He doesn’t seem to be aware of it himself yet, but he instinctively wants to reach me.
I can’t do anything for him. I can’t help Miros reproduce or form a community. Because I am everything yet nothing. My true body isn’t an individual that can reproduce through physical acts to begin with.
The difference in power is also severe. Miros will be devoured by me. His existence will be consumed without leaving a trace. Miros doesn’t have the power or time to handle me. I don’t want that. Miros can shine alone. He can become brilliant.
He has the right to enjoy the natural order as a human.
“Leri?”
I was just silently looking at Miros. If it were before, no. Even until yesterday I would have hugged and comforted him. But now that my resolve to stop this behavior has become firm, I have no intention of doing what he wants.
“No.”
“…I can’t?”
“Yeah.”
At my words, Miros let both arms drop limply and made a dejected face.
His lies have increased as he’s gotten closer to adulthood. He looks sad, but his eyes are rolling around, keenly watching my reaction. He’s acting out the most pitiful pretense in the world.
“Why?”
I want to hug him. I want to fulfill what he desires.
If it were the former me, I might have just done as he wished. It’s an act that means nothing to me anyway, and I was fond of Miros. If it would have been enough to keep him by my side and enjoy being fond of him until Miros died.
But I resolved to return Miros to the human community. Miros can be happier. He’s too precious to become ‘something’ like me. Even now, there might not be enough time. I can’t delay any longer.
The natural order is the right and blessing of the mortal. Is it okay to steal the right of time from an individual qualified for destiny? I used to think it was okay.
It was abandoned anyway. You left it to die. So it’s okay for me to steal it. I said I would make this pretty thing mine and embrace it. I planned to hide it away and cherish it for myself alone.
So I willingly fixed Miros. I reconnected the fading breath and filled in the lost eyes. And I restored the form by adding my fragment.
These acts were solely for me, and I did them because I wanted to. Why? To keep pretty Miros by my side. To cherish and enjoy the treasure I stole from humans.
To put it bluntly, I was defeated. I’ve never fought anything, but I lost. Miros has the right to enjoy what’s his, and should do so. I hope he does. This one received a star and is accompanied by ancient protection. He will shine brilliantly.
Miros is now clearly a full adult by anyone’s standards. There’s no trace of that shabby, unsightly appearance from when I first saw him. He had a body far larger and more robust than typical individuals.
My insides are churning. I don’t want to do this. But it’s what must be done.
“Miros.”
I actually know why I’m feeling this way. I just didn’t want to admit it.
“Do you like it here?”
At my words, Miros frowned as if asking what I was talking about.
“Why all of a sudden?”
Is it because the remnants of my power remain? Very strong emotions flow little by little. I wonder if he knows that.
“It’s sudden to say, but you’re human.”
Or maybe I just came to know from continuously watching Miros.
“You’re so pretty that keeping you confined in my nest seems like a waste.”
I think I’ve been putting it off. That’s why I was uncomfortable.
No, honestly, it was too precious. After I revived him so beautifully, I was too jealous at the thought of having to send this precious thing back. Yes, this was also my greed.
Why did I do that so foolishly? I should have just done nothing. I shouldn’t have picked him up at all. He was an individual abandoned by his own kind. No matter how precious he was, I should have complied with and accepted the inevitable.
But even if I went back to that time, I would have done the same thing. In the end, I would have taken Miros from the humans.
Because Miros is such a very, very pretty child.
“Why on earth did you think that?”
Most regrettably, Miros doesn’t seem to understand my words well. I could feel his bewilderment completely. I felt a trace of anxiety, unknown fear, and inexplicable irritation.
I know why you’re reacting that way. It must be very sudden. But unfortunately, I’ve been thinking about this problem for quite a long time. Until it reached the point where I can no longer delay.
I continued speaking while looking at the flustered Miros.
“At some point. I’m not exactly sure when.”
It’s a problem that arose because Miros is too pretty. Miros, who seemed like he would die any moment, grew splendidly. He was now no different from an adult. He was much taller than my human form, and his body had become sturdy.
“Didn’t you always say I’m the prettiest? Are you saying you’re kicking me out now?”
“Actually, I want you to stay in my nest until you grow old and die.”
At my words, Miros rushed over and clung to me as if he’d never been pretending to cry, grumbling.
“Then, why are you really doing this?”
“Because I feel like you’ll die as nothing.”
You’re all grown up now, so you don’t need me. You’ve grown enough to spread your wings, so I should let you fly.
Contrary to his earlier sulking, the grip of the hand clutching my collar was gradually getting stronger. I patted the back of Miros’s hand where strength was fully entering.
“You’ve already grown into a fine adult. But if you stay here, you can’t do anything.”
“What can’t I do?”
“Things like finding a mate and reproducing, or making and embracing your own community.”
Not all individuals leave descendants and form communities. But the majority of individuals do. It’s not just that.
“Human lifespans are short. They don’t even live a hundred years. You hold even a tiny bit of my energy, so you might live a bit longer, but that’s all. If time is limited, it would be better to die after enjoying everything you can as a human.”
At my words, Miros seemed to think for a moment, then suddenly flushed. Apart from being surprised, he seems embarrassed by my statement. I roughly know why, but for me it’s nothing particularly new. Isn’t it instinct for living creatures to crave reproductive acts? It’s not something to make a fuss about.
Still, it’s an intelligent being in its own way. Regardless of how I see it. So I didn’t want to mention it directly if possible, but I had to say it. Anyway, the desire for survival is an important instinct. The fact that the desire to reproduce is directed at me is also very troublesome. Though he doesn’t seem to be aware of this himself yet.
Miros’s gaze wandered through the air before heading toward the floor. And he spat out bluntly in a somewhat softened voice.
“I don’t know what thoughts you’re having alone that made you say that, but wake up. I’m not interested.”
At first I just thought he didn’t understand properly—but now the tone seems a bit different. To be precise, Miros doesn’t seem willing to obediently listen to my words. I comforted such a Miros and said.
“Humans have so many things. Like art, or stories. There are so many fun things, wonderful things. Even if they’re things hard for me to understand, it’s true that there are many beautiful things.”
“I don’t need any of that!”
Miros doesn’t seem to like what I’m saying. He barked sharply in front of me, but quickly watched my reaction and immediately sat down, clinging to me.
“Leri, what’s wrong? Don’t do this. I like it now.”
“That might be so. Because my nest is safe and comfortable.”
A bird cannot stay in the nest forever. Of course, I could make that possible.
“If you were just a little less pretty, I would have made it that way.”
Just a little, if you were less pretty. But Miros was excessively pretty.
I was very fond of Miros. I cherished and doted on him more preciously than anything. If he had just been pretty, I would have cherished and cared for him like that for life. I would have tied him to my nest and watched over him until he died. Maybe I would have gotten sick of him before that and thrown him out.
“It’s a waste, but I think it can’t be helped. You were something I stole to begin with.”
That’s right. It was never mine from the start. I stole Miros from the human community. What state Miros was in at that time isn’t important. There were plenty of opportunities to return him to humans before too.
But I continued to confine and hide Miros in my arms. Absorbed in being fond of him. This was a fatal mistake. I did something I shouldn’t have.
I didn’t hug the clinging Miros. But I couldn’t coldly push him away either. Did Miros know? Well, I don’t know his heart either. Whether he knew or didn’t know, I don’t think it has much meaning.
Miros is just desperately struggling to hold onto me as if he’s about to die.
“Leri! I was wrong. I was wrong about everything. So, don’t say things like that. Okay?”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. The habit of apologizing unconditionally first isn’t good.”
“You said if I, if I’m less pretty, that’s all? Is that it?”
Miros seemed very surprised, looking flustered and confused. Miros, who was looking around aimlessly in the air, brought his hand to his eyes. Is he planning to dig out his eyes again? I firmly grabbed and stopped that.
“It’s already too late. Destroying them now would be a waste.”
One of Miros’s hands was held by me. He struggled in his own way, but it wasn’t enough to shake off my hand. So Miros clung haphazardly to my arms and legs, whatever he could grab, and wailed.
“I, I can really do everything. Okay? Really.”
“I’m the one who did wrong. I should let you live as a human.”
“Leri, why are you doing this to me? I, I’m the prettiest. You just have to leave me alone.”
I let go of Miros’s hand and said gently.
“If you want, I can erase my memory for you.”
At my words, Miros gasped. Soon he finally began to pour out tears in buckets.
“I, I’m going to stay, here. I’m not going, anywhere.”
“You have to go. You’ve been here too long.”
Miros pitifully crawled on the floor, clinging tightly to my legs. It can’t be helped. In the end, I have to shake him off somehow. I tried to carefully detach such a Miros, but Miros held on to the end.
“I don’t want to forget either. Leri gave me everything. So why are you trying to take it back?”
“No, I already stole your human life. So I’m trying to return it.”
“Then I won’t take it. I like it now. I like Leri, and I like it here. Please, okay? Leri!”
He spits out words as desperately as a scream. Oh no. I made this pretty child sad. I wiped away Miros’s gushing tears and whispered.
“You will be happy.”
I blessed Miros with all my heart. This was the last thing I could do for him.
