TSYMVF 49

Chapter 49

“Are you doing well, Othello?”

That night, before falling asleep, I hugged my teddy bear and spoke to it.

“Today, the knights caught a polar bear in the Els Mountains. You wouldn’t believe how big its claws were. Oh, and the village of Zyle is going to raise taxes. They sold sensitive information to the Taylors. Rotten scoundrels.”

I was told to speak to the bear when I wanted something or felt like killing someone, but sometimes I just shared these trivial stories instead.

“I’ll write back to Grandfather Hector tomorrow. If only he were here right now…”

I had learned so much from Hector.

Since my Black Flame hadn’t awakened yet, I couldn’t learn any powerful techniques, but he had given me a wealth of knowledge about the world—history, culture, the arts, and other essentials.

Sometimes I shared bits of math and science from my previous life. Since those fields weren’t well-developed here, Hector was always astonished.

In return, he acknowledged me and passed on deeper knowledge, helping me build a foundation I could rely on for the life ahead.

“…And Father scolded me for saying I wanted to meet Evan. Damn it.”

At dinner, Ricardo had said:

“Winchester is not so lax that a child like you needs to risk danger just to gather information on the enemy. So give up any foolish thoughts.”

His eyes had been so sharp and cold that I couldn’t utter a sound.

“And even if you throw a tantrum and end up in the underground prison—”

“…”

“I won’t give you the cell next to him.”

It had been a firm refusal that left me cowed and hunched in my seat.

I’d expected Ricardo to disapprove, but prison? That thought sent a chill down my spine.

“But I have to see Evan. The world ending, the regression… was it all real? I have so many questions, and I’m supposed to just sit here quietly? That bastard just had to barge into my room…”

A faint sound came from outside my door. Startled, I quickly shoved the bear under my blanket.

Moments later, Jin entered.

I looked up at him, feigning the act of having just woken from drowsiness. It would’ve been mortifying if he knew I’d been talking to a stuffed animal.

“G–good evening…”

I greeted him with a somewhat awkward expression.

What was Jin doing in my room at this hour? I’d heard he was busy frequenting Rosento lately.

“Such an uncomfortable face—am I to take it as you telling me to spend the night here?”

“N–no! Not at all!”

Jin gave a small chuckle at his own jest and sat in the chair across from my bed.

“Good. You look healthy.”

A faint metallic tang of blood clung to him. Had he just returned from hunting?

“I received the jewel you sent me. I’ll treasure it.”

“I’m glad you liked it. Actually, I’d recently discovered a rather effective recipe for medicine and intended to send that instead, but since preparing the facilities would take time, I sent the jewel as a substitute.”

“Medicine?”

Jin nodded.

“I came across a book written by a physician from Arcada. The Elixir Formula, it’s called.”

My eyes flew wide open.

The Elixir—the legendary panacea said to cure all ailments. In the future, Arcada’s Kashilion would succeed in creating it.

And there was a book about its method?

“I’ve been analyzing it, but unfortunately, it seems to be an imitation.”

Jin’s regretful tone cooled my excitement.

Well, of course. The true Elixir couldn’t be crafted through ordinary means, from ingredients to process.

“Still, it should become an excellent tonic. Perhaps the best the Empire has ever produced.”

I nodded.

“Thank you for thinking of me, Brother.”

Jin’s smile faded as his eyes scanned the room. His lips parted.

“Stay safe. And if you see anyone suspicious, report to me immediately.”

“Suspicious?” I echoed, surprised.

“To check on the prisoner below, Taylors’ spies sometimes sneak in.”

The Taylor family had already lodged an official complaint:

If you treat our hostage this way, Othello’s safety cannot be guaranteed.

“I caught one earlier. I didn’t like the way he walked…”

Jin’s voice went cold.

“So I had his left leg fixed up a little before sending him back. Hopefully that serves as a warning.”

A chill ran down my spine.

That wasn’t something a boy his age should be capable of.

He truly was the heir of the villainous Winchester family. And yet…

“…But what about Othello?”

I recalled the vision I’d seen in The Secret of the Blue Hawk—Jin radiating a colossal aura of malice, devouring the world at its end.

“Sasha.”

Jin called my name.

In the darkness, his green eyes looked almost black.

“Othello would have done the same.”

My blood ran cold.

“If someone commits a crime in Winchester territory, then they pay the Winchester way.”

I hesitated, then gave a small nod.

“Yes… I understand.”

Satisfied, Jin rose from his seat.

Was there really something hidden within him?

The Jin I knew and the Jin I saw now—the gap between them was far too great. Yet I couldn’t believe that behind his concern for me lay something sinister.

I spoke up.

“Brother.”

“…”

“I want to know more about you.”

“What?”

Just as this family I’d once wanted to run away from turned out to be a livable world, I decided not to judge Jin solely by what I’d seen in The Secret of the Blue Hawk until I confirmed it myself.

“Like how I shared my secret with you.”

I caught the faint flicker in his eyes but couldn’t read the emotion within.

“If you ever have secrets or worries, please tell me.”

Again, I recalled the image of Jin shrouded in that ominous energy, swallowing the world.

What on earth was that?

Jin stared at me for a long time before finally speaking.

“Are you… worried about me?”

His gaze demanded an answer.

Though nervous, I smiled.

“Of course. We’re…”

His green eyes flickered once more.

“…family.”

After a pause, he gave a faint smile.

“Yes, Sasha.”

He told me to rest, then left, closing the door behind him.

I turned toward the window. Beyond it, the northern tower was blanketed in snow.

Hmm…

I pushed aside my tangled thoughts and shut my eyes in bed.

At some point, words surfaced in the darkness.

[Preview Video: “Red Spring” Ending]
[※ Achieving 100% Causality unlocks a random bonus ending, regardless of story progress.]
[Edited for all audiences due to potential psychological impact. Actual bonus ending may differ from preview.]

The reflection in the mirror showed me as an adult.

Silvery hair cascading to my back, and bright, vivid green eyes.

Unlike Jin’s earlier preview, I looked healthy this time.

But when I heard the metallic click of a lock outside, tension surged through me.

Jin again? I stumbled back toward the bed.

Damn it, not another imprisonment.

But instead of one lock, three locks clicked open.

And then a man appeared before me.

My face froze pale at the sight.

…Black hair like midnight, blue eyes tinged with crimson.

Evan Taylors.

Yet something about him felt strangely different from the adult version I’d seen in The Secret of the Blue Hawk.

“You…”

In the preview, I trembled as Evan approached. Clearly, I feared him.

He raised a hand and touched my cheek.

“From the mansion’s gates to here, dozens of Arcada’s locks—your late brother’s devotion was admirable.”

“…”

“But to know that his most precious treasure has fallen into my hands… he must be unable to rest even in death.”

A chilling aura, neither holy energy nor Black Flame, seeped from him.

Evan’s lips curled into a smooth, cold voice.

“Today, the Halo clan was annihilated. From elders to newborns. They lasted longer than Arcada, who fell four days ago. It was a glorious war.”

Fury burst from my lips.

“You’re nothing but a filthy traitor! A turncoat!”

I wanted to silence myself, for he wore a sword at his hip, but this was a forced playback—I had no choice.

“Perseitos’ dog! You’re no longer even human!”

…Wasn’t that a bit harsh?

Thankfully, Evan didn’t draw his blade.

Instead, his eyes darkened as he spoke.

“In exchange for becoming a beast instead of a hero, Perseitos ended the Infinite Cycle. A more merciful fate than Mekius offered.”

The me in the preview clenched her fists and glared at him.

“Please, wake up… Remember who you are!”

Evan’s cold eyes flashed.

He shoved my shoulder, and I fell back onto the bed.

The mattress pressed against my back. His breath brushed my nose.

“Then you tell me—who am I?”

Panting, I pleaded.

“The head of House Taylors… the world’s last hope… and…”

“Sasha Winchester.”

His voice slid into my ear.

My heart raced with uneasy rhythm beneath his languid gaze.

“There is no hope.”

His murmur sent goosebumps crawling over my skin.

“There never was. Not for a single moment. The spring we dreamed of was nothing but an illusion.”

Then his hand drifted to my eyelids.

“Close your eyes. Listen to the screams of people in agony.”

His lips drew near my neck, brushing with his breath.

“A new spring is coming. Sasha, I want to hear your voice too.”

A whimper slipped from me.

His touch, brushing my hair back, felt all too real.

“It’s time you grew accustomed.”

Suddenly, a blinding light flared—

I opened my eyes.

And saw the tiny, round fist of a child.

I groaned, twisting my lips.

“Ugh.”