I arrived home utterly spent.
Dragging my feet through the doorway, I made my way to the kitchen and abandoned the massive serpent's carcass there without a second thought.
At that moment, I had no desire to face my wife. A strange, suffocating aversion had swallowed me whole.
My mental state was a tinderbox; I was a ticking bomb, and I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't ignite a conflict over nothing at all.
Seeking an escape, I hurried to the bathroom, desperate to cleanse myself—both inside and out.
I lingered in the shower far longer than necessary, obsessively scrubbing away every lingering trace of blood from the hunt.
More than anything, I needed to be alone. I needed a moment to gather the shattered pieces of my psyche.
Whenever I witnessed my hand in the midst of its reconstruction, my stomach churned with visceral disgust.
The way the tissues and bones wove themselves back together, struggling to return to their original form, made me loathe my own nature.
It looked like a mass of writhing, twitching worms under my skin.
And all of this was happening inside my own body.
The rhythmic chattering of my teeth did nothing to soothe the revulsion blooming in my chest.
I lost count of how many times I felt a compulsive urge to hack my own arm off again simply.
The sight was unbearable. To erase the memory, I would press my palms against my head with violent force, trying to crush the images out of my mind.
This was exactly why I couldn't face anyone. I was a disaster waiting to happen.
Eventually, the shower ended. I reached the bathroom door, ready to leave the steam behind.
Then, in the blink of an eye, the world tilted.
I slipped.
Huh?
Instinctively, I reached out to grab anything for support, but my fingers found only empty air.
BAM.
A heavy, sickening thud echoed through the room as I hit the floor.
For a long moment, I couldn't even process reality.
There was no physical pain from the impact, and no actual damage had been done, yet I remained paralysed.
A look of pure bewilderment settled on my face. My mouth hung open, gasping for air as if I were drowning on dry land.
I didn't move for minutes.
Every dark memory from the day began to replay behind my eyelids like a grotesque montage.
I saw the serpent severing my arm.
I saw my skin and flesh dissolving within that foul, acidic mist with its nauseating stench.
"Hahaha..."
An involuntary laugh escaped my throat.
Soon, tears were streaming down my face from the sheer intensity of the outburst.
I remained there for minutes, caught in a wave of hysterical laughter until every ounce of my energy was spent.
When the laughter finally died down, only one realisation remained.
"Life really is a bitch... it truly has no regard for anyone's feelings."
A strange sense of relief washed over me after uttering those embarrassing words—words I would never want anyone to hear.
Regardless of the shame, the weight on my chest felt lighter after finally saying it out loud.
I stayed on the floor, smiling vacantly for an unknown amount of time, until my jaw began to ache and my throat grew parched.
Finally, I stood up without a sound and threw myself onto the bed.
I ignored the thought of washing up again; I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to sleep after what was arguably the worst day of my life.
Misfortunes never come alone. Despite my exhaustion, sleep did not welcome me with open arms. It rejected me.
I had to force myself into unconsciousness through sheer trickery.
I tried entering a lucid dream, counting to a thousand, and focusing obsessively on my breathing.
Eventually, my brain grew tired of the struggle and simply shut itself off.
...
Today is easily the best day I've had since I got married.
I woke up with an incredible sense of relief and a newfound lightness in my step.
Since I had plenty of free time on my hands, I decided to spend it cleaning the bedroom and the kitchen.
The process was surprisingly enjoyable, making me feel like a responsible, capable housewife for a change.
I didn't follow Theo clandestinely today as I usually do.
I decided to retire from that role now that he has grown accustomed to the rhythm of the hunt.
He isn't a novice anymore.
Besides, I had already cleared out the third-level beasts in that area myself.
There are no monsters left near him that pose a significant threat, so I felt confident letting him handle things on his own.
To ward off any potential boredom, I decided to spend my afternoon immersed in the library.
I prepared some tea and light sweets to accompany my reading, making sure to dress in something elegant and comfortable.
I deserved to pamper myself today.
I attribute this wonderful mood entirely to what happened last night.
I have to admit... intimacy really is the best tool for flushing out negative thoughts and frustrations.
I enjoyed every detail of the previous night.
My only slight disappointment was that Theo didn't seem to enjoy it as much as I did; he looked quite exhausted.
I hope he reaches the third level soon so he doesn't feel so much pressure during our time together.
Honestly, I'm already looking forward to tonight.
Shaking off those distracting thoughts, I settled into my chair and began to read with focused intensity.