Tale of D - Prologue
No matter what, the end will always come.
It will come for the painful struggle of the day-to-day, and for the meager happiness that is held so dearly…
Even when you are sunk into the depths of despair, the end will come.
Man’s Voice: “D-don’t come any closer! [----] !”
Woman’s Voice: “Please, save them… just save this child’s life…!”
Things are all lost eventually, and that is why the world is so beautiful…-.
??: “…”
In the corner of a decrepit and abandoned castle, a young boy opens his eyes.
??: “…such a nostalgic dream. You got mad and said ‘Hurry and wake up’ Rubell.”
The empty room was completely silent, and other than the boy, there was not a single other soul.
However, the boy continued to talk to himself, as if he were with a close friend…
??: “Don’t worry, soon. The Princess of Traumere… I wonder what kind of girl she is?”
He laughed in delight, causing the ring worn over his breast to flicker…-.
…
……
In an area slightly separated from the rest, the glorious sound of string instruments could be heard…-.
I had been invited to attend a party, but having become affected by the heat of the crowd, I quietly walked out onto the balcony for a break.
The night wind feels so good…
??: “Good evening. Nice night.”
OO: “!”
I looked towards the voice, and somehow without my notice, a young boy was now standing beside me.
He wore a robe with straps of leather and carried a large sickle. Putting those two things together, he seemed like the Grim Reaper, stepped right out of a story…
OO: “Who are you…?”
??: “Oops, don’t be afraid. I’m Nox. Don’t worry, I promise this sickle won’t hurt you.”
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, the tension slowly eased from my body.
OO: “I’m sorry, I didn’t think anyone was out here, so you startled me…”
Nox: “Hehe, your look of surprise was pretty cute.”
Nox grinned at me.
He had such a delicate frame and a beautiful face, like that of a doll, and in an instant we were suddenly talking like old friends.
Nox: “By the way, could you hold out your hand for a second?”
OO: “…? Okay.”
As if caught up in the ease of the conversation, I held out my hand…
He gently placed something small in the palm of my hand.
This is a royal ring…!?
Nox: “I’m giving you this, so you can wake him up. You’re the only one I can ask, OO.”
I looked up from the ring, aware that he’d called me by name even though I hadn’t told it to him.
But Nox had already disappeared.
He’s gone…? I’m curious about this Nox person…but first I have to wake whoever is in this ring.
I took the ring he had left me, put my hands together, and prayed.
A bright light engulfed the area and…-.
??: “…”
I stood frozen with my hands together as I looked at the person who had appeared in front of me.
A black mask…?
I couldn’t read his expression or see his features as his entire face was covered with a strange mask.
He said nothing, looking around and taking in his surroundings with slight movements of his head…
??: “…I see. Guess he ran off first. Hey, you, pale girl.”
OO: “…”
I could feel his sharp gaze on me from behind the mask, and my body froze in fear.
However…-.
??: “Hurry back inside. The cold will make you sick.”
He turned his back to me and spoke over his shoulder, then gripped the balcony railing and easily jumped up onto it.
We were so high up that I knew if he were to fall off, he wouldn’t escape injury. My skin broke out in goosebumps.
OO: “That’s dangerous…!”
??: “…”
As he stood on the dangerously thin railing, he turned to look back at me through his mask.
??: “I’m in a hurry. Sorry, but it’ll cause a problem if I’m found by the guards.”
OO: “I’ll explain things to everyone if that happens…!”
Forgetting my fear from earlier, I fervently made an appeal to his reason to get him off the railing...-.
??: “…Rubell.”
OO: “Eh?”
Rubell: “My name. Don’t forget it. I swear, eventually I’ll pay you back.”
His declaration came out fast, and then he was throwing himself off the balcony into the night sky.
OO: “…!”
I flew to the railing and looked down at the ground.
My eyes strained in the darkness, but I saw Rubell, moving with the grace of a deer as he made his way down the roof…
…wow.
I let out the breath I had been holding, and the music from the other room came back to me.
Who on earth were those two?
At that time, I had no idea.
I didn’t know their desires, or the situation they were involved in…
Not long after that meeting, many other people would get caught up in it as well. It was just the beginning of a long story…
To be continued!