Rebecca had always dreamed of one day being taken by a prince who would take all her problems away, and live happily ever after just like the stories sis Tana used to read to her.i
She viewed herself as Rapunzel, but as she grew, like every child, her fantasies faded like smoke. She wondered why the moon always followed her, but then realized it was the same for everyone else. That's when she came to terms with the fact that there was nothing special about her. Nobody cared—and even if they did, they'd leave her anyway.
So Rebecca wondered if she was dreaming as she was carried by a man. A man she had seen in her fantasies. Strong arms. Long hair. And eyes that reflected the water droplets suspended in the gutters. Eyes that carried more than she could see. Eyes that promised more than she could think. Eyes that looked further than she could ever reach.
Were these the eyes of a man?
I laid Rebecca down slowly, then pulled my hood over her to keep her warm. I still wore a black shirt with long sleeves and matching trousers. Turning my back to her, I drew my katana.
"I'm glad I followed you here," I muttered. "I can't bear another death of someone I care for."
She tightened her grip on the hood.
The monster slithered closer, a twisted mixture of jellyfish and octopus. I wondered if it was once human as I sliced through its tentacles.
"R…e…beccaaa…" it whispered.
I froze, only for a tentacle to slam me aside.
Bracing my fall, I spat, "You can talk?" Then dashed back toward it.
Rebecca's eyes widened. She saw a heart-shaped scar burned into one of the monster's limbs.
"Stop!" she cried out before I took its head.
My katana hummed and locked in place, refusing to decapitate the creature.
"She's my sister!" Rebecca broke into tears.
Memories of the five thousand monsters I had killed before—all once human—crashed down on me. My grip slackened. I lowered the blade.
The monster regenerated, its limbs wrapping around me, electricity coursing through my body. Still, I forced myself forward until I was face-to-face with it.
"Even after turning into a monster, you still carry a human element," I whispered, staring into its eye.
Its head leaned against mine. The katana hummed, and in an instant I was back in the white room.
Rebecca's sister stood there, chained hand and foot, dressed in a pale gown. Her face was drained of life, her eyes the eyes of someone standing between death and life itself.
I tried to cut through the chains, but nothing worked. She only smiled at me.
"Thank you for reaching out to me," she whispered. "Please… kill me, and set me free."
"No!" I shouted, slashing again and again, but the chains didn't even scratch. A tear slid onto my katana as she pressed her bleeding hand against the blade.
"At first I went insane," she said softly. "But then I accepted my fate. Before that, I wished to see Rebecca one more time. Thank you for giving me that. Thank you for being my knight… and thank you for giving me a noble death."
Her body began to fade as the katana pierced through her.
Back in reality, her monstrous limbs brushed Rebecca's cheeks as they dissolved into nothing. Rebecca grabbed at her arm desperately.
"No… no, no! I promised I'd find you. You promised we'd see the outside world together!"
Her sister's final words drifted like wind:
"I love you, Rebecca."
She was left grabbing at the air, hoping for some remnant of her sister—yet there was none. At last, she clawed at the ground, scratching until her fingers bled.
I placed my hand gently on her head. She froze and looked up at me.
"She wanted to be free. Don't mourn over that."
That was all I could manage. I wanted to say more, but instead I hesitantly withdrew my hand.
"Rebecca!" Tana called out. They embraced, both lamenting together.
When Blaze arrived, I glanced at him for a moment, then left him with a simple nod.
"Any casualties?"
"None. I need a shower," I muttered, walking past him.
But when I reached my room, I found no shower—just a wooden tub filled with water. I stared at it for a while, sighed, and went in.
Blaze joined me moments later.
"Thanks for saving her. I owe you one."
"We're even," I replied.
We sat there in silence, staring at the old wall as if it hid something only we could see. His body carried countless scars—so did mine. Neither of us spoke of them. It was as if our stories were carved there already, and silence told them better than words.
Later, during dinner, Rebecca lingered at the doorway, peeking at me. Tana smiled, and Rebecca dashed forward, placing something in my hand before retreating just as quickly.
"Thank you," she whispered.
I opened my palm to find a small stone shaped like a heart. It resembled the necklace I wore. No wonder her hands were rough, I thought with a smile.
Tana held up an identical one.
"She's only ever given this to three people—as a sign of true friendship."
I closed my fingers around it, holding it close. The priest sat oddly quiet that evening. I had a hundred questions, but I shrugged them off until tomorrow and went to crash into the hay sack—literally.
I couldn't shut my eyes. Not because the hay was itchy—well, maybe a little—but because I couldn't get her out of my mind. So I decided to ask Blaze about it.
Moving through the hallway, I heard voices, soft as whispers. I leaned on the cold wall, eavesdropping.
"That was Tacy, wasn't it? What happened to them, old man? Why didn't you call me?"
The priest poured a cup of herbal tea. "She was a kind girl, full of life. But ever since we opened that gate for you to live, other monster gates opened in response. We were attacked. Bill defended us, but some casualties couldn't be avoided. They call it fate."
Blaze's voice cracked as he raised it. "Bill… what happened to him? Don't tell me h—"
"He decided to enter the gate and fight off the monsters. Since then, we haven't had another attack. But Rebecca… she lost her light. She went back into her shell, like the sky when it loses the sun."
Blaze punched the already crumbling wall too hard, dust spilling to the floor. "I'll get him back. I have to."
"If we open the gate again, you won't be able to return until all the monsters are elim—"
"I know. I'm leaving tonight. Don't get them involved. Prepare the gate. I need some fresh air."
Blaze sat on the cliff and lit a cigarette. He sighed as smoke curled into the dark.
"I'm going with you," I said from behind him.
He kept smoking as if I wasn't there. "You know, if a god exists, I'd like to ask him why I was born."
"To become a hero," I answered, unsure.
He turned to me, eyes glinting. "Do you consider yourself a hero?"
That was a strange question. I stared at the moon before answering. "No. Not at all. I'm just a man searching for purpose. For truth. For my mother… and for freedom." The last word came out as a whisper.
"How will getting involved in my life help you with that?"
He was pushing me away. I wanted to tell him what he once told me—that family carries each other's burdens. But all I managed to say was, "Time will tell."
He laughed, a harsh, broken sound, then threw the cigarette into the abyss below. He extended his hand for a fist bump.
"From today onwards, I consider you my brother."
I mirrored his gesture, puzzled. We weren't related, but maybe that didn't matter.
"Such a touching moment," Melissa sobbed.
"Huh?! Why are you eavesdropping, you freak?" Blaze snapped, shaken.
"Well, someone has to make sure you're both alive. Just know I'll be with you too… in spirit." She blew her nose loudly.
she planted a bug on us. I sighed.
Tana met us at the gate. Her eyes were tired, her pain still fresh. Yet they called out to me in a way I couldn't understand.
"Don't die on me," she said.
I was trembling. Something felt wrong, but I couldn't place it. Then Rebecca's scream cut the night.
"I want to go too! He's… he's important to me!"
Tana held her back, pleading. "Don't get involved. We'll bring him back, I promise."
"I promise," I echoed as I stepped toward the gate. It wasn't like me to make promises.
Rebecca bit Tana's hand, broke free, and dashed forward. Blaze tried to catch her, but she vaulted off his arm in a perfect backflip, landing elegantly before leaping into the gate.
As she vanished, I stared after her—and in her I saw myself.
Most often, humans make the wrong choices. Mine had led to serious consequences. But if I were placed in the same situation again… I'd still choose the same.
Maybe that's human nature, I thought, as the words from long ago returned to me.
"Fly, my little raven."