--he had a purpose.

A purpose he didn't want you to know about....

When I heard it from him, I realized that's why he had come up from that dark place, that's why he hadn't given up.

It was all ... to kill.

His goal was revenge.
Vengeance for those who had made a fool of him and oppressed him.

I couldn't stop him.
When he returned, he chose his words, but replied in a matter-of-fact manner.

-- that he had destroyed the country, and....

I knew killing someone was in the cards.
But I didn't think it would mean the end of a country.

I know that Nem is a loyal man, and I know that they didn't deny him.
And it occurred to him that the young Nem might not understand the magnitude of what he had done.

He said that he didn't regret it, and that he did.
Then I wouldn't deny him.
He's the only one I have....

Huh?　But I don't know why I would think that he's the only one.
What do I want from that man?

Sierra denied him.
She said that his conduct was wrong.
I think it's a good argument.
He has done so much.
But still, I won't deny him.

I do not deny Masamune.


Then I traveled a bit.
Then we visited the academy, Sierra left us, Sufilia joined us, and I didn't want to go, but we went to the dungeon.

Next thing I knew, Nito was called a hero and a dungeon conqueror.

Nito is still great.
But I was a fool for taking advantage of it.
Without Nito, I can't do anything.
I'm a demon race, but I can't even beat a human.
If it weren't for Nito, I would have died when the Empire targeted me.
If it weren't for Nito....



----.



'Masamune-kun?'

A chill ran down my spine when a woman appeared calling his name.
It was a strange feeling, like I was feeling someone else's emotions.

I asked (only) questions about the woman, but he didn't answer.
Just a childhood friend and ... that's all he would say.

I was holed up in the castle and the only friends I had were a pixie and Lisa, the maid.
No one else I knew other than that.
I was always alone, waiting for my father and mother and my sister who never came back.
Those were my days in the castle.


----.


--I'm not sure why I said "don't kill him" just now.

When he asked me that, something inside me went wrong.

-- 'Toa?　You don't remember?　What did Toa say?　"Let him go?

I don't know...

I don't know if you asked me that.

Nito is ... what are you talking about?

..........

I just.........

...I don't know.

What was I ... doing?

-- 'Toa, you don't have to think about it anymore. Just breathe slowly.'

I can hear Nito's ... the voice of Masamune.

I don't like this place I can't see anything.

Nobody there.



.........



Then all of a sudden, my vision cleared up.
Then I realized that Masamune was next to me.

'It's okay.......it's all right........'

My voice? .........

My voice came out instantly.
For a moment, it was me speaking, as if it wasn't me.
But immediately it became me.
It was like coming to my senses, and then it was me.

I don't know...

What's wrong with me....




----.




　That night, I had a dream.
I knew immediately that I was dreaming.

"This is....

Strangely, I found my voice.
I've never been able to speak so freely in a dream.

It was in the forest.
The trees were swaying in the wind, and the sun was shining through the leaves.
I can hear birds chirping and all kinds of "voices".

I walked through the forest alone.
I know this forest.
It's the one by the castle.
That's where I was attacked by a leowolf when I was a child.
I haven't been here since.
Father told me to stay away from the forest.
Soon after that, I was forbidden to leave the forest and couldn't go there, even if I wanted to.

"What?

Then the forest suddenly began to buzz.
It was as if the forest was alive and well.
The trees rustled and looked down at me.
It was as if they were rejecting me...

I got scared and started running.

I wanted to get out of the woods.
I didn't want to be here.
It's all I have in here is solitude.
But why is there nothing but loneliness here?
I don't know why.
How do we know that the only thing we can do is to be alone?　I don't understand it.
But clearly I have an understanding of this forest inside me.

-- there's nothing here but solitude.

I ran.
And the more I want to get out of the forest, the deeper my body goes into it.
A castle in the distance.
The more I run, the thicker the fog gets.
And the more I seek out the light, the more the sun that should have been shining around me disappears.

'Huh? .....

Then, suddenly, the forest was shrouded in darkness.
I didn't even know if it was morning or afternoon.
But now I know it's night.
Because the sky had already lost its light.

'Why? ...Why?

I ran on and on, almost being consumed by fear.
My body wasn't tired, but only my breathing was ragged.

Then my feet stopped, and I was out of the forest.
But I was still in the forest.
I could see the forest in the distance.
The forest is still surrounded by it.

This is a place where the forest was once cut off.
There was a small lake, and the light of the sky reflected in the surface of the water swayed.
Slowly, I looked into the water's surface.
Naturally, I could see myself there.

I looked up and checked my surroundings once.

''As I recall ... once before.

Well.....
I've been here once.
But I can't remember when I came here.
I haven't been to the forest since then.
So you mean before that?

I can't remember.

I don't know what...

...What's that?

Then I saw something on the surface of the lake.
It was in shadow, and I couldn't see what was floating there.
It wasn't small or big.
It is slowly approaching us.

Strangely, I seemed to know what it was.
But I don't understand.
I don't know what it is, even though I should know.
I can't remember.

I strained my eyes and tried to see what it was.

'No need to look...'

Then I heard a voice behind me.

I turned back reflexively, startled by the sudden sound of the voice.

''You don't need to know now. You'll remember it anyway, you'll remember it sooner or later...'

Oh, you're...

I couldn't understand the scene.
I was just confused and asked.

"Why do you ... look like me ...

"Of course you do.　Because I am you........?

It was 'me' there, with the same face as me.

''Why.....''

Is that not a word?　Apparently, you're perplexed, aren't you?　But that's what you wanted, right?　I was born because you wanted me to be then.'

What do you mean? .........What on earth are you talking about?

It was a perfect 'me'.
The same hair color, skin color, height, eyes, even the clothes.
It was all me.

'He's kind, isn't he?'

What?

"Because, don't you?　'Because they have a selfish, naive, cowardly woman like you at their side?'

'I' smiled wryly as he said that.
I don't know the meaning or reason for that smile, but emotions flow into me.

'Good for you, right?　Did you find her?

Did you get to meet her?　What do you mean...?

"What?　Are you trying to flirt with me?　You know what I mean.　That mirror reflects the depths of what you see. It reflects the deepest wishes of all.　You knew that from the beginning, didn't you?　So you looked in the mirror. You knew it was the Mirror of the World, and you looked into it.

I'm....

'That's how you found him, right?　He's strong enough to not give up when he's hurt, and to treat a giant with his tiny body...''

'I don't know what you're talking about!

'It can't be, can it?　Meeting him wasn't a coincidence. I'm telling you, it's all because you wanted it to be?　And you know it. You know that, and you're using him.'

"Use?

I had no idea what 'I' was talking about.
None of it.....
But there's also a sense of knowing.
So I couldn't deny it.

He can do what he can't easily do. He can easily do what he can't do, and he doesn't give up even when he's hurt. Because he was hurting from the beginning. And he understands your pain. If you talk to him, he'll understand. And when he finds out, he'll make sure you get it. And he will do whatever it takes to make your wish come true. And he will make your grief go away. Because you have that much 'charm'. He's already fascinated by you. And you're aware of it.

'Yes!　That doesn't make sense! You know the answer to that, don't you?

Then 'I' interrupted me, and then grinned again with a scowl.

'I'm telling you,'

....

...because it's all you ever wanted.

"...what do you mean...

"Since you looked in that mirror, no ... before you looked in that mirror, you wanted to.

'So!　What I want ... "to kill that woman...

The 'I' interrupts me again.

'Have you forgotten?　You want to kill that woman. After telling him not to kill her so much, aren't you the one who wants someone dead the most?'

Hey wait a minute. I'm going to kill whoever it is.

That's when I heard a sound from the water behind me.
It's a small sound, like when a bubble appears on the surface of the water.
I reflexively try to verify it.
But.....

'I don't need to see it I don't need to be reminded of it right now.

I didn't turn around and just looked at 'me'.

But....

Why did the word 'but' come up?
I said, trying to resist the 'I' word.
But I don't know why I was trying to resist.
But I have a feeling that I need to turn around and look at it right now.

No I'm behind the ... well ...

'-- You don't have to look. You don't need to be reminded of it now, because that's what I'm here for, okay?　Everything will be fine.

Does it work? ...What does that mean...?

"You'll see. It's all because you wanted it to be...

As soon as the "I" told me that, I suddenly felt a sensation of dizziness.
Then I blinked, and when I opened my eyes, it wasn't a forest, it was just darkness.
Everywhere I looked, it was darkness.
The 'I' that should have been in front of me was no longer there.

Then, from somewhere, I heard a voice.


-- 'Okay?　Thea. We'll always be together, right?　I'll be watching over you the whole time...


.........


Who? .........


I hear someone's voice.
A voice that sounds familiar...


Then, for some reason, tears spontaneously flowed down my face.

'Why? .....

I don't know.


Who is that voice?




-- "Toa..."




It's calling me.
I hear a familiar voice calling me.


But... what?


What's this? .........


Nostalgia, sadness.

And then ... the next thing that was in me was





I want to kill...





--It was a murderous intent.


'I want to kill ... that ... that ... that woman ... if I don't kill her ...'

But I don't know who it is.
I don't know why it wants to kill me.

I don't know anything.
I don't know, but only the emotion is flowing into me.
All I could feel was the feeling that I wanted to kill it.

And then I felt dizzy again.
I felt dizzy to the point of losing consciousness.
My eyelids spontaneously fell down and I just lost consciousness.



The next time I opened my eyes, I saw the ceiling in front of me.

"...here...

I knew immediately.
I had already woken up from my dream.

When I sit up, I find Sufilia and Nem in the other bed.
His bed is also empty today.

"Huh...

What was that dream about?
Even though it was a dream, I still remember it clearly.
I remember the words of "I" in the dream.

But I naturally stopped worrying about it, because I couldn't help thinking about it.
I stopped thinking as if someone was leading me to it.
I questioned it for a moment.
Why am I trying to stop thinking?
But soon enough, the question was gone.

Then I get off the bed and leave the room.

As always.....