417 Torn page.txt (2/2)

That ”Another (・・・・・) Promise” was written on the first page of The Story of the Starry Skies, which I'm currently reading over.

I reread that beginning now.

On that day, when I first encountered The Gentiles, I was actually dying after my master left. I was on the verge of stopping breathing due to illness. I was wandering in the depths of despair.

At the end of it all, we made ”The Other Promise”.

It's the last time I'll ever read it.

Cherished, I will reread it.

”--painful.

Painful as if it were strangling my throat.

The 'birth disease' consumed my body, and I was writhing on the floor of my room with a high fever.

Slumping around, I hug myself. I dig my fingers into my flesh and press down hard enough to soak up the blood as I endure the oncoming pain.

The sickness of the 'Demon Poison' was more painful than usual.

The reason was simple.

It was because just a few minutes ago, a boy from a foreign country, who knew nothing about the situation, wandered into my tower and told me a story.

I had an encounter with that glossy black haired person, like a book story, and we taught each other a few words, even if they were poorly written, and we gradually came to know each other.

That ”dream” like time was too sweet for me, a book lover.

That's why Kanami-sama said to the soldiers in the castle, ”I'm sorry. We won't allow anyone to enter this room again (・・・・・・・・・),” and I was left alone in the tower, my loneliness and fears stood out.

The gap between the 'dream' and reality had broken my heart, and my body was on the verge of breaking.

'Ah, ah, ......, ah, ah, ......'

He's not there .......

That gentleman I was talking about earlier ......, that gentleman is not there .......

Am I alone again ......?　I'm back on my own ......?

From now on, until the day you die ......, you will be alone in this prison-like tower ......--

Constantly, the fear hits me.

The pain makes me stop breathing.

'Hah ......, hah!

It was really scary.

But the thing that scared me the most was the authenticity of the boy I had just met.

I was beginning to doubt my sanity, wondering if maybe the exotic boy I had just met was a vision I had seen in my dying moments, and that time was really a 'dream'.

That's how bright that exotic boy was.

It really was a beautiful light. It was more than enough of an 'ideal' light to thicken the darkness in the room of a girl abandoned by her family.

That could have been a dream vision .......

But still, I want to see that illusory light again .......

I'm not going to be the window of the room, I want to open that door - I want to get out and touch that light. And I want to talk to Kanami-sama. Because we haven't talked enough. Not enough at all: .......

Yes, I haven't been enough.

Actually, I don't want to die yet. Because I haven't lived that book-like story yet. I haven't read my own story, Tiara Hoozeyers, yet. So why is ......?　Why do I have to die?　Why would I, ......, for such an inexcusable reason that I was born with this birth disease?　Why?　Why, why, why, why--?

Hah, hah, hah ......!

I was crawling across the floor like a caterpillar.

In its path was the door to the room.

The door through which Kanami-sama came in.

And the door that went out.

I want to open that door somehow.

I want to open it and walk through it on my own.

I want to be like the characters in the book, going forward by my own power, having all kinds of adventures, and someday I want to meet the last beautiful page with someone else.

But I can't open the door on my own.

I am doomed to continue to stop in this tower due to a disease that makes it impossible for me to walk. So the only thing I can open with this feeble strength - is The Book.

Only the pages of the book given to me out of mercy by the family that abandoned me.

'Hah, hah, hah ......'

As that soldier said, no one may ever come into this room again.

No convenient 'someone' will appear to help me. Nor will there be a miracle to cure my ”natural disease” like the ”magic” in the fairy tale.

--The story of my world is not kind.

Such a sentence crosses my mind and I crawl down to the center of the room and look up.

There was no point in opening it, but I kept staring at the door I really wanted to open.

And finally, tears begin to seep from his eyes.

'Ugh ......, ugh ......'

The tears seemed to wash away everything I hoped for.

Finally, when I was about to lose the strength to even look up, to even look at the door, it was going to be impossible to do so - and then.

I'm sorry to disturb you!　Sick princess!

Easily.

One of the apostles opened a door that should not have been opened and walked in.

Naturally, I am stunned.

I can't answer anything.

'That illness might be cured, so just hang out with me!　It's a human experiment, but that's fine!　For the sake of humanity!　Come on! Come on!　I'll be there in a minute!

In addition, with a whimper, he took me in his arms and left the unopened room.

Very easily, I was taken out of the tower.

The Apostle didn't care about my response, he didn't care about my physical condition - he invited me to the outside world.

At that time, I was puzzled.

I felt as if the book I had dreamed of, ”The Tale of Tiara Hoozeyars”, was being prepared in front of me.

And I touched the book fearfully and slowly opened it.

Rolling up the first page, I would read. My own story--

I miss it.

It was the story of the day when the 'Gentiles' wandered into the 'Other World'.

There was a me who hadn't yet called my master a master.

There was still a part of me that was sick and weak at heart.

There was a me who still didn't know anything and hadn't started anything.

This experience is probably the biggest reason why I love my sis sister so much.

She took me out of that room and showed me the 'world'. Most importantly, because she let me see it again beyond that -.

”--I was taken out by the Apostle-sama and reunited with a boy from a foreign country in the garden of the castle.

Kanami-sama was not an illusion. Nor was it a dream.

My heart trembles at this fact.

But even though I was suddenly made to stand in front of Kanami-sama, I didn't know what to say.

I still couldn't communicate with her. Even the pain of the illness is still in my body, and my throat is so tense that it won't move.

So it was Kanami-sama who spoke first.

She listens to me, using the words she just learned from me.

”--Thiara, 'true' and 'good' ......?

My name. And a poor word.

I could only get the air (nuance) of trying to get permission.

From the Apostle-sama's last words, I could faintly predict what he was going to do to me.

An experiment in therapy.

And it's not just a cure for a disease, but a cure for an incurable disease that is spreading across the continent.

It's an experiment that countries continue to study, and it's an experiment that still doesn't even have a hope of succeeding. ...... It was unlikely to succeed. If it fails, it could be fatal. I'm going to be the one who is on the verge of being sacrificed in the form of a human experiment. I'm being sacrificed.

It is natural to think that way.

And yet, I'm not afraid of that at all.

The black eyes of the boy in front of me dispel all my fears.

I felt a strong resolve from deep within those eyes. Even though I couldn't communicate with him, I could feel the painful feeling of wanting to help someone else, even if I was like this.

So, like water spilling out of my palm, I say it.

”...... 'Kanami'. I believe.

I used the words I had been taught too, and returned my feelings poorly.

I also moved closer to him and took his hand and told him back with a stronger resolve.

”'Surely,' 'for this,' 'we' have met.

So I'm willing to put my life on the line.

The reason is that I feel like I'm reading a book.

Because right now, I feel like I'm doomed, like a story.

On the basis of such a delusion, I could believe in the success of the experiment.

Of course, it could be all a misunderstanding.

Our meeting may have been just a coincidence.

But now I could believe with all my heart that we were the two people brought together by the 'thread of fate'.

...... '----' '---------', Tiara.

Kanami-sama nodded in response to my resolve.

Chanting an incantation as if singing, I began to light up particles of pale light around me.

Softly and fluffily, a small ball of light rose towards the dark cloud sky. Heat lit up in my body at the sight, like the 'magic' in the story of the book I was reading just yesterday.

It's not a painful heat, but a gentle heat.

My vision blurs again at the sight, which is more than enough to make me believe that a miracle is happening.

Furthermore, I notice a change in my own body.

My disease-ravaged body was also emitting light. The pain was draining from my body like 'magic' to match the light. The agony in my lungs that had been painful since I was born, the freezing coldness of my bones, the blood vessels that had been aching just from flowing within - everything was being healed.

The 'birth disease' that had made me give up on living was being cured.

A sob rushed up from deep in my throat.

That 'magical' miracle is too .......

It's too warm and gentle .......

'Ugh, ugh ....... Uhhhh, ahhh, ahhh--!

I cried out.

Then I jumped into Kanami-sama's chest and hugged her for making that miracle happen.

”'Thank you' ....... 'Kanami' .......

Somehow, I thanked her for everything in my life up to today, hoping that she would be able to convey this feeling.

However, Kanami-sama only replied to that with a short word.

''--....... ''I'm glad.'' ......

I knew that my answer, which was too light, did not convey my feelings at all.

Now I want to give my whole body to you.

I want to give you back the same amount of happiness that I am feeling now.

But since I don't understand the language, I have no way to convey those overflowing thoughts.

Since there isn't, I had no choice but to mumble my words anymore.

'This favor is (・・・・・) ...... and I will definitely return it (・・・・・・・・)'

Yes, I 'promise'.

Because of the language barrier, that ”promise” hasn't reached Kanami-sama.

If I could hear this overflowing thought, it would be only the three apostles here - and the black-haired girl standing quietly in the corner of the garden (・・・・・・・).

I couldn't see the front at all anymore.

My body jumped with sobs, and my vision was muffled by tears.

But in a distorted but very gentle 'world', I laughed from the bottom of my heart for the first time in my life.

I cried, I laughed, and I made up my mind.

I knew that one day I would be able to repay this ”magical” miracle with the gratitude I deserved.

No matter what happens, I will not let anything happen to me.

I will make you happy, even if it costs me my life (・・・・・・・・・)--

And I had made a 'promise' not only with Sister Yotaki, but also with my master on the first page.

It's a one-sided 'promise' when you don't even understand the words.

It was a vague ”promise” whose contents are not known.

However, a ”promise” is a ”promise”.

Of course, I know that the reason I was cured of my illness from the ”demon poison” at that time was mostly because of my sister Youtaki.

However, I can't shake my head if you ask me if my master is not involved there. I am convinced that it is both 'Gentiles' who should be thanked.

-- that's why I've been searching for a way to separate my 'love' from my 'love' by creating 'the other me' and help them both at the same time.

Because I'm putting everything on the line to help my sister Yotaki, I'll definitely fulfill my 'other promise' to Master as well.

Even if my master doesn't want me to be of any help, even if I say I don't want it, I'll repay the favor.

At the very least, I will make you happy as much as I feel happy, and I will make you happy.

You were a starry light to me at that time.

Indeed, it was a 'real' light.

'Ehihi. ...... so please let me help you, please let me help you. Kanami-sama.

I was nostalgic and laughed along with the old call.

In the first first page I just read, I was going to call my master 'Savior-sama'. But I was angered by the way he called me, ”I absolutely hate it,” and even more so by the overly polite use of the royal language, ”I wish you would speak to me more casually, like a friend. Like a friend,” he wished me to be that me.

Oh, I really miss everything.

And I haven't forgotten that wish of yours, even in death.

I didn't forget it.

I would never call you ”Savior”.

I wish you a more casual 'happy ending' instead of a rigid 'savior-sama', and I'm going to go on - I'm not going to call you a 'savior'.

”--Leave me and I'll go.

”From here on out, it's your story.

But I also entrusted you with it, connected it, and asked you to continue the story.

Please don't forget it.

”We believe in your 'magic', 'we' believe in your 'magic'.

I put my heart and soul into it and added to it.

I trusted, connected, and asked for it, so I can believe that the rest of the story will have the same (happy) ending as ours.

Because I can believe it, I can go on without hesitation.

At the end of the last battle--

You and sister Yangtaki can continue to wish for your happiness for 'forever'.