Ch. 1: He Who Looks Like a Wolf
Kingdom of Besmaar in the Land of Beastmen, Month of Fragrance…-
On that night…
(It’s so bright…!)
The light accompanied a man who had his eyes tightly shut. Slowly, he opened his eyes.
??: “N…Nn…”
I stared at his silver hair shining in the moonlight, and at his beast-like eyes that shone silver. I blinked.
Oddly, on the top of his head were ears that twitched and moved.
??: “I…”
Having been awakened by the power of my ring, he looked at me curiously.
OO: “Are you alright?”
??: “N…Yeah, I’m okay. Did you wake me up?”
I nodded and relief spread across his face.
??: “Thanks. I’m Vim, what’s your name?”
OO: “OO.”
Vim: “OO… I’ll have to thank you somehow.”
As Vim spoke, he suddenly bent over in pain.
OO: “Vim?!”
Vim: “I-I’m fine. Don’t tell me today is…”
He turned his gaze to the sky, and in that moment his eyes were tinged with gold.
OO: “…Vim?”
Vim: “I see…tonight’s the full moon! Sorry, I wanted to thank you properly, but I swear I’ll pay you back for this.”
OO: “Ah…”
As I stood there not understanding what was going on, Vim, who had just been awoken from the nightmare of the Dream Eaters, disappeared into the darkness of the night.
(What a strange person…)
Just as Vim had done, I looked up to the sky.
It was gradually becoming tinged with darkness, and the moon had started to shine.
Ch. 2: Full Moon and Howling
A few days after Vim had awoken…
I arrived at the castle in his kingdom, following his promise that he would definitely thank me.
——————–
Vim: “Don’t tell me today is…I see…tonight’s the full moon!”
——————–
My chest was tight as I thought of meeting him.
Butler: “Lady OO, welcome. Please, come this way. You have our deepest thanks for rescuing Lord Vim.”
OO: “Oh no, I’m just glad I was able to wake him up.”
Vim: “If you hadn’t been there, I’d probably still be stuck in that nightmare.”
Vim appeared from a side corridor.
OO: “Prince Vim!”
(His eyes are so pretty…and his ears are so fluffy.)
Vim: “You can just call me Vim, I don’t like all that formal stuff.”
OO: “Vim…”
Vim: “Sorry I didn’t get to thank you before. This time I’ll do it right. So, nice to meet you, again.”
OO: “Yeah, nice to meet you.”
I noticed some red bruising on his outstretched hand.
OO: “Vim, those bruises on your wrist… shouldn’t you get them looked at?”
Vim quickly hid his wrists and brushed it off with a smile.
Vim: “Nah, I’m fine.”
OO: “What happened to your wrists?”
As I asked, Vim quickly hid his wrists.
Vim: “It’s nothing…don’t worry about it.”
Vim: “More importantly, let me thank you for waking me up.”
(I wonder if he’s really alright…)
Even though it weighed heavily on my mind, I couldn’t say anything more about it.
OO: “Just being invited to the castle is enough for me.”
He smiled and laughed.
Vim: “You sure don’t ask for much! Isn’t there anything you desire?”
OO: “Something I desire…”
Vim: “Anything’s fine. I can grant any request. After all, you’re my rescuer.”
OO: “Then…I want you to take me to the place you love most in this kingdom.”
Vim: “That’s it?”
OO: “Yes.”
I gave him a big smile and nodded and Vim stared at me in amazement.
Vim: “Haha…who would have thought the Princess of Träumere would be so selfless.”
Vim patted me on the head.
As my heart jumped, his ears perked up cutely and a spontaneous smile spread across his lips.
I didn’t know the sorrowful secret his bruises held.
Ch. 3: His Secret
I had asked to go to Vim’s favorite place, and we headed there…
OO: “It’s beautiful…!”
It was a beautiful field of flowers.
There were multicolored blossoms in full bloom, and a faint, sweet smell tickled my nose.
(It smells nice…this place is amazing.)
Vim: “You like it?”
OO: “Yeah! Very much!”
Vim: “I’m glad… She liked it here too.”
Vim murmured quietly to himself.
OO: “She…?”
Vim: “Ah…no, never mind.”
Vim said awkwardly before going silent.
OO: “…liked it?”
Vim: “Ah…nothing…”
Vim looked as if he’d said something he shouldn’t have, and his eyes fell to the ground as he sank into silence.
(Would it have been better if I hadn’t heard?)
Vim: “My feet carry me here a lot. Here, more so than in the castle or the village, I can calm down.”
OO: “I see. Do you always come here alone?”
Vim: “I guess.”
Vim gave a smile tinged with sadness and then stretched languidly.
The clear blue sky stretched on forever.
The beautiful flower petals, set against the blue of the sky, trembled slightly in the wind.
(This is…Ah, this is wonderful.)
Vim: “Hey, OO, don’t wander too far.”
Vim called out to me as I was walking through the field of flowers.
OO: “Okay!”
Vim: “It’s dangerous over that way, so let’s go this way.”
OO: “Yeah, alright!”
My chest fluttered as I walked among the multicolored flowers.
…
… …
I went about picking flowers in a daze.
OO: “Hey, Vim! Look, aren’t they…”
I looked back to show him the bouquet of flowers, but no one was there.
OO: “Vim…?”
(What now? I don’t see…)
My eyes darted around, but I couldn’t see Vim anywhere.
I was on the side of the field of blossoming flowers, but my sense of direction had become confused.
At that moment…
(That’s…?)
In the plain near the field of flowers, I saw a small cave.
A dark atmosphere seemed to drift out of it, sharply contrasted against the beautiful flowers.
I walked into the cave, as if something were drawing me in.
After going in a little ways…
OO: “…!”
I found chains covered in rust hanging from the cave wall.
(What is…?)
Despite the fear I felt, I cautiously reached out my hand…
Vim: “OO.”
Something grabbed my shoulder and I turned around. Vim’s breath caught and he stood there with a strange expression.
Vim: “I suddenly lost sight of you…to think you were in a place like this.”
OO: “Y-yeah. Um, is this…”
Vim: “…”
OO: “Vim?”
Vim bit his lower lip before hesitantly opening his mouth.
Vim: “It’s nothing, let’s go.”
Vim grabbed my hand a little forcefully.
It was then that the bruises on his wrists were clearly visible.
(It couldn’t be…)
OO: “Vim, is this…Are you…?”
Vim made a pained face and…
Vim: “…Yeah. On the night of the full moon, I come here to chain myself up.”
(To chain…himself up?)
Vim: “Well, I guess if you’re in this country, you’re bound to hear the story anyway… My family are lycanthropes.”
OO: “Lycanthropes?
Vim: “Werewolves. People that turn into wolves on the night of the full moon.”
(…werewolves!?)
Vim: “But my family’s bloodline has become pretty diluted, so now I’m the only one who changes. My blood goes berserk so I tie myself up here.”
OO: “…that’s…”
Vim: “Come on, don’t make that face. It’s always been like this.”
Vim smiled as if it were nothing but…
OO: “You act as if it’s no big deal…but you tie yourself up with physical restraints.”
As I spoke, Vim’s gaze fell to the ground.
Vim had told me the truth, but I was unable to hide my confusion and his carefree expression changed…
Vim: “…”
Sensing my confusion, he let out a small sigh.
Vim: “…people will get attacked.”
Vim murmured.
OO: “But that’s …”
Vim: “So it’s no big deal, it’s always like this. Now come on, let’s go.”
I wondered how many years Vim had been injuring himself, the red marks cutting deep into his arms.
OO: “Vim…”
Vim pulled tightly on my hand and I left the cave…
That evening…
(Where…am I?)
Suddenly, a beautiful raven-haired girl appeared before my eyes.
Below her eye was a large black mole that somehow made her look all the more attractive.
(Who are…?)
??: “Please…please save Vim.”
(Save Vim?)
??: “He…because of me…”
A single tear fell down her cheek.
??: “Pl…im…”
OO: “Nn… …”
Something jolted my shoulder and I slowly came out of the dream.
Vim: “Hey…OO.”
OO: “…Vim…?”
Vim’s golden eyes were wide with concern as he watched me intently.
Ch. 4: His Atonement
Vim: “I heard you making a lot of noise…you okay?”
OO: “Y-Yeah…”
(That dream just now…)
——————–
??: “Please…save Vim. He…because of me…”
——————–
Vim: “You have a bad dream?”
OO: “There was…a raven-haired girl with a mole under her eye. She said ‘save Vim’ …”
I spoke slowly as the dream started to come back to me.
Vim: “!!”
On hearing that, Vim’s face paled.
Vim: “Why do you know about Sarah….!?”
(Sarah? Is that the name of the girl…?)
OO: “She was…in my dream…”
Vim: “In your dream…?”
(How are the two of them connected?)
OO: “Um, who is Sarah…?”
Vim: “Sarah was…”
Vim bit his lip and seemed at a loss for words but…
OO: “Um…”
Vim’s expression was severe, and I couldn’t bring myself to ask any more about it.
But Vim seemed to guess what I wanted to say and…
Vim: “She was…my childhood friend.”
Vim breathed out a long sigh and seemed to resign himself as he talked about Sarah.
Vim: “Sarah was…the daughter of a nobleman who had strong ties to the royal family, and we had been friends ever since we were little. Even on the nights when I turned into a wolf, the only ones who stayed with me were the kind-hearted Sarah and my family. But…five years ago on the night of a full moon…”
Vim clenched his fist and steeled himself.
Vim: “In that flower field, I had turned into a wolf and chased down a girl. It had been a misunderstanding and her father…attacked me. “
OO: “…!”
Vim: “I saw the blood flowing and forgot myself…so I rushed in to attack the man. They were frightened, and he turned and fired a gun at me …but Sarah protected me and …!”
Vim choked up, hanging his head, and stopped talking…
(That’s …)
OO: “In the dream, Sarah seemed very sad.”
Vim: “…”
OO: “And she said she wanted you to be saved.”
I suddenly grabbed Vim’s hand.
Yet he didn’t react and I could sense that the light had gone from his eyes.
OO: “That’s why I’m sure Sarah doesn’t want you to be hurting.”
I didn’t want to see Vim in such pain, so I argued vehemently.
Vim: “Don’t act like you understand!”
Under Vim’s suddenly menacing gaze, I jumped and my body shook slightly.
Vim’s head snapped up and in the next moment…
He pushed me against the wall.
(Wha…?)
I was trapped between the wall and his arm as he glared down at me.
Vim: “…then! If she wanted to forgive me…why didn’t she appear in my dreams…!? She should have talked to me, not you, to my face…”
OO: “Vim…”
Vim: “…!”
Vim let me go and quickly walked out.
Left alone, the stillness fell heavily in the room.
(What should I do?)
I knew what was in his heart as he had smiled as if it was nothing, and my chest ached.
His harsh words grated against my heart.