The Gift of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth
Happy New Year everyone! And here’s a little present from me. It’s last year’s Senmei Christmas short stories. I started working on this translation last year but got too busy to properly finish it so I picked it up this year. So here it is! I hope you enjoy reading it! I’m warning you, though, it’s quite lengthy haha
The Gift of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth | 1
“How do you usually spend New Year’s Eve every year?” Ewan asked Lawrence while the two of them were having simple dinner and received a brief reply, “At home.”
“Now that I think about it, didn’t you live in the student dormitory before coming to the castle?”
“Yes, and I would go back to my adoptive parents’ home during winter holidays.”
Lawrence, the leader of a chivalric order now, was a mere student just half a year ago. Thinking about this, Ewan became overwhelmed with emotion, so he gazed at the figure clad in simple chivalric order uniform before his eyes.
“What?”
“Nothing, just thinking that the Emperor Cup’s undefeated swordsman spends his holidays with his family like any ordinary person.”
“I’m always ordinary, though…”
‘I think you’re out of the ordinary…’ thought Ewan to himself but didn’t voice it, and smiled obscurely.
To the boy who was raised in the outskirts of an island situated far from the center of the empire, the spreading fame of the young swordsman was dreamlike and dazzling, and Ewan looked up to him as if he was a legendary hero.
Remembering that this very hero pledged his sword to him, Ewan’s head suddenly became dizzy so he hurriedly changed the topic.
“By the way, I don’t think I can give everyone a vacation this winter, after all.”
Lawrence nodded understandingly.
“I think everyone was prepared for this, considering the phase of life we’re now in.”
Ewan himself was - to a certain degree - prepared but he didn’t think they’d be busy for such a long period of time.
“You know, I’d thought I’d be able to go back to Mare Island for Christmas.”
“Speaking of which, we haven’t met your brother yet, Ewan.”
He’d exchanged numerous letters with his brother and childhood friends, who were back on Mare Island, but they hadn’t had their reunion yet.
“I’ve always thought an emperor was someone who could travel different places more easily…”
“That will come by eventually.”
“That’d be nice. I want to visit your native Owlard someday, too.”
When Ewan said that, Lawrence’s face relaxed a little.
“I’ll be your guide.”
Lawrence’s little brother Fay was currently staying at their home in Northern Owlard, and that wasn’t just for homecoming. Because of Lawrence’s rejection of the title of one of the seven lords, Owlard was presently without a feudal lord at the helm. Although at the moment it wasn’t in the state of disorder, Fay was asked to travel back and forth between the imperial castle and Owlard quite frequently.
Lawrence stopped eating and said while looking out the window, “Apparently, Fay is going to celebrate New Year’s at home.”
It was already dark outside, and the silhouettes of the two young men quivered in the candlelight on the window glass. On the other side of the window, the branches of the trees in the garden formed a mesh-like pattern against the dark sky.
Lawrence was probably thinking back to his hometown. Owlard wasn’t far from Solem; however, it was said to be mostly covered in snow already.
Ewan thought that if both brothers weren’t home, it would make the Ackroyd family feel lonely so it was nice that at least one of them, Fay, was supposed to be home for the holidays. From what he heard, Lawrence’s adoptive parents were sweet people, and it would be bad to make such nice people sad.
“Could it be that you actually want to head home for New Year’s, Lawrence?” That was intended to be a light question but Ewan was slightly surprised at Lawrence’s uncertain hesitation to answer.
‘Does he want to go back home so much? Or could it be some… circumstances…?’
Lawrence looked as if he wanted to say something but decided against it, so that day Ewan couldn’t ask anything more and retired to his bedroom alone.
It was their first winter since everyone had met half a year ago. There were plenty of things they didn’t know about each other.
‘Lawrence’s birthday is on New Year’s Eve, and I’ve been thinking of giving him something instead of vacation… But isn’t vacation still better?’
‘I have no idea what everyone is wishing for in the first place…’
Irritated at his flaws, Ewan spent quite some time that night deep in thought.
The Gift of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth | 2
“Did you fight with Lawrence or something?” August asked so Ewan shook his head in panic.
“No, not at all.”
“Then why are you all restless?”
As soon as August threw some documents on his office desk, his hand retreated back into the muff.
Today he was wearing a silver fox fur stole over a dark green dress, matched by a muff made of the same fur. Several fluffy decorative pompoms were dangling down from the silver fox hat, some of them hiding in August’s curls.
Clearly looking like a younger girl dressed like this, August, in fact, was a full-fledged man, and five years older than Ewan, at that.
“Hey, wearing such clothes inside… Are you cold?”
“Of course I’m cold! That Mister Cold-blooded Chancellor’s stinginess extends to even firewood for the fireplace!”
“Messiah’s not cold-blooded… Rather, he’s stingy because he’s hot-blooded.”
The office was, indeed, spacious, and with the fire in the fireplace so weak, his hands were growing painfully numb.
Because of this, he was working very hard just so to finish his work earlier, that’s why Ewan thought that a cold room wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
“I didn’t have the slightest idea… So you’re super sensitive to the cold, August!”
“I’m not super sensitive. Just the usual sensitive, and we’re not talking about me right now.”
He peeked at Lawrence standing by the entrance to the room and lowered his voice.
“What happened?”
“I think Lawrence is acting like usual. It’s just… I can’t ask him about something directly.”
August tilted his head questioningly and it was visible that his lips were turning slightly purple. Ewan felt sorry for poor August who kept up the conversation even though he was fighting the cold, so he answered rapidly.
“Lawrence’s birthday is soon, and since I can’t give him a vacation I started thinking if maybe he would want something different instead.”
“Something he wants…” August pondered while shifting from one foot to another since he probably got colder from standing still.
“In a sense, he is now in the position to obtain almost anything. And he already got a lifetime treasure this year…” he muttered looking at Ewan, who was the one to ask questioningly, “What?” this time.
“No, nothing. He’d love some imported sword or a rare horse tack, I’ll try sounding his family out. Will that do?”
“Wait, really? But I don’t have any money on me right now and I can’t pay for something expensive…”
To such an answer August replied with, “You can pay me back later,” and sighed, shoulders dropped.
‘I’ve no idea how to pay him back, though…’ Ewan was thinking to himself, deciding to embrace the generous offer.
He’d help someone from the castle with their work and hopefully, that would eventually cover the cost.
“It’s nice having Messiah help out with the financial affairs, however, I don’t want my emperor to feel economically poor… You’re my emperor, after all.”
“I don’t fell poor or anything.”
“I guess it doesn’t feel like that to you.”
August was the son of a distinguished family for whom buying the whole Mare Island wouldn’t pose a challenge. Ewan, on the other hand, was someone who used to go to school and take care of poultry daily. Ewan couldn’t wrap his head around the gap between them.
“There must be nothing you want to receive then.”
“What I’d love right now is a trip to a southern country!”
“But I told you a vacation is impossible for now!” Ewan got all the more puzzled while saying that.
Lawrence’s gift was more or less taken care of but Ewan had to anguish over the New Year present for August now.
“Okay, see you!”
Ewan’s eyes followed August’s petite back until he trotted out of the room and the boy, again, got lost in thought.
Back on the island he hadn’t had to worry about what gifts to give. Someone wanted chicken hatchlings, others collected embroidered ribbons, and someone else needed their shoes repaired. In such a small community people knew each other very well.
Ewan groaned and Lawrence, standing in the distance, threw a concerned look at the boy, but Ewan reassured him with a wave of his hand.
The Gift of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth | 3
“We cannot have that,” said Messiah so Ewan objected in turn.
He knew that in the end, Messiah would always be right but he couldn’t help opposing him this time.
“Lawrence spends his birthday with his family every year, but this year he can’t… I think it’s the right thing for me to want to do something for him.”
“If you insist, I won’t be stopping you anymore.”
Messiah’s response wasn’t angered, it wasn’t a blatant refusal either, it was somewhat gentler than usual, and that made Ewan fall silent.
Would overly serious Lawrence really be happy about Ewan, the emperor, devoting great effort solely to him when their country was experiencing hard times?
That was what Messiah was wondering and he voiced his concerns.
‘It’s true…’ Ewan thought. ‘To be honest, I wanted to do something for him personally, but I still don’t know what he wishes for.’
“I understand… I’ll take my time thinking about something for Lawrence. By the way, can’t we give August a vacation or something? He might die of hypothermia at this rate.”
“He is not going to die,” Messiah replied, in a cold manner this time. “I’m sure he himself understands perfectly well that if he takes a vacation at an impossible time it will backfire later. It will cause even more trouble so you should leave this matter alone.”
“Then I want you to at least kindle the fire in August’s fireplace a little stronger instead.”
“Is it that cold there?”
Ewan frowned as if saying, “You’d never understand, Messiah.”
“I believe every room is warm enough. If you insist, how about making his room smaller?”
“A bold idea, as usual, and a commoner-like approach…” Ewan sighed, not sure if August would like that idea.
“Could it be that you’re not at all sensitive to the cold, Messiah?”
“It’s not that I’m not sensitive… Although it may be true. It’s much colder in my home region this time of year.”
Messiah was from Iska, which was indeed famous for its low air temperatures regardless of the season.
Geographically, it was located not far from the Imperial region, and, on top of being an inland region not facing the sea, it was situated in a high altitude area, which made winters last longer in some parts of it even compared to Northern Owlard.
“By the way, how did you use to celebrate New Year’s at home?”
“There was no such thing as holidays in the educational institution I was raised at.”
“And what about before the institution?”
“Usually… I spent it with my family, as far as I remember,” Messiah’s violet eyes took on a bluish tint.
Messiah showed a rare calm and gentle expression (probably unknown to himself) so Ewan couldn’t help but be entranced.
‘Where is your family now?’ Ewan wanted to inquire but couldn’t.
There was no way such a capable detective as Messiah hadn’t investigated his parents’ whereabouts and now that he bore such a title there was no way they hadn’t come into contact.
However, up to now this topic hadn’t come up in any of their conversations. Perhaps he couldn’t talk about it for some reason or, perhaps, it was a delicate reason he couldn’t talk about.
At Ewan’s silence, Messiah looked downward to hide his expression and the corners of his lips tugged up.
“Even though I’m from a town of miners, it turned festive sometimes, too. We were poor so we couldn’t prepare anything special…” He stopped for a moment and twirled a quill pen in his hand. “That reminds me, my mother made small snow huts lined up outside of our house.”
They were lit up by a short candle placed inside.
Once night fell, he liked watching them from the window, those running garlands of light marking an otherworldly path.
“My mother used to say they led to some other place.”
“To some other place…”
Where did young Messiah think those rows of lights led to?
When Ewan lifted his glance, their eyes suddenly met.
Messiah had called Ewan his “dream”, but was he really making that dream come true even now?
When Ewan thought about it, he felt an unpleasant tug in his chest.
The Gift of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth | 4
“I personally approve of the idea of making the room smaller,” Gideon raised his eyes from the documents and lifted both arms in an approval pose. “All rooms in this castle are just too big.”
“What? Making large things small requires money, too. And much more money than for additional firewood, you know!” August banged on the desk.
“Calm down, August. Do not take everything Gideon says seriously,” Zan said quietly, his brows knitted. “He is joking again.”
“For your information, I’m not joking.”
“I don’t care anymore, who needs an old man’s opinion!”
“Be quiet, we’re in the middle of a Privy Council meeting,” Lawrence, who was standing silently behind Ewan, finally spoke up.
It was a meeting in name only; Titus was away on a trip to his region, the chairman Messiah who tied them all together was also away tending to another matter, so, in the end, all seven lords couldn’t gather, and, naturally, everyone grew lax.
“Everything is the fault of that mister Heartless Chancellor who wanted to cut down even on fuel expenses…” August pursed his lips.
“If you’re that cold, how about wearing something different than those frilly clothes of yours?” Lawrence suggested coldly.
“Just so you know, these are way warmer. How many petticoats do you think I’ve got underneath?”
“I’ve no idea about your underwear, and on that note, I don’t really want to know.”
Lawrence was a man of few words but when it involved his cross-dressing childhood friend, he was exceptionally sharp-tongued.
‘We won’t get organized today,’ thought Ewan with a sigh.
It was at times like these that Messiah’s binding presence was irreplaceable.
“Let’s wrap it up for today. Messiah is unlikely to return, and we’re going nowhere with this meeting. And about the room issue, it’s all glib talk, don’t take it to heart,” said Ewan and August rose to his feet nodding.
“Well, a visitor is waiting for me so I have to go, bye!” August ran out the door, his heavy petticoats swinging. Ewan also gathered his materials and was about to stand up but was stopped by Gideon’s voice.
“Sorry, is it fine for me to work here for a while?”
“It’s fine, why?”
“It’s just I get restless with no one around.”
“Is it easier to work with people around you?” Ewan sat back in his chair.
“Well, constant buzzing around you may be a bit too much…”
“It is true,” Zan agreed, surprising Ewan.
“Now that I think about it, don’t you two sometimes stay behind at the breakfast table to work?”
In Zan’s case, he would first ask his secretary to read out the documents, afterwards he went on to office work while being engaged in a conversation and he liked to stay overtime in the breakfast room to the point that he would call up his secretary there.
Gideon didn’t seem bothered by the conversation and was concentrated on his work.
“In my case, before coming here, it had been natural for me to always be surrounded by people.”
Apparently, for the activist Gideon to draft speeches while teaching children from the working neighborhood, or to write numerous letters while drinking with everyone at the bar was common practice.
“Whenever it is overly quiet around me, I start to feel anxious about any distant noises.”
Zan had frequently moved around from one town to another due to his job, he was accompanied by a theatrical troupe and an orchestra and upon his arrival he was surrounded by local people. In the midst of this hustle and bustle he managed to write poems and songs one after another.
“The mansion I have received from you, Ewan, is very quiet, which is why it is quite welcoming in itself; however, I tend to prefer to work in a lively environment.”
“I see… Well, it’s fine if you choose however is best for you. I’d love to work here today together with you but I have to go back now…” Ewan said and received a hand wave from Gideon with the words, “Feel free to join when you feel like it.”
Leaving the meeting room, Ewan quickly headed to his office, humming and shaking his head.
‘Instead of a vacation… Confined space… Warm… Lively…?’
“I think I have an idea,” Ewan whispered. Lawrence, who was walking alongside him, glanced at Ewan with an unreadable face.
The Gift of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth | 5
“Wow,” said Ewan taking in the sight of the object carried into the hall.
He had never seen something this big in his life.
“Did you make your soldiers carry it all the way here? Such a waste,” Messiah said bluntly, unimpressed.
“It’s not a waste!” Titus said. “Look, even Ewan is amazed with it,” he added putting an arm over Ewan’s shoulder.
“You’re so dumb that it makes me amazed. To think that you have carried this gigantic tree all the way from your region.”
The tree that was brought into the entrance hall of the castle was so tall it could easily reach the fourth storey of the castle. The fir tree, its easy boughs stretched out, was fully adorned with colorful ornaments.
“I mean, it’s a present, I couldn’t just leave it there,” Titus pouted.
“So it was a present,” Ewan uttered, his eyes widened, and Titus nodded twice, his whole face alit with a smile.
“I’ve got lots of fans, y’know!”
“Are there only fans and enemies for you, you bastard?” asked Messiah with venom, well justified.
In the first place, Titus went back to his region to put an end to unrest. Lumen was currently split in half between those who supported the present regime and those who opposed it, causing political skirmishes to break out. The opposing group didn’t favor Titus, whereas the supporting group wholeheartedly backed him.
“But it’s also Ewan’s present.”
Titus’ words surprised Ewan.
“When I told them I’d bring this present to the emperor, they brought all these ornaments and that’s how it ended up like this.”
On closer inspection, all ornaments turned out to be different shapes. The stars and animals hanging down from the tree were clumsily made, and there were dolls that very much resembled Titus and Ewan.
“I wonder if the one made of blue yarn is Lawrence.”
When Ewan pointed at the blue-haired knight doll, Lawrence, standing on guard next to him, looked up at the fir tree.
“If Ewan likes it, I don’t mind if you carry it into the castle. However, I mind it being left here.”
As Lawrence said it, Titus put his arm familiarly around his shoulder this time.
“We can’t bring it anywhere, with its height and all. It should be okay, right? It’s not like it’s a bother.”
“It’s very much a bother. If we barricade the entrance hall, there won’t be a place for our visitors to wait. Moreover, it hinders the defense.”
“Hm… Just as Lawrence says, we can’t leave it here for much longer…”
Ewan pretended not to hear Titus’ booing.
“Where in the world are we bringing it? Do you have something in mind!?”
Horses were carrying a gigantic tree tied to several wagons along the forest road. In one of the wagons, Titus stood on his feet, and let out a growl.
They were slightly less than an hour’s distance away from the castle. Although the Imperial region forest didn’t look neglected, it didn’t seem well-maintained either. Sometimes they had to stop to let the horses rest, which is why the column advanced so slowly.
Ewan together with several knights was leading the procession.
He didn’t let Lawrence accompany him like usual because he didn’t want him to see the ultimate destination yet.
“By the way, how would you usually spend the New Year’s, Titus?”
“We would enjoy boisterous merrymaking until we couldn’t stand upright anymore,” Titus said, smiling, although he looked somewhat lonely. He wasn’t together with the friends he used to spend every minute of his life until last year anymore.
“We didn’t care what would happen to us tomorrow. That’s why we were so reckless.”
Titus’ degree of “reckless” was much more extreme than the degree of the usual “reckless”. His friends from their thief gang were at Lumen’s prison now. Despite the recommendation for a pardon, none of them could regain their liberty.
“That prick Messiah keeps telling me to ask people I can trust for help with governing, y’know. Well, that’s irrelevant, but if this keeps up, I won’t be able to take it anymore.”
“It will take some time, though,” Titus whispered. The wish for amnesty wouldn’t reach this faraway land. ‘That’s because I’m powerless,’ Ewan thought bitterly.
“Look, it’s a bit farther on, Titus.”
‘It’s the best I can do for everyone.’ When they approached the present, Ewan looked it over and thought, ‘That’s as much I can do.’
The Gift of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth | The End
“It’s twice as fast when travelling by horse,” Gideon said while getting off the horse.
“How many centuries ago was this thing built?” August asked looking appreciative.
“Is this object that antiquated indeed?” Zan tilted his head. Ewan grasped his hand and urged everyone to the gates.
“It’s old but quite well-maintained.”
August stood still in the middle of all that snow gazing at the building as if he completely forgot about the cold.
“It’s emperor’s property, after all. There’s no way it would’ve been left to grow dilapidated.”
It was a small manor house situated in the garden of the Imperial castle. It had been a century and a half since it was first built. Apparently, it was built by the emperor from exactly five dynasties earlier, a copy of the building from his hometown; therefore the style of it was even more antiquated and outdated than that of the period it was built in. After yesterday’s snowfall, the mansion was covered in thick piles of snow, as though they transferred to a solitary cottage deep in a fairytale forest.
“Are the other guys not coming?”
The first room was a modest and warm hall with a staircase leading to the second floor, the banister engraved with rustic apple and wild bird designs.
Gideon looked around the hall, his fingers tracing the banister in joy.
“Messiah will come after taking care of business, or so he said. Lawrence and Titus are already here,” Ewan answered, heading for the living room, when he heard August’s shout of joy.
“What’s with that, there’s so little space here!”
“Eight living rooms of me and my brother’s house could fit in here, you know… Also, it’s warmer here than in the castle.”
There was a big fireplace on one of the walls, and, although the fire in it hadn’t been roaring for long, the room had already pretty much warmed up.
“It’s heaven compared to that freezing office! Okay, this living room is perfect for dealing with documents. I’ll stay here overnight, too.”
“Then I think I’ll stay here, too. I’m bound to catch a cold if I keep sleeping on sofas. And if such a loud source of squealing is close by, work is likely to go smoothly,” Gideon said pointing at August.
“There’s a piano, too.”
After Ewan guided Zan to the piano, the latter seemed genuinely happy to stroke the keys.
“Have you prepared this for me, Ewan?”
“Actually, I found it in the storeroom and had it moved to the living room. It has been tuned, too.”
“Well then, whenever you do not mind me playing…”
“I’d be happy to listen to you all day,” said August. Although not as zealous as Titus, he was a big fan of Zan, too.
Gideon opened the French window in the living room, walked out to an old stone terrace, and let out a cry of surprise.
”What is going on here.”
Past the terrace was a garden surrounded by stone walls, and in the middle of it stood Titus’ gigantic tree. The ornaments were off, replaced by countless lamps.
After finishing placing the last piece of decoration, Titus jumped down on the snow.
“What do you mean what, I’m making it flashy.”
“We couldn’t keep it in the castle but I wanted to place it somewhere it could be easily seen… It’s proof that there are people supporting us.”
And the ornaments demonstrated that. Ewan couldn’t bear to see them being buried in snow so he had them all collected and stored in the mansion.
“Although I still don’t understand what all of you wish for but it’d be great if we could take our time and talk it over someday. That’s why I’d love to spend time with you here whenever you feel like coming to this place.”
“It is a nice idea, Ewan. Just this is enough for me,” Zan smiled back at him from the terrace.
“I have a feeling even work can be pleasant here,” Gideon added.
“It’s warm, too!” August walked into the garden and was looking joyfully at the gigantic tree as if he once again forgot that he was standing in the middle of snow.
As the sun was setting, a shadow fell on the tree, and countless lamps gradually began to glow.
Ewan looked up at the building. There was a light coming from the corner room on the second floor. Over there Lawrence was having a very special moment. Messiah should arrive before long, too.
Their first Christmas together should be, perhaps, not so much about celebration as it should be about working. However, they could still make happy memories.
Ewan was certain of it.
The Gift of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth | Lawrence Ending
Lawrence was going down the stairs from the second floor.
Ewan, who was passing the hall holding a blanket, hurried to the bottom of the stairs as soon as he noticed him.
“Ewan”.
When their eyes met, Lawrence stayed silent searching for words and handed Ewan a key.
“This… You don’t have to return it. I want you to keep it, Lawrence. I think it’s best if only you can open that room.”
When Ewan said that, Lawrence nodded and gently placed the key in his breast pocket.
There was a reason why he acquired this exact building. The previous emperor Elbert, who was assassinated, spent most of his private time in this space.
Ewan succeeded his office and his room in the castle and was initially surprised by the lack of Elbert’s personal belongings there.
However, a great number of items he had been using in his lifetime were left in a corner room on the second floor, and when Ewan discovered that, he immediately shut the door.
This is because he felt he shouldn’t be the first one to see it.
“I had some chances to meet him, however, I don’t know this person that well,” muttered Lawrence. Although the cold was chilling them to the bone in the darkened hall, Ewan paid it no mind.
“What kind of person he was… In the end, I couldn’t completely grasp it even after looking at his belongings.”
“I see…”
“I believe my family is the Ackroyd couple and Fay from Owlard.”
Ewan nodded quietly. It was unusual for Lawrence to talk about himself.
“However… Now that I can’t receive a vacation and go back home, I realized something. I… started to think that this was an essential component in order for us to be a family.”
“In order to be a family…”
He wasn’t necessarily wrong. Sometimes you need to work hard to remain a family.
However, most likely… Lawrence still hadn’t realized by now that while thinking and caring a lot about his adoptive parents, he continued working hard with all his heart, Ewan thought.
“When you asked me if I wanted to return home, I caught myself thinking that I’d rather stay here and, to be honest, I faltered.”
Right now there was something more important to him, right there.
To Lawrence who had been working so hard for his adoptive family this would be, in a sense, akin to betrayal.
“I probably asked you something I shouldn’t have,” Ewan replied and Lawrence shook his head.
“When I’m with you, Ewan, I come to notice so many things around me.”
Ewan was baffled at such words. He had only showed his insolence by not considering the other’s circumstances or feelings.
“Are you fine with what I did?”
“I don’t really understand why you think you’re in the wrong…” said Lawrence. “First, I definitely need to report something,” he added. “There were two portraits in that room. One of them was of me when I was five; I have a vague memory of that. My adoptive parents invited an artist all the way from Solem to have this portrait painted.”
It could be that Emperor Elbert requested them to send a picture of him, Ewan thought but didn’t voice it.
“And another one… was of an unknown woman,” Lawrence lowered his eyes a little. “I realized she was my mother at once.”
“Your…”
“Actually, I’ve never seen her face but for some reason I just knew it. But I don’t know why.”
“Yeah.”
Ewan didn’t remember the face of his mother as well. But he felt that he would definitely recognize her at a glance.
“I have to make sure that I meet my brother next year.”
He was talking about his brother back in their hometown whom he hadn’t faced since he learned that they weren’t real brothers.
“That’s the right thing to do,” Lawrence nodded and prompted Ewan to head to the living room.
Just as they were about to leave the dark hall, Ewan heard a whispered “thank you”, and a warmth slowly spread deep in his chest.
The Gift of the Thousand-Year Labyrinth | Messiah Ending
Having wrapped himself in the blanket he had brought to the living room, Ewan looked out the window.
The lights on the decorated Christmas tree in the garden, dusted with snow, enveloped the living room with a gentle glow. August was sleeping quietly on the sofa.
“He’s taking his sweet time.” Titus, who was standing next to him, peered into the darkness beyond the garden.
“The castle is in the opposite direction, you know,” Gideon pointed in the direction of the entrance hall, surrounded by past account books he scattered on the floor.
“I don’t think he can find the way here in that darkness,” Lawrence lifted his face from the pile of chivalric order reports.
“Shall we go meet him on the way here?” Ewan asked, and the free men who were still awake shook their heads.
“What are we going to do if you get lost? After that, I’ll go searching for you, right? Then, Lawrence will have to set out to go after the great but somewhat disoriented me, won’t he?”
“Just so you know, I won’t go after you.”
Ignoring Lawrence’s remark, Titus continued. “And then, it will be Gideon, and Zan, and August… Before we realize it, it’ll end up being an ‘and they all were gone’ situation!”
“Even so, we can’t just leave him there.”
Ewan took off the blanket. It was gradually getting later, the snow was piling up here and there; it was agonizing.
“It’s fine, sit still for a bit.” Gideon sat up on the floor. As if trying to stop Lawrence who got up ready to go to Ewan’s side, he explained, “If we let you wander off into the woods at night in the middle of winter, Messiah’s going to kill the rest of us.”
“Well, no need to worry about that guy.”
Titus opened the French door.
“More importantly, if the snow gets heavier, we won’t enjoy this scenery anymore. Take it in as much as you can now. That guy’s gonna be here in no time,” he said pointing at the lights illuminating the garden. Ewan nodded reluctantly, and went outside instead of sitting all cooped up in the living room. Content with the current state of things, Gideon and Lawrence went back to work.
Standing on the terrace, Ewan and Titus breathed out white clouds of air and gazed at the dark sky. Snowflakes were swirling down one after another.
“How can you be so sure that Messiah will safely arrive here?”
“He can’t afford to make such an embarrassing mistake as to freeze in the woods a couple of kilometers away from the castle.”
“I think so, too, but, after all, Messiah is only human.”
“Nah… Sometimes I end up thinking he might not be.”
“Woah… Me too, to be honest… ‘Who in the world is Messiah’… that sort of thoughts.”
“Who could I be other than human, I wonder.”
The two jumped up, surprised by the voice they all of a sudden heard ahead. Amidst the heavy falling snow stood a lone figure clad in a black coat. Appearing outraged, Messiah looked at the two and swiped off the snow that had piled up on his shoulders.
“If you’re gossiping behind someone’s back, how about lowering your voices a little…”
“You bastard! When did you get here!”
“I apologize, I didn’t know the way so I ended up running late.”
“I’m so glad you arrived safely!”
“I could see this even from afar.” Messiah looked up at Titus’ Christmas tree. “When it’s bedazzled like that, it’s hard to miss even if you wanted to.”
“That means what, you arrived here in one piece thanks to the great me?” Titus grinned.
Feeling no need to reply to that, Messiah pointed at the ground.
“Like that, I came closer to here and saw a different source of light…”
He meant tiny snow huts bulging out from the ground. Ewan had built them just before the sun set. They were buried by the everfalling snow, but the faintly wavering light of the candles inside of them continued illuminating the ground. The light path that Ewan had created was leading from the terrace right into the deep woods.
“By following the lights, I ended up coming here without even realizing it.”
“I see… But you did just the opposite. I wanted you to look at them from inside the house…”
“So what if I did the opposite.” Messiah said taking off his hat. “I chased the dream lights and arrived here, after all. It must be a place where dreams live,” Messiah smiled.
Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it! Please like the original tweets (if you hadn’t already, of course! 💕) and check the rest of the amazing illustrations to these short stories while you’re at it! (*´꒳`*)
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