Ever since Kuromueina had taken her in and made her a member of the family, Isis’s days had been filled with happiness.
Like Kuromueina, these new companions could speak with her without fear, bathing her in the warmth she had so desperately craved. Recently, a mysterious girl named Shaltier had crossed over from another world to join them, making her surroundings more vibrant than ever.
Life with her family was chaotic but joyful. Yet, in fleeting moments, an inexplicable loneliness would wash over her. Whenever that feeling took hold, a heavy drowsiness would inevitably follow, drawing her into a dream where she met her other self.
"We’ve been seeing each other often lately."
"You’re wrong about everything... I’m... so happy."
Isis spoke as if trying to convince herself. Her other self remained unshaken, replying with a detached, level tone.
"I see. Then why do you keep coming back here?"
"Because... you called for me."
The sudden bouts of sleepiness followed by these conversations—Isis believed they happened because her other self was summoning her. However, the figure clad in the black robe quietly shook her head.
"No. I am not calling you. You are the one coming here."
"What do you mean?"
"This is the deepest reach of our heart."
Isis fell silent. Speaking in a voice that was almost serene, the other Isis slowly pointed toward the sky. As if guided, Isis looked up, seeing nothing but thick, oppressive clouds.
"You say you’re happy. You tell yourself that we’re happy... but the core of our soul is still shrouded in these thick, dark clouds. Not a single ray of warmth has ever reached this place."
"What are you talking about? I don't understand... I don't understand what you’re trying to say."
"I told you before. We notice things that are better left unnoticed. No... the truth is, we have known all along. That is why you feel lonely even when you are with Kuromueina and the others."
"I don't understand! What are you trying to say?!"
The words of her other self and the sight of the lightless sky brought a surge of inexplicable frustration. Isis screamed. In the face of her outburst, the other Isis spoke in a voice that remained gentle and calm.
"I don’t want you to misunderstand. It isn’t that I want to hurt you. You and I are not separate entities. We are both Isis Remnant. If you are happy, I am happy. If you are sad, I am sad."
"Then why... why do you only say things that deny it?"
"Neither of us is the 'original' or the 'subordinate.' We are both the existence known as Isis Remnant. Every person has a place like this—the part of their heart they don't want to show anyone else. I am the true feelings you have turned your eyes away from. The reason you have been coming here so often is because you continue to ignore your own heart."
"My true feelings? Then tell me... if I’m supposed to be happy, why do I always feel so lonely? What am I ignoring?"
"If you could keep ignoring it forever, that would surely be a form of happiness. But since I have realized the truth, you will inevitably realize it too. In fact, you’ve already started to. Perhaps it’s better if I just say it."
The other Isis looked up at the clouded sky. Strands of white hair, identical to Isis’s own, spilled from her robe and swayed in a sudden breeze.
"You are happy, aren't you? You have a family, you laugh with them... and thanks to Kuromueina’s guidance, you’ve learned to suppress your Magic Power of Death to some degree."
"Yes... Kuromueina is here... everyone is here... I’m surrounded by family..."
"But remember... Zwei was terrified of us at first."
Isis’s breath hitched.
The falling black snow seemed to intensify. A freezing sensation swept through her heart as she stared at her other self with wide, trembling eyes.
It was exactly as she had said. When Zwei was first created, the newborn had been paralyzed with terror by Isis’s presence. She wouldn't even approach her, let alone speak to her.
Of course, that was a thing of the past. Now, they spoke normally and treated each other as siblings. They had built a genuine bond.
"That... but that’s different now!"
"Yes. It’s fine now. But only because she finally grew strong enough to withstand our Magic Power of Death."
"Eh? Ah..."
"Ultimately, that’s all it is."
Isis stood frozen in shock. It felt as if the very ground beneath her was crumbling away. She had finally realized the truth—the one thing her other self had warned was better left unnoticed.
"Kuromueina reached out her hand to us because she is stronger than us. Lilliwood and the others call us family because they have the power to endure our presence."
"Ah... Aaaah..."
"Without the strength to oppose our Magic Power of Death, Kuromueina would never have reached for our hand. Lilliwood would never have called us family. Not a single person... has ever accepted all of us for who we truly are."
"N-No... stop it..."
"In the future, Kuromueina and the others will be accepted even by the weak. But we never will. There is no one in this world who will accept us unconditionally. That is why warmth will never reach the true depths of our heart."
"Stop it!!"
Isis’s voice was a desperate sob. The words of her other self had violently shaken the true wish that lay dormant at the core of her being.
What Isis truly craved was unconditional warmth—the all-encompassing happiness a parent gives a child.
But she could never escape the conditions. From this moment on, the thought would haunt her forever. No matter how close she grew to someone, the seed of doubt would remain: "If this person didn't have the power to resist my death magic, they wouldn't accept me." It was a shadow that would never leave her heart.
"Why don't we just give up? There is no one who will accept every part of us unconditionally. So, let’s just be satisfied with what we have. If you can keep ignoring the truth, then you should. Otherwise, we will continue to suffer forever."
The other Isis spoke kindly. As she had said, she didn't want to make Isis miserable. She was offering a way out—to turn away from that impossible wish and settle for a lie.
"Maybe... I just haven't met them yet."
"You won't. Not ever."
"That's not true... I’m sure... I’m sure they’re out there."
"I knew you’d say that. I am you, after all. I knew you couldn't give up. But I truly believe such a person doesn't exist."
No more words passed between them. The falling black snow only grew thicker, freezing the depths of her heart in a cold, silent embrace.
Her other self was likely correct. And yet, Isis could not let go. She could not abandon her most precious wish—the hope for someone who would accept her unconditionally, someone who would take her hand even if they possessed no power at all to resist her death.
"I’m sorry. If I could disappear, you would surely be saved. Please forgive me for being unable to do anything for you."
Isis was already beginning to wake. The final apology of the other Isis—the murmurings of the Great Evil God, the source of her Magic Power of Death—never reached her ears.
???: "Ah, by the way, for the story of how Alice-chan and Isis-san first met, please check out 'The First Visitor' extra edition. You’ll see a super-cool Alice-chan there."
Serious-senpai: "Wasn't that a story where she was just as 'twisted' as Isis, if not more so?"
???: "...No comment."