Chapter 106 - The Girl Wants to Be M*rdered

**Chapter 106: Short Side Story - Child** From the moment I first encountered those beautiful eyes reminiscent of a blue forest holding my reflection. From the very instant the newborn, cradled in our mother's arms, clasped my finger with impossibly small and delicate hands, then gently smiled at me. "She's your little sister, Remi. Say hello?" "My… sister." Instinctively, I could feel it. My life. Everything of mine. ─Thud. "I want to name her." "...What?" Had started to revolve around this child. I opened my mouth. What sprang to mind was the name of the brave and witty protagonist from my favorite fairy tale. I slightly altered that name on the spot and named my sister. "Aris, it should be." And at the moment I spoke that name, I felt connected to her. A pleasant sense of bondage seemed to envelop my entire being. "Hello, Aris." "──, ─?" ─Poke. I gently poked my sister Aris's plump cheek with my other hand. When my finger touched her, I saw Aris’s snow-white cheek dent deeply. It felt like touching a cloud, a soft sensation at my fingertips, and an indescribable emotion surged from my heart. Words signifying happiness, joy, emotion, and delight began to fill my mind one by one. My sister. My beloved sister. A star rose in a world that had once seemed only mineral-like. I was as euphoric as if I were flying in the sky. ** Every day was a continuation of happiness. Even just staring at each other silently and smiling was joyful. Time flowed, and as the sun set in the sky, I couldn’t help but feel regretful, wishing it would stay a little longer. Indeed. They were such happy times. "––Princess Anna might kill Princess Aris!" Until I heard those words. ** By the time I arrived, it was already too late for everything. At the edge of a cliff, Aris was slowly backing up, clutching the sword blade that pierced through her body. The clothes, which had been spotless white until this morning, were dyed red with blood. Aris, staring at me blankly, had crimson blood continuously spilling from her lips for some reason. In front of her stood the probable culprit responsible for Aris’s state. Anna Akaia stood there, expressionless and in shock. My judgment was swift. Crack─! "────Aris!!" I charged forward with all my strength. A sensation of my leg muscles melting and my lungs tearing engulfed me, but I transcended my body’s limits and wildly moved my feet. I had already discarded my cumbersome outer garment and sword onto the ground. Ignoring the voice calling my name from behind and the ignorant expression of the villain who seemed unaware of the gravity of her actions, I continued running forward. I ran, and I ran again. "A───" Aris’s body was slowly falling backward. Where she was headed was a precipitous cliff, plunging dozens of meters below, with a chilling torrent awaiting. The fierce current, which could easily claim the life of a healthy adult if caught once, awaited below. It was all too obvious what would happen to a child unable to even stand properly. Yes. At this rate, surely ──Aris would die. I could not allow that. There was no way I could permit such a thing. "───Ahhhhh!!" I reached out to Aris at my maximum speed─── ─Thud, "No──!!" ".........." ───But my hand, naturally, did not reach her. Because of that very slight distance, only a hand's breadth, that I could have closed with just a bit more effort. Because of the minuscule margin from not honing my abilities sufficiently. My hand sliced through the empty space where nothing existed. Aris, unable to clutch anything to support her body, slowly fell off the cliff. With a gentle sound. Alongside a few tumbling stones. Aris was alone, falling into the perilous cliff where the rough waters surged─── ──What do you mean, falling? "──!" I did not stop. Before thinking, my body moved instinctively. Even if I had paused to think long with my eyes closed, I would have arrived at the same course of action. This was a matter so obvious to me, it required no hesitation. Aris was falling. Then what else should I be doing besides this one thing? ─Thump! "──Aris!!" ".....?!" I hurled myself off the cliff toward the falling Aris. I felt her eyes, trembling from lack of focus, now opening wide in astonishment as she realized I, too, had leapt off the cliff to follow her. Thinking even her shocked expression was cute, I reached out to Aris with a bright smile, extending both my hands. The hands I had missed before, couldn’t grasp in time. "Now, I won’t let go─!!" ".....!!" Thud──! At last, I could properly grasp her hands this time. I had no regrets. There couldn’t be any. Thus. Aris and I fell together down the cliff. "──Remi, you're such a fool." "Hehe. But I couldn’t help it." "...Really, such a fool." We looked at each other, bursting into laughter. Splash─! The cold water swept us away. ** The winter chill of the water bit into the skin. I crawled along the bank, littered with sharp stones and pebbles, relying on the faint moonlight, with an unconscious Aris slung over my back. As I was rapidly swept away by the current, my body collided and was pierced by rocks and tree branches multiple times, making it a miracle I was still alive. Yet, thinking of my sister's face on my back, I bit my tongue to stave off the overwhelming drowsiness. I needed to find someone quickly. I had to save Aris. ".......!!" I kept moving my arms. But predictably, it wasn't long before I hit my limit. "........." Thud. Before I knew it, my arms refused to move. Perhaps because I'd lost all my warmth, even the white breath ceased to escape my struggling lips. Trying to bear the pain, I attempted to move my hands with all my strength, but all my trembling hands could manage was to slightly dig into the sand beneath them. My whole body felt as though I wore a heavy lead weight, and my eyelids drooped stubbornly like those of a person who hadn't slept for days. A candle in the wind. A life about to be extinguished. ─Thud. "....A person?" In a way, realizing the change was fortunate. My eyes, on the verge of closing, barely open enough for a sliver of light, saw shadows suddenly looming around me. The strong wind that had been blowing abruptly ceased, as if someone was blocking it. Was someone there? ─Swoosh. ".......Huh?" "..........." I lifted my head. And there, standing against the moonlight, was a dark silhouette looking down at me. A person, perhaps? An illusion, or not? I quickly reached out my hand. ─Grab! "Please… save my sister…" "........." "Please, save my sister…" It felt like a lie that I couldn’t even move a fingertip before; I swiftly grasped the leg of the presence standing silently in front of me. Maybe they hadn't expected a near-death person like me to suddenly grab them because the owner of the leg flinched when I touched it. Seeing that vibrant reaction, I was relieved that this wasn’t a hallucination. Attempting to shake off my hand, the entity tried drawing their leg back, but I held on firmly with all the strength I had left, determined not to lose this newfound lifeline. I couldn't let this chance slip away. I had to save Aris. "I— I don't care if I die… please… please…!" "......Hoo." I heard a deep sigh in my ear. Struggling to lift my head, I finally saw glaring red eyes staring back at me. Eyes as red as coagulated blood. The pupil, long and thin like a beast’s, glared coldly down at me as if I were some insect. Instinctively, fear was born inside me. Could those eyes belong to a human? They were like the eyes of monsters from stories. "Ah──" The creature spoke. "──Did you see my eyes?" ".....Ah." I felt my entire body freeze. Like a frog cornered by a snake, I couldn’t move a muscle. Everything about this being screamed at my instincts to flee far away. That this was my natural enemy, a monster in human form. ─Grasp! "Please, save my sister…!" "........." Yet, I didn’t let go of her ankle. Not because I lacked the strength to flee, but because she was the only one here who had the power to save Aris. Whether a monster or a demon, it didn’t matter. As long as Aris could be saved, I’d give anything—even my soul. "......." The red eyes flickered for a moment. ─Grasp! "........." "Gah, ngh──! Khak!" Without a word, she reached out with a hand. Under the moonlight, delicate fingers appeared, unmarked by any wounds. Eventually, they firmly pressed down on my throat. Helpless, my head hit the ground, my open mouth unable to draw breath as I realized she intended to end my life. With a grip that felt like being crushed by an iron weight—impossible strength for a human—I understood this being wasn't human, and I felt a small sense of relief. So, had it been a demon that arrived? Perhaps then this was fortunate. Monsters or demons from stories often grant wishes or perform miracles in exchange for something. As my life is taken, please just ensure Aris can live. …If not, I’ll curse you. By night or day, I’ll curse you every moment. "......Ah─, Ah──." ".........." Crack──! The imposing grip didn’t relent, and as I couldn't breathe, darkness crept from the edges of my vision. The pain that had enveloped me faded away. Even the weight of Aris on my back was no longer felt. "A, ris──" Still, I didn’t release my grip on her ankle. Was this how I was going to die? Even if I did, my sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain if only Aris survived. …. Still, it was a little regretful. I wish I could see Aris's smiling face just once more. My sister. My beloved sister── "──Aris." With those words, I finally closed my eyes. The sleep I'd been postponing rushed upon me the moment my eyes shut. ** "....What on earth am I supposed to do?" The monster released the grip on my throat. Before her lay two unconscious beings, lives flickering and nearly extinguished. A quiet sigh echoed through the silent winter forest. The vivid red eyes glanced down at the two fragile lives. Moments later, a flock of black ravens rose into the sky. Where once were two girls and a monster, not a trace of blood remained. What lies ahead for them is uncertain. What is clear, however, is that Remi Akaia's love for her sister moved the monster's heart. *** Love requires no reason. Love simply comes unexpectedly and stands by your side. Her love for her sister, and her sister's love for her, are just that. "No reason is needed for love." That’s why stories about someone loving another never grow old. Remi's Route. Elegy (？？): A song mourning a person's death. *** * * *