Saint's Prison - Chapter 120

Sidestory: Amalthea

Amalthea’s PoV

――――I’m having a dream.

It’s not mine, but someone else’s memory.

For a long time, I continue to watch it.

Something more important than life for that person. Emotions engraved into their soul. That’s why, they waited. But, but… you left me behind. Not only before the end, but also after. Twice, you turned your back on me.

If I could hate you, I might have found relief. If I could dislike you, I might have been saved. Even so, I love you. I love you. I love you. Until my life runs out, I love you.

That’s why, I ―――― won’t wait anymore.

The stirring darkness. Dry footsteps. That reddish-black something.

I can hear voices.

Many voices. Echoing in my head. Resonating and dancing with a clang.

Melting, dissolving, and merging.

Mistaking, tearing, and blooming.

Who? Me? You?

Who am I?

Who, am I?

――――I will come to meet you.

＊＊＊

“Ah, I am…!”

I wake up as if I’m gasping for breath. My vision is unstable. My body is trembling slightly. This is a rejection reaction. A rejection reaction to someone other than myself.

“No, I am, I am…”

When I have this dream, I become very anxious. The boundary lines become ambiguous. I am Amalthea… no, Amal. I am Amal.

The one with Andy-sama is this Amal. Not that someone else. Andy-sama is my light. My lord. My beloved one.

I am not that someone’s vessel. Andy-sama is not that someone’s possession. I will not forgive. I will never forgive. Because, the hollow me is no longer here.

The space warps like a mirage, swaying.

――――A sound of kicking the stone floor rang.

Before I knew it, THAT was standing in front of me. I can see its figure, but its face is swaying like a blooming flower. I can’t see its expression. But I could see that it was emotionless and wandering its gaze. After a few seconds, the moment its eyes caught me, it seemed to sneer. It was sneering, but its figure was stagnant like an abyss.

I sneer back, too. I don’t need you, I sneer back.

“…You have no place here.”

There’s no way I could sympathize. No matter how I deny it, you chose your role over that person.

And so, you lost everything.

Now, what are you declaring so pathetically? I feel completely nauseous.

This burning feeling of melting and disappearing is all due to what you brought upon yourself.

“In the future, you’ll be a ghost of the past. It’s fine for you to watch from there. …Bite your finger.”

The turbid THAT, whose emotions I cannot see, sways. Slowly, there’s a feeling of something crawling. It seems I have offended THAT. Of course. I spoke to offend. Surprisingly, I seem to have an aggressive personality. It doesn’t matter if the riffraff live or die. I have no interest in them like a roadside stone. I don’t care about pity.

…Ah, are you the same?

You and I are broken.

As humans, we are hopelessly broken.

That’s why we find salvation in that person. Only in the presence of Andy-sama, who shakes the hearts of us, me and you. Only when we’re by their side, can we be human. As inhuman beasts, we can dream as humans. How sweet it is.

“Uh, haa, ah, Amal?”

The voice of my beloved. Calling me.

“…Yes, Andy-sama. Your Amal is right here.”

I draw Andy-sama’s head to my chest in the bed and hold him gently.

“Ooh, I see. Hmm, huff, Amal is always so soft everywhere.”

It seems Andy-sama is still half-asleep. He rubs his face on my chest and snorts contentedly. His drawn-out voice is very cute. I can’t help but smile. I drop a kiss on Andy-sama’s cowlick and turn my gaze back to THAT.

There was no one there anymore. As if they never existed in the first place.

“―― If you’re a ghost, ―― then I’m ―――――”

I could hear a faint whisper in my ear.

“―――――An evil dragon.”

To blow away the discomfort of that whisper, I stroke Andy-sama’s head. I exhale softly and close my eyes.