Before him stretched a river with no visible end.
Thick white mist obscured his sight, and icy water washed over his knees.
Bell didn't know where he was.
His memories were faint, his consciousness blurred. Only a single thought echoed in his mind.
"I have to reach the other side..."
He dragged his feet forward and realized his body felt strangely light.
Why do I need to go there?
What's on the other side of the river?
He couldn't figure it out.
His mind didn't want to think.
Bell simply walked deeper into the endless current.
Suddenly, a voice as clear as a silver bell rang by his ear.
"Bell."
Unlike the restless river, that call was astonishingly steady.
Calm and serene. Even the flowing water seemed to pause for a moment.
Who is it?
Who's calling me?
Bell lifted his head and looked toward the opposite bank, but the thick mist concealed everything.
The voice stopped abruptly.
Silence returned.
There was no sign of anyone on the other side.
Just as Bell reached that conclusion and continued forward, the gentle, beautiful voice spoke again.
"You're heading the wrong way."
He heard it clearly.
It came from behind him.
"The place you want to reach isn't across the river. It's on my side, isn't it?"
The words seemed to part the water and fall straight into his heart.
Warmth replaced the cold, stirring his stagnant thoughts.
That's right.
There's something I still have to do. I can't waste time here.
Bell couldn't remember what it was, but the warmth in his chest spread like fire.
"Thank you..."
He murmured as he turned around.
Before he could see the speaker's face, the mist swallowed the entire world.
When he opened his eyes again, everything had changed completely.
"This is... my home?"
A warm breeze brushed through the rice stalks, and the setting sun bathed the fields in golden light.
At the far end of his vision stood a small house—familiar and dearly missed.
"Grandpa..."
Bell broke into a run.
The closer he got to the house, the taller everything around him became.
The rice stalks that had only reached his waist now rose above his forehead.
"Grandpa!"
The voice that left his mouth sounded unmistakably childish.
Without noticing anything strange, Bell pushed open the door, full of anticipation.
"Grandpa...?"
His youthful voice carried confusion.
Inside the familiar house, his grandfather was nowhere to be seen.
Instead, a woman of breathtaking beauty sat there.
She wore a black dress. Long gray hair framed her face, and her eyes remained closed.
"Bell, I've come to visit again."
Though she didn't open her eyes, she clearly sensed his arrival.
"Auntie, who are you...?"
Bell stared at the woman in the chair, unable to remember ever meeting her.
Someone this beautiful—he should have remembered.
"Ah, it's always like this..."
The gray-haired woman let out a soft sigh.
Without opening her eyes, she moved to his side at a speed Bell couldn't even perceive.
The instant her fist came down, Bell instinctively raised both hands to shield his head.
"You can react now..."
A faint smile touched her lips.
Just as Bell thought she wouldn't "attack" again, another punch—faster than light—fell.
"Still too green. Do you think an opponent would only strike once?"
Before he knew it, she was already back in her seat.
"Ugh... Why did you hit me?"
Bell demanded.
He had assumed someone so beautiful must be gentle and kind. Using her appearance to fool him like that was completely unforgivable.
"It's just a correction. Even if it'll be the same next time, for the next few days, you have to call me [...]"
The gray-haired woman told him her name.
"Hmm... Just call you by your name?"
Bell blinked in confusion.
The gray-haired woman paused for a moment, as if recalling something. "Yes. Just call me by my name. And in return, I'll call you Bell directly."
"Oh..."
Still puzzled, Bell stepped further into the house and asked, "Where did Grandpa go?"
"He went off to eat and drink with someone. He won't be back for a few days."
The gray-haired woman rose and walked toward the innermost room of the house.
"Wait!"
Bell hurried after her to stop her. "Grandpa said that's the witch's room! Even a single bug that crawls in would be wiped out completely!"
His usually bold grandfather treated that room as a forbidden zone. Not only did he forbid others from entering, even he himself never dared step inside.
Bell had always obeyed that rule and had never crossed the threshold.
"Do we really have to go through this again...?"
The gray-haired woman turned around, ignored Bell's warnings and protests, and dragged him down the hallway.
The door closed behind them without a sound.
The room was simply furnished, yet it radiated a warmth that made one want to linger.
"I get it now—you're the witch!"
Bell looked enlightened.
"Why do you think so?" the gray-haired woman asked curiously.
"Hmph. Because no one else dares to come in here. Only a witch would. And you know the room so well you can sit on the bed with your eyes closed."
Bell laid out his reasoning confidently.
"I see... So your intellect hasn't been neglected either..."
The gray-haired woman murmured softly.
Just as Bell stood there smugly with his hands on his hips, another fist landed squarely on his head.
"Ow... Why did you hit me again?"
"You're getting carried away."
She answered calmly.
Bell had figured it out by now. Beneath that beautiful exterior was a terrifying witch with a violent streak.
No wonder Grandpa ran off...
"It's getting late. Rest for now. I'll be staying here for a few days to [correct] your character."
The gray-haired woman pulled Bell onto the bed and lay down beside him.
"As a courtesy for my visit, I'll tell you a hero's tale. If you have any thoughts, you can tell me."
Bell blinked, as if something had just crossed his mind.
"Why? Don't you hate noise?"
"..."
The gray-haired woman was momentarily stunned.
After a long silence, she asked, "How do you know that?"
"Huh...? I don't really know..."
Bell tried to grasp the fleeting memory, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't recall it.
"If you can't remember, that's fine."
The gray-haired woman smiled faintly and stroked Bell's white hair.
"Next time I come, I'll probably hit you again because of your name. I'll apologize in advance."
"Don't worry. I'll remember your name. After all, you're the first woman I've ever slept next to!"
"..."
Bell received another punch before bed.
There was no sound, no extra movement—only the pain lingering in his body.
"Ugh... Do you hate me?"
Bell complained, holding his head.
"Not at all. I hate "Bell" as in the wind bell, but I like you—Bell."
The gray-haired woman replied softly.
"Huh...? I don't get it."
Bell frowned, failing to understand her hidden meaning.
"It's fine if you don't..."
Her voice, gentle as a lullaby, echoed by his ear.
"Sleep now, my hero..."
Mist swirled around him as memories faded away.
In the next instant—
A sacred flame burned silently in the stillness.