>>Hael

Whenever I recall how many people were around her, smiling and asking her if she was alright, I felt something strange. It didn't sit well with me.

She has changed so much. Being liked by the people around her...

It makes me think I should have killed her too that night two years ago.

I despised the sight of her smiling that brightly.

Not once did she show that expression to me.

All the time we were together, she was on edge...

I gritted my teeth in annoyance.

***

>>Amber

"I think anyone could tell that," Cory said as we kept walking.

"They can?" That came as a shock, "How so?"

"I've heard that she demanded that Master Hael should accompany her during her lessons." She clicked her tongue, "Which is pretty odd, he had no reason to do that."

"Magic lessons?" I asked, feeling strange, "She does have an affinity for water magic."

"Ufff, if only!" She replied, "But magic aside, she also makes him stay for her cooking classes!" She rolled her eyes, "How weird is that?!"

!!!

My eyes went wide and I recalled something.

'The king's daughter insisted.' He told me this when he gave me that brownie, 'The king demanded I stay with her during her cooking class.'

"I see,"

So, the princess really is going after Hael. Well, considering how charming he looks, he has always managed to capture the attention of ladies.

I have only seen the princess during big events. The royal family appeared in events hosted by Ducal families or by relatives, so I was never close to her, not even when I was engaged to Prince Lyal.

I had only seen her from afar

She's beautiful. With those blonde hair and sky blue eyes, fair skin and hourglass figure, she's a princess from fairy tales and the object of jealousy of many women.

But who knew she would also be a spoiled child?

"Wait," I looked at Cory, "How do you know these things?" I folded my arms, "The things from the palace don't just make their way to the public."

"Hehe," She averted her eyes, "My cousin is one of the maids of the princess."

"Ah," I shook my head and looked straight ahead, "Of course," The maids love to gossip.

"By the way~" Cory peeked at me

"Yes?"

"Was it Master Hael who helped you while you were sick?"

"What?" I glanced at her as my eyes went wide.

She looked at me curiously, "I mean, you suddenly vanished!"

"What?" I frowned, "I vanished?" Wait! I never got to know how I left the cafe!

"Yea!" She said, "A teleportation symbol appeared under you and then you were gone!!" She explained, "The only thing that kept us from making a fuss was a note was left behind as your body disappeared."

"A note?"

"Yea," She nodded, "A magic note," She smirked, "It said, 'Don't worry, I'll make sure she's fine.'"

!!!

"Oh..." Hael must have done that so that people don't end up making a fuss, "I see,"

"So~" She inched closer to me, "That was Master Hael, right?"

I placed my hand on her face and turned it in the other direction, "I have no idea," I wasn't exactly lying, "I had already fainted."

"Awww!" She whined, "That can't be!" She removed my hand, "I'm sure you know!" Her eyes were sparkling, "Is there something going on between you,"

"Cory," I called her name so sternly she froze.

I guess she understood the meaning behind that and didn't approach the topic again. She quietly began to walk again, feeling a little distressed. I could see it on her face since she was pouting but I would rather not talk about Hael.

We got to the market, gave the list to our dealer, Sebastian, and then shopped a little.

We were looking at some bracelets when something happened. Amidst the usual hustle and bustle of the market, there was screaming and yelling, followed by the sound of people running.

We looked at each other in confusion and then looked at the crowd that was assembling near the city Square.

Curiosity piqued, Cory and I exchanged a glance before instinctively making our way toward the epicenter of the disturbance. We wove through the sea of bodies until we reached the heart of the chaos, where we simply froze like the rest of the people there.

All eyes were on two figures, a mother stood, her arms wrapped protectively around her child.

As we drew closer, my heart sank at the sight before us. The child, small and vulnerable, was clearly in distress, his face contorted with pain as the tendrils of miasma wrapped around him like a sinister shroud.

"Oh, My God..." An infected was in the city and it was a small boy, merely around eight years old.

Cory and I watched in stunned silence, our expressions mirroring a mix of shock and disbelief. As we watched helplessly, the child's condition worsened before our very eyes. The miasma seemed to tighten its grip, sending the child into a frenzied state. His cries echoed through the market, filled with agony and confusion, as he thrashed against his mother's desperate attempts to hold him still and in that attempt they took to the ground.

Four knights got to them, surrounding them from all sides. They were nervous, afraid to approach a miasma corrupted person. Miasma tends to latch onto any living thing after all.

"Maam," A knight said, "Get away from the child!" They all took out their swords

The mother, a fragile figure, turned her head to look at the knight, "Please," She shook her head as tears stained her cheeks, "Please, help us."

Her words stung at my heart.

Couldn't I help her? I do have the power too...

"Maam," Another knight stepped closer to her, "Leave the boy and come here!" He held his sword in one hand and presented his other hand to her, "Come here, there's nothing we can do to save the boy,"

"No!", The mother's fierce determination to shield her child from harm was both heart-wrenching and awe-inspiring. Despite the chaos unfolding around her, she stood her ground, "I won't leave him! Do something! You're supposed to protect us all!"

For a moment, Cory and I were frozen in place, our thoughts racing as we grappled with the gravity of the situation.

My God!

We're finally at the point where people have started to get infected and are even getting in the city!!

This is bad! This is so bad!! My God!!

I watched the guards try to approach the mother and child with their swords pointing at her..

"Stay away!!" The mother yelled, "Stay away!!!" She screamed at the top of her lungs as she kept her boy in her arms.

"Did anyone get in contact with the temple!?"

"We can't get in contact with the temple!" Another replied, "It would take too long for the saint to come here!"

"We have no choice then," The leader of the knight made a decision, "We'll have to kill the boy then."

"NO!!!" The mother heard that and she held onto the body even more strongly. The boy's body had gone completely black, filled with mist and his eyes were gone, "I won't let you take him!!!" Tears rolled down her eyes, "He's all I have," She laid down further onto the ground.

My chest felt constricted. I felt guilty. It was like the air was getting sucked out of me.

The people whispered. They all were sympathizing with her but every single person was stepping further away from them. With each passing second, the empty circle in between grew larger. I felt the people around me step back but I couldn't move. I stayed at the front, now highlighted because I wasn't hidden in the crowd.

Everyone was afraid.

"Boss," Cory grabbed my arm, "Step back!" She said but I still didn't move.

The miasma was getting out of hand.

But what the mother didn't realize was that holding onto her son was making the miasma latch onto her as well.

"Captain!" A knight yelled, "We'll have to kill her too!" He saw her body getting engulfed in black mist as well.

My heart clenched at the sight, a surge of empathy flooding through me as I witnessed the mother's unwavering determination to protect her child, even as the miasma threatened to consume them both. Despite the pain etched on her face, she refused to let go, clinging to her child with a strength born of love and desperation.

I could see the agony etched in her features as she struggled to hold on, her resolve faltering even as she fought to keep her grip on her child.

It was a scene of utter despair, a poignant reminder of the merciless cruelty of the miasma and the devastating toll it exacted on those caught in its grasp. And yet, even in the face of such overwhelming despair, the mother refused to abandon her child,

"Fine," The captain used a low level magic skill and sharpened his sword, "We'll kill both of them."

My heart fell at his words.

NO! NO! NO!

Don't kill them!! They can be saved!! I- I can save them!

But..

Can I? I have no idea how to use this power! How can I save them?

My guilt grew stronger yet I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of me. And as I watched, a surge of emotion welled up inside me.

The mother accepted her fate. She hugged her child tightly, pulling him close to her chest as she looked away. Closing her own eyes, she placed her hand to obstruct the view of her kid as well, not knowing he might already have gone blind because of the miasma.

A tumultuous mix of sorrow, anger, and despair. Something primal stirred within me, an instinctive urge to protect and defend.

"Ready!" The captain said, "Attack at once!"

NO!

Oh God! No! What do I do!??! I want to help!! Oh please!! I want to do something!!! PLEASE!!!

"Now!" He yelled.

And I'm not sure what happened next. But the moment I saw the knight ready their swords, take their stance and jump towards the mother and child, I felt a strong urge to protect them.

A light emitted from my body.

A sort of light that made my stomach burn and my senses went blank.