WTSP - 39

An animalistic instinct within me screamed. I had to stop him—otherwise, something terrible would happen.

I leapt from my seat and chased after Theo.

Neither Lena’s startled gasp nor Raquelle’s bewildered calls registered in my mind. At this moment, nothing mattered except Theo’s condition.

I was fully aware that all eyes were on me due to the sudden commotion. But if I didn’t stop Theo, I feared something catastrophic would unfold.

Gasping for breath, my lungs burning as though they might burst, I ran after the boy. The last thing I saw before losing sight of him was tears streaming down his face.

“Theo! Please wait! Theo!”

His destination was clear. Without so much as a backward glance, he sprinted toward the lake, as if drawn by an irresistible force—a hidden treasure calling out to him.

How could a malnourished child run so fast?

It defied logic. It was as though he were under some kind of spell, relentlessly running forward.

Finally reaching the edge of the lake, Theo turned around, his expression unreadable, and locked eyes with me.

300 meters, 250 meters… If only I could close the distance just a little more.

Breathing so hard I thought I might pass out, I refused to stop. And then, Theo raised his palm, signaling for me to stay back.

As I drew closer, his features became clearer. He was crying—sobbing uncontrollably. For reasons unknown, the young boy wept bitterly.

Why such an expression? My lips moved, but no words came out. Only rasping breaths echoed into the void.

“Don’t… come near me, Sister. Please.”

The boy trembled violently. It felt like if I took one more step, he’d stop breathing altogether. I couldn’t move.

I didn’t want to ask why Theo, who had seemed perfectly fine moments ago, suddenly turned pale or why he ran toward the lake.

All I wanted was to pull the frightened child into my arms and whisper that everything would be alright.

Theo opened his mouth as if to say something, but unfortunately, his voice never reached me. A part of me sensed it might be better not to hear it, yet I couldn’t give up.

My body felt as heavy as waterlogged cotton. Theo’s complexion grew paler by the second, as if he were counting down to something inevitable.

“Theo, can I come closer?”

“I’m sorry, Sister… Thank you. And please… take care of my brother.”

Behind me, I could feel knights rushing toward us. I desperately wanted to turn around and stop them, but my body wouldn’t obey.

Theo’s faint voice carried on the spring breeze, barely reaching my ears. “Goodbye,” he must have murmured.

Just as I prepared to respond to his heart-wrenching farewell, Theo threw himself into the lake. Unable to believe what was happening, I leaned forward, frozen in place.

And then, a brilliant blue light flooded the sky.

KABOOM!

A deafening explosion rocked my entire body, threatening to shatter my eardrums.

In that instant, time slowed as if reality itself had stretched thin. Like a bomb detonating, the once-peaceful lake erupted in a massive explosion. A towering column of water surged upward, cascading down toward me.

If only I’d been able to close the distance just a little more…

But the jet of water, rising like a fountain, crashed against an invisible barrier and fell away without touching me. It was as though an enormous transparent wall stood between the lake and me.

“No, no…”

I couldn’t run toward the lake.

With a sense of futility, I collapsed where I stood, lowering my head. Theo’s voice was gone. Even the eerie silence didn’t last long.

Countless people rushed toward me, but I couldn’t tear my gaze away from the now-calm lake.

How could I believe that all of this had unfolded in less than a minute?

Tears soaked my cheeks, warm and wet.

“Quickly, escort Her Highness! Your Majesty, are you alright?”

“Everyone, evacuate to the right! This area is dangerous! Stay back!”

“Where are the physicians? Your Majesty, forgive me.”

Even as someone lifted me onto their back, my chest felt as though it were being ripped apart.

The lakeside was chaos incarnate. In the height of disorder, several nobles tripped and injured themselves. With far too few knights to manage the panicked crowd, everyone was gripped by deep fear.

Thus, carried on a knight’s back, I gradually moved farther away from Theo’s final moments.

The image of the boy’s radiant smile wouldn’t leave my mind. I had promised to reunite him with his parents, to let him nurture his magical talent in the palace.

Misty tears blurred my vision. Feeling my consciousness slip, I slowly closed my eyes.

Through tear-soaked lashes, I prayed fervently that this nightmare would end and reveal itself as nothing more than a dream.

But reality cannot transform into a dream. Reality cannot become an ideal either. Reality is simply excruciatingly painful.

________________________________________

My body felt as limp as waterlogged cotton.

Blink, blink. Had my eyelashes always been this heavy? Slowly opening my eyes, I stared at the ceiling. Ah, it had been a dream. A long, torturous nightmare, it seemed. Weakly raising my arm, I covered my eyes with the back of my hand.

It felt like sleep paralysis.

On days I failed to win first place in fencing tournaments, nightmares haunted me.

I couldn’t bear Father’s disappointed expression or the oppressive atmosphere at home. As a child, I often sought refuge in dreams, only to find even those cruel and painful.

“Ophelia.”

A voice I’d never heard before, accompanied by a hazy field of vision.

Someone was beside me.

Frowning to make out their face, I found it blurred, as though filtered through frosted glass.

‘Of course I can’t see clearly—it’s a dream.’

Was I caught between reality and fantasy?

Strangely, I felt relieved that the figure wasn’t familiar. Had someone I knew appeared, tears might have overwhelmed me.

The mysterious person gently stroked my cheek and whispered:

“You’ve taken strong medicine, so you’ll feel drowsy for a while. Rest a little longer.”

“…I understand. You’re a creation of my mind, aren’t you? Even in dreams, I guess I seek comfort.”

“That might be true. Think of me however you wish. Judgment is yours alone.”

An apparition born to console me—surely that’s what he was. Accepting this thought, I felt a weight lift from my heart.

After all, this was my dream. What harm could any words do?

“Are you feeling sad, Ophelia?”

Sadness didn’t grip me. Instead, the memory of that moment still felt surreal.

I lowered my hand, pulling the thick blanket up to my chest. Though it pressed heavily on my body, I didn’t mind.

“…I wonder if the others are okay. Serdel, Elian, Lena…”

“Well, aside from a few nobles who collided in their haste to escape, everyone seems fine. Human selfishness tends to surface most vividly in crises. They’ve dug their own graves, so to speak.”

I managed a weak smile. His words made him feel almost inhuman.

But since I am human, wouldn’t he also be human? Or perhaps closer to a soul.

As if reading my thoughts, the blurry figure murmured softly:

“I don’t feel disillusioned. Humans are… complicated. They’re not one-dimensional. Someone who sacrifices everything for their family might be someone else’s enemy. An altruistic person may eventually become the most selfish. That’s what makes them fascinating. Among all creatures, humans are the hardest to decipher.”

Take you, for instance, Ophelia.

The dream figure tenderly caressed my feverish forehead, whispering.

His touch was so gentle that I felt lighter, as if floating. His voice was soothing, like a parent singing a lullaby to a child.

“He was a stranger you met just yesterday. Yet for him, you cried and grieved as if the world had ended. Why do you think that is?”

“…I don’t know. It’s strange. I’ve never particularly liked children. But somehow… he felt special. He kept drawing my attention, lingering in my thoughts.”

“That boy seeped into your heart at some point. It’s an emotion beyond logic.”

Listening to his languid whispers, sleep crept over me despite my will. Blinking through heavy lids, I shifted slightly.

What could he have possibly been grateful for? I hadn’t done anything. I’d merely stayed by his side.

My thoughts refused to connect properly.

The apparition watching over me rose slowly from the chair and lightly kissed my forehead. The warmth lingered like an imprint, refusing to fade.

“Rest well, Ophelia.”

The violet-haired man smiled faintly, brushing my eyelids with his palm.

Sleep now. When you wake, everything will be alright.

His voice sounded like the closing lines of a fairy tale. And they lived happily ever after.

Perhaps it was the line everyone—children and adults alike—longed to hear. A future everyone wished for.

Feeling his presence fade, I drifted quietly into slumber.