A world bathed in crimson…
Blood…
It stained the entire world red…
Yes, it was blood.
To this day, blood had permeated this world.
Ah…
What exactly was I doing here?
Since when had I been here, utterly alone?
Between my clasped hands, it seemed I held something.
Slowly, I lowered my gaze.
Against my blood-soaked chest, a small figure rested.
It was a girl.
Her long hair, dyed crimson by the blood, lay scattered across my arm. Her eyes were tightly closed, faint streaks of blood marred her otherwise pristine face, and a faint smile graced her lips as she lay peacefully against my chest.
Involuntarily, my arms tightened, holding her close.
Ah, that’s right…
I wasn’t alone.
I had always been here… with her.
Gently, I wiped the blood from her face.
What lay before me was a serene countenance.
Yes… she and I… we had always been here.
In this world…
In this sorrowful world, where no one else existed.
A blood-red full moon illuminated this crimson world.
And in my arms, the girl’s tranquil, peaceful smile.
‘Let it continue like this forever,’ I thought to myself.
‘To stay together, always…’
‘Never having to face anything again…’
‘Never again… to be separated.’
‘Forever…’
“I have always, always kept our promise,” I murmured, gently resting her head upon my lap.
She offered no response, simply smiling as my hand stroked her silver-white hair.
“If only… if only I had realized sooner, things wouldn’t have turned out this way…” Large teardrops streamed down my cheeks, splashing onto her face like scattered pearls.
“I have always… lived well…”
“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.”
“What in the world are you doing here?! If you don’t hurry and escape, the Witch will devour the entire city!” A golden-haired girl suddenly appeared, roaring with fury.
“Run? Where would running take me?” I mumbled to myself.
“You!” The girl, utterly enraged, slapped me hard across the face. “How long are you going to wallow in self-pity?! Don’t forget who kept you alive! I’m telling you, you are mine—every single strand of hair, every drop of blood, from head to toe, all of it belongs to me! If you don’t know what to do, then I’ll give you the orders!”
“What… should I do?” I looked up, staring blankly at the girl before me.
“Listen carefully. Everyone in this city has fallen into a coma and is about to become the Witch’s meal. Very few are still conscious. With your combat strength, challenging that monster would be pure suicide. So listen up, your mission is… to save people.”
“…Huh?” I froze in surprise.
“Just save the people you want to save—your sister, and the girl you swore to protect. Don’t worry about anyone else’s lives. Hurry, I’ll buy you time.”
“What are you… going to do?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“Is that even a question? Of course, I’m going to…” She took a deep breath, then exhaled, her eyes hardening with resolve. “…go challenge that monster.”
“Don’t be ridiculous!” My voice suddenly rose. “You should know best! How could you possibly defeat a monster like that?! Instead of dying for trash like me, why don’t you just run?!”
“Hey, listen to me.” The girl bent down, grabbing my collar and looking intently into my eyes. “I am a Witch Hunter. It’s my duty to kill Witches. You are an ordinary person, someone I must protect with my life.”
She suddenly smiled, her voice softer than I had ever heard it, like a mother soothing a crying infant. “Alright, stand up. You’re not meant to die here. There are people in this world who love you. Go, save them like a hero. Don’t be like me, regretting everything only after losing it all…”
With those words, she stood, walking gracefully into the distance. All I could do was stare blankly as her figure receded.
‘What’s this? If things are like this, isn’t it just the same as before?’
‘I still… can’t do anything.’
****
‘No, that’s wrong.’
I understood. There was one thing I could do, one thing only I could do.
The old me had chosen to escape, but I was different now.
“Hey!” I called out loudly, stopping her in her tracks. The girl turned around.
Yes, I had finally realized.
Only one weapon could break another.
Therefore, only another Witch could kill a Witch.
I stared intently into her eyes, enunciating each word, using every ounce of my strength to utter that sentence.
“I… will become a Witch.”
👀👀👀