"It's about time you woke up."

I urged her.

I can't comprehend the concept of 'one hour,' but she had said, 'It can be approximate.' In other words, 'one hour'... must be some kind of unit for measuring time. If so, then a state after a certain amount of time has passed is 'one hour,' and I just need to roughly sense that and wake her up.

I had neither the consciousness nor the ability to measure time, but I had gazed at her sleeping face long enough. I decided it was about time.

"Come on, wake up."

"Mmm... zzz..."

She didn't wake up. I looked at her face once more. A peaceful expression, free of any tension. I felt that this was something I didn't want to change... However, since I had made a promise to her, I had to do it.

...A promise?

Did I ever care about such a thing?

No, I won't think about it for now. I'll just follow my heart's desire.

I tried pulling her hand. I tried drawing that warm hand to my chest.

"Nghn..."

A muffled voice reached me, but she didn't wake up. Without waking, she pulled her hand back.

For some reason, at that moment, I felt the strength leave my body.

Limp, I was pulled towards her. My body fell on top of her.

"Mmph!"

She groaned in a small voice and eventually opened her eyes.

"...Such a beautiful face."

We started walking towards the throne room.

"Mmm, it felt like a dream, but maybe it wasn't."

"In any case, I shall send you back."

There is a suitably large space in the throne room.

Here, I will once again draw a summoning circle (pentagram), place her inside, and chant the spell. If I do that, she should be sent back to the world she came from.

...Though this is the first time I've actually sent someone back.

"Right, before I send you back."

"Hmm?"

"Could you give me something of yours?"

I wanted to see her again. That's why.

"Anything is fine?"

"Yes, as a memento of our meeting."

"Heheh, you can sure say some cheesy lines, miss."

I told a lie. While feeling bad about it. Because I wanted to see her again someday.

"Well then, here."

She took out a strange little object from somewhere and placed it in my hand. It was very warm.

"Thank you. Now... stand there. Don't move."

I moved a few steps away from her and bit the tip of my index finger. A sharp sting of pain ran through it.

I command the blood welling up on my fingertip. Draw a summoning circle on the floor at her feet.

From my fingertip, blood began to trickle out. The flowing blood ran smoothly, avoiding her, and eventually formed a summoning circle.

"Kyaa..."

She must be surprised, but I paid it no mind for now.

I raised my left hand high, folding my fingers, and pointed their tips towards the summoning circle. And then,

"La-la mgthathunhuag!!"

I uttered a spell in a language different from that of this world, one I wasn't even sure where I had learned.

The red summoning circle began to glow dully. The circle emitted a faint light, illuminating the surroundings...

"See you again, miss!"

A sharp sting of pain ran through me.

The pale color gradually mixed with the surrounding space, and soon everything, including myself, was bathed in a soft light—

She left this world.

...I was sitting on the throne.

Sunlight was streaming into the room. The daytime of this world, which I had experienced countless times.

I looked around the empty room, then slowly stood up. There was nothing I had to do right away. At the very least, this room and the bedroom were still usable, almost the same as before.

However, just because I didn't have to do anything didn't mean I could stand doing nothing. I had been sitting without any particular purpose, but I was already bored.

...Boring...

I staggered to my feet and went to the library, to the kitchen, to the watchtower, to the bedroom—

When I came to, I had returned to the throne and sat down. Here and now, there was not a single thing to move my heart, to color my soul.

Had I been living in such a boring world?

Do I want to live in such a boring world?

Boring, boring, boring,

On a whim, I tried to knead my magical power. But I couldn't think of a single phenomenon I wanted to influence with it.

Boring. I let the kneaded magical power exist as pure energy, feeling at a loss. The pure magic gradually raged inside me, causing distortions and eating away at my body.

It hurts a little, but so what. Boring, boring.

The magical power, its concentration heightened while remaining pure, eventually lost its way and erupted from various parts of my body, dissipating into mist.

My body hurts, but... what of it? Boring, cold, boring.

From all over my body, where the magic had pierced through, blood began to flow.

Lonely.

...Lonely?

What should I seek to live for in this world?

Right now, I don't even have anyone to ask that question to.

I want to see you.

...I want to see you?

Ah, that's right. That was it.

I want to see you.