Hate Me, Miss Witch!

The cold moonlight gently cascaded over the silent courtyard, draping the flowers and grass in a soft silver veil.

Sylvia sat quietly on the stone steps of the courtyard, gazing at the bright moon in the night sky. Her deep violet eyes were lost in thought.

Beside her, a small tree bore delicate white blossoms, releasing a faint fragrance that calmed her restless heart.

This was the tree she had planted with her mother when she was still alive—a tiny sapling back then, now lush with branches and leaves.

Whenever sleepless nights plagued her, Sylvia would come here, hoping to endure the long, agonizing hours of the night.

It had been over a month since that winter night when she had fallen into the Grant Sea.

Winter had passed, and spring had arrived, bringing warmth and new life to the world.

Yet the boy named Xaya Egut… had never appeared again.

At this point, Sylvia often wondered—

Had that encounter in the icy waters… merely been a dream?

But the lingering warmth on the crystal hairpin told her otherwise.

It wasn't a dream.

It was real.

"I don't believe someone like you was born evil—just because you carry that power."

"Who you are—good or evil—isn't defined by your origin, but by the choices you make."

The words of that black-haired boy echoed in her mind.

"My… choices?"

Her voice drifted into the night breeze—unheard by anyone.

For the past month, she had been pondering this question.

And at the same time—

She had been thinking about the path she would take in the future.

For sixteen years, she had lived in self-loathing, shutting herself away in a tower devoid of light—waiting for the darkness to consume her completely.

Or rather…

She should have already drowned in the depths of despair.

But a month ago—

Someone had opened a window in that tower.

Sunlight spilled in, and the dark tides receded.

And in that moment, her eyes—which had grown accustomed to the dark—began to long for the light.

For the first time, Sylvia felt hope.

Not the meaningless existence she had endured under the scorn of others—

But the hope for a future of her own choosing.

"I see now..."

She reached up and removed the crystal hairpin from her silver locks.

Under the moonlight, the hairpin sparkled with infinite radiance.

The girl whispered softly—

"I still want to become a Beast Tamer… just like Brother Xaya."

"Why do you want to?"

A familiar voice suddenly rang beside her.

Sylvia turned her head.

Standing there, bathed in the thin veil of moonlight, was a black-haired, black-eyed boy.

His slender shadow stretched long behind him.

Just like their first encounter—

He had appeared without a sound, slipping into her life unnoticed, only to vanish again like the wind.

"Brother Xaya."

Though she had imagined countless scenarios of their next meeting—

Now that it was happening, Sylvia still felt a little flustered.

After returning to the Duke's mansion, she had searched for information on Xaya Egut, the family's distant relative.

And that was when she discovered—

His parents had perished in the same calamity sixteen years ago.

And Xaya… was an orphan taken in by the Duke's household.

By all accounts, he had more reason than anyone in the duchy to hate her.

He had every right to loathe her, to curse her existence—

To wish for her death.

But instead—

On that winter night, he had pulled her back from the abyss of the Grant Sea.

Perhaps sensing her discomfort, Xaya quietly sat down beside her on the stone steps.

That was when Sylvia noticed—

He was holding two paper cups in his hands.

"Even though it's early spring, the nights are still cold. Drink something warm."

He handed one of the cups to her.

Sylvia hesitated for a moment before accepting it, whispering, "Thank you."

The paper cup was warm in her hands.

She took a small sip—

And her violet eyes widened in surprise.

"It's delicious!"

Xaya 's lips curled up slightly. "Told you it was good."

Then, with a hint of pride in his voice, he added—

"I had to fail hundreds of times in the alchemy lab before I finally managed to recreate this from my memory."

"You can call it milk tea… or even Youlemei."

He paused, then muttered to himself—

"If any of my future descendants ever show up in this world, I hope they can understand this ancient joke."

He took a sip from his own cup, letting out a contented sigh.

"Now, back to you—"

"Why did you decide to become a Beast Tamer?"

As the warm liquid flowed down her throat, Sylvia felt its comforting heat spread through her body.

For the first time in a long while—

She felt peaceful.

And a little lazy… in the best way possible.

For some reason, whenever Xaya was by her side, the usual tension that gripped Sylvia would disappear.

She thought for a moment before speaking in a calm voice.

"I suppose... it's because of admiration."

"When I was little, I once saw my father return triumphantly to the royal capital, riding a mighty beast companion."

"Half the city came out to welcome him that day. The streets were filled with flowers, applause, and glory."

"At that time, I thought to myself... if I could form a contract with a powerful beast using my own strength—if I could become a great Beast Tamer like my father..."

"Then maybe..."

"Maybe everyone would finally see me differently. Maybe they wouldn't hate me so much anymore."

As she spoke, Sylvia let out a soft chuckle, brushing aside a strand of chestnut-colored hair that had fallen over her face.

"Thinking back on it now... it was such a childish, even laughable reason."

"The way the world sees me... the way people judge me... it was never something that could be changed so easily."

"In fact, it's probably the opposite."

"The stronger I become, the more people will wish for my death."

Her breath mingled with her words, turning into white mist in the cold night air.

"But—"

"For the naive, ignorant child that I was back then…"

"That foolish dream, that impossible hope—was the only thing keeping her going."

She turned her gaze toward Xaya's profile, studying his defined features.

"The me of today no longer holds onto such childish thoughts."

"But still…"

"I still have that admiration in my heart."

"Not for recognition."

"Not for flowers, glory, or applause."

"But because—"

"I want to be like my father… and like you, Brother Xaya."

"When I meet someone in need of help, I want to have the strength to reach out my hand—just like you did when you saved me."

"If I have sinned in the past because I lost control… then I will atone for it by saving as many people as I can."

"And if that thing inside me ever goes berserk again… then maybe next time, I won't need to rely on you."

"Maybe I'll be strong enough to knock out whatever is sealed inside that bronze cross all by myself."

"And also—"

Sylvia hesitated for a moment.

Beside her lay a thin book—a bard's travelogue, filled with illustrations of places across the Western Continent.

"I want to see… the places recorded in this book."

"I want to see the Three Sage Snow Peaks in the far north… and find out if the Snow Spirit King really exists at the summit."

"I want to visit the Dragon's Nest in the south… and see for myself if those so-called 'evil dragons' really kidnap princesses and hoard mountains of gold in their lairs."

"I want to venture into the deep seas… and find out if there really are sirens with beautiful voices who lure sailors to their doom."

As Sylvia spoke, Xaya saw something new in her deep violet eyes.

A light.

A spark of genuine longing.

And at that moment—

He understood where her dreams had come from.

Because of her dangerous nature, the Brunestadt Ducal Family had placed severe restrictions on Sylvia's movements.

In her entire life, the only world she had known was the Duke's mansion, its courtyards, and this isolated little garden.

Occasionally, she had been allowed to enter the royal capital—but only under strict supervision, always accompanying her father.

The one time she had run away from home, she had only made it as far as the Grant Coast, a mere few miles from the royal city.

To Sylvia, that had been the farthest place she had ever reached—the very edge of her world.

Her entire perception of the world had come from books—

Stories, maps, and adventure tales she had read in solitude.

That was why she longed to be a Beast Tamer.

Because in the bard's stories, only the Beast Tamer heroes had the right to travel across the lands, to see the world's vast mountains and rivers with their own eyes.

"...That's going to be a problem."

Xaya sighed, rubbing the little white ferret perched on his shoulder.

"For you, becoming a Beast Tamer won't be easy."

"…I didn't expect you to say that, Brother Xaya."

Sylvia blinked in mild surprise.

"Shouldn't you be encouraging me right now?"

"And didn't you say before that I would become an even stronger Beast Tamer than my father?"

Though she was caught off guard by Xaya's response, she wasn't particularly disheartened.

Her father had already warned her about her unique soul—

Even forming a soul contract would be a difficult feat, let alone becoming one of the strongest Beast Tamers.

She was merely surprised by Xaya's straightforward honesty.

"The situation back then was different," Xaya said casually.

"Anyone can talk big and spout motivational nonsense when the moment calls for it.

"It's like a kid running around shouting that they want to be the richest person in the world—I might just nod along and agree to humor them."

"But—"

"The dream you just spoke of…"

"That wasn't empty words."

Xaya Looked Into Sylvia's Eyes—His voice held rare hesitation.

"Even if there is indeed a future where you become a legendary being, that doesn't mean the risks along the way don't exist."

It was true—history recorded that Sylvia had achieved legendary status five hundred years ago, becoming the Pale Silver Witch, the founder of the Alabaster Tower…

But who could guarantee that the girl before him would walk the same path as history?

Xaya had never believed in prophecy or fate.

And he refused to see this girl—whose eyes now shimmered with longing—as merely a historical projection, something preordained and unchangeable.

At first, he had only wanted to complete his beginner quest and claim his reward.

But after that winter night at the Grant Sea, he had to admit—he now saw Sylvia as a friend.

"Anyone can cheer for someone's dream without thinking."

"But only those close to you will actually worry for you."

Xaya lay back slightly on the grass, gazing up at the silver moon in the night sky.

"The bronze cross within your soul—it's both a burden and a protection for you."

"It is a legendary seal placed upon you."

"As long as you ignore it, your Twilight Half-Self will remain locked away by the cross—at least until the seal weakens."

"The only thing you have to worry about are traces of its aura leaking through."

"But that bronze cross… also restricts your own soul's power."

"So—if you truly want to forge a soul pact… if you want to become strong enough to control your own destiny…"

"Then you must venture into the depths of the bronze cross."

"You must abandon the protection of the seal and cast away all restraints."

"You must face the very monster that once devastated half of Cangting Duchy—"

"And you must conquer it with your own will."

"You must wrest control over your soul's power."

"This journey will be long, painful, and perilous."

"It might take you a lifetime to succeed."

"You will pay unimaginable costs."

"And if you fail—you will either die… or become Twilight's puppet."

Xaya paused for a moment.

Then, he spoke firmly.

"That's why… I won't encourage your dream."

"Because, as your father, the Grand Duke of Brunestadt once said, the safest choice for you is to do nothing and remain as you are."

"But at the same time—"

"I also won't stop you from making your choice."

"Because I believe—no one has the right to take away another's dream."

"Not even a god."

And Then—Xaya Was Gone.

By the time Sylvia snapped back to reality, the boy had already vanished, as silently as he had arrived.

But in her deep violet eyes, there was no longer hesitation.

For the first time in her life—she had made a decision by her own will.

That midnight, as the murky, corrupted glow of Twilight seeped through the bronze cross once more—

Sylvia did not try to suppress it.

She did not run from it.

For the first time, she faced it head-on.

This was a battle between an ancient god and a mortal.

And the loser would lose everything.

That night, deep within the family's secret chamber, Elder Norton felt a strange unease.

Something unforeseen had disrupted his perfectly calculated plans.

He searched and searched for the anomaly—

But found nothing.

In the end, nothing seemed to happen.

And Then—Morning Came.

When Sylvia awoke the next day—

Her deep violet eyes and chestnut hair had taken on a pale hue.

And she had lost the ability to speak.

This was the price of glimpsing the power of the gods with a mortal body.

From that day forward—

Every word she spoke would carry the weight of Twilight's authority.

Every sentence would bring corruption, decay, and death.

Sitting at a wooden desk, bathed in the soft glow of candlelight—

Sylvia opened the journal Xaya had given her.

And she began to write.

「...From now on, every word I utter shall become a commandment of death.」

「To avoid harming others, I shall remain silent—even when alone.」

「This cursed silence shall follow me… until either I or that ancient god meets our end.」

「Brother Xaya once said, 'What kind of normal person even writes a diary?'」

「But I think—neither he nor I are 'normal.' 」

「After all, a 'normal' person wouldn't pull me into the sea just to save me.」

「A 'normal' person wouldn't ignore the hatred of our family and still stand by my side.」

「But… if even outcasts can have friends—if we can help each other bear our scars—」

「Then maybe… being an outcast isn't so bad after all?」

—Excerpt from The Pale Silver Witch's Diary, Page One. Sacred Year 346, Month of Blossoms, 12th Day.