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墨書 Inktalez
On the night of the last week before spring, the demon no longer came to the castle hall, no longer emerged to play the piano, nor did he come out from the castle rooms to meet her. Natalie's heart was filled with an unusual despair and pain; it felt like a trapped beast, bloodied and powerless.
Natalie did not know which room the demon was hiding in within the castle. In fact, she wanted very much to venture into the depths of the castle to see. The demon had never allowed her to enter the innermost part of the castle, and she dared not intrude. But now she desperately wanted to go deeper into the castle to see the demon and what he was doing.
Perhaps it was because Natalie missed the demon too much that night she dreamed of him. In her dream, he was no longer a vague shadow but a handsome young man with clear features. He came to her side, looking at her with melancholy and deep affection, saying, "I've missed you so much these days."
Hearing this increasingly anticipated and familiar voice, Natalie was overwhelmed with tears and trembled as she replied, "I miss you too. Where are you?"
"I'm right here in this castle."
"In which room?"
"I'm in the deepest room of the castle. Do you want to see me?"
"Yes, I really want to see you. Can I come into the deepest room of the castle to find you?"
The demon looked at her, silent for a long time. His expression seemed somewhat unnatural, as if he were making a decision. But soon, he nodded in agreement.
"You can come find me, but I have one request."
"What request?" Natalie asked in confusion.
"I hope you seriously consider your feelings for me—not pity, not loneliness, but love. If you can face that you truly love me, then come to find me in the deepest room of the castle; I will be waiting for you in the last room."
After saying this, the demon took one last deep look at her before leaving.
Suddenly waking from her dream, Natalie looked helplessly at the dark night. The vivid dream and clear words gave her a feeling that the demon had been by her side just moments ago; she could sense his lingering warmth or breath in the air.
After waking up, Natalie could no longer fall asleep. She sat on the floor of the hall, hugging her knees tightly and burying her head deeply between her legs. She seriously recalled their interactions, experiencing both the joy and pain of their feelings; she realized clearly that she had truly fallen in love with the demon. Although she also loved her deceased lover.
When Natalie realized her feelings, she decided to stop avoiding them and went to the deepest room of the castle to find the demon and tell him that she loved him.
It was the last day of spring.
Natalie walked through the hall, heading towards the rooms in the castle. One door after another was opened as she entered room after room. Countless doors were opened by her, countless rooms were traversed. Until she stood before the last door.
Suppressing her inner excitement, Natalie solemnly pushed open the final door. It was a large room, bright and transparent. In the center of the room stood a young man with golden hair and blue eyes, exactly like the face she had dreamed of. He radiated a golden glow, and his eyes were sapphire blue as he gazed at her with deep affection.
But at the moment Natalie opened the door, light from outside began to invade the room inch by inch, while the demon's body was slowly burning, blue flames spreading from beneath his feet. Startled, Natalie quickly asked, "Why is your body burning?"
"Because I cannot be exposed to light during the day; if I am, my body will burn away until I vanish completely."
At that moment, Natalie remembered that the demon had once told her he could not be exposed to light during the day. But in her eagerness to see him, she had forgotten this important detail.
"Why didn't you remind me not to come find you during the day?" Natalie looked at him sadly, her heart feeling like it did when her Lover had died; it felt shattered.
"I live in this lonely castle, endlessly playing ancient music in the hall. I have no emotions and no love. I am merely a ghost. But when I met you and fell in love with you, you revived my feelings and my love. Every time I think of you or see you, my heart fills with infinite affection and love. This feeling is something I've never experienced before; I feel so happy and joyful. But as time goes on, my heart feels like a desolate forest; I crave more, I long for your eternal love. Spring is coming again, and just thinking about parting fills me with despair. Whenever I think of your Lover, jealousy overwhelms me. It feels like a sharp sword has pierced my heart, leaving it bleeding profusely. I hope to receive your response; I hope you can love me, which is why I've made you contemplate your feelings for me. If you love me, come find me in the innermost room of the castle. In the end, you came; you truly love me. With your love, even if my body vanishes into smoke, even if I die, what does it matter?"
Tears streamed down Natalie's face as she tightly embraced the demon's burning body; it was so hot yet could not harm her.
"Don't be sad for me; my time is short. Let me play one last piece for you," the demon gently wiped her tears away with his hand and said softly.
Natalie nodded.
The demon took her hand and led her through countless rooms until they reached the hall of the castle. As he sat at the piano, blue flames had already consumed his lower half; he seemed to feel no pain and still smiled as he played one last piece for Natalie. The music was joyful and sweet, filled with hope yet deeply poignant and sorrowful.
After finishing, the demon held Natalie's hand tightly and said, "The contract between us has been voided; can you make a new agreement with me?"
“At this moment, I want nothing but for you to live.” Tears streamed down Natalie's face.
“I hope you will always remember my music and that it will be passed down through generations, as a testament to my love for you. This is my last and only request,” the demon pleaded.
“Okay, I will definitely remember the music you played.”
“Since it is a contract, it is mutual. In return, I will not only bring your Lover back to life but also give you a special gift.”
“I have already received your love; I do not need anything else from you.”
“No, I will give you a very precious gift. When you see your revived Lover, you will understand.”
The demon's expression was unusually calm. At that moment, flames had engulfed his upper body, growing fiercer until they finally consumed his entire being…
The entire castle shook and collapsed in the fire, and Natalie left the castle in despair. Not long after, the castle no longer existed in the flames. She looked at it all, as if in a dream, everything felt like it had never happened.
The carriage outside the castle also vanished, and Natalie had to walk on foot toward the Centennial Tree in the center of the forest. She walked for a long time before reaching the old tree. Sure enough, lying on the grass beneath the tree was a young man—wasn’t that her deceased Lover?
Her Lover had come back to life; he slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her. She had thought he would be as the demon said—without memory or emotion, forgetting her completely. But clearly, he was not like that at all. He remembered her and looked at her with tenderness and deep affection. The only difference was that his eyes were blue, as clear as lake water. From his deep gaze, she saw another soul—the soul of the demon.
Natalie tightly embraced her Lover, tears streaming down her face. She finally understood the special gift the demon had given her. Silently in her heart, she recalled Demonic Music once more. At that moment, she suddenly felt a faint sting in her arm. Looking closely, she found a vividly lifelike butterfly perched there. It was a mark of love.
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