Crown of Thorns

3-4

CHAPTER 3

Translator & editor : Cuties

The boy did not come often. So I could notice the little changes in his growth every time he came. I felt stuffy because he seemed to be informing me of the time. "The world is going as well as ever except for you," he seemed to say, "you will suffer in a time that will never move forward."

The boy brought something with him every time he came. Things like books that could kill time. But the time they made me forget was so insignificant that they were of little use. I just kept them all in one place and tried to ignore them.

As I sat still leaning against the wall, the boy also sat beside me and looked at the darkness.

"Is this fun? Don't you get sick of it?"

Whatever I did, it was the same in the end. There was no way to spend infinite time. There couldn't be a way to kill eternal time. I just wanted to forget it all. How long it's been and how much more I have to spend.

But I couldn't forget time because of the boy. I saw traces of it in the boy's appearance, and I could feel each passing day as I fell into a routine when I was with him, and when he didn't come, time seemed to go slower.

The boy hugged his knees close and reclined his head on his arms, looking at me fixedly. I don't know what he wants from me. Perhaps he was my new tormentor. Because nothing is more painful than feeling the passage of time for me.

"You're a witch. Don't you think escaping a tower like this one would be a piece of cake for you?"

I didn't get away. There was no point leaving if I were going to be alone anyway. It was better to wait alone for my time in here.

But the boy was ruining it.

I stared into the darkness without answering. This young warrior can't understand a witch.

"What's your name?"

"Witch."

I was a witch. My name has long since been forgotten. The person who called it was not around. The world called me a witch and I also thought I was a witch. The witch did not need a name.

The boy said in reply to my answer.

"I don't have a name, either."

Burying his face between his knees, he continued.

"Is it still a name if nobody calls it? No. The day my brother died, my name died with him."

It was a funny thing. A witch and a warrior without names. I said, ducking my head away from the shiny white hair on the side.

"He must've died because of me."

At my words the boy raised his head.

The first day he came, he pointed a sword at me and said that people are dying because of me. They don't want to die. It's not time for them die yet, but they're dying anyway. Because of me.

The boy had come to kill me after losing someone who was close to him. Because I killed that someone. Because I'm a witch.

It's only a matter of time before the weak young warrior points his sword to me gain.

*

Time dragged on.

I was in the process of trying to kill my mind because I couldn't kill my body, but after meeting the boy, my efforts were ruined. The passage of time felt slower as emotions revived. Until when do I have live like this?