༺ The Cat Was Dead ༻
Nearly two weeks had passed.
During that time, Princess Eleanor had increasingly sought me out. Nevertheless, with many proficient mages supporting our project, our creation of the yokai, Maek, was successfully completed.
“Wow.”
One of the mages exclaimed as they all gazed at a small yokai inside a glass case; they were all smiling contentedly.
It was Maek.
The amalgamation of the mages’ mana and thoughts had physically formed a yokai, and this was embedded into the form we had created, giving it artificial life.
Looking at this, I couldn’t help but wonder if humans were really any different. Hadn’t God perhaps created us in a similar manner?
Of course, Maek couldn’t think as diversely as we could. It was more similar to a robot or AI.
It acted and behaved as we had programmed it.
It was a yokai that was unable to do anything more than that.
[Thankfully, we didn’t have to use Lemegeton.]
“…”
I silently agreed with the Dark Spiritualist. The fact that we didn’t have to resort to using the Lemegeton proved the knowledge and capabilities of these mages.
This was an object that could make mages go crazy if they saw it. The Necromancy Stone, Lemegeton, was a coveted relic anywhere.
“We actually succeeded.”
The Archmage who was standing next to me seemed moved, he offered his hand for a handshake, and I gently took it, nodding in agreement.
“Thank you for your hard work. If it was not for the Archmage and his disciples, this would have taken much longer.”
“No, thank you for allowing me to take on this challenge at such an old age.”
The Archmage said, visibly elated for having surpassed his own limits.
We both turned to once again gaze at Maek. The yokai, about the size of a small puppy, was sniffing around inside its case, searching for nightmares.
It was time to see the fruits of our labor.
* * *
“Sigh.”
Princess Eleanor slowly let out a breath as she laid down on her soft bed.
The warm lemon tea she had just sipped soothed her, and the soft pillow comfortably enveloped her.
The room’s lights were off, and only a dim lamp illuminated the space.
To ensure optimal sleeping conditions, her brother had arranged a mage to humidify the room, and he had even enlisted classical musicians to play softly, hidden from a corner.
Although every effort seemed to have been made for a perfect night’s sleep, in truth, all of this felt more burdensome to Eleanor.
It’s just…
Wouldn’t it have been enough to have Deus simply sit by her side?
When such a thought crossed her mind, she immediately closed her eyes, pretending that it didn’t happen.
If only Deus could tell her a fun story known only to him, much like reading a fairy tale to a child, she was sure that sleep would come more easily.
However, if he did so, her brother, King Orpheus, would undoubtedly glare at him with fiery eyes.
“Is this truly the end?”
Filled with unease, Eleanor asked Deus. She still couldn’t believe that the nightmare which had been plaguing her for years would end tonight.
In his usual calm, monotone voice, Deus responded.
“Yes, this will be your final nightmare.”
“I see…”
She momentarily wished he’d respond with a bit more warmth. But this was exactly something Deus Verdi would do, and perhaps because of that, she found herself trusting him even more.
His unchanging demeanor brought a sense of calm to Eleanor’s heart.
“I’m going to sleep now.”
Eleanor slowly closed her eyes.
Beside her, Deus Verdi, King Orpheus, and Archmage Ropelican, silently nodded in acknowledgment.
Given her frequently interrupted and reduced sleep, she was always worn out, so falling asleep happened in an instant.
Alongside the lullaby played by the musicians, Maek, held by Deus, began to sniff around.
It was a sign that it had detected a nightmare, and soon after, it opened its mouth wide, directing it at the princess.
* * *
“……”
When Eleanor awakened, she found herself in the palace garden. Her previously empty mind was gradually filling with thoughts again.
For a moment, Eleanor stood still, dazed like a lifeless doll. However, she abruptly began scanning her surroundings.
Ah, the royal garden.
‘What was I doing again?’
She began to piece together her scattered thoughts step by step.
That’s right.
She remembered calling out to Deus. Though she couldn’t understand why she had been standing so aimlessly, she noticed that Deus was seated on a bench, casually jotting something down in a notebook.
Without any particular intent, Eleanor approached Deus.
Despite her presence, he continued to write in his notebook.
Eleanor often wished Deus would take the initiative to offer up answers. If he voluntarily spoke to her, it would give her the sense that he truly valued her and that she wasn’t just being annoying.
Moreover, hadn’t she already prepared an answer for herself?
“This is obviously reality!”
She wanted to assert confidently, indicating she wouldn’t be tricked and defeated by mere nightmares.
With this enthusiasm, Eleanor walked over to Deus and questioned him with a hint of playfulness.
“Is this reality, Deus?”
Upon her slightly teasing inquiry, Deus slowly looked up, meeting Eleanor’s gaze, and opened his mouth.
“There’s a green animal called a cellphone, and a place called a website I often frequent.”
“…”
Eleanor’s eyes narrowed sharply upon hearing his response.
That single answer felt like a sharp jolt, snapping her sluggish mind back to vigilance.
This wasn’t reality.
She was in a dream. She remembered that she was currently asleep to confront her final nightmare.
Deus’ figure began to slowly warp.
Soon after, it took on the form of Eleanor.
Without uttering a word, the emotionless doppelganger stared back at her. And Eleanor sternly addressed it.
“This is the end. Today, I bid farewell to you, my relentless nightmare. Deus is outside and erasing this bad dream.”
At her declaration, the fake Eleanor replied with a peculiar expression.
“Yes, it seems so. This dream is indeed coming to a close.”
With that statement, the dream’s backdrop started to fade. Cracks formed, turning into fragments and losing their color.
The sight felt liberating, as if a cage was crumbling down.
Understanding her sentiments, the doppelganger who was mimicking Eleanor, asked her.
“Do you feel relieved? Knowing that you won’t face nightmares any longer?”
“Is that not obvious? Nights were always terrifying for me, and sleep was an unshakeable burden. Now, I am finally free.”
The fake Eleanor nodded at her response.
This… felt different than before.
It wasn’t the same as its previous attempts to eliminate the differences between dream and reality.
Had it finally given up?
It felt as if Eleanor could get any answer from it now.
Mustering up courage, Eleanor clenched her fists. She asked it a question.
“What exactly are you?”
“……”
The fake Eleanor slowly stood up. And when they locked eyes, Eleanor could discern a difference between them.
Astonishingly, the fake Eleanor’s eyes were filled with desires, ambition, and unwavering conviction.
Seeing this invoked a wave of fear that began to seep through her body.
When comparing herself to the doppelganger, she couldn’t confidently say that she was the real one. She didn’t have the confidence to do so.
She lacked that level of belief in herself.
Even though they were on the verge of the dream ending, the doppelganger’s shoulders didn’t slump. There was no sign of her back bending—it showed a will and desire as mighty as a mountain, contrasting its petite frame.
This violently overwhelmed Eleanor.
Crackle!
This world, the dream, was crumbling.
The long, hellish dream was finally drawing its curtain, signaling its end.
Deus was here, still helping her.
With that thought, Eleanor regained her composure. The doppelgänger seemed displeased at this sight.
“You’re relying on that shoddy professor? You’re getting weak.”
“…”
“I’m not sure how long you plan to live like that, but fine. If that is what you want.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s been fun.”
The doppelganger sighed. It swiftly turned around, took a step, and began to leave.
“Goodbye.”
This was the moment the final chapter of Eleanor’s nightmare came to an end.
* * *
“Gasp…!”
Eleanor abruptly sat up. Thanks to the Archmage’s magic, which dried her sweat, she was able to awaken feeling refreshed.
“E-Eleanor!”
King Orpheus rushed desperately towards Princess Eleanor. I deliberately took a few steps back, not wanting to interrupt their moment.
“Ah…”
Upon seeing her brother, tears began to stream down Eleanor’s face.
“I did it.”
Overwhelmed with emotion, Eleanor leaned into King Orpheus’s embrace.
“Now… I don’t have to fear the night… anymore.”
Hearing Eleanor voice out the resentment she had held for years, King Orpheus too started shedding tears while holding her tightly.
She will no longer have any more nightmares.
Peaceful nights will finally come to the young girl.
The two of them were immersed in a long, tearful embrace. The Archmage silently sent the musicians outside, and had turned away so as not to witness the King’s tears, though the corners of his own eyes were slightly moist.
Afterward, Eleanor, seemingly drained of strength, slumped onto the bed. King Orpheus approached me.
Reaching out, he pulled me into an embrace.
“Thank you, truly! This is all thanks to you!”
“…”
To be honest, I wasn’t particularly fond of such overly displays of affection. However, sensing the king’s immense joy, I remained still.
“Let us hold a feast tonight! It will be a grand banquet!”
The King said, heartily laughing.
With King and Archmage leaving, only Eleanor and her maids remained in the room, preparing to assist with changing into her pajamas.
As I too was about to leave, I paused, slowly turning back to Eleanor. I spoke one last time.
“There was a thought experiment called Schrödinger’s Cat.”
The maids looked at me, puzzled by what I was saying. Eleanor smiled softly.
“Go on.”
“It is an experiment devised to critique the incompleteness of quantum mechanics…”
I continued to explain.
Let’s say a cat was inside a box.
Beside it, a radioactive substance with a fifty percent chance of decaying was placed.
If the geiger counter detected radiation, then a hammer would strike, breaking the vial containing poison; the cat would die. However, if no radiation was detected, the vial would remain intact; the cat would remain alive. This was a truly famous experiment.
The maids frowned, evidently confused by the story.
But my eyes were solely on Eleanor.
“Until the box is opened, no one knows if the cat is alive or dead.”
In essence, Schrödinger’s Cat only has meaning when the box remains closed.
The cat existed in a state where it was equally likely to be alive or dead.
For a moment, I felt like I had become Schrödinger. Without opening the box, all possibilities were available.
Eleanor chuckled softly.
And then she responded.
“What are you talking about?”
Creak.
Slam.
I closed the door and stood outside in silence, unable to move a step further.
Schrödinger chose not to open the box.
But I did.
And the cat was dead.
