The silence was absolute.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcw35HCGVNb
The darkness swallowed him, swallowed his thoughts, his pain, his existence.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmHRaHUvYm
He felt nothing.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBBd9h2QyXp
He didn’t know how much time had passed, seconds, minutes, hours? Or maybe he would never open his eyes again? Maybe he was gone?
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJwmzxK2bRC
But then… something called him.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQCN8UNaGlN
First it was a whisper, as gentle as a gust of wind, inaudible to normal ears.
Then a throbbing pain, still distant, like an echo of something that should have left him by now.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhVZwPYqOvI
And finally, light.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvviEUGfrT
Not bright, not jarring. Warm. Familiar.
And then everything came back.
The pain. The loss of blood. The weight of his own body.
And someone’s hands on his face.
Soft, trembling fingers moved across his cheek, squeezing slightly, as if to call him back, not to let him go. Someone’s voice, still trembling with emotion.
“Kigami… I beg you…”
Kimoko.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ33KWxPrt1u
He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt too heavy.
“ Please, don’t go…”
Her voice broke, filled with despair. She was so close that he could feel her breath on his skin, feel her long hair fall over his chest, feel her holding his hand with a strength he hadn’t expected from her.
Somewhere in the distance he could hear voices. Someone was screaming, someone was running, maybe someone was fighting… but none of that mattered.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8pbi54fcfT
Only she mattered.
“ Don’t leave me…”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMy1rRU531N
He could feel tears falling on his skin, warm drops that burned him more than any wound.
Kimoko… was she crying?
And then his heart started beating faster.
Kigami took his first, shallow, rasping breath. He choked, and the taste of blood filled his mouth.
The air hit his lungs like fire. He moaned quietly, trying to focus his vision. Everything was hazy, but he could make out a blurred figure leaning over him.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc0ZTXKoq6L
Kimoko.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvS0zhyS2Sh
Tears glistened on her cheeks, and her fingers clutched his arms.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpWcxTqgJ6d
“Kigami!” Her voice was desperate, and when she saw him move, her breath escaped her lips in a spasm of relief.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPhznnMCb4
He didn’t have the strength to answer, but he tried.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5uRU6jvb0S
“Shhh… Don’t move…” Her hands, still shaking, pressed against his wound, as if she could stop the blood that was still seeping from the deep cut. “We have to get you out of here…” Then he realized something else.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl2z3hBNwUU
They were alone.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡywdRINMYex
His sister was gone.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw00OuGaGwk
“She…” he croaked, but Kimoko shook her head.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJB2RR14mE3
“She’s gone. But she’ll come back… She’ll come back if we don’t move as soon as possible.” Her words were true. She’ll come back. And if she finds him here…
Adrenaline surged through his body, ignoring the pain, ignoring the weakness.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlmxNmZiawn
“Help me…” he gasped, trying to get up.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1m2N9A29dG
“No, we shouldn’t…!” she protested, but he clenched his teeth.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQYphHmgSsf
“We can’t… stay…” Kimoko looked at him with pain, but after a moment she nodded.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx7a3l0o77B
“Fine. But if you fall on the way, I’ll kill you.” Kigami snorted quietly, and then, with her help, made an impossible effort to stand up.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ95I9q4XKG8
The world spun, and the shadows around him danced restlessly.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyTIZNlScv0
But he wasn’t going to die yet.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ91LyIa6u4N
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHl4W9cOzng
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtyqKfhvCt
- An hour later
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgBMIeuUD5O
The three of them sat around a campfire, the flames dancing in the silence of the night. The lights of Amoria flickered in the distance, and the air was crisp and cool.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0si6tKpTMz
Kimoko sighed, slowly running her fingers through Kigami’s disheveled hair. His head rested on her lap, and her touch seemed to bring him back to reality.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsMcb4F69Wd
The demon stirred slightly, and his eyes opened lazily. He blinked a few times, getting used to the warm light of the fire. His body ached, every breath reminding him of the wound, but… he was alive.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5GFRIEriT3
He looked up. Kimoko was looking at him with relief, although her face was still tense. He felt the warmth of her hand in his hair, and for a moment he allowed himself to close his eyes, savoring this brief moment of peace.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeFeO4uhSS9
Kimoko sighed again, but this time differently.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdME1mJWVZ0
She couldn’t understand it. She was so close to regaining her freedom… and yet she stayed to save his life.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5xSRJol4mT
She didn’t know if she did it because he had once saved her, or maybe… because of something deeper.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsI77UlKl32
She squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to believe it was true, it couldn’t be true, he was her enemy.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHoQeUA3v4M
But her heart told her otherwise.
“You stayed with him… out of love.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMJwoAsuwb
She opened her eyes, her fingers still moving gently in the demon’s hair. This time, he was the one looking at her.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7BfnI4pAH
“How long did I sleep?” he croaked, his voice hoarse and tired.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡazEYh1jfvC
“Half an hour,” she replied quietly. “And it’s still a miracle you’re not dead.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT5WHryNZOd
Kigami smiled crookedly.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwv5Fq8lhG7
“See? I’m not that easy to kill.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8me00nTwJ
Kimoko snorted, but a hint of amusement danced in her eyes.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NHjFLYbe4
“You’re an idiot.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiPFCPFqWnX
“But your favorite idiot,” he replied with a faint smile.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9PAdkZAMf2
She sighed, unable to argue with him.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8vvZ3HzXfM
The night sounds of the forest could be heard in the background. Somewhere in the distance, a lone wolf howled, and the shadows of the trees moved in the wind.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡILVRHSL7BA
On the other side of the fire, Estella lay curled up in a ball, breathing evenly. Kimoko guessed that she had fallen asleep from exhaustion.
She felt Kigami move. His head lifted from her lap, and she could see how hard he tried to hide the pain. He carefully sat down next to her, pulling his legs under him and burying his face in his arms. Kimoko saw something more than just physical suffering in him.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIJKK0yDm22
“Kigami…” she said quietly, as if afraid that louder words might hurt him.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr3V0fdTESO
The demon looked at her, and in his eyes she saw something more than pain. She saw guilt.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBzRq5hvCNg
“It’s my fault…” he finally croaked.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRegU2Uuynk
Kimoko frowned.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH75v2a5ZCx
“I shouldn’t have opposed her…” his voice was quiet, as if he was speaking more to himself than to her. “I should have done what she wanted. Be her weapon.”
The words sounded empty, as if they were just a shadow of the past he had carried within himself for too long. As if he still couldn’t quite believe that he had abandoned her.
“And yet I have seen the light.”
He looked up, his eyes gleaming in the semi-darkness.
“I left.”
Kimoko was silent, waiting for him to say more.
“That’s why they’re after me.” His voice was bitter.
“Koshei, traitor.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcqN3lhWk3Z
He repeated the name as if he was trying to get used to the sound of it. As if he was weighing it on his tongue, trying to assess whether it really suited him.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuW0yyYYkS
“Traitor.” The title he had borne since the day he had turned from her.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj4Ws9EZK3z
From the woman who had created him as he was. Who had molded him, forged him like a blade, whom he had served without question, until the moment he had realized he was not a sword in her hand. That he was more.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyFofcBLQ9i
Kimoko didn’t understand.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOirZaxhWNe
He had mentioned before that the other demons thought he was a traitor, but he had never said why. He had never given details, never let her see deeper. It was like a shadow that followed him constantly, whose presence she could feel but whose shape she could not see.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡELbIef755X
And yet now…
Now he was saying more than ever. But he still hadn’t said everything. He had never said who he had betrayed.
Kimoko stared at him, waiting. She wanted him to finish. To say more.
But he was silent.
“Who is ‘she’?” she asked cautiously.
Kigami sighed, and a shadow of pain appeared on his face.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5wciUDpl6r
After a moment, he whispered:
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR16wywskAa
“Felicia… The Queen of Demons.” Kimoko felt her heart sink in her chest.
Kigami looked down, as if weighing each word that escaped his lips.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QmGYaWEaO
“…And my mother.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUZIyp7PYnW
The girl opened her mouth, but she couldn’t get a sound out. Her thoughts were swirling.
His mother.
The Demon Queen.
He was her son. The demon prince. Royal blood flowed in his veins.
And he had never told her.
Why?
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrtFF8PvHl
Why had he kept it from her? How could she possibly believe him now? How many more secrets had he kept from her? What other lies had he told her?
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz57dd50IbY
“That demoness…the one who attacked us,” he continued. “Her name is Nyx. But many call her Nikita. She’s my eldest sister.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwR1zqzxU7t
Kimoko couldn’t breathe.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXs10DisuVF
Everything she knew about him, everything she thought she knew about him…suddenly made no sense.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdsi9hxoQf5
“…Will you forgive me?” His voice was barely a whisper. But she could see the desperation in his eyes. His gaze was almost pleading. Kimoko looked at him for a long moment.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqxHQyy9ZXo
Then she forced a smile.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nvDo35JZV
“Of course I forgive you.”
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO7i2B45jzJ
She saw Kigami let out a breath of relief, his tense shoulders slumping slightly, and a faint smile appearing on his face.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0uvhKyV0jS
But she herself…
She wasn’t sure if she was telling the truth.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrWJGiv7Gsz
She didn’t know if she could really forgive him for that.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgzDJdcRij1
She looked at him and smiled back.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymSdUAi0wF
She was lost in her feelings.
82Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6mdmoqNOZL
She wanted to hate him for the secrets he kept from her. For the death she almost experienced because of him, back in the city of Amoria.
But on the other hand…
She felt something completely different. And she, to wasn’t completely honest to him, he still didn’t know who she really was.
Kimoko gently leaned against his shoulder, staring at the dancing flames of the fire.
After a moment, she felt Kigami lay his head on hers.
They sat together in silence, staring at the fire, and Kimoko felt his warm breath on her hair.
She didn’t have to wait long until he fell asleep again.
She stared at the flames for a moment longer before closing her eyes.
She knew one thing.
They had to find that tree of memories and get Estella’s crystal as soon as possible.
And in the meantime…
They had to do everything they could to avoid another encounter with Nikita.
Because if she found them…
Kimoko wasn’t sure if Kigami would survive an encounter with her for a second time.
ns216.73.216.32da2
然後按「加至主畫面」