Crown of Thorns

I took a few steps forward and opened the door. The haze of the candle glimmered in. For those who were born and lived in the dark, light was not necessary. But on the other hand, it was a device that they had prepared. Fearing the dark, they did not want it. The darkness was comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. Because even though I knew I was dark, I didn’t want to be dark.

The candlesticks were placed on a small table. In front of it, a man sitting on a chair stood up and bowed down. His movements stirred the light, disturbing our two shadows.

“You didn’t come, so I was worried about what happened. I’m sorry for the rudeness.”

The man who raised his upper body again was generally sharp. A little skinny body made me feel that way. The gray hair, neat and wrinkle-free clothes in one piece showed his neat and delicate personality, and the glasses blocking his sleek eyes were quite sharp.

But behind his spectacles, his grayish-brown eyes were full of worries. His expression remained unchanged, but he was certainly honest and warm enough to convey his feelings only with his eyes.

He was a friendly, blunt, warm, and cool man. He was the only one who knew of my plans, and he was the only one who helped me.

“Ruadhan.”

I always felt both grateful and sorry for this man who had been a great help to me.

“Never do that from now on. If anything really happened to me, you’d be in danger.”

“If anything happens to you, then the whole lot of us would already be in trouble.”

“You can’t do that. I’ve already shown you the way. I’m not going to die anyway, so we just have to hide and wait for the right time.”

“…okay. I’m sorry.”

Ruadhan bowed down, saying so. When I sat on the chair, he sat on his chair, too. His face turned into a warm expression lighted by the candlewick. Gray hair and gray eyes, which were unusually cool in the dark, were also warmly colored, contrary to his looks.

Ruadhan. He had changed a lot from when I first met him.

His long hair, now neatly tied up, was tangled up and knotted. Back then, he looked at me out of focus because he didn’t even wear spectacles. His eyes were as black as the void. It was like seeing a world where time stopped. If the world that was going on stopped as it was, then he would surely turn that color. He was a man with such cold and sad colors.

He told me he would be supportive and still spoke to me with lifeless and dry eyes.

“The world… I still love this world. I also long for it.”

“I love and miss the mother of a child who looks at the blue sky, the pair of birds playing freely in the sky, the leaves of the passing wind, the children running under it with a clear smile, and their mothers, who look upon them lovingly, and all that is peaceful and beautiful.”

He locked himself up, unable to endure the world surrounded by darkness. Not because he hated the world, but because he couldn’t handle the collapsing of all those beautiful things. That’s why, when I said that I was a witch, he said he couldn’t help me.

It was the first time I’ve seen a person that dead inside who still loved the world.

I was just looking for people to help me. I was going to find and use those who were hidden and gnawed into darkness. So all the others I met were living with their hearts burning with hatred. But the man in front of me was different. He loved the world that made him this way. He missed it. I couldn’t bear to use him.

So I said. I want to change the world, too. I want a new sun to defeat the darkness and bring light to the world.

Light permeated into his eyes for the first time. That was the power of the warrior. His presence gave hope to such a dead man. That’s what the warrior was. Hope.

He remained silent for a long time as if lost in thought. Then, he opened his mouth. Blood had formed on his cracked lips, but he did not seem to care at all.

“Who are you?”

“Nyx.”

“May I take your word for it?”

“It depends on whether you believe it or not. Only…”

Ruadhan looked into me hesitatingly. I continued to speak without avoiding his gaze.

“I need you. For the world. For the warrior who will change the world.”

He was not an easily manipulated pawn that doesn’t know the witch’s true intentions. But, I needed someone to help the witch and move the pawns. I thought I would make it happen somehow, but facing Ruadhan, I knew that I absolutely needed him.

In this world of despair, it was a great help in itself that there was someone else who had missed the glory of the past and waited for a beautiful future again. The fact that my dream was not in vain has given me hope that everyone is longing for it deep down in their hearts.

It was the same for Ruadhan, too. With a slightly revived look, he said.

“Will the beautiful days come again? Can you really make that happen?”

I answered.

“The new sun is waiting for the right time. The day to light up the world. He will eventually drive out the Darkness.”

I was sure. Evan, the shining warrior, was born for the world. It was a hope God had laid out to save the world. I had to protect, grow, and eventually to reveal it to the world. They needed a witch who would make the world suffer more and worse.

“If only a little bit of my strength would help you, then I’d be happy to.”

Ruadhan took my hand.

And ever since, I’ve taken on all the work I have to do. While I watched the world and made plans, I taught those who, like Evan, had been ostracized and distressed, such as witches. In a world covered with darkness, it was not too difficult to teach them, because darkness could help them use their power. Of course, since he could use the power of darkness, Ruadhan was also one of them. He absorbed my teachings and easily controlled his strength.

At the time when Evan was growing, and those who were assigned were preparing for their respective positions, everyone had finally been assigned a role.

Ruadhan lightly raised his spectacles and held up the papers piled up on the table. He read them down in a cool, emotionless tone of voice.

“Luella, who entered the court as the daughter-in-law of Marquess Garrence, found the map, scope of security activities, and the time when shifts change. She is still unreliable and has little area of activity, so she can’t give you direct help.”

“How about Margarita?”

“He still serves as a knight of the Marquess of Tyran, and Trudeau has come to deliver food supplies to the Imperial Palace. Kato’s pub is well-known, and as you said, the main customers are mercenaries. And the rest of them decided to help me. And…”

“Speak.”

“The Count of Genadio has found the new concubine’s residence.”

I lifted my head and looked at Ruadhan. He put down the paper that he was reading and faced me.

All the preparations are complete. As if to inform me, I could see the future I wanted. I told my future that the day I had been waiting for was coming. Now, all I had to do was move.

I opened my mouth to Ruadhan, who was attentive to my every reaction.

“… Begin.”

The witch reached out her black hand to the world.

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