Crown of Thorns

“You are born from the light.”

“Light?”

I sat in front of him and looked at the boy who listened to the story gently. The boy was light. His appearance was not only symbolic, but had the power of God. It was foolish of people man to try to kill such a young warrior without knowing it. No, it was frustrating to know that even if they knew, they would still kill him.

It would be nice for him to kill a witch like a fairy tale and live a happy life as a hero, but the reality was not such. When they found out that the nameless wandering warrior had power, some people who felt threatened would reach out and no one would ever give him credit even if he really managed to get rid of the witch and drive out the darkness. That’s why he needed me. I had to be the shadow of the boy and protect him.

“A long time ago, there existed sorcerers who could use the energy of nature. Each of them borrowed the energy of their own element from nature, and most of it was fire, water, wind, metal, and darkness.”

“I can’t believe you used the energy of nature…”

The boy’s eyes mirrored his surprise.

“Didn’t you I had light in me? So can I borrow the power of light?”

The boy tilted his palm while staring at it. It seemed unbelievable. Of course, he’s never thought about it before.

“Yes.”

“I strangely liked the sun. It was somewhat warm and satisfying when I was enjoying the sun in a bright place. Is this related to that?”

I nodded. The boy under the sun was clearly at ease, even to me. I could feel the sun touching the boy and getting him to shine more brightly. The boy is so sensitive that he may have been feeling the energy unconsciously.

He looked at his body as if he couldn’t believe it and breathed a small sigh. Looking at the boy who was holding back his laughter with a proud expression on my face, I, too, was calming my surprised heart. I had thought about it, but I didn’t know he really had the element of light. It was a characteristic that was called the power of God because it is the most outstanding and only two people existed who could wield it. It was said that no one could be born and carry it without God’s blessing.

The young warrior before me must have been blessed by God.

“But why aren’t they here now? Those sorcerers.”

“Because ever since the world has been covered in darkness, they have not been able to use their abilities except those sorcerers with the dark element. So only the one with the power of darkness remained, but all those were killed, and in the end it was only me left.”

“Then the witch’s element is darkness, too.”

“Yes, it’s also called the power of shadows.”

“Well, it suits you.”

I knew that the boy didn’t mean it, but I couldn’t help it. Even I thought I fit in well with the darkness. Black hair and pupils, dark and stark atmosphere. It was natural to point a finger at me for being cursed. Like the darkness that pushed the world into pain.

“It’s like the witch swallowed the night sky. I always thought I was relaxed and drowsy whenever I saw the witch, but I guess it was because you had the embracing feeling of the night.”

It was embarrassing to see a young warrior relaxing and even languishing when he was with a witch. Besides, it’s night. Unlike those who were always reminded of the darkness that brought out the monster upon seeing me, I was grateful to the young warrior because he was reminded of something beautiful and wonderful instead. The boy always did. Maybe because of his bright eyes like the sun, he saw me as a woman.

Suddenly I thought it was funny. A warrior who illuminates the world with brilliant sunshine and a witch who covers the world quietly. The night made me look forward to the morning more. It felt brighter and more intense to drive out the darkness. It didn’t seem strange to regard it as a witch’s night trying to guide the sun of a boy.

“It’s too dark here to see the stars.”

“Stars?”

“Yes, stars.”

He looked at my hair spilt on the floor perhaps unwilling to answer further. Then he said more to himself, as if he had just come up with something.

“But why kill everyone with dark power? You’re just using the power of nature.”

They must have felt threatened.

I thought of a smiling ruler looking down at me,. No one can use any other power except for darkness. It’s too threatening and frightening for an ordinary person. It is the same with the emperor, who has lost his energy and has become nothing more than an ordinary man. He must have always been anxious, although he is dominating the country with his powers and soldiers and gradually starting a war. He might have thought that we, who have strong powers, would be able to take over his place.

Although he would have collected the spells and protected his body, he would have thought it was not enough, and it would have been perfect because he needed a victim to take the blame of those who were tired of suffering from constant poverty and hunger due to frequent wars, plague and food shortages.

But I didn’t have to tell the boy this story. The boy had to stick a knife in instead of understanding the witch or having compassion.

“Because they’re witches. It’s because of those who have dark powers that monsters do not disappear.”

“All there is left is a witch. If I kill you, the monsters will be gone?”

“Didn’t you already know?”

The boy frowned at my words. But he didn’t answer. I’m curious again. I wonder what the outside world thinks of me. How they portray me. If they even remember me.

“You don’t seem to know much about me. Is the world forgetting about the witch?”

“I’ve heard a lot of old stories. Do you really not die? Have you lived very long?”

“Seeing it once is better than hearing it a hundred times.”

The boy couldn’t understand what she meant, so he just stared at her. I took the sword of such a boy. The witch sitting in front of him took his sword at one sudden point, and the boy’s face was stained with puzzlement. It reminded me. Even the young man in my memory looked very agitated when I took the sword and stabbed myself like this. He even cried because he was afraid I would die.

I held the dagger sharp end facing me, set it against my heart, and stabbed with all my strength. No, I was going to.

“Stop it!”

The boy rushed to me and I staggered straight back; the back of my head hitting the stone floor. I frowned at the shock.

“What the hell! Are you crazy?”

Soon, however, I was mesmerized by the sight of the boy, who soon climbed onto me and grabbed my hand holding the sword. It was the first time I had seen the boy’s red eyes so close and that white hair tilted toward me, so I felt like my head was going blank.

I managed to calm my nerves down and open my mouth.

“Why are you stopping me? When I die, the monsters disappear.”

“But, still.”

The boy, embarrassed and at a loss for what to do, managed to give out an excuse he came up with.

“You must teach me first! If you die like this, then what about me?”

The boy is looking at me with a tears look in his eyes. He is such a helpless young warrior. He came to kill the witch and instead, begged her to stay alive with such a sad look on his face.

The young man in my memory cried as he looked down at me just like this. So the young man’s tears wet my face. Unconsciously, I wiped my cheek. Nothing was smeared on it but my face still felt wet.

I got up in the end. The boy came down from straddling me as I led him to sit right in front of me. He was still holding my hand. It was so hard to see how tightly he held onto me with his small hand to the point that my wrists were sore. So I returned the sword. The boy sighed with relief and hurried to get it. He clasped it tightly with one hand just in case it was snatched away again.

“I don’t know what you’re worried about when I’m not dying anyway.”

The boy, who was staring at me, opened his mouth in response my words.

“I really don’t know.”

I stared at the red irises searching for a deeper meaning. The boy continued to talk biting his lip.

“I don’t know if you’re really a witch. No, I doubt the witch story I heard is true. You don’t look so evil, and you don’t seem to have any reason to bring up monsters and make the world suffer. You don’t look like the witch who killed people again and again. Are you really a witch?”

I don’t care if I’m a witch or not.

You’re still suffering because of me.

The young warrior stopped me from wielding a sword, even though he was well aware that he would die if he did not kill me. He’s a boy I can’t quite understand.

And I am a witch who can’t understand what such a young warrior says and does.

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