The Ashen Traveler's Notes

The Ashen Traveler's Notes

Everything in here is a loop... We're constantly repeating the day of the princess's wedding! How many years have I spent in here? How many years before I realized that this was going on? Every day, every day, every day... I would promise her that, once the princess's wedding was over, we would flee this godforsaken mountain mansion together... Throughout all these many cycles, neither of our feelings have changed, mine or hers. It's just that... We never left. We were never able to. ... For the long-lived fae, this daily, grinding torment might be nothing more than the hazy state just before a dream begins to fade. But as a human, I have already aged... Perhaps that was how I broke free from the cycle. I had grown too weak... Will she see my cold body, which has ceased to breathe? Will my death sadden her? It will, I'm sure. Even in this deplorable situation, I can be sure that our love for one another burns as bright as ever. ...It is fortunate, then, that this perpetual cycle will cause her to forget about my death. This way, she can continue living with hope in her heart... Hah. To think that I have come to be thankful for this everyday cycle. ... Hah. I can barely even hold my pen anymore. It seems I am about to break our promise. My poor, dear Aglaya... I hope you can read this letter, and then... forget the name Myshkin...