I approached the wardrobe that had been charred black and Theo looked up at me with big teary eyes.
Turning to face him, I asked.
“Theo, tell me a story about you.”
He looked a little dazed.
“What are you doing?”
The priest approached briskly, his face revealing bewilderment.
“This method will be better.”
“…What?”
“Instead of banishing them, we can prevent them from becoming evil spirits and aid in their ascension.”
“…Do you… see that spirit?”
At his words, I nodded once and looked back at the child.
“Theo, do you have anything you want to tell me?”
“It hurts.”
The child began to shed thick tears again. Soon he was sobbing uncontrollably. I waited calmly until his trembling shoulders settled down. After a while, the child began to take gasping breaths but it took a bit longer before he could calm down a little.
“…It won’t hurt anymore. I’ll make sure no one does anything.”
“…”
“Um… Theo. Do you have any wishes? I’ll help.”
The child looked at me, only blinking his bright green eyes a few times. He seemed awkward, as if he was receiving unanticipated kindness. After hesitating a moment longer, he slowly opened his mouth.
“The young master.”
“The young master?”
“I want to see the young master.”
“Who is that?”
“The young master.”
If a dying person’s final wish was to see someone, that person must be very important to them. However, the words “young master” alone were too vague to glean any meaningful information.
“What’s the young master’s name?”
“Mother won’t let me use his name. It’s not good to call his name carelessly.”
“Can you tell me secretly?”
“…”
The child closed his mouth again, displaying a defensive attitude.
“Alright. Then where does this young master live?”
“In a room with lots of animals.”
“A room with lots of animals? Where is that?”
“It’s on the far right, in front of the angel.”
Every sentence he spoke was like a riddle. Conversing with him was even more challenging than I had thought.
Of course, Theo was still young. At least, he died young. So he remains frozen on the day, the very moment, of his death. Even so, Theo was clumsy. I don’t know what happened to him during his life, but he seemed to have slower language development than normal for his age. His pronunciation was inaccurate.
I guess I’ll have to use that method after all… I kind of expected it, but I really try to avoid it as much as possible. I’ve violated what Mom urged me until she died, ‘Don’t meddle in others’ affairs.’
I looked back at the priest and spoke again.
“Sir. When I signal you with my fingertips, please help me push away the spirit that has entered me.”
“Do you mean you’re willing to perform possession?”
“It’s similar.”
“Such things are theoretically possible. Don’t even think about it. It could be dangerous.” The high priest threw up his hands.
“Is it really dangerous?”
The Duke asked as he stepped in front of the priest, his brow narrowing slightly as if he were a little uncomfortable. It occurred to me that he could be quite handsome if he didn’t scowl.
“Don’t worry. It won’t be dangerous.”
“…”
“And we might find a way to help Theo ascend!”
I said, looking at him and quickly shifting my gaze to Theo.
“Theo, come into me so I can see your memories.”
Theo, who had been crouching down, straightened up and came closer. He leaned his face in close and touched his forehead to mine. It created a chill that soon spread through my entire body causing goosebumps.
“Wait a minute, I don’t think it’s safe to do such a thing…”
I heard the priest’s urgent voice, but it soon faded from my ears. Simultaneously, darkness filled my vision, spreading like spilled ink. After a moment, I opened my eyes again.
No, it wasn’t me. Within Theo’s memories, he opened his eyes.
The surroundings were pitch black. Only a faint light was coming in through a narrow gap, forming a long, hazy line. I realized that this child was hidden in something. There was a thin light seeping through the crack of a closed door.
A tender voice echoed from outside the door.
“Where is my son?”
It was a soft, gentle woman’s voice.
“Where is he?”
Accompanied by slow footsteps, that voice resonated, swirling around the space and lingering for a moment. Soon, a shadow covered the gap where light was coming in.
“There he is. My baby.”
The doors on both sides opened, revealing a woman’s face. She had refined features and when she smiled lightly, the corners of her eyes drooped slightly. Her gaze was filled with affection.
“You’re here again. Mommy yelled at you so much yesterday, didn’t I? I’m sorry I upset you, sweetheart.”
She lifted Theo and held him in her arms. Theo buried his face in the woman’s shoulder with his arms around her neck. Then the woman chuckled softly and patted his back in a steady rhythm.
As the warmth of her body was felt, his eyes gradually began to close. Theo lowered his heavy eyelids.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw a green garden spread out before him. He walked along the long path that cut through the garden. At the end of the path was a large clearing where a young boy was practicing his swordsmanship alone.
Theo’s gaze followed the boy’s movements. He watched him for a long time.
“What are you doing there? Come here.”
From a distance, the boy spotted Theo and waved his hand. Theo’s gaze dropped suddenly, his pair of tiny fidgeting feet coming into view.
“I told you to come, don’t you listen?”
After a moment, another pair of feet entered his field of vision. Theo raised his head to identify the owner of those feet—green eyes and light brown hair. A boy about ten years old with the same coloring as Theo, stood before him, smiling.
“Come here.”
The boy took Theo’s hand and led him toward the practice field. As Theo followed, he could see the boy’s thin brown hair swaying in the breeze.
“Try holding it once.”
As they entered the training area, the boy handed his sword to Theo. But the sword was too heavy for young Theo, causing his arm to drop.
“It seems too heavy. Try this one.”
The boy laughed briefly and brought a wooden sword. Theo received it with both hands.
“Don’t grip it too tightly.”
The boy overlapped his hands on top of Theo’s and while his palms were slightly sweaty, it wasn’t unpleasant. Looking at the tip of the long sword, Theo felt a bit excited.
The scene changed quickly. The woman who had been calling Theo affectionately was now shedding tears. From her lips, sharp words were being spoken.
“Didn’t Mom tell you?! Don’t hang out with him! How many times do I have to say it? Can’t you understand properly?”
The woman shook Theo’s shoulders vigorously. With each movement, the child’s body shook repeatedly.
“Why… why… is life like this…?”
Her voice sounded anxious, seeming both angry and sad at the same time.
Theo carefully raised his eyes and looked at his mother. He saw the lips on her painfully contorted face trembling. Her eyes met his for a moment, but then she suddenly stood up and turned away.
The woman walked to the bed and lay down, burying her face in the bedding. Then she began to cry loudly, the sound as sharp as a blade.
Theo felt scared of her. He hesitated for a moment, then ran to where the wardrobe was. He hid inside it and closed the door.
The surroundings became pitch black. Only a faint light seeped through the narrow opening of the wardrobe door.
“How well the Madam treated me… Why did I betray her…? That child came out and she cast me away!”
The woman shouted in a voice mixed with tears. Theo crouched down even further, tightly closing his eyes.
When he opened his eyes again, he saw the ten-year-old boy with green eyes. He handed Theo a lion figurine carved from wood.
“I’m a bit busy now but hold onto this. Let’s play with it next time.”
At the boy’s words, Theo nodded silently. Then, holding the wooden lion, he walked down the corridor to return to his room.
However, as he turned the corner, he collided with someone. Theo stumbled back a few steps. In front of him stood a man dressed neatly in dark clothing, his expression devoid of emotion.
“…”
Brown hair and green eyes with an impression of coldness. His heavy silence made Theo’s heart race rapidly. After a long silence, the man spoke briefly and then turned around.
“….Follow me.”
Theo hesitated for a moment before following him. The man entered a room with a layout similar to a reception area. After seating Theo at the table, he instructed a maid to bring cookies.
“Eat.”
The man said as a plate full of cookies was placed on the table. Theo didn’t immediately start to eat the cookies, instead looking around hesitantly. Then, the man awkwardly scratched his chin and spoke before leaving the room.
“…Eat and then leave.”
As the man stepped outside, Theo finally picked up a cookie. He enjoyed the crispy treat and when only a few cookies remained, he put the rest into his pocket.
He then returned to his room. Theo’s mother welcomed him happily upon seeing him.
“Where have you been playing, sweetheart?”
Listening to his mother’s gentle voice, Theo took out a cookie and handed it to her. He wanted to share the deliciousness. However, when she saw it, her expression immediately turned cold.
“Who gave this to you?”
“…”
Startled by the sudden sharpness in her voice, Theo couldn’t answer. She tightly grabbed his shoulders.
“You, did you eat this?”
Theo nodded slightly.
“You! Do you think you deserve to be welcomed here?! How could you recklessly accept and eat something like this?! What if it was poisoned? Do you want to die?”
Her eyes turned bloodshot and Theo trembled as he looked at her.
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