Volume 5, Chapter 0: The Prelude for Part 2
As s.p.a.ce-time violently rippled, the shattered human soul was sent through the torrent of the dimensions.
It was a storm of emptiness raging in a void that had nothing.
“I” dreamt in that violent whirlpool.
Beautiful, gentle parents… Living as a n.o.ble… Smiling towards servants…
Golden hair… Black hair… little friends.
A big castle… a splendid king… a little boy with a defiant face…
A boy with earnest eyes that held a sword……
And…
The sweet smell of overflowing blood…
A dark sky… A dark world…
Thousands of grotesque monsters, all kneeling before me…
Four boys and a girl…
An enormous cat… dark like ink…
Reflected in its eyes……
A golden cat.
I quietly dreamed it all.
A wall that was made to stop “Me”, that had enormous power,
And a great force called out for “Me”.
Someone was calling.
An unknown voice…? No, I know this voice. A boy…? A girl…?
I faintly heard the quiet whine of a “Beast”.
Were you… calling out to me?
“……Ah, you’re awake.”
When I opened my eyes, the white light shone against my eyes. I heard someone’s voice in the background that was still blurry to me.
A young woman…? But for some reason it’s a nostalgic feeling.
My body wouldn’t move. I felt like I was asleep.
“Ah, hold on, don’t get up yet.”
I kept pushing against the lady that was holding my body down, but she pulled me into an embrace and touched her forehead to mine. It’s a little… cold and pleasant.
“Mm… the fever’s gone down. You’ve had a terrible fever and been asleep since yesterday morning. The women were making a terrible commotion. Hey, aren’t you hungry?”
“……No”
A small voice came out. But it felt a little different. Was it because of fever? It seemed like it’d been a long time since I’d gotten sick…
“Is that so…? Then, shall I peel some fruit for you? You won’t get better if you don’t eat something, you know.”
In my field of vision that gradually widened, I saw a girl smiling at me.
A spirited girl with black hair and eyes… that looked like a junior high school student.
Someone I don’t know…? But, it felt like I knew her.
A nostalgic smile. A bright room that I feel like I’ve seen somewhere.
A flower-patterned wallpaper. Crayon graffiti. A colorful picture book. A stuffed teddy bear.
A large cushion that had faded colors. A small white chair and desk.
At that scene… tears fell unbidden from my eyes even as I was unaware because of that nostalgic feeling.
“What’s wrong?”
The girl’s voice was surprised, and hugged me gently, stroking my head quietly.
A big hand…… No, I’m just small.
“I saw a scary dream… It’s okay…… Yuzu……”
Author’s Notes:
Today I’m going to post about 5 chapters. They’re scheduled for every hour.
The prologue is short, but the next will be about 3000-4000 words.
From the sixth chapter, I’ll post about once every 2 days, but if I have leeway, I’ll post ahead of schedule.