episode_0283

“Yena… ?”

I asked back, bewildered. It was a familiar name, but in this situation, was it her?

“Did you eat the cookies she gave you before you left for the expedition?”

Sister Yoo-jeong, standing with her back to the collapsing sky, continued to speak calmly. I answered her in a trembling manner.

“… I ate it. But why all of a sudden… ?”

“Recall what was in that cookie.”

I suddenly became engrossed in a mystery. The colorful cookies that Yena gave me. They were so delicious and sweet that I almost felt addicted. Even though I don’t usually enjoy snacks, I absentmindedly put a few in my mouth.

I was so curious about what ingredients went into it.

So I asked Yena. And Yena answered with a blushing face, embarrassed.

What did you say? Clearly…

“… Witch’s blood?”

“Correct answer.”

I blurted out in a panic. My sister nodded with satisfaction after hearing the answer.

Then he stuck his tongue out slightly and said playfully.

“Sorry. It was a lie when I said I couldn’t go back.”

“… Yes?”

“I needed to confirm your will. Not a decision that someone pushed you to make, but your own will. ”

Knock knock – My older sister, who had been tapping my head, raised her crouching body while making a sound. Kookung – Before we knew it, the falling sky was clearly getting closer to us.

“… You’ll probably regain consciousness in a few minutes.”

She muttered as she stared blankly at the sight. Her voice somehow seemed to be filled with wistfulness.

She turned her head slightly and chuckled.

“Good, right? That’s great. I can go back to the people I wanted to see.”

“How is that possible? I clearly turned to sand and died.”

“The body is just a vessel. And the vessel can be replaced with anything else. What matters is the mind. The mind of you who is talking to me here right now.”

“I don’t quite understand. What does Yena’s blood have to do with the current situation? ”

I asked, bewildered.

“The witch factor that was mixed into your blood is regenerating your body.”

My older sister, who had stretched once, continued speaking.

“Did you learn it in the cradle? Particles are substances that interact closely with human consciousness, and magic is a phenomenon that appears because of them.”

“Yes.”

“You can think of it as a working principle that is not much different from that. The witch factor is a substance that closely reacts to the will to survive. And the words you just shouted are what awakened the witch factor’s regeneration protocol. ”

“That’s… ”

“In fact, the reason you were able to preserve your consciousness was because the witch factor was mixed into your body. The witch factor in your blood synchronized your mind with the witches’ collective consciousness. And now, the final piece of the puzzle has been put together.”

“… ”

I just sat there blankly listening to her. I honestly couldn’t quite understand the explanation, but one thing was certain.

It’s going back.

As easy as that.

It felt like the confusion I had felt just a moment ago was a lie.

“You don’t have to be so nervous. It’s just the goodwill you’ve built up over time that’s coming back to you. ”

My sister spoke as if she had seen right through me.

“Speaker… That kid really wanted to live like a normal person. Even though he was always tormented by his roots.”

“Yena…?”

“And the first person to approach the child who had that wish was our little knight.”

She looked down at me and said with a smirk.

“I saved that kid twice. Once when Regulus took over his body and plotted against his will, and once from some thugs.”

Come to think of it, my first meeting with Yena was in a back alley in the capital. I thought she was someone passing by, but I never thought she would be a freshman in the same class.

“… Isn’t saving me from those thugs a little too trivial? Compared to Regulus, it’s a bit… ”

“Hmm… I think you’d probably appreciate that more?”

She shook her head at my question. What is this?

“Up until then, that kid had been trying really hard to suppress his cannibalistic instincts. He had been going to places with few people, but when he came up to the capital to enroll in the cradle school, he ran into those thugs.”

“Cannibalism…is it an instinct?”

“It’s one of the universal impulses witches feel when they see a living species. It must have been especially hard for her. Unlike other witches, she never had the chance to periodically release that impulse. No, it would be more correct to say she denied herself the opportunity.”

“… ”

“If it weren’t for you, he would have been cornered. And he would have been unable to control his impulses and slaughtered all those thugs, but then he would never have been able to live the life he so desperately wanted as a human. But… you saved that dream.”

I was speechless for a moment. I never dreamed that there would be such a situation. If that were true… I think I understand why Yena approached me so friendly.

“I had no idea. I didn’t know Yena would have a hard time because of something like that. Is she okay now? Or is she feeling impulsive again… ”

“I don’t know about anything else, but you’re okay now. So don’t worry.”

My older sister shook her head and said with a slightly playful expression on her face.

“Be nice to that kid when you get out. He’s probably still counting the days until your return.”

“I will do that.”

“In a way, you could say that it’s all thanks to you. Because I suppressed my urge to live my life as a normal girl. Oh my, I’m such a sinful little kid… This is really a big deal, a big deal.”

“… ?”

I tilted my head at my sister’s words that I couldn’t understand. She, who had been giggling, let out a small exclamation as if she remembered something she had forgotten.

“Well, now you can’t be called a normal human being, right?”

“What does that mean?”

“The witch factor is changing the composition of your body. To get closer to them.”

The moment I heard that, I couldn’t help but think of a squishy mollusk. The witch’s body, a heteromorph.

I’m talking about the liquid specimen I saw at the secret laboratory that Mok Jin-woo took me to.

Oh my god, so that’s how I’ve changed now? Seriously, I feel like it would be better if I just died.

“You don’t have to look so serious. I’m just talking about the ingredients.”

My sister burst into laughter when she saw my blank face.

“You will still be the same as before. Your appearance and your values will not change.”

“… Is this good? If I just listen to the explanation, it’s… ”

“Of course it’s good. From now on, you won’t have to worry about your life because of magic. Maybe you’ll be strong enough to run all day with the foresight turned on?”

After hearing the explanation, I immediately changed my mind. It definitely seemed like a good thing. It meant that I no longer had to worry about the time limit.

“You can still use magic and powers as before. However, please note that even if they are degraded versions, they are still the same as before.”

“Are there any side effects?”

“Well? There aren’t really any side effects. Maybe it’s just that my instinctive desires get stronger?”

“Instinctive… ”

I kept my mouth shut. Judging by those slanted eyes, it was clear that it was going to be an embarrassing story.

You should just think of it as a growing desire for various things.

“Oh, I remembered the side effects. I can’t eat tomatoes or eggplants from now on. The witch’s body components will cause a severe rejection reaction in my tongue.”

My sister said, raising her finger. Maybe it was because it felt so trivial, but somehow a joking smile appeared on her lips.

“That doesn’t matter. I hate tomatoes and eggplants anyway.”

“What? This guy. He can’t be picky. That’s why he’s so bratty.”

“If I go outside, I’m a head taller than my sister. Even taller than the captain… ”

“Oh my, what do you do when you’re tall? Your heart is so small.”

“?”

As I was having a heartless conversation with her, I looked up at the sky. The collapsing space now took up almost half of the world. The sky and the earth disappeared, and the empty space gradually filled the space.

When the world completely collapses beneath my feet, will I then return to reality?

And then, as a thought suddenly crossed my mind, I turned my head and asked her.

“Sister.”

“Huh?”

“If I go back to reality…then what will happen to you, big sister?”

“… ”

Instead of answering, she just stared blankly at me. The lonely smile on her lips was like an answer.

For a moment, a vague feeling close to pain gripped my heart.

“… I told you. I’ve been dead for 15 years already. ”

My older sister, who had been keeping her mouth shut for a moment, spoke quietly.

“What I’m talking about now is something close to dregs. It’s different from you, whose consciousness has been transferred as is.”

“… ”

“This space is a place created by your imagination. And I am just an intruder who has forced my way into that place. If you leave, I will disappear along with the space.”

I was about to force my mouth open when my older sister, trying to shake off her sadness, slapped my shoulder in an exaggerated manner.

“Oh my, after the kid finished making the statue… What can I do when he’s dead? Don’t worry so much. I really don’t care.”

“But… ”

“It’s okay. Oh, when you get back, could you please tell Hyuk what I said?”

“… What is it?”

“Now stop shaking and tell Cheongseung to let me go.”

She raised her finger and let out a chuckle as she said.

“Oh my, how can you not forget someone for 15 years? I hate obsessive men. They’re so disgusting. Don’t you think so?”

“… ”

“And now, please be considerate of other kids. You’re really so pitiful. You gave up all your beautiful 20s. Your mouth must be covered in spiderwebs, hehe.”

A cheerful joke, like a clown’s trick. But that makes it sound all the more sad and vain.

After those words, a moment of silence fell. The world that was silently collapsing was now almost at our feet. The entire field of vision was white, as if snow had fallen.

I asked hesitantly, sitting side by side.

“How did you feel when your sisters kept pestering you?”

“I wanted to tear you to pieces.”

And Sister Yoojung answered without a moment of hesitation. Her tone was so cold that it suddenly sent a chill down my back.

“I really wanted to tear those bitches apart. Does that make sense? Huh? How can you do that to someone who has a partner? What a shameless, unscrupulous…!”

Her anger was growing bigger and bigger like spreading paint. Hmm, did I ask for nothing?

It’s really hard to get used to him saying such things with such a refreshing face. Maybe the captain is actually the type of person who likes to be cursed at…

It was about time I prepared for the end, enduring such fierce anger.

“… Still, I’m glad those kids are here. They’re the ones who supported Hyuk when I was away.”

My older sister, who had been speaking passionately for a while, muttered, calming down.

“If they weren’t here, Hyuk would’ve followed me to death long ago. I don’t know how fortunate and thankful I am for that. So, they’re the ones who should be torn apart… but they’re also my benefactors.”

“… Aren’t you lonely? Being left alone.”

-Shoot…

Finally, the ground beneath our feet completely collapsed. But my sister and I still stood there as if we were standing on something.

“A little bit. But it’s okay.”

Sister Yoojung shook her head and said.

“When I was swallowed up by the witch’s hive consciousness, I got a glimpse of the rules of the universe through them.”

“The rules of the universe…?”

“Yeah. Someday, Hyuk and I will meet again. Definitely.”

She shrugged her shoulders slightly as she spoke with a tone full of confidence.

“Until then, let’s just leave it up to them for a while. It’ll take some time, though.”

Now even my lower body was disappearing. My sister smiled regretfully as she saw me fading away.

“It’s already goodbye. I wanted to talk a little more.”

“… Me too.”

Sister Yoojung slowly walked towards me. Unlike me, her whole body was intact. Unlike me, it was as if she belonged here from the beginning.

My older sister came over and whispered to me, caressing my face as if hugging it.

“Sister?”

“I hope you make a choice you won’t regret. And I hope you can find the happiness you’ve been longing for.”

And finally, all the bodies collapsed and became blurry. What I saw before my eyes was the face of my older sister Yu-jeong, who was meeting my eyes with a bright smile.

I opened my mouth without letting it fall and said goodbye to her.

“Goodbye.”

“Goodbye, little warrior.”

My sister answered with a bright smile. With that, my vision was completely covered in darkness.

Before losing consciousness, the last thing I heard was someone’s heartfelt thanks.

-And thank you. For saving him.

***

-…!

-…!

-…!

I suddenly regained consciousness. My vision was still black, but I could hear a buzzing sound in my ears.

It was only then that I realized that my eyes were closed. The sensation of my limbs was so vivid that it almost felt like a restraint.

-Which side?

-It’s over there! There’s definitely a light coming from over there…!

-hurry…!

The buzzing noise was getting closer and closer, becoming more distinct. It was the voices of three people. And they were all very familiar.

-Thump, thump.

And raindrops fell on my face. It was so heavy that I thought it might rain heavily.

The taste you feel at the corner of your mouth is definitely salty.

“Sigh, sob… ”

At the sound of crying that I finally heard, I opened my eyes with a start.

“Ugh… Really, really… ”

“HyunA… ”

“Ugh… ”

Eyes as dazzling as gold, eyes as dark as blood, eyes as clear as emeralds.

Three pairs of jewels filled her vision. Her hair, which flowed along her cheek, tickled her skin.

Fresh and pretty girls. But what you see is their faces soaked with tears.

But the emotion felt is not sadness, but obvious joy.

And then it finally dawned on me.

“Hello, ugly potatoes.”

You’re finally back, I thought.