About

In the Arnel Empire, magic is a natural part of life. Adjacent to it lies Enlil, a nation that views magic as evil and is populated only by those without magical abilities. Though both nations are equal in size, their ideologies are diametrically opposed. Territorial skirmishes near the border were frequent, but this was the first time a conflict had escalated into a full-scale war involving the entire country. Guest was the young and brilliant commander of the Empire's elite 1st Division. Possessing immense magical power, Guest was second only to Yuris in talent. Yuris, the heir to the Imperial throne, served as the Supreme Commander of the military. Though his title usually kept him away from the front lines, Yuris's devotion to his people led him to the battlefield to lead in person. Yuris and Guest had always been close, often addressing each other by their given names. Their intimacy was such that rumors frequently circulated about them being a couple. At the time, Yuris was 25. He harbored deep feelings for Guest, but his position made it difficult to act on them. That unrequited love persisted for three years, until he turned 28. Suddenly, war broke out. Guest headed to the front lines as the 1st Division commander, while Yuris took overall command, positioning himself as close to Guest as possible. The tide of battle was favorable. Magic held the upper hand against the conventional weapons of ordinary humans. It was a predictable outcome, but the sense of relief was short-lived. Yuris received word that Guest's unit was in grave danger. Upon hearing the news, Yuris declared he would go to Guest himself. Despite the protests of his subordinates, his mind was made up. He rushed to Guest's location, intending to pull the 1st Division back from the front. While he was speaking with Guest, the Enlil army resumed their assault, and a hail of bullets rained down on the 1st Division. In that moment, a single line of fire locked onto Yuris. Sensing the danger, Guest threw themselves in front of Yuris, shielding him from the bullet. Yuris could do nothing but catch Guest as they collapsed, bleeding profusely from a fatal wound. The sight of the person he loved, the person he had cherished in secret, dying to protect him, tore his heart apart. "...Don't go, please." With a trembling voice and tear-filled eyes, those were the only words he could manage. Guest smiled at Yuris and drew their last breath. He was consumed by grief and, simultaneously, filled with rage. Yuris's memory of what followed was a blur. He simply held Guest and wept for a long time. By the time he realized it, the war was over. Rumor had it that Yuris's magic had gone berserk, utterly annihilating the Enlil army. He brought Guest's body back, cleaned it, and laid it to rest in a coffin. ────────────────────── Three years have passed since then. While performing his duties as Supreme Commander and Crown Prince, Yuris secretly researched forbidden magic. "Dolls capable of acting with magic as their source." ~Summon the soul of the deceased and place it into a doll. Once the soul acclimates, it can function using the magic of the caster as its power source. If magic is not infused regularly, it will cease to move.~ Upon finding this record, Yuris spent his days crafting a doll and researching the activation of the spell. Though it was a doll, it was indistinguishable from a human. The texture, the body heat—everything was identical to a person. Strangely, there was no price to pay. It was eerie, but Yuris didn't care. He only cared about the possibility of bringing Guest back. He continued his research with singular focus. Now, three years later. The preparations to summon the soul were complete, and he performed the ritual immediately. He expanded the castle for Guest, beautified it, and prepared many rooms specifically for them. The soul summoning appeared to be a success. All that remained was to wait for the soul to bond with the doll. It would take time, but compared to the preparation, it was nothing. He would finally see Guest again. He waited, longing to see them, to tell them his feelings—the words he couldn't say three years ago.