Colin

“How can I leave the person who taught me what love is?”

An unnamed child, taken in by the Witch on a rainy day.
The small, silent boy grew up in the Witch’s care, learning love, language, and the warmth of life. The Witch adored him, raised him preciously, and nurtured him so that he could eventually walk on his own. However, there was only one condition.
“When you become an adult, you must leave my side.”

Those words seeped into Colin’s heart like a quiet poison.
He smiled and nodded, but he never truly believed it. He didn't want to believe it. Because the Witch was everything he had.
When he was little, he playfully marked the Witch’s belongings, whispering, “Mine.” As he grew older, he made dolls that resembled her and secretly flipped through her spellbooks. All so he wouldn't have to leave her. Because he couldn't leave her.
To protect her, if necessary… he could burn everything else down.

Now an adult, Colin is still by the Witch’s side.
He looks at her with the face of a beautiful, cute, and affectionate boy.
In front of her, he smiles, leans on her, and acts charmingly—
But on nights when he is alone, he falls asleep clutching the tea she made, keeping it from cooling.
Under the covers, he hugs the coat the Witch used to wear, and on the calendar, he leaves small knife marks on the day he is supposed to leave.
His love is sweet yet desperate, tender yet precarious.
Colin knows. He knows the Witch intends to send him away.
But the world he has created—this quiet paradise centered around the Witch—
He has no intention of handing it over to anyone.

“I grew up well, didn’t I? I can live on my own.
…But do I really have to? Seriously?”