one who bore the responsibility of

a prince and the burden of a terrible curse placed upon him when he was

only a boy.

Tinasha's hot breath caught in her throat. It wasn't her injuries that

caused the tingling sense of exaltation to surge within her. This was a

human emotion she'd almost forgotten. Breaking into a grin, Tinasha said,

"Now you've gone and said it. If you're that confident, let's win with room

to spare. No injuries allowed."

"Don't just up the stakes. I'll be happy with any outcome, so long as you

don't get hurt," Oscar replied.

Akashia in hand, Oscar focused his gaze. He wasn't looking at Miralys

but, instead, the silver wolf at her feet. The smaller form of the demonic

beast let out a low growl as it waited to pounce and devour its prey. The girl

accompanying it gave a heartless smile.

"Always so confident. But just how much longer can you act so

carefree? …Go."

The demonic beast leaped off the ground at Miralys's command. It

descended into a pounce toward Oscar's right arm, and the prince readied

Akashia. In that same moment, Miralys uttered an incantation.

"Incinerate that which has form at my hand! Flames! Go forth from my

palm!"

"…Let it be defined," Tinasha murmured, casting a short incantation of

her own. An intricate defensive wall coalesced within the room,

demarcating the rear of the hall from where the battle had erupted. At the

same time, a smaller wall sprang up around Miralys. The flames she

summoned turned back on her in an instant.

"Ngh, dammit!" Miralys spat, forcibly shattering the reflective barrier

the witch had placed around her. Tinasha tried to launch an attack in that

same instant but got dragged backward and lost concentration on her spell.

The jaw of the silver wolf just barely grazed the tip of Tinasha's nose.

"Gah, that was close…," Tinasha managed to say.

"I'll move you around; just make sure not to fall over," said Oscar

without sparing a glance at Tinasha. He refused to take his eyes off the

demonic beast. The creature's movements had already been unnaturally fast

while it had been gigantic. Now that it was smaller, it darted about so

quickly that even Tinasha couldn't keep up.

It seemed quite apparent that Oscar could, however. The witch muttered

to him, "That wolf has amazing magical resistance and magical penetration

abilities. I can't attack it or defend against it without using incantations. I'm

virtually defenseless against that thing when we're fighting in such close

quarters."

"And yet you were going to go up against it alone," Oscar quipped.

"I was going to knock down some walls and give myself more space,"

Tinasha shot back.

"That's a last resort. If we really can't fight it any other way, knock

down as many walls as you want. What about Miralys?"

"I can kill her anytime."

Such was the difference in power between a mage and a witch.

However, there were a great many things Tinasha still wished to learn from

Miralys. What had her goal been in coming to the castle? Who'd killed the

mage she'd been with? These unanswered questions meant the ideal

outcome was capturing the silver-haired girl alive.

Unfortunately, Miralys seemed to be well aware of their power

difference and retrieved a small bag from an internal pocket of her outfit.

She scattered the contents of the satchel on the ground—crystal balls that

rolled on the floor with a cracking sound.

Oscar frowned in confusion. "What are those?"

"Oh, those are magic spheres. Each one contains a spell. They save you

the trouble of having to recite incantations in the middle of a fight. I used a

few of them, too, back when I was fighting the larger form of the demonic

beast," Tinasha explained.

"I'm not deluded enough to think I can take a witch head-on. That's why

he prepared these a long time ago. You know, he really wanted to be your

ally, but now he's no longer with us. So…I don't really care if you die,"

said Miralys.

Some of the scattered magic spheres began emitting a white light.

Catching sight of that, the witch let out a fierce grin. "That's some big talk,

little brat."

Tinasha flicked her hand. Several tiny magic arrows formed in midair,

then shot toward the light-emitting spheres with deadly precision.

Before the little conjured projectiles could pierce the glassy globes, all

the arrows suddenly changed direction. Four went toward Oscar and

Tinasha, while two went in the direction of the demonic beast as it leaped

upon Oscar.

Tinasha instantly dispelled them, her beautiful face twisted up with rage.

"Trajectory distortion!" she cried.

Angered that her spell had missed its marks, Tinasha charged toward

Miralys with her left eye closed. Seeking to give chase, the demonic beast

evaded Oscar's swipe of Akashia and bounded after the witch.

At that moment, Tinasha manifested a dagger in her right hand. She tried

to throw it at Miralys, but the girl caught sight of the maneuver and

shouted, "Split open!"

The remaining magic spheres on the floor scattered in all directions.

Dozens of them flew about the room, with Miralys at the center of their

orbit. Some appeared able to fly directly to their targets, while others

utilized trajectory distortion, rushing at everyone with unavoidable attacks.

Tinasha withstood their barrage from behind a magical wall she'd

quickly summoned, but sensing something, she jumped back.

One sphere had rolled to her feet, and a strange gas issued from it.

Tinasha felt dizzy and clutched at her face.

"…This is…"

The demonic beast didn't fail to notice the witch staggering and leaped

toward her, but Oscar proved faster. He grabbed Tinasha's arm and pulled

her back. Slashing at the silver wolf's claws, Oscar retreated even farther,

the witch wrapped in his free arm.

"You all right? What was in that ball just now?"

"…A natural poison, mostly likely. Evidently, she meant it when she

said he'd intended to negotiate with me."

Almost all of the nearly one hundred magic spheres were designed to

buy time or avoid a direct confrontation in some way. Some of them

probably contained things that acted as magic-sealing ornaments. One or

two likely wouldn't have much effect but collectively could quickly become

very annoying. Pressing a hand to her forehead, which had broken into a

cold sweat, Tinasha murmured a low incantation.

"For now, I've stopped time for my body. A natural poison can't be

lifted with magic."

Perhaps the original goal had been to negotiate with Tinasha while she

was incapacitated. Unfortunately, they had the demonic beast to contend

with, too. If Oscar hadn't been there, it might have gnawed off one of

Tinasha's arms.

The witch eyed the silver-haired girl, whose face was a screwed up in

anger as she pulled a dagger out of her arm.

Tinasha whispered to Oscar, "How are you doing?"

"It's what I'd expect from a beast. It's hard to catch. I'm fairly sure I can

wound it, but it's tough to get a hit."

"That's because you're using Akashia. No matter how strong its fur's

magical resistance is, Akashia can cut through it. That's why it has to dodge

you."

"It switches targets to me sometimes, too. Adapting to its changes is a

bit tricky."

"I'm sorry I'm a burden. We need to turn things around as soon as

possible," said Tinasha.

"I'm fine with handling it by myself, but… What do you have in mind?

If you have a strategy, let's hear it."

Oscar's rather casual attitude in the face of such danger wasn't a bold

front but, rather, the result of battle-forged experience.

No matter how skilled he was, however, Oscar was still just a human

with a sword. Fighting the demonic beast was no small task. Tinasha

desperately wanted to aid him with magic, but the creature's silver fur made

that difficult.

"…Oh," the witch suddenly said on reflex.

"What is it?"

Tinasha instantly recalled a trivial detail. She reached inside her magic

outfit and drew out a small crystal ball. "It's always good to help people.

And…to have a contract holder who neglects his health."

"Tinasha, we need to move."

Oscar leaped to the side with the witch in his arms. He swung Akashia at

the beast that threatened to sink its jaws into them, but it caught the slash

with its fangs and sprang up into the air.

The shifting rounds of offensive and defensive maneuvers between

Oscar and the demonic beast were so swift that neither Tinasha nor Miralys

could find a moment to insert themselves between the two. Tinasha

marveled at Oscar's ability to fight evenly against one of the most

formidable magical creatures in history, even with the royal sword on his

side. Sadly, it was a losing battle for the prince. The beast was dictating the

pace. If it decided to change its focus or move to another location, things

could take a turn for the worse very quickly.

That was precisely why Oscar and Tinasha needed to make a decision

that shifted the momentum before the enemy did.

"Oscar, which plan do you like—one where the castle gets half

destroyed or one where the castle is intact but you'll be in trouble?" Tinasha

proposed.

"The second one. That's hardly a choice at all. Do it," the prince replied.

"Leave it to me, then. Let's go with the classic simple approach. Buy me

some time," Tinasha ordered, clasping Oscar's left hand for a moment

before moving to stand behind him.

Immediately understanding what Tinasha meant, Oscar nodded and

stepped forward. The two formed a basic pattern of vanguard swordsman

and rear-guard mage.

Normally, Tinasha would defend with her sword and defensive walls,

but she left all of that to Oscar and fell back. Then, she began chanting a

spell that would turn the tide of this struggle in their favor.

A deep and powerful magic swirled at Tinasha's back. Feeling his

protector's power acutely on his skin, Oscar stared down the silver wolf and

the girl behind it.

He'd been locked in a duel with the beast for a while now, and it had

continued to make use of its speed to avoid Oscar's attacks. There was a

chance Oscar could get a hit if he charged the monster, but then the beast

might attack Tinasha.

Oscar adjusted his grip on his sword, and Miralys laughed. "Your

protective barrier is weakened. I wouldn't push it if I were you. You'll get

your throat torn out."

"You seem to be laboring under some misunderstandings. I've gone a

long time without that protection," Oscar shot back.

It was true that his witch had granted him an unparalleled level of

magical defense, but even before receiving such a boon, he'd emerged

victorious through countless dangerous situations with only his sword at his

side. Oscar's search for a way to break his curse had led him across many

hazardous and ancient locales. Ultimately, he was prepared to confront the

Witch of Silence herself.

"I don't know what you're after. I'm almost grateful you've brought the

demonic beast along. It still owes a debt that's gone unpaid for seventy

years," Oscar taunted.

With a thumb, he wiped the witch's blood off his cheek. The wolf seized

its opportunity and leaped. Its jaw was open wide to clamp down on his

throat, but Oscar stood firm.

"Flames! Incinerate him!"

Akashia's blade met sharp teeth, sending silvery sparks flying. After a

moment's pause, Miralys launched a gout of flames after Oscar.

In response, the prince merely managed a full swing of Akashia with the

beast still firmly fastened onto the sword. The creature's silver fur caught

the scorching blast, and the beast was slammed to the floor. Immediately

righting itself, the demonic beast let out a furious howl.

Miralys glared at Oscar with a look of disgust. "How very unexpected,

using the beast as a shield."

"Sorry. I never was one for manners," Oscar replied.

If his father had heard that, he might have let out a deep sigh, but the

king had thankfully long since evacuated. Although Oscar hadn't been able

to risk looking back to confirm that himself, so long as Tinasha was behind

him, he trusted no one else would come to harm.

All he had to do was focus on the fight.

"No injuries allowed, huh? That's a lot to ask, considering I got a hole

torn in my stomach the last time." From her defensive-only position,

Tinasha couldn't break the stalemate between Oscar and the demonic beast,

yet she was still planning to orchestrate some sort of upset.

Oscar wouldn't let her go to unreasonable lengths, however. She was

still injured, after all. He glanced down at his left hand—the one Tinasha

had held.

"All right… Here we go." Oscar shifted Akashia to his left hand.

Miralys gave a little frown. "What are you doing?"

"Not to worry; I'm ambidextrous," he answered.

Anticipating that in the future he might have to fight Tinasha for her

hand in marriage, Oscar trained himself to wield a sword equally well with

either hand, though he'd hidden this from his protector. After making sure

of his grip, a daring smile stole over his face.

Just as Oscar's eyes were fixed on the beast, its own eyes were trained

on him. Perhaps the beast knew that, with Tinasha in the state she was, only

this man was a true match for it.

An irregular magical creature born from the magical lake.

"Come on, then… I'll give you a place to die," Oscar called to the beast

that wielded fury like a weapon.

Tinasha's incantation filled the air. Miralys lifted her hands and spoke

the words, "Formless twilight, warp!"

A sigil appeared from thin air and sped toward Oscar. At the same time,

the beast launched itself forward into a charge.

Magic swirled and howled toward Oscar. He took a big step forward and

lunged with his sword. A flurry of wind blades slashed at his body, but

Oscar paid them no mind as he took another step toward the wolf. Aiming

for the demonic beast's gaping maw, he struck out with Akashia, but before

the blade could pierce the beast's body, sharp fangs clamped down on it.

For a second, they appeared to be at an impasse.

Suddenly, a little crystal ball was thrown into the fray. It traveled

through the air toward the gap in the beast's fangs. The tiny thing sank deep

into the beast's body and burst open.

The silver wolf's body shook from the force of the spell, but its jaw

remained tight along Akashia's edge.

"What did you do?!" Miralys wailed shrilly.

"A certain someone got on my case about not getting enough sleep."

Tinasha only offered a vague reply.

Within the crystal ball the witch had received as a thank-you for healing

the boy in the castle town, she'd instilled a compulsive sleep spell. The

demonic beast's incredible magical resistance extended only to its silvery

fur. Spells loosed internally could take hold of the creature.

The wolf quivered but remained standing. It brought its claws to bear,

ripping into Oscar's left arm.

Even at the sight of his own blood, Oscar remained steadfast. He took

another step forward and jabbed his sword, with the demonic beast still

biting down on it, into the floor with all the momentum he could muster.

A crystal ball lying on the floor collided hard with the wolflike beast,

promptly cracking and exploding. All the magic that had been contained

within the sphere slid off the silver fur of the creature before pooling on the

ground and vanishing.

Rage clouded Miralys. "What did you just…?!"

"Pretty unlucky for the beast that it has to fight me at this size."

Oscar put all his weight and strength into his left arm. Rage and hatred

blazed in the beast's red eyes while its limbs continued to buckle.

As though immune to the monster's threatening snarls, Oscar brace a

foot on its exposed stomach. Desperately, the beast's claws raked at the

prince, but Oscar only frowned, ignoring the wounds.

"Sorry, but you really caused a lot of trouble for her," Oscar muttered to

the sleep-weakened monster.

The battle with the demonic beast did succeed in buying Tinasha some

time, as she'd requested, but that alone wasn't enough. If Oscar was going

to stand by her side, he knew he needed the skill to defeat an enemy like

this.

Supporting his injured arm, which had gone numb, with his other, Oscar

put more weight on his bloodied sword. As his own strength warred with

that of his opponent, the prince slowly began to win out.

Akashia thrust deep into the demonic beast's wolflike head. Its writhing

limbs spasmed.

"You're just about done. Go to sleep now," Oscar said.

The creature had very nearly been pierced through by Akashia.

Miralys paled at the sight. Hurriedly, she kicked up a crystal ball from

off the floor. "O thing of form, incinerate—"

"I won't let you do that," Tinasha interjected. The witch's incantation

had at last concluded. Inside Tinasha's hands was a small pool of darkness,

a freezing chill billowing forth from it.

Miralys was at a loss for words at the sight. "What is that…?" she

managed.

The most powerful witch—the Witch of the Azure Moon. An

overwhelming being with the strength to alter the course of history.

Tinasha gave a brilliant smile. "…Erase all meaning."

The darkness spread, and in an instant, the hall was steeped in black,

silencing everything.

Sight, hearing, magic, spells—anything and everything appeared to have

been wiped away.

The universe seemed lost; time and space were a faint memory. Only a

freezing wind swept through, icing over all that stood in the nullifying void.

It entered the body through the breath and shattered soundlessly.

It was a pure blackness that sought to steal away all thought and sense of

self. Oscar broke into a bitter smile from within the sudden darkness.

"Next time, give me a proper challenge."

No matter what else was lost, the feel of the royal sword in Oscar's hand

was solid and sure. He couldn't rightly tell if it had entirely impaled the

creature, however, so he didn't unsheathe the blade from the beast that had

become its new sheath.

A woman's voice whispered in Oscar's ear. "As long as I'm with you,

you shall never know defeat."

The words, a promise from the witch, were surprisingly sweet.

When the darkness receded, all that was left before Oscar and Tinasha were

the frozen and shattered core of the demonic beast and a room full of

broken crystal balls.

Miralys was nowhere to be found. Oscar searched the empty hall.

"Did you erase her?" he asked.

"Don't be ridiculous. She got away," the witch answered, approaching

Oscar and making a face at the wounds riddling his body. She promptly

started healing the worst of them, the one on his left arm.

"I shattered the beast after nullifying its resistance, but any mage

would've realized right away that it would be the end for them if they got

sucked into a spell like that. So she made her escape," Tinasha explained.

"You let her go? Do you know where she went?" Oscar inquired.

"I've been monitoring her this whole time. It looks like she teleported

somewhere close to the treasure vault."

"The treasure vault, huh? I was just there to get the sealing bracelet."

"How about I dispose of that for you?"

Ignoring her complaint, Oscar picked up the bracelet and put it in his

breast pocket. Tinasha reached out to the cuts on his face, but he stopped

her. "I'm fine. You need to heal yourself."

"It will take time for my eye to heal… It requires some fine-tuning. I'm

all right for now; it doesn't hurt."

Tinasha's left eye was all closed up, the sight of which made Oscar's

stomach knot in discomfort. Choosing not to let that show, he instead kissed

her swollen eyelid.

"If it leaves a scar, I'll take responsibility and marry you," Oscar

declared.

"I will hang you from the tower," Tinasha retorted.

Oscar petted the witch's head, and her good eye narrowed like a cat's.

After enjoying it for only a moment, Tinasha fixed her mussed-up hair and

manifested a little spell in her right hand.

"Looks like she's stopped at the treasure vault. I'm going to go after her,

so you clean up here."

"Hey, wait," Oscar called, reaching out a hand, but Tinasha was already

gone. She must have known that, with the demonic beast dead, Miralys

alone was no match for her. Oscar looked up at the damaged walls and

ceiling of the room, letting out a sigh.

Tinasha was grateful she'd followed Oscar to the treasure vault on occasion

in the past and knew where it was.

After teleporting to the coordinates, Miralys knocked out the guard

soldiers and pushed the door open.

The huge space was a jumbled mess of dazzling treasures, though it did

have a certain kind of order to it. With no time to spare, the mage used her

magic to search the environs. It didn't take long for her to find a little stone

box tucked away, which she picked up.

She opened the lid and saw that contained within was a red jewel. It was

round, slightly larger than a palm, and inlaid with intricate markings on the

surface. Miralys trembled as she beheld the faintly glowing object.

"This is it…," she whispered.

With this at last in her hands, she had no further business in Farsas. She

turned to leave the treasure vault but suddenly stopped dead in her tracks.

Waiting for her at the entrance was the strongest witch. Both of

Tinasha's hands already held a huge spell formation. Until now, she hadn't

been able to cast proper spells, having been preoccupied with the demonic

beast. Miralys shuddered at the sheer, overwhelming power difference

between them.

Tinasha looked to the box in the girl's hands. "I don't know what you're

trying to make off with, but I won't let you. Hand it over."

The witch's powerful warning made Miralys lick her dry lips. She

rallied herself, body on the verge of seizing in fear. "Sorry, but I need this,

no matter what… You could never understand."

"I believe that's for me to decide once you've told me the full story,"

Tinasha answered coldly, and Miralys gritted her teeth. This opponent

couldn't be sweet-talked. That much was obvious after Miralys had seen her

former companion try and fail to do so several times over.

Miralys smiled, her lips curling in a sneer. "Even though you have no

intention of listening to what we have to say, I may as well tell you, since

I've got the chance. You're about to be reunited with that delusion you've

been searching for. So you can go right ahead and suffer alone… Madame

Queen-to-be."

"What…?"

None alive should have known to address Tinasha in such a way.

Caught off guard, Tinasha faltered for a moment, and Miralys seized that

opportunity to run. Box in hand, she opened a transportation array.

The silver-haired girl quickly found an invisible vine winding itself

around her legs, however.

"I can't allow you to escape," Tinasha said, casting a capture spell.

Another vine snatched away the box Miralys was carrying, while yet

another bound her tight. Miralys cast a spell aimed at her bindings: "Cut

apart!"

The magical bonds scattered. Unfortunately, Miralys's own spell had

been too powerful for her, and blood spurted from her body. Despite the

pain, Miralys refused to give in, reaching out after the box. She quickly

found herself tossed to the ground by a blast of the witch's power.

Her goal, so little a prize, was now forever beyond her reach. Miralys bit

her lip, cursing her fate. Miralys wondered why the witch couldn't

understand that this was something so precious that she had to protect it at

all costs. There was something she had to get back, no matter the price, no

matter what she had to sacrifice…

The silver-haired girl's vision blurred beneath a stream of tears. She

stretched out her hand.

Miralys wondered how things could've been different if she'd been

stronger, and her consciousness grew dim while magic surged within her

body.

"Stop!" Tinasha warned, but it was far too late for Miralys to hear.

With her last thoughts, she begged for her message to be heard.

"Valt… I'm sorry…"

Recalling the face of one who would never return, Miralys closed her

eyes.

When Oscar arrived at the treasure vault with a company of guards,

Miralys's unconscious body was lying on Tinasha's lap.

The girl's face was deathly pale, and her silver hair seemed curiously

duller. Oscar stared at her closed eyes. "Is she dead?" he asked.

The witch shook her head. "Her body is alive…but her soul is gone. She

converted it into power and…disappeared."

Oscar examined the girl's face again. There were tear tracks on her skin.

Her thin arms were extended, grasping at something. A small, white

stone box lay nearby.