To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

“You said ‘that seemed to be the case’?”

“…Well, let me explain about flowers to you.”

After that, the man prattled on at length, describing the shape and colors of flowers to Liv. Having never seen a flower before, it was difficult for Liv to visualize their appearance. However, the man repeatedly emphasized that flowers had beautiful colors.

“Once you go outside, you will surely come to love them immediately.”

“Completely red, how strange…”

Liv tried imagining the colors of flowers in her mind. An entire crimson hue? Liv liked the rare sight of reddish hues, and if flowers truly blossomed in vibrant shades as the man described, they would indeed be beautiful.

“Red, pink, orange, yellow, purple, and more… Flowers truly exhibit a diverse array of colors.”

“Are there no blue or green flowers?”

“I’ve heard there are blue flowers, but… I’m not too sure myself.”

“Mm.”

As Liv maintained a pensive expression, imagining flowers, the man added:

“Once you go outside, I will bring you flowers.”

“Really?”

“Yes, I will show you a different colored flower each day.”

Saying that, the man extended his little finger towards Liv. Not understanding the gesture’s meaning, Liv simply stared at it in puzzlement until the man wiggled his little finger, explaining:

“Hook your little finger with mine, Miss Liv.”

Though unable to physically touch the man’s finger, Liv successfully mimicked the motion outwardly.

“This signifies a promise.”

“Wow…”

“I am promising to bring you flowers once you go outside, Miss Liv.”

Delighted by the finger gesture representing a promise, Liv cheerfully wiggled her finger. It seemed having a human beside her allowed her to learn far more than from just the gods’ tales. Then, a thought suddenly occurred to Liv, and she spoke up:

“Actually, I’m curious about something.”

“What is it?”

“You said leaves are green, and flowers are red, right?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Then what color are my eyes? What do I look like?”

Liv enjoyed closely observing everything within this prison, but there was one thing inside she could never see – her own face. While small puddles sometimes formed during rainfall, she couldn’t gaze upon her reflection in the murky waters of this dark prison.

At Liv’s question, the man fell silent with a troubled expression. But Liv simply regarded him with an innocent gaze. Soon, the man who had been intently watching Liv began to speak:

“Miss Liv…”

“Yes.”

“Your hair is white, resembling a rabbit’s fur. Your eyes are the same – a deep pink like an adorable rabbit’s eyes.”

“A rabbit?”

“Yes, a small animal with long ears.”

Though unfamiliar with rabbits, Liv nodded, assuming it must be something good.

“Your eyes are round, with the corners slightly drooping down. And your eyelashes are quite long…”

“Is that so?”

Unsure if it was a compliment, but feeling flattered nonetheless, Liv absentmindedly touched around her eyes.

“Your lips are a pinkish hue, and your round nose is cute too. Your skin is very pale overall. Taken together, it’s an extremely…”

The man seemed to carefully choose his words before Liv, finally settling on a serious expression as he spoke:

“An extremely lovely face.”

At those words, Liv gently curved her eyes in a smile. While the gods had always called her a ‘lovely child’, hearing those words from the person before her filled her with joy.

In truth, even if she met other humans after leaving, it didn’t seem any would be as special as this man. He was the first human Liv had encountered, the first to call her by her name. To Liv, he was someone unique and precious.

‘I really do like this person…’

With that thought, Liv absentmindedly caressed her own face. The feelings she harbored for him were certainly more than affection, but Liv didn’t know what deeper emotion to call it. As she continued smiling blithely, the man opened his mouth with an awkward expression:

“Would you describe my face as well?”

“Um, okay.”

Liv gazed at the man with a beaming smile. And as she carefully observed his face…

“Black hair, gray eyes! I like those familiar colors. And your face looks sturdy.”

Saying that, Liv reached her hand towards the man’s face, but of course, it simply passed through him.

“I can’t touch you after all. It would be nice if I could.”

“One day, you will be able to.”

“I’m sad I don’t know prettier ways to describe you. If I knew more expressions, I could depict your face in more detail. In any case, I like your face.”

Though she had simply stated that without any flowery phrasing, the man smiled radiantly, seeming deeply pleased by Liv’s words. Seeing that expression, Liv felt an inexplicable fluttering in her chest. Her insides felt hot, as if tears might spill forth, and her lips tingled with the urge to speak further, but no words came out.

It was like the vivid red flowers the man described were fluttering within her heart.

* * *

Tap. Tap. Tap…

Emmett opened his eyes to the repetitive sound, having been asleep. And when he turned his head, he confirmed Liv was nowhere to be seen, though she should have been sleeping as well. If she had awoken, she would have roused him too, so where had she gone? Raising his head in alarm, what he saw was…

Tap. Tap.

Liv repeatedly circling the walls.

“Miss Liv!”

He called out her name in a flustered voice, but Liv only stared ahead with an unfocused gaze, not reacting at all to his voice. Her half-lidded eyes were vacant, like a soulless person.

Emmett had witnessed this scene before – Liv’s sleepwalking during the time when he still lacked a physical form. He sprang to his feet and stepped before Liv to block her, but she simply passed through his body.

“Miss Liv!”

Raising his voice to shout her name, Liv’s head turned as if reacting to the sound. However, she didn’t stop scraping her palm against the wall. Concerned her hand would become injured again, Emmett began desperately calling out to her with increasing desperation, never having felt so vexed by his inability to reach her.

“Liv, Liv! Snap out of it! Liv!”

The moment Emmett cried out her name, Liv’s eyes snapped open.

“Huh?”

Blinking in bewilderment as she surveyed her surroundings, Liv gave Emmett a bright, inappropriately cheerful expression.

“Why are you awake… Oh.”

And immediately seeming to grasp the situation, she continued in a voice growing softer, as if embarrassed to show him this side:

“Ah, this happens sometimes. The gods said it’s sleepwalking.”

Hearing that, Emmett felt an inexplicable pang in his chest. Liv’s nonchalant attitude, far too accustomed to such occurrences, tormented him.

“Liv…”

He tried to embrace her, but his arms could not reach. Anguished by that fact, Emmett met Liv’s gaze.

“Are you alright now, Miss Liv?”

“Huh? Oh, I’m always fine.”

Saying that, Liv glanced down at her palm. Unable to hide his distress, Emmett spoke with unrestrained emotion:

“Your hand is scraped…”

“It’s okay, I don’t mind the occasional pain. After all, it lets me feel something.”

The more Emmett heard Liv speak, the more he felt resentment towards his former self. Why had he so carelessly judged this pure-hearted person in the past? No amount of kindness or words of love would suffice for her now. He wished he could punch his foolish past – no, future self if he encountered him.

“Liv, do you know why you get sleepwalking episodes?”

At Emmett’s question, Liv paused in place and blinked her eyes.

“Um… I don’t know how it started, but I do know what troubles me the most these days.”

“Can you explain?”

“…I want to go out.”

“What?”

“I want to leave this place.”

As she spoke those words, Liv’s face flushed, as if embarrassed by that fact.

“The more stories you tell me, the more curious I become about the outside world. You keep giving me hope, so… I want to go out there.”

“Liv…”

Before Emmett, Liv had always pretended everything was fine. That being confined here was fine. That the boredom was fine. That the stifling conditions were fine.

But in truth, Liv may not have been fine at all. No, perhaps Emmett’s existence had become a poison to Liv, who had previously lived in peace.

In the Holy Church, there were a few representative tales. One was about a human who couldn’t feel negative emotions, but after tasting the forbidden fruit, they gained the knowledge of ‘evil’, and their descendants all inherited that inner evil.

Another told of a human atoning in the gods’ prison, who couldn’t endure the frustration and opened a sealed box that existed there – only to learn a truth too much for a human to bear, resulting in their death.

Liv had tasted the forbidden fruit, opened the sealed box, and encountered a human.

As a result, she had become consumed by the desire to meet more people.