“AAAAAAAHHHHH!!!”

“Ahh… AHH… AAAAHHH!!! AAAAHHHHH!!!”

“NOOO!!! NOOO!!!”

“Please kill me! Kill me, I beg you!!!”

“...”

The cries of sisters echoed through the blazing sky. Like a fire that consumes the body entirely, their piercing screams filled the world as their lives were extinguished.

It was the sound of the world tearing apart. The moment giants invaded my realm. The day when my kin would vanish from history forever.

And perhaps, it would be the day my body, too, crumbled and returned to the dirt.

Yet, even at that moment, I remained as I always had—huddled under a blanket, trembling in fear.

“Ah… ahh… ughhh...”

“Mirian !”

“Sniff… sniff… sob...”

“Mirian!!!”

While I writhed in terror, my sister burst into my room like a thunderbolt, shouting. She crushed the clutter and debris on the floor as she lunged toward me, grabbing my shoulders.

“What are you doing here?! I’ve been calling for you over and over!”

“W-what’s going on? What’s happening outside? Why are people screaming?”

“The hero has invaded and is killing our sisters. So get up and fight! If you don’t, we’re all going to die!”

“What are you talking about, Sister? You know I can’t do that. Fighting is your thing...”

“Stop saying you can’t! This isn’t a matter of ability; it’s about necessity. Hiding in here like a coward won’t solve anything!”

“But... but...”

“You pathetic idiot!”

“Pathetic idiot.” It was her favorite phrase to describe me. As Nerian , the Witch of the Thousand Leagues, my sister was revered by all our kind. Meanwhile, I, Mirian , her reclusive and inept younger sister, was her only stain—her shame.

But now, things were dire enough that even she was turning to me for help. She took a deep breath, calmed herself, and spoke in a measured tone.

“Fine. I don’t expect you to do much. But even if you can’t fight, you can at least protect someone.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“Soon, the soldiers will come this way. Their main target will obviously be me. And as much as I hate to admit it, I probably won’t survive tonight.”

“S-sister...”

“So you have to protect my daughter. No matter what it takes.”

For a moment, her gaze drifted toward the back of the room. Following her eyes, I saw a young girl standing by the door, staring blankly into space.

That’s when it hit me. Understanding her intent, I shook my head frantically.

“No... no, Sister. Don’t leave her to me. I’ve barely spoken to her.”

“Of course not. You can barely talk to me, you pathetic idiot. But she’s your niece. You have a responsibility to protect her.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! She has nothing to do with me. You brought her into this world on your own, so don’t dump this on me now!”

“Shut your mouth, you ungrateful brat! How dare you speak of my daughter that way?! Have you lost your mind?!”

It was the first time she had yelled at me like that since I was ten. I cowered, trembling, as if I had returned to that moment. Finally, clutching the hem of her dress, I whimpered,

“P-please, Sister... I can’t do this. I’d rather die with you. I’m a witch, too, so I’m not afraid of death. But... but protecting someone...”

“You can do it. You must do it. I’ve already erased most of her memories, so as long as you do your part, she won’t have to live with the label of a witch. So please...”

“No! No! I don’t want this! Please don’t leave me alone. Just kill me here and now!”

“Shut up and listen, you idiot! Why can’t you be useful to me for once in your life?! You’ve been nothing but dead weight, so for once, just—!”

Her desperate shouting was cut off abruptly. My sister fell silent, her eyes slowly shifting to the wall.

I followed her gaze and saw it—a small hole in the wall. Through it, a bloodshot eye was glaring in at us.

“...Found you.”

“Ah.”

“Witch Nerian!”

With a roar filled with rage, the wall exploded, and dozens of soldiers stormed in. They rampaged like wild beasts, and as soon as they spotted my sister, one of them struck her head with a club.

“Die, you witch!!!”

“Ugh...!”

The blow was so vicious I feared her eyes might pop out. Even then, my sister clung desperately to her daughter, shielding her with her body. The soldiers grabbed her hair and dragged her out of the room.

“You filthy witch... filthy witch...”

“Ugh... ahh... ah...”

“Why don’t you just die quietly, you wretched hag...”

“Aaahhh!!!”

Her groans turned into screams as they began torturing her mercilessly. I couldn’t bear to watch, so I curled into a ball, burying my face in my knees.

But her tragedy inevitably engulfed me as well.

“Get out here, you bitch!”

“Ah... ugh...!”

Another soldier grabbed me and threw me outside. My first glimpse of the outside world in years was delivered through violent force. The irony of it all stung my eyes in the harsh sunlight.

The ground was soaked with the blood of my sisters, mingled with dark ash. Just as I was about to retch, the low voices of two men caught my attention, choking the air in my throat.

“...Even when the strong fall to weakness, you still treat them as such? You’re truly different, Hero .”

“It’s more about a warrior’s code. You don’t harm an unarmed opponent.”

“How noble.”

“And a warrior always claims the spoils of battle after the fight.”

The Hero .

The moment I realized that, I clenched the dirt in my pale hand. Though I had lived my entire life as a coward, standing before the enemy who had killed my sisters stirred a strange fury within me.

Was this the feeling my sister had when she tried to rouse me earlier? Too late to regret, I raised my head, and my sister’s tormented figure came into view.

“Ahhh... Ahhhh!!! Ughhh!!!”

“...”

“Ugh... ugh... Your Grace, Hero!!!”

Despite the horrifying humiliation she was enduring, my sister, Nerian , found strength the moment she spotted the Hero. She mustered all her energy, dashed toward him, and fell to her knees in a groveling posture.

“Oh, great Hero! Star and hope of this world!”

“...Huh.”

“Your loyal servant Nerian humbly bows before you! Please, show mercy to this wretched being!”

“The infamous witch groveling at my feet... how pitiful.”

“Still, be careful. Witches can curse you with a single word.”

“Don’t worry. If she utters nonsense, I’ll cut her tongue out immediately.”

Their conversation painted a vivid picture of my sister’s doomed fate. Like the other sisters, she would be thoroughly humiliated and then meet a brutal end.

And perhaps, that fate awaited me too.

I bit my tongue, preparing to end my own life, but a soldier noticed and clamped his hand over my mouth.

“Oh no, you don’t. We’ve got a more fitting death planned for you.”

“Mmmph...”

“I’m sure the Hero will give you the perfect ending. Get ready to accept it.”

His cruel words planted a seed of despair in my heart. Meanwhile, the exchange between my sister and the Hero continued to spiral toward disaster.

“My mercy is reserved for honorable foes. I cannot spare the life of you, the leader of the witches.”

“Ah, of course, my lord! I wouldn’t dare ask for such a thing! Never, not even for a moment!”

“...What?”

“My request is something else entirely... Heh, heh, heh...”

My sister, undeterred, moved closer to the Hero. From within her robes, she revealed her daughter, the young girl she had been hiding.

“My lowly head, take it as many times as you wish, my lord. But Hero, what does this child know? She’s just an innocent little girl.”

“...Hmm.”

“She hasn’t lived long enough to commit any sins. Please, extend your mercy just once and spare this child. I offer everything I have—no, everything the witches have—in exchange for her life.”

Her outstretched hands trembled with desperation. Standing before her was a girl who resembled her so much that anyone could immediately tell she was Nerian’s daughter.

But the child’s beauty was undeniable. The Hero’s gaze lingered, and he unconsciously murmured,

“Such a... beautiful child.”

“...”

“A child like this... a witch’s offspring?”

His words sounded like a lament, but a hint of desire and longing colored his voice. It was a secret so subtle that even his companions likely hadn’t noticed it before.

Sensing her opportunity, my sister leaned in and whispered a venomous truth into his ear—a whisper destined to remain absent from history.

“Truly stunning, isn’t she? A daughter worthy of a Hero. No, the perfect first princess for a great king.”

“...What did you just say?”

“Isn’t that what you desire, Your Majesty? I can see it clearly now. The incompetent king toppled, the Hero ascending the throne. A kingdom thriving under your glorious reign, loved and adored by all your people.”

“...”

“But... imagine their sorrow if they discovered their great king could not bear children.”

“...!”

The sinister whisper reached only the Hero and me. Fearing the secret would escape, he flinched and instinctively reached for his sword.

Noticing his reaction, my sister hastily bowed again, her voice urgent.

“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Your Majesty. That is not a flaw but a badge of honor! A tragic scar earned in your noble crusade to vanquish the witches and necromancers!”

“You... insane witch...”

“I don’t believe it diminishes your greatness, but others might. They will whisper behind your back, point their fingers at you. But with such a beautiful daughter at your side...”

“...”

“Who would dare question Your Majesty’s worthiness? All they will do is praise her beauty and revere you as the perfect king.”

The Hero’s gaze shifted back to the girl. Bathed in the soft glow of moonlight, she looked ethereal.

He was captivated, and the whispering spell my sister cast worked its way into his mind. No mere human could resist such manipulation.

Yet, his rationality fought back, and he shook his head in denial.

“Madness. She’s the daughter of Nerian, the Witch of the Thousand Leagues. That alone is enough reason for her to die.”

“Do you truly believe that? This pure, innocent child—her only crime being born? Is that truly the Hero’s duty, to kill such a child without mercy?”

“If it means eradicating evil at its roots, then yes... it is my duty.”

“Your Majesty, not every witch is born a witch. This child knows nothing. She’s too young to have learned any of our secrets.”

“Lies… those are lies…”

“Or perhaps it feels like fate? A child born in a field of evil, taken in by the Hero and turned to good. Is that not the truest act of a Hero?”

“That’s…”

The Hero  opened his mouth to argue, but once again, his gaze fell upon the child. The beauty glowing under the moonlight tempted him, clouding his judgment.

It was a poison that eroded his convictions and willpower. And Nerian’s  honeyed whispers promised him a vision of a rose-tinted future.

“Oh, imagine it—how magnificent it would be. A witch’s child raised as the kingdom’s treasure by its brave king. That child would love only you, offering kisses to her father’s forehead every night out of adoration.”

“...”

“No one else who came to this land will taste such a future. They will die alone, clutching the scars of the past, abandoned on their lonely deathbeds. But Your Majesty, at your side, this child will always remain. And on the day you take your final rest, she will whisper…”

“...”

“She will say that she has always loved and revered you. That she, your star, will cradle your cold body with warmth and tenderness.”

Once more, the Hero’s gaze returned to the child. Even if he didn’t trust Nerian’s manipulative words, the beauty before him was undeniable.

The Hero, whose resolve was slowly crumbling, finally spoke in a subdued voice.

“…The people want her dead. Even if, by some miracle, I took her in, she’d never shed the label of a witch.”

“That wouldn’t matter if no one knew, would it, Your Majesty? There are countless ways to hide the truth.”

“Hide the truth?”

“Of course, Your Majesty. Simply declare that she is your own child. Few have witnessed this moment, and promises of wealth and honor will seal their silence.”

“But she resembles you far too much. Anyone who sees her would know she’s Nerian’s daughter.”

“That is why my second gift to Your Majesty holds such importance.”

A wicked smile spread across Nerian’s lips, and her violet eyes slowly shifted their gaze.

They locked onto me.

My breath hitched as the weight of fate pressed down on me.

“She is my pitiful younger sister,” Nerian said. “While we share the same blood, her powers are weak. She has lived her life hidden away, unknown to the world.”

“So?”

“If you take her as your consort, no one will question it. She resembles me enough to deflect suspicion. And, if I may say so, her face is… adequate, is it not?”

“That’s…”

“You could tell the world she was a witch who turned against her kind and sided with the Hero. The bond forged through that alliance would make a compelling story, would it not?”

“…Hmm.”

“And what rival would dare challenge a king who has taken the Witch of Curses as his queen?”

Her final words drove the nail into the Hero’s thoughts. He must have already envisioned himself reigning over a millennium-long kingdom.

And beside him, trapped, would be me—a trophy to solidify his rule.

The Hero, having made up his mind, muttered softly, “If I force her, she will resist.”

“You need not worry, Your Majesty,” Nerian replied. “She will never be able to leave your side.”

“What?”

“The curses placed by one’s own blood are far stronger than any other.”

Her tone dripped with malice. Simultaneously, a strange sensation began crawling over my body.

Realizing it was a curse, I screamed, “No!!!”

“Ha ha ha…”

But Nerian’s cold laughter echoed, signaling that her plans had already succeeded. She raised her voice deliberately as she prostrated herself before the Hero.

“My pitiful head, take it as many times as you wish! But Hero, this child knows nothing! She’s just an innocent little girl!”

“No!!! Stop!!!”

“She hasn’t even had the chance to sin, my lord! I beg of you, spare her life! I offer you everything I have—no, everything the witches possess!”

“No!!! Just kill me!!!”

“Do not listen to her nonsense, my lord. Please, I beg of you… I beg of you…”

“Nerian!!!”

“I beseech you.”

Nerian, the Witch of the Thousand Leagues, bowed low to the ground. The Hero watched her, then slowly nodded.

“Very well.”

“AAAAHHHH!!!”

I screamed until my throat was raw, unable to bear the future I could already see. My fate was clear—a life shackled to the side of the king, trapped in a gray, unyielding prison.

Nerian paid no attention to my despair as she continued her curses.

“Oh, great king! I see it—a glorious future, a kingdom basking in a golden age! I prophesy that no army in this era will dare challenge your reign!”

“You are such a talkative woman.”

“All hail the dawn of a new king! Witness the morning of a new era!”

“Goodbye, witch.”

“May you never close your eyes to the brilliance of your light.”

Nerian’s final words echoed against the blood-soaked sky.

In that crimson scene, I screamed endlessly, denying my fate.

But no matter how much I cried, nothing would change.

The child left behind by Nerian stared at me with empty, uncomprehending eyes.

“...”

It was that dream again.

The dream where the screams of the dead echoed endlessly.

A dream where no one paid attention to my cries.

Tears dried long ago, leaving a barren heart incapable of feeling. From the day fate was decided, I had remained in that state.

But recently, one man’s purity had shaken my hardened soul. Even after he had left, his presence lingered in my thoughts.

If it were him, surely he would have approached me when I cried. Surely, he would have comforted me, resting his hand on my shoulder.

Thinking of him, I softly called his name.

“Alpheus…”

“Your Majesty, the Queen.”

A cold voice interrupted me from the doorway.

I looked up to see a familiar face—it was the girl.

“...”

“...”

For a moment, a heavy silence filled the air.

She stared at me with hollow eyes, just as she had that night, and uttered a single sentence.

“Are you still thinking about him?”