Crown of Thorns

Translator : Cuties ––– Editor : WilsonWilson

I had a dream.

Evan was in front of me. He was young again, and he looked like when he was a boy. I was glad to see that young and lovely figure again and hugged him without realizing it. Tears streamed down. I thought I shouldn’t cry, but I couldn’t stop myself. I was thrilled and happy to see him after such a long time. His body temperature was still warm.

I fell back in a hurry, just in case I smelled. But the hand holding the boy’s small shoulder refused to be removed. I thought he’d disappear once I let go of him. Such anxiety upset me. So, as I looked at him, Evan’s eyes were flushed with embarrassment, and he rolled his red eyes. But he didn’t shake me off. Instead, he just smiled a clumsy smile with a slight frown.

Evan reached out his little hand and cupped my cheek. My tears formed on the tip of his little finger. I laughed. He smiled as if telling me not to worry. Then Evan’s face became brighter. His slender eyes and plump cheeks were so lovely that I burst into laughter, basking in the glorious sight of him. At first, Evan’s eyes widened, following my strange behavior, but he soon joined me with a smile of his own.

The surroundings brightened up. Surprised, I looked around and found the two of us in a white patch of snow. There was a white, clean, and pretty field of snow that had resembled Evan’s hair. Evan looked at the snow and tried to run around with a look of excitement. I grabbed his hand in a hurry. A curious look fell on me, but I still didn’t let go of him. If I let go of this hand, I would never see him again. Young Evan was only in my memory, and I would never meet him again. I wanted to enjoy this moment even more.

Evan must have noticed my feelings, but he held my hand tightly. We both played in the snow, holding hands. The snow was not cold at all. Rather, it was warm. It was so cozy and warm that I almost cried again. It was a peaceful feeling that I haven’t felt in a long time. I was so happy that I had this opportunity. Evan was a blessing in itself. It made me forget the life of the cursed witch.

Snow fell from the sky. It was warm, too, as it patted my face. It was very soft and carefully touched all over my face, my forehead, cheeks, eyelids, the tip of my nose and mouth, sharing its warmth and tenderness before falling. When I stretched my palm out to receive it, a thump had sounded repeatedly. Then the sound grew louder and spread out into the world. The whole world thumped. I spread my arms as if I were hugging the world. Then this time, the sound penetrated into my arms. Under my skin, I could feel the sound and vibration all over my body. It was like a heartbeat.

“…Nyx?”

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I heard Evan’s voice.

I opened my eyes and frowned at the disturbance. I wish I hadn’t woken up from that dream. I closed my eyes just in case I could fall back asleep again. But I had no choice but to open my eyes soon. I heard a thumping sound coming through my skin. It was the heartbeat-like sound that I had heard in my dream. I couldn’t understand it at all, so I was blinking, and something hard and hot touched my cheek.

“Nyx! Are you up?”

The thing that had touched my cheek gave a slight force and lifted my face. Unconsciously, I raised my head. And I was mesmerized by the sight that was laid before my eyes. There he was, Evan. And he was very close, too. Evan was calling me from a short distance.

“Nyx!”

Is this a dream?

I looked at him blankly. I was definitely with little Evan, and he grew up like this. No, Evan was right to grow up. The Evan in front of me was what he is now. I guess I’m dreaming a new dream.

His hand, which was touching my cheek, wrapped around the back of my head and held me tightly. His hot, firm body touched my forehead and cheek. And the thumping sound rang out loudly. I couldn’t tell if it was my heartbeat or his.

“I’m glad… That’s a relief. Nyx, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

What? What are you sorry about? While I was listening to Evan’s constant whispers of apology, I recalled the memory from before I lost my consciousness. Evan was in danger. I was in a position to apologize, not to receive an apology. What about now? Is the fight over? Is Evan all right? This is a dream I don’t want to ever wake up from, but I didn’t have the time to be at leisure. I had to confirm his situation as soon as possible.

But I can’t break out of my dream, far from it. As he held me in his arms, Evan’s body temperature, breath, and voice were only becoming clearer and clearer.

I inadvertently put my palm on his body to push him away, but felt a firm, broad body unlike before and stopped. A thin garment was hiding his body under the palm of my hand, and below it, his temperature was hot. My cheeks and ears touching his body kept hearing the sound of his heart. His voice, continually apologizing, was heard throughout his body, sounding heavy as if he were speaking from a faraway place, in a cave. I felt very strange.

I could barely say a word after a long daze.

“…Evan?”

When I called out Evan’s name, he held my hand tightly over his body and bowed his head. I slowly lifted my face in the breath that I felt over my head. Evan was looking at me very closely. Full of anxiety, his red eyes captured me.

His eyes were no different from those of the boy Evan, but other than that, many things were different. The eyes, which held goodness but had also harbored deep sadness, became sharp, and the small, bumpy nose stretched out longer. His ever frowning eyebrows became thicker, and his soft jawline sharpened. And the lovely round face became manly.

I’ve seen Evan grow up almost every day, but it’s always been through the gray eyes of a shadow, and it’s the first time I’ve seen it so clearly. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen such vivid colors. The white and red, so intense they made me faint. They were as brilliant and beautiful as the sun. But on the other hand, it was frightening, for I dared not to look up into him closely.

“Nyx? Nyx, are you alright? Are you really okay?”

“…how?”

How? How could Evan be here? How can this not be a dream? Am I just having a vivid dream? Am I looking at another future?

I hurriedly raised my upper body. Sticking my chest up, I lifted myself up and looked down at him. He was lying down. Surprised by my actions, he was looking up with his eyes wide open, his white hair touched the floor and scattered about. Only then could I notice that I had been leaning on Evan’s arm. I finally realized that I had been lying down.

As I looked around, I could see the inside of the desolate tower. The only thing out of place was Evan and me lying down. And because I brought a lot of things to take care of the young Evan.

The inside of the tower seemed strangely brightened, and the curtains were pulled down. The penetrating light touched Evan and me. It was warm. It’s been a long time since the tower was so beautiful, warm, and bright. It was the first time since Evan left. Is it because Evan is here? Evan was the only one who could change the witch’s tower this way.

“Nyx, are you alright? You’re okay, right?”

When I looked around in a daze, Evan got up and looked at me. The bright light touched Evan and broke about, creating an aura. His white hair shone, and his red eyes glowed.

His eyes were full of apprehension. Every time his lips opened, he called the witch’s name, and with every sound of it, my heart sank. When he reached out and put his hand to my cheek again, it was burning hot. His previously small hand was big enough to cover my face. It was much different from looking at him with the eyes of a Shadow, the world of black and white, without the sense of touch, taste, smell. I was speechless with embarrassment. It was hard for me to even think.

Although his face had been tanned in the sun, when the light permeated through the window crevice and touched him, he glowed white and felt like a doll carved from ivory. At that moment, my face came to mind—my horribly dirty and gross face. I don’t want to show him this face so close in such a bright place.

I hurriedly pulled out his hand and turned around. I still can’t believe what’s going on. Is this a reality? or is this a dream? I can’t tell until I wake up, so I have to wait.

He looked at my hand and came a little closer. I tried to back down as much as I could, but his hand held me by the shoulder. I remembered the young man who remained only in my memory. At some point, Evan grew up enough to pin down the witch. I tried to cover my face using my hair because I was not confident looking into his eyes, but he grabbed my hair with his left hand as if he would not tolerate it. I stared down at the floor without hesitation.

“Nyx. Look at me. I just got here, and it’s been so long… Didn’t you miss me?”

I missed you. I was surprised by the overlapping voices of the young man in my memory with this Evan that was standing in front of me. Evan, who grew up into the young man in memory, was always so confusing, even though I knew that many things were different. I couldn’t forget.

“Hm? Didn’t you miss me?”

I missed you. Very much. I always wanted to see you even though I was always watching you. I wanted to keep you beside me like this. However, I was grateful that I at least could do so even if it were with the eyes of a shadow. But what about the current situation?

“Is this a dream? Are you a figment of my imagination?”

Evan looked at me with a distant eye, as if he were contemplating whether I had gone cuckoo. And soon, he burst into laughter. The frowning smile of his remained the same. I glanced at him and looked at the floor in a hurry.

“No, Nyx. This isn’t a dream.”

Though Evan’s voice went on, I couldn’t believe his answer, and so, I said nothing.

“You know, I can use my strength now. I can finally use my power.”

As soon as his words were finished, a white Light gathered around him. I couldn’t take my eyes off the Light. Like a swarm of white butterflies, the light passed over Evan’s body and went up to his face. Unknowingly, I followed it up, and there was Evan’s smiling face at the end. While I was dazed, Evan gave me a strong hug, turning my hair behind my neck, holding it with one hand.

“I’m sorry I’m late. I wanted to come a little earlier, but things didn’t go my way.”

Was that what he meant by saying sorry? Evan kept whispering that he was sorry, even though he didn’t have anything to apologize to me. I felt his heat, his heartbeat, and the warm light that had spread around him, and realized that this was reality. He really came to me.

Why? How?

I gave him a good shove.

“Go.”

His face strained with embarrassment. Evan’s lips were quivering, but I didn’t give him a chance to pout.

“Go back.”

Evan shouldn’t have come here. He had to live in the midst of people while forgetting about the witch. I believed it was going to happen. So, why is he here?

I felt uneasy. This was not what I wanted. It wasn’t in my plan. Evan’s pain grows bigger. The weight of the witch’s guilt is getting added. The witch felt guilty toward the hurting warrior and resented the reality that she had no choice but to drive him away again. Furthermore, the future of the witch is becoming unstable. Both the end of the witch and the hope of the world is becoming unstable. It is all the more important now to end her long and endless curse, which is so selfish and simply cruel.

I’d rather be a witch than miss you for leaving me all my life.

“Go back, never come here again.”

So Evan, please, forget about the witch.

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