City of Witches

Like usual, Amelia’s day began with a visit to Siwoo’s room.

It had been a month since Yebin started her intensive treatment. Most of his organs, except for his brain, had been healed.

Consequently, the intricate magic circles that had once enveloped him were removed.

Yebin Smyrna’s skills were clearly exceptional beyond doubt.

After all, she restored Siwoo’s ruined body, which was on the death door if left alone, to its original state in a matter of days.

Just as promised, she managed to do what other witches wouldn’t be able to do, restoring a badly damaged human body to this extent.

Now, even without delaying his biological clock, Siwoo was able to breathe and maintain his heartbeat on his own.

All his physiological functions, including cardiopulmonary performance had been reinstated.

Amelia could finally let herself feel a glimmer of hope that he might survive.

When she saw color returning to his skin for the first time, she grasped his hand to feel his pulse for a long while.

But, Yebin’s suspicions regarding how he might turn out to be different than before weighed heavily on her chest.

Nevertheless, she repeatedly muttered to herself, ‘Just him being alive is enough…’ as she carefully counted the calluses that permeated his fingers one by one.

“Oh, I apologize… I didn’t realize you were here.”

“No, it’s fine. Please come in.”

The door swung open as Yebin entered the room.

Compared to the strange attire she wore the first time they met, she looked more like the impressive witch that she was.

Amelia quietly and gently released her grip on Siwoo’s hand.

Yebin’s effort and dedication had been so remarkable that Amelia, who had been watching from the sidelines, had nothing to nag or be concerned about.

Not only did she devote twelve hours a day on his treatment alone, she also dedicated another eight hours immersing herself to research on ‘Magnetism Magic’ for the sole purpose of recovering his brain.

She only had four hours allocated for rest, practically committing her entire day to Siwoo’s treatment.

Amelia was well aware of this, that was why she refrained from constantly asking Yebin for details on his condition.

However, in moments such as these, her desperation for answers couldn’t be contained.

“How is his condition?”

“Well, everything except for his left eye, which I intentionally didn’t heal to make room for the brain surgery, has returned to normal. His condition has stabilized too.”

Turning him from a half-dead, brain-dead state to his current condition was nothing short of a miracle.

It was an achievement that even modern medicine would have deemed implausible, if not straight-up impossible.

“Now, all the preparations have concluded. We will proceed with the reconstruction of his magic circuit as well as regenerating his brain in three days.”

Amelia rose from her seat, approached Yebin and enveloped her in a deep embrace.

“Thank you so much, truly…”

“Y-You don’t need to go this far. Baroness, your support was, oh—!”

“Thank you, thank you…”

Yebin barely managed to escape her tight embrace that pretty much suffocated her.

If she said she didn’t feel a sense of accomplishment, she would be lying. Nevertheless, there was still something that she had to convey to Amelia.

“You can spend more time with Mr. Siwoo. I’m only here for a brief check-up. I’ll take my leave now…”

“Okay…”

Yebin sighed as she closed the door and returned to her room.

A large table, brought from the dining room, was swamped in a hill of brain models and thousands of sheets of paper.

If Shin Siwoo had been one of many irrelevant animals, she wouldn’t need to do this much preparation.

She already restored the necessary functions for his survival, as well as inciting the neuroplasticity.

All she needed to do would be to wake him up from his coma.

But, it was her duty to restore him as closely as possible to his original state.

To maintain his thoughts, memories, ideas and behavioral patterns.

Additionally, her plan, which had been cruising smoothly like a sail in a tailwind, had come to a halt.

Despite receiving her master’s papers and meticulously reviewing the knowledge passed down to her through her brand, she could only come to one conclusion.

She decided on a three-day buffer period so she could explore other options, but realistically speaking, the probability of finding an alternative to her original plan was dreadfully low.

“But how am I supposed to convey this to the Baroness…?”

Yebin slumped onto the table.

The medical procedure itself was complicated and her shyness made it difficult for her to articulate the problem.

Above all, she didn’t know how to bring this solution to the Baroness. This was her biggest concern, something she worried the most about.

It would have been easier if she hadn’t witnessed the Baroness’ affection and treatment towards Siwoo.

She recalled Amelia, who spent hours each day just holding his hand by his side.

“He means so much to her. How could I possibly suggest that…?”

Whether she’d accept this surgery method as inevitably due to necessity remained to be seen.

“But seriously, what am I supposed to tell her…?”

Yebin’s dilemma deepened even further.

2.

In a pitch black space.

Siwoo’s consciousness sluggishly swam aimlessly, drifting without anything to grasp or hold onto.

Below it were two, no, they had merged into one whole structure by now.

It was everything that Siwoo had built up in his life. But it had crumbled into mere wreckage, as if they had been struck by bombardment missiles.

However, these wreckages still shone so brilliantly even though their functions should’ve ceased.

“…”

Siwoo closely examined this sight.

After scrutinizing it, he understood it, however, his train of thoughts was interrupted.

To bridge the gap of his severed throughs, he could only rely on unrefined reasoning and instincts.

His eyes unwavering, undisturbed by anything, fixing themselves on the pile of debris that was once a magic circle.

He raised his arm.

Without any intent nor contemplation.

Nevertheless, like how it had always obeyed his will, the magic circle started to stir.

-Rumble!

The world transformed as the black abyss trembled.

Gears, lines, points, characters and shadows, out of a golden light, they all emerged at once.

Without any guidance given, they traced elegant trajectories like stars in a galaxy, following reason and instinct as they finally settled in their rightful places, each emitting a faint glow.

Creation emerging from destruction, a philosophy as old as time itself.

Out of ashes of such destruction, the legacy of tens of thousands of fragments created a completely different form of ‘rule’.

In his pupils, a beautifully shining golden orb materialized.

Like an egg bearing infinite truths, new rules birthed within the midst of shadows.

“…”

Treating as if everything was meaningless, he waved his hand as everything collapsed once again.

New ‘rules’ were formed, unrestricted by any existing ones.

Such a contradiction disintegrated into the abyss.

The shattered debris spread beneath him, just like before, awaiting for the command of their master.

Within the space, resembling a boundless sea of a dark abyss, Siwoo raised his hands, creating and destroying laws with every wave of his hands.

I.

Freedom.

What was ‘I’?

What was ‘freedom’?

A crease formed on his brow as the two words suddenly grazed the fringes of his consciousness.

Despite eons of contemplation, nothing materialized from the depths of his abyss.

Once again, he raised his hands.

Like a deity blindly rolling dice until he achieved his desired outcome, he continued his symphony.

Just like how he was the creator of worlds, he was also the destroyer of worlds.

Time was on his side.

After all, this abyss was his world.

3.

Amelia laid on her bed, lost in thought.

Her research on Siwoo’s condition had come to a standstill for a long while now.

Since Yebin was already here, her research became pretty much meaningless anyway.

But, even her usual magic research came to a standstill too, so her days had devolved into a monotonous cycle of tending to Siwoo and lying aimlessly on her bed.

“May I come in, Amelia?”

“You may.”

At that moment, Sophia’s voice, accompanied by a soft knock on the door, entered her ears.

Although Sophia had always intruded on her privacy and relentlessly bothered her, her visits had become more frequent lately.

Amelia understood that Sophia was trying to comfort her grieving friend, so she felt grateful for her gesture.

As Sophia entered the room, she noticed Amelia lying listlessly on her bed, something the latter had been doing for a while now. Seeing this, she let out a sigh inwardly.

She knew that Amelia was having a hard time due to the tragedy that befell Siwoo, but she didn’t expect that her friend would be having it this badly.

It felt like the tear stains on her pillow had become a permanent decoration.

Nevertheless, she didn’t judge her friend, nor did she think that her friend was making a fuss out of nothing.

After all, Amelia had already endured the shock of losing her master and once closed herself off emotionally.

She understood that Amelia was a delicate child, immersing herself in her own world while remaining cautious of opening her heart to others.

For such an Amelia to finally gather the courage to open her heart once again, only to experience another traumatic incident, Sophia couldn’t take her condition lightly.

“Can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Sorry, I’m not really up for it right now.”

“It’s important.”

Seeing Sophia’s serious demeanor, Amelia reluctantly sat up from her bed.

Her golden hair cascaded gracefully, carrying a pleasant fragrance.

“Is this about Siwoo?”

“Yes.”

Sophia settled onto the bed naturally, reaching out to hold Amelia’s hand.

“What I’m about to say might sound uncomfortable and complicated to you.”

“W-What is this about? Is there something wrong with—?!”

“Calm down. I phrased my words poorly. This is mostly about you. It’s related to him as well, but…”

Sophia’s words raised a sense of concern in Amelia and she began to worry if something had gone wrong with Siwoo’s condition.

Seeing this, Sophia calmly stroked her hair to comfort her as her face turned pale.

“How do you feel about him?”

Amelia’s eyes betrayed her confusion, wondering why Sophia was being so cryptic. Because of this, she couldn’t formulate an immediate response.

“I… Like him…”

After a long pause, she finally managed to speak.

Sophia tightened her hold on Amelia’s hand as she asked another question.

“What about me?”

“I like you too.”

“Why?”

“…Do I have to tell you?”

Amelia avoided eye contact as she turned embarrassed.

Seeing this, the other witch let out a sigh before nodding her head.

After seeing her friend’s strange and curious reaction, Amelia finally spoke in a gentle tone.

“Because you’re always helping me… Always there for me… Also, because we’re friends…”

“Then, what about Siwoo? Do you like him as a friend? Or do you like him as a man?”

“…”

As expected, Amelia couldn’t provide a clear answer.

In truth, Sophia had noticed something quite peculiar.

Certainly, Amelia’s opening up to someone and becoming aware of her emotions was a positive development for her.

Part of the reason why Sophia was trying to pair her with Siwoo was to assist her emotional growth.

However, she failed to factor in how complicated Amelia’s current state was.

Were her feelings for Siwoo simply a gesture of goodwill? Or was it love?

If the answer was neither of those, then perhaps she had misunderstood her feelings.

Nevertheless, Sophia couldn’t be sure about it.

It wasn’t like she didn’t think Siwoo could become Amelia’s partner.

A kind and respectable man like him wasn’t easy to come by.

Moreover, though she cherished Amelia, she wouldn’t go out of her way to interfere with the latter’s romantic life.

“Can you please answer me?”

After a long hesitation, Amelia finally spoke up.

“I think… I love him… Romantically…”

“What if you misunderstood that feeling?”

“Sophia!”

A sharp voice, like a shattered glass, cut through the air.

It was an immediate reaction.

Amelia’s furious eyes were fixed on Sophia.

Even if they were friends, she still couldn’t forgive Sophia for denying her feelings.

The glint on her eyes filled with such anger.

“I’m sorry, but I have to tell you about this. This is something you’re completely clueless about.”

“I might not know everything but I can at least tell that it’s love.”

“Amelia, calm down for a moment…”

“Just by looking at him lying there, just by thinking he might leave my side makes my heart ache! If this emotion isn’t love, then what is?!”

Amelia’s outburst of frustration was a confirmation for Sophia.

That she wasn’t in love with Siwoo.

Rather, she felt indebted to him and she felt fear that she’d lose him.

Both of them weren’t love.

Then, what was love?

What was guilt?

What was responsibility?

What was relationship?

What was affection?

What was kindness?

What was friendship?

Amelia wouldn’t know the answer to any of these.

After all, she had just barely opened her eyes to the world and emotions.

Like a baby duckling that recognized the first creature it saw as its mother and followed it around.

If she had mistaken an emotion that she didn’t actually have, what would happen?

What if Sophia’s excessive interference had created an unnatural flow of emotions?

In the first place, what if the influence of ‘magic’ had changed their relationship to something else when it was merely a feeling of ‘goodwill’ toward each other?

Could that kind of feeling be classified as ‘love’?

“I’m sorry for making you angry, but there’s something I want you to hear.”

Sophia gestured and the door opened.

From behind the door, the twins stood with tear-filled eyes.

“Professor Amelia…”

“We have something to tell you.”

They stood there, bowing their heads as if they were about to confess a grave sin.