Chapter 13
Chapter 13
Her vision blazed.
Air thick with heat instantly began to scorch everything around them.
The group reflexively ran to escape the flames.
Louis carried Adrian on his back. The flames swallowed their surroundings at a rapid pace.
There was a crackling sound, and the smell of burning hair filled the air.
'No!'
Just as she thought they would be engulfed, just as she felt the fire demon reaching her back, a cool breeze enveloped the three of them. Before she could even gasp, their feet lifted into the air, and they were instantly carried to the edge of the forest.
'North Wind...'
The chill of the North Wind felt almost pleasant, which showed how intense the surrounding heat was.
Jin turned his head to look back. The light was so blinding that he couldn't see straight.
Golden radiance flickered in his vision. It was so bright that it felt dark.
Black spots flickered in his vision, as if he were trying to stare directly at the sun.
The three of them remained silent.
Soon, their speed gradually decreased, and the North Wind subsided as if it had run out of strength.
The three of them tumbled to the ground.
Normally, they would have performed a breakfall and gotten up, but they didn't have the strength.
If a Spirit couldn't maintain its power until the end, it meant something had happened to its master.
Adrian remained crouched on the ground for a moment.
Nina.
Nina.
Nina.
He was furious, beyond bearing. Rage surged first.
Why!
I told you clearly!
Adrian punched the ground several times. Then, overcome with exhaustion, he didn't even want to move a finger.
He wanted to cry.
But he pressed his lips tightly together and got to his feet. He swept back his disheveled hair and roughly wiped away the blood.
His mind turned cold.
It was as if all emotions had vanished with the rage.
If Nina was gone, his life was as good as over.
Fine, good.
You who took her from me will lose everything too.
He was still dizzy, but he could at least stand on his own two feet.
It seemed that being directly hit by the contamination was worse than the head injury.
"To be taken in by a priest sent by the temple."
His voice came out rough. Vice-Captain Louis sighed. He, too, found it difficult to compose himself.
"It seems Cultists had infiltrated the temple."
When he saw the strangely gleaming eyes of the fake priest, he thought he was just agitated and enraged by the Cultists' actions. Something felt off, but he never imagined that he would be a member of the Cultists.
Adrian bit his lip. It broke open and bled, but he didn't even feel it.
When he said there seemed to be a problem with the Barrier and asked them to come over and hold something, he never imagined that he would detonate the Barrier with a spell in an instant.
Even while listening to the spell, he only thought it was to examine the Barrier.
'You stupid bastard.'
Adrian controlled his ragged breathing. He could berate himself later.
Louis said,
"Let's return to the fortress for now. We need to check on the Captain's injuries, and Kirill is there too. We must return to Black Shield Castle."
Louis swallowed once before adding,
"We may have to activate the Great Barrier."
Jin said in a dazed voice,
"Aren't we going back? To go, to Nina..."
He didn't know what to say himself, so his words trailed off.
"We're not going back."
Adrian said that and started walking. His staggering, slow steps were now clear.
"Why? What if Nina is still alive..."
"Then she'll come back."
Adrian said lowly. Jin paused. Adrian said once more,
"If she's alive, she will definitely come back to me."
Jin lowered his head.
It was the first time his red hair looked so listless. Overcome with helplessness, he closed his eyes.
After contracting with a Spirit, Spiritcasters borrow more power from the Spirit through incantations.
But if they want even more power and ability, what they have to offer isn't just incantations. Moreover, to borrow power from a higher Spirit without even a contract...
He had heard stories of borrowing power by offering up a part of one's body.
But he never thought he would hear that incantation from Nina's lips.
Jin slowly turned around. Golden light illuminated the darkening sky.
\ \ *
"Nina, Nina."
Nina opened her eyes. She was crouching among the bushes. A familiar voice called her.
Her eyes widened.
Her older brother was smiling and reaching out his hand. Nina's face contorted.
"Oppa!"
"Let's go home."
Nina took his hand and jumped up. Her eldest brother, who was much older than her, always came to find her. He always came to find the youngest, the young her, who ran away, saying this wasn't her home.
Tears overflowed.
"Why are you crying, huh?"
Her brother lifted her up and gave her a piggyback ride. Nina buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
"I know it's a dream."
"Really? So it is."
Her brother laughed out loud. Nina ran her hands over her flowing pigtails.
'My hair was so long when I was young.'
Looking at the wheat field turning honey-colored, Nina wiped away her tears with both hands.
"Or am I dead?"
Did she cross the Glass Sea?
"No, no."
At her brother's words, Nina held onto his head tightly and said,
"Okay, so it is. Then I'll say it even if it's a dream. Thank you for loving me so much. I only caused trouble, but thank you for always loving me."
"Because Nina is the cutest Nina in the world."
At her brother's words, Nina laughed while crying. She was so happy that she didn't want to wake up forever.
"Why is our Nina crying?"
At the cheerful voice, Nina turned her head sharply. Her sister was standing there, wearing the headscarf that Nina had clumsily embroidered. She looked exactly the same as before.
"Unnie!"
Nina reached out her hand, and her brother awkwardly bent down. When Nina hugged her tightly, her sister laughed.
"Oh my, our cute Nina. You're all grown up and heavy. Our Nina, the prettiest in the world."
Nina sobbed silently. Her sister whispered softly,
"Shall we go back together?"
Nina's lips trembled. She looked up at her sister with a tear-stained face.
"No, not yet. I can't leave Adrian alone. So, so..."
Nina said, not taking her eyes off her sister's and brother's faces, as if trying not to forget them.
"I know this is a dream. I can't go back, and I won't go back. So, whoever is making me dream this... come out."
Rustle.
There was the sound of pages turning quickly, and a gust of wind blew. Nina saw all the scenery blurring.
Two figures appeared in the pure white space. No, they didn't seem to be human.
The woman wearing golden scale armor had large, curved ram horns on both sides of her head.
And her face was covered with cloth, concealing it up to her neck, so her face could not be seen.
The other person was wearing silver, shimmering plate armor, but was wearing a helmet, so their face could not be seen.
Both were about 190 centimeters tall, so Nina had to step back to see them properly.
The horned woman apologized softly.
-I'm sorry. It seems memories were mixed up while examining your soul.
The apology was different from that of a human, and she could feel that it was sincere.
So Nina soon relaxed. Besides, these weren't bad memories.
"No, it's okay. I was glad to see them. But that wasn't real, was it?"
-Isn't the remaining affection of your family within you real?
"...I guess so."
Nina said softly.
"I feel like I'm going to cry..."
-You're already crying.
The woman in scale armor reached out and wiped away her tears. It was an unceremonious gesture.
It felt somehow familiar and friendly.
So she was embarrassed, but she didn't think of refusing the touch.
"So... what's going to happen to me now? You're both Spirits, right?"
Nina asked, tilting her head, and the woman chuckled.
-Yes, we are Spirits.
A leisurely and beautiful voice. Strange. Strangely, it sounded like a voice she knew. It was familiar.
"This is going to sound really weird."
-Tell me.
"Have we ever met?"
