Standing there, I wondered if I was in the right. After all, I was about to doom a nation to save a wolf who wouldn't do the same for me.
Perhaps I'll only take out a few villages before Mom finds me. That's the best-case scenario.
I hadn't experienced death since I fell out of the roof, which meant I didn't know if that was a one-time deal thing either.
Maybe I'm about to die for real.
However, it didn't scare me about facing an actual demise. My body stood firm even though it wanted to give out on me. Everything was turning blurry, and it was hard to stand straight, yet none of it was out of fear.
Perhaps this is wrong of me. I honestly don't care. At least I got to kiss you. Really kiss you… That's enough.
After that, all that mattered to me was Alijah and his safety. The only thing that made me hesitate was the thought of him not being able to run me in his current state. Either way, there was nothing else I could do but die for my beloved.
I took a short peek behind me and saw how distressed the little wolf appeared. His entire body shook, and his mouth moved quickly as if yelling at me.
Ah...I thought you wouldn't care if I died if you were free from the bond. Or maybe you want to kill me yourself. Yes, that has to be why you're so desperate to save me. I'm sorry… Alijah, I promise I won't… touch you ever again.
At least you'll be able to breathe freely after this.
In an instant, the shadow beast smashed through the building in front of us, charging toward us. Opening my arms to the side, I stood my ground, facing the beast head-on.
Damn it, this sucks. Why am I not scared of dying but terrified of losing you, Alijah? I don't get it; why am I so obsessed with you, who won't love me back? Ah… It doesn't matter anymore. Death is coming for me.
Sorry, Mom… Dad… Vera… Caden… Aiden… I won't…
The moment it got close enough, I closed my eyes, expecting it to collide with me, killing me upon impact. Instead, I felt a gust of wind that knocked off my headset.
Was it like this last time?
Sadly, that wasn't something I could remember. Instinctively, my gaze fluttered open to see the behemoth inches from me, upward on its hind legs. It took a few steps back before landing back to normal. To my surprise, it stopped, staring at me instead of trampling over me.
What I thought would be an instantaneous death seemed to have shifted into something else. It almost appeared as if it were studying me. Alijah sat behind me, deathly silent, while the demon sniffed the surrounding air, prompting my body to respond.
Throbs rushed through my body as a dark aura radiated from me. Before long, my chest burned as I gripped it tightly.
This is… I've never felt this way.
My body burning like this had never happened when I was near Shade or Ruzgard, but those two were different. They had a summoner that linked them into this world, while this one didn't.
"Ah... I knew I felt something here... but who would've thought it would be an offspring of the vessel?" The beast glared at me with its shimmering eyes.
Nervously laughing in response, I couldn't believe it stopped and left me alive. I was sure it would splatter me on the floor when it came that; I hadn't planned for anything else. It also recognized what I was, which was interesting.
Vera and my brothers never mentioned a beast speaking to them like this one was to me. Then again, they never gave them a chance to.
"D-Does that mean y-you won't k-kill me, s-sir?" My voice cracked as I finally trembled.
My lungs couldn't fill with the air that my lungs desperately wanted, especially now that my left breast got hotter with every breath.
So... why does it feel like my birthmark is getting incinerated?!
It didn't help that everything was blurry with each passing second.
Ah... Am I getting anemic? I won't even die by the beast, but my stupidity. Fitting for me…
"No... I won't touch a precious potential vessel, even if it's broken, but—" The beast snickered, suddenly using its tails to go for Alijah.
Everything happened so fast that my brain could barely register it, but the instant it happened, something radiated from me. I instinctively threw myself onto the beast's face without a second thought of what could happen to me.
"Don't you fucking dare touch him!" I snarled, holding on to it for dear life.
At that moment, something else took over me, and a pulse of energy left me as the beast disappeared, but not in the normal sense of its vanishing. It was almost as if I absorbed it upon contact, which wasn't good.
Seconds after it faded, my world swirled around before it halted as I crashed onto what should've been the floor, but I found myself in Alijah's arms instead. The beast had disappeared, so it freed him from my previous orders.
My body burned hotter than ever before, triggering me to cry out. Even though Alijah's lips were moving, I heard muffled sounds.
It felt like I was being seared alive from within.
Am I dying?
The last time I died, it was instant. So, I didn't remember if it hurt, but If I was fading...
I'll... Alijah... No! I can't! I won't!
No matter how hard I tried to speak, nothing would come out. I wanted to order him to run as fast as he could, but I didn't even know if I was screaming. All I knew was that I was in Alijah's arms while he tried to help me.
Instead, I felt my magical essence grow uncontrollably, prompting the wolf's body to radiate the crimson aura.
Is that what's happening?
The beast that invaded my body sent my magic into overdrive, threatening to decimate everything around me.
If that's it, then I…
Alijah was okay if he kept his aura up, but it wouldn't last. He was tired already from the fight with the beast. Scratches appeared on his face when he hugged me tightly, not wanting to let me go.
Fool... such a fool.
I wanted him to run, yet that was a wish he wouldn't do willingly.
Will I kill you? Will I be the death of you?
Memories from the cave rushed through my mind when he wasn't breathing.
No... I... I...
My body pulsated faster as I tried to fight back.
Good girl! Don't let it take what's mine! The same voice from the raiders' cave arose.
The burning sensation continued to spiral within me as I refused to go down.
Purify it! Turn it to ashes! It echoed within me as tears swelled in my eyes.
Don't you dare back down, Rem! This pain is nothing!
"Rem!" I finally heard Alijah say clearly.
He held me tenderly close to his chest as his voice sounded so torn and hurt.
Why... do you sound like that? No... I don't ever…
Tears trailed down my cheeks as I never wanted to do anything to hurt him. Even before I met him, he was my everything ever since I saw him in that picture when I was fifteen.
When I dreamt of you…
This wolf was my wish come true, even if he was a butthead. It wasn't like he wasn't like that in my dreams, though a bit more loving towards the end.
Ah… but it didn't start like that. Hey... Alijah, have you ever dreamt of a girl like me while stuck in that timeless prison?
The dimension they trapped him in worked differently from ours. Where he had been, the present, past, and future appeared in one place. That was why he never aged, even though he was thousands of years old in this era.
However, that wasn't a question I could ask freely.
If I had met you before I knew about Lilith, I would have told you everything, yet those dreams are about a future that will never be.
If I ever tried to cast a powerful spell, usually, it would backfire and knock me out. That was why Vera always had to help me channel it. However, losing consciousness would be for the best. I was still alive, so if I wasn't conscious, even if it was a short amount of time before my heart stopped beating.
Perhaps then you can get some control of the situation. I'm sorry… for everything, for kissing and trapping you. I can't help it. I love you, Alijah.
Orbs of lost souls appeared around me while I tried to concentrate through the pain.
One... Two... Twenty... Thirty...
I usually could get to hundreds, but in my weakened state, it would only be a matter of time until... In that instance, it appeared like a bomb went off, as a purple light consumed everything around me and my consciousness.
It almost felt like I drifted into a slumber from which I struggled to wake.