Cornelia turned slowly in place, her breath uneven, her chest rising and falling as if she had just run through fire.
The camp around her looked wrong.
Too quiet.
Too blood to look at.
Bodies lay scattered where the battle had torn through, armored forms sprawled in the dirt, weapons half buried, banners torn and soaked dark.
The air still carried the thick sll of blood and scorched mana, and every ti she inhaled, her head throbbed harder, as if sothing inside her skull was trying to claw its way out.
"Cain?" she called, her voice hoarse, cracking on the second syllable.
No answer ca. Only the low moan of the wind passing through shattered tents and snapped pikes.
Her heart jumped. The last thing she rembered clearly was rage. A red, drowning rage that had swallowed everything else. Humans. Holy light.
Pain that would not stop scratching at her skin. After that, there was nothing but fragnts, blurred images that refused to line up properly.
Cain had been taken as a hostage.
She knew that much with terrifying certainty.
Cornelia staggered forward, boots crunching against broken stone and dried blood. She forced her legs to move faster, scanning every unconscious face she passed. Blood Knights. Vanguard elites. So breathing shallowly, so barely at all. None of them were Cain.
"Cain," she called again, louder now, panic leaking into her voice despite her effort to keep it steady. "Answer ."
Inside, sothing twisted. A tight, ugly fear she had not felt in centuries. She pressed a hand to her chest, fingers digging into armor as if that might stop her heart from tearing itself apart.
Where are you?
Her gaze darted from body to body. Every fallen figure made her breath hitch. Every unfamiliar shape sent a spike of dread through her spine. She moved faster, ignoring the way her vision swam, ignoring the ringing in her ears that grew louder with every step.
Behind her, sprawled awkwardly against a collapsed supply cart, Cain lay very still.
’Woman you vixen, don’t look for . I am tired’, he thought, eyes shut tight, body deliberately slacking. ’You made move so much. After you got unconscious, you were seriously injured. Do you know how frantic I was looking for blood to heal you? And worse, because you were hurt, my body punished by going hungry. I was forced to hunt the two weakass Emperors of two planes just to stabilize things. And you almost kissed . Mouth to mouth. Don’t co near. I am still not in the mood.’
Cornelia froze mid-step.
Her eyes widened slightly, her fingers curling at her side.
She beca unconscious?
The Chira Ant Emperor?
Her thoughts tangled, mories slamming back into her head like a broken dam.
Blood rain.
Screams.
Two terrifying presences roaring in fury from above.
A crimson barrier.
Cain’s laughter echoing through the sky.
Her stomach dropped.
I saw it all!
Due to her new Overgod Blood, when she was raging her instincts were sensitive, even if the enemy were far away.
She swallowed and forced herself to breathe slowly, carefully schooling her expression. If Cain was thinking like this, that ant he was nearby.
Alive. Hiding.
Good.
Very good.
Cornelia turned, placing a hand dramatically against her temple. "Ah... my head," she murmured, pitching her voice loud enough to carry. "I don’t rember anything. How did this happen?"
There was a pause.
Then Cain groaned weakly from sowhere to her left. "Of course you don’t," he said, voice strained, uneven, perfectly pitched to sound injured. "It’s because of traitors."
Cornelia turned toward the sound, eyes wide, lips parting. She saw him then, half collapsed against debris, one arm hanging limply, blood sared across his clothes.
He looked terrible.
Pale.
Fragile.
Exactly the opposite of the monster her mories whispered about.
But then her heart suddenly clenched painfully.
"Traitors?" she repeated softly, stepping closer.
Cain coughed and nodded, forcing himself to get out of her sight with visible effort "Your great great Captain Cedrick," he said bitterly. "The new recruits he brought into the Moonshade Blood Knights. They freed the humans. Let them attack you to gauge the strength of the family."
Cornelia’s brows knit together.
"They tried to kidnap ," Cain continued, anger slipping into his tone. "And worse, they used a curse on . A curse. On . It was too stupid. I have natural immunity. I’m an Overgod. Naturally, it backfired and blasted them."
He sighed deeply, sagging again. "It was stressful. Very stressful."
Cornelia’s vision blurred as mories surged fully back into place. Cain standing before her. Cain bleeding. Cain reaching for her even as she lost control. His hand at her jaw. Warm blood on her tongue. The way her rage had vanished in an instant.
Tears welled up before she could stop them.
"I... I saw it," she whispered that only she could hear, voice trembling. "Even when I was roaring, I saw it all."
Cain looked beca impatient, why isn’t she saying anything.
"You saved ," she said, eyes shining as she stepped closer. "You were hurt because of ."
Guilt crashed down on her like a wave. Her knees felt weak. She bowed her head, fists clenching at her sides. "I’m sorry," she said, the words breaking. "I lost myself again. You shouldn’t have had to—"
She stopped, cheeks burning as another mory surfaced. How close their faces had been. How she had leaned in without thinking.
Her ears turned red.
But she kept it hidden.
Behind half-lidded eyes, Cain was curious.
Before he could respond, groans rippled through the camp.
One by one, the Vanguard Blood Knights began to stir.
A gauntleted hand twitched.
A helm rolled aside.
A soldier coughed violently, spitting blood into the dirt.
"What... what happened?" one knight rasped, pushing himself upright with visible effort.
"I rember holy light," another muttered. "And then pain. Gods, my head."
"Did we lose?" a third asked, panic creeping into his voice.
Cornelia straightened imdiately, wiping her eyes and forcing calm into her posture. She turned toward them, authority settling over her like a cloak.
"No, a passing beast," she said evenly. "A powerful one released a shockwave. You were all knocked unconscious."
The knights blinked, confused, but relief flickered across their faces.
"A beast?" one repeated. "So... the humans?"
"Gone," Cornelia said simply.
That was enough. No one questioned it further. They were too exhausted, too battered, too grateful to be alive.
As they struggled to their feet, murmurs spread through the ranks. Relief. Confusion. Awe.
Then Cornelia turned back, her gaze searching the camp once more.
"My husband," she said.
Every knight froze.
"Husband?" soone echoed.
She did not notice the way Cain flinched.
"Find him," Cornelia commanded sharply. "What are you all dawdling for? Move."
The camp erupted into motion.
Cain’s heart skipped. Fuck. Fuck. He tried to sink lower, to look smaller, but boots were already crunching closer.
Whatever.
He sucked in a breath, forced his body to tremble, and pushed himself upright, staggering forward.
"Cornelia," he croaked, voice breaking. "Cornelia..."
She spun around instantly.
"Cain!"
He took three unsteady steps and then stumbled, falling forward.
Cornelia rushed to him, armor clanking, but before she could fully catch him, Cain dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around her legs, clutching her tightly as if she were the only thing holding him together.
"I thought I was going to die," he sobbed, burying his face against her. "I was so scared. They dragged away. I couldn’t move. I kept thinking I’d never see you again."
Cornelia froze, then slowly, carefully, placed a hand on his head.
Her chest ached.
"I’m here," she said softly. "You’re safe."
Suddenly, Cain and everyone was shocked. What the hell!?
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