Bonus chapter thanks to '@Bubarian' for subscription to 'Sorrow' tier on Ko-fi.The End of the Eve, the Beginning of the Storm
As if it would last forever, the darkness finally receded, and morning arrived.
I rubbed my tired eyelids, having not slept a wink all night.
“Haaam…”
With a yawn tinged with drowsiness, I lifted a Deathweed to my lips.Just then, the tent flap opened, and someone emerged.
“Ugh… Sorry, Boy… I didn’t hear you wake up… Huh?”
Silver hair that retained its luster even right after waking up.
Sleepy red eyes.
It was Margaret.
She froze mid-step as our eyes met, a look of confusion on her face.
She blinked a few times, then looked around as if trying to grasp the situation.I calmly lit the Deathweed, ignoring her bewilderment.
“What’s wrong?”
-Click…
A spark ignited the herb, and a plume of smoke rose.
As I took a deep drag, Margaret finally spoke, her voice laced with astonishment.
“…Don’t tell me, you stayed up all night on watch duty?”
“It wasn’t exactly by choice.”
I took another drag of the Deathweed, my tone flat.
Margaret stared at me, her brow furrowing in disbelief.
“But… We have activities today…! Don’t you think it’s too much for your body to pull an all-nighter?!”
“I couldn’t fall asleep… Insomnia, I guess. It’s quite bothersome, actually.”
“Insomnia…?”
Margaret’s eyes narrowed, intrigued by this new information.
“Insomnia… what’s that…”
“Hey, you maniac! Why didn’t you wake me up for my shift?!”
Golden Boy stormed out of the tent before Margaret could finish her question.
I mentally gave him a thumbs-up.
Good timing, Golden Boy.
The last thing I needed was another round of questions when I was this exhausted.
Golden Boy’s eyes, still clouded with sleep, landed on me, and his face mirrored Margaret’s previous astonishment.
“No way… You took the entire watch shift by yourself?”
“It just… happened.”
“Man… I’m so sorry! Thanks to you, I slept like a log.”
Golden Boy scratched his messy bed hair sheepishly.
I waved my hand dismissively, not really caring for his gratitude.
“Just go wake up Violet. It’s almost time to gather.”
“Okay, hold on.”
Golden Boy threw open the tent flap once more.
Violet was curled up in her sleeping bag in the corner, sound asleep.
She was in the exact same position I had left her in a few hours ago.
Golden Boy grinned mischievously at the sight of the sleeping girl.
He took a deep breath and…
“RISE AND SHIIIIIINE!!!!”
“Eek?!”
His booming voice echoed through the clearing.
I facepalmed, letting out a tired sigh.
Right… Trusting him with this was a mistake…
***
Violet was dreaming.
A strange and confusing dream.
The inky blue sky shimmered with an ethereal light, and the air was filled with a sweet, earthy fragrance.
Crimson leaves danced gracefully in the gentle breeze, and a bonfire crackled merrily nearby.
A picturesque autumn scene.
And sitting amidst this scenery was a boy.
-It must have hurt…
-…And lonely.
She saw his face, his dark hair framing piercing eyes.
She heard his voice, calm and steady, yet laced with a hint of tremor. She felt the cool raindrops falling on her skin.
The boy was stroking her cheek, tears streaming down his face.
Violet was confused.
She tried to hide her scar, her body trembling with fear.
People always changed when they saw it.
-Disgusting…
-Stay away from me, you monster!
-A… A monster…!
Even those who had initially been kind to her had eventually turned away.
She didn’t understand why.
All she knew was that it had something to do with the scar on her face.
-Oh my, oh my… A survivor.
-Don’t be afraid. I won’t kill you. Instead…
-I will give you a fate worse than death.
The day her life had changed forever.
The day she had lost everything in a fire, the day she had been cursed by a monstrous being.
“...”
The curse was absolute, or so she had always believed.
Everyone who had seen her scar had succumbed to its effects.
Some more subtly than others, but they all ended up loathing her.
That was how it always was.
Or at least, that was how it should have been…
-It's alright… I'm alright.
-...Not at all. You're not disgusting at all.
The boy in her dream was different.
He had looked at her scar, had touched it, and yet… he hadn’t recoiled in disgust.
He hadn't shown even a hint of revulsion.
He had caressed her cheek with a tenderness she had never known, his touch radiating a comforting warmth that spread through her entire body.
Violet had leaned into his touch, drawn to it like a moth to a flame.
His warmth chased away the chill that had settled deep within her bones.
She had been so overwhelmed by the unfamiliar sensation, by the feeling of human contact after years of loneliness, that she had burst into tears.
She didn't know why she was crying.
She couldn't control the torrent of emotions that surged through her.
The warmth of his touch, the first she had felt since her family had perished in the fire since she had been cursed…
It was too much for her to bear.
She had clung to his hand, desperately seeking comfort in his touch.
And he had stayed with her, holding her close, until her tears had subsided and she had drifted off to sleep.
“...”
It had to be a dream, she had thought.
It was too good to be true, too unreal.
Just a fleeting glimpse of a life she could never have.
…That was, until a booming voice shattered the illusion.
“RISE AND SHIIIIIINE!!!!”
“Eek?!”
The sudden shout jolted her awake.
Violet sat up with a gasp, her heart pounding in her chest.
“Uh… uh…?”
“Come on, sleepyhead. Rise and shine!”
Her vision cleared, and she saw a boy with messy blond hair grinning down at her.
It was Golden Boy, one of her classmates.
“…Couldn’t you wake me up a little more… gently…?”
“This is the only way that works!”
Golden Boy chuckled, and Violet caught a glimpse of another boy standing behind him.
He was walking towards them, his expression unreadable.
“You’re finally awake.”
“…”
Violet’s breath hitched in her throat as she recognized the boy from her dream.
Raiden Lishite.
“You fell asleep in that chair last night. I moved you to your tent…”
“Wait, you were awake last night, Violet?”
“Yeah, she came out for a bit at dawn.”
“Whoa, a commoner having a private audience with the Duke’s son… How terrifying.”
“Shut up.”
Violet stared at them, her mind racing.
A private audience with Raiden Lishite…?
But that had been a dream…?
“W-was it… a dream…?”
“A dream…? What are you talking about?”
“N-nothing!”
Raiden frowned at her, his eyes filled with concern.
Violet waved her hands dismissively, her cheeks flushing red.
“Hmph, if you say so.”
He didn’t press the matter further, much to her relief.
As she tried to calm her racing heart, Raiden spoke again.
“Come on, get up. It’s almost time to gather.”
“…”
His gaze lingered on her bandages for a moment, and Violet felt a jolt run through her body.
She knew he wasn’t looking at the bandages themselves, but at what lay beneath.
At the cursed scar hidden beneath the white cloth.
…He knew.
The realization hit her like a bolt of lightning.
The events of last night hadn’t been a dream.
The way she had broken down in front of him, clinging to him like a child… it had all been real.
But instead of feeling happy that there was someone who wasn’t affected by her curse, all she felt was a wave of shame.
“….!!”
Her cheeks burned with embarrassment.
“What’s gotten into you…?”
“Don’t mind her.”
Golden Boy and Raiden exchanged amused glances, leaving Violet to wallow in her own mortification.
***
Meanwhile, back on the other side of the island…
The sounds of battle had long since faded, replaced by an eerie silence.
The clearing was a scene of utter devastation.
Trees were uprooted, the ground littered with debris, and the air thick with smoke.
It looked as if a natural disaster had swept through the forest.
“Well… Morning has arrived.”
The old man stood in the middle of the ravaged clearing, his voice barely a whisper.
His clothes were covered in dirt and ash.
He brushed off the dust with a disinterested air and looked around at his surroundings.
Twenty or so black knights were kneeling before him, awaiting his orders.
“Heh heh… That took longer than I expected. These youngsters these days are quite resilient, aren’t they?”
“Master, are we returning now?” One of the knights asked, his voice muffled by his helmet.
“Yes, we can’t stay here any longer. The restrictions are starting to take effect.”
The old man held up his hand, his fingers slowly crumbling into dust.
He tossed something he had been holding to one of the knights, a hint of regret in his voice.
“I would have liked to have some fun with those students, but that young man took up too much of my time… Still, I suppose it was entertaining enough.”
“And the orders you gave us…?”
“Carry them out as planned. I don’t expect you to kill them all with your remaining forces, but do try to cause as much chaos and destruction as possible.”
“Yes, Master.”
The old man didn’t wait for a reply. He turned and disappeared in a swirl of his dark robe.
The knight stared at the spot where his master had been standing, then drew his sword.
The other knights followed suit, drawing their weapons.
“Time to deliver death, soldiers.”
The knight who seemed to be their leader lifted the object the old man had given him and attached it to the tip of his spear.
It was…
Professor Lucas’s severed head, its eyes staring blankly into the void.
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