"Really. So don't be too sad."
"Ah… th-then…!"
At my words, he frantically pulled sothing from his inventory.
A… mirror?
CRASH—!!
Hoaquin took the large mirror and smashed it with his fist, shattering it into sparkling pieces.
I froze.
He's… not angry, right…?
"O–Oppa…?"
He picked up two mirror shards, held them tightly, then handed them to .
"If you ever et my family, give them one of these. It holds my mories and the ssage I want to tell them. The other one is for you. If you keep it, you won't lose your mory even if you talk about the Hidden Floor outside."
He handed the shards carefully, eyes filled with hope, then quietly recited the nas of his family:
Arie Albelda, Arie Vicente, Arie Anna, Arie Leblanc…
I should write these down later so I don't forget.
"I promise. Once I leave and beco a Ranker, I'll find them and deliver it."
"Thank you, Enne."
Only then did his expression return to his usual warm self. We shared a small smile before looking up at the dark ceiling, faintly lit by the Stage's lights.
Maybe it was the late-night sentintality, but I found myself asking:
"Oppa, what do you think is above the ceiling?"
"The next floor, I guess."
"And if we go all the way… to the 134th floor ceiling?"
"..."
After a brief pause, he spoke.
"The 135th floor, maybe. Or… maybe stars."
"You believe that legend?"
The legend that at the top of the Tower, one could see stars. A common tale, though few believed it.
He chuckled softly.
"Haha… who knows whether it's just a legend."
He wasn't committing to an answer, but I continued anyway, because I wanted to say this.
"Oppa, my father—King Zahard—and the Ten Great Family Heads climbed up to the 134th floor. Then they stopped climbing, ruling as king and heads, taking care of the Tower's people. They entrusted the 135th floor to the next generation."
"...Right."
I closed my eyes for a mont, then kept going.
"Zahard's Princesses were created for those next generations—to soday reach the 135th floor. The strongest Princess would bear Father's child, and that child would lead the climb beyond 134. To beco that Princess, we must gather all 13 Months."
"...…."
He listened silently, without interrupting.
"Becoming a Princess is supposed to be an honor. But now… sothing is wrong. We've forgotten the purpose and just kill each other. It breaks my heart. So I'm going to do it. I will gather every single one of the 13 Months."
"Enne… don't tell …"
"Yes. That's why I climb the Tower. To stop my sisters from killing each other, and to beco the true Princess of Zahard. And through that—to guide everyone in the Tower one floor higher. To the 135th."
Once I started talking, I couldn't stop.
What would Hoaquin-oppa think?
I turned to him eagerly.
"What do you think?"
He smiled softly.
"Grand and brilliant. It's a very 'you' kind of dream. And honestly… I think you could really do it."
"Really?!"
Relief flooded . I feared he'd laugh, but he was sincere. He believed in . My confidence inflated like a balloon.
"But, Enne."
"Yes?"
"...…"
He fell silent. He looked like soone trying to decide whether to say sothing… or hesitating.
At last, he t my eyes directly.
"Enne… about Zahard's Princesses. The truth is… it's very different from what you think."
"...What?"
.....
Outside — After Enne Leaves
KUUUUUNG—
The grand gate sealing the Hidden Floor closed, fading into nothing.
Watching it disappear, Hoaquin let out a long exhale.
"Haa… I ended up saying it."
Why did I do that? It could disrupt the original storyline dramatically. I'd spent so long trying to preserve it, and yet I couldn't hold myself back.
"…How could I not tell her."
I spent over a month laughing and talking with that kid. Enne was no longer just a "character" who appeared briefly in a webtoon. She was a little sister I lived with for a month.
Not just her—Maschenny, Eduan, everyone.
They weren't characters anymore. They were people—living, thinking beings sharing this world with .
How could I treat them like fiction?
She dreams of guiding everyone upward—and knowing she'd be sealed, forgotten, and erased in the original story…
How could I not warn her?
Well… I'm only data anyway.
The guy outside—the "real "—will handle things sohow.
For the first ti, I shoved a problem onto him.
"Haha…"
He pulled out a bottle of traditional liquor from his inventory and took a few long gulps.
Gone was her usual warmth. Blossom wore a cold, sharp expression.
"You… what you said. Was it true?"
"Whether you believe it or not is up to you. But yes, it's true. I'm surprised you're not angrier."
"My daughter heard the truth and still chose her path. Then all I can do is respect it. Besides, I am only data. I can't interfere with the outside world anyway."
"You don't resent Gustang?"
"The Gustang here hasn't been tainted yet. Why would I resent him? The one outside and the one here are not the sa."
"Haha. You're more impressive than I expected, Blossom."
Everything she said was correct.
We are not the sa as the ones outside.
We are the recorded past—data of the versions that once were. We will never change, never grow, never rot. We remain here, untainted and soft—fragnts of mory stored by the Hidden Floor.
We can live our lives as we are, without looking outward. Without staining or aging. Without intervening.
Just quietly, holding only our mories.
Enne—may you be happy too.
Differently from the original.
User Comments
0 comments from readers