Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Prologue. Blood Oath
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I knew it. I knew I wouldn't live long. And I'd already braced myself for it long ago—even that it would come so suddenly like this. From the very moment I met 'her' and returned to reality.
I couldn't hide the bitterness. The face that always smiled with such confidence twisted in pain. Seeing that, I couldn't say a word.
I prided myself on having lived an ordinary life.
My health had never been great, but I lived ordinarily and died ordinarily. I even achieved my dreams. Sure, there was one true 'dream' I'd always wanted, but it didn't matter. The one and only flaw in my ordinary life, the one miscalculation, was solely the existence of 'her'.
I thought it was a dream I was having in my final moments, but then I woke up in reality. I lived my life over again from infancy. My siblings, my family, my childhood—all the same, so I'm not sure if it was regression or reincarnation. But from the moment I met that one connection from my past life, my fate changed. That connection brought me here. …It was pretty forceful, sure, but that was just something I'd dismissed as unlikely turning out to be real.
I met a 'god'.
I set my own future.
And I followed that path. No, honestly, even before that, from the moment I used the sub-space, I knew everything I'd been through was real. I'd known it for a long time. A very long time.
Drip. Blood fell. Crimson blood rolled into the glass cup.
"Do you believe in reincarnation?"
"…Who knows."
"I do. I have no choice but to believe."
Because I met 'her', I had no choice. The next time I met her, it would surely be when my future followed the tracks of destiny, and this would be the last time I clearly remembered that future...
Ah, it was such a vivid dream.
"If you're anxious, let's make a blood oath. So that even if we're reincarnated, our bond will reconnect."
Swinging the knife was terrifying. Of course it was—I'm just an ordinary woman. But for this guy, I'd gladly give my life. Especially with this broken body of mine. He didn't hesitate at all.
"It's about claiming each other—and ourselves."
"…So our futures belong to each other? Fine, it's perfect as a vow of love."
He gave a sad smile as he infused the blood with a 'spell of words'.
"Even in death, even in reincarnation, may you remember me. May you recognize me, love me again, and seek me out once more."
"Is it just about me?"
"Then, may I seek you out again. And love you."
"…I swear upon the future. Even in death, even if you reincarnate, may you find me, may I love you again, may I recognize you, may you remember me, may you love me."
I deliberately omitted the part where he would recognize me.
─Along with a small selfish wish that he'd love me even without recognizing me.
It felt like it wouldn't matter if he didn't recognize me and fell out of love. After all, I was the one leaving him behind.
It's fine. A foolish choice, a crossroads of affection. Even if that's what my decision was, it was okay. We sealed it with a kiss of blood.
It's so strange, isn't it?
You know this world is ordinary.
No magic, no ghosts, no superpowers. Maybe there are things we don't know about. But ordinary people don't know them and assume they don't exist—and yet──.
Our oath, powerless as we are, comes true so perfectly.
Believe in our future. Yes, let's. Even in death, we'll meet again. I smiled and met his gaze.
And then I succumbed to illness, my life fading away.