Finally, the night came.
　In the silence where not even the insects chirped, a faint sob melted away.

Hee, hoo, hoo, ...... .......

　In the darkened room, Charlotte was crying in a hushed voice.
　This is not her room. It was a pantry in the basement of the main residence. Naturally, there were no windows, and the air was cold and sharp. The darkness that fills the space is so thick you can't even see your own fingertips.

　From time to time, Cordelia would accompany Charlotte to her studies.
　Ostensibly, she was a kind mother watching over her daughter.
　But that's not what she is.
　Cordelia punished Charlotte when she made mistakes, when she couldn't answer a question, when she failed.

"Why can't you do this?
"You're an embarrassment to the Evans family. ......!
Why do you have to be ......!　If it weren't for you, I'd be ......!

　It was like a storm.
　The tutors only paled, and no one tried to stop them. All Charlotte could do was keep her voice down and try to hold on.

　Cordelia had been reasonably nice to Charlotte in the past.
　It was obvious that she didn't like her, but she wanted to keep up the pretense of father and daughter. Then, years after Natalia was born, ...... one day, all of a sudden, things changed.

　She became the enemy of Charlotte and hated her. The reason for this was not clear to me.

　Her father, the head of the family, seemed to have no interest in her. No matter how much Cordelia tortured Charlotte, he never paid attention to her. In the first place, he was often not at home.

　To make matters worse, today he had dropped the medicine Natalia had given him when he had been struck.
　Even though it was assumed that she had stolen something from the house, Charlotte did not say anything. She did not say anything because she did not want her sister to be affected.
　Cordelia had no interest in her own child, Natalia, and had never been violent with her. But even so, it was easy to foresee the repercussions if it became clear that she had sided with Charlotte.

　Thus, Charlotte accepted her punishment and was trapped in this darkness.

　I don't want to be here. But she knew that no amount of crying and screaming would help.
　In fact, the punishment could get worse. ...... All Charlotte could do was endure.

"Uh-uh-uh-uh .......

　I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared. I'm scared.
　I hate the dark. I hate the pain. I don't want to be lonely.
　But then I suddenly realize .......

(Here at ......, at least it doesn't hurt.)

　There's only darkness here.
　There is no one to laugh at Charlotte, no one to hurt her. It's a little hard not to see her sister, but ...... she should still be able to breathe much easier than outside.

　As soon as I thought that, the darkness around me stirred.
　They took on a definite shape and clung to Charlotte. A rough, fleshless hand. It was her own hand.
　Dozens of them, entwining Charlotte's body.

　Eventually, the darkness and the boundary of her body blended together, and Charlotte slowly closed her eyelids.


　If I just let the darkness consume me...
　Don't think, don't suffer, just sleep slowly.


Damp, damp, damp, it's not healthy!
"......?


　Boom, boom, boom!


　Suddenly, a joke of a roar ripped through the darkness.
　Suddenly, a joking roar split the darkness.

　And there was light. There was a hole in the wall, as if it had been breached, and beyond it, in contrast to the darkness, was a white world. And there stood a young man clad in ...... robes.

　Kuro and white hair. A frown on his face like the end of the world.
　It was an unfamiliar young man (・・・・・・・・).

"Oh, you're ......?
"Huh?　Oh, um. Yes, .......

　The young man ponders for a moment, then says crisply.

"I'm the Great Demon King. I'm here to kidnap you.
"What ......?
Come on, don't be shy. Come here. You should leave this place as soon as possible.

　The young man who called himself the Great Demon King extended his right hand without hesitation.
　His face was not covered with a black shroud. The place he was in was bright and warm, nothing like this darkness.
　But still ...... Charlotte shook her head.



"No, sir. ......
What?
I'm afraid of ...... outside. But there's nothing here. ......

　And so Charlotte hung her head.
　The darkness still clings to her body, gripping her and refusing to let go. She appeals that this is the only place where Charlotte can live.
　She should be...

It's okay.
".......

　The young man steps out into the darkness and kneels down in front of Charlotte.
　He says with a gentle smile.

I'll never let go of your hand. I swear I'll protect you from anything. So let's go to .......

　And once again, he reaches out his right hand.
　Charlotte gulped. Instinctively, she lifted her right hand and ...... gently touched his hand.
　Instantly, like a balloon bursting, the darkness popped and the light repainted everything in the world.