Chapter 7
Finn wept his hand rapidly across his face, covering it with the reddish wood, but this time, only the angelic figure was present, its black wings dominating the entire surface. There wasn't any need to dilute his emotions.
Rose knelt beneath him while holding Finn's hand as he remained standing. The circle lit up with a faint silvery glow before fading away, taking with it the greater part of both their consciousness.
Finn occupied both bodies simultaneously, anchoring them to their main bodies. He felt every sensation from both with heightened intensity, and yet, in another sense, he felt nothing at all, neither sight nor touch.
It was as if he were submerged in deep water, unable to drown. His only role was to preserve the status quo. The slightest imbalance, and Rose's warnings would come true immediately.
…
Rose awoke in the skies.
She could feel the wind vibrating through her wings, and the metallic scent leaking from the purple clouds hovering nearly a hundred meters above the ground.
"South," she heard Ulrich's voice, guiding her path.
Beating her wings, she ascended higher into the heavens, gaining an almost complete view of the forest. To the east lay the shore from which they had come. To the west, several kilometers away, an immense ravine split the land, where the forest briefly ended before resuming on the other side. Spanning the middle of the chasm was a narrow bridge.
To the south, where she was already heading, nothing notable seemed to exist, so she circled around until Ulrich's voice redirected her to the north. She descended gently, landing only a few meters from the trees, where she heard branches snapping nearby.
She moved closer and soon spotted the source of the noise, a feminine silhouette dressed entirely in white, sprinting through the forest at full speed with a box clutched in her hands.
What is she running from like that?
Rose expected to see a Fallen, or something similar, like some wild beast, but to her surprise, it was another human who emerged.
…
There was a broad, dark-skinned man with blood smeared across his face and a large scar running the length of his arm pursuing a woman through the forest.
"Marie, I don't want to hurt you. Just give it to me," he said, closing the distance between them.
Marie didn't reply. She bit her lip, then, in one swift motion, kicked off her shoes mid-run.
She hurled the box aside before turning to face her attacker. With a sharp movement, she drew a dagger from her waist and aimed it straight between his eyes.
He dodged just in time, the blade slicing past his temple and carving away part of his left ear. He let out a low growl before counterattacking, his fist slammed into Marie's side, forcing blood from her mouth as he sent her crashing into a tree, nearly knocking her unconscious.
She tried to rise, unsuccessfully, and stretched her hand toward the box in a final struggle.
"It's the Lord's box… he needs it," she gasped.
"Damn it," he muttered, picking up the box and stepping toward her, his gaze threatening. "What kind of brainwashing do they put you through in that church to make you this loyal? There is no Lord anymore, and even if those bastards were still here, it wouldn't change a thing…"
"I can change everything, in fact."
The voice interrupted him.
He turned sharply, and the sight nearly dropped him to his knees. A young boy stood about ten meters away, approaching without fear.
"Your Highness?"
"Ah, so I'm no longer a bastard now, Vera?" the boy replied, drawing his sword. "Step away from her."
"Stay where you are!" Vera shouted, moving toward the woman who was slowly regaining consciousness.
"One more step and I'll blow her head off," he threatened, pressing both hands against her temples.
"Try," the boy replied, his gaze unreadable. "And I hope you can blow yours off too before I reach you."
Vera hesitated, then increased the pressure, drawing screams of pain.
"You think I'm afraid of you, Khan?"
"Of course," Khan said, halting his advance. Only a dozen steps separated them now.
"Why take a hostage otherwise? You're afraid of me. You hesitate, and that's only natural."
"We'll see who hesitates—"
Those were his last words.
His world flipped upside down, and his vision spun into the air. It took him half a second to understand his new predicament.
His head had left his body.
Near his collapsing corpse stood a woman with jet-black hair, clad entirely in black, a bloodied sword in her hand. She had just decapitated him without hesitation, wearing that same smile.
"You really took your time, Stella," Khan remarked, bending down to retrieve Marie's dagger.
"Sorry, Your Highness," she said solemnly. "I was busy hunting the other one with the bow."
"I see," Khan replied, before flicking his wrist and throwing the knife deep into the forest canopy.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Nothing," Khan said as he picked up the box, a satisfied smile on his face. "Take Marie. We're leaving."
…
Cold sweat ran down Rose's back, she had almost lost her life.
How did he see me from down there?
Regaining her composure, she rushed toward her original destination, the source of the light. She had to hurry. She could feel Finn weakening; they had only seconds left.
As she drew closer, the light became clearer. Moments later, she could see a shimmering tree taking shape in the distance.
But the instant she neared it, a wave of dread washed over her. Had she still been in her human body, she would have been paralyzed with her own hesitation.
Before she could identify the source of the chill, she noticed a familiar silhouette near the tree, the Mermaid, her gaze fixed on the sky.
And then, even with hundreds of meters between them, Rose was certain.
Their eyes met.
She tried to turn back immediately, but before she could even beat her wings, she saw the Mermaid spread her hands. An arc of crimson blood slowly took the shape of a bow.
A fraction of a second later, the arrow streaked through the air and pierced Rose's skull.
She was dead.
…
Finn opened his eyes with a splitting migraine, as though his brain had been pierced by a dozen needles. But his mind cleared quickly, allowing him to hear screams of agony.
"Evergrim—"
She was clutching her head with both hands, droplets of tears trickling from the corner of her eye.
"What happened?" Ulrich asked gravely.
"I don't know!" Finn shouted, grabbing her shoulders.
''Calm down, we are still alive.''
He removed his mask and placed it over her face.
"Calm down. We are still alive."
The screams faded, dissolving into silence as the girl slowly regained control.
Finn released her and looked straight into her eyes.
"Are you alright now?"
"I think so," Rose replied, her breathing ragged, the p
ain fading, or ignored.
She paused, then slowly raised her hand to cover the left side of her mask.
"Finn,"
"What?"
"I can't see.")