A Promise Across the Sands
"How about sitting beside me for a moment?" I said, patting the spot next to me. The invitation stretched out gently, soft as a breeze. The girl hesitated, then took a few awkward steps. She drew close and timidly crouched down at my side.
"......"
Legia said nothing. She simply sat in silence. Across her usually transparent green eyes, a melancholy she couldn't hide swirled like dark water. Perhaps she was hurting. I kept my mouth shut. I didn't want to disturb her thoughts. She had seemed lost in one heavy reflection after another all day, and I hoped she might find even a sliver of peace. So I waited quietly.
The wind sighed softly—whoooosh. As I brushed back my tousled bangs, my gaze drifted to the vast desert night sky. Countless fragments of stars glittered within the pitch black.
"......"
I looked up at the scene that threatened to pour down on us at any moment. The word beautiful rose unbidden. The splendor of those brilliant stars was enough to awe even the foulest of adults. It seemed I was no different. I continued my quiet contemplation.
"Young master."
A voice reached me. The pink-haired girl kept her eyes fixed on the ground as she called out. She looked shrunken in on herself. Her lips moved hesitantly. Her shoulders trembled, faint but unmistakable. After several false starts, Legia finally whispered.
"......I'm sorry."
A sudden apology. I asked her gently, "What are you sorry for?"
"I just... I feel like I'm completely useless."
"Useless?"
"Because I keep hiding behind you, unable to do anything but shiver in fear."
"So that's what's been weighing on you."
Legia nodded. Her wavering pupils were filled with nothing but self-reproach.
"I know how pathetic I am."
"Miss Legia..."
"I was chosen by a summon that everyone else would envy. But when the moment comes, I can't control my power."
"......"
"I become helpless at every critical instant."
It had been the same during the midterms. If she had been able to control her abilities perfectly, she could have easily overwhelmed a monster like that. Yet the timid girl had never managed to awaken. Because of it, she had been driven to the brink of death—and had nearly gotten her entire party killed along with her.
"I feel like I ruin everything I touch."
The anguish that had built up over time seemed to be spilling over. Her voice sounded calm, yet beneath it lingered the thick traces of pain.
"Every time that happens, I'm terrified. That someday... something truly irreversible will occur..."
Tears welled in Legia's eyes. She hadn't always been this way. She had once been a lively, courageous child. But the ugliness of adults during her childhood had broken her. The girl had grown up abused. She had learned sorrow far too early.
Her mother hurled insults and violence at her every single day. A father who had never existed. She was the very picture of misfortune. The girl had been forced to grow up stripped of her original light. After her mother died in an accident, she set out on a journey with the determination to truly live for the first time—but it was already too late. Legia was no longer a little child. Her innocent nature had vanished, leaving only a shabby coward in its place. As a result, the girl had become a complete loner.
It must have left a massive scar. That was also why her powers kept fluctuating. The wounds from that time still remained, causing her focus to fracture and slip again and again. She had not yet overcome them.
"I want to do better... but it doesn't go the way I want."
The protagonist secretly suffering. Perhaps that was why.
"Miss Legia."
Maybe that was why I felt such tender affection for her. Because she mirrored my own past life so closely. Seeing someone carrying similar wounds made me want to look after her. A sense of kinship.
"Excessive self-blame isn't healthy."
At the same time, it was also admiration. I had ultimately failed to overcome my scars, but she was fated to overcome hers brilliantly. To me, she was nothing short of hope.
"You're already doing your best."
"B-but..."
"You called yourself a coward, but I see it differently."
"...You do?"
Legia had never run away. Not even once. Even when her power refused to obey and fear turned her mind blank, she still stepped forward.
"You did it in front of that laboratory monster. You could have escaped alone, yet you chose to stay by the young lady's side."
"......"
"I know exactly how much courage that takes each and every time."
At some point the protagonist's gaze had lifted to meet mine. I smiled softly.
"I believe in you without a shred of doubt."
A flower that would surely bloom one day.
"You'll definitely succeed. If it's you, Miss Legia, you'll become a star brighter than anyone else."
The time simply hadn't come yet. I took the girl's hand and held it firmly. My palm gently covered her ice-cold skin.
"Everything will be all right."
"......"
Legia fell silent for a moment. She stared blankly, as if she didn't know how to respond. Then her lips parted.
"......You always say such kind things, young master."
"Because you are someone who fully deserves them."
"It's the first time in my life... hearing words like these from someone."
"There will be many more times."
The protagonist was always meant to be loved by many. Friends, comrades, mentors—she would form beautiful bonds and bloom like the flower she was. I whispered faintly.
"Until then, I'll stay by your side."
So you wouldn't be lonely. I wanted to remain with her, even if only for a little while.
"When you're afraid, hold my hand. No matter what happens, I won't let go of you, Miss Legia."
I squeezed our joined hands. Warmth passed gently between us. Legia wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, then gave an awkward little nod. Her cheeks had flushed a soft red.
"......Thank you."
"Hehe, it's nothing."
The air between us felt fresh and sweet. Beneath the star-filled desert night sky, we made a promise to each other, remembering the warmth we had shared at our fingertips.
On the other hand, though no one noticed, a small spark had begun to flicker inside the girl's heart. An inner flame hinting at awakening.
Crackle!
It was faint, yet undeniably there—a light. The girl who had been trapped inside her shell was beginning, bit by bit, to break through her own world. Tiny cracks were forming across the surface of the egg. What would happen next, no one could predict.
"Hehe."
Except for one person.
The next day, we set off across the desert as usual. The peaceful night felt like a lie; from dawn onward the desert rang with the cries of monsters. It was a light monster wave.
Kiiiiik—!
Aggressive scorpions charged at us. As the stages increased, their patterns grew more varied. Sometimes dozens would swarm at once. Sometimes individuals twice the normal size would appear. Sometimes sandstorms would blot out our vision... The creatures were becoming increasingly troublesome.
"Hmm."
Still, it wasn't yet enough to overwhelm us. Legia seemed to be adapting to this field, and the old man's marksmanship remained reliable. The three of us were slowly finding our rhythm.
"Hoo..."
Right after the battle ended, we took a moment to regroup. As I steadied my breathing, the old man approached.
"Young man, are you all right?"
"No injuries. And you, sir?"
"This old bag of bones is the same as always." The old man chuckled dryly. His wrinkled hands were maintaining his crossbow. "It wouldn't be strange if I dropped dead any day now."
"That's a heavy thing to say."
"It's the truth, so what can I do?"
"I hope you'll stay safe at least until we reach our destination."
"And after that, it doesn't matter?"
"Goodness... Twisting my words like that is rather unfair."
We exchanged a few lighthearted remarks. The old man brushed the dust from his bolts. While we rested, Legia, who had been glancing our way, spoke up hesitantly.
"Sir..."
"Hm?"
"Y-you mentioned it yesterday. That someone was waiting at the end of the desert."
"I did indeed."
"You're going to meet that person, aren't you?"
"You could say that."
"What kind of person are they? To make someone cross a desert like this alone... it must be family, right?"
"An interesting question."
He stroked his beard. After a moment of thought, the old man spoke in a gentle voice.
"There was someone with whom I shared a precious promise."
"A precious promise...?"
"It's an old man's tale, but would you like to hear it? It should help pass the time while we walk."
We listened quietly.
In a certain village long, long ago, there lived a boy and a girl. Their names were Josh and Rosalind. The two had been close since childhood. Everyone in the village knew how special they were to each other. They went everywhere together.
"Rosalind! Let's go play outside!"
"No... Let's read books together in the room this time. Okay, Josh?"
Josh was a mischievous rascal, while Rosalind was shy and reserved. Perhaps it was because their personalities were complete opposites that they complemented each other so well. Rosalind kept Josh from going too far, and Josh protected Rosalind from the village children who liked to bully her. Their bond was unbreakable.
"Josh and Rosalind only ever play with each other!"
"Just tell them to get married already!"
"So boring. Just live the rest of your lives together and leave us alone..."
Despite the other children's complaints, the two only ever thought of each other. Sometimes, when they lay beneath the night sky gazing at the stars, they would whisper promises to one another.
"What if we ever get separated... what would we do then?"
"Idiot? We just won't separate!"
"But what if we do?"
"Then let's decide on a place to meet again, just in case!"
"Where should we meet?"
Their relationship had seemed like it would last forever. But even that eventually came to an end. It was the year Josh turned fifteen. His entire family, including him, moved to a distant foreign country. On the day of their farewell...
"Don't ever come back...!"
"I'm sick of you too! I'll never see you again!"
The boy and girl fought. He no longer remembered what it was about. A small argument had spiraled out of control and tore them apart in the worst possible way. Their parting came without any chance to reconcile.
Only later did Josh regret it. He had left behind the person he cherished most in the world. He tried to write a letter, but soon even that became impossible.
"It's war!"
War had broken out between the two nations. The boy and girl could not meet again.
Time passed. A full fifty years went by. The war ended. Chaos subsided. Only when peaceful days returned did the boy—now an old man—set out on a journey to keep the promise they had made. The promise to meet again at their chosen place.
"I'm coming to see you, Rosalind."
The boy crossed the desert. He walked toward the connection that was waiting for him.
"So... that's why you said you were going to meet someone precious."
"Indeed."
The old man who had finished his story smiled quietly. His eyes looked lost in old memories. We were in the middle of crossing a sandy hill. Just as the rest of the tale seemed to be winding down—
"And when I was young... cough, cough!"
The old man suddenly began to cough. At first I thought he had simply choked, but I quickly realized it was something more serious. The sound carried clear pain. Blood dripped steadily from the hand covering his mouth.
"S-sir...?!"
It was hemoptysis. A startled Legia checked on him. But the old man merely shook his head as if this were familiar, wiping the blood away.
"No need to be surprised. It's just an old illness I've had for a long time."
"But you're coughing up this much blood..."
"Hehe, young lady worries too much. I'm really fine, so don't concern yourself."
His wrinkled lips murmured.
"For now, just focus on crossing the desert. There isn't much time left."
"......"
At the time, Legia could not have known. She could not have known what meaning lay hidden within the old man's faltering breaths.