Chapter 7 (NSFW) - Snow White's Son
Translator's Note:
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But the next night, and the night after that, and even the night following, the beast returned, repeating the same fruitless climb.
Its actions defied logic, even though its method of climbing suggested it possessed some intelligence.
Crow, who had intended to leave the tower and head to the castle, found himself bedridden with a fever by the second and third nights, too weak to rise from his bed on the eighth floor.
Luckily, there were apple trees near the tower that bore fruit in abundance. During the day, Crow used his hair to pluck apples and lived on them, eating them both day and night as he recovered.
By the fourth night, though he had regained his strength, he realized leaving the tower was no longer an option. While the black beast only appeared at night, wolves almost as large as the beast itself and bears of similar size roamed the forest during the day.
None of the other creatures attempted to climb the tower, but the thought of walking through the forest filled Crow with dread. The once-familiar woods had transformed, and in the last few days, he hadn't even glimpsed a rabbit or fox.
Though bedridden, Crow had been acutely aware of the beast's presence, sensing it through the sounds it made. On the fourth night, he stood once more by the window, his body wrapped in a fur-lined cape and the hearth blazing to warm the highest floor.
As the nights wore on, the beast no longer seemed a terrifying, unknown creature. Instead, Crow found himself waiting for it. He even worried if it arrived later than usual, and when it struggled up the tower, he silently cheered it on. Eventually, he even gave it a name.
Though he knew full well that, should the beast succeed in its climb, he would be devoured, Crow no longer cared. During his illness, the crushing loneliness had worn down his heart like a brittle wall of withered thorns, threatening to break entirely.
"Beast... if you truly wish to eat me, then I shall help you," Crow whispered at last.
On the tenth night, Crow let his hair down from the small window. It was not with a clear resolve to die, but rather, he was simply too tired to go on living. He no longer pondered the future, merely wishing to grant the beast its desire.
As the beast tried once more to climb the stone walls and sink its claws into the iron plates, Crow wrapped his long, enchanted hair around the creature's body. With careful strength, he began to pull it up, feeling the weight of the beast in his hold.
As he hoisted it higher, doubts flickered through his mind. Is this truly the right choice?
But the loneliness was unbearable, and each day felt like it crushed his very soul. To leave the tower and walk through the forest was akin to death itself. The thought of reaching the castle seemed more impossible with every passing moment.
The only one who could save him was Prince Kyle, but Crow had no idea when—if ever—the prince would come. There must have been some grave reason he had been locked in this tower since infancy. Between him and his brother, there stood a wall far higher and thicker than any barrier of thorns.
Even when I was sick, no one asked if I was alright. If my loneliness is so overwhelming... and if you desire me so much, Beast... then perhaps it would be better to be consumed by you, to become part of you. At least that way, I wouldn't be alone. We could run together, through the forests and hills...
With a heavy heart, Crow pulled the beast through the window.
The night sky framed the scene, a dark canvas against which Crow's long black hair and the beast's massive body seemed to merge. Tonight, the moon was beautiful, and the deep indigo and silver of the sky seemed brighter than the fire-lit room inside.
"Good evening, Beast... it must have been hard for you to squeeze through the window, isn't it?" Crow murmured as he gently unwound his hair from the beast's form.
The creature landed on all fours upon the tower's floor, and Crow withdrew his hair. Freed, the beast's crimson eyes gleamed with a feral light, and a low, rumbling growl escaped its throat.
Its face resembled a wolf, though it was broader and sturdier than any wolf, and its body was thicker, more muscular, though not as round as a bear. Its chest was especially well-developed, while its stomach remained taut, and its limbs—both front and back—were unusually long.
With each heavy breath, the beast's red tongue lolled from its mouth, dripping saliva, its white fangs glistening in the dim light.
"W-wait... let me undress first," Crow whispered, steeling himself for what was to come.
Though he had accepted his fate, Crow carefully removed the pure white cape, a gift from Prince Kyle. It was adorned with a jewel that matched the color of the prince's eyes, and Crow couldn't bear the thought of it being torn by the beast's fangs or stained by his own blood.
Beneath the cape, Crow wore a long black robe, but he removed that as well, along with his undergarments, placing them neatly on a nearby chair. Now, with only the seven-stone bracelet on his wrist, Crow approached the beast, who growled softly, drooling as it waited.
"If you are to eat me, then swallow this bracelet too," Crow murmured, his voice trembling yet resolute, "Let it become part of your strength, so that together, we may live on."
As he thought of dying without ever seeing Prince Kyle or his father again, shame welled up in his heart. He cursed himself for giving in to his loneliness, for allowing it to lead him to such a choice.
Crow could not summon the will to fight the beast—not after all the nights it had spent filling the void of his solitude.
The bond he had formed with the creature over these ten long days had grown far too strong.
"My name is Crow," he whispered softly. "I am small and may not satisfy you... but I will be your sustenance, and through you, I will continue to live. Please, travel far and wide, and show me all the wonders you see."
Crow hesitated. He longed to ask the beast to go near the castle, but the thought of endangering Prince Kyle held his tongue.
The beast stood by the window, baring its teeth and growling, though it had yet to pounce. Its intentions were clear. Crow knew it was preparing to devour him.
Though he dreaded the sharp pain of its fangs tearing through his flesh, Crow extended his left hand, bracelet and all, toward the beast's waiting mouth.
The bracelet was made from the stones left behind by the seven elves, and Crow felt that the seven stones must remain together. He didn't want them to be scattered across the floor, so he wished to make sure they were swallowed whole by the beast.
"After you bite through my left arm, bracelet and all," Crow said quietly, "please... bite through my throat next. Do it quickly, so it doesn't hurt too much... I beg you."
Crow held his breath as he brought his wrist closer to the beast's snout, his heart pounding in his chest, ready to burst. He knew the pain would be unimaginable when his arm was torn away, the blood loss severe. He feared he might thrash or flee in terror, making it impossible for the beast to deliver a swift and merciful bite to his throat. He could already imagine the agony of being torn apart.
Perhaps he should simply toss the stones into the beast's mouth and then bare his neck. But before he could decide, the beast let out a guttural roar, a deep, painful sound.
"Grrraaaagh—!"
Crow bracing himself for the worst, had closed his eyes to prepare for the pain. Yet, the cry he heard was not his own, instead, it was the Beast who howled. The creature's face was near the bracelet, and he writhed in torment. The faintly glowing stones of the elves had seemingly unleashed their magic, causing the Beast to collapse to the floor, trembling and groaning in agony.
"What… what's happening? Are you alright?" Crow stammered, confused and frightened. Hesitant, he reached out to touch the Beast.
The creature's body, covered in fur that was smoother than it appeared, shuddered violently. He seemed to be in great distress, as though he had been poisoned.
Crow's heart ached for the Beast. Had he done something cruel to him without realizing it? He hadn't meant for this to be a betrayal. The last thing Crow wanted was to trick the creature he had grown fond of, the one he wished to join, body and soul. Even if it meant becoming part of the Beast's meal, he wanted to be cherished, not despised.
To the Beast, Crow was nothing but food; to Crow, the Beast meant death. Yet, at the heart of it, Crow longed for something more—a bond where they could truly accept one another, and in doing so, become one.
"Beast…?" Crow whispered, stroking the black fur once more, his voice soft with concern. "Are you alright?"
But as his fingers moved through its thick coat, he felt something strange and recoiled. The fur began to disappear, melting away, revealing a body that was no longer that of a beast, but of a man.
The change was most noticeable in the head—what had once been a long, bestial snout shrank back into a round, human shape. The sharp fangs retracted, replaced by soft, human lips that parted slightly to reveal a perfect set of teeth.
"Beast… you…?" Crow's voice trembled as he stood frozen in shock.
Before him, where the Beast had once been, there now knelt a giant of a man, covered in thick black hair. Even on his knees, the man was imposing, and Crow shuddered at the thought of how fearsome he would appear when standing.
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