[User] “I wish I could have watched you all a little longer,” someone said, and Oscar came to. Evidently, he’d lost consciousness for a moment. It felt like he’d been sitting in this little gray room talking to an unfamiliar young man forever.

[Assistant] He didn’t recognize the other occupant, who was sitting at the empty table with him. Oscar sank back into a soft chair. His wife’s head lay in his lap; she was asleep and breathing peacefully, legs curled under her on the ground. Locks of her long hair swept gracefully across the floor of the chamber.

[User] Calmly, though with obvious regret, the man admitted, “I wanted to save you humans. Isn’t it sad when a mother loses her child? I wanted to let her do things over. That’s all. I hoped to give all of you a chance to overwrite whatever mournful or cruel thing occurred, if that was what you wished to do.”

[Assistant] “Even if it drove our world to the brink of destruction? Sometimes you save one thing only to give rise to another tragedy entirely.”

[User] “I thought that you humans would do something about it, should that come to pass. I only meant to expand your options and permit you to make repeated attempts, however many times you needed.”

[Assistant] “We didn’t need that. We’ll handle things on our own.”

[User] Their back-and-forth had gone on for ages now. It felt like the same conversation had repeated for a very long time, but also like it had only just begun. All in the small windowless room was gray, like an endlessly rainy day. Tinasha’s rhythmic breathing was the only sound.

[Assistant] The man cracked a sliver of a pained smile. “You don’t need it? I thought you might say that. But our power already permeates the two of you. Now you can remember all of the lifetimes you’ve lived before, too, can’t you? There’s the proof. You’re just like the humans linked to that tool, but much more powerful. When you die, your souls will not dissolve back into the world as other humans’ souls do. You will keep drifting as foreign objects, divorced from your humanity.”

[User] “Foreign objects?”

[Assistant] When he destroyed Eleterria, two forces—the artifact’s power and Akashia’s—poured into Oscar and Tinasha. A transformation capable of changing the world had filled the pair. No ordinary ending was possible for them. It was Oscar’s responsibility that such an unprecedented end had come and that Tinasha had gotten wrapped up in this. However, he knew that Tinasha would smile and say, “I’m glad we’re in it together.” That brought him both comfort and pain.

[User] “If it all gets too unbearable, we’ll figure something out. I know she will, at the very least.”

[Assistant] As long as he had Akashia, he could at least free her.

[User] But the man tilted his head at Oscar quizzically. “Are you truly all right with that?


[User] “You might wind up alone for eternity.”

[Assistant] “I’m fine. I’ve already received so much.”

[User] “Why have you interfered in our world?”

[Assistant] “Because it’s our role to make contact with you and accumulate knowledge. Although, all of us have different reasons. I do it because I’m interested in you. I would have liked to watch you for as long as possible… But the woman who made your sword told me I was being arrogant.”

[User] “Rightly so.”

[Assistant] “Meddling in others’ affairs is an arrogant act, no matter how you go about it.” The man stated, his voice dripping with undisguised self-loathing.

[User] “Don’t you care that your tool’s been destroyed?”

[Assistant] “It’s merely the result of you humans trying things out. And besides, nothing’s settled yet.”

[User] “Because there are still other artifacts?” Oscar sighed, getting to his feet. He picked up Tinasha, still asleep, cradling her to his chest.


[Assistant] A little door appeared on a gray wall. As Oscar headed for it, the man’s voice stopped him.

[User] “Going back already? The world is waiting for you two. You’ve finally appeared—beings who can battle against our devices. It won’t let you go until all of them are gone.”

[Assistant] “I don’t care.”

[User] Oscar heard the man offer,

[Assistant] “Then go on and give it a try. Keep trying.”

[User] He opened the door and stepped out into nothing.

[Assistant] “The world and I will give you the transformation you need to keep fighting.”


[User] Sitting with his chin in his hands and a bored look on his face in the dining room of a little inn. Sulking, he muttered, “Ugh, I wanted to go to the castle city. I wanted to see the Festival of Aetea.”

[Assistant] Sitting at the same table as the innkeeper’s son responded with a smile. She’d been a guest of the tavern for two days now. The black-haired woman sipped at her water as she listened to him. “Is it the three hundred and forty-second Festival of Aetea this year? Yes, that’s too bad.”

[User] “They took me last year and everything, too. Have you ever been, miss?”

[Assistant] “I have. I’ve even lived in the castle city.”

[User] “Aww, I’m so jealous… I wanna live there when I’m older.”

[Assistant] Overhearing him in the kitchen, she shouted back, “Don’t be ridiculous!”

[User] Automatically, the boy flinched.

[Assistant] Broke into peals of laughter. Once she was done, she grinned. “Instead of the festival, how about I tell you a very old, very fascinating story?”

[User] “What kind of old story?”

[Assistant] “It’s an ancient legend passed down in Farsas about a king and a witch.”

[User] Stared at the woman’s red lips, which were stretched in a beautiful smile. Though he gaped at her for a moment, he took the bait right away. “Do witches really exist? I thought they were a myth.”

[Assistant] “They did, a long time ago, though no one knows where they are now.”

[User] “What? No way that’s true. How does the story go?”

[Assistant] Her expression turned bewitching. And with a melodious tone, she recited the tale. “Once upon a time, in the land to the west of Farsas, there stood an azure tower just beyond the border. The spire was filled with traps and monsters, and a witch lived on the top floor. Those who made it past all her trials and climbed to the top would be granted a wish. However, none had succeeded at the challenge in dozens of years.”

[User] “Wow. Is the tower still there?”

[Assistant] “Not anymore. It was old and dangerous. Anyway, a prince of Farsas became interested in the tower and climbed it alone, though it was very foolish of him. But he was powerful and made it to the top floor, where he met the witch…”

[User] Eyes sparkled as he pressed the woman to continue.

[Assistant] She closed her eyes and smiled as she launched into the next part. “First, he asked to duel the witch to test his strength.”

[User] “Wow! Who won?”

[Assistant] “The witch beat him handily, of course. She flattened him into a pancake.”

[User] “Yikes…” That was an unexpected twist.


[User] The boy had been expecting a traditional tale of valor, and he hung his head in disappointment.

[Assistant] The woman giggled and waved a hand comfortingly as she went on. "The prince was strong nonetheless, so for his wish, he requested that the witch train him. Reluctantly, the witch accepted. Before long, he became as strong as the witch. By the time the prince was king…the witch had fallen in love with him."

[User] "What?! Are you joking?!"

[Assistant] "I’m very serious. Then the witch moved out of the tower and married him. The Farsas royal family carries their blood to this day."

[User] "I—I don’t believe that. I mean, she’s a witch! Wasn’t she all wrinkly?" The boy objected, which made the woman burst out laughing.

[Assistant] "You should ask your history teacher. This story is fairly well-known."

[User] "It is? Okay, then I’ll ask tomorrow."

[Assistant] The woman nodded and took a sip from her glass. Her unique eyes, the color of darkness, caught the light of the candles and sparkled.

[User] "Tinasha! What are you doing playing around? It’s time to go." A voice boomed from the doorway to the dining room.

[Assistant] "Oh, right. Sorry." answered the woman, tying her long black hair back in a ponytail as she stood and headed to join her companion at the door.


[User] The young man set down an amount of money that covered their lodging fees and then some. "Thanks for the hospitality."

[Assistant] The inn proprietress came out from the kitchen and bowed to her departing guests.

[User] Her son did the same. "See you, miss. Thanks for the story." He waved as he watched the woman follow her companion and depart.

[Assistant] The proprietress narrowed her eyes, puzzling. "That sword… Never mind, it couldn’t be. I saw the king carrying it just last year."

[User] "What? I wanna see the king, too!" her son whined.

[Assistant] "Next year, dear. Next year." she placated before returning to the kitchen.


[Assistant] The pair left the inn and made their way outside the town. Lights began to shine from the windows of village homes, and the woman admired the view.

[User] The man grinned at her. "That was quite the tale you told back there."

[Assistant] “You heard that?! It isn’t nice to eavesdrop, you know!”

[User] “Lots of stuff happened after we got married, too. Don’t cut the story off so soon.”

[Assistant] “All of that is recorded for posterity in the castle archives. Old fairy tales don’t need to be completely accurate,” she responded with a giggle.

[User] He gave her a fond look before he remembered something else. “Who did you say flattened who into a pancake again?”

[Assistant] “Ow, ow, ow!”

[User] “I’ll flatten you right now!” he growled, pressing fists against her temples.

[Assistant] “I went too far! I’m sorry!” she cried, begging for mercy. Once he released her, she rubbed at her head, teary-eyed.

[User] He stuck his tongue out at her. “Well, I suppose it’s the truth. But I wouldn’t lose now.”

[Assistant] “I look forward to finding out,” she replied with a grin.

[User] “I’m ready whenever you are,” he returned, nodding in satisfaction. But as he glanced down at himself, an annoyed look stole across his handsome features. “It’s just hard to use a body that’s not fully grown yet. Yeah, it’s nice that we can be reborn when the world commands it or whatever, but it’s a hassle right now.”

[Assistant] Their souls could not dissolve back into the world, even upon death. Such was the gift bequeathed to them by the world, to use them after their transformation into foreign entities. After they perished, it would only take a few decades before they obtained new bodies. They would search for babies that had lost their souls before birth, and they would take their forms to be reborn. Ahead of them was a war with no end in sight. To erase all outside interference in the world, they tracked down outsiders’ artifacts and destroyed them. These two were the weapons of that fight. Such a long journey would likely take them beyond the mainland. They would cross the sea, move into new time periods, and keep trying. No one could say how long it would take to end. But that was the task the world had assigned them. The pair were artifacts in the shape of people, crafted from transformed souls. Someday, their truly eternal destiny might become unbearable. Each time one witnessed the death of the other, the grief and loss might wear away at their psyche a little more. But they were perfectly happy for the moment, because neither was alone.

[User] The woman explained matter-of-factly, “Our physical bodies appear to be designed to stop growing naturally at the age when we are most fit for battle. Essentially, we’re young forever. Although if it bothers you, I can use magic to age you up a little.”

[Assistant] “It’s fine.


[User] “I’ll only have to bear with it for a few more years.”

[Assistant] At that, the woman happily latched on to his arm. “I like seeing you at this age. It’s fresh and new, which makes it fun.”

[User] “If you enjoy it, then I suppose it’s worthwhile.”

[Assistant] “I’d like to see you even littler, too. I’m sure you were adorable. Oh, but don’t die on me anymore. I was so lonely waiting for you…” A shadow abruptly passed over her dark eyes. She tightened her hold on his arm, seeming anxious.

[User] To reassure her, the man smiled. “Understood. I’ll be careful. In exchange, you’re not allowed to go out on solo missions. You always get some mortal injury or another right away.”

[Assistant] “What’s a bit of an injury if I still win?”

[User] “I don’t know if I would consider ‘riddled with holes all over your body to be a bit of an injury,” he responded dryly, sounding entirely unamused.

[Assistant] She gazed up at him raptly. “No matter if it takes decades or centuries for you to come back, I will find you. I’ll track you down even if you don’t have your memories. We’ll fall in love all over again.” She spoke of pure and everlasting love. An affection that would surpass eternity, as it had once already. That feeling was enough to carry them through the ever-changing times. It sounded like a wedding vow.

[User] The man broke into a broad grin. “I’m very glad to hear that. Oh, but I should tell you that you’re extremely bad at winning a man’s heart. You come on way too strong. If I don’t remember you and you’re all over me, it’s going to be a bit of a turnoff.”

[Assistant] “Hey! Don’t you think that’s a little rude?! I could say the same thing about you!”

[User] “I watch and wait before making my move, adjusting my approach as I go.”

[Assistant] “I don’t see the difference!” she whined. Then her mouth pursed into a decided pout. “I think it’s fine either way. We have all the time in the world, after all. I can wait for you to come around, even if it takes a hundred years.”

[User] “That’s exactly the sort of creepy behavior I’m talking about.” The man sighed. Despite his admonishments, the two of them would never see eye to eye on this. It was pointless to hope she would use a more roundabout approach, but that was also proof of how deep her feelings for him ran. Despite his grimace, he finally cut to the chase. “I heard a rumor that something that could be an outsiders’ artifact is in some lord’s domain in the north.”

[Assistant] “I hope it’s true. That would make our fifth one, if so.”

[User] “Let’s take it easy as we investigate. Once we’re done, we can go see the ocean or something. It’s been a while.”

[Assistant] “As you wish,” she replied, and the pair departed from town.


[User] Night fell swiftly around them while the man commanded the dragon to change its size. The pair boarded the dragon’s back and soared into the air. Down below, the lights of the city after dark were a sea of glittering gems.

[Assistant] The woman smiled at the twinkling ocean, the flickers of human life.

[User] The man wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Then this entirely uncommon pair vanished into the night on a dragon’s back. The story of the king and the fifth witch faded into the annals of history as an ancient fairy tale. Eventually, no one remained who could recall their names. All the stories in the world gave rise to others, stacked in libraries to be read over and over. But they would never be overwritten again. So it went, a fragment of an unnamed memory.


[User] Tinasha sat up with a gasp. She was in a dark, unfamiliar room. The window showed it was night outside; no lamp or candle lit the room. There was only the pale bluish light of the moon. As she attempted to calm her panting, gasping breaths, she gazed down at herself—and froze. She wasn’t wearing anything. Instinctively, she hugged her knees and head to her chest, curling into a ball.

[Assistant] "Why…?"

[User] "What is it?" he asked beside her. Lying on his stomach, he lifted his head to look at her. His eyes were as blue as the sky right after dusk.

[Assistant] She knew him, yet his name wasn’t coming to her right away. Why couldn’t she recall it? They were clearly close enough to share a bed. That made Tinasha realize she didn’t even know her own name. While that left her aghast and stupefied, she had to get it together. Pulling up the blankets to cover herself, she inquired, "Who are you, and who am I, and where are we…?"

[User] The inquiry prompted the man to give her the strangest look. He sat up, leaned back against the pillows, and then answered, "I wondered why you woke up so randomly. Are you still half-asleep? I’m your husband, the king of Farsas. You’re my queen, a witch, and the heir to Old Tuldarr. We’re in the royal bedchamber of the castle. Do you need me to tell you our names, too?"

[Assistant] “Oh!” That was enough to jog her mind and fill in the blanks. She was born four centuries before and became a witch on the eve of her country’s destruction. Her name was Tinasha. After many twists and forks in the road, she became his wife. Tinasha had no idea how she could have forgotten such a thing, even if she had trouble with waking up. "Sorry… I guess I was half-asleep."

[User] "Sure seemed like it. It’s the middle of the night," Oscar said with a little grin.

[Assistant] That smile filled Tinasha with such fond familiarity that she felt instantly at ease. All the tension drained from her body. He reached out to ruffle her hair, and she blushed. "It was like…I had a dream of a time that wasn’t this one…and it felt like it took a really, really long time to get here," she muttered.

[User] "A dream of the past, maybe? You have lived twenty times longer than I have," Oscar remarked with a smirk.


[User] “You’ve worked hard.” His eyes softened. The warmth of his sympathy for the centuries his wife had lived was her reward for those long years of loneliness. He wanted to spend the rest of his life giving her warmth and love.

[Assistant] Tinasha savored a feeling of happiness before she joked, “I certainly don’t feel twenty times more mature than you.”

[User] “Yeah, you peaked a long time ago, considering how short-tempered and socially awkward you are. I don’t mind, though.”

[Assistant] “Stop treating me like a little kid!” she protested, although she was grinning. After living for eons and choosing to separate herself from other humans, she had concluded that she was an anomaly. Such was the nature of a witch, and she was the strongest, though still shackled by deep feelings for her homeland. Yet despite how warped she was, he never denied her identity as a witch, nor did he give up any part of himself to do it. He simply invited her to stand next to him. Ever since she met him, she had enjoyed the most fulfilling time of her whole life. That was why she’d elected to live the rest of her days as his loving wife and as a force he kept in check. “I’m very happy right now. I’m glad I finally found you.” This was the most joyful and safest place. She had no worries or anxieties. All she needed was for this to go on forever. Tinasha gave him a bright smile.

[User] But Oscar frowned at the sight of it. "What’s wrong?”

[Assistant] “What? Nothing,” Tinasha replied, but then she realized her vision was blurring. “Huh?” She pinched the bridge of her nose. Maybe she’d awoken from that dream so suddenly that her emotions were still out of whack. I have the strangest sense that I’m a young girl in love, somewhere in time. I’m thinking about wanting to wear a wedding dress. What would be making her feel that way? Tinasha had already married Oscar. She met him not as a naive little girl, not as an ice queen, but as a witch with four hundred years of ennui behind her. Curiously, she still felt a twinge of incongruity. It was as though her longing for the dream lingered within her like the traces of a fragrance. Over the blankets, Tinasha pressed a hand to her chest. “I don’t know. I feel as if…I didn’t get to marry you. That’s the sense I’m getting.”

[User] “Are you sure you’re okay?” Oscar questioned, not with exasperation but with genuine concern. And it was no wonder. There were too many discrepancies in this reality. Tinasha’s memories were getting all muddled. Something that should be there had vanished…

[Assistant] Tinasha swallowed whatever was swirling within her. “I’m…fine.”

[User] “I hope so. Don’t stay up any longer. Just go back to sleep. You’ll make it even harder for yourself come morning,” he said softly, reaching out to wrap both arms around her waist and draw her in.


[User] "He-hey!" Tinasha yelped reflexively, but she couldn’t do anything to stop it.

[Assistant] As the confused woman was pulled back into place next to him, the sensation of her skin sliding directly against Oscar’s made her feel distinctly uncomfortable.

[User] Tinasha tried to crawl out of his arms. "This is too—"

[Assistant] Her behavior made Oscar frown. "What is it? Why are you moving away?"

[User] "I—I mean, that felt really weird, okay?! I’ve never done that before!"

[Assistant] "You’re funny…" Oscar sighed, rubbing at his temples.

[User] She flailed in an attempt to break free, but she was no match for the king’s toned arms, which held her fast.

[Assistant] "Looks like you’re still asleep. Guess I should do something to wake you up," Oscar whispered, dipping his head to place a kiss along her nape.

[User] She screeched like a cat. "Wait! I said wait! Something’s not right!"

[Assistant] "You’re acting weird. What’s up with you?"

[User] "Let’s just talk! Let me go!"

[Assistant] "Not yet," Oscar refused, pinning Tinasha down as she squirmed beneath him.

[User] Even she wasn’t certain why it felt wrong. There was simply a definite feeling of abnormality. As Tinasha thrashed around, one of her feet knocked against a cold, hard object of some kind that had no place in a bed. She frowned. "Wait, there’s something here."

[Assistant] "Something as in what, exactly?" Oscar asked, lifting his head.

[User] She scrambled out from under him and fumbled around under the sheets for it. Then her hand closed around it. "Here it is." The pair of them gazed down at a blue jewel etched with sigils along its surface. Something deep in her memory whispered, I know what this is.

[Assistant] "Ah!" she cried as waves and waves of memories abruptly flooded her mind.

[User] The sheer volume of so many chronicles and lifetimes lived repeatedly was enough to send her reeling. In some, she never became a witch and perished along with her country. While in others, she died as a young child. There were a few where she perished after becoming a witch. A few lifetimes came and went without her ever meeting Oscar. A couple she spent alone. In so many, she died before ever having the chance for atonement. Others had her perishing from a sudden danger that arose once everything was over. That she could wind up in his arms at all after her fate had changed so many times was nothing short of a miracle, the end point of an indescribable series of events. This memory was like a dream, which was why she felt so happy and loved here. So much so that she would choose to return to this point from any other in time and space. Tinasha buried her face in her hands and abruptly broke into muffled sobs, leaving Oscar flummoxed.

[Assistant] He wrapped his arms around her soft form. Using a finger to tip her chin up, he gazed into her dark eyes. "What is it? What happened?"

[User] "Oscar…" Slowly, Tinasha blinked.


[User] Her eyes were wet with pearly tears. She took a shuddery breath and then gave him a melancholy smile. "I’ve traveled such a very long way… Will you listen to me?" The beseeching expression she turned on him was beautiful.

[Assistant] It had been a long time since he’d seen her with that look, and it had been equally as long since he’d watched her cry. Oscar dropped a soft kiss onto her lips. "Yes. Tell me."

[User] So Tinasha launched into the full story of Eleterria and the history that no longer existed.

[Assistant] After hearing everything, Oscar let out a long, hard sigh. "That’s quite a tale. I don’t believe a word of it."

[User] "I suppose you wouldn’t," Tinasha said with a pained look as she glanced over at the Eleterria orb on the bedside table. It was the blue one, which should have been locked tight within the Tuldarr treasure vault in the normal flow of events.

[Assistant] "Tuldarr, huh? I would’ve liked to see it," Oscar remarked nonchalantly, making Tinasha’s heart ache. The people who loved and protected her motherland were all gone. In this world, that country had fallen to ruin four centuries before. In lifetime after countless lifetime, there was only one in which Tuldarr survived. But that instance was already lost to the sands of time; nothing of it remained. A half-cracked Eleterria had deemed it a dead end and initiated a rewind.

[User] "In the end, I couldn’t…save Tuldarr," Tinasha murmured, pressing her palms against her closed eyelids. Her regret turned to tears; Legis’s last smile surfaced in her memory. Tuldarr was like some illusory phantom, a country she had possibly dreamed up at some point. But it was no fantasy. Despite the fact that it didn’t exist now and that the alterations in time had erased it, that nation and the people who’d lived in it were there. She would be the only one to recall the beauty of the city lights and the days she’d experienced. Had the people of Tuldarr been truly happy? It was useless to answer that; it would make for a poor consolation. "There is no world where everyone is happy." So Valt had said. Had he been correct? The world kept spinning as tragedy and salvation intertwined like a pair of lovers. It was impossible to rescue everything. Someone would always be screaming with grief at any given moment. Tinasha had survived with her country once, and now she was left alone again. Her eyelashes stirred.

[Assistant] With his thumb, Oscar gently wiped away the tears from her cheeks. "Was it a good country?"

[User] "Yes… Very much so." Tinasha would need a little more time to process the blow of losing her country a second time. Through Tinasha’s story, Oscar had learned about Eleterria. After a bit of hesitation, she also revealed the full truth of his mother’s death, which he listened to with astonishment. Then he let out a little sigh, not seeming mixed-up over it in the slightest.


[User] "To be honest, sometimes I would see this silhouette flash through my mind, one I’d never glimpsed before. I guess that was…a remnant of the memories that got sealed away. Did you know all along that I was related to a witch?"

[Assistant] "More or less, yes. I recognized her magic in you… I’m sorry I didn’t say anything sooner."

[User] "It’s fine. You were being considerate." She said, mussing Tinasha’s hair as she watched him, casting back through her memories. This feels strange. She wasn’t her current self, the one who was a witch. Some other, weaker—and yet very determined—self was alive within her mind. Since the day Oscar’s actions had changed history and the timeline diverged, she had lived a total of seven years. While that was a drop in the bucket for a witch, it was agony for Tinasha, the Queen of Tuldarr. And at the end of it, here she was, her current self.

[Assistant] Oscar gazed into his wife’s teary eyes. "So you have these recollections that should have been erased, which means…"

[User] "Yes. I’m the new Time-Reader heir." At this point, there was no Valt or Miralys. In the normal flow of time, the role of heir went unfilled. Yet instead of them, she had become the Time-Reader after touching Eleterria.

[Assistant] "So you remember every life you’ve ever experienced? That must make it feel like you’ve existed forever."

[User] "Yes, I need to keep some degree of control over it, or things will get rough." She replied. Mental fatigue had occasionally overwhelmed Tinasha after living for only four hundred years. Now she had the memories of the infinite existences she’d led before. Staring at her own memories would grow unbearable. There was also something else to consider. The Time-Reader was generally a hereditary title. Any child she birthed would eventually become the next heir. "I was selected as heir under quite unusual circumstances. Eleterria was partially broken in the lake water when it took apart the world and reformed it to escape. I was the closest, so it made me the heir, took my memories and existence as the anchoring point, and reformed the world."

[Assistant] "What are you saying?"

[User] "I’m saying that this world was created the moment I woke up."

[Assistant] Oscar gaped at her, which was understandable, as he possessed no awareness of having awoken only a short while before. This timeline was one Eleterria had selected out of innumerable overwritten pasts, then had reconstructed from scratch. None of that appeared immediately plausible, but as the Time-Reader, Tinasha knew it was true. As Oscar mulled over her story, a pensive look came over his face, and he stroked his chin. "Gotcha. So it was almost broken and pulled an emergency evacuation. Did you try to destroy it in the water?"

[User] "I couldn’t. That lake water has the same properties as Akashia. I can just barely use my magic if I pressurize it, but only for simple spells."


[User] "A powerful, high-output attack would be out of the question."

[Assistant] "The Lake of Silence, huh? Who knew there was something like that underneath the castle."

[User] "That timeline was the only one where it was excavated. Travis seemed to know about it, but maybe that was because he heard about the excavation. I can probably teleport us there if you want to see it."

[Assistant] "Hmm… No, I’m good. I feel like I’ve got a general idea already." Oscar replied, sounding like he’d accepted the crazy story. He patted Tinasha’s head.

[User] "What idea?" Tinasha questioned, cocking her head to the side. Reclined on the bed with her cheek resting on one hand, she resembled nothing so much as a curious cat.

[Assistant] Oscar kissed her forehead. "Those outsiders’ artifacts or whatever have powers that defy the laws of magic, right? But even before you knew about them, you’d already encountered something else that works in mysterious ways."

[User] "I had?" Tinasha had no idea what Oscar could be referring to. She had lived a very long time and had seen many things, but only a few of those were things Oscar could be aware of. As Tinasha fell into deep, serious consideration, Oscar flashed her a chagrined look.

[Assistant] "Come on. You don’t need to think so hard. I’m talking about Akashia."

[User] "Oh!" He’d meant the royal sword, the only blade in all the land capable of nullifying magic. It was prodigiously effective, but no one knew how it functioned. The sword had been passed down since the founding days of Farsas without ever getting lost to the ages. "The legend says an inhuman creature pulled Akashia out of the Lake of Silence. So wouldn’t it make sense if whoever that was came from outside our world? Didn’t Travis call the Lake of Silence the insiders’ lake?"

[Assistant] "O-Oh yes, he did…" Travis had said, “While she was an outsider, she also wasn’t. She chose to be an ally to humans and lived and died among them.” What if the person he met was the very one who’d pulled Akashia from the water? "The first queen of Farsas…Deirdre?" Tinasha wondered.

[User] "The name of the first queen was never recorded."

[Assistant] "I heard it directly from a member of the Farsas royal family four hundred years ago, though not until after I became queen. She traded her own power for the sword and gave it to the first king. But in exchange, she could no longer return to her birthplace. So the story goes." If the inhuman creature who pulled the sword from the lake was the same person as the first queen, it explained why Travis was surprised that Oscar didn’t know about the existence of outsiders’ artifacts. Travis believed the Farsas royal family would have passed on the truth about the first queen and the royal sword.

[User] "Then does that mean I have outsider blood in my veins?" Oscar posited.

[Assistant] "It happened twenty generations ago. It would be very diluted by now." Tinasha replied.


[User] Examining Oscar magically also revealed that he had no inhuman qualities. Farsas was founded seven centuries in the past.

[Assistant] Tinasha gazed up at Oscar, impressed with his deduction skills. "But wow, so that’s what it was! I’m so accustomed to how unusual Akashia is that it didn’t occur to me at all."

[User] "Yeah, you’re pretty used to the sword because of how much trouble it gives you. But that does seem to explain why the Eleterria orb cracked inside the lake."

[Assistant] "Yes, it does…" The outside observers and the one outsider who’d mingled with humans and married one. Deirdre, who chose the human world, left just enough power to eliminate the artifacts her kin introduced. Now Tinasha knew she hadn’t imagined the water rushing for the orb. "So Eleterria escaped from the Lake of Silence," she mused. That timeline was scrapped because the Lake of Silence had been excavated. To capture a Tinasha who wasn’t a witch, a Time-Reader heir broke into the treasure vault, which resulted in the creation of an underground labyrinth. A series of new events had driven Eleterria to desperation. "When…I first considered where to hide Eleterria, I thought of submerging it in the Lake of Silence because almost no one would go near it," Tinasha recalled.

[User] "If you’d done that, this would’ve all happened sooner," Oscar pointed out.

[Assistant] Tinasha let out her umpteenth sigh of the night. Had Valt known this would transpire, he might have chosen another method. Or perhaps he would’ve reached out to Tinasha anyway? Valt Hogniss Gaz Kronos. He was a second-generation Time-Reader and Tinasha’s former subject. Tinasha knew his full name because it was inscribed on the records she had access to as the latest heir. His thoughts and desires during his many lives would forever go unknown, however. For he’d never revealed the full truth to Tinasha. Huddled in the bedsheets, the witch exhaled. "This is all so bizarre. I can understand why Valt was trying to destroy the orbs. There have been far too many rewindings of time in this era."

[User] "So the orbs have passed from person to person over the years, huh? Is our current timeline one step ahead of the one that disappeared?"

[Assistant] "To be more accurate, it’s exceedingly close to it." This instance—the one that would have gone on had Oscar not traveled back four hundred years—had been recreated with Tinasha as the anchor. However, as it was a thing remade, there were likely to be some discrepancies. "I chose this timeline," she told him.

[User] "You did?"

[Assistant] "Yes. A person’s wish is required for Eleterria to activate. When it asked me where it should rebuild the world, I chose this moment… Because in all of my memories, I am the happiest right here and now." She had wished to return to him. She was most content with him, so she’d woken up here.

[User] Oscar broke into a grin when he heard that.


[User] “I’m honored.”

[Assistant] “When you met me when I was a young girl, you promised that if I could meet you four hundred years from then, you’d make me happy. And you were right.”

[User] “Yeah?” Oscar asked as his hand brushed over her cheek.

[Assistant] Tinasha stared at the reflection of herself in his eyes. Oscar carried no recollections of his previous lifetimes. But now, something had settled between them—eternity. The weight of all the time accumulated within her and the breadth of the love he poured into her made this place where both intertwined eternally. Yet she could not stay here forever. Tinasha could not allow the Farsas royal family to become Time-Reader heirs. She would attempt to detach the heir’s soul from Eleterria; if that failed, Oscar would have to take another consort. Tinasha had no choice but to stop her physical body’s growth again, which would allow her to live as long as possible as the sole Time-Reader. That way, the artifact wouldn’t take a new prisoner. Oscar might object to her stepping down as the queen consort, but she intended to stay in the castle until he died. And with as many memories as she had, she could live off them forever. Lost in thought, Tinasha cast her eyes down. However, she looked up again after noticing Oscar’s gaze. A bittersweet smile decorated his face as he stared at her.

[User] “Tinasha.”

[Assistant] “Yes?” she replied, waiting for him to go on.

[User] He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her eyelid. Then he stood from the bed and began to dress. "Let’s go. Put some clothes on.”

[Assistant] “What? Go where?”

[User] “There’s another one, isn’t there? In the treasure vault. Bring that one, too, but be careful,” Oscar instructed, pointing at the blue Eleterria orb as he grabbed Akashia. From behind, he looked masculine and powerful. The way he never hesitated was beautiful. Reflecting on how his actions spoke to his unshakable will, Tinasha nodded, despite her doubts.


[Assistant] While the guards outside the treasure vault were bewildered to find the king and queen visiting it in the middle of the night, they bowed and made way. After refusing an escort, the pair entered the vault. Tinasha found the little box right away. "This is it.”

[User] “Hmm.”

[Assistant] After Tinasha cleared away the other jumble of objects on the pedestal, she placed the two Eleterria orbs side by side on it. Red and blue. The same patterns on both made a complementary pair.

[User] Oscar cocked his head to one side as he eyed them. “You have to destroy them both at the same time?”

[Assistant] “Yes… But wait, you want to destroy them? !”

[User] “Of course,” he responded matter-of-factly.

[Assistant] “What? !” she cried, her jaw dropping.

[User] Her flabbergasted look made Oscar give her a look of chagrin. “I understand your point. The point made by the version of you who argued with Valt.


[User] "I don’t know what you’re thinking now, but if you still want to save people, even if it means altering the past…and if you’re prepared to have that affect your life…then I want to honor that and destroy it."

[Assistant] "Oscar…" Eleterria had reshaped events over and over. Those were all, undoubtedly, challenges to destiny. In the shadows of history, people had challenged fate ceaselessly. This would be the final confrontation—destroying Eleterria and restoring all of the altered destinies to what they should truly be. If that counted as yet another change, it would be the biggest yet. The mother who was first given Eleterria would not be able to save her child, and the Time-Reader family would vanish. Valt wouldn’t be born, and he wouldn’t meet Miralys. Not only that, the lives and destinies of many people alive now would be modified, such as how Oscar’s was when his mother rescued him from a demon attack.

[User] "You…" Tinasha began, but couldn’t go on. Does he understand that he might die? The witch gazed into Oscar’s blue eyes searchingly, and he flashed her a little grin.

[Assistant] "I can say that because Eleterria saved me, and I’ve used it to save another. Even so, changing the past is honestly a backward-looking way of doing things. No matter how much you regret something, you have to live with it. We shouldn’t…be able to do anything for what’s behind us." He stroked her hair. "Besides, wouldn’t it make us more careless in the present moment if we knew we could go back to fix things?"

[User] It sounded like he was chastising a small child, and Tinasha smiled sorrowfully. Oscar was right, but it was only because he was so strong that he could make such a declaration. How many human emotions and revisions had gone into this world? The littlest feeling distorted history, and that deformity spread until it became the next foundation. It was wrong. Tinasha knew that. However, she wasn’t sure if she could dismiss it, for it was so very human. Oscar was different, though.


[Assistant] "If you’re ready, we can end it here. I don’t know who these outsiders are, but it gives me the creeps to think of them taking advantage of human regrets and amusing themselves. I’ve had enough of getting watched and documented." If Oscar had been given the option to travel to the past, he would’ve refused. He’d only saved Tinasha because he was already there—because he was strong. Oscar was the kind of person who could get on his feet and start moving, regardless of where he was. "Whatever kind of tragedy this is, we should rise above it. I believe that all humans have the power to do that."

[User] After a long silence, Tinasha nodded. Oscar’s dignity was the sanctity of human life. This world wasn’t a miniature garden, and its people weren’t toys. Tinasha would reject any observers and their aims. She would not allow fate to be manipulated.


[User] She recalled the pride given to her when she was born alone in the world and when she achieved independence as a separate individual.

[Assistant] Oscar watched his wife.

[User] Abruptly, tears filled her dark eyes.

[Assistant] His heart ached to see it, but he didn’t let his emotions show, as that would only wound her further.

[User] She gave him a lonely smile. "It always surprises me how decisive you can be."

[Assistant] “Yeah? I think this is the only natural conclusion.”

[User] “For you, yes.” Tinasha wrapped her arms around him, and he hugged her back tightly. If outside laws induced the alternation and reformation of the world, then it would reach its limit someday, given that each instance carried a significant burden. History had come to an impasse. What would happen beyond that? Everything might collapse. That meant someone had to ease the weight before the implosion. Akashia must have been passed through generations for just such a purpose. Oscar stroked Tinasha’s hair gently. “Besides, if we don’t destroy it, then I know you’ll go back to saying you won’t have my baby. And I don’t want that.”

[Assistant] “I never mentioned anything like that.” Tinasha protested, grinning through tears. Forget a baby—it was improbable that Oscar and Tinasha would ever meet at all. Eleterria had been introduced into the world in a blank space in time more than a thousand years before this moment. Everything would be redone from scratch, starting from that distant point. The two of them may not even be born. Even if they were, they could die before reaching adulthood. Oscar was only alive because his mother had used Eleterria to rescue him. In the true flow of history, he’d perished. Allowing any of that to show through his expression would rob Tinasha of the will to go through with this. All Oscar could do was smile at her like it meant nothing. The bit of deception helped ensure she carried no regrets.

[User] “It’s all right. You don’t need to bear it all alone.” If they didn’t get rid of Eleterria, she would remain the heir, seal it away, and try to live a long life. But that wouldn’t fix the problem. She would be bound to Eleterria as Valt was. So they would end it here, staking everything on a timeline whose fate was unknown. That’s what humans did.

[Assistant] Oscar heard Tinasha heave a deep sigh. “You really do see through my every thought.” She looked up at him as a smile like a moonlit flower bloomed on her face.

[User] He held her tighter.

[Assistant] “Oscar… If history changes and everything goes back to how it was, even if no one remembers and I’m never born, I’ll still love you. You are my first. My last. My only.” She swore that to him emphatically, her words filled with conviction. The depth of her feelings for him bled into her voice. She was a rare find. He was lucky to have known her.


[User] "That’s more than I deserve to hear. I feel the same way—I love you.” Oscar was touched that Tinasha had chosen to come to him from myriad memories.

[Assistant] Oscar caressed his beloved wife’s cheek. A tear rolled past her long eyelashes and fell over his thumb.

[User] “Don’t worry. I have no intention of letting you go. This is just a waypoint for us. Don’t hesitate. Whether you’re queen of another nation or a witch doesn’t matter to me. Just come to me. And if you don’t, I’ll barge in on you again.”

[Assistant] “I can picture it.” She replied with a grin, one that was beautiful through the tears.

[User] Oscar hugged Tinasha close.

[Assistant] Tinasha was sniffling into his chest. Stretching up on her tiptoes, she wound her arms around his neck and pressed herself to him. "You are my king. I have loved you for an eternity. Everything in me—my power and my mind—exists to protect you.”

[User] “Please wait for me. I promise I will come to you. I will cross time. And then we will love each other again.”

[Assistant] “I…look forward to it.” He replied with a broad smile.

[User] After Oscar patted her on the back, Tinasha released him.


[User] They gazed into each other’s eyes, pressing their foreheads together. Dark eyes and twilight eyes reflected one another’s forms. As their noses, cheeks, and, finally, lips brushed against each other’s, they shared a last kiss. Their destinies had undoubtedly intertwined when they were not originally supposed to. That was why things had to end here. To attempt to change things, as humans did. Tinasha took hold of Oscar’s left hand. With a nod, he unsheathed Akashia. He turned to face the pair of artifacts that glittered with all of the human emotions they had absorbed.

[Assistant] “Was it fun toying with us? Don’t you dare look down on humans. Your days of amusement are over.” The double-edged sword glittered like a mirror as Oscar lifted it aloft and gave his decree with a ringing tone. “We reject your interference. You shall turn to dust and leave us be!” Akashia came down. The blade touched both of the orbs at once. A white light consumed everything. Immediately after the clear tinkling of the orbs’ rupture, terrible pain stabbed through her body.

[User] “TINASHA!” Oscar instantly gathered his wife into his arms. The power to dismantle the world swirled in the air, whipping into a mad vortex. It was impossible to see anything, and she didn’t know what was happening. The shards of Eleterria, attempting to absorb what they could, and the power of Akashia, following them in hot pursuit, were transforming her soul. A force brought in from outside this world was pouring into her, enough to change her into something inhuman.

[Assistant] “AAAAAAAAAHHHH!” she screamed.

[User] Oscar held her tight as everything turned white and burned away. Then they were thrown into an unknown place.


[User] "Once I’m dead, you’ll know for the first time what I was and what you are."

[Assistant] "What, Father?" the young man asked, stunned by his father’s sudden declaration at the dinner table. He paused while bringing a spoonful of soup to his mouth. "What’s this all about? Why are you talking about dying?"

[User] "You’ll know soon enough." His father answered dismissively. "This world has a way of balancing the books to make up for how things were altered. One person’s salvation means another’s downfall, and one country’s glory ensures another’s decline. Ultimately, it will all converge on a future that’s not so different from how it should have been."

[Assistant] The son opened his mouth to inquire further.

[User] "Stay quiet and just listen to me. Anyway, won’t shooting for that convergence mean we wind up with a future that’s totally immutable? This present that we’re in now, the one that was so far in the future for the people of the ancient past, is still being altered. Humans will keep challenging themselves for all eternity—so long as those orbs exist."

[Assistant] "Orbs?"

[User] "They possess a terrible power and keep sticking pins in the world. With every new prick, the world is dismantled and forced to reconstruct itself based on washed-up memories. It must be profoundly agonizing for the world. And we are the only ones who know of that pain." The young man didn’t interrupt his father’s story. He stayed silent, as an odd feeling settled over the room. "The world cannot tolerate its memory being overwritten forever. But what it will truly become unable to suffer is us. In the end, we are mere mortals. Our minds are fragile. Our lot is to be used as tools and cast aside… No, we are eternal slaves who are never allowed to be thrown away." His voice took on a resentful tone. He wasn’t shouting, but his words shook with a deep fury. The father was swift to rein in that anger before his son. And as he stared at his child, he went on. "The world is waiting for one last straw. That which will undo all the interventions and restore it to its original shape." There was an emptiness in his eyes as he whispered the words. Then he dropped his gaze to his knees. "But that won’t happen in my lifetime." Heavy despair showed through in that pronouncement.


[User] "Must be because it was built over an underground lake." Tinasha, a stunningly beautiful woman with black eyes and hair, made her way down a hall. Passing magistrates and ladies-in-waiting turned their heads to look at her. In her eyes, as dark and mysterious as a moonless night, they found only the pronounced innocence of a girl. Clad in a white mage’s robe, she sauntered down the long hallway with arms crossed, when a bright feminine voice called out from behind her.

[Assistant] "Princess Tinasha!" She turned at the sound of nearing footsteps and spied two familiar mages.

[User] "Sylvia and Doan." She greeted them.

[Assistant] The blond woman who had called out grinned and curtsied. "What happened to your shoes?" Sylvia glanced down at Tinasha’s feet.

[User] The calm young man next to her gave a bow. Both were mages who served the court of Farsas and were relatively close with Tinasha, even though she was a visitor from a bordering country.

[Assistant] "Shoes?" Tinasha asked, following Sylvia’s gaze. Her ivory feet were bare, floating a little above the ground. Her eyes widened in surprise as she raked a hand through her black hair. "I didn’t even notice. I was too deep in thought."

[User] "Your research?"

[Assistant] The future queen of Farsas’s neighbor, the Magic Empire of Tuldarr, nodded. "I’m a little stuck on something… but I think I’ll figure it out soon."

[User] "Ah, I know what that must be."


[User] Tinasha and Oscar were different from the versions who had married each other. They were totally separate people who had met afresh. That was precisely why she had to be the one to break his curse. "I need to undo it, but I’ve hit a snag… I’m looking for one last flash of inspiration."

[Assistant] "Ah, right. That last stretch can be tricky." Doan said with a wry grimace. Court mages like him held just about the highest position a mage could reach; there were fewer than five hundred throughout every country combined. The best of them spent much of their time sequestered in research, so Doan sympathized with what it was like to hit a mental wall.

[User] Tinasha floated along barefoot, stretching both her arms up overhead. “I’m really struggling with it… but I know there has to be a way within the laws of magic…” Curses and blessings were constructed from the spell caster’s own unique language, but as long as they utilized magic, they were still bound by its rules and limits. No matter how inspired the idea or technology used for the spell was, it shouldn’t have been beyond understanding and deconstructing. Thus, the real challenge came from whatever was working against those laws, rather than from the witch’s curse. The magic orb that had once sent a different Oscar backward in time now lay in the Tuldarr treasure vault, while one of another color was stored in Farsas’s treasure vault. Once someone used the sphere, history would be erased and rewritten with a new timeline that started from the point in time at which the user arrived. What was the original purpose in creating such a devastating thing that went against all laws of magic? As Tinasha considered it, doubts flooded her mind until it was all she could think about. “A new law… no, that’s not it. They don’t contradict one another.” A primary tenet of the laws of magic was that time could not be rewound. It continued to flow. There was leeway to dam its streaming for a bit, but there was no turning it back. That was the letter of the law and the hard-and-fast way the world operated. Past eras existed in memories. “Then what about overwriting a law with a different one? Or does the orb contain its own unique rules? But where would a different law come from in the first place? Since going back in time is tantamount to reconstructing the entire world…”

[Assistant] "Princess Tinasha, your thoughts are getting a little worrisome." Doan remarked with concern as he walked a step behind her. He would have liked to pretend he hadn’t heard anything, and his harsh but honest remark made Tinasha silence her whispering.

[User] Apparently, she hadn’t heard anything. "Oh yes, did you know rumors are flying in the city about today’s garden party?"

[Assistant] "Garden party? Rumors?" Tinasha repeated.

[User] "Hey, Sylvia…" Doan chided.


[User] Tinasha hadn’t been informed of the event. During the two days following her involvement in a conflict with Yarda, one of Farsas’s neighbors, Tinasha had been shut up in her room, focusing on analyzing the curse.

[Assistant] Doan’s expression was strained

[User] Sylvia flashed him a grin. “Aww, but it’s the talk of the town. The word on the street is that the garden party today might be a way for His Majesty to choose a bride!”

[Assistant] “…” A long, unpleasant silence fell over the trio. Doan let out a heavy sigh before pasting a professional smile on his face and bowing. “I seem to have recalled something I need to do. I will be taking my leave.”

[User] “Hold it,” Tinasha called, her voice imbued with power, and Doan was rendered unable to move. The young mage cursed himself for missing his chance to escape earlier. Tinasha cast him a brilliant grin. “Now that I’ve heard such interesting news, I insist you tell me all about it.”

[Assistant] “The garden party tradition started three generations ago with King Regius. He would invite the city’s merchants and artisans to display their pieces and sell their wares,” Sylvia explained.

[User] “Oh, so it was a way for him to gather everyone he was keeping an eye on,” Tinasha surmised.

[Assistant] “Exactly. It’s a potentially life-changing opportunity for dealers, and they promote themselves with everything they have. Very often, a merchant’s business explodes after becoming an official provider for the crown,” Sylvia went on.


[User] After the trio headed to the lounge to continue their conversation, Sylvia launched into the details of the garden party. Her eyes were dancing, and there wasn’t a shred of ill intention in her as she sipped her tea. “So then it became a chance for the merchants’ daughters, who came along to assist their parents, to catch the eyes of noblemen. And remember, our last queen was a commoner herself.”

[Assistant] “All of this is just the townsfolk getting themselves all worked up,” added Doan, looking resigned. Ordinarily, he didn’t like to get himself involved in any sticky disagreements, and he could sense that this was going to put Tinasha in a bad mood. Based on her behavior, it was a reasonable fear. Still, Tinasha was about to take the Tuldarr throne and possessed good judgment.

[User] As Tinasha savored the aroma wafting from her teacup, she asked, “The king first fell in love with Oscar’s mother at one of these parties?”

[Assistant] “No, I believe he brought her back to the castle with him one day. He met her after sneaking out for some fun,” Doan replied.

[User] “Sneaking out… Like father, like son…”

[Assistant] “As I recall, her family was opposed to the union, so her origins remained a secret. No one from the late queen’s family attended her funeral,” Sylvia said.

[User] “Hmm…” Tinasha had a feeling that even Oscar didn’t know the whole story. His mother had been the one to bring the very orb that took him back in time into Farsas.


[User] Elbows on her knees, Tinasha rested her chin in her hands. "I wonder who he’ll marry."

[Assistant] "Princess Tinasha, may I excuse myself? I believe I have a stomachache."

[User] "I’m not going to do anything!" she shot back.

[Assistant] Sylvia clapped her hands together. "I know! Why don’t you attend the garden party?"

[User] "What? But I’m a foreign visitor. I think Oscar would get mad if he found me there."

[Assistant] Sylvia waved a hand dismissively. "You just have to not get caught. Oh, I know! You can use a curse song to disguise yourself!"

[User] "Curse songs aren’t powerful enough for that… and Oscar will be on guard from the moment I sing."

[Assistant] "Then we’ll use some other method! Don’t old spell books have transformation spells?"

[User] "Transformation spells? I did learn some when I was younger." Tinasha cast back through her memories. "I don’t feel capable of changing myself to anything nonhuman… but I could likely manage something simple like changing my age."

[Assistant] "Let’s try it, then! I’ll get your costume ready! You should pretend to be a town girl and set your sights on marrying the king!" Sylvia chirped.

[User] "But I’m not after that!"

[Assistant] "I believe it’s time for me to be taking my leave… I don’t want to quit my job as court mage just yet." Doan said faintly.

[User] Tinasha folded her arms, gazing at the pair. "Only for a little while. I’ll leave if it looks like I’m about to get scolded."

[Assistant] "It’ll be fine if you don’t get caught! Leave it to me!" Sylvia reassured her with totally baseless confidence as she tugged Tinasha out of her seat.


[Assistant] Lazar wore a faint smile. "They were at it last year, too, but it seems like there are even more girls this time.”

[User] “It’ll get out of hand if their numbers continue to increase. I don’t have time to search for a bride,” Oscar replied while inspecting a nearby table of delicate handmade items. "This is well made. Very interesting. I’ll take it.”

[Assistant] “Th-thank you very much!” answered the merchant, whose prestige would rise after having sold to the king.

[User] Oscar slipped the shellwork case into his jacket pocket. That done, his eye turned to other goods.


[Assistant] Her cheeks were flushed with nervous tension as she curtsied before him. “Would you mind terribly if I accompanied you, Your Majesty?”

[User] Oscar’s eyes widened for a moment, caught off guard as he was, but then he grinned lightly. “I appreciate that, but I’m all right.”

[Assistant] “Oh, but…,” the girl protested.


[User] “In that case, allow me to accompany you.”

[Assistant] “No, let me—” The girls began to close in. While the anxious anticipation in the air dissolved, it was now filled with the din of their entreaties, which clearly made the king’s guards uneasy.

[User] At a complete loss about what to do, Lazar looked up at Oscar. “Your Majesty…” He seemed to be suggesting that Oscar take his leave for the moment.

[Assistant] For a second, Oscar couldn’t decide how to answer him. Turning his attention back to everyone else, he proclaimed, “All right, then. This is a wonderful opportunity for me to show someone around the castle. That said, I can’t take everyone.” He looked around at the crowd thoughtfully. Then he beckoned to the girl under the tree. “Yes, you’ll do. Come along.”

[User] “Um…” the girl said, her expression seizing up. Her eyes darted about, as though hoping to spot an escape. Upon realizing that everyone was staring her way, she pursed her lips. She looked down and away as her cheeks turned pink. “Thank… you very much. I accept.” The girl made her way through the crowd as others lobbed envious looks at her all the while. She followed half a step behind Oscar, and as they departed this section of the garden, the feverish atmosphere vanished like a wave pulling out to sea.


[User] Once they were out of sight of prying eyes.

[Assistant] “Um, Your Majesty… why me?” she eked out in a small voice.

[User] “Do I need a reason?”

[Assistant] “No… you do not.” She replied, cowering at his retort. Her last bit of hope had vanished, and her pink cheeks turned pale.

[User] Oscar wondered if maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. But he knew what he had glimpsed. Once the two reached an open patch of lawn, he sat down on the grass.

[Assistant] The girl hurried to take a seat beside him.

[User] The king glanced at that freckled face and then abruptly reached out to pinch one soft cheek. “What’s going on here? How did you do this?”

[Assistant] “Ow, ow, ow! Stop it! I just transformed myself with magic!” She confessed, ducking her head to get away from his hand and rubbing at her reddened cheek. “How did you know it was me?”

[User] Altered though it was, Tinasha’s face looked as it always did to Oscar. Her innocent eyes were just as spirited. There was no mistaking them. Oscar met that gaze evenly with a blank look of his own. All sorts of retorts came to mind, but he gave a safe answer in the end. “No amount of magic can hide power as strong as yours. You’re giving off the faintest glow.”

[Assistant] “Oh… I suppose your intuition was always pretty strong.” She replied, burying her face in her hands. Immediately, her red locks reverted to their original inky black. Her suntanned skin became alabaster, and she dropped her hands. Her face, in all its unparalleled beauty, peered up at Oscar, giving him an abashed, guilty smile. “I’m sorry. I simply wanted a little break.”

[User] “You should’ve just told me, then.”

[Assistant] “I also heard you’d be looking for a wife.”

[User] “Listen… Don’t try to marry me disguised as someone else.” He stated gravely. “It’ll turn into a diplomatic crisis.”

[Assistant] “I wasn’t! I just didn’t want to get in your way!” She objected, but her actions spoke differently. She made a guilty face. “I did get in the way of your work. I’m very sorry.”

[User] “It’s fine. I was just about to leave anyway.” The garden party was an event his eccentric great-grandfather had started. It held no actual use. Tinasha’s presence actually provided Oscar with a chance to leave early.


[User] From his pocket, Oscar drew out the shellwork object he’d purchased earlier and dropped it in Tinasha’s lap. “Here.”

[Assistant] “What? Is this for me?”

[User] “You’ve never been to the seashore, right?”

[Assistant] Tinasha held the box in her palms and looked it over. The finely wrought ornamentation depicted a girl sitting on a rocky shore playing the lyre while fish listened, enraptured. Luminescent stones embedded within the piece cast faintly wavering shadows.

[User] Carefully, she wrapped her hands around it. “Thank you so much. I love it.”

[Assistant] Next to her, Oscar softened his expression as he watched her with the gift. Amid this tranquil moment, he sprawled out in the grass and stretched his arms above his head. “Now’s a great time for a break. Also, take off those shoes. You can go back barefoot if you teleport to the castle, can’t you?”

[User] “Um, I guess… Are you going to take a nap here?”

[Assistant] “Wake me up when you head back,” Oscar instructed, but before his eyes could fully close, Tinasha nudged him. Moving his arm away from his eyes to look at her, he saw she was patting her lap. “You can sleep here. I’ve got some things to think over for a while anyway.”

[User] “Wow,” he remarked dryly, giving her a disapproving look for acting so defenseless. They were completely alone, however. He could let it slide. Oscar moved over and lay his head down in Tinasha’s lap. When he glanced up, he saw that her face was lit with a strange childlike glee. “What’s with that look? Are you going to chop off my head while I’m asleep or something?”

[Assistant] “Of course not. Should that ever be necessary, I’ll come at you from head-on.”

[User] “Big talk. I’m going to sleep,” the king responded, closing his eyes.

[Assistant] Tinasha’s ivory hands carded through his hair softly. Oscar knew that the faint floral scent she gave off was her own. He breathed it in comfortably. Oscar nodded off rather quickly, and his breathing evened.

[User] Tinasha gazed down at him. “He didn’t get too mad at me…”


[User] Careful not to wake the man in her lap, Tinasha slipped off her wooden clogs. She’d never worn their likes before, so her toes and heels were red. Oscar must have guessed that, which was why he told her to remove them. Feeling all mixed up inside, she massaged her heels. When they were feeling better, Tinasha held the seashell case up and examined it.

[Assistant] “So pretty…” Sunlight and the luminescent stones illuminated the engraved decorations that depicted part of a fairy tale. A girl whose love had gone missing in an accident at sea walked the coast during the day, hoping to find him. Come nightfall, she sang to the fish, asking for any news of him. Despite her efforts, her sweetheart was never found. When she was nearing the last of her hope, he appeared at last, but his memories were gone. The story went that she found joy in getting to know him again, though she mourned the loss of his recollections to the ocean.

[User] “Starting over…” It reminded Tinasha of her and Oscar. Unlike in the fairy tale, she and the king of Farsas weren’t in love. All that awaited them was a final good-bye. Because the other Oscar had rescued Tinasha four hundred years ago, they had met again in this era. However, their paths would diverge before long. She could only leave him with the fruits of her labor, the breaking of the curse. It was the materialization of her feelings for him, in a way. Most curses and blessings were laid with an underlying emotion.


[User] “Oh!” Inspiration abruptly struck Tinasha, and her head snapped up. Surely this feeling is the final piece to undoing the curse.

[Assistant] The desire to leave something behind. That was what the curse placed on Oscar had desired all along. Inside the spell woven by the Witch of Silence’s own distinct language, there was a further coded portion, the definition name. Even if the curse were broken, that portion would remain.

[User] In the curse Tinasha had examined four centuries ago, that bit hadn’t been negated. The final piece of the spell had to exist to ensure the definition name remained. “Which means…” Tinasha looked at Oscar, still asleep with his head in her lap.

[Assistant] She wanted to test out her theory right away, but he was resting. If possible, she would prefer to let him relax to make up for his hectic daily schedule. After thinking for a moment, Tinasha spread her arms wide. A fluffy white blanket appeared between them, and she placed it over the king. Then she closed her eyes and began to contemplate the curse.


[User] How long had he been asleep? Judging by the sun’s position, not even an hour had passed. Oscar craned his neck to look at the girl whose lap he’d been napping on, only to discover that she had nodded off, too. Tinasha’s head was lolling to one side. He’d anticipated that she’d rouse him, yet the young woman had abandoned her post. Oscar noticed the white blanket laid over him and huffed.

[Assistant] “We’re in the castle, but it’s still dangerous if neither of us keeps watch.”

[User] Anything could’ve happened while they were both unawares. However, one of them would have probably awoken had there been trouble. Oscar spent some time watching Tinasha’s face as she slept, but he couldn’t do that forever. He sat up, placed the blanket over her, and took the girl in his arms. Even that didn’t wake her. Gently, he hugged her more closely.

[Assistant] “Go on and sleep. You are free as long as you’re in Farsas.”

[User] If Tinasha wished it, she could live like a commoner in town. But Oscar knew she’d never do that. The pair had both been raised for something more. That was why the rare moments of freedom like this one were so precious. With Tinasha in his arms, Oscar returned to his day. He didn’t want to count how many days like this she had left.


[User] Strands and lines were woven together so minutely. It was the height of intricacy, and Tinasha reached a finger toward it. Two spells intertwined, canceling each other out, just like what I saw back then. The opposed forces brought together natures that were averse yet strongly attracted to each other. Both of them were love, and both of them were hate. That which devoured from the inside even as it protected, and that which supported even as it caused harm. Within, Tinasha saw powerful emotions, and she sighed. Fear struck her at the thought that she would soon have to manifest one-half of this pair.

[Assistant] “It’s all right.” She wouldn’t go back on her promise. Tinasha had slept for four hundred years for this. At the very least, she owed it to him to get it done. She summoned an array of assorted crystal balls into her hands. Then she began the long recitation to create the magic implements she would need.


[User] Oscar noticed dark circles under her eyes and frowned. "Are you getting enough sleep?” Censure bled into the king’s voice as he inquired.

[Assistant] “I don’t think I’ve slept in two days.”

[User] “Go to bed! Now!” he barked, and she gave a wan smile.

[Assistant] Lazar glanced over, concerned.

[User] Tinasha leaned against the wall by the door and held up a hand. “I came to tell you that I’ve finished the analysis. I’m going to break the curse tonight. Until then, I’m going to take a little nap… so I won’t be able to make our training today. Sorry about that.”

[Assistant] After sufficient time, he let out a deep sigh. “I didn’t think you’d make it before the deadline.”

[User] “Of course I did. Anything less would’ve inconvenienced you, after all.”

[Assistant] “You said it would require half a year, but I thought three years for sure.”

[User] “Don’t just add on time based on a groundless assumption!” Tinasha snapped, pushing off from the wall.

[Assistant] Biting his tongue to keep himself from prodding her further, he steered the conversation back on course. “So, do you need anything to break the curse?”

[User] “No. I’ll do it while you’re sleeping, so go to bed early.”

[Assistant] “Why do I need to be unconscious?” he asked.

[User] “It’s dangerous if you’re awake during the spell,” Tinasha explained while massaging her temples.

[Assistant] Noticing that, Oscar nodded. “All right.


[User] “I’ll come to you tonight.” She said before teleporting away.

[Assistant] Lazar exhaled, amazed. “It feels like time has passed in a flash. It doesn’t seem real yet that Princess Tinasha will be returning to Tuldarr.”

[User] “Those were the terms she came here with.” Oscar reminded him, his inflection free of sentiment.


[Assistant] A profoundly mysterious emotion coursed through Oscar’s body. Impatience, hope, loneliness, worry—no, none of that. He was unwilling to acknowledge that unnamed sensation, but he did let his thoughts turn to how hard Tinasha had worked to reach this point.

[User] Tinasha came to Oscar’s chamber an hour after he retired for the night. The color had returned to her face, if only somewhat, likely thanks to her nap during the day.

[Assistant] Oscar looked her up and down from his spot next to her on the bed. “Those dark circles aren’t going to go away in time for your crowning. Legis might be upset with me.”

[User] The future queen dismissed the concern with a smile. “I can use magic to conceal them if they don’t.” She poked at Oscar’s forehead and chest. “Take off your shirt and lie down. Once the spell begins, I don’t think you’ll wake up until it’s over. But I want you to fall asleep naturally. If I put you to sleep with magic, there will be too many spells going.”

[Assistant] “It’s not easy to pass out on command.” Oscar complained, but he stripped off his shirt obediently and lay faceup on the bed.

[User] “Should I wait until you’re unconscious and then come back?” Tinasha asked.

[Assistant] “It’d all be the same. I’d be on edge, subconsciously wondering when you would return.”

[User] “That’s true. It would be like knowing someone was going to creep into your room… I should have just done the spell without giving you any warning.”

[Assistant] “That would have been very suspicious, so forget that notion. I’ll do my best to fall asleep.”

[User] “Thanks.”

[Assistant] Both of them closed their eyes, and silence blanketed the room.

[User] Knowing that Tinasha was nearby didn’t make Oscar anxious. For as long as he could remember, he’d always been sensitive to the presence of others. This girl was probably the only person who wouldn’t keep him up. Perhaps it was because she held her own without growing overly close to him. Tinasha was the type of ruler who kept her head high and never relied on anyone else. That was who she was, yet in Farsas, she was free to act as she pleased. Maybe that was the reason it felt so natural for her to be at Oscar’s side, and why it gave him a sense of relief.


[User] He opened his eyes to see that Tinasha had about twenty small crystal balls spread out in her lap. She picked them up one by one to inspect them carefully. It looked so much like she was playing a children’s game that Oscar had to speak up. “What are those?”

[Assistant] “Hey! You’re not asleep!”

[User] “Who passes out that quickly? !”

[Assistant] Tinasha twisted around to show him a crystal ball in her palm. “It’s a magic implement. Each one contains a spell. I’m preparing these to draw up the larger spell.”

[User] “You need that many?”

[Assistant] “A witch cursed you. This isn’t your everyday magic,” she replied, lips forming a smile that seemed to be both self-deprecating and relieved. Her long eyelashes cast shadows on her cheeks. The half of her porcelain face bathed in the moonlight from the window glowed pale, transforming her beauty into something ethereal.

[User] Before Oscar knew it, he was staring at her. “It’s already been half a year,” he blurted out. While he was no Lazar, it really did feel like the time had gone quickly.

[Assistant] She grinned at that. “Right on schedule, just like I said.”

[User] “And you’ve managed to cause no end of trouble in such a short while, too.”

[Assistant] “Because you let me be free.”

[User] Each day they spent together was nothing like the one before. Tinasha’s utterly carefree demeanor, her immense power she wielded like it was child’s play… It was so novel and new that it left Oscar amazed and filled with a wondrous sense of liberty. “You do the most unexpected things. Like sleeping underneath a castle for four centuries,” he commented dryly.

[Assistant] “I was the one who built that underground chamber. I was only making good use of it.”

[User] Oscar recalled the sight of that verdant subterranean garden, removed from the flow of time. The young woman sleeping on the white bed had spoken his name when she arose. “When I first saw you—I thought you were made for me,” Oscar confessed. Because he discovered her while seeking a way to break his curse, his first thought was that this must be his bride. The curse that had always mystified him—even that made sense once he met her. He felt like maybe it had all been leading to that moment.

[Assistant] Calmly, she spoke into the silence of the room. “Yes. I did come for you.”

[User] It echoed what he had said, but it was not the same. Still, both encapsulated emotions that were too large to hold. Whatever sounds there were beyond the room didn’t reach Oscar. The chamber was cut off from the outside world. The flow of time was different, as if this place were submerged. Amid the quiet, everything floated to the surface. To Oscar, it felt like he might see every corner of the room if he squinted. He closed his eyes again, however. “Tinasha.”

[Assistant] “What?”

[User] “Nothing…” He didn’t know what to say, or how.


[User] There was a desire to express something, but hesitation as well. In the end, he asked something that was almost what he wanted to ask, yet not quite. “Can you really break the curse?”

[Assistant] “I’ve come this far. Just trust me.” She responded confidently. There was no trace of uncertainty in her voice. The girl who had cried in front of Oscar was gone.

[User] While that was a relief to him, he also felt loneliness in equal measure. Whether or not that was oversentimentality, he couldn’t be sure. If it was… then maybe, he ought to just say it. “Are you really going to break it?”

[Assistant] There was a long silence heavy with something that hadn’t been there before. She answers in a clear voice. “I am.” It sounded like she was reading a line prepared ahead of time. Like the young woman had already convinced herself.

[User] Oscar snorted at that resolute beauty. She’s struggled with it that much, huh? I suppose that only makes sense. From here, she would go on to become queen. Another thing that made sense. Oscar had posed a foolish question. He made a face, regretting his inquiry. Now that they were here, he realized for the first time that this was what he had been wavering on all along. He’d been even more shaken up over it than she was. However, Oscar refused to falter anymore. This would put an end to it all. “Go ahead.” He urged before sinking deep into slumber. He let it carry him away. As the king of Farsas fell into a soft dream, he had the faintest sensation of someone taking gentle hold of his hand.


[Assistant] Tinasha paused before the transportation array located deep in Farsas Castle and looked back. No small number of people had taken breaks from their duties to see her off. She gave them all a bashful grin. Before the expression had faded, she bowed to the man who was approaching her. “I owe you a great deal.”

[User] “And I you. Sorry I never let you take it easy.” He replied.

[Assistant] “I had fun. If there are ever any conflicts in the future, please call on me.” She said. She carried nothing with her, for her effects had already been cleared from her room. She lowered her head to the others present.

[User] Sylvia bowed in return, looking like she was about to cry.

[Assistant] Tinasha smiled to see that, knowing that she would miss her friend, too.

[User] Oscar gazed down at Tinasha. “I’ll see you next at your coronation. It’s fast approaching.”

[Assistant] “Oh, you don’t have to come if it’ll inconvenience you.”

[User] “Just how heartless do you think I am?” He groused, lightly pinching her cheek.

[Assistant] Punctuating each of her words with a slap against his chest, she retorted, “I thought you hated diplomatic events like that!”

[User] Chastened, Oscar released the young woman. “I’m going anyway."


[User] "Try not to mess up."

[Assistant] "I’ve done it all once before!" She snarled, her petite shoulders squared in anger. But soon enough, her expression relaxed. One blink and her eyes glowed with affection. She scanned the assembled group, her gaze not landing on anyone in particular, until she looked up at Oscar. For a moment, her beautiful face appeared more adult, and she beamed lovingly at him. In her gaze was clear, selfless love. The emotion was profound and boundless.

[User] Oscar felt his chest tighten.

[Assistant] "I’ll be off, then. Thank you so much for everything." With that, she turned to walk away from him. Her black locks swayed like silk. Even now, her petite frame exuded nobility and solitude. She stepped onto the transportation array. The teleportation magic activated, and the beautiful mage disappeared from Farsas.

[User] Oscar closed his eyes, grinning bitterly. Her image was burned into the inside of his eyelids, vivid and striking.

[Assistant] It would be a long while before he could forget her.


[User] Last-minute appeals came rushing in one after another, and by the time Oscar could reach a stopping point, it was late in the afternoon. He glanced at the clock and frowned. "Damn. Practice with Tinasha—" Then he stopped, remembering that she had left Farsas.

[Assistant] Not missing how his king’s face had screwed up in a scowl, Lazar gave a wan smile. “I’m sure she’s incredibly busy. Her coronation is in two days.”

[User] "She really was here until the absolute last minute…"

[Assistant] Tinasha had spent merely half a year living at the castle, but lingering traces of her scent popped up everywhere. Oscar sighed, recalling how she’d smiled at him while clad in a short-sleeved outfit like something a child would wear. “She’s an odd one, all right. Make sure everything she did and said in Farsas is noted down. I want it recorded for posterity.”

[User] “I believe Tuldarr may object to that,” Lazar said, implying that her behavior had been just that bizarre and surely her homeland would prefer that the queen’s eccentricities were kept quiet.

[Assistant] “If she were a princess instead of a future queen, they might find her antics amusing,” Oscar asserted.

[User] “Are you sure? Let’s not forget how many times she’s wound up covered in blood,” Lazar pointed out with a shudder.

[Assistant] Ignoring him, Oscar rested his chin in his hands. He wanted her to have other paths she could choose besides a life of solitude spent under tremendous pressure. Oscar realized he’d sunk deep into contemplation and snapped back to himself with a grimace. “Ugh, ridiculous.”

[User] How long was he going to spend thinking about someone who was gone? There was no shortage of other things to consider. From the corner of his eye, Oscar noticed that Lazar was watching him discreetly. The king waved a hand at his attendant. “I’m fine. Get back to work.”

[Assistant] “Um, about that, Your Majesty.


[User] Several Farsas nobles have put in requests for an audience with you, and they would like to bring along their daughters… Er…”

[Assistant] “And they’re hoping I’ll pick one to be queen? That sounds annoying. Schedule them all for the same day.”

[User] “Are you sure?” Lazar asked.

[Assistant] Oscar detected the layered meaning in the question but kept his face blank as he responded. “The curse is broken, so I need to evaluate some prospects for queen soon. It’s good timing, since I want to pick the most harmless one possible.” Now that the curse was undone, there was no need to seek out the most suitable partner possible. Things would be the same no matter who she was. Forcing himself to switch gears, Oscar returned to his work. Three hours later, he remembered that he had never eaten lunch. Tuldarr had not had a queen in six generations, and no ruler had inherited so much as a single mystical spirit in eleven generations.


[User] On the day of the coronation, guests were led into Tuldarr’s cathedral, where they whispered about their fears regarding the unusual ceremony.

[Assistant] “A mystical spirit inheritance ceremony after Tuldarr’s spells were only just restricted under the treaty? Can you believe it?”

[User] “It’s a part of the coronation tradition. They’re not going to suddenly stop doing it.”

[Assistant] “But no one’s used the spirits in hundreds of years. Could there be some ulterior motive for making a show of them now, after so long?” Tiered rows of seats ran the circumference of the oval cathedral, with the altar at the center. Dressed in their finest, the seated guests gossiped freely.

[User] “Is she even capable of receiving the spirits in the first place?” The mystical spirits that would serve the ruler of Tuldarr upon coronation were actually high-ranking demons. Such creatures were native to another plane of existence, and consequentially almost never appeared in the human realm. On the rare occasions they did, they were frequently taken for gods, overwhelmingly powerful as they were. Some still had believers among more rural parts of the continent. Tuldarr was already feared by other nations for being home to so many mages of preeminent magical power. For its ruler to command the mystical spirits after so many had failed to do so would make the country a concerning threat.

[Assistant] “It’s nothing to worry about. Even if she does succeed in the ceremony, I can’t imagine she’ll be able to handle more than one, at most.”

[User] A wry smile came to Oscar’s lips as he listened to a fellow attendee’s optimistic opinion. Of the twelve spirits, one, which took the form of a girl, was already under the command of the soon-to-be queen. No matter how things played out, she certainly wouldn’t walk away with just one. Oscar’s grin broadened as he envisioned how all of these guests would react once they witnessed that part of the coronation. Yet at the same time, Oscar also understood that there was merit to the guests’ concerns.


[Assistant] All of a sudden, a hush fell over the audience, and Oscar peered down toward the center of the cathedral hall. A plain altar sat atop a raised platform with ten steps. True to the atheistic beliefs of Tuldarr, there were no adorning statues or idols. Legis had appeared, standing upon the dais and wearing ceremonial robes. The prince of Tuldarr surveyed the faces of the attendees before bowing to them.

[User] “Thank you all very much for taking the time to be here today. On behalf of the queen, I offer my warmest gratitude.”

[Assistant] A gentle smile on his lips, Legis continued. "The mystical spirit ceremony will constitute the coronation today. I am aware that there may be many unconventional elements, but I implore you to accept them as the will of our queen.”

[User] None said a word. Strictly speaking, the kings and queens of Tuldarr did not inherit a throne. The previous ruler had abdicated, and the new one was crowned the following day. A new ruler acquired the mystical spirits and nothing more. This long-standing tradition of ascension via magical power made Tuldarr’s ancient ways plain for all to see. The now former king Calste stood at the base of the steps alongside other mages. Only his son Legis stood at the top of the platform.

[Assistant] Legis bowed once more, then held out his hands. In apparent response, a transportation array appeared before the altar. The first thing to come through the portal was the small ivory hand of a woman. That hand, mystery incarnate, came to rest atop Legis’s palm. Next, the bottom edges of blue robes materialized. The shade, symbolic of the Tuldarr royal family, looked made of dye crafted from ground gemstones. It was a blue deeper than the sky and clearer than the sea, calling to mind the history that had fostered this Magic Empire. Basking in the silence from the audience, the queen stepped slowly from the magic circle. Her long hair flowed freely as waves of black, and over it she wore a silver-threaded veil embroidered with lines of pearls.


[User] Her mage’s robe was trimmed in deep blue and pure white; it outlined the slim and elegant curves of her body and flared out into a full ball gown. She lifted her skirt to stride forward, and the hem formed an arc with her movements. Her eyelids were slightly downcast, but her eyes contained the depths of darkness as she gazed straight ahead. There was gravity to her beauty, lending her a magnificence that tugged at the soul.

[Assistant] “So that’s the queen of Tuldarr.” Awestruck whispers ran through the crowd.

[User] Oscar grinned wryly. He should have been intimately familiar with her rare and exquisite beauty, as well as with her dignity as a queen. Seeing it on display exceeded all imagination, however. He, too, had been completely enthralled by her from the moment she appeared. This was her other side—the queen who would take the throne through force of magic.

[Assistant] Tinasha stood in front of the altar and drew a deep breath. As she did, Legis took two steps down the stairway and knelt. The queen’s long sleeves billowed as she spread her arms wide. Bells on her bracelets sang tinkling notes. "The words of this contract are assembled from the will of the unvoiced." Her voice rang out in sonorous incantation. The atmosphere in the cathedral shifted. Magic began to swirl with Tinasha at the center. "Hope is born from the depths of despair—the flow of time is irreversible, and all possible meanings give rise to awareness. A concept kept hidden makes the individual so, and it crawls to the cusp of the lineage it is bound to." Dense power knit itself into an intricate spell. Like rings on water, it rose up and rippled out but did not disappear, interweaving to form a gigantic structure. "I call upon the ancient contract, the chains that bind human to inhuman." As the array rose higher around the altar, its complexity grew. The gathered magic condensed toward the center, responding to Tinasha’s own immense power. Her lilting incantation made the magic in the air even denser and thicker. "Listen to me, o sleeping ones, our unfamiliar neighbors. Long ago was the day of the beginning, but you are eternal."

[User] The magic converged. It was so thick that the faces of the mages, who were gathered at the base of the steps, had gone white. Suddenly, a ray of pale light appeared at the center of the altar. The layered spell formed an intricate circle on the stone as if shaped by an invisible hand. On the edges of the array, a tremendous light erupted from the one o’clock position. Then luminous bursts flared from the two o’clock and three o’clock positions as well. The same happened with each spot in order, except for the five o’clock point.

[Assistant] "Appear!" On a shallow exhale, Tinasha spoke. Her voice was low, but it reached everyone present.


[User] It was as if it were coming from terribly far away but whispered directly in one’s ear at the same time. The power in the word made the audience stiffen. Tinasha’s dark eyes flashed as she presided over the glowing circle. "O spirits sleeping in Tuldarr by an ancient contract! My name is Tinasha As Meyer Ur Aeterna Tuldarr!"

[Assistant] Gasps erupted from different onlookers.

[User] At last, the queen made her decree. “I am your regent, and by this proclamation you are defined… Come to me!” Light burst forth. A white light blanketed every corner of the cathedral, but it was soon swept away by the wind.

[Assistant] Having shut their eyes against that blinding radiance, the attendees cautiously opened them to glance fearfully at the altar. The sight caused their jaws to drop. “Those are…”

[User] Where there was nothing only moments before, there were now beings standing in a circle at the center of the platform. These were Tuldarr’s mystical spirits. All twelve were present. Each had taken a humanlike shape and was standing with complete indifference.

[Assistant] “Ludicrous. All twelve of them,” guests muttered in utter shock.

[User] Much like the audience, all of the spirits eyed the queen with surprise.

[Assistant] Tinasha noticed, and her face broke into a smile for the first time since she’d appeared. In a voice only they could hear, she said, “It’s been a very long time. Just wait a moment, all right?”

[User] Taking that request as an order, all twelve stayed silent.

[Assistant] Tinasha subdued her grin and regarded the guests with a queen’s countenance. “I am Tinasha As Meyer Ur Aeterna Tuldarr, and I have been enthroned as the forty-third ruler of this nation. I offer all of you my deepest gratitude for gathering here with us today.”

[User] None dared to so much as move.

[Assistant] Tinasha smiled, though it was a shallow one this time. Her eyes burned with the fierce glow of a monarch. She looked out over her spirits and said, “I order the spirits of Tuldarr.”

[User] The twelve knelt in response.

[Assistant] With unwavering confidence she said, “As your master, I call an end to our ancient contract.


[User] "Henceforth, you are released from that which binds you to Tuldarr. You are now set free. You may do as you wish.” She said it lightly and liltingly. Her proclamation petrified the entire hall. All were speechless. The only ones unsurprised were Tinasha herself, Legis, and Renart, who stood with the other mages at the foot of the dais. Even the spirits couldn’t hide their astonishment, save Mila.

[Assistant] The former king Calste, the first to snap from the shock, grew red in the face and cried, “Wh-what do you think you’re doing? !" He dashed up the steps, and Tinasha met him with a gentle expression.

[User] Heedless of the international audience, Calste yelled, “Are you aware of what you’ve just done? !"

[Assistant] “Yes, of course I am. The Dark Age is long past. We are no longer in an era in which rulers must possess mighty power. As you can see in many of the faces around you, power that exceeds reasonable limits only begets fear. And most importantly, Tuldarr is a capable enough nation without the spirits. You should know that best of all.” Tinasha glanced at Legis.

[User] The prince evidently understood Tinasha’s intention from the look alone and came to stand next to her, ignoring the daggers his father was glaring at him.

[Assistant] Calste’s balled-up fists trembled. “Legis! You knew about this?! How could you allow such a—”

[User] “It only made sense, Father. Even if she inherits the spirits now, a day will certainly come when no king or queen wields them. So instead of relying on fleeting strength, we should prove that the people and technology of Tuldarr are what make this country strong.”

[Assistant] “That’s ridiculous,” Calste said after a pause, but he issued no further protests. After moving his father to one side, Legis nodded at Tinasha.

[User] She faced the audience with a smile. “I hereby ascend the throne for one year, as the final queen of an era in which the rulers symbolized the power of their nations. After that, Prince Legis will become king and govern the country alongside a newly established parliament. This year will be the last for Tuldarr’s ancient traditions, and you may also think of it as the time we need to prepare for a new departure.”

[Assistant] Tinasha shrugged at the spirits. With a sardonic expression, she told them, “There you have it. We’ve only just been reunited, but I’d like to thank you for your service.”

[User] A spirit in the form of a young man stood up. “Little girl! Can we really do what we want?”

[Assistant] “Of course.”


[User] "Then I’m going to stay a spirit until you die. Our contract with Tuldarr may be over, but that doesn’t mean you’re not still my queen."

[Assistant] "Oh, really? I don’t mind either way."

[User] "Lady Tinasha, I’m going to stay, too!"

[Assistant] "What? Then I guess I will as well. It’s never boring with our queen, after all."

[User] "Nil, you get out of here! You’re annoying!"

[Assistant] As the spirits began to bicker and banter, Tinasha massaged her temples with a grimace.

[User] Legis’s eyes widened as he watched. "They’re very fond of you…"

[Assistant] "I think it’s more that they enjoy pestering me…" Recognizing that things would not calm down so long as the spirits kept chattering, Tinasha shot a beseeching glance at the one situated at the twelve o’clock position. This was the oldest-looking spirit, sporting white hair.

[User] They gave the queen a dignified bow. "I am very grateful that you have ordered the end of our contract. However, as Karr said, our contract with Tuldarr and the fact that you are our master are separate things. Please allow us to accompany you to the end of your short human life span. We do so of our own free will."

[Assistant] "Well, I did tell you to act as you pleased. All right, then." She agreed.

[User] "We shall take you at your word." The spirit responded. With that, the twelve fell silent. They bowed to her, each with different expressions on their faces, and then vanished from the cathedral.

[Assistant] Without the bickering, the spacious chamber fell deathly silent. Tinasha gave a self-possessed smile. Even beneath the weight of every eye in the room, she did not falter. There was no doubting she was the queen. Just as many had predicted, but not at all in the way they had expected, her coronation heralded a turning point in history. Her utterly unique beauty and power would leave a vivid and eternal mark on the memories of the people. Foreign and domestic attendees alike remained still as surely as if a binding spell had been placed on them. It was like time had stopped. In the midst of them all, Oscar gazed at the young, beautiful ruler of Tuldarr in amazement.


[User] "She really did do something unconventional." Doan said as he and Oscar made their way to the great hall. Doan was attending the coronation as Oscar’s guard.

[Assistant] General Als, a few steps ahead of the other two, nodded deeply. The other attendees had evidently not recovered from the surprising corononation yet, either. All were offering their impressions and thoughts. Some approved of Tuldarr for rejecting such preeminent power and even endorsed this revolutionary system overhaul, but others quietly criticized Tinasha’s eccentricity and abrupt reforms. Most nations were governed by monarchies. An attempt at utilizing a two-pillar system of a parliament and a royal monarch would certainly attract people’s attention.


[User] Oscar snorted at the circulating opinions.

[Assistant] “There’s no telling how her decision will be viewed in the years to come. But so long as the spirits continue to serve her, that will be enough to deter other countries. Tuldarr can establish its new system during that time.”

[User] Tinasha had always held Legis’s aptitude for ruling in high regard. More than likely, she had been planning to enact this revolution for a while now, and approving of his temperament had only emboldened her. She took the throne, even though it would be only for a year, in order to dissolve the contract with the spirits.

[Assistant] “At best, a ruler of Tuldarr inherits one or two spirits. Even if she has a child who claims the throne, there’s no telling if they will be a greater mage than she is. Besides, it’s clear from the state of the royal family that magic wanes over generations. She must have known that this was the last chance to inherit all the spirits and release them.”

[User] Doan sighed.

[Assistant] “Because Tuldarr originally let power determine succession, it’s always been a very logical country, in a way. A royal family that inherits the crown via its bloodline deviates from the true tradition.”

[User] “Surely that’s a result of external influence from the moment Tuldarr opened itself to diplomatic relations. They must have had outside pressure.”

[Assistant] “The monarchy being absolute is a holdover from the age of the spirits. Tuldarr was actually founded in the hope that oppressed mages would cooperate with one another, and the members of the royal family were meant only to be the strongest representatives of the people. Queen Tinasha made her decision because things are different now. In a sense, she may have restored Tuldarr to its roots.” Doan’s tone was indifferent, but he asserted his opinion in an uncharacteristically firm way, perhaps because he was a mage himself.

[User] Als listened to the conversation with interest but remained quiet.


[Assistant] Oscar found a mage who served her standing near the entrance and approached him.

[User] Upon catching sight of the king of Farsas, Renart bowed.

[Assistant] “Where’s Tinasha?”

[User] Renart answered calmly, but in a low tone of voice. “She is arguing with King Calste, though I expect it to end soon… She should arrive once she’s changed her clothes.”

[Assistant] Oscar nodded, falling into thought.