Chapter 1: Miss, There’s a First-Come, First-Served Policy for Jumping off Cliffs

For no apparent reason, Elena suddenly remembered what the head maid had asked her this morning:

“Miss, you’re turning eighteen this year! Is there any birthday gift you’d like?”

‘A gift I want?’

‘A gift…’

People always celebrated birthdays to commemorate another year of a life’s presence in the world.

Her mother had also said that the birth of a life was something worth celebrating.

As for a gift… Elena wanted to make a wish for the first time in a long while.

‘If I can… if it’s possible… I only have one wish I want to fulfill —’

‘I want…’

Death.

Standing at the edge of the cliff, the low roar of the waves drifted up to the black-haired girl’s feet.

Elena White. That was the name of this black-haired girl.

The girl’s lips parted and closed, but in the end, she didn’t know what to say. She could only stand dazed at the edge of the cliff, staring down at the pitch-black surface of the sea.

“…”

She couldn’t see anything.

There was no light, only the sound of the howling waves and the hideous jagged rocks.

It was like an abyss capable of swallowing everything.

If she just jumped, she would be free…

‘Right?’

If she, this “witch,” died, the world would become a better place…

‘Right?’

In that instant, Elena suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest. She was forced to cover her heart and crouch down, shutting her eyes tight to keep the tears from leaking out.

She couldn’t cry. She had promised her mother.

She had to be strong and face life bravely…

But…

The mother who could embrace her was no longer in this world.

She had no family left.

“Mother… I can’t do it. I really can’t…”

When the pain subsided slightly, Elena slowly raised her head.

She remembered her late mother saying — when you feel lonely, look at the moon at night.

Look at the moon, look at how strong it is. Even while hanging alone in the dark night, it still pours its gentle moonlight onto the earth, lighting the way for travelers.

“But if the dark clouds cover the sky, nothing can be seen.”

The pitch-black night sky, the pitch-black sea, and her own pitch-black future…

Jump.

Elena stood up, stepped one foot out from her mud-stained skirt, and moved toward the void —

“Wait! Fellow jumper!”

Behind Elena, a strange girl’s voice suddenly rang out.

The sudden sound sent a bolt of electricity through Elena’s spine. She instinctively jumped backward, falling onto the hard, muddy ground.

“Ouch!”

She immediately felt a burst of physical pain and couldn’t help but let out a small cry.

With tears in her eyes, she turned her head. About two or three meters away, Elena could vaguely see a flash of silver.

‘Who?’

It was late at night. Besides someone intending to jump into the sea, who else would come to such a dangerous sea cliff?

And… fellow jumper?

“Ahem! Fellow jumper, I set my sights on this cliff first. I got here first, so you can’t cut in line!”

The girl stepped forward twice. But the moment she saw Elena’s face clearly, she seemed startled by something and stared intently at her:

“Wow… My god, you’re really beautiful!”

It was a type of liveliness that was completely out of place with this dark, oppressive cliff.

A lively tone, a light step —

One step, two steps…

As the girl drew closer, Elena saw the stranger’s face clearly.

She had silver hair that was visible even in this darkness, and her golden eyes seemed to glow. Combined with her beautiful features that were faintly visible in the gloom, she looked like a creature that didn’t belong to this world.

The girl leaned closer, her eyes never leaving Elena’s face.

“A lady as beautiful as you wants to jump off a cliff too?! Were you dumped by some scumbag prince? Or did a sudden protagonist steal your luck?! Or — was your purity defiled?!”

“You! What are you talking about!”

Elena had originally been startled and her mind had gone blank because of this girl’s sudden appearance.

But now, this girl was saying such nonsensical things that it only made Elena’s face flush. The sense of shame pulled her dazed consciousness back to reality.

However, the girl didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping.

“Regardless, it’s a tragedy for such a beautiful lady to jump! How about you come home with me? If you sign a contract with me, we can run a warm home, and then — wait. Does demanding a contract right away make me look suspicious? Should I ask you out first, then go on a date, then…”

The girl had a look of serious contemplation, which only left Elena bewildered. She didn’t know this girl, didn’t understand her nonsense, and didn’t know her purpose for being here.

Elena frowned slightly. “Who exactly —”

“Hehe~ Miss, you look like you’re in a better mood now, don’t you?”

Before Elena could say anything else, the silver-haired girl suddenly gave a brilliant smile, interrupting her.

Elena froze. She blinked, wanting to say something, but the words were stuck in her throat.

So, she had said all those nonsensical things to stop her from jumping?

But didn’t she say… that she was here to jump too?

Elena looked at the silver-haired girl’s eyes again, but the other party didn’t seem to notice her gaze. She simply walked past Elena and stood at the edge of the cliff.

In Elena’s eyes, the silver-haired girl seemed to be observing the sea below — just as she had before making her decision to jump.

Is she planning to jump?

“Sigh, I’m not jumping anymore.”

The girl suddenly sighed and turned around. As if she had made some sort of decision, she sat down right next to Elena.

Elena: O_o?

“Fellow jumper, it’s fate that we both chose to jump here. Why don’t we chat before we go? For example — why are you jumping?”

‘Why?’

‘Why jump? Why choose to end my own life?’

Heh…

If you were seen as a star of calamity by almost everyone, if you were branded with a crime since the moment of your birth —

If, because of your existence, a massive natural disaster not only arrived early, but was far more intense than any before it —

If you killed your own father and mother because of the massive mana you were born with, because of that corrosive magic —

If you killed innocent people, killed those you loved, and would continue to kill others —

‘Then… wouldn’t you want to die too?’

Elena looked into the girl’s eyes and remained silent for a long time.

“…Does it matter?”

Silver hair and golden eyes… this girl probably wasn’t a local.

At the very least, Elena should have heard something about a girl with such a unique appearance.

It was normal that she didn’t recognize Elena. But even so, Elena wasn’t willing to recite her “crimes” to a stranger.

“If you don’t plan to jump, then move aside. I —”

“Oh, why are you so cold! Since we’re both jumping today, what’s wrong with chatting? Fine! Then let’s not waste time!”

The moment she finished speaking, Elena felt a soft sensation in her palm. In the next moment, a force was applied to Elena’s right arm, pulling her up from the ground.

Before Elena could react, the silver-haired girl suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her forcefully into her arms!

But it wasn’t over. Another force slipped under Elena’s knees, and in the next instant, she felt herself being lifted completely off the ground.

“Wait! You!”

She began to lose her balance, forcing her to wrap her arms around the stranger’s neck. She was now completely settled in the strange girl’s embrace.

Elena suddenly realized something.

The way the girl was holding her was exactly like the “princess carry” from the fairy tales her late mother used to tell her.

Panicked, she looked up and saw the silver-haired girl’s profile —

The wind blew the silver hair into a mess, and a few strands lightly brushed against the tip of Elena’s nose. In the depths of the girl’s golden eyes, she saw a small reflection of herself being held.

It was a flash of silver-white.

Her gaze swept past the silver-haired girl’s smile and saw that silver hair, which looked like moonlight under the pitch-black sky.

“One, two, three, jump! Into the deep blue we go~”

Gravity disappeared in that instant. Listening to the stranger sing a nonsensical melody and looking up at that silver smile —

In the pitch black, only the silver-white in front of her was blindingly bright.

In this moment, perhaps Elena herself didn’t realize it —

A sliver of silver-white had pierced through the darkness in her heart.

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