Dreams, and Dreams
Dreams, and Dreams
A stale, musty smell.
A hard, cold floor.
A sliver of sunlight seeping through the small iron grate in the ceiling.
"Get lost, you little shit!!"
"Aagh!!"
"It's mine!! I grabbed it first, I said!!"
Children fighting over a dried-out loaf of bread that looked utterly flavorless, and a water bottle.
"Stop it!!"
The moment one girl raised her voice, the tangled mass of children gradually separated and pulled back. Even then, a few of them glared fiercely, clutching their claimed bread and water bottles tight to their chests so no one could snatch them away.
"No fighting. Take two loaves of bread and three water bottles each! It's not like you won't get more when you've finished those, so stop being greedy. Got it?"
As the girl raised a fist to threaten them, the children who had been hoarding things in their arms set them down, pouting.
The girl lightly ruffled their hair as she handed out the bread and water bottles. Then, carrying her own share and the portion for one other, she approached.
Yes, she approached.
"Whitey, are you hurt somewhere? Why are you being so quiet today?"
"Whi... tey...?"
"That's right, our cute little puppy!"
Setting down what she was holding, she reached out with newly freed hands.
Smack—!!
My body moved on instinct and swatted away the girl's hand as it reached to stroke my head.
"What's with you? You're really weird today."
"......."
Weird?
I'm weird, weird... weird?
What does that mean?
"I......."
"I don't really get it, but here, eat this."
She picked up the bread she'd set on the cold floor and held it out again.
The bread against my hand was hard, hard.......
"Are you seriously hurt somewhere?"
"...No. I'm not hurt."
I bit into the bread.
It didn't all fit in one mouthful.
'Were my hands always this small?'
I ate one whole piece of the tasteless bread.
"Drink the water, too."
"...I can do it myself."
"Yeah, yeah."
I swallowed water colder than the cold floor.
'I feel awful.......'
My head hurt.
A tightness sat in my chest.
I just, I just don't get it.
"Our Whitey, you must really be tired."
"......."
Tired, huh.
Maybe so.
Pull.
"There, there. Let's go night-night in your big sister's arms."
I don't want to be held.
But why does it feel so comfortable?
"Once you sleep, you'll feel all better."
"......Mm."
The only warmth I could lean on here, in this place.
Leaning into that heat, I closed my eyes.
**
Clank.
"Number 37. Get up."
"......?"
Someone shook my body.
I'm hungry.
And thirsty.
"If you're awake, follow me."
"Follow... you?"
"Haa, what a bother......."
I was lifted higher than I could ever have jumped by myself.
"Nngh......."
The sun was so bright it hurt my eyes.
"Set her down there."
"Stay still, Number 37."
My legs touched the floor again.
"There we are, come this way, dear."
"Uwah......."
A woman I didn't know pulled my arm.
"We shouldn't get this wet, so let's take it off, alright?"
"But... without this, it's cold......"
"It's fine. You'll be going somewhere not cold now. And here, feel this."
Whoooosh—!!
"It's warm!!"
"See? Now that you know, shall we take this off?"
"Okay!"
The air tickled where it touched my skin.
But that was fine.
The warm water made me feel good.
"Goodness, once you're cleaned up, you look just like a doll. You'll sell for a very high price."
"High price?"
"Yes. Our Number 37 will be sold for a very, very high price."
I didn't quite understand.
Still, my body was all toasty, and it felt nice.
**
"Wow, everything's so sparkly."
Children wearing pretty clothes that were different from mine.
And beside me, children wearing clothes just like mine.
"...What's so great that you're grinning about it?"
"They feed us well, and we're going somewhere warm."
"Huh?"
The boy sitting next to me made his ugly face even uglier.
"That's only for those kids up there!!"
"Dunno. A mister who's better looking than you said so."
"Why, you—!!"
Snap.
"Aack!!"
"I don't want to damage the merchandise, so stay quiet."
Another man in black clothes grabbed the ugly boy's arm.
The boy's eyes brimmed with tears.
"Black... h-hic......"
"Crybaby."
The boys I used to live with would jump anyone who called them a crybaby, but this ugly kid just kept crying like an idiot.
"Right this way, little miss? Shall we follow this gentleman?"
Another stranger came up and took hold of me.
Like the other kids, I stood up from my spot and walked.
"Age 12. Abandoned at birth and raised. Setting aside a slightly unusual appearance, no special history. Starting bid is 70!"
Strange men and women with colorful things on their faces.
"80, 90, 100...... 300. Now raising in increments of 50!"
The man who'd grabbed the ugly kid's arm earlier wouldn't stop his noisy chatter.
'...I'm hungry.'
I hadn't eaten anything since waking up this morning.
I wanted to eat something, fast.
"Unbelievable!! 900!! We have 900!! Let me repeat, this child has no special history!! 900!! 900!! 900!! Yes, item number 30 is sold for 900!!"
The man came up again, took hold of me, and brought me back down.
**
"From today onward, this is where you'll be living."
The sun streamed in, all bright and sparkling, and the place smelled good.
And it was full of things I'd never seen before!
"If she awakens, great. If not, we can raise her well and use her for lobbying. That should do nicely."
"I'll begin her education tomorrow."
The next day, I learned why that ugly kid had been crying.
Slap—!!
"...I'm, sorry."
"I'm sorry for hitting you, too. But you are also at fault for making me point it out twice, so shall we make up?"
"......Yes."
My cheek hurt.
More than when the boys hit me.
**
My body is burning up.
I'm so parched.
-Haha! I hadn't even expected it, but who knew she'd actually awaken!!
-As expected of the Guild Master, sir.
Through a hazy consciousness, I could hear the happy-sounding voices of two men.
'That's a relief.......'
They sound pleased.
Maybe tonight I can sleep without being hit.
**
"What? Nothing's manifesting?"
"No......"
"Tsk, what a hassle."
"I'm sorry......"
How many days had I been lying there?
I don't know.
One thing was crystal clear, though—the man standing before me was in a foul mood.
"Follow me."
"......Yes."
I'd expected to get slapped across the face like usual, but oddly, the man didn't hit me. I followed behind him before his mood could sour further.
We left the building I'd never once managed to escape and got into something I'd only ever seen during lessons—a thing called a car. And then, for the first time, I was able to enter a place called a temple.
"You should transfer the child to us."
"Excuse me? No, what is this all of a sudden......."
When I came out of the prayer room, a woman draped in clothes as pure white as my hair was talking to the man who'd brought me. About me.
"If there are conditions you desire, I shall accommodate them as much as possible. Do not ask for the reason."
"Let me return and hold a meeting just......."
"Decide here."
I could hear the man swallow hard.
'That's strange.'
Hearing a sound I never would've caught before, so clearly.
And my body felt lighter than it used to, too.
The bruises from where I'd been hit before were also gone.
"Hello there."
"...Hello."
I'd been sitting there in a daze, waiting for the conversation to end, when the woman who'd been talking with the man came over to me.
"From now on, you will be staying here."
"...Understood."
"Good. I'm fond of obedient children."
A new owner. A new cage.
And just like that, my brief little outing came to an end.
**
"May the grace of the gods be with you. Well done, everyone."
As the priest of the Love God who had been giving the lecture departed, the apprentice clerics who'd been seated—myself among them—rose from their places.
-That was so goddamn bor— Aaagh?!
-Didn't I tell you to watch your mouth?
My gaze naturally drifted toward the commotion.
A pretty child with pink hair was crumpled on the floor, rubbing her back. Next to her, a mature-looking child with beige hair clicked her tongue.
Those two, who never missed a day together. So unlike me, who was always alone.
'Must be nice.......'
I watched them for a brief moment, then gathered my things and got up.
Veering off the path to the cafeteria, I entered the Street of Light instead and returned to the temple.
"I'm back."
"Well done."
"Yes......"
One of the Goddess of Benevolence's High Priests.
And my third owner.
Thankfully, this third cage was larger than the two I'd been in before.
'At least I can go for a walk.'
I came into the room in the far corner and sat on the bed.
"Meat, huh."
Today's evening training session would be a bit hard.
Usually, on days when meat was served, I was beaten mercilessly far more often.
"Lord Lumenus......"
Having filled my stomach with lunch, I clasped my hands together and prayed.
The first day I had offered up a prayer.
The short conversation I'd shared with the god who manifested before me.
And the promise we'd made.
'Please, open the door.'
So that I can leave this cage that holds me.
**
Ruuuumble!!
The whole world dyes itself gray.
The sky that had been so blue.
The pure white clouds that sailed above it.
Even the sun, the only thing that ever gave me light.
"Haha......."
A laugh escapes me.
The cage door I'd so desperately wanted opened has finally swung wide—how could I not laugh?
But I didn't step outside it.
No, I couldn't step outside.
"Aaaaaaaaaaugh──!!"
Because the world outside the cage no longer existed.
Because the blue sky I'd spent my whole life looking up at no longer existed.
"What did I do wrong......."
I did whatever they told me.
When they hit me, I took it, saying I was sorry.
To be a loyal beast, I never once rebelled and obeyed everything.
"So why......!!"
That male student, the only one who ever approached me, is dead.
The female student who strangely always took my side is dead, too.
Everyone else I'd had even the smallest connection to is gone.
The man standing right in front of me killed them all.
"Why, damn it!!"
For the first time in my life, I asked someone.
Why have you done this?
Why am I the only one you left alive?
【.......】
The man didn't answer.
I hadn't asked expecting an answer anyway.
"...I'll kill you."
I hate the being who stole even my last shred of hope.
"...So if you don't want to die, kill me."
And I'm afraid.
Of being left alone in this empty world.
With my broken arms dangling, I walked slowly toward the man.
"...Die."
Even as I came right up to him, the man just stared at me with those vacant eyes of his. I opened my mouth, intending to sink the only weapon I had—my fangs—into his throat.
【A precious child, the only one in this world, is it.】
The man spoke for the first time.
In the same instant, my body stiffened.
The man stepped back a few paces and faced me directly.
【I think I understand, just a little.】
"......?"
What was he suddenly going on about?
【However, my will shall not change.】
Little by little, color began to return to the man's eyes, which had been dyed pitch black.
The man extended a hand toward me.
In that moment.
Whooosh──!!
Something came flooding into my head.
It was memories—so warm, so happy.
The "me" inside those memories was smiling so blissfully, I almost felt jealous.
【Therefore, carry it through.】
My consciousness gradually faded.
【So that not even a grain of regret remains.】
For your happiness shall be his.
**
The second dawn since the children fell into their nightmares.
Claire, who had watched the Fairy sleeping beside the three slumbering children for a moment, left the bedroom.
'He's not here again tonight....'
She walked through the hushed corridor, thinking of the man she admired—the one who had not sent a single message since departing the manor.
Stepping along the faint moonlight seeping in, she carefully opened the door to Baek Ha-na's room on the opposite side.
"...Miss Ha-na?"
Claire spotted Baek Ha-na sitting upright in bed, and hurried inside the room.
"Miss Ha-na, it's alright. You've just been having a nightmare up until now."
Claire didn't ask what had happened.
She simply wiped the edges of Baek Ha-na's tear-filled eyes and wrapped her arms around the girl's limp shoulders.
"......Sis."
A voice, cracked and hoarse.
"Yes. Tell me."
Letting go of the shoulders she'd been holding, Claire perched on the edge of the bed and met Baek Ha-na's eyes.
"I... you see."
Baek Ha-na clutched Claire's hand, her lips parting slightly.
"...I'm in love with him."
"I see."
"I'm really sor—?"
Baek Ha-na blinked.
That wasn't the answer she had been expecting.
"Miss Ha-na."
"Uh, no, I, that's—... yes...?"
Claire clasped the hand that Baek Ha-na had placed over hers.
"Allow me to help you."