#158

As soon as Kihelene saw him, she collapsed on the floor, curling into herself. Her voice, filled with guilt and pain, echoed in his ears. The blood flowing from her scattered in dots on the floor. A faint smell of blood, which he hadn’t noticed before, rose.

“Kihelene, what are your wounds?”

His complex feelings for her vanished for a moment at the sight. Anger, resentment, all evaporated the moment he saw the blood flowing everywhere. He no longer wanted to see anyone die. With Arne’s blood still on his hands, he didn’t want to stain them with more.

“I… I must die… so that Kiyen… can be… free…”

Kihelene wailed, shaking her head.

“Someone like me… doesn’t deserve to live… Cullen Lord, dying is…”

She rambled, grabbing Cullen’s clothes with half-mad eyes.

“I’m, scared. I’m so scared, that’s what I hate more. I’m pathetic, I’m going crazy. If I die, Silfi will also be free, but… Silfi told me… not to die…”

Bursting into sobs, Kihelene looked at the dagger that had fallen beside Cullen. She fumbled on the floor, her posture completely lacking the noble bearing of royalty she always displayed, and picked up the dagger.

“It’s fortunate… you came, Cullen Lord. You can free Kiyen Lord. I… will die. Then Silfi won’t have to worry… about me, hic, anymore. I… must not live.”

Veins stood out on her pale hand. As soon as she gripped the dagger, Cullen quickly stopped her from moving.

He thought it was an uncharacteristic choice for her. While he understood the desire to do anything for a loved one, he also thought he wouldn’t have made such a choice.

That’s why he felt resentment, in truth. Disappointed that she had left unimaginable scars on the one he loved.

But Kihelene was a mess. He could see her going mad under the weight of the choice she had made.

If you made such a choice, you shouldn’t end up like this. Looking at her helpless, pathetic face, Cullen truly began to resent the goddess.

Why bind Kiyen?

Why give Larkan such power?

If Kihelene had just been an ordinary person, or at least royalty without such conditions, she and he could have lived their own lives.

“Kihelene, we must leave. We are leaving the palace. If you are truly sorry for the citizens you killed, you must eliminate the Zarkas and somehow revive this land. Atone with actions, not with death. Outside is utter chaos. Bandits roam, Demonic Beasts appear, and there are starving people waiting for a savior.”

At the word “atonement,” a little focus returned to Kihelene’s eyes. She struggled to open her mouth.

“But… I can’t do anything. I’m weak and pathetic. How naive and foolish I was to speak of righteousness to you, Cullen Lord… I know now.”

Kihelene’s sense of powerlessness resonated. Despite the Imperial Palace that had raised her this way, Kihelene was completely negating herself.

“I have no right to save anyone. Nor do I have the ability…”

“That is something you can find by going outside and experiencing it directly. At the very least, in difficult moments like this, people need someone to help them. You may be naive, but you are not stupid. Now, we must gather our strength…”

Cullen held her hand, the one gripping the dagger. What he said to Kihelene was similar to what he whispered to himself. The harder the times, the more one must stay focused. Otherwise, it’s the worst. Cullen forced himself to erase the image of Arne’s death that flickered before his eyes and gritted his teeth.

“The greatest threat must be eliminated first. So, for now, we must leave here and be free. If you stay here, you cannot fight freely.”

Cullen spoke deliberately, with force. At his words, Kihelene flinched and looked up at Cullen.

“Why are you… trying to save me?”

Cullen answered her question with a question.

“Do you like people dying, Kihelene?”

At Cullen’s words, Kihelene slowly shook her head. Tears began to fall again from her eyes. The word “death” seemed to have touched her guilt again.

“I don’t like it either. Those who should die are the perpetrators of this incident. Not the victims caught in revenge and mockery, but those who have crossed the line and become murderers. Those are the ones who must die. Not those who could have lived, but die due to fleeting emotions.”

Cullen extended his hand. Kihelene blinked her tear-soaked eyelashes, then slowly took his hand. Their gazes met. As he helped her up and reached for the dagger, Kihelene said.

“Please let me hold this.”

Her voice was firmer than before. As Cullen looked down at her, Kihelene straightened her body. Despite her trembling legs and tear-streaked face, she tried to remain upright.

“So that I can play at least a minimal role when a dangerous moment comes. As you said, Cullen, I… must atone by living.”

Kihelene stood up on her own and released Cullen’s hand. Their violet eyes, the same color, met. After a short silence, Cullen nodded. Then, he led her out of the sleeping quarters.

The moment they stepped over the threshold of the sleeping quarters, they were met by a violet sky. The moon was rising in the sky, where darkness had begun to settle in. It was a full moon so enormous that it wouldn’t be strange if it collided with the Imperial Palace. Silver light spread everywhere.

“This way.”

As soon as they left the door, a voice called out from the left. There stood a woman with her green hair tied up, and Lasano, covered in a robe. More blood splattered his cheeks than before. Blood dripped, drip, drip, from his hanging hand.

The green-haired woman was Junon. She had far more scars than before, and her body was half-transformed into a Demonic Beast-like form. Kihelene flinched and clung to Cullen’s back, prompting Junon to wear a troubled expression. Lasano stepped forward and spoke.

“We haven’t been able to reach Ulli yet. Iris woke up, and those she sent came here, so Junon and I just dealt with them. Now, we’re going to Ulli, so you two should go to the North Palace. And it would be best if you left here, as far away as possible.”

Lasano’s expression was completely gone. His reddened eyes and cheeks, bearing traces of tears, were detached from a face that looked like a hollowed-out soul. As he turned to leave, Cullen spoke.

“I must meet Ulli again.”

“I will bring them out alive, somehow. We should decide on a meeting place.”

Junon listened to their conversation with a skeptical expression, then swept her hair back and blurted out.

“The capital will be destroyed, so meet at the closest place. The temple of Goddess Aksha, that’s the closest and safest place. If you ride, you can get there in a few days…”

Junon’s face darkened.

“We won’t be able to enter, but at least the vicinity will be safe.”

Upon hearing the name of the temple of Goddess Aksha, Cullen harbored a sliver of hope. Perhaps if he took Arne there, she could be saved.

The High Priest would be there. If Lasano used his healing power, which could no longer be used, somehow… it might be possible. He had never heard of someone being brought back from the dead, but Cullen forced himself to think so.

“You must live.”

At Cullen’s low whisper, Lasano met his eyes. He opened his mouth.

“I will live again, even in death.”

He finished speaking and turned away. Junon, who had been watching them with a troubled face, also turned to follow Lasano, and said to Kihelene.

“Run, Princess. Don’t die. That’s what’s best for Yurisis.”

At the mention of Yurisis, Kihelene flinched and looked at Junon, but she moved away quickly. Cullen and Kihelene watched for a moment as the two disappeared into the darkness in an instant.

Kihelene then pulled Cullen, who was gazing at the spot where Lasano had vanished with a weary face.

“Let’s go, Cullen.”

Kihelene, saying this, bit her lip to hold back tears.

Leading the listless Kihelene, Cullen began to run towards the North Palace. The wind blew coldly along the long road, ruffling Cullen’s hair. His instantly frozen hands were stained red with Arne’s dried blood, and the corners of his eyes, where tears had flowed, stung and froze.

Pushing through the gale that made strange roaring sounds, they ran towards Kiyen’s residence, which was slowly coming into view. The closer they got to the residence, the larger the moon became. As if following them, the moon gradually drew closer to the ground. The sound of the wind, like the whispers of specters, echoed from all sides. It was desolate and chilling.

Finally, Cullen arrived before the residence of someone he hadn’t seen in a long time, someone he missed. The moment he took in the strange, triangular structure, a strong emotion surged. Without hesitation, Cullen moved forward, intending to enter immediately. He intended to.

His body, weary from a long journey and hardship, somehow sensed the threat. Cullen, who had almost let his guard down, reacted to the killing intent flying towards him and Kihelene. Instinctively, he rolled and pushed Kihelene in the opposite direction. The wrist that pushed her was scratched by a sharp piece of metal. Though it seemed like a shallow scratch, blood spurted out.

“Cullen!”

As Kihelene called out to him, her eyes wide, a voice came from behind.

“Did you think I’d let you escape like a rat, Larkan?”

Cullen’s expression hardened, and he turned his gaze. There stood a woman with long white hair cascading down. While her age was impossible to gauge precisely, her face looked as if she had aged drastically in a short time.

Her face, with its red eyes burning with hatred and green eyes, was covered in strange markings. They were markings he had seen on Ulli as well.

Without anyone telling him, Cullen knew who she was. As if confirming her identity, Kihelene glared at her and spat out.

“Leave Cullen alone, you demon!”

“A demon is your grandfather, you useless Larkan wench.”

The woman, casting a hateful gaze at Kihelene, reached out her hand. The dagger that had grazed Cullen aimed for his neck again. Cullen instinctively swung his sword. Not the sword he always used, but the violet sword he had received from Lasano.

Though it wasn’t an action he had anticipated, the sword, with more power than expected, struck the dagger the woman had thrown with a ‘CLANG!’. At the sight, the woman’s eyes widened.

“You!”

Iris stepped forward. Kihelene backed away, distancing herself from her, and Cullen blocked her path.

“How could a sword that couldn’t even cut paper… deflect this?”