Trample[D] - Chapter 15


I wish for your happiness…

I'm sorry…

I'll protect you and also the ones you love…

I promise…

Just, please, forgive me...


It was the hatred that sparked from both of her damp obsidian. It was the tears that slipped out from the pair of her alluring eyes. It was the pain that was being conveyed through her gaze.

Whenever she saw the lidded eyes from the peculiar book, what reflected from those dark orbs were the wretchedness. The urge to destroy it was too strong, yet she tried hard not to let the wrath engulf her. She tried to forgive it, as everything was not completely its fault. Even though it wouldn't erase the fact that it partook in destroying her life and the life of men she loved.

A magic circle was drawn above its broken face. It was gleaming in a red circle, letting out a gust of wind before creating a sound of the key being unlocked. Both of its empty bronze eyes were being opened soon after the magic circle had disappeared. The eerie book then floated to her front, staring at her without any expression since it was not capable to do so.

The book didn't talk when the woman granted it the privilege to be alive. It didn't dare to, for it knew how much she hated it. Usually, it would sway around, teased her, made fun of her, as it tried to make her laugh. However, this time it hovered in silence, since it would be wise for it not to utter any unnecessary words than to infuriate the raven.

The Aion stared at the woman whose face had been marred by the scars. There were two scars which were longer than others on her right cheeks. There were three lines of scars on her nose; one on the bridge which almost touched her right eyes, one on the middle and the other one on the tip of her nose. There were two other scars on her left cheeks, one on the upper parts, and another one was next to her lips. There were the other two on her chin, one of it was next to her lower lips, while the other one was on the lower right of her chin. She hated how the scars marred her face, but for the book, she was always the most beautiful creature who was created by its Mother—Eos.

"I've told everything to the man you hate." Perhaps, if the book was a human, its heart would beat in clamor when the woman stated those words. It was the guilt that shrouded the Outcast, because its selfish love had brought the tragedy to the woman it loved the most.

"I ended everything with him. Satisfied?" she smiled, asking the question with the mocking tone. Forcing herself to lift the corner of her lips, the woman actually was struggling not to let the wrath shrouding her mind. Eira gritted her teeth, clenching her fists tightly because there was an overwhelming urge to reach the hovering book, rip every of its pages before burning it in ablazing flame. She tried hard not to take her dagger and stab it, or take her handgun and fire it until she spent the last bullet she had.

"I fulfilled your wish. Satisfied?" her breathing was unsteady, her heart was throbbing loudly. And even though she had asked two questions, Zeit didn't dare to answer.

The book had lied to her, concealed the truth even though she had asked it for many times before. It deserved her hatred, her wrath. It knew no matter it asked for forgiveness, she wouldn't grant it, for what it did was too cruel, despite saying that everything it did was only for her.

The Aion not only tortured the witch, but also the men who were tangled in this tragedy because of their love to the cursed raven haired woman. If she was the only victim, probably she wouldn't be angered by her fate. However, it hurt the people she loved the most, even making one of them as its pawn, using him as the tool to prevent her from falling in love with the other. And now even though the man knew everything, he decided to stay with her. Kindly treating her all this time, giving her every drop of his kindness, the man refused to let her go.

Cor Leonis didn't deserve to be tormented like this.

"Satisfied?" she asked in a trembling voice while the smile slowly faded away from her scarred face. Even though she tried not to let the anger engulf her mind, begging herself not to let the emotion burst out, forcing her quivering lips to form a smile, the line of tears had made its way to stream down to the scars on her cheeks.

"Answer me." she struggled not to raise her voice, obviously didn't want to disturb the man who was sleeping on the second floor.

Staring at the dead eyes of it, she waited for its answer. But it just floated on her front, not letting out any expression since it was not capable to, not letting out any emotion from those bronze eyes since it was not able to. She didn't know what the book thought, what was there inside its mind since she was unable to guess.

Well, perhaps, it regretted all of its act? Or not? She didn't know. For two thousand times it turned back the time, trapped her and the other men in the same time loop for more than thousand times, she doubted that the book would feel any sort of guilt.

Eira didn't, or perhaps would never know that the book was actually being shrouded by the guilt. It had promised the Leonis, to do nothing that would torture the woman anymore. It wanted to apologize, but it knew that she wouldn't forgive it. It had destroyed her life, had separated her from the one she loved, had manipulated their heart, had concealed the truth, had lied to her. It didn't deserve her mercy, it was totally acceptable if she would hate it for the rest of her life. For the grimoire was the one who wretched her life.

The Aion wanted to apologize, but what could the book said was nothing.

"Great. Now you went silent even though every time I told you to shut your annoying mouth up you would never listen to me." there was a trace of resentment from her tone, even though she managed to form a smile, which of course, the contemptuous one.

Her chest heaved as the overwhelming emotion was getting hard to be controlled. She wanted to blame everything at it, at herself, at its selfish love, at her past, at its decision, at her determination. The desire to change the fate in the past had made her want to change the time in the present. She regretted everything she had done.

She just wanted to save a pair of emeralds she loved. She just wanted to let herself be killed and erased by the world. She just wanted to make her lover not suffer.

But everything had crumbled. She was the one who made the grimoire decide to save her life. She was the reason the book tampered with the time on its own. She was the cause of this tragedy.

She regretted her decision. She hated her life. Perhaps, if her mother never saved her, and let her dead in the ruin of Insomnia, she would never suffer like this. She would never torment the men she loved like this.

"I'm sorry…" the book muttered, in an apologetic sound, far too soft it almost unheard. It was the only thing it managed to say, since it couldn't bear to see how the woman glared at it beneath the tears that piled up behind her eyelids. Hearing how her breathing was quivering, witnessing how the tears didn't stop flowing from her damp obsidian, if only the book had a heart inside a chest like a human, probably it would be pricked by the agonizing pain. Fortunately it didn't have the figure like a human, or unfortunately?

It was sure that it was the guilt that tormented its consciousness. The grimoire was certain that it was the sorrow that enveloped its mind. But, the Aion shouldn't have emotion, oh, perhaps, it was the time when it should clearly admit that He had the emotion.

He loved her, more than he loved his mother. He wanted to see her alive, more than he wanted to save her mother. The Aion thought that consuming the witches' soul was the reason he had the emotion. No, he didn't want to think why and how he could have the feeling.

He just wanted her happiness. But apparently the way he thought was different from humans. He didn't know that what he had done was unacceptable for them.

The Outcast just didn't want the woman he loved to have that kind of ending. Being forgotten. Being erased by everyone's memories.

He didn't really care about the witches before her. She was special, and he didn't even know why she was special.

Perhaps, it was actually the love. Right, it was actually love. A twisted love.

"I'm not asking for your apologies."

It crushed him hearing her answer. He acknowledged the fact that Eira wouldn't need his apologies. He would never be forgiven.

If it was the tears that were being spilled by the human through their eyes when they were sad, the book wanted to do the same.

"I'm sorry… Eira…"

She gritted her teeth, hearing the way it apologized like that. The cursed grimoire, who always talked to her in jeering tone, mocking her, teasing her, now showing her the pitiful side of it.

She hated it. She hated it.

She didn't want to hear its voice anymore.

Casting a binding spell on its broken face, the book closed its eyes then hardly hit her dressing table before falling to the floor in a loud thud.

The wail of lament escaped her lips, loudly, painfully. She had tried her best to forgive the book, for actually it was kind of it to have the feeling to save her life. But not like this. Not by manipulating people's feelings.

She tried to forgive everything but she was too weak. She was not strong enough, not wise enough, not kind enough to accept the fate like this.

"Aaaa…" she muffled her own cry with both of her frail hands. Eyes glancing to the mirror, and for hundred times, what was being presented by it was the reflection of her horrendous face. The scars would leave the marks for the rest of her life, showing the world how ugly she was, how sinful she was. It would always remind her to the fault she committed, for the sin she could never atone.

Clawing her face with her weak fingers, she tried to get rid of those scars. Perhaps, it would be better to add other scars which would cover the scars she already had. Perhaps, by hurting herself until no one recognizes her face would be better.

Great, Cor would hate having her as the one he loved, right? Cor would leave soon if he saw how hideous her face was, right?

She managed to end her story with the Scientia tonight. She also needed to do the same with the Leonis.

But, he was too stubborn and seemingly didn't want to let her go. So, if she destroyed her face, he would be disgusted by her figure, right?

Cor was sitting on the sofa in front of her room, actually trailing her tonight, witnessing how she met with the Scientia at the fountain in front of the Leville. He couldn't hear what they talked about, but when the woman started to cry and the dirty blonde man pulled her into his embrace, the man couldn't withstand the scene and decided to return to his house.

There were hundreds of speculations rammed into his head. Perhaps, after that she would return to the royal adviser's side. Perhaps, tomorrow Eira would leave this house. Perhaps, she would say that she had become that man's lover. They were hugging like that, and he thought that it would be impossible for the love not finding its way into their heart. She should have to be with the Scientia, and not with the Leonis.

Deciding not to think about it, Cor walked to his room, trying to sleep, but ended up to stare at the ceiling without any capability to sink into his dream. It was almost midnight and Eira hadn't returned yet. He wondered whether the woman would never return, would stay with her lover for a night before bidding goodbye at Cor tomorrow. Closing his eyelids didn't help much since the scenery he saw a few minutes ago was haunting his mind.

However, hearing the door being opened and closed, along with the moving wheels from her wheelchair made him open his blue orbs. Raising from his bed, the man stared at his door before deciding to walk outside, for the desire to know about what happened to her was strong. Or, more precisely, because he preferred staying in the living room, staring at the wooden door that tightly shutted, for he wanted to stay by her side.

His footsteps were the quiet ones until the man stood in front of her door, obviously didn't want the woman to hear him nor notice his presence. He wanted to make sure that she was okay, to wait until she slept… then seeing her sleeping face just like what he usually did since she moved into his house.

It usually took one or two hours before she slumbered, but today, he could see how the lamp was still on from the narrow gap between the door and the floor. And when he heard the faint whisper from inside, he decided to stay closer, eaves-dropping even though it was actually invading her privacy.

She was talking with something, someone? Probably, she was talking with the book? But her voice was too soft, Cor couldn't hear anything. The man leaned his back against the wall next to her door, crossing his arms, observing the light under her door, wondering when she would sleep.

For five minutes, for ten minutes. She didn't turn off her light until the man eventually heard a loud thud for twice followed by the muffled cry from inside. His heart letting out a louder thump than the other before it started getting rowdy.

The brown haired man was biting the inside of his mouth when he heard how her scream was getting louder. Unable to hold it any longer, he opened the door abruptly...

...only to see the woman he loved was clawing her face.

"Eira. No, no, no, no. Stop it." Cor hurled his body to crouch in front of her wheelchair and quickly took both of her hands. Locking them in one hand, he moved his other hand to her cheek, raising her head to find a small graze on her cheek. "God. Eira… What are you doing?"

The woman didn't answer but kept crying. She was struggling, moving her trembling hands with force as she tried to free herself from his hand. Moving her head away, she avoided the man's gaze, looking down to her lap and letting the strands of her long hair to cover her face.

"Ssh… ssh… It's okay… It's okay…" wiping her blood with his thumb, Cor moved her hair aside, tucking them behind her ears and for once again lifting her chin so she would look at him. The beads of sadness were still streaming down from her eyes.

He lifted her body, placing her on the bed before hugging her and caressing her head. Actually it reminded him of the first day he asked her to live with him. But, no, tonight he promised not to do the same thing that could bring the pain in her heart.

Her tiny body was trembling under his arms, as she wailed in her sorrow. Her woe brought the ache in his heart whenever it reached his ears.

He asked, in his mind, when would she stop crying, when would she smile, when would she stop being tortured. He hated the book for it was the one who brought the misery in her life. He hated the Astral for He was the one who hurt her over and over.

If only being the Aion's pawn could ease her pain, preventing her from being tortured, Cor was willing to give all of his soul, his life, for her happiness. But, knowing that he always failed in every universe He created, the man could only drown in the bottomless sadness.

Even by him being His pawn and being her lover, her love for the Scientia was stronger she would always remember him over and over.

What he could do was only to whisper her name, comforting her, caressing her head, hoping that it would bring her into the serenity and stop the tears from flowing down to her cheeks.

The next thing she felt when she opened her eyes was not the loneliness she usually found whenever she woke up. It was the comforting warmth that enveloping her entire body, the familiar scent she loved, and the faint breathing sound that steadily tickled her head. The last thing she remembered was when she cried for a long time, and she saw the man who then hugged her and comforted her. Perhaps, she fell asleep after that, and the man was unable to leave her alone, assuming that he was afraid that she would hurt herself again. Even if they were lovers no longer, Cor was always overprotective toward her.

Inhaling deeply, she tried not to snuggle her head onto his broad chest before moving her head to see the sleeping face of the man she once loved, she still loved.

The one reason she couldn't return to the Scientia's side.

She was still deeply in love with Cor Leonis. Even though she thought that staying by his side would be unacceptable. It wouldn't be fair for the Scientia if she was the only one who had the happy ending. Also, she thought that it would not be wise to stay with the Leonis while her mind was still being haunted by the love from the past.

That was why she decided to end everything with both of them. She would fulfill her promise to stay with Cor until she was fully healed. And when the time comes, she would leave Lestallum, travelling around from outpost to outpost to help the hunters and glaives, stop seeing those men and living by herself.

She didn't know how her eyes were softened when she saw the sleeping face of the man who was lying down next to her. She didn't know how those obsidian gazing at him with the overflowing affection.

She loved how the man was always frowning in his sleep. She loved it when his lips slightly parted open when he was slumbering. She loved the soft breathing sound he made as he was seeing his dream.

The witch didn't think much when she drew a magic circle on his face, the one that prevented him from being awakened from his slumber. Bringing her frail fingers to reach his cheek, she caressed it gently, as if she was now touching the most precious treasure in the world. She trailed every curve of his face, from his forehead, to the soft brown eyebrows of him, downward to his nose, to the rough surface of his shaved moustache, to his soft and tender lips, to the stubble on his chin, to his strong jawline, moving along to his ear, before moving back to his cheek.

He was so warm, so adorable, so charming, even when he was in his vulnerable state. The raven blinked when she noticed that there was a small graze on his upper cheek, wondering that he got injured recently.

And at that exact moment the dread haunted her. She knew the only moment he almost lost his life would be eight years later when the man carelessly used his own body as the shield to protect the King. But then, she had changed a lot of things by being his lover.

How if he didn't manage to live until the dawn comes? How if he wouldn't survive the night fall? How if no one could save him?

The Heallint didn't want to think anymore, for the speculation only brought the fright to her mind.

Even if she was not there by his side, even if she couldn't give all of her soul to the man, she wanted to give a piece of its fragment, so that Cor Leonis wouldn't die for she would protect him as long as she was alive.

It was the goodbye gift she gave to the man, for all of the love he gave her, for everything he had done for her.

Perhaps, it would be their last kiss, as the woman gave the piece of her soul to protect the mortal she loved from the death.


"Are you sure?" a grey haired woman looked at the raven haired woman who was sitting in front of her, through the mirror that reflected both of their faces.

The pair of obsidian beads moved, from gazing the hands on her lap to her front, staring at the brown eyes that emitting the doubt.

"Yes. Yes, definitely." smiling, Eira wanted to assure the woman to do the thing she asked for.

"I thought he prefers it..." moving her hands, Monica began to comb the Heallint's long hair.

"That's exactly why." Eira muttered, looking down to the scarred hands on her lap, because she didn't like to see the reflection of herself on the mirror.

"Are you okay?" Monica asked, noticing the tremble in Eira's voice.

"No. I'm not, Monica." lifting her gaze for a second, Eira tossed a wry smile to the woman on her behind before looking elsewhere.

"I won't ask what happened if you're not comfortable to talk. But, just one last question, are you really sure?"

"Yes. Please…"

After hearing her weak answer, a soft huff escaped from Monica's lips. She didn't want Eira to regret her decision, because even though she was not too close with her, never for once she saw the raven without her long hair. Something happened, but Monica didn't dare to pry into the medic's private matter, for she could clearly see how swollen Eira's eyes were. Taking the scissor, she started to cut the long black hair in front of her, from the waist-length one to the neck-length one, just like her grey hair.

Eira took a deep breath when she saw the strands of her hair fell to the ground. It felt like her chest was too tight and she was now being suffocated. She loved her long hair, for the man she loved liked to fiddle with it, before tucking it behind her ears. She loved her long hair, for the same man said that he loved it.

Well, he actually said that he would still love it even if she cut her hair but, she just wanted to start anew. She thought that cutting hair after a breakup was weird, remembering how Stella and Raine always cut their hair short after a breakup. But now having actually experienced it, she finally understood the reason.

A wry smile passed over her face, when she looked at how the figure on the mirror was someone she couldn't recognize. A stranger. For it was the first time for her to cut her hair as short as that. She wanted to shed her past, her thousands years worth of past, together with every strand of hair that fell to the ground. Now when she thought of it, she never did this in those past.

Perhaps, it would mark the end of this everlasting curse.

She quickly wiped the tears that escaped from the corner of her right eyes. Deeply inhaling the damp air of Lestallum to every corner of her lungs. Holding it inside her chest for few seconds before exhaling it, she refused to let the sadness engulf her for hundreds of times today. Not, not in front of Monica.

It had been two months since the time she ended everything with both of men. Underwent the therapy, finally yesterday she could walk properly, going around the city with both of her legs, not using the wheelchair nor the cane. Iris, Talcott, and others were cheering when she finished a lap, from the northeast of Lestallum, going to the southwest until the Leville, to the north until the plant entrance, to the north-end side of the town before going back to the south and end her journey at the center of the town where Vyv then congratulated her with a picture of victory.

The laughter filled the atmosphere yesterday, accompanied by them who congratulated her. They all were smiling, but not the blue eyed man who was waiting for her to arrive there. Because, when she could walk, it meant that they would go separate ways.

Last night, Cor talked with her. In the dining room where he served her their last dinner as a housemate. He told her that she was free to stay since Cor was the one who would go from that place, since the Leonis had decided to take the mission far from Lestallum and perhaps he would rarely return to that town.

And that morning, when she opened her eyes, the man was no longer there. Leaving a small note with bad handwriting on the dining table, he told her that he had already left —not telling her where to —and was cruel enough to write three words that crushed her heart at the end of his note.

I love you.

The tears streamed down to her broken face, again, for many times, like the rainfall which never drenched the world since the sun had disappeared from the world. That morning she was wailing alone, clutching that small piece of paper in her hands while curling up her body on the dining chair.

Deep down in her heart, she didn't want to leave, she didn't want him to leave, she didn't want to break up with him.

She loved Cor Leonis.

She really did. More. More than anything else.

"Eira, are you okay?"

Monica's voice brought her mind to the reality. Blinking for a few times, regaining her composure, Eira looked at the worried face of Monica through the mirror. "Oh, sorry. I was spacing off. What was it?"

"I've finished cutting your hair."

"Ah, oh… Right." stuttering, Eira faced the mirror, looking at how she was not the woman she knew. Surely, the short hair didn't suit her. She turned her head slightly, to the right then to the left, observing the new haircut she got then chuckled seeing how weird she was.

"Don't you think that it's too short?"

A smile bloomed on her face as Eira turned her head to see Monica directly, not from the mirror. "No. I like it. Thanks Monica."

"Surely, Dustin would do it better than me. But, you're welcome."

Giggling softly, Eira turned her body again to face the mirror. Observing the strange figure on her front.

"What's wrong?"

"Just realizing that your hair is getting longer…"

"Should I cut it?"

"No."

"You prefer it long?"

"Hmm… I think so."

"Why is that?"

"I love it."

"You won't love it if I cut it short?"

"I'll love it too. Since it was yours."

"Cor." "Eira."

"Yes?"

"Marry me."


A month had passed since Cor left Lestallum for his mission. She didn't know where he was and she also didn't want to ask Monica about it. But, even though Cor said that she was free to go anywhere she wanted to, Eira was staying in his house, still.

It was the void in her heart whenever she had the dinner by herself, without the man who was always sitting on her front, who sometimes glanced at her when he munched. It was the sadness that shrouded her heart whenever she looked at the kitchen, unable to see the broad back of the man who was cooking their meal. It was the quietness in her life when she didn't hear his footsteps in the house, as he entered their home, as he climbed the wooden stairs, as he moved inside his room on the second floor.

But all of that was only the past, and what she could do was only reminisce it all.

This was her wish, to break the ties between the men she loved, to have a separate way from them. She always wanted Cor to forget her, to stop loving her, for she was not a woman who deserved the sincere love from him.

Cor had moved on… and she should have to.

She spent her days treating the hunters and glaives who returned back from their mission. Helping the understaffed clinic because some of their medics were being sent to the other outposts. When she didn't need to heal people, she would spend her time helping an old lady named Kimya to brew healing potions—which actually she did since two weeks after being discharged from the clinic. Learning that the Auburnbrie used weird magic to create her potion—which somehow, similar to the one that was used by the Heallint —, attracted Eira to know more about her. She even acquired some new magic spells, and she was always eager to learn new skills from Kimya.

Sometimes Monica requested Eira to leave Lestallum, going around to heal the hunters and glaives wherever she was needed, depending on Monica's judgement. Of course, Eira was the one who kept insisting Monica to trust her, and by the fact that Eira's magic was very useful, Monica couldn't help but ask the medic to support the glaives.

Her mission was mainly to assist the rescue squad, going to the location where the hunter groups reported that they aborted the mission because of the great casualties, providing treatment to those in urgent need of medical care, then transferring them to the nearest permanent outpost.

Just like what she did today, leaving to the Fallgrove, with four glaives and two other medics, being dispatched to rescue a group of hunters that were doing some expedition in Costlemark Tower. One surviving hunter reported three coeurls and two behemoths in sight, ambushing them after they left the dungeon. Unfortunately, those people had already been injured from the expedition, so they were not in great condition to fight. They were trying to flee but the rampaging monsters hindered them to reach the emergency outpost in Oathe Haven. And for the time being, the one who couldn't fight were hiding behind the rocks, bushes, or even the dungeon entrance and unfortunately being separated from each other.

Eira and other medics stayed in the haven soon after they arrived in the designated location. Apparently there was no fight by the time they arrived, perhaps, those hunters were already hiding somewhere to avoid the raging monster.

It seemed impossible to locate those hunters without slaying those monsters first, so the glaives warped their way inside the forest and started hunting those beasts.

Eira and the other medics could only wait, watching as the glaives fighted those beasts. As far as Eira remembered, it should be three coeurls and two behemoth. However, there was only two coeurls and a behemoth. Perhaps, the hunters group that was supposed to be rescued by them had already slain them?

"Medic!" the blonde haired glaives warped to the haven, bringing a wounded hunter who had lost his consciousness.

Eira hastily cast a healing spell while the other medics did the necessary medical treatment. The man suffered the blood loss and broken ribs, but fortunately, it was not a life-threatening injury.

The glaives didn't return with another injured hunter, even after one hour long of battle. Obviously, it was indeed hard to search people in that situation. However, it was already past seven when they finally took down the monsters. The dark night would prevent them from finding the other hunters.

After another hour of searching. They finally found two hunters, one suffering a large amount of blood loss, but unfortunately, the other one had lost his life.

"Yeah, we found them." a white haired glaive reported to Monica over the radio in the canopy tent. "Two had been treated immediately, but the other one had lost his life… I'm sorry."

"How about the Marshal?"

Eira, who was cleaning her medical equipment not far from the table where the radio was being placed, stopped her movement. Frowning, she glared at the glaive named Yura who was holding the hand mic.

"Sorry… We can't find him…" biting his lower lips, the glaive lifted his head, looking at the pair of obsidians that staring at him in disbelief.

"What was that Yura?! You didn't tell me that Cor is part of these hunters!" abruptly putting down the medic kit, Eira dashed forward and snatched the hand mic from the man.

"Monica. Why didn't you tell me?!"

"The information would only make you restless, Eira. I don't want the emotion to distract you… I'm sorry..."

Gripping the mic hand in anger, Eira tried to withstand the urge to hurl it to the table. Placing it down, she scowled at Yura and the three other glaives who looked at her in an apologetic face.

"We'll find him tomorrow, Eira. When the sky is brighter. But we should stop it today. It's too dark and dangerous now."

Clenching her fists, the raven haired woman raised her voice, "Yes. Yes, of course. I couldn't agree more. No one leave this place until tomorrow."

A red magic circle was drawn in front of the glaives' face, and when it disappeared into their flesh, they fell to the ground.

"Eira?!"

The witch deliberately chose not to cast the sleeping spell on one of the glaives, a dark brown haired woman named Jenica. "Protect them while I'm away."

"Wait, Eira!" The other medics hold Eira's hand, trying to stop her from leaving.

"The medics stay. You're needed here." Eira halted her steps only to look at her fellow medic. Turning her head to the only glaive awake, she spoke, "The spell will last for thirty minutes, and Jenica, if you leave to chase me, no one can protect the medics and the injured hunters. You know the priority."

"Eira, no, please, it's dangerous." Jenica begged, trying to convince Eira not to go by herself.

Swinging her hand to free herself from the medic's grip, Eira leaped out from the haven in haste. Turning around to face the haven, she cast five magic spells around it. The white blinding light was glared from the circle she created, and she did it to protect them so that the daemon would not dare to come closer, at least for thirty minutes until her sleeping spell was lifted from the glaives.

She turned on the flashlight she put on her t-shirt, running into the wood to find the man.

Cor was still alive. She knew it. She was sure about it.

She planted the fragment of her soul in his body, and if he died, she should feel the unbearable pain that tormented him. Eira was so immersed in healing the hunters that she didn't realize the faint magic presence from the piece of her soul she planted into him. And now, having her mind focused solely to find him, she could know where he was.

Scurrying to the northeast, she could feel her own soul fragment getting closer.

"Cor!" she yelled, looking around to every bushes, toward the trees, behind the rocks, only to find nothing.

She kept screaming his name, but she got no reply. Perhaps, he was unconscious. And that meant she needed to find him faster before everything was too late.

The dread surrounded her, not wanting to lose the most important one in her life. Her heart was beating in thunderous thud, creating the clamor inside her chest. The tears had poured down from both of her eyes, regretting the things she had done in the past toward the man.

If only she didn't break up with him, she would always follow him anywhere. Protecting him, healing him as soon as possible, she was sure that Cor wouldn't end up here, not like this.

He never died like this in the previous universes. He always survived until the dawn comes. And if he lost his life now, tonight, Eira would be the one who caused his death.

She halted her steps when she found a tree between a few big rocks. Rushing her feet forward, she scanned the area, looking down to the ground to find the figure he yearned.

"Cor!"

She crawled under the bushes to reach the brown haired man who had indeed lost his consciousness. Without much thinking, she cast dozens of spells at the same time, and didn't care whether it would hurt her body instead. She checked his pulse and his breathing, relieved that he did it normally.

There were bleeding wounds on his chest, presumably caused by the behemoth's claw. She used the potion she brought before taking the medical kit from her waist bag in a hurry while casting other magic spells on him.

"Oh, no, no, no. Cor." her hands were trembling when she lifted his shirt, looking how the blood had smeared his chest. Biting her lower lips, she began to clean his wounds while casting few other healing spells.

She panted as she treated him, chest heaved for she was casting too many spells at the same time. But she didn't care about anything as long as he survived.

She healed his wounds completely without using any suture or adhesive glue, solely dependent on her own magic. And a relief sigh escaped her lips when she found that there were no other open wounds on his body.

"Mmh…"

Eira turned her head to look at his face when the man suddenly showed any sign of consciousness.

"Cor… Cor, please… Cor, can you hear me?" she reached his cheek with her trembling hand, caressing him while kept calling his name.

Cor squinted his eyes when the gleaming light from the medic's flashlight permeated his sight. His head was too heavy, and it was a bit hard for him to even lift his body. He couldn't recall what happened for a second, but when the familiar voice reached his ears, the man finally regained his full consciousness.

He blinked in surprise when a heavy pressure bumped his chest right after he tried to sit, along with the warmth that enveloping him. Breathing heavily, he moved his head to see someone was apparently hugging him right now.

Eira raised her head, staring at the lustrous blue that was staring at her in bewilderment. A smile passed over her face while the tears streamed down to her cheeks.

"Oh, Cor… Cor. I…" she had lost her words, didn't know what to say for she was too happy seeing the man was alive.

"Ei…?"

The man hadn't finished his word for the woman had latched her lips to his. Absolutely, he still didn't understand what was happening. Was he seeing a dream? Eira now kissing him... No, she wouldn't possibly be here. Cor was certain that it was his dream.

"Eira?" he asked when she lifted her face, but the woman didn't seem wanting to reply him since she planted another soft kiss on his lips.

"Eira… Why are you here?"

Gasping, Eira quickly moved away from him. Realizing that she had done something inappropriate to the man who had just recovered.

"I-I'm sorry…"

Moving his stiffened limbs, Cor raised to sit then frowning when he saw his ripped shirt. He remembered that he was attacked there, on his chest, but now the pain was completely gone. Raising his head in haste, the man stared at the woman on his front.

It was not dream.

"H-how's your feeling? Can you move? ... Still hurt?"

Cor blinked when Eira moved her slender fingers to his shoulder and showered him with the questions of concern. He parted open his lips, eyes fixated to the pair of obsidian orbs that were only three inches apart from his blue beads. Reaching her scarred cheek with his hand, the man caressed her skin with his thumb.

She was still panting when the man touched her cheek. Definitely didn't understand what she did, or what she wanted to do, the woman brought her face closer to the man when she saw how those shimmering blue were staring at her in yearning.

"I'm fine… Eira…"

His hoarse voice brought the happiness for her. Another line of tears streamed down from her dark orbs, falling to the thumb of him which moved to wipe her tears.

"Cor…"

Shutting her eyelids, they were kissing for once more. Now the man pulled her body into his embrace, while the woman encircled her hands around his neck.

She missed him. She missed his warmth. She longed for his gentle kiss. She yearned for his presence. The thought of losing him forever was the most torturing one in her life. No need to conceal her honest feeling anymore, she loved Cor Leonis. She didn't want him to leave. No, not anymore.

He missed her. He forced himself to leave even though he didn't want it. He thought that it was impossible to feel her warmth anymore. He thought that he would die in loneliness today. But she found him, she saved him, she kissed him, and he didn't want to let her go anymore.

The man brought his right hand upward, to find the strands of her raven haired he usually tucked whenever they were kissing. But, being unable to find it, he pulled his face and looked at her.

"Where's your hair?"

Knitting her eyebrows, Eira looked at the confused marshal then giggled softly. "You had just realized it, now?"

"You cut it?" pulling his body slightly away, the man staring at her face. Frowning more when he saw that she cut her hair extremely short it exposed her entire neck.

"Yes, as you might see."

"Why?"

"I wonder why…" refusing to answer, she locked his lips with hers. Tilting her head, she opened her mouth, giving the access for the man to slip his tongue into her.

Her heart started to pound harshly as she let the desire to take the control. Swallowing the muffled moan from the man, she moved her fingers to his short hair, tugging them softly while the man did the same toward hers.

Oh, she loved Cor Leonis. The way his intoxicating tongue swirled inside her mouth made her hovered in desire. The place where his strong fingers touched was burning in heat. Her cheeks were tickled by his warmth breathing, and she loved how he gave a pause between their kisses only to tell her, "I love you, Eira."

"Cor… I love you… I really do…"

He devoured her soft lips right after hearing her confession, savoring it slowly and gently. There was a warmth inside his chest, and the burning heat coursed through his vein. There were fluttering butterflies in his stomach. Oh, he really loved Eira Heallint.

There was no a single night when he didn't think about her when he was away. It was a struggle to hold himself not to call her whenever he looked at his phone. He always dreamed about her, her alluring obsidian, her mellifluous voice, her voluptuous lips, her warmth, and her long beautiful raven hair— which unfortunately had been cut by her. But, of course, just like what he said to the woman two years ago, he would still love her hair even though he prefered it long.

He left Lestallum to forget her because he couldn't stand being left alone in that house. He couldn't imagine coming back home without seeing her figure. He didn't want it if he should eat breakfast by himself, or cook dinner without her waiting for him in front of the dining table. And hearing that the woman stated her love in her melodious whisper, Cor decided not to hold his feelings anymore.

She flinched when the man began to trail his fingers to her front, caressing her neck, going down to her shoulder, and downward to every curve of her body. She missed the way his calloused fingers met her skin, caressing her, fondling her under his strength.

"Nh…" gripping on his shoulders, she sank her teeth into her lower lips when the man stopped their kisses and bit her neck. "Cor…"

Licking her skin while biting her, he then sucked it hard, savored her as if she was the most delicious supper in the world. Her moan pleased his ears, and the way she mentioned his name between her moans made him want to devour her more and more.

"Cor… my hair is not long anymore... please refrain from doing this…" she complained between her shallow breathing after the man finished leaving a mark on her fair skin.

He chuckled when the woman pouted at him. Smirking, he uttered, "Let people know…"

"Cor…! Ah…" she dug her nails to his shoulders when the man bit down her neck for once again, now slightly on the front. Definitely people would notice it if they looked at her, unless she put a muffler to hide it, which unfortunately not with her this time for she left it in her room at Cor's house, their house.

Cor certainly didn't think straight when he pushed her down to the ground, planting another purple mark on her shoulders. Crawling above her, he slipped his hand into her shirt, caressing her scarred skin, trailing upward to fondle her breast.

"Cor… Wait…" the woman was swaying between the logical thinking to stop him and the desire that started to envelope her mind. No matter how much she wanted to be pleased by him, it was not wise to do something beyond this. "We should go back… It's dangerous…"

"Right… You're right…" sighing, Cor stopped his movement, pulling his head away to stare down to the woman beneath him.

She was too enchanting, too beautiful. Even with those scars on her face, on her entire body. However, he should hold his desire, since it was indeed not wise to stay there any longer for the lurking daemon could appear anytime.

Closing his eyes, he forced his ears to catch any sound of their surroundings. No roaring daemon, no heavy footsteps of them, no malicious presence.

"Can you sense any daemon?" he asked, knowing well that the witch was very perceptive to the evil aura emitted by those monsters.

"No… But, no, we should go back."

"I missed you…"

Gulping, the heat swarmed inside her chest as she heard his soft whisper. Cor softly stroked her cheek, gazing at her with his translucent blue which were sparkling in affection. He brought his face closer, letting the tip of his nose meet hers. His tantalizing lips almost touched her lips, too close it tickled her with temptation.

They were staring at each other, without any words escaping their lips. They yearned for each other's presence, after months of endeavour to hold their surging desire. She always wanted to hug him whenever he returned to their home. He always wanted to sleep next to her every night. She always wanted to kiss him before he went for his mission. He always wanted to wrap his arms around her tiny body after she had capable to walk freely. She regretted not saying that she still loved him. He regretted his decision to stop telling her how much he loved her.

"I love you…"

She moved her head, kissing the man for a split second before gazing at his alluring blue orbs.

"I love you…"

He brushed his lips to hers in a fleeting moment before planting soft kisses on her crimson cheeks, on her damp eyelids, on her scarred forehead, on her tiny nose, and returning back to her tempting lips.

The faint moan escaped her throat when the man pierced her neck with his teeth for many times tonight. The stinging sensation on her skin sent the pleasure to her entire body. She clutched on his coat, wriggling slightly when the man pulled up her shirt and undergarment to reveal her bare skin.

"Ah…" she gasped when the man quickly moved to her breast, biting and sucking it hard she was sure that it would leave a mark on it. One of his hands fondled the other one roughly, giving her the overwhelming pleasure she always hoped to be given by the man.

Her heart was beating in tumultuous thudding, knocking the inside of her chest harshly as if it tried to break her bone and leaped out from there. She forgot the eternal night, didn't care about the menace from the dark, the thousand past, the cursed book, the first love with bitter end, and all of the painful memories.

She just wanted to stay with the man she loved the most. The one who always stayed with her all these years, in every moment of happiness, in every moment of sadness. He was the one who accepted her for all of the good and bad in her. He was the one she couldn't live with. He was the one who made her forget the man she previously loved.

It was not a matter of pity.

It was her true feeling.

"Cor…" she panted heavily when the man pulled away her pants and rubbed her most sensitive part through her undergarment. He didn't touch her directly but it was enough to make her drenched completely.

Not wanting to touch her with his dirty hands, the man pulled her undergarment and licked her entrance seductively. It was funny remembering how he almost died few hours ago, being attacked by the rampaging coeurl and behemoth after being heavily injured by the daemon inside the dungeon, and now, he was assaulting a medic who saved his life.

"Ah… Ah… Cor…" she couldn't hold her voice any longer, letting the moan of pleasure filled the air of eerie woods. His tongue skillfully rubbed her favorite spot, making her head spinning in irresistible contentment. Obviously, the medic never expected that rescuing the hunters would cause her to be assaulted by the marshal.

"Cor…!" she curved her back when the man entered her with his hardened member. It was a bit painful for her since the man didn't use his fingers to stretch her beforehand. Yes, she was drenched enough, and it was not the first time for her swallowing the enormous part of him. But still, she would be grateful if he prepared her before the main course. However, on the other hand she knew the reason why he was unable to do so. The man wouldn't want to touch her with his hands, for he didn't want to harm her.

"Eira… Eira… Is it hurt?" the man grunted when she clenched him tightly, leaving no space for every crook to be filled by him.

"N-no…" she struggled to answer, even a simple thing like catching her breath was a great endeavor for her right now. Having nothing to clutch on, she clenched her fists, stabbing her nails to her palm for she knew that she would do so soon.

"Fuck, Eira… You're so… tempting…" he started to move his hips, pounding her inside with rapid thrust.

"Cor… Cor… Cor…" his name was the only one that managed to escape her throat, with the moan that left her lips in harmonic as the man thrusted her relentlessly.

The man bent forward, kissing her lips while kept pounding her vigorously. The fact that they did it outside, in the wild, with the risk of being killed by the daemon surely brought him to the unbearable excitement. He used all of his strength to relish her, for he couldn't hold the bursting desire after months unable to devour her ferociously like this.

The pace was unbelievable fast when he almost reached his peak. The sound of their flesh slamming each other echoed to the entire woods, surely it would awaken the daemon. But they didn't care, since what was in their mind was the lust and the desire to reach the immense pleasure.

Cor halted his movement for a second when he poured all of his love into her. Moving for few more times, he pumped everything out without spilling any drop to the ground.

Eira was panting hard after the man left her. Head spinning, eyes blurred, the man had sucked all of her strength and exhausted her; it almost reached her limit. Now when she thought of it, she had used a lot of her magic to revive the man. It was not weird if only one round had weakened her like this.

"I love you…" Cor kissed her forehead, smiling for a slight second before helping her to get dressed.

"Cor… you're sick…" she muttered, not really impressed for what they did was really dangerous.

A chuckle escaped his throat while the man put his pants on. Standing up straight, he helped the woman to rise, tapping the dirt from her white coat and from her hair. "You're too tempting Eira…"

"So dangerous…" panting still, the woman leaned against his chest, too tired to stand properly.

"I'm sorry…" he apologized, yet, he couldn't erase the grin on his face.

Cor lifted her body, carrying her inside his sturdy arms because he knew that Eira was too tired. She should have used almost all of her magic to heal him, and afterwards, Cor physically exhausted her.

She snuggled her head on his neck, shutting her eyelids and let the drowsiness shrouded her mind. He was the comfort she yearned. His fragrance never failed to envelope her in serenity. She promised that she would always protect him, stay by his side, for the rest of her life.

"I love you, Cor…"

Her body was swaying as the man carried her. Sensing that there were no monsters nor daemon around, she let herself to drown in her slumber. Smiling unwittingly, she could hear how Cor whispered the words of love at her.

"I love you, Eira."