Episode 1
Ran Into a Madman
As I ran, the forest came to an end, revealing a vast white field of snow. Instead of a blizzard, a heavy, quiet snowfall blanketed the world.
My feet sank into the thick snow.
It was a vast, empty plain—pure white and wide open. Footprints stood out clearly. It was only a matter of time before I got caught.
The moment I thought that, a voice rang out.
“There she is!”
Damn it!
I spat a curse and took off running. Behind me, several people plowed through the snow, brandishing knives and axes. Others, further back, nocked arrows to their bows.
Thwip! An arrow struck my side. Before the cold could even register, another came flying and hit my shoulder with a dull thump.
“Ahh…!”
Pain locked up my throat. I nearly collapsed but swallowed my scream and forced my eyes open, glaring through the tears.
It’s okay. I can recover. I’m a witch.
I pushed forward, calming my breath. Before long, the snow thinned, and wet soil appeared beneath my feet. The white world vanished.
Having nothing left to lose, I ran.
“Damn witch!”
They must’ve been stuck in the snow—angry, but unable to keep chasing.
Before long, the hatred that chased me faded. I slumped to the ground, gasping, nearly collapsing.
“Ow… it hurts…”
Every breath felt like it tore my back open. I reached up, grabbed the arrow lodged in my shoulder, and pulled it out.
“Ugh…”
Warm blood gushed from the wound, trailing down my back and soaking my hips.
New flesh grew in, the sensation crawling like bugs under my skin. The pain vanished. I tossed the arrow away with trembling fingers.
“Damn it!”
What did I ever do to deserve this?
Just because of a mark? Because my eyes and hair changed color? Because my body stopped growing when I turned fourteen? Because I healed too quickly?
No. Even if those things were strange, they didn’t justify cruelty. I never harmed them. My existence didn’t cause them the tiniest speck of damage.
Yet I became their target—the scapegoat for the village’s anger, a puppet for their hate dressed up as righteousness.
“Enough! It’s over! Leave me alone!”
I screamed, yanking at my tangled hair.
It was over. I was never going back. They didn’t deserve forgiveness or even another thought. I sighed and got to my feet.
“…Ah.”
Then I froze, breathless.
The Milky Way flowed across the dark sky. A full moon bathed the world in silver light.
Snowflakes shimmered like halos under the moonlight, and water glistened in the soil. Dew dripped from the leaves and cooled my fingertips.
It’s cold.
But the chill now felt like peace. A night breeze swept past, soft and deep.
That sound… it’s heavy.
The only wind I’d ever known howled like a blade scraping metal—sharp and cruel. That was natural for me. In that hell I lived in, the only window to the outside world was no bigger than a vent. The wind that seeped through screamed like a dying animal.
But now, the wind sang.
So this is what it sounds like.
“I finally made it,” I whispered.
“I really escaped.”
At last.
“I’m outside…”
At long last.
“…Ha.”
I covered my face with my hands.
I hated those people—for hiding this beautiful world from me.
I, who once wanted to die… what an idiot. What a fool.
It feels good to be alive.
After all the hatred, a wave of joy burst free. I giggled, burying my face in my palms.
I still had to figure out how to survive… where to go… what to do—but none of that mattered right now. This world, this wind, this beauty—everything overwhelmed me.
“Haha…”
I’d heard people cry when they were happy, but I never believed it. Yet here I was—laughing through tears.
“So beautiful…”
That night, I praised the world for the first time.
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After soaking in the moment, I finally came to my senses and stood up. The villagers might still be tracking me. I had to keep moving.
Where do I go now?
No food, no shelter… what now?
I frowned, deep in thought, rubbing my chin. Then I just shrugged and jumped lightly.
“Something will show up eventually.”
Even to myself, I sounded far too carefree. But that was fine. I wanted to enjoy this freedom, if only for a little while.
I hummed and counted the stars in the night sky. After reaching a hundred, I started over again. Over and over, time passed, and dawn arrived.
The bright sky looked like someone had poured sheep’s milk over blue paint. Puffy clouds floated—flocks of sheep, tufts of feathers, lumps of cotton.
A view like this couldn’t be seen at night. It was dazzling.
While I was lost in awe, I noticed something odd. The change had come so slowly, I didn’t realize—the soil was dry, and the air carried warmth.
“It’s… not cold anymore…”
I knew the whole world wasn’t winter. But to feel it like this—after a life in frozen darkness—was something else entirely.
I ran my fingers through the warm wind.
Then, I saw something in the distance. A massive mound.
I walked toward it, thinking it was a mountain, but as I got closer, it filled my view—and it wasn’t a mountain at all.
“What is this…?”
A trash heap.
Rotting food, bent arrows, broken clothes, rusted cans, torn bows—all stacked high into a mountain of garbage.
I pinched my nose against the unbearable stench.
There was a narrow path between the heaps. As I walked through it, I saw red stains along the edges.
Red… marks?
I turned, puzzled—and my jaw dropped.
Oh my god.
Blood. A lot of it.
I took a step back, holding my breath against the iron stench.
A hundred thoughts swirled in my head. My eyes locked on the pool of blood. It rippled.
Why is the water… moving?
No… someone was here.
I need to run.
I turned and sprinted until my legs screamed.
The garbage mountains… the blood… this place near Cassis…
I didn’t need to think twice.
Kabellu of the End.
God, no. It’s Kabellu!
The most notorious of all lawless zones. A place soaked in death and ruin.
Those bastards… That’s why they stopped chasing me.
They knew. They saw which way I was running. They figured a kid like me would die the moment I reached Kabellu.
“Damn it! Even if I escaped, why did I end up here—Ack!”
I glanced behind me again, then slipped—my foot catching on something. I tumbled down the slope. A broken kettle bounced off my head as I hit the ground.
“Ow…”
My whole body ached. My feet burned. I looked down—skin torn, blood gushing.
Then I saw what I’d stepped on.
A dagger…?
I hadn’t seen it before.
“Why is there a dagger here…?”
The blade gleamed faintly red. The handle was smeared with a handprint.
A chill of déjà vu gripped me.
Then—
“…?”
The back of my hand tingled. I froze.
“What… is this?”
A white mark crept up my arm like a vine. I stared in shock. Then the pain hit.
It felt like my arm was melting.
I rubbed and scratched, but it didn’t stop. I gritted my teeth.
In the end, I couldn’t hold back.
“Ahhhh!”
Was this punishment? For daring to live freely? Was even the hope of a normal life too much for me?
I clawed at the ground and cursed.
Then—something dropped from above.
A can clanged against my head. I flinched and looked up.
A man stood on the mountain of trash, holding a giant sickle. His knuckles were white from how tightly he gripped it.
Desperate words tumbled out of my mouth.
“P-Please… save m—gugh…”
But I couldn’t finish. I collapsed.
The man leapt down like a shadow, landing on one knee. He gently cupped my cheek with a gloved hand. The cold touch made me shrink away.
A strange, purplish mist seeped into my skin. The heat burning my body was pushed away.
The pain vanished.
Then came the sound—thump. A heavy heartbeat.
My mark flared like lightning, lancing down to my foot. I gasped. Thump, thump. At the second beat, my head was lifted.
“……!”
Red eyes locked onto mine—deep, dark, and filled with madness.
He scanned me. Slowly. Thoroughly. Like examining prey.
Goosebumps crawled down my spine.
I knew.
This man was dangerous.
I clutched the dagger, swallowing my fear.
“…Who… are you?”
He glanced at my weapon and smirked.
“Me?”
He tilted his head, voice playful.
“A madman.”
That was how I met him—
The madman.
