"I was just a child. I didn't ask why. I didn't think to ask about the price. I just nodded."
She glanced at Leo now, eyes dim with old pain. "When I opened my eyes again… I had become this. A witch."
"At first, I was hopeful. I thought maybe now, because I looked different—stronger, more beautiful—people would accept me. That I'd finally belong somewhere."
Her hands clenched into fists.
"But I was wrong."
"When they saw me, they screamed. Called me a monster. Said I was cursed. I tried to explain, to beg… but no one listened. No one ever listened."
"I was chased out. Again. Again. And again."
Her voice cracked slightly.
"I ran away from that place. From humanity. I cried for days. Alone, again."
Leo sat still, not daring to interrupt.
"Then, again, she appeared. That wretched goddess."
"I asked her—'Why did you do this to me?' And you know what she said?" Her voice lowered into a hollow, mocking tone.
"'Just for fun.'"
Silence. The crackle of the fire was the only sound.
Lili's face twisted, old wounds breaking open.
"From that moment, I hated them. All of them. Humans… the goddess… this world."
"I never did anything wrong. But still, they treated me like a threat. And that goddess… she's insane. She doesn't help people. She just plays with them—like we're toys in her endless game."
She turned to Leo now, voice sharp with pain.
"And you, Leo… she saw your suffering. She saw your pain. And you know what?"
"She wants to see more."
Lili watched him in silence. She expected Leo to be sad, maybe shaken after hearing her story. She thought he might lower his gaze, or fall into the same despair that had consumed her for centuries.
But he didn't.
He was staring at the sky—quietly, calmly. The stars reflected in his wide eyes, glowing like embers in the night. And then… he smiled.
Lili blinked, unsure if she had imagined it. That smile wasn't warm—it was terrifying.
Leo turned to her slowly, a strange light burning behind his gaze. His voice was steady… but beneath it, something deeper rumbled.
"Then why don't we kill her?"
The air around them shifted.
Lili's heart skipped.
For a brief second, she forgot to breathe.
Those eyes—tremendous, wild, and unshaken by fear—looked nothing like a child's. It was like staring into a storm ready to devour the sky.
Even Lili, the ancient witch, felt something cold crawl down her spine.
Across realms, in a throne room of light and endless clouds, a woman sat draped in silk and gold. The Goddess. She rested lazily upon a throne of bones and petals, her fingers swirling a glass of divine nectar.
And then—she stilled.
Her expression soured, subtle and sharp.
A pressure—an itch, deep in her bones—made her shift in her seat.
"Hm?" she murmured.
Something was wrong.
She couldn't tell what. But something... felt off.
For a moment, her eyes narrowed as she scanned through the countless threads of fate she toyed with.
And yet—nothing.
"Must be nothing," she whispered, forcing a smile.
She leaned back, whispering to herself in delight, "As long as people suffer… bleed… cry… I'll be entertained."
But the itch remained.
Back in the mortal world, the air grew lighter as Leo's intense gaze softened. Lili, still shaken, cleared her throat and forced an awkward smile.
"Y-Yeah, yeah. That's a plan for later," she said quickly, waving her hand. "First—let's make sure you're strong enough to even land a scratch on a goddess, alright?"
Leo chuckled, the storm in his eyes fading, but not gone.
"Yeah… you're right."
Lili smiled—though part of her was still on edge. "Alright then, partner in crime. Let's head back. Even vengeance needs sleep."
Leo nodded and walked beside her, the night quiet again. But the stars above… seemed to shine just a little colder.
As they walked side by side toward the cave, the night air soft and quiet, Lili suddenly grinned.
"Hey, tomorrow I'm gonna give you something," she said, her voice unusually cheerful.
Leo's eyes lit up like a kid on his birthday. "Really? And what is it, huh?"
Lili smirked, teasingly. "I'll tell you tomorrow~"
Leo dramatically placed a hand over his heart. "Oh finally! Someone who actually shares! So rare these days. You're breaking the cycle of greed!"
"Hey! I'm not greedy!" Lili huffed, puffing her cheeks. "You're the greedy one, you beginner!"
Leo gasped and held his chest like her words wounded him. "Ouch. That one hit deep. But… also… beginner? That's just cold…"
"You deserve it!" she said, crossing her arms and turning away with mock anger. "And anyway, I don't even know how to tease. I'm not like you."
She made a face, squinting her eyes and puffing her cheeks like an angry cartoon character.
Leo laughed. "Okay, okay! I surrender! You're the kindest, most generous, and beautiful witch I've ever met in my two lives!"
Lili snorted, trying to hold back a grin but clearly enjoying the banter.
Leo's tone softened slightly. "No, really. You've done so much for me… You're the first person in this world I can truly call… a trustworthy friend."
Her smile froze.
For a second, everything went silent—even the wind seemed to pause.
Lili looked away quickly, but not fast enough for Leo to miss the sudden blush spreading across her cheeks.
"…Are you… are you blushing?" Leo asked, squinting suspiciously.
"HUH?! No!" she shouted a little too quickly, flailing her arms as if to physically swat away the accusation.
"You're totally red," Leo said, trying to peek at her face. "Are you sick? You okay?"
"I-I'm fine!" she snapped. "It's just cold!"
Leo raised an eyebrow. "…It's summer."
"SHUT UP!" she yelled, cheeks burning.
Before he could tease her more, she snapped her fingers.
ZAP!
Leo vanished and reappeared mid-air—above his bed—and dropped with a THUMP.
He groaned, looking around. "Teleportation abuse…"
Lying on his back, he stared at the ceiling, eyebrows still furrowed.
"…What was that?" he mumbled. "She got weird all of a sudden…"
Then, after a beat, he shrugged and pulled his blanket over himself.
"Whatever. Witches are weird anyway."
He closed his eyes.
And somewhere not far from the cave, a certain witch sat with her face buried in her hands, whispering to herself.
"…Why did I blush…?"