TL/Editor: Butter Cat

    Status: 4/week mon-thurs

    Illustrations: none

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    The streets were crowded with colorless people.

    The deep black coat worn by the middle-aged man coming down the stone steps, and the light gray overcoats worn by children chasing each other playfully, as if trying to steal the outerwear off each other''s backs.

    The long, pure white hair peeking out from beneath the hood of a woman sweeping the front of a store with a large broom, and the pitch-black apron she wore, everything.

    The world was filled only with black and white, and the ambiguous shades of gray that existed somewhere between them.

    "........."

    And I, alone, was walking on the inorganic road, where the concept of color didn''t seem to exist, within that cold city.

    Remi, Anna, Elli, and Sia — my irreplaceable treasures.

    I recited their names one by one, the ones I knew would still be looking at me from behind, their gazes following my unsightly self until I disappeared from their sight.

    But even so.

    Lest even a glimpse of their figures enter my vision.

    Lest my wavering heart give in to a momentary impulse and make me turn back and run to them.

    —Cr■■ch!

    "........."

    Even though I knew they were watching over me, I gritted my teeth, and clenched my fists tightly.

    I walked and walked, looking only straight ahead.

    The moment a die is thrown into the air, the number that will appear on its top face is already decided.

    From the moment I left the dormitory, saying I wanted to buy something.

    From the very moment I moved to the outskirts of the Saria Empire with Elli.

    From the moment I was swept away by the cold current and drifted into an unknown forest—

    From the moment I was born as a child named ''Aris Akaia''───

    "....Heehee."

    —Perhaps it was already predetermined that I would become like this.

    And so, walking and walking, how many minutes had passed.

    —D■■■-■-l■ng.

    "Wel■■■■! Y■■ng ■■■■ we■■■m■■! Hoho■!"

    "....Heehee, hello Mister. Can I, come in?"

    After swimming through the waves of the crowd for a some time, I was able to arrive at my original intended destination before long.

    A shop filled with various handcrafted goods, from flower-shaped to rabbit-shaped ornaments, each with a slightly different design, looking as if they were all hand-blown glass.

    Inside, the owner with impressively thick forearms welcomed my visit with a kind smile.

    "A■■ y■■ l■■■■■■ f■■ ■■■■■■■? W■l■, ■■■■■."

    "....Heehee, yes."

    Passing over the owner''s utterly faint words, which were probably explanations about the items, with vague affirmations and smiles.

    I hadn''t come to this store to browse, I immediately headed towards where the item I wanted was displayed.

    Because the thing I wanted to buy had already been decided from the beginning.

    Everything, from the very start.

    "Hmm... Mister, please give me one of those sets."

    "■■ ■■■ ■■ ■■■? ■■■''s qu■te ■■■■■■■, i■■''t i■?"

    "....Heehee, my big sis gave me some allowance, so I came to buy it!"

    Four beautiful pendants, each shaped like the sun, a tree, a star, and the wind.

    Though I couldn''t see their colors with my fading vision, seeing how various shades of the same pendants were displayed in a row below, I assumed they were made with a variety of colors, not just monochrome.

    I''ll have to ask him to pick the colors for me.

    Really, such a shame.

    "■■■■ ■ bra■e l■■■■■ l■■!"

    "....Heehee."

    A bright yellow, a deep green, a vivid crimson, and pitch black, colors reminiscent of their beautiful eyes that I could still picture even with my eyes closed.

    For me, who was searching for something to leave behind for them, something that would last a long time without changing, nothing could be better than this pendant set that resembled them.

    I sincerely thanked that coincidence that felt like it was cheering me on, and pointed at the pendants with my free right hand and said.

    —I''d like this one, in the colors I mentioned before, please.

    "■■■ pri■e ■■ ■■■ ■■■. ■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■■ ■■■■■?"

    "....Heehee. I have the money here! Mister. Could you… um, count it for me? Heehee."

    "■■ ■■■■■■■? N■ ■■■bl■m a■ a■■!"

    Thud, I took out the pouch containing the money from my coat and placed it on the counter.

    With my cloudy vision, as if tears had blurred them, it was difficult even to see the shape or movement of his lips now, so I had no choice but to take out the bundle of coin I had received as allowance and ask him to take the money himself.

    Fortunately, it seemed like this wasn''t his first time dealing with a customer who couldn''t count, he let out a hearty laugh as he took the appropriate amount from the pouch and put the remaining change in the pouch.

    I was truly causing him a lot of trouble in so many ways.

    I sincerely hoped that blessings would be bestowed upon this kind man.

    —■■

    "■■■■■■■■, ■■■■■ ■■■ ■■■ ■■■■ ■■■■!"

    "...Then, I''ll be going. Keep working hard at your business, Mister."

    Having successfully purchased the gifts, I left the store, greeted by his farewell.

    Rolling, rolling. Like a die rolling with a clatter.

    Everything was going perfectly.

    "....Heehee."

    I stopped in front of the shop''s glass door, adorned with a small bell, and looked at the four gifts for a moment before carefully placing them in the packaged box and tucked them safely inside my coat.

    In the innermost, double-layered pocket on the lower right side of my coat.

    Even if I were to die a pathetic death, the ones I knew would surely receive my gifts well.

    Looking at the still bright street, where dusk hadn''t yet settled, I thought.

    All preparations were complete.

    Now, it was time to confirm the results.

    What number would appear on the top face of the die that had been thrown high into the air.

    But, you see.

    I can’t really check that number, my vision is too poor, you see.

    Hey, hey.

    Sis, can you see?

    —S■

    "Don''t m■■■. ■■■, ■■■ch!"

    ".........."

    A chilling voice crawled up my spine.

    Neither the muffled sensation in my ears nor my blurry vision could completely hide the hatred contained within.

    If I were to describe it, It was like the sound of something flowing out from the bottom of hell.

    It must be the voice of a devil who has come up to the surface to take me away.

    "....Hee."

    On the street where the sunset was beginning to settle.

    The twilight of my life, too, began to slowly set.

    **

    Perhaps because she had been dropped alone in a faraway land.

    Han Sia, who had to live her life as a foreigner from birth, was excellent at understanding the relationships between others, but lacked the ability to notice the goodwill directed to herself.

    Even though the kindest person, the one who cared for her more than she cared for herself, was right beside her.

    —Cr■■■■!

    "—HyaA!?"

    "....BE qU■■! DoN’T ■■V■!"

    No.

    Or perhaps, she unconsciously pushed others away because she was afraid that if anyone approached her, this outcast destined to live a life of rejection and humiliation, her anger, directed at herself, would spill over to her precious people.

    The reason Sia had left with me immediately, without leaving any message or contact with the village, was to avoid being chased by the villagers, and at the same time, to protect those who had shown her even the slightest kindness or concern.

    No matter what, she was, at her core, a kind person who cared for others.

    Thinking about it like that, perhaps what I had said before, about her being similar to me, might actually be true.

    If not that, was she just dense.

    How could she not have noticed the affection that must have been given to her all this time, when there was someone right besides her who would set out on this long journey to find her that suddenly disappeared like this?

    Really, Sis Sia, you''re such an idiot.

    An idiot who doesn''t understand the hearts of others.

    —Thw■■■!

    "—Y■U ■■■■■, I T■■d ■OU d■■N’■ ■, t■■s ■■ ■■■ ■■uR fAu■■!"

    ".....Heehee, heeheehe."

    "I■ IT W■■n''t b■C■■■E oF ■■I… H■n ■■■■■n''t h■VE lEA■■ ■■ l■■e T■■■!"

    Muffled ears and blurry eyes, as if submerged in deep water.

    Beyond that, the world spun rapidly and the chilling clang of metal could be heard.

    Forcing open my eyes that wanted to close, I saw a pair of eyes burning darkly, glaring at me as if they would devour me.

    Her name was Rumi.

    The one who had helped and supported Sis Sia, who was living a difficult life in Saria Village, knowingly or unknowingly from the shadows.

    And the one who had sacrificed me to the villagers in order to save her when she was accused as the culprit for causing the strange phenomena occurring in the village.

    "....Hee… Keh, keheuk....!"

    Imagine my surprise when I remembered running down the alleyway and bumping into her

    Even I, who could remember everyone I had met in my hundreds of lives, even if those memories were now fading, had mistakenly thought I was seeing a stranger when I first saw her.

    Seeing her determination, having followed Sia''s trail all the way here, I thought that she was a fitting person to mark my end.

    For her, my death would be an opportunity to reunite with a long-lost friend.

    And for me, it would be the one and only opportunity to decorate the end of my life beautifully.

    This wasn’t a coincidence, nor a mistake, nor some act of God from the heavens.

    It was possible because it was her, someone who had once tried to kill me, who held the greatest malice and hatred towards me than anyone else.

    That is—

    "...D■■."

    ".....Keh, hah, haha.."

    "Y■■──DiE!"

    Killing myself.

    In that desolate and empty village, even if it was limited to a single person, showing compassion towards others wasn''t easy.

    It would have been even harder if that person in question was someone rejected and hated by the majority.

    Therefore, she, who had been able to be kind to others, was also someone I should have saved and helped, in a way.

    But because of my lack of ability.

    Because the number of seeds this small hand could hold was limited.

    Because even burying seeds was difficult with this severed hand.

    I couldn''t even help her, her village, instead, I ended up hurting them even further.

    Therefore, this was a gift for her.

    For everyone whose happiness had been stolen because of me.

    For her, who still held a kind heart.

    Until the very, very end.

    I would continue to sow seeds.

    "......?, ?."

    A breathy sound escaped my parted lips.

    Looking down in confusion, I saw my chest darkening, and a sharp blade that had taken root and growing from my body. Sear?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    As expected, the place where I had been stabbed was the center of my chest.

    Where my heart resides.

    ".......??."

    Ah.

    Fortunately, the gifts didn''t seem to be broken.

    If it''s Elli as I know her, she would surely be the first one to find my corpse lying in the dark alley.

    My heart would surely be delivered to them, unbroken and complete.

    Therefore.

    Thanking her for having stabbed me on the opposite side from where the gifts were, a small gesture for her whose life was too precious to end here.

    I offered a small hint.

    So she could safely seize a second chance.

    So she could reunite with the friend she had been searching for so long.

    "....S, ?, sis...—"

    "......?!"

    My final words, uttered with a strained voice.

    Though it might seem like such a waste, so frustrating to think of this as my last will and testament, but.

    Having already expressed all the love and affection I could in my life to my precious treasures. A last will and testament was nothing but a meaningless struggle of fools who couldn''t express themselves in their life, something completely unnecessary for me.

    So, sis.

    As quietly as possible, take off your bloodstained clothes.

    —And go over there.

    Go over there, okay?

    ".....■■,■■■■?"

    ..Heehe?e?.

    h???e???e.....h??????e??????e?????.....

    .........h?????????????e??????e????????????h?????????????e??????e????????????.

    **

    And so, the girl named Aris Akaia.

    Was stabbed multiple times in the chest by an unknown assailant in a cold, dark alley of the empire, and murdered.

    Held in the arms of her loved ones who came running after her.

    Quietly, and lonely, without letting anyone know or discovered the ordeal her body had gone through.

    Having achieved all her goals.

    She died happily, with a smile on her face.

    "Truly a HaPpY END, isn’t it."

    **

    NEXT - Sad Ending.

    "If only she had chosen a different path."

    **

    * * *