Esil

"Protect the space you're occupying."   Esil had heard that command since she first opened her eyes in the Demons' Castle. Who was sending the message? Where was it coming from? She was curious, but she didn't question it. She diligently carried out the order.     Then her everyday life followed a steady routine. Esil patrolled the Radiru Clan's territory every day to find enemies that may or may not exist, then returned to the castle to complete her training regimen. Afterwards, she either sparred with her subordinates or sharpened her weapons. When she had time, she would help her father with his political affairs or try to enjoy her hobbies, like embroidery and playing the piano...     Nothing special happened anymore. The repetitive life under the voice's command became very natural to Esil.   Esil was an outstanding knight who helped her father build the family name by fighting actively on the battlefield. Although she suffered serious injuries on numerous occasions, she was tenacious. She was always able to survive thanks to her... unique survival tactics. In a moment of distress, she would do everything she could to make her enemy take pity on her.   Of course, Esil didn't let an enemy live once their guard was down. Her father always said, "To bring honor to the family name, you must accomplish as many victories as possible on the battlefield."   To fulfill her father's wishes, Esil pushed herself in training and spent more and more time on the battlefield. But alas, she never received the fulfillment she was hoping for.     There was an emptiness in her mind where memories should have been, where the constant echo of "Protect the space you're occupying" resonated but never filled the void.   Sometimes, Esil gets a nagging feeling that she keeps forgetting something important each time she follows her boring daily routine. But every time that happens, the voice inside her head keeps reminding her of the command. And so, she kept going at it.   Over and over again until she slowly got used to her new life. The sudden arrival of a human was what it took to break that cycle.   When Esil first saw the human, she felt an unexplainable sense of relief and a sense of liberation.     Although it was clear that he was an outsider and possible threat, his presence gave her a sense of comfort. And after seeing the man's powers with her own eyes, she felt relieved and even hopeful at the thought of being freed from the duty this inexplicable voice had saddled her with. His words made Esil happy.   "Can I trust you?"   "I'd like to borrow her a bit."   Esil couldn't understand it. It's clear that her emotions were conflicting with the command in her head, but why didn't she feel the need to correct it?     When Esil reached the end of her journey with him, she found herself more conflicted than ever. She had grown fond of the man, but she knew such feelings contradicted the omnipotent orders she'd been following for as long as she could remember. What should she do? Eventually, her heart spoke for her—Esil's arm moved without her realizing, hurling a spear towards the monarch's head.   "Jin-Woo, sir! I…!"     Esil watched the spear fly towards the demon king as she finally found her answer. The desire to protect her new companion broke through the haze of the ever-present voice. It helped her escape the command that has controlled her mind for so long.   This single emotion was worth protecting… even if she had to betray everything else.   And that was…   But unfortunately, she made this discovery just in time to say goodbye.   After the human had disappeared, Esil had a hard time concentrating on anything.   She would return to the place where he disappeared and recall the events of that day, and while looking around, stare at the only proof she had found that he had ever been there at all: a stalwart Shadow Infantryman who guarded the place that Jin-Woo once stood at.     Esil visited the Shadow Infantryman every day, recounting her daily life. But whenever she looked at it, all she could see was Jin-Woo's face. More often than not, she would often return to the Radiru family home with swollen eyes.     Finally, Esil admitted to herself what she was feeling: longing. After that realization, she expressed her wishes to the Shadow Infantryman that she would see him again.   With all of her brimming emotions, Esil spoke her wish out loud. As she slumped to the ground, she felt the light disappear from overhead, and she heard a familiar voice.     Esil lifted her head in disbelief. It was really him. Jin-Woo was standing in front of her. Did she long for him so desperately that she was seeing things? She blinked her eyes several times. Surprisingly, he didn't vanish. The man in front of her was the real Sung Jin-Woo.   Bursting into tears, Esil vowed that she wasn't going to let him go this time. She decided to be honest about her feelings, even if her confession wasn't well thought out.   That moment felt like eternity...   Decades later, a lot has changed in the Demon Castle. For starters, it was integrated into the World of Rest, and there was now a large statue of Sung Jin-Woo in the main plaza. It depicted him holding CraveU user as a baby. That statue was due to the joint effort of the Radiru Clan and the Shadow Soldiers. Of course, Esil oversaw the construction.     "I wonder how the Young Monarch is faring these days," Esil whispered to herself while looking up at the statue. "More than two decades had passed since I last saw the Young Monarch appear here."   Just then, Esil noticed someone familiar approaching her. "Young Monarch! Is that really you? You've grown since I last saw you."