Chapter 134 - Serin (3)

Serin had never felt another person's touch. Confined inside a mirror almost from the moment she was born, she did not know the sensation of skin against skin. No one but her existed in the world within the mirrors.

She had always been alone.

Now it was different. Someone had grabbed her from behind, snatching her up with a brutal hand. Serin could not resist. She could not even scream. With her mouth covered, she could only be dragged away helplessly.

"S-Serin!"

Her younger sister, Serena, was staring at her in terror. That frightened face grew farther and farther away. The sisters were helpless. Neither had the strength to shake off the demonic hand.

At last, Serin was swallowed by the darkness. A terribly chilling voice reached her, cold enough to freeze her bones.

"Child, don't be frightened. I am no fearsome monster. I am a friend who will soothe your loneliness. I will give you what you lack."

The tone seemed gentle, but a deep, dense darkness lay at its core. Serin trembled from head to toe. Then her body was abruptly spun around.

Bloodred eyes shone in the darkness.

"E-eek...!"

Her whole body went rigid. No words would leave her mouth. In her utter terror, all that escaped were strange whimpers.

The hideous being's lips stretched into a wide smile.

"But first, you must pay for spying on me."

No sooner had the Demon finished speaking than Serin lost consciousness. She simply could not hold on any longer.

* * *

Her vision slowly brightened through a haze. The familiar pink ceiling came into view. Serin stretched and turned her head, seeing rose-colored bedding.

She had woken in her own room.

"... What a strange dream."

She sat up and looked around. No one was there. She was all alone in the pink bedroom, lavish yet somehow empty.

Just as always.

Serin sighed.

"I was really scared, Towa."

She was speaking to a little stuffed rabbit.

"A scary monster was being so mean to me."

Naturally, no answer came.

"It really was about to kill me."

Ordinarily, that would have been the case.

"No, it would've played with me first, then killed me slowly. I'm sure of it."

Today was different.

An unfamiliar voice sounded from somewhere, accompanied by an incredulous chuckle.

"Why would I go to the trouble of doing that to you?"

Serin started and looked toward the voice. Someone was walking into her bedroom: a boy with black eyes and black hair. She was sure she had seen him somewhere before.

She cried out in alarm.

"W-who are you! How did you get in here..."

No one could enter the world inside the mirrors. In more than fifteen years, she had never had a single visitor. This space was hers alone.

The boy spoke calmly.

"My name is Yohan Miyatro. You can simply call me Yohan."

He settled onto a pink wooden chair. Serin's eyes shook wildly.

"The W-Watcher of the Abyss! The monster who changes between Demon and human!"

Yohan nodded.

"So I was right. You have been watching me."

Serin already knew the truth about Yohan and Maphel’tan. At some point, she had seen Maphel’tan turn into Yohan through a mirror.

She hurled a pillow at him.

"Get away, you monster! Get out of here right now!"

Yohan caught the pillow effortlessly, then stood and approached her.

"A monster? Even I find that a little hurtful."

Serin watched him with trembling eyes before burying her face in her knees.

"D-don't come any closer. I said go away!"

Yohan paid no heed to her desperate cries.

"Take a good look at me. Do I still look like a monster?"

When he reached the foot of the bed, Serin burst into tears.

"I-I'm sorry. I was wrong. Please don't hurt me. Please. I'm begging you."

Yohan stopped in his tracks.

'... Oh, dear.'

He looked down at her awkwardly.

'I really feel like the bad guy here.'

To any observer, Yohan was the criminal and Serin the victim. Anyone who saw this would reach the same conclusion.

Suppressing a groan, he said,

"Serin, I won't hurt you. I swear. Please lift your head."

She only shrank farther into herself.

"Hic... Eek..."

Yohan sighed deeply.

'This is awkward.'

Serin was more sensitive than he had expected. She was nothing like Serena. It was probably because she had spent so many years trapped here without any social contact. She was every bit as much a child as she appeared.

Fortunately, Yohan was fairly good with children. He still had his experience caring for the younger children at the orphanage.

He looked at the stuffed rabbit on the bed.

'Shall I give it a go? It's been a while.'

He cleared his throat and spoke.

"Towa, could you help me?"

Naturally, the toy did not answer. Yohan went on regardless.

"Please clear up Serin's misunderstanding about me. I want to be her friend."

Serin raised her head a little. The instant her eyes met Yohan's, she buried her face in her knees again.

Yohan spoke.

"Towa, do I look like a monster to you, too? It's not entirely wrong, really. I hate being this way myself. A half-demon born of a Demon and a human. Who would like a half-breed who belongs nowhere? Even I find myself disgusting."

Yohan was speaking from the heart. Sincerity always worked with children. Indeed, Serin's sobbing had quieted a little. Still curled up, she listened intently.

Yohan continued.

"But, Towa, I mean to change my fate with my own hands. I want to cleanse my dark blood until it runs clear and red. I have worked to preserve my humanity, even if it is only half of what I am."

Serin slowly raised her head and studied his expression. She was still wary.

Looking at Towa, Yohan said,

"I don't want to live as a monster. Please tell Serin that."

He placed Towa in Serin's arms. She gazed quietly at the stuffed rabbit before speaking.

"... It's hard to change the fate you're born with. I've been alone since I was born, too, and I always will be."

Serin could not leave the mirrors. Yohan had been a half-breed from birth. Both had been born with their fates already decided.

Yohan shook his head.

"Fate is nothing more than a limit you set for yourself. Its shape can change any way you choose. I have proof. Would you like to hear it?"

Serin's gaze shifted toward him. His words had piqued her interest.

"W-who is it about?"

Yohan smiled gently.

"It's a story about my younger brother, Raguel."

He calmly recounted Raguel's life.

* * *

At some point, Serin became completely engrossed in his story. Raguel seemed like the hero of a fairy tale.

A boy born disabled, missing an eye and walking with a limp. Abandoned by his father and scorned by everyone, he had weathered every trial and overcome his suffering. Now he had been reborn as a being called a High Elf and was living a new life.

Serin envied Raguel. She wanted to overcome her predetermined fate just as he had. She wanted to escape the world within the mirrors and roam the world freely.

That was rather difficult for her. She felt jealous.

She spoke with a sulky expression.

"... Liar. You made it all up. There's no such thing as elves."

Elves were one of the forgotten ancient races. In this age, even the word "elves" no longer existed.

Yohan chuckled.

"I can show you all the proof you need. Come with me."

He held out his hand. Serin looked at it, then sharply turned her head away.

"I can't go anywhere."

"You can go to the mirror room, can't you?"

"The mirror room?"

Yohan nodded.

"Let's look for Raguel together. You should be able to find him."

Serin could access every mirror in the world. Through them, she could watch countless people.

She spoke.

"W-was everything you told me really true?"

Yohan shrugged.

"See for yourself. I don't lie."

He offered his hand again. Serin did not take it. She merely got out of bed with a prim expression.

"If you made it up, I'll never speak to you again."

Somewhere along the way, Serin's fear of him had almost entirely disappeared. That was a very encouraging development.

Yohan chuckled.

"All right. Let's go."

They headed straight for the mirror room.

* * *

Countless mirrors covered the ceiling, walls, and floor. Light reflected between them, making the room dazzlingly bright.

No, to Yohan, it felt as though his eyes would burst.

He grimaced.

"I feel like I'm going mad."

Serin, in contrast, was perfectly calm.

"Wait a moment. You said your brother's name was Raguel, right?"

To observe a particular person, she needed detailed information about them. She already knew plenty about Raguel.

She closed her eyes. Every mirror went dark. At the same time, a single mirror began to glow and floated toward her.

Yohan's expression relaxed. His eyes no longer hurt.

His face brightened a little. Raguel was on the other side of the mirror. It was a very welcome face.

"That's him. My younger brother, Raguel."

Serin's eyes went wide.

"H-his ears really are long! And his hair shines! His eyes are green, too!"

Raguel was plainly not human. He was so radiant that he seemed otherworldly. After all, he was not just an elf, but a High Elf.

Yohan chuckled.

"He's working hard."

Raguel sat at a desk, busily scribbling away. Mountains of documents were piled beside him. As the lord's deputy, he was handling all the work in Yohan's stead.

Serin studied his face closely before speaking.

"... I feel a little sorry for him."

Deep shadows stretched down Raguel's pale, translucent skin. They were dark circles beneath his eyes. He must have been suffering under that dreadful workload.

Yohan suppressed a groan.

'Come to think of it, I never sent him more staff.'

He had meant to send a few administrators, but it had completely slipped his mind. Things had been far too hectic lately.

He cleared his throat.

"Well, I'm sure Raguel has never been happier."

Serin looked downcast.

"No, he looks miserable. More than anyone I've ever seen."

Yohan immediately changed the subject.

"At any rate, I've proved my point. Will you believe I'm sincere now?"

Serin considered for a moment before answering.

"You weren't lying, at least."

Her answer was a little ambiguous. Yohan nodded.