I blinked.

"Huh...? I'm... alive?"

It was still night, and I was still in that same dead end, disoriented, with the moon casting a cold glow over me. The street remained deserted as well.

"Ow!" I hissed as I rubbed my hand. "Why does it hurt so much?"

I clenched and unclenched my fist repeatedly, trying to ease the pain.

"Huh, blood..."

On the ground, right in front of me: small drops of blood. It was not much, but enough to know the stalker had bled. It would seem he ran away...

"So I was right."

Something actually happened with this spell. And, whatever that was, it saved my life...

I sighed. In the end, I couldn't get any information from him... again.

"Well, never mind... Time to go back to the guild."

And so, I started the long walk back...

... The next morning, after a fresh, rejuvenating routine, I descended the stairs; Joey was already there. However, he looked... a bit down.

"Is everything alright, Joey?" I asked him.

He absentmindedly turned his head towards me. "Oh, good morning..."

Okay, this was concerning... "Joey?"

"Oh, no, it's nothing. It's just... I talked with Leonard earlier. Apparently, he'll join this dungeon, too. I'll have to watch the headquarters by myself."

"And that disturbs you?"

"Now that Laura is gone, it'll feel a bit lonely," he murmured, pouring some tea into two cups; one for himself, one for me. "Hey, I was thinking... since in a few days is your mother's death anniversary, can I tag along for a visit to my parents? I won't follow you to her tombstone; I know you want to be alone."

"Oh, that's fine with me. But won't Leonard get mad at you?"

He shook his head before taking a sip. "Supposedly, there's still two weeks before the dungeon. If we take a wagon, we'll be on time."

"Crimson said it was within two weeks. And, you want to take a wagon?"

His eyes widened. "You want to go by foot again?!"

"Well... n-not really." I actually hadn't thought about it yet.

He sighed with a smile as he faintly shook his head. "Anyway, it'll be fine. I thought about going tomorrow morning, if that's fine with you."

I nodded. "Sure. No problem."

This actually worked in my favor. By wagon, my hometown was close enough that I wouldn't need several days. And being in the morning, I could feed a soul to my demon before having a good night's sleep.

But before that... I also had to say my goodbyes to my girlfriend, and also put her little gift in a safe place; not bringing it with me...

Crimson, however, was nowhere to be found. So, I waited. In the evening, she finally made her appearance.

"Hey, this way, you could even return back in time for the dungeon," she cheerfully quipped after hearing what I had to say.

"I don't know if I'll feel ready for the dungeon after something like this, but sure, I suppose..." I replied. "You really seem eager for this dungeon. I thought you'd be more upset about freeing Silveandria."

"Well, I am upset about it. But King's orders... what can you do about it?" she sighed, shrugging. "At least I'll have some fun with it..."

"I see..."

A moment of silence passed before her eyes turned sweet. "Do you want to spend some time together, tonight?"

"Sorry, I... planned to stay by myself tonight."

"It's alright," she said, opening her arms. "Come here, then."

I tried to read her intentions, but without success. So I just stared at her, confused. Was she going to give me a hug or something?

"W-what is it?" I asked in the end.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

"I'm going to give you a kiss you won't forget for the whole trip," she murmured in her raspy voice.

"Oh..."

I complied, and so did she... That night, feeding my demon had never been so sweet; my mind was fuzzy the entire time, and I shook my head countless times, trying to push that memory out. Damn crazy bitch with her intoxicating lips...

But nonetheless, the trip back home began...

... Joey prepared most of the essentials for the trip, and given the cold weather, part of the road was frozen. Because of it, we were forced to make several stops and slow our pace. In the end, the wagon turned out to be a great plan, as we arrived in town just as dawn was breaking, on the very morning of my mother's death anniversary.

The sun had yet to rise, and the chilly air made Joey tremble. He went straight home, and I followed. His parents were missing, likely working late as usual. I took the opportunity to claim his bathroom and took a refreshing and much-needed warm bath. After which, I dressed quietly and made my way to my mother's tombstone.

Talking with the dead... It could be either something compassionate, or completely disturbing. The context really matters.

Was I holding a skull in my hand at that moment?

No. So, from an outsider's eyes, it wasn't disturbing. It certainly looked sad, though. And from someone else's perspective, perhaps even endearing. A daughter paying her respects to her mother, hoping her words might somehow find their way to her. Granted, if there were ever a place where they could truly reach her...

Without a doubt, pitiful and depressing...

I sighed; it was so cold that my breath misted in the cold air. The graveyard was also silent; the kind of quiet that makes you feel the weight of your own thoughts, and I had way too many lately...

"I'm angry at you, you know?" I finally started, my eyes on her tombstone before looking away, focusing on the ground instead.

"I... I'm really angry at you..."

I took a deep breath, but it shuddered in my chest. This year, for some reason, it was harder than ever.

"You and your damn secrets... I bet you had a lot of fun teasing me like that, and I'm sure you're still having your fun."

Another sigh escaped me, heavier this time, as I turned my gaze back to the tombstone.

"Yet, at the same time... I miss you..."

My words were softer now. Yet, despite the effort, I couldn't stop my eyes from dropping once more to the ground.

"I really miss you..." I murmured. "You know? This year has been... really chaotic. I went to Zafferbridge, dying inside the trial to get into the city. And, surprisingly, I came back to life. Ever since then, it's been nothing but chaos..."

A loose strand of hair fell across my face, disturbing me; I tucked it behind my ear.

"I even... have a girlfriend now." A bittersweet chuckle ran free at that. "Crimson... It still feels strange to admit... But, you also had one, didn't you? That purple lady from your story... I wonder how things were between you two. I bet you made her angry multiple times with your teasing, just like you did with me..."

I shook my head. "No, perhaps you were even worse with her; you must've driven her crazy... Crimson is the same, and here I thought I could be like you. I suppose I'm still learning..."

I scratched my arm, pulling it close to my body as another sigh escaped me.

"I also got called... the Silver Witch's daughter," I whispered, glancing back at her tombstone. "That's you, isn't it? I wonder why..."

My shoulder felt heavy, and I let my arms drop. Another sigh, even deeper this time, escaped.

"Just what were you in your life, mom...?"

"It's been a long time, Argenta," a voice from the side called. A voice I knew; it was pretty hoarse. The passage of time made it worse with each passing year.

I slowly turned around. "Priest..."

He looked at me with his usual glasses, adjusting them for a moment before regarding me once again. "It seems... you've grown stronger."

"Hm..." I simply hummed, unsure of what to say.

"I gather you can see her now... Am I wrong? ... Bianca, I mean."

"Huh...?" My eyes widened just hearing such a thing. "Priest, how... do you know that name?"

He didn't answer my question. Instead, he stepped closer, while his hand reached for something inside his vest. "Here, this is for you."

I stared at the object he held out: a simple envelope. "A letter?" I asked, bewildered, before returning my gaze to him.

"A letter your mother entrusted to me, to hand over to you once you recognized that name," he replied.

"A letter from... my mother?"

He tilted the envelope toward me, urging me to take it. Hesitantly, I reached out and took it.

I silently observed it as nothing but confusion swirled inside my mind. He just stood still, silently watching me.

"What... is it about?" I finally managed to ask.

He closed his eyes, slowly shaking his head. "Sorry... I am not aware of its content. But, if you ever need anything, you know where to find me," he then said, slowly turning and walking away.

I blinked in confusion, several times, trying to process what had just happened before finally returning to the envelope in my hands. A letter from... my mother...

"Well... okay..."

With trembling fingers, I carefully tore the envelope open and unfolded the paper inside. I could recognize my mother's beautiful handwriting right away.

I took a deep breath, and began to read...

'Hi sweetie,' the letter began. 'I wonder how much time has passed since then. Has it been some months, some years, or even decades? And I wonder, have you grown at all, or are you still my tiny little creature?''

I grunted, tightening my grip on the paper. Even in a damn letter she had to tease me!

I shook my head, and took yet another deep breath to calm myself, eventually returning to the page.

'But, casting that aside... I suppose you're standing before my tombstone; the place where my story ended. If you're not, I want you to be there. I want you to listen to me, and I want you to imagine me, gently ruffling your hair as you stand beside me. Because, if you will, this is my last lesson for you, Argenta...'

I turned my gaze upward to the sky, exhaling to calm down; tears were almost threatening to gather in my eyes. Then, calmly, I prepared to follow her words.

'To go where everything began. To be what you desire the most. To be free from the puppeteer's strings. To uncover the truth. To know who I was. To get to the very end of this story... You must make a decision. This is your life, and you must live it as you deem necessary. The power is yours, and no one else's. So, if you want to take on my quest, to strive until the very end of it... flip the page.'

"Sweet words, mom, without a doubt," I murmured as my eyes drifted away once again. "You always knew how to intrigue me with your stories, and now you're giving me one last lesson... Yes, I want to know. I'm ready."

And so, swallowing hard, and with my curiosity at its peak, I flipped the paper, and continued reading.

'You have made your decision, I see. You've never been one to escape, have you? Very well, then. You're ready to heed my words...'

As I continued, however... my eyes widened, my hands trembled, and my breath almost choked me as it escaped my lungs.

'Argenta, my sweet child... kill yourself.'