Prologue: Please Give Me Back My Sister
—
“The witch has bewitched the Hero!”
“Burn the wicked witch at the stake!”
Thunderous shouts tore through the air.
Countless torches lit up the dark night.
Beneath the flickering flames, people glared fiercely.
Their sharp gazes were fixed on a pyre.
A towering pile of logs. Surging flames.
…And my sister.
Her once iris-like, beautiful purple hair was now charred black.
Her face—once delicately sculpted like marble—was now covered in burns and soot.
My eyes filled with tears.
“Meowww!!”
No! My sister isn’t wicked!!
I wanted to run to her.
I had to save her from the fire somehow.
“Meow! Meow!!”
I bared my teeth and bit the iron bars, clawing madly, desperately struggling.
But the cage holding me didn’t budge.
“This damn cat! Can’t you shut up?”
Suddenly, my body was lifted into the air.
A man had picked up the cage and shook it violently, yelling at me.
“Meowk!”
My body banged around inside the cage, and I couldn’t help but groan.
Pain shot through every inch of me.
“Isn’t it just fascinating?”
The man pressed his face up to the cage and sneered.
“That a witch walked right into our trap just to save this pathetic little cat.”
Another man nodded in agreement.
“Right? They say witches treat their familiars like their own children…”
“Haha! Imagine choosing death over this useless cat. That witch must be an idiot.”
The two men burst into laughter.
I shrank into myself.
Their words stabbed like knives.
‘They’re right… it’s all my fault.’
—
Just a few days ago, humans had surrounded the house where my sister and I lived.
With gleaming eyes, they came armed with torches and sharp weapons.
My sister tried to flee with me, but stupidly, I stepped into one of the traps they’d laid.
“If you want to save this little thing, come here right now!”
“…Fine. Just don’t hurt Mabel.”
And so, my sister obeyed them without resistance.
If only I had been faster. If only I had the power to protect her.
‘She wouldn’t have had to sacrifice herself.’
She could’ve run away and left me behind.
But she didn’t.
And now she stood on the pyre—because of me.
To protect me.
“If it weren’t for this witch, our Hero would still be alive!”
Someone cried out in a sorrowful voice.
I lifted my head with difficulty from inside the cage.
The person in the white priest’s robe…
“Oh, it’s the Saint!”
“The Saint has arrived!”
People scrambled to reach her, bowing their heads, some even trying to kiss the hem of her robe.
‘Scary.’
They didn’t seem sane anymore.
I swallowed hard.
Then, a strong gust of wind swept through.
The woman’s long brown hair fluttered wildly.
“Our temple…”
She turned, the red flames behind her, her crimson eyes gleaming with resolve.
“…will never forgive this shameless witch!!”
“Aaaahhhh!!!”
“Avenge the Hero!”
“Death to the witch!!”
The crowd roared, deafeningly.
My eyes welled up again.
No. Please, don’t.
‘It’s all lies! Revenge? But they were so close!’
Adrian—the young man who used to sit comfortably next to my sister.
I knew the temple had declared him the Hero.
He was just and fair, loved by all.
But to me… he was just kind “Adrian oppa.”
My sister pretended to be aloof, but she always listened intently to his silly jokes.
If he were here, he’d say the Saint was lying!
I once again bit the iron bars desperately.
But the flames didn’t wait for me.
They devoured the logs greedily, growing bigger and bigger.
Now, I could barely see my sister’s face.
Then suddenly—
My sister, engulfed in flames, looked straight at me.
—
– My dear Mabel.
—
Even though it must hurt, even though she must be exhausted.
Even though she must want to collapse.
—
– Mei, I’m okay. So…
—
Through the blazing fire, she gave me a faint smile.
—
– Our Mei… must be happy. Promise me, okay?
—
That tiny smile was the last thing I saw before the fire consumed her completely.
“Miaaaaaa!!”
I promise I’ll listen to you from now on.
I won’t be picky with food or beg for treats.
I won’t run away when you ask me to do chores, and I’ll study hard.
I’ll become a great familiar you can be proud of.
So please…
Tears rolled down from my trembling eyes.
‘Give me back my sister.’
—
* * *
—
“……ey.”
“……”
“Mey!”
I suddenly opened my eyes wide.
It felt like I had sunk deep into the ocean and was being pulled up to the surface.
“Pant, pant…”
I gasped for breath, my blurry vision slowly becoming clear.
‘Where…?’
The surroundings looked familiar.
A small walnut-wood table and chairs, a dresser and bookshelf.
White linen curtains fluttered in the breeze, a soft rug covering the floor.
“Meow?”
I blinked slowly, dazed.
‘This is… our house?’
My eyes landed on a desk calendar.
—
“This cat on the calendar looks like you, Mei. Doesn’t it?”
—
It was the calendar my sister picked out herself—a snow-white cat drawn on it.
The date on the calendar read March 5, 1827.
But the day my sister burned was February 21, 1837.
Roughly ten years later than the date on this calendar.
“Meow?”
Why is this calendar from ten years ago here?
I tilted my head in confusion.
And then—
“Mei, what’s wrong?”
A gentle hand stroked my forehead.
I turned instinctively toward the owner of the hand—and froze.
“Mya?”
Sister?
A shaky voice escaped my lips.
Long, flowing purple hair.
Eyes red like rubies.
A proud, elegant expression.
The very sister I saw consumed by fire was now looking down at me with worry.
Perfectly unharmed.
—
