DAWN - Prologue | —Volume 01: The Immortal Witch—

This recurring nightmare again...

The morning sunlight illuminated my face. My eyes had already opened before the sun’s rays blinked for what felt like the umpteenth time. I couldn’t remember when I had awakened from my sleep. The notion of being unable to sleep seemed like an understatement.

I didn’t know why or when these nightmares began haunting me. It’s not that I couldn’t dream, but these nightmares seemed to occur so frequently that I had to stay awake every night. That’s why I decided not to sleep.

I feared the consequences would be severe if I continued to stay awake like this...

I took a deep breath and rose from my bed. I pulled back the curtains and opened the window, allowing the fresh morning air to caress me. Unconsciously, I let out another sigh.

I felt sleepy...

Honestly, I didn’t want to stay awake like last night. However, those nightmares that always followed me made me reluctant to sleep. In short, I was afraid of those dreams. You see, even though they were just nightmares, they still haunted me, okay?

After embracing the morning air, I made my way to the bathroom. I washed my face and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, realizing that my hair had grown even longer.

I didn’t know when I started growing out my hair. Maybe it was around the time these nightmares began. Setting that aside, I continued to clean my entire body in the bathroom. After a few minutes in there, I finally stepped out.

And for the umpteenth time, I let out another breath while lamenting to myself, “Sigh... What’s with these nightmares...”

What disturbed me about those nightmares wasn’t the blood or violent scenes reminiscent of my past. It was because they seemed to foretell an uncertain future. But in the end, I forced myself to move on.

Opening the door, I walked out of my room. Once again, the sunlight struck my face, making me flinch and cover it with my hand.

Is it still morning, and you’re this bright? Give me a break... Can you tone it down, Mr. Sun?

It’s hard to say, but I’m not a fan of bright sunlight. It didn’t make me angry, but it hurt my eyes. But ultimately, it still annoyed me, so yes, it could be considered anger.

“...I complain too much...” After saying that, I walked away from my room, strolling through the inn’s hallway and heading towards the exit.

“Good morning, Vond...”

A woman’s voice greeted me as I approached the inn’s locker. I turned to the sound and found someone beautiful with ample assets.

“...Good morning to you too, Sylvianna.”

She was Sylvianna Marquest, a receptionist at the inn where I stayed. She was an elf who also resided in the inn. However, due to certain circumstances, she decided to work as a receptionist here.

“What’s up? Lately, you seem sleep-deprived...”

“...Um, is it that evident on my face?”

“Yup! Your eye bags are quite visible. And also, your hair is still messy.” Sylvianna replied as she took something from her bag. She then approached me and combed my hair. “Your hair is long again... Are you sure you don’t want to get it cut?” she added.

Ahh... Those who have an older sister like Sylvianna are so lucky... I thought while admiring her ample assets and letting her comb my hair.

Sylvianna had two younger siblings who lived with her in the inn. Sometimes, I envied them because they were awakened, cooked for, and bathed by a beautiful older sister every day.

“No, I think I’ll leave it long for now. But if it gets any longer, I might consider cutting it.”

“Hn... Alright then, I might not recognize you anymore if you let it grow too long.” She then took a hair tie from her pocket and tied my hair into a ponytail.

“...But still, your hair is beautiful, isn’t it? Even though you’re not an elf like us, you have golden blond hair like an elf...” she added, caressing my hair once she finished tying it.

“Maybe it’s a genetic trait from my mother,” I replied, holding her hand that was caressing my hair. It surprised her, and she blushed shyly.

Hehehe...

But before I could continue with my affectionate gestures, someone barged in and said, “...Stop right there.”

He was a man who often interrupted my time with Sylvianna. An older man with a beard on his face, short hair, and a tall stature.

“Oh, come on...” Sylvianna sighed, rolling her eyes and glancing at him.

“Can’t you two go inside if you want to be lovey-dovey?”

“...Tch, fine, uncle~” I said, releasing Sylvanna’s hand and turning to him. “I’ll go now.”

Sylvianna nodded and gave me the sweetest smile in the world. “Take care on the way, and stay motivated!” she added, then suddenly leaned in and kissed my cheek.

And, of course, it startled everyone who happened to be in the inn’s lounge at that moment, including the man from earlier.

Ah, it seems I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Vond Q. Karqou. I’m the person you’ll be seeing often from now on. Nice to meet you!