Chapter 57: The Third Downfall (7)

[57] 8. The Third Downfall (7)

The screams of students running for their lives and the nauseating scent of blood melted into the early summer sunlight.

A long time ago, people believed that souls also had weight.

That’s why corpses are lighter than the living.

I finally understood why they had to believe in such a thing.

Marianne’s body slumped on top of me. I barely managed to catch her, and then I felt it,

the sensation of life slipping away.

The chilling process of a living body transforming into a lifeless corpse.

My mind went blank, and then, in a trembling voice, I spoke,

“Ma…rianne…?”

But she didn’t answer.

She simply tried to grasp at my clothes. Then…

*Splash-*

… She fell into a pool of blood.

And she didn’t move.

At that moment, I could only come to a single conclusion:

This is a dream.

A terrible nightmare.

The guilt from creating a love potion must have manifested in this form.

That would also explain Killian’s nightmarish appearance.

He looked as if he were about to die at any moment.

A letter opener was embedded in his left eye, his body was covered with cuts, and his left arm was twisted at an unnatural angle.

But even so, there was no pain on his face. It was completely emotionless.

He looked like a monster from a nightmare.

No, this *was* a monster from a nightmare.

It’s a dream, after all.

A terrible nightmare.

“I didn’t mean to kill Drubis’s daughter… Well, it doesn’t really matter now, does it?”

The monster, wearing Killian’s face, walked toward me, reaching for me.

“Don’t resent me. I’m just getting my revenge.”

His red hand covered my vision.

“Since something precious was taken from me, shouldn’t I take something precious in return?”

Then, finally, I realized that it was time for me to wake up.

Nightmares always end at their most horrifying moment.

And when I do, I’ll be in my room, the incomplete love potion sitting on the desk.

If that’s the case, then I’ll get rid of that love potion. I’ll go find Marianne and apologize to her for avoiding her.

I closed my eyes.

“___!”

But the nightmare didn’t end.

A beast-like growl, and I opened my eyes. Without realizing it, I mumbled,

“Rem…?”

Rem, charging in from somewhere, tackled Killian, slamming into him with his shoulder. The moment Killian collapsed helplessly, Rem climbed on top of him.

There was a flash of cold steel as a dagger appeared in his hand.

Killian struggled, but Rem was twice his size.

Rem pressed down firmly on the hilt with the weight of his body.

And then, a squelch,

the sound of flesh splitting.

Killian’s hand twitched and then

trembled like a ripple, before finally

going limp.

“Haah… Haah…”

Rem, staggering, stood up. He looked at me and then walked toward me. He stood in front of me, his face on the verge of tears.

“Oh God, thank you…”

And then, he crushed me in an embrace, burying his face in my shoulder and mumbling,

“Thank you…!”

It was then that the reality I had been pushing away came crashing down on me.

This warmth, this desperation…

It couldn’t be anything but real.

And that could only mean one thing.

I turned my head to look beside me,

where Marianne was still lying, a hole in her chest,

Without any movement.

Without any sign of life.

And then, I lost consciousness.

***

Three days later, many things had happened.

My mother’s political career was on the verge of collapse.

It had been 30 years since a student at the academy had been murdered within the Magic Tower.

And the perpetrator was a professor, someone in charge of teaching children.

The words ‘condemnation,’ ‘impeachment’ followed my mother’s name in every single newspaper article.

Marianne didn’t die.

She just… didn’t die.

Her soul was forcibly trapped inside a magic tool.

However, her body was already dead, and a soul cannot exist without a body.

Marianne’s image, lying in a glass case, as seen in the newspapers, looked as if it could vanish into thin air at any moment.

And few fathers could stay sane looking at such a sight.

Drubis, mother’s political rival,

…And Marianne’s father.

His rage swept through the magic tower.

He mobilized the Magic Tower guards to launch a full-scale investigation, declaring that everyone involved in the incident would be severely punished.

That very day, before the sun had even set, eight mages were dragged into the courtroom.

When they returned, they were no longer humans, but test subjects.

Their vocal cords, rendered useless to prevent them from ever using magic, could only screech and howl like crows.

… In the process, Killian’s motive was also revealed.

It was said that Killian had been involved in dark magic for the past four years to resurrect his dead daughter.

The Magic Tower guards had found dozens of bodies and horrifying experiment logs in his lab.

He had been performing unethical human experiments on beggars.

… It was probably because he hadn’t been able to get a Healer’s license.

However, his horrifying research was a failure.

The corpse of a hideous monster found in his room was proof of that.

The monster’s fur was the same color as his daughter’s hair that she had been proud of.

His research, whatever it was, had given him back a monster, not his daughter.

Consumed by despair, he had committed this crime, or so said the Magic Tower guards.

…

Three days.

So many things happened in those three days.

But I did nothing.

It was because of the memories that were stuck to my brain like tar.

No matter what I saw, heard, or thought about…

The image of Marianne, lying in a pool of blood, always came to mind, like a thread that couldn’t be completely severed.

And what stemmed from it was pain:

The guilt that it was *my* fault Marianne was dead,

The sense of loss that Marianne is now gone,

and, above all, fear.

The chilling process of a living body turning into a motionless chunk of meat. The horror of death. The undeniable fact that it would eventually come for me, too.

In the face of that, I could only cower under the blankets.

I just… read the newspapers, my bloodshot eyes scanning those black letters, searching

for something that would let me escape from this room.

God answered my wish.

On the morning of the fourth day after Killian’s death,

the newspaper that was delivered had the following article on its front page:

—

[Al-Rain Academy Student Implicated in Professor Killian’s Crimes]

-Shocking news that an Academy student assisted with Professor Killian’s (52) in his illegal human experiments conducted over the past four years

It has been revealed that Rem (18), a student known to be Professor Killian’s disciple, assisted him in kidnapping 17 innocent people and repeatedly experimenting on them, resulting in their deaths…

—

I rushed out from under the blanket.

***

I barely managed to open the antique door.

My mother, going over paperwork, was bathed in the early summer sunlight.

She spoke, her face full of exhaustion, without even looking up at me,

“I told you countless times to knock before…”

“Tower Master.”

Mother’s shoulder trembled. She looked up, her eyes were filled with shock.

“Parsley…?”

At that moment, my body, which hadn’t eaten or slept properly for three days, finally betrayed me. I collapsed to the ground.

“…!”

Mother suddenly stood up and rushed to me. Clutching my shoulders, she looked at me with trembling eyes.

“Are… are you okay…? Why… Why is your body like this…”

I clung to her clothes.

“There’s… It’s a mistake.”

Mom’s body trembled slightly. I spoke with a cracked voice.

“Rem… Rem would never do that…”

Mother’s eyes trembled. She lowered her gaze, unable to bear the weight of the emotion in them.

“…I know it’s hard to believe. You don’t want to believe it. But… They found irrefutable evidence.”

Irrefutable evidence?

Mother hesitated, then let out a sigh.

“Do you know of a potion… called ‘love potion’?”

Click, the sound of a puzzle piece fitting into place.

Or maybe the sound of everything I’ve built collapsing.

“They found it in his room. Apparently, he used it to kidnap people. He cleverly disguised it as a mana recovery potion, but…”

“No…”

“Parsley…?”

I covered my face.

“Why…?! Why?! Why like this?! Me… because of me… *again*?…”

“Are you alright…? Why…”

I screamed and beat myself repeatedly.

I couldn’t bear it.

My stupidity,

My recklessness.

“Parsley!!”

When I came to my senses, Mother was holding both my arms, staring at me with shock in her eyes.

Tears streaming down my face, I said,

“I… I made it…”

Mom’s eyes widened as if they might tear.

“I… I… I loved him so much… So… I just… wanted him to…”

My vision blurred. I lowered my head, and tears poured down my face. I swallowed my sobs and forced the words out.

“Mother… what should I do…? What should I…?”

I couldn’t hold it back anymore and burst into tears.

I cried pathetically, my back trembling.

The world felt so heavy.

Marianne’s death, Rem’s being falsely accused because of me,

everything was crushing me, going beyond the line I could handle.

I wished someone would save me.

“Parsley…”

It was then that Mother’s hand cupped my cheek.

Her hand trembled as she tilted my head upward, forcing me to look at her.

“You cannot tell this to anyone.”

Her face was pale with fear.

I stammered in confusion,

“B-But…”

“Drubis will kill you.”

Mother’s trembling voice… I had never heard her sound so terrified.

I froze, then barely managed to speak out in desperation.

“N-No…! It’s all a misunderstanding! If I just explain well…”

“Do you really think a man who just lost his daughter could still be rational?”

I couldn’t breathe.

Her trembling hands caressed my cheeks.

“Listen carefully, Parsley. If Drubis finds out about this, he’ll bring you to trial, and he’ll find a way to get you sentenced to death.”

“That… that can’t be…”

“No, it will happen. It definitely will.”

Mother’s face contorted.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and then clear liquid trickled down her cheeks.

“Mot… her…?”

“…I don’t have the power to protect you.”

Mom’s arms wrapped around me, she pulled me to her chest, resting her chin on the top of my head.

The warmth emanating from her body, the trembling of her sobs,

“Alain, please protect us…”

My mind went blank.

When was the last time Mother had hugged me?

When was the last time Mother had cried in front of me?

“I’m sorry, Parsley. I’m sorry for being such an incompetent mother…”

And… when was the last time Mother had apologized to me?

My mind felt bleached.

All that remained were two thoughts.

Rem is going to die.

And if I try to protect him, I’ll die, too.

Again, Marianne’s image came to mind.

A motionless chunk of flesh.

Death turns everything cold and inorganic.

Fear suffocated my reason.

***

The magical lamps in the tent flickered in the wind.

“…And so, I ended up being imprisoned because of that love potion.”

I could feel Rem watching me. He must have seen the grim look on my face, because he added hastily,

“B-But I didn’t have a trial. Well… the Tower Master got me out of there.”

I knew that was a fabricated memory. I didn’t even need to access my sealed memories to know.

Because I still have the newspaper articles about the trial.

The title of the article was,

[Academy Student Charged With Aiding Human Experimentation, Reduced to a Test Subject.]

Rem, oblivious to this, continued telling me about his manipulated memories.

“Well, more accurately, she just gave me a few useful potions and told me about an escape route. As you can see, I successfully escaped.”

He added, scratching his cheek awkwardly,

“…Except for the part where I burned my vocal cords because I mistook the invisibility potion for the exploding one.”

Then he stroked the back of his neck and chose his next words carefully. After a long pause, he said with a sigh,

“So… this isn’t your fault, Parsley.”

He lowered his gaze.

“I don’t know what the Tower Master told you about my disappearance. Honestly, I don’t even care.”

Then, cautiously but firmly, he looked into my eyes.

“But it was just bad luck. No one wanted this to happen. You are not responsible for what happened that day, Parsley.”

I hesitated for a moment, then asked,

“Even about me trying to make you drink the love potion?”

Rem smiled.

“I never drank it in the first place. Not to mention, I’ve used that potion enough times myself to know that it only works if the recipient already has some sort of affection for the giver.”

Then, lowering his gaze, he added,

“…And besides, I was a bit harsh back then, too, you know…”

[Because it’s sickening seeing you smile.]

An unexpected memory stabbed me in the heart. I unconsciously pulled down my hat.

Rem, noticing my reaction, asked,

“I wrote you an apology letter before I left, but… The Tower Master didn’t give it to you, did she?”

No, Rem.

You probably never even wrote that letter in the first place.

You probably didn’t burn your vocal cords because you mistook a potion.

And you probably couldn’t escape from the prison before the trial.

I realized I had heard everything I needed to hear.

“I’ll be going.”

“What?”

Rem’s face was filled with confusion. Taking advantage of that moment, I smiled as I stood up.

“Thank you for telling me the whole story.”

“But…!”

I shook my head at Rem, who was about to get up.

“It’s okay, Rem, I understand what you mean. I just… need a little time to process everything.”

To be precise, it was time to confirm the truth.

The bewilderment on his face faded, and then, carefully examining my expression, he asked,

“So… we’re friends again, right?”

A strong sense of affection emanated from his voice. Knowing it was directed at me, it was sweet.

But at the same time, it was something I couldn’t accept yet.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Rem.”

I smiled faintly and left the tent.

***

The prairie night sky was, as always, clear.

I looked up at the moon, not quite full yet, and at the stars that glittered around it.

Then, suddenly, laughter escaped me.

I was starting to understand where exactly Rem and my memory had been tampered with.

Rem’s memories were like a book with only the ending rewritten.

His memories after he had been imprisoned were fabricated by Mother.

So the trial that had never happened.

And Mother became his secret savior,

It was a disgusting fabrication.

But it wasn’t as disgusting as mine.

In my case, my memories were like a completely different book, with just the same cover.

From the moment I had met Rem, until the moment he left…

My memories had been rewritten. Every single one.

The memory of Rem giving up the top spot for me,

the memory of him and Marianne throwing me a birthday party,

the memory of us walking on the aurora,

the memory of our first kiss,

and the memory of us as lovers…

She had erased those brilliant memories. She had overwritten them with a false story.

And in that false story, I was a terrible girl.

I tormented him because he had taken the top spot.

I fell for him and chased him around.

I even tried to use a love potion to get him to like me back.

Ah, at least that part was real.

The fact that he was arrested because of my love potion,

and the fact that I had been given two options:

bury the truth and let Rem die,

or reveal the truth and die with him.

…The me in my memory had chosen the former.

*Better to be alive and alone than to be dead,* I had tried to excuse myself.

…I went to the trial and lied.

That I saw him practicing heresy.

That I saw him being close with Professor Killian.

That was the sin I’d been carrying for seven years.

I betrayed Rem.

I pushed him toward a terrible fate, condemned him to becoming a lab rat.

And I turned a blind eye to it all, even though it was all my fault.

That’s why, when I heard the news that Rem had escaped from the experimental facility on his own,

and received that letter, full of curses, from him…

I wanted to strangle myself.

That’s why I ran away when I reunited with Rem.

Because he had written in the letter that if we were to meet again, he would tear me to shreds.

…But it was all just a fabricated memory.

I looked up at the night sky.

The prairie stars flowed into my eyes, piling up neatly in my chest. A smile crept onto my lips.

I know the truth now.

I know that I loved Rem that much.

I know that I loved him enough to not make such a cowardly choice.

So now, I can finally face my final memory with certainty.

The very day of Rem’s trial.

That I did not commit a crime.

That, for some reason, I couldn’t be by Rem’s side.

I closed my eyes and chanted the final keyword in my mind.

“Resurrection and Life.”

With that, the final seal crumbled,

and the truth of that day spread before my eyes.

***

Author’s Note:

Whimper, whimper…

(I apologize once again for yesterday’s hiatus… I’ve made today’s extra long to make up for it…!)

Woof!

(Parsley’s past will finally be over in the next chapter!)

Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark! Bark!

(And Chronitz-nim!!! Thank you for the 5-coin donation!!!! I’ll become a yellow dog who writes serializations by shaving off their health!!!!)