Crown of Thorns

I walked in front of the prepared magic circle with the boy. The first thing to do was to check the boy’s natural abilities. In order to do so, we needed a magic circle, fortunately, there was a book that explained how to make one. So I focused as much as possible and drew it slowly.

Surprised at the new addition to the tower’s floor, the boy crouched in front of it watching it closely. He was trying to touch it, and then hurriedly retreated. It should not have been touched because even a slight change would make it completely different. I didn’t tell him not to touch it, but the boy took a step back and looked at it with his eyes perhaps sensing my objection. He was very clever.

Maybe he’s quick-witted. My face hardened when I thought of the environment that turned the boy into a wild animal. The poor boy who had to hide his true self in order to live and carefully read other people’s thoughts before reacting.

But this sensitivity would be a great help for him. I had better think so.

“What is this?”

“I have something to confirm so sit in the middle of it.”

“How can I get over this without stepping on it?”

The boy paced around the circle, perplexed. It was very wide and full of complex patterns except in the middle. The papers on it made it even more difficult. They moved at the slightest wind blowing. No matter how agile and small a boy was, it would not be an easy task. So he couldn’t get in easily and just hovered around it, looking for an opening to slip through.

He looked just like a small animal facing a stream trying to figure out how to cross but failing. So I decided to help the animal youngling. I used the darkness to cover the circle on the floor. Surprise spread over the boy’s face as something similar to a black cloud emerged spreading over the magic circle.

I was amazed by the boy’s careful reaction. He’s usually not scared. But then again, he must have never seen anything like this before. Those who could use these abilities have long since died and all the items they left behind were handed over to the greedy hands of the royal family and aristocrats. Although, for the boy’s credit, he did show more curiosity than fear at the scene unfolding before his eyes which looked like it jumped straight out of a fairytale.

“Is this the witch’s ability?”

“Yes. Walk up there and sit in the middle.”

“Wow, it’s weird. What is this?”

The boy carefully put his foot on the darkness I laid out for him and was treading lightly upon it. But soon, he burst into laughter.

“I feel weird. Is this how it feels to step on the clouds?”

I can’t take my eyes off that innocent smile. His cheeks were swollen with his finely bent eyes twinkling and wide-open mouth. I’ve never seen a face like his before. He sat in the middle and kept playing and tapping the strange darkness underneath him. I couldn’t get rid of it and deprive him of his fun so I just left it a bit longer. It would be a shame to cut his rare moment of amusement short.

Everyone was afraid and reluctant to use the ominous power of darkness. It was greatly useful though, so I didn’t hesitate to employ it. It wasn’t until I got dragged away to be tried for witchcraft and sorcery that I realized that it might not have been such a good idea after all, even if I deployed it only for the good of the people.

But the boy smiled brightly and played with it. Far from being afraid of the witch’s dark powers, he was having fun. What a strange boy.

The boy, who had been playing like that for a while, quickly lost interest and looked at me. He still looked bright. It occurred to me that he didn’t know what expression he was making. With both cheeks taking a reddish glow, he looked younger. Suddenly, the desire to reach out and pet him overtook me and I hurriedly removed the darkness.

The boy asked me, unable to hide his regretful expression. He also seemed excited.

“Is this what you’re going to teach me? Will I really be able to do this?”

He seemed happy to learn these abilities. But I couldn’t readily answer. This was something he had to be born with. And even if he were born with it, I couldn’t let him use it for fear that he would end up being trapped in a tower or killed like me. So I’m the only one left who can truly use the ability of controlling darkness. The only skill the boy had to learn was how to kill the darkness.

But in fact there was one more option available besides darkness. I could teach him how to handle it and the boy would be stronger than anyone else. Of course, this too was an ability he had to be born with.

But maybe the boy…

I opened my mouth hoping that was what I was thinking was correct.

“Close your eyes and concentrate on the energy you feel around you.”

The boy straightened his expression and returned to his original stance. I felt sorry to put an end to his playfulness, but I couldn’t help it because this was more important.

The boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath and began to slowly slip in. I poured my energy into the magic circle. May the deity bless him. I couldn’t take my eyes off the boy with an earnest heart. I hope what I saw wasn’t a fantasy. I wish the future that I saw to becomes true.

And before long the circle responded to the boy’s energy. It turns out that he indeed had a natural affinity. The problem was the type of affinity he had. If it were darkness like mine, then I would have to seal it away forever, and if it were another type of common affinity then it would be of no use. In which case he will not be able to change anything.

But luckily, my worries were nothing more than a quirk.

“Wh, what is this? Witch, what’s wrong with this?”

The papers lying on the circle rose into the air startling the boy. Soon after, they began to burn. But it wasn’t fire. They were eaten away by light.

They looked like butterflies fluttering their wings and reflecting white light. The boy’s face was also brightened by the light, his brilliant hair and the color of the eyes, enhanced significantly under the illumination. Mouth agape, the boy looked around in wonder and amazement.

And I ended up on the floor in the midst of that ridiculous situation. I didn’t believe it. I suspected I was mistaken. The broken sun hovered around the boy enveloping him in shining brilliance, blessing him, and melting the world around him into a beautiful existence.

I hope I’m right this time around.

“Bright light will set the darkness aside.”

As if to respond to my words, the circle surrounding the boy radiated light. The light, which soon stretched out from the inside of the tower, brightened the place that had always been shrouded in darkness. It was too bright for me to open my eyes. I couldn’t bear to look at the boy sitting in it.

I hid my face in both hands. The boy approached. The light quickly faded and returned to its original form in a flash. It felt darker than before.

I looked up at the boy. I could see his red eyes trembling with fear. But he seemed to shine more brilliantly than anything in my eyes. I remembered the little boy who was blessed with light.

The young warrior was a gift from heaven.

He was the light of the deity that would drive out the darkness.

“The light drives out the darkness…”

He will give me eternal rest.

The witch now realized that the young warrior really had the power to kill her.

She realized the reason why the warrior in her memory could not kill her, and also what to do in the future so that this young warrior in front of her could.

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