Akira Orihara

Once upon a time, in a far, faraway place, there were two lands. The world was divided into an inner land and an outer land. People feared the outer land, inhabited by eerie beings, the carriers of curse. One day, on the border to the inner land inhabited by humans, one such being finds a girl on heaps of abandoned dead bodies. The girl says her name is Shiva and shows affection to the "being" who found her, calling him "Teacher." This is a story of two people—one human, one inhuman—who linger in the hazy twilight that separates night from day.

Climbing a deadly tower, Oscar seeks the power of its master, the Witch of the Azure Moon. He hopes her incredible magic can break a curse that will kill any woman he takes for a wife. However, when the prince sees how beautiful Tinasha is, he has a better idea—since she's surely strong enough to survive his curse, she should just marry him instead! Tinasha isn't keen on the idea but agrees to live with Oscar in the royal castle for a year while researching the spell placed on the prince. The witch's pretty face hides several lifetimes of dark secrets, however—secrets that begin resurfacing.