Chapter 7
Chapter 7
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: The Way to Turn Back Time
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"No. I hate it."
The woman wearing a hat adorned with black lace spoke in a bored tone.
She was dressed entirely in black.
Her long sleeves and skirt that dragged along the floor wrapped her up tight, leaving not a single inch of skin exposed.
Black leather gloves covered her hands, and black leather boots encased her feet.
She was shrouded completely in veils; not even her face was properly visible, let alone anything else.
The glimpses of skin that occasionally peeked through looked fractured, like they were covered in mosaics.
"What is it that you hate so much?"
A woman with a contrasting impression to the black-clad one asked the question.
This one was entirely white.
White bobbed hair, white robes reminiscent of a priestess.
Her pale purple eyes added a mystical air.
But her pupils, empty as if she'd lost the will to live, felt somehow eerie.
"Everything. I just hate it all."
The black woman propped her chin on her hand as she replied.
The view from the Tower below was visible through the window.
A dark night, bathed in faint moonlight so dim it might not even be there.
She took in each of the lights shining more brilliantly under that moonlight.
In her world of only black and white, light held the sharpest form.
She had once yearned for those lights. Lights she could never possess no matter how much of her life she devoted to them—she had simply envied them.
She had once obsessed over those lights. She wanted them, wanted to hoard them away so no one else could see.
She had once hated and despised those lights. No matter how she reached out, they stayed out of grasp, keeping their distance—nothing could be more loathsome.
And so now, they evoked nothing at all.
The emotions she'd cherished over endless ages weren't infinite resources, so now nothing remained.
All that was left after burning through every feeling was the ashes of emptiness and a vicious boredom.
She lightly tapped the birdcage in her hand with her fingertips.
Tap, tap. The faint sound filled the room.
It felt just like her heart.
Pursuing nothing but amusement might have stemmed from this. From the overwhelming void.
The woman in white was no different.
Her utterly hollow gaze drifted into empty space.
Those eyes resembled those of the dead far more than the living.
In contrast to the lights filling the ground below, the sky was endlessly silent.
A night without stars, a sky where even the clouds were fading away.
The only things hanging in the sky were the Sun and the Moon.
Even the time they could meet had vanished, so the Sun longed for the Moon, and the Moon for the Sun.
The Moon shining alone in desolation spat out mournful moonlight.
The starless night seemed especially dark.
Where had it all gone wrong? From the design itself?
She spent her days posing meaningless questions.
She recalled the countless lights that had flickered out due to her own mistakes.
Her eyes were open, but it was no different from having them closed.
She wasn't seeing this place—she was looking beyond it.
Creeeak. The sound shattered the silence, and both heads turned at once.
A platinum blonde bob-haired woman in a blue beret entered the room.
Her languid gaze swept the room once.
"Why'd you call me?"
The trio that had existed since the Tower's construction was now gathered.
The sight of the two, uncharacteristically moping, drew a sigh from me without warning.
"Haa."
Their gazes snapped to me at the sound of the sigh.
This was already different.
This wasn't like the two I knew.
The 'Tower,' who had actively supported Players in hopes they'd fully climb it, and the 'Abyss,' who had endlessly obstructed their ascents.
The 'Abyss' was always sneering, mocking and taunting the 'Tower's' efforts. The 'Tower' was always nitpicking the 'Abyss's' misdeeds with nagging lectures.
Seeing the two, who had always opposed each other, sitting so casually together felt profoundly awkward.
Their purposes were at odds to begin with, and their personalities were polar opposites.
The 'Abyss' had always reacted cynically to everything, spitting negativity—that was her nature.
She was still grumbling with her "I hate it"s, but compared to before, that was mild. Normally, those would have been full-blown curses.
The 'Tower' always had clear, pure eyes, meticulously pointing out others' impurities.
She was as strict with others as she was with herself—stricter, even.
If she felt she didn't meet her own standards, she'd torment herself in depression for ages.
But now, there was no sign of that.
Dull, frizzy hair and dead, vacant eyes.
This wasn't the woman who always kept herself impeccably groomed.
I could feel their personalities had dulled. The problem was, it wasn't just their personalities.
After all this time, the two I faced were already broken.
Like sturdy trees that had withstood the gales but finally toppled in the endless storms.
And here I stood, a worthless reed drifting aimlessly without purpose or grand conviction.
Only the pathetic reeds remained upright.
The vital trees lay fallen, while the useless reeds stood alone.
Time rusts even the mightiest rails and erodes even the grandest mountains.
Seeing them like this was unbearable.
I needed to get through the business quickly and leave.
"So, why'd you call me?"
"Ah."
The 'Tower' spoke, her once-melodic voice now cracked and rough.
"Can you turn back time?"
"I can. But I'll need your permission."
"I don't care. I've already failed anyway."
"Does that mean both of you agree?"
The 'Tower' was one, yet also two.
Sun and Moon. Similar to a split personality, yet different.
They were fully aware of each other's existence and actions.
They shared thoughts perfectly, without a hint of discord.
During the day, the Sun awoke; at night, the Moon.
"Yes, our opinions align, as always."
"I figured as much."
I'd only asked out of courtesy.
Anyway, I'd thought the 'Tower' might permit it from the start.
The issue was the 'Abyss'.
"I don't mind either."
"Huh?"
The completely unexpected words made my head whip around.
"Ow!"
I must've turned too suddenly—my neck hurt. That was how shocked I was.
Rubbing my sore neck, I stared at the 'Abyss'.
She looked back at me calmly, as if asking what was wrong.
Her expression was unreadable behind the black veil.
"Why you?"
"What a weird question. Isn't this good for you and the Tower?"
"That's exactly why it's weird. You, of all people."
She was infamous for her prickly personality.
No one could match her cantankerousness.
If everyone said yes, she'd be the one to say no—a total contrarian.
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously, and she burst into laughter.
"Haha. You're the same as ever. Still can't hide your expressions."
"You've mellowed out a lot."
"How could I stay sharp forever? Time just wore me down."
"So, what's the reason?"
"No reason. I just feel like it."
That was always her way. The 'Abyss' never acted for reasons.
Still, this time I couldn't accept it easily, so I pressed.
"You're this close to conquering the Tower. You've always targeted it."
"Worried about me? I'm honored."
"Don't dodge the question."
I glared at her, eyes fierce.
The 'Abyss' tapped her empty birdcage lightly and fell silent. After a long hesitation, she finally spoke.
"...I'm just not interested anymore. It's not fun. Even conquering the Tower—what would be the point?"
Her words were as hollow as the cage.
"I've always wandered searching for the bluebird. But it doesn't exist here either."
She murmured with a self-mocking smile.
Did the bluebird symbolize happiness? Was it a metaphor or a real creature? I wasn't sure.
So I had nothing to say.
"Starting fresh might be fun. That's all. I always chase amusement."
The gazes of the 'Abyss' and 'Tower' fixed on me.
"Now it's up to you. We've both agreed."
The final decision rested with me.
I didn't like this setup. I didn't like that fates would shift because of my choice.
For a coward like me, no word was scarier than "responsibility."
I wanted to take it on, but I couldn't—nothing was more terrifying.
Because in the end, the responsibility would fall not on me, but on others.
"If we turn back time, we could create these things called Constellations. To support Players, right? We could promote the existing main NPCs too."
"Wouldn't that put you at a disadvantage?"
"I'll make demons or something to corrupt Players. Sound fun?"
"That's a twisted hobby."
As if assuming I'd agree, the two began discussing future plans.
It scared me, but I had to choose anyway.
I squeezed my eyes shut and voiced my decision.
"I..."