Hao’s eyes scanned the doll up and down.
Then, as their gazes met, he quickly looked away.
The doll simply watched him in silence, wearing a calm smile.
Lost in thought for a moment, Hao’s expression hardened as he turned back to the doll.
A flicker of doubt shimmered in his eyes.
His gaze sharpened as he stared at the doll intently.
“How am I supposed to believe you’re not one of those vile people’s pawns? They must already know about this place. I confirmed they could manipulate the mirror bug’s communication when the connection with Sky Ring was severed. Only demons were there. Can you prove you’re not one of them?”
Hao’s suspicion was reasonable.
The doll simply shook its head.
Hao clicked his tongue in frustration.
Instead, the doll slowly raised a hand.
A faint magical energy began to gather in its palm, and at the same time, a piece of paper floated up from within its robes.
Using its magic, the doll began to write on the paper.
Once it finished, it gave the page a gentle push, sending it gliding toward Hao.
Hao carefully caught the paper.
His eyes wavered slightly as he read its contents.
[I am sealed within this body, so I cannot prove myself. I can only hope you choose to believe me. But if you need some reassurance, I recall something I once told you about your past. “I know your sins, so all you need to do is dream of happiness.” You shed a few tears upon hearing that. It left an impression on me.]
Leaning against the window, the doll gazed at the moon.
There was a fleeting sorrow in its every movement, as if it might disappear at any moment.
Hao stared blankly at the sight.
But soon, he furrowed his brows, snapping himself out of his daze.
Though his suspicion had not fully faded, his expression had softened slightly.
A small glimmer of light had returned to his eyes.
A brief silence settled between them.
The doll’s violet hair, bathed in moonlight, shimmered with an almost eerie glow.
Casting a sidelong glance, the doll peeked at Hao.
Once again, the doll infused its fingertip with magic.
The energy flowed onto another piece of paper, forming words, which then floated toward Hao.
He read it slowly.
[Was it during our first meeting? When you came to speak to me about your worries, alone. You asked me why I had shown you happiness. That knowing happiness only made you fear the misfortunes that would follow even more.]
The doll began to pace slowly around the room.
Its steps, light as if treading on air, carried an air of precariousness, as though it might collapse at any moment.
It turned to look at Hao.
Hao paused his reading and met the doll’s gaze.
As it smiled softly at him, he let out an awkward cough and lowered his head.
Then, he continued reading.
[And I answered, “Happiness is always buried deep within misfortune. If you move forward without fearing it, you will find the brightest light even in the depths of despair. That is another form of happiness I wish to give you.” I believe that’s what I said. Do I remember correctly?]
***
After finishing the message, Hao nodded and closed his eyes.
Beneath his eyelids, his eyes flickered slightly.
The doll simply wandered the room leisurely, staring out the window at the moon.
A long time passed before Hao finally opened his eyes again.
He looked at the doll with hesitant eyes.
The doll met his gaze briefly and offered a faint smile.
Then, it handed him another piece of paper.
Hao accepted it.
[I need your help. To escape from their grasp and break free from this binding. I will wait here, at this time, tomorrow.]
With unsteady steps, the doll approached Hao.
His body tensed slightly in response, and the surrounding air wavered faintly with his magic.
But the doll paid no mind and placed a hand on his shoulder.
Then, it gently embraced him and patted his back.
Hao stared blankly down at it.
“Tomorrow, then.”
He murmured.
The doll looked up at him with a sorrowful smile before pressing another slip of paper into his hand.
Then, it stepped away and began walking toward the door.
Hao checked the paper.
Upon reading its contents, he instinctively moved to follow the doll.
However, the doll simply shook its head.
[There is no time. I must leave before they notice my absence. I hope your tomorrow is happier than today.]
The doll offered a faint smile and stepped out the door.
Hao’s eyes trembled as he watched it go.
His gaze held a mixture of doubt and belief, hesitation and uncertainty.
Clear enough to be seen even through the mirror bug.
[Did I really say such things? I don’t recall them at all.]
A nearby mirror bug emitted text.
It was reserved for Sky Ring’s exclusive use.
There was no way.
Shaking my head, I peered through the mirror bug, observing Hao and the doll.
There was no room to respond to Sky Ring’s message right now.
That doll was acting entirely under my control.
Every movement, every glance—carefully orchestrated by me.
The doll’s performance was mesmerizing.
This was the result of the training I had undergone with Mira.
She had insisted I learn it as well, flashing a mischievous grin.
I had been flustered back then.
But she had been right.
My efforts had paid off.
The doll’s actions had grown more natural, more refined.
Look—Hao was even sneaking glances at the doll’s figure with narrowed eyes.
I smirked in satisfaction.
After all, as long as the appearance was convincing, the story would be, too.
Hao followed the doll out of the room, watching as it climbed the stairs with a fragile gait before disappearing from sight.
Under my meticulous control, the doll had ascended the staircase with just the right amount of precariousness.
Soon, the door to our workshop creaked open.
The doll entered with steady, composed steps.
It cast us a brief glance before lowering its head slightly in greeting.
Its expression was entirely blank—nothing like before.
Without hesitation, the doll returned to its original position—against the wall where it belonged.
Leaning against it, it closed its eyes, falling silent as if slipping into slumber.
Perfect.
The first attempt had gone exceptionally well.
Through the mirror bug, I saw Hao still staring at the staircase.
***
After a moment, he looked down at the scraps of paper in his hand before tucking them into his pocket.
Then, without another word, he left the tower.
I watched in satisfaction.
It seemed he hadn’t noticed anything strange.
His memories must have been distorted accordingly.
Just as Sky Ring had predicted.
Upon reviewing the original footage, I confirmed that the words Sky Ring had once spoken to Hao amounted to barely half of what had just been uttered.
And their meaning had been entirely different.
Sky Ring had never been that kind.
The words that doll spoke were all things Hao had said before.
I had merely quoted him.
I had pieced together his words—what he preached at Mass and proclaimed at gatherings—and arranged them convincingly.
That meant I could proceed as planned.
After all, I had confirmed that his memory was undoubtedly distorted.
I looked down at the stack of papers in front of me and carefully reviewed what story I would bring up tomorrow.
This stack contained every word Hao had spoken.
It was the result of thoroughly investigating his actions and reviewing every recording.
Yes, it was essentially a strategy guide.
Moreover, it held the entirety of their religious doctrine, making it something of a scripture.
I never expected I would be the one to create something even they had not.
I smirked as I gazed at the mirror bug connected to the Sky Ring.
***
“Now, do you believe?”
[This really works. It’s an incredibly strange feeling….]
The Sky Ring conveyed its will beyond the mirror bug.
Its words appeared on the screen.
“Then, as we discussed yesterday, you just need to entrust everything to us and prepare the ritual. Create a magic circle that can contain all of their power.”
[Sure! If their power can truly be gathered like this, using it will be simple. Trust me with it. But… can I see it again tomorrow? I really want to keep watching this.]
The Sky Ring’s words carried a hint of excitement.
I gave a slight nod.
It seemed thoroughly pleased with what it had just witnessed.
Of course, it would be.
I had put my heart and soul into that performance.
But this wouldn’t be resolved in a single day.
To predict Hao’s actions and guide the direction of the Sky Ring Church, I needed to immerse myself even deeper into the role of the doll.
I turned to the doll with its closed eyes.
“I should give it a name, shouldn’t I? Just as they called it, I would name it Sky Ring.”
“Hmm, then I’ll shorten it to Hari.”
I liked that name.
Although I had given Hari a sense of self, it was still weak.
For now, I had to control it.
But inside it, all the information from this strategy guide was stored.
‘If I continued adjusting its actions, one day, it would be able to deceive Hao on its own.’
When that time came, I could simply sit back and watch.
That day wouldn’t be far off.
Training would start in earnest from now.
My eyes gleamed as I looked at the doll.
Hari trembled slightly, as if sensing my intent.
***
The next day, Hao visited the room again.
He glared at the doll with a hardened expression.
The hesitation from yesterday was gone.
In its place was unwavering faith and conviction.
“I let it slide yesterday, but I still can’t believe it. That story could have been fabricated one way or another. I need more definitive proof, something truly undeniable.”
His face was more resolute than before.
He must have spent a lot of time analyzing the numerous stories we had provided.
Still, he was a mage.
To doubt so quickly—how impressive.
I narrowed my eyes.
In that case, I had to erase that doubt.
‘Would he be able to withstand this?’
I gave Hari the order.
Upon receiving the signal, it moved.
Hari gently smiled and approached Hao, then lightly embraced him.
Hao’s face flushed red.
Hari handed him a sheet of paper.
[I’m simply happy that you came to see me. Please think, doubt, and question as much as you wish. And when you reach the end of it all, come back to see me once more. That is my only happiness right now.]
Hari looked up at Hao with a faint smile.
Hao averted his gaze and cleared his throat awkwardly.
The tension in the room naturally dissolved.
Hari stepped back slightly and handed him another sheet of paper.
Hao accepted it and nodded.
The tension from when he first entered was completely gone.
He stared at the paper, then at Hari, and began to listen to the story.
Watching the exchange of papers, I smiled in satisfaction.
This was it.
‘If I could draw Hao’s faith away—not toward the Sky Ring, not toward their sacred relics, but toward my doll—then I had won.’
They continued their conversation for a while before parting ways.
***
The next day, and the day after that, they continued to meet.
Hari encouraged him, told him the stories he wanted to hear, and even recounted tales of the past.
During this process, Hari’s awareness of its role became increasingly clear.
By the fourth day, it no longer needed my intervention to handle Hao.
That was the power of the strategy guide within it.
I checked the time.
There were only a few days left before the next lecture began.
I had to finish this before then.
I looked at the mirror bug and let out a small, bitter laugh.
I never expected it to work this well.
Beyond the screen, Hao was kneeling before Hari, his eyes brimming with tears.
Hari gazed down at him gently.
“Sky Ring, I will free you. Even if I must sacrifice my entire being!”
Hao declared, pressing a soft kiss to Hari’s hand.
Hari gave a sorrowful smile and nodded.
The moonlight embraced them both in a tender glow.
It was a beautiful sight.