PRKE 97

CHAPTER 97………………………………….

As if it had been waiting, the leading cluster of light reached my hand.

Swoosh.

The light flowed into my fingertips, and the other clusters followed one by one, colliding with my hand.

A refreshing sensation ran through my entire body, reaching the crown of my head, and a vague sense of longing spread through my heart.

Finally, the last, faint light—almost disappearing—floated over and settled on my palm, sinking into my hand as if melting.

Blazzz!

A sensation that was refreshing, cool, yet warm.

Familiar.

I knew exactly where this light had come from.

Princess Laratou.

“Leo.”

My throat burned. Leo’s presence enveloped me warmly, as if he had been waiting for me.

At the same time, I realized: this was Leo’s presence, but it could not be the Leo I had known.

Not the Leo who would scold me, give me serious advice, or worry for me.

This was only a trace of him.

“You have to live, you fool.”

That had been his final message.

Tears began flowing before I even noticed.

As I clenched my fists, I suddenly heard a whisper.

“Spirits do not die. Even if my consciousness disappears from this world.”

Leo’s voice scattered softly.

“I will live forever within you.”

A vision unfolded before my eyes.

My vision blurred. I wiped my tears with the back of my hand and gazed at the past Leo showed me.

A lush green field I had once seen filled my sight.

The fragrant meadow, once peaceful, was no longer so—the stench of blood approaching from afar had invaded it.

I ran across it.

Tat-tat-tat-tat!

Chased by countless footsteps, I ran frantically.

I must not be caught.

Fear unlike anything I had felt before consumed me; I could only think of running.

But the pursuers were swift and agile.

The sounds behind me grew nearer and nearer.

“Go, Hilda!”

He running alongside me pushed my back. I turned to look at him hastily.

Blue hair radiating like a lion’s mane in every direction, eyes clear and brilliant.

My reflection was in his gaze.

Blue hair rippling like seaweed. Eyes shining with the same hue of blue.

The unfamiliar face was stunningly beautiful.

“This magic only works on human bodies. Go! Leave the human form behind!”

I shook my head violently.

“Why are you like this too? Why should I live just because I’m the youngest? I’ll stay. You run!”

He smiled faintly.

“You’re not the youngest. I want to save you.”

“Still, I can’t leave you behind.”

“What can you do? Go! You fool!”

And he ran—toward the humans pursuing us.

All I could see was his back, shielding them with his entire body.

When it became impossible for them to chase me, the humans shifted their target to him. Soon, they swarmed him like a colony of ants.

“Leo!”

Blood splattered in the air, etched on my retina.

“Leo!”

He didn’t answer. Perhaps he couldn’t.

“Leo!”

My vision blurred. My precious companion was dying before my eyes. Reason left me.

I turned instinctively, intending to run to him.

Over the humans’ heads, a white arm shot up and wavered—telling me to go. To hurry.

I watched, dazed.

Humans swarming him like a feast, one of them stared at me. I recognized him. Aren, who Tyrein had favored, sharing water magic.

He licked his lips, eyes hunting a new prey.

I turned and ran again, dodging the humans trying to devour me.

The path to where I had been born was treacherous.

I ran over the sacrifices of guardians who had come to help me.

Just as I was about to shed the human body that had once felt miraculous but had become a shackle, humans pressed in again.

“Found you!”

Flesh was bitten alive. Blood flowed.

Despite the agony, why had I ever desired a human body?

I mocked my foolish kin—then cried.

They had all died under such suffering.

Chomp-chomp.

Hearing my flesh break, I made a vow.

Leo, as you said, I will not die this way.

I will not let the evil humans’ will control me.

I will create an opening.

In a thousand years, a gap to break this horrifically strong and evil magic.

Swoosh.

My eyelids lifted, my eyes opened. I was still in Giovanni’s arms.

Warmth, almost burning with life. Heavy, yet comforting scent.

I gazed at his bronzed hands, holding me tightly.

“A thousand years have passed.”

My own voice sounded strange. The me in the vision slowly overlapped with the me now.

“Awake, huh?”

Finally, we became one.

I stared at Giovanni’s hands holding me.

Thick, strong fingers of a guardian with the blood of a just and mighty protector.

I tapped his fingers, at least twice as big as mine.

“You were the key to breaking the magic.”

“Egrain?”

I smiled softly at his puzzled gaze.

“Nice to see you.”

The people of sun and fire.

The guardian who once protected us.

Possessing great power and body, yet ultimately defeated by the evil of the water people, my guardian.

Exiled to distant lands; the land untouched by spirits turned to sand.

That was the desert.

Opposing forces—the empire and the kingdom.

Because Giovanni, from the empire, had scattered the priest’s magic, I could create a gap.

I absorbed all of my kin’s power.

Weaker than a thousand years ago, yet enough to regain my original form.

Giovanni stared at me silently.

“Something happened to you. A curse?”

“What do you mean?”

“Not just your hair—your eyes changed too. Brighter now.”

“Really?”

I recalled the me Leo had seen. I could tell without looking in a mirror.

Blue hair, watery eyes—had they really changed like that?

I stared at the blue shape spreading through the air, pondering it.

“Hilda.”

The serpent’s round eyes were moist.

I could see Tyrein trembling and about to cry.

I chuckled faintly, realizing it.

No. Tyrein always cried easily.

Sensitive, prickly, often saying hateful things—many of his kin disliked him—but whenever he heard a lament, great tears fell.

We used to tease him, saying how pathetic he was.

He would glare and curse us to die.

And yet he pretends to be serious?

“Pretending to be serious! I’ve always been serious.”

Seriousness all froze away. A thousand years have passed; if it has no weight, that’s a problem too.

“I’ve always been….”

Stop. Even the last bit of weight you had is trying to fly away.

“….”

Pouting?

Tears streamed from his small eyes, similar to when he wore a human body.

“Indeed, it is you.”

“….”

Past memories were unclear, hazy. Spirits do not forget, which proves I am not yet a complete spirit.

But Tyrein crying like that remained etched somewhere in my memory.

How long had he waited, powerless, a spirit trapped in a priest’s aura, without a body?

A full thousand years.

Perhaps I should be grateful he hadn’t gone insane.

I had endured pain while being eaten alive, but I had never known the despair of surviving a thousand years.

“Tyrein….”

“That annoying tone, irritating words, unpleasant expressions too.”

“….”

“It really is you.”

“….”

Tyrein wiped his tears with his tail.

You haven’t changed a bit.

At my reluctant voice, Tyrein flicked his long tongue.

“I’ve been fixed as I was a thousand years ago. I’ve endured countless humans. I’ve waited. For the curse to end.”

Tyrein…do you still want to be absorbed into me?

My voice was calm. No tremor.

Tyrein stared silently, then shook his head slowly.

“No. I’ve changed my mind.”

Why?

I frowned. If not absorbed, Tyrein would remain in this tedious state.

“If I vanish too, you’ll be alone.”

I held back the rising emotions, giving no sign.

The despair of having no kin nearby remained locked inside.

The one who wanted to end this life most of all must have been Tyrein, who had endured a thousand years.

I’m fine.

“You didn’t listen properly to what your guardian said.”

Tsk. His serpent tongue flicked sharply.

“Acting tough.”

I was speechless again. Embarrassed, awkward, shy, I spoke bluntly.

If you insist, I won’t stop you.

Tyrein chuckled, twirling his tail, floating in the air.

After a brief, joyful flight, he suddenly put his face right in front of me.

“Hilda.”

“Yes.”

“Nice to see you again.”

“….”

“Thank you for returning.”

My eyes burned.

I returned. Freed from the seal.

“I’m the one who should thank you for enduring.”

“….”

Thank you for saving me.

“….”

Without you and the fire people, I wouldn’t have been able to shed my body even halfway. Then I wouldn’t have been able to break the magic.

“….”

Thank you.

The cries of my kin dying, their screams whipping in my ears.

I closed my eyes gently, then opened them, seeing Tyrein holding back tears.

“At the end, when I told you to die…”

Tyrein paused, whispering with a wet voice.

“It wasn’t sincere.”

That day, during a peaceful period, we hadn’t noticed humans swallowed by greed. Before the tragedy struck, Tyrein and I quarreled as usual.

The last words I heard from Tyrein were: “Go die.”

Then, when Leo and I fled, he held back the humans from behind.

He had probably been the first to die.

“What? I never cared about that.”

My horrified expression made Tyrein’s mouth curl into a smile.

The tears I had held back fell freely.