Chapter 170: Resolve to Die, Reason to Live (7)
As I was running straight back the way we came as Michael advised, I couldn’t help but despair. There was no end to this road, even though we should be seeing the entrance soon as it hadn’t been that long since we entered the forest.
‘So from the start…’
This was not a place we could escape from, unless we get rid of Somnifer, the master of this forest.
“Come here.”
Leading Abel, who was carrying the sword the length of his own height, as well as Deborah, I went off the road into the forest.
To hide from Somnifer — and Michael, who was probably having his mind controlled by Somnifer — chasing after us, hiding was the better option.
“M-mother…”
Abel and Deborah dug into my bosom, trembling.
My hand soothing them were trembling just the same.
‘What should I do?’
I could not think of a way at all.
Perhaps because of the limit put on the forest, mana was sealed and there was nothing I could do.
The same went for Abel who had the abilities to fight against Somnifer.
“I-I am too… use…less… when mother had asked me to h-help…I…”
Abel wiped his eyes with a tiny hand that could barely hold a sword.
“No, no, Abel.”
‘This isn’t Abel’s fault.’
I soothed the crying child, trying to keep my calm in the process.
“We must get out of here safe and sound. We can do that. To do that, we must find the core of that monster we’ve just saw, ant then, and then…”
I muttered with Abel and Deborah sitting before me side by side and gulped as I saw two children’s face deadly pale. Their eyes were opened wide, looking behind my back.
I turned around slowly.
‘This…quickly?’
Michael was behind me. I thought he would not be free of Somnifer’s webs until his memories were all read, but he looked just fine.
Did he manage to escape?
No, that was not it. He wasn’t fine, his mentality, fragile enough to break from slight touch, couldn’t last even a few minutes and gave in.
“Ig…nis…”
I forced myself up with trembling legs and stood before Abel and Deborah, facing him. Michael’s worn out, murky blue eyes stared right at me.
As his hand rose slowly to run through my hair and pat down my cheeks, I stood trembling, too fearful to even close my eyes.
It felt as if everything would end the moment I closed my eyes shut. A tear rolled down from my eyes that I forced open and tickled my cheek.
“Kagh!”
“Mother!”
Michael’s two hands strangled my neck.
“Kagh, hii…”
My body was lifted in the air and my breath turned ragged. Michael merely stared at me suffering nonchalantly.
[Hihihihihi…!]
Swoosh-
With a hair-raising sound, Somnifer caught up with Michael and tilted its head with its eyes gleaming.
[So here you were.]
“Kyyyaaaaaa!”
Deborah shrank and screamed at Somnifer’s sudden appearance, while Abel charged at Michael right away.
Because of Abel who charged between us, Michael lost his grip on me and fell backwards.
“Kagh…hagh!:”
The moment my blocked breathing was released, my vision spun, and I felt dizzy.
When I barely managed to catch my breath and quickly looked ahead, I saw Abel standing before Deborah and me.
Although he was shaking visibly, he moved swiftly. The way he pulled out the sword he was dragging out of its sheath looked rather difficult for him. Somnifer laughed.
[Fehehehe… and what are you going to do with that thing? What an amusing child.]
Somnifer had fully recovered from its mangled state, having fed on Michael’s memories.
Although Abel bravely rose holding the handle of the sword and aimed it at approaching Michael, it looked like it was difficult for him to even handle its weight.
Looking at the tip of the sword keep slipping down, Laughter escaped Somnifer’s mouth once more.
[Hihihi…!]
“Don’t come any closer!”
Despite Abel’s shouting, Michael kept approaching.
“Ah!”
The moment Abel closed his eyes shut and swung the sword, Michael snatched his wrist limply.
Clank-!
Michael threw away the sword he snatched from him at once.
“Ah…”
“No!”
Smack-!
Michael swung his fist in full force. Abel’s small body flew far and rolled.
“A-Abel!”
My vision became blurry.
Whack, whack, whack-!
Michael’s expression was still aloof as he ruthlessly kicked down on a small, powerless child.
“S-stop…!”
Crawling on my knees, I grabbed at Michael’s leg and held on.
His movement stopped momentarily.
“A-Abel. Are you al… hagh!”
I didn’t even have time to check the state Abel was in as he was rolling around coughing blood.
I fell limply backwards by the hand snatching barbarically the back of my head.
“Kagh!”
Michael mounted on my sprawled body and started strangling me once more.
“Kah, gh…”
I clung onto Michael’s hand around my neck in an attempt to take it off me, but it was no use.
I was out of breath again and my vision blurred. Only Michael’s lifeless blue eyes were vibrant.
[Hmm… How delicious would memories of a poor soul that gets killed like this every time be?]
Somnifer’s voice seeped distantly into my ears.
An unpleasant, sharp spiderweb started crawling onto my hands holding Michael’s hands.
‘Ah… no.’
It was hard enough to face Michael when he was under mind control, so I couldn’t be drowning in Somnifer’s hypnosis as well.
What about Abel? And Deborah?
When I barely turned around, I saw Abel barely opening his eyes and Deborah in the corner curled up.
‘Run.’
Even in this extreme pain, I would not die. Not until I kill Abel.
But I could not guarantee myself after I got my mind controlled by Somnifer.
Like how Michael turned like this…
‘Please.’
‘Run.’
My mind felt distant. I wasn’t even in a dream yet painful memories came seeping in.
* * *
Tying down Aisha’s body and slowly absorbing her memories, Somnifer gave out an exclamation of surprise.
[M-my word.]
[Poor Ignis.]
[A sibling’s soul in your lover’s body? What kind of trick of fate could this be?]
[Hihihihihi…]
Giving out a creepy laughter, Somnifer moved its many legs to approach closely.
[Let’s see here! I have a very entertaining thought. It would be a waste to see such a sight on my own, it’s a good thing we have an audience.]
Somnifer looked at Abel rolling around wincing and gave a snicker.
Feeling the pain yet vibrating in his stomach, Abel forced his eyes open as he coughed blood.
[Look closely. This will be fun.]
Michael strangled Aisha as he mounted her, suddenly let go and swayed witlessly for some reason.
Somnifer approached close and raised its hideous leg to scrape Michael’s cheek as if stroking it.
[Poor son of the Father. Dear Ignis. How would it be for you to be in a tragedy where you force yourself on the sibling who shared life with you, and kill your lover?]
Michael’s head tilted, his eyes still lifeless.
“Pull yourself together…”
Avoiding the drooping head close enough as if to kiss, Aisha squeezed her words out. She was currently in the process of being controlled by Somnifer’s hypnosis that played horrifying memories. Although she knew she would not last long and lose consciousness, she fought back with everything she had.
“Please…”
Michael’s lips mislanded on Aisha’s wet cheeks, hot breath escaping between the lips.
[Hihihihihi…!]
With a chilling laugh, Michael’s hand rose. Feeling the hands ripping apart the front of the already worn out dress with a rip, Aisha closed her eyes tight and shouted.
“Please!”
“Arrrgh!”
Just then,
Deborah, who was trembling in the corner, held onto a dagger she got from who-knows-where and charged at Michael’s back.
[Ohh, no no.]
“Kya!”
Michael turned around like a beast and whooshed his arm once. Deborah’s small body bounced off limply, rolling on the ground.
[Hihihihihi… Why are you trying to ruin this entertaining play, child?]
Being hit hard, Deborah rolled on the floor coughing.
‘Why…’
At that moment, Abel Louvremont thought.
Seeing all this horrid scene before him, all he could do was coughing up blood every now and then.
‘I’m so…’
Powerless.
‘…useless, father. ‘
He always was from the start. Since the moment he got picked up by Hades and arrived at Louvremont castle…
He always brought trouble for him, and in the end, it seemed that he wouldn’t even be able to keep his request, which may perhaps be his last.
‘You asked me to look after mother. What if I cannot keep my promise?’
A mere foolish child, not as strong as father and couldn’t even hold up a sword properly.
‘I’m sorry, father.’
As tears rolled down, the tip of his hand gave away limply.
The sword lay close by, thrown there just like himself.
He could sense its cold handle, the sword he was holding onto with his life.
It was a sword he couldn’t even lift.
“Ah…”
Biting his lips sensing his own powerlessness, Abel drew back his small hand, then halted.
He could suddenly feel something he had put in his pants pocket.
A vial of potion he received from Roxa before entering the forest.
-A potion that grants wishes.
-I call it ‘accumulation of earnest soul.’
Perhaps in this forest where all elemental magic is sealed, this potion made of mana beyond elements may be the only useful thing.
Abel forcefully moved his hand to take the vial out of his pocket.
* * *
-Mother, I am ready.
-Please don’t be sad.
-I love you.
-I was happy to have met you.
The reason why swarming memories are so painful, was because even throughout those numerous punishments, the child had not once blamed me.
The child never changed, whether he was killed at a young age when he was too young to know anything, or when he was killed after experiencing all the joys of life; whenever it may be…
Not once did he blame me, sometimes even smiling and soothing me not to be sad.
‘I can’t, if even I get mind controlled…’
Though I knew that I must overcome this wave of memories from the past to prevent having my mind controlled by Somnifer, it was not easy.
I could not overcome the pain of those numerous times of punishment crashing down on me at once.
‘I can’t, I really… I must protect Abel…’
I was in a state where I couldn’t even sense Michael’s heavy weight on top of me.
My fading mind slowly started to wither away and…
At the end of swarming memories, I could see the face of a child I saw in this life.
Abel.
Ah…
Don’t tell me, is this how I would be seeing the future where I kill you?
[Mother!]
Abel’s face became clear as he was calling me with a brilliant smile.
“Mother!”
At that moment, a moment where a slightly unfamiliar voice shattered the overlapping vision,
Blam-!
“Uck!”
My body felt light. I could see Michael getting flung backwards as if passing by.
As my out of focus gaze slowly cleared up, there stood before me…
Him, looking down at me with a worried look on his face.
Looking as clean and fine like when we parted, with the sword Abel carried in one hand.
‘Hades?’
Why would he be here?
Hoping this isn’t an illusion that would fade away quickly, I focused my gaze and strained my eyes.
No, that wasn’t him.
I thought it was Hades, but…
it was someone else’s face, that looked surprisingly like him.
‘Who…’
He looked down at me with a heart breaking look on his face as if he would tear up at any moment.
“Mother.”
He spoke.