[Unnad Island]
[Year 2995, A.H.W.-III]
"Why did you stop?"
My vacant gaze shifted from the screen panel sticking close to my face towards the voice.
The boy with long obsidian black hair stared at with his piercing golden eyes.
"Go on," he urged, gesturing toward the sand beneath us.
"Right, where was I?" I muttered, shoving the status screen aside while gazing down.
"Like I was saying, this one here is my life source which can also be said as a container for holding my life energy."
I explained as I pointed at the rough sketch I'd etched into the ground—a cylinder drawn with a stick.
Clearing away stray leaves, I added a bold horizontal line across the middle of the cylinder.
"This is my current condition; where my life source is broken and where I will die if it's not fixed."
I concluded as I smiled while dragging the stick across the cylinder, drawing a cross through it.
Aimar crouched beside , his golden eyes fixed on the drawing.
He was silent for a long mont, lost in thought, before finally speaking.
"...So," he murmured, his voice unusually subdued. "How long do you have?"
"Two years, give or take," I replied with a shrug, feigning nonchalance. "Of course, if I can get my hands on Anastasia's tears, I can repair the damage—"
"But it won't change the fact that you're still dying in two years," he cut in, his voice low and solemn.
"Unless I find a way to refill the life energy I have lost," I replied as I looked away from him.
The heat waves coming from the sea hit my face, while the shade of the tree above offered so reprieve from the sun's glare, but not much.
I closed my eyes as I drew in deep breaths to calm down.
Every inch of my body was slowly getting used to mana again.
For the last six months, I had been living alone in a dark eerie dungeon.
That too without a speck of mana to train my body.
The faint glow of the silver runes etched across my skin pulsed with each exhale.
"What now?"
I gently opened my eyes to look at Aimar.
"And now we kill the dragon," I replied as I looked deep into the forest.
"..."
Aimar looked at weirdly, still unable to comprehend the absurdity.
"Let's go," I said, giving him a light slap on the chest to snap him out of it.
He winced, grumbling sothing before reluctantly following behind .
The sound of a dried-up branch breaking echoed as we moved towards the center of the island.
Maybe it was because of the humidity, but I felt my body more sweaty and tired.
"So," I began, glancing over my shoulder at him, "did you have any contact with the outside world while you were under house arrest?"
"If you have sothing to ask, do it," Aimar replied, looking back at .
"My old man used to tell every important thing that happened."
I clenched my fist, suppressing the irritation bubbling in my chest. "What happened to Ethan?"
"He's living the dream life," Aimar replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"The entire human domain worships him as a beacon of hope... the one who'll protect them and kill you."
I chuckled softly at that, pushing aside a tangle of vines blocking our path.
"What about the church?" I threw another question at him. "...How are they doing now?"
"Terribly," he said bluntly. "After your little stunt, the humans have lost faith in them."
"It won't be long before they restore it though," I added as I rembered the story of the ga.
'They might also push forward so of the events that are supposed to happen after a few years.' Hmm.
That might be a problem.
I am already too late to be part of the First Core of the Second Ga from the start.
'I don't even know what route Elijah took.' Either way, if I was going to survive in Akasha, I'd need to ensure things unfolded on my terms—not my mother's.
"Is there nothing else you want to ask?"
My trail of thoughts halted as I shifted my gaze back at Aimar.
"No, nothing," I replied, shaking my head as I resud my walk.
The vines thickened as we pressed on, making navigation more challenging.
My amputated left hand was a hindrance, leaving to struggle one-handed.
"Not going to ask about them?" Aimar questioned, his voice harsh.
"What's there to ask?" I replied flatly.
"I've already spoken to Shyamal. The rest... aren't important."
"The fuck you an not important?" he snapped, his tone rising.
"I already know what they are up to," I replied, my tone still flat.
"Heard they joined the church and vowed to kill —."
Aimar abruptly grabbed my shoulder before jerking my body towards him. "Do you even know what made them do it?"
"Does it matte—."
"You are the reason." Grabbing my collar, he rebuked. "Your stupid stunt—killing the angels—forced them into it."
"..."
I stayed silent, staring into his fiery gaze. I hadn't noticed before, but I'd grown taller than him.
"Ashlyn was at least able to live because she is an incarnation, but you fucking almost killed Arianell."
He pushed back as he continued. "The church was planning to burn her alive just because she was close to you."
Ahhh.
I don't know how I should react to that.
I know my stupid decision must have consequences, but another person dying...
"How is she?"
I asked, looking at him.
And still, I found my tone calm.
"Helena saved her," he replied, walking past . "You destroyed a lot of lives, Azariah."
"...."
I smiled softly as I looked down at the ground.
[]
A grumpy and annoyed voice echoed in my head as I resud my walk.
'Leave him be,' I replied silently.
'He thinks I'm wrong, and he's just trying to fix in his own way.' []
'I should have run away,' I said with a shrug, the words hollow as we approached the heart of the island.
[]
'.....'
I turned silent as my mind blanked out.
A mory flashed past my eyes.
The mory of the blue-haired girl smiling brightly.
'...Stupid idiot.' My mood soured as thoughts of Christina word their way into my head.
Instinctively, my right hand reached for the necklace I wore—a keepsake that had once belonged to her.
'Couldn't you have stopped her, Inna?' I asked, my voice tinged with bitterness.
[]
'But she was too madly in love to care,' I finished with a bitter smile.
...Ahh.
The more I thought about it, the tighter my chest felt, anger bubbling within .
How much better would things have been if she had been just a little selfish?
Selfish enough to think about herself instead of .
Maybe then... maybe then, we could've been happy.
[]
'I am angry for her, Inna.' []
'...'
Co to think of it, I never told her that I loved her.
Not even once have I said it with my mouth.
[
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