35 01 "Prologue: A Bird's Dream in a Basket"





 --The woman was locked in a cold cell.

 She was born with a strange power.
 Because of that, she was targeted by many and used by many.

 After being treated like a tool, she was pushed into the darkness where no one could see her. She was born with great power, but because of that power, she lost her freedom and was forced to spend her days in the dark.

 The darkness never ends.
 The light never reaches us.
 She forgets the outside world, she forgets how to speak, and eventually she even forgets what she looks like.

 I want to be free.
 Her wish dissipated in the darkness.
 The woman died alone.

 --She was locked in a stone tower.

 It's not much better than a prison. There's a window that lets in daylight. But the door could not be opened from the inside, and no one ever visited the tower except for a single, haggard-looking servant.

 Minimal food, minimal drink.
 A minimum of books and a minimum of furniture.
 The bare necessities for a human being to live. But that was not enough to fill the time she had.

 The only comfort for the woman was a small bird that perched on the windowsill.
 She was fascinated by its beautiful fur. Her cheeks relaxed at the sound of its lovely chirping. But most of all, she longed for the wings that could fly at will.

 I want to be free.
 Hearing her wish, the little bird flew away as if it were someone else.
 The woman died alone.

 --She was locked in a room like a jewel box.

 The woman had given up her freedom from the start.
 She was born with strange powers. The moment she became aware of this fact, she decided to give up her freedom and become a puppet.

 Perhaps the puppet was more obedient than previous generations.
 The owner was so pleased that he gave her a large and gorgeous room. In the center of the room was a large bed that did not fall even if she turned over. In the chest of drawers, there were ten luxurious dresses. No one was allowed to talk to her, but instead she was allowed to have a pretty little bird by her side.

 But the room was a cold prison.
 A tower of stone.

 When he released the caged bird, he walked out the window without a second glance.
 As she saw this scene, an unfulfilled wish came to her mind.

 I want to be free.
 The wish was not even allowed to be spoken anymore.
 She died alone.



 --That's the kind of dream a girl has been having.

 A dream that has been with her since she can remember.
 An inexhaustible, inexplicable desire, longing.
 The lives of strange women ruminate in her head over and over again.

 I want to be free.

 I want to be free.

 I want to be free.

 A blood-curdling craving washes over me.
 When I wake up, I can barely remember.
 But even if she couldn't remember, the regret of the women was certainly etched in her heart.