WTSP - 33

“Who... who are you? I’m sure you were… dead.”

“Uh, who... who are you? You don’t seem like a mage.”

A chill ran down my spine. The child before me was identical to the corpse I had discovered just ten minutes ago.

I had personally closed his eyes—there was no way I could have mistaken someone else for him.

It felt like déjà vu, as if I had somehow traveled back in time. But that was impossible.

It wasn’t just the black hair and emerald-green eyes that matched. If this child was alive here, then who was the boy I had found among the pile of corpses?

The tangled web of confusion refused to unravel. But the child seemed equally bewildered, his face etched with fear and uncertainty.

“Did you save me...? Please, you’re not here to hurt me, right? I beg you—I don’t want to be in pain anymore...”

“No, it’s okay. You’re safe now. ...I’m sorry. I should’ve said this first.”

The boy’s luminous green eyes reminded me so much of Serdel’s younger self.

First, I untangled the ropes binding his frail body. Only then could I fully take in his condition.

His skeletal frame, bruised arms, and wrists bound by heavy shackles spoke of unimaginable suffering. This couldn’t possibly be the body of a seven-year-old child.

The pale, bloodless face I had seen earlier haunted me, but I pushed the thought aside and took his hand.

The young mage lay motionless on the ground, though he still breathed. He could wake at any moment.

“For now, follow me. I won’t let anyone hurt you. We need to get out of here.”

“W-Wait! Um... Sister? No, I don’t know what to call you, but—”

“You can call me whatever you like. We don’t have time for this now—we’ll talk later.”

“My brother! He’s here too! He’s locked up in that cell over there. I can’t leave without him!”

The word “brother” clicked everything into place. A shiver ran through me as the pieces fell together.

Could it be...? My chest tightened as I exhaled sharply.

“Your brother is here with you?”

“Yes. We were taken together. He’s in a different room—I haven’t seen him in days...”

“Are you two... twins?”

The boy nodded vigorously, pointing again toward the iron door. His frantic hopping from one foot to the other tugged at my heartstrings.

Twins.

He clearly believed his brother was still alive. How could I tell a child under ten the bitter truth?

Your brother...

I couldn’t bring myself to say it.

“There are knights waiting nearby. For now, we need to leave. If we don’t get caught, we can come back to rescue your brother. Okay?”

“But...!”

“One hour. That’s all I need. I promise I’ll save everyone here.”

Tears welled up in his clear green eyes, but he finally clasped my hand tightly.

Starved for days, he limped weakly as we headed toward the wooden stairs leading out of the pit. Even as we climbed, his gaze never left the iron door.

“I need to stay calm. That’s how I’ll protect him.”

With resolve, I helped the boy ascend the rickety wooden steps caked with dirt. The stench of blood still clung to me, suffocating.

His legs gave way, and he crawled more than walked. I supported his back, urging us both out of that nightmare.

As we emerged into the sunlight, its searing rays bathed us. The boy shielded his eyes, unaccustomed to the brightness after so long in the dark.

“You’re safe now. Let’s go quickly. Oh, what’s your name?”

“Theo. Theodore... And you?”

“Ophelia. Just call me sister for now. Let’s head toward the forest.”

Though I reassured Theo, this place was still dangerous. We needed to find the entrance to the hunting grounds and escape into the woods.

I noticed his gaze lingering on something and swallowed hard. The pile of corpses was less than twenty paces away. Theo’s face froze in shock.

“Theo, we need to hurry. We have to call for help.”

“...Okay.”

I gripped his hand tightly, steering him away, terrified he might spot his brother’s body.

Thankfully, he didn’t. It was unsurprising—dozens of corpses were scattered haphazardly.

We moved toward the woods, but my unease about being lost remained. Entering the dense thicket, I scanned our surroundings anxiously.

“Sister, where exactly are we going?”

“We need to reach the palace, but I’m not sure of the way. Some glowing creature led me here.”

“...Huh? Was it an animal that looked like a rabbit?”

“Yes! How did you know? Do you...?”

Theo’s face lit up with recognition, his earlier fear melting away.

“It’s Lulu! My imaginary friend, Lulu... Did Lulu bring you here?”

“Lulu? You created that creature?”

“Yes. Since I was five, Lulu’s been my friend. I can only summon Lulu for half a day, though...”

The creature with a rabbit’s face, bird’s body, and cat’s tail was Theo’s imaginary companion. But he tilted his head curiously, walking slowly.

“But... I summoned Lulu just before I was captured. That was ten days ago, so Lulu should’ve disappeared by now...”

“You used magic to summon Lulu, right? Could maintaining your magic keep Lulu around?”

“This is a mana control device. The mages put it on my wrist as soon as I was thrown into the underground prison. With this on, I can’t feel my mana at all...”

...So Lulu couldn’t have stayed for long.

Theo added quietly, gesturing toward a large rock. “Can we rest here for just a moment?”

It seemed we were far enough from danger, so I nodded and pondered Lulu’s role.

Perhaps, driven by some unknown force beyond logic or reason, Lulu had endured to guide me here—a silent plea for help to save his friend.

Lost in thought, I examined Theo’s wrist. The mana suppressor was heavier than I’d realized.

“Is there any way to remove it?”

Deep in contemplation, I felt a chilling sensation creep up my spine.

“Sister!”

Only when Theo screamed did I snap out of my thoughts and turn my head. An arrow was embedded in the tree trunk beside us.

Without hesitation, I grabbed Theo’s hand and bolted.

“Capture them! Don’t let them escape!”

“How did that slippery brat...?”

Their voices boomed loud enough to wake every animal in the forest. Theo’s face turned deathly pale as their shouts pierced the air.

‘They must be the guards patrolling the area.’

My heart pounded wildly.

Sweat slicked my palm as I clutched Theo’s hand. All I had were harmless rubber-tipped arrows and a single rapier.

We needed to escape without being seen.

‘How did they find us so quickly?’

Keeping my right hand on the rapier’s hilt, ready to draw at any moment, I sprinted in the opposite direction.

Theo followed behind, his wide eyes filled with terror.

Then came a short cry—”Ah!”—and Theo stumbled, falling to the ground.

“Theo! Are you okay? Can you stand? This is bad...”

“I-I’m fine! Let’s keep running, sister!”

He must have tripped over a root while running. His knees were scraped and bloody, but he dusted himself off and stood up, gripping my hand tightly.

Fortunately, the guards’ voices grew distant, but we couldn’t afford to relax.

‘We need to reach the hunting grounds.’

Supporting Theo, who limped slightly, I quickened our pace.

“If we lose them now, we’re dead! Spread out and search everywhere!”

“Yes, sir! You take the west side! Damn it! Those bastards...”

The commanding guard’s frustrated voice faded into the distance. It seemed we had successfully evaded them for now.

Breathing heavily, I hid Theo among the bushes. For a child who hadn’t eaten properly in days, this was grueling.

“Just one minute. Rest for one minute, then we run again.”

Theo nodded, steadying his ragged breaths.

If night fell before we escaped, Theo’s weakened immune system wouldn’t hold out much longer.

Anxiously biting my lower lip, I scanned the surroundings. Suddenly, I felt a cold presence behind me.

Thud. My heart sank. Whoever it was, the chill signaled danger.

Theo’s pupils dilated as he sensed the presence behind us. Trembling, I slowly turned my head.

A shaky breath escaped my dry lips. My hand gripping the rapier trembled ever so slightly.