Chapter 134: Homecoming – 1

“Let’s keep going.”

Elena said as she shook her hair free.

“The ritual isn’t over yet.”

“Offer your memories. Kailo has already left, hasn’t he? There’s no reason not to offer them. Clinging to his memory won’t bring him back, and if you stay like this, your power will spiral out of control.”

The demon’s whisper continued.

“Come now, Vivian, you have no other choice left. Free yourself from this pain. You’ll even forget why you were crying.”

As Elena kept reminding Vivian of reality, she finally felt the pain of truly realizing that Kailo was gone.

“…Ah…”

Vivian clutched her chest, experiencing agony for the first time in her life.

The pain grew so intense over time that she could barely breathe.

Yet, as if resigned, she did not cry out or beg for help.

She knew it wouldn’t change anything.

There was no one left who truly cherished her.

And so, instead of human tears or a desperate scream, an animalistic groan escaped her lips.

She sat there, clutching her chest, unmoving.

Unlike other wounds, this pain did not fade with time.

It only intensified.

As if she knew this, Elena continued.

“It hurts, doesn’t it?”

“…Ah…ugh…”

“It’s hard, isn’t it?”

“Ugh…ugh…”

“Give up now.”

She pulled out a cigarette from somewhere, lit it, and spoke.

“And show this hateful world your wrath. Take revenge on those who made you suffer. I desire greater chaos and sorrow.”

This world had never once been kind to her.

Elena’s words seeped into Vivian.

The pain in her heart, the resentment toward this unfair world—

All of it could be resolved if she just offered up her memories of Kailo.

And if she wanted to survive, she had no other choice.

Being deceived by Elena was one thing, but there was no other path left now.

If she didn’t move forward, only death awaited.

Anyone would understand that she had to make the offering.

She simply wanted the pain to stop.

She was exhausted, worn down—she just wanted to let go.

…And yet.

Vivian opened her mouth, but the vivid memories still burned within her, stopping her from speaking.

Kailo, who smiled at her.

Kailo, who played pranks on her.

Kailo, who fought in her place.

Kailo, who revealed his deepest desires.

Kailo, who got angry.

All those memories filled her mind.

She was being told to let them go.

And yet, Vivian couldn’t help but laugh.

“…Do you think that’s possible?”

“What?”

She glared sharply at the demon, abandoning all the etiquette she had upheld her whole life.

“…Get lost.”

She whispered.

Elena’s expression finally hardened.

“…What did you say?”

“I said… get lost.”

Vivian spoke more clearly this time, and even gave the smile Kailo had always wanted to see from her.

“…Because I won’t forget Kailo.”

“…Because I won’t carve out my heart for this.”

She couldn’t let Kailo go.

That much was painfully clear now.

“Even if Kailo abandoned you?”

Elena spoke bluntly.

“…I know.”

Vivian answered.

She deserved to be abandoned.

“…Even if your power spirals out of control and you’re executed?”

“…I know that too.”

Elena scoffed as if exasperated.

“Kailo Alan won’t even acknowledge what you’re doing. Why choose such a painful path?”

Vivian simply stated the obvious.

“I can’t give up on Kailo.”

“…Why?”

“…Because Kailo never gave up on me.”

Elena stared at Vivian for a long time, frozen.

Then, with a laugh, she questioned her once more.

“…Even if you die, You won’t sacrifice your memories of that man?”

Vivian weakly nodded.

“…I’d rather die than forget Kailo.”

Like someone who had found an amusing toy, Elena smiled.

Vivian could no longer understand what she was thinking.

But she didn’t care.

Her mind was still filled with thoughts of Kailo.

A thought suddenly crossed her mind.

If things followed their course and she was executed… what would Kailo think?

Would he think it was good that she was dead?

Or would he scoff and curse at how easily she, whom he had so desperately protected, had died?

Would he be disgusted just at the news of her fate?

…Whatever it was, he would surely hate it.

Vivian couldn’t hold back the bitter laugh that burst from her lips.

“Ahaha…”

Until the very end, she remained the worst person to him.

Only after he left did she finally admit it.

That if he had never met her, Kailo would have lived a much easier life.

That someone like her, a stain, should never have tainted him.

Honestly, the word “end” still didn’t feel real.

If she came to her senses, it would all just be a dream.

And if that happened, as always, she would throw herself into Kailo’s arms again… whining that she had a nightmare.

Kailo would smile, stroke her hair once, and tell her not to make a fuss over nothing.

“…You really mean it.”

Elena spoke.

“Humans always make such strange choices. There are idiots I’ll never understand.”

“But that’s fine. Breaking stubborn ones is entertaining in its own way.”

—Et!

Elena snapped her fingers, and a stabbing pain shot through Vivian’s lower abdomen.

“Ugh!!”

Vivian could tell—something important had just broken.

Elena revealed what she had done.

“I’ve extended the offering period with my power.”

Was such a thing even possible?

As if reading her expression, Elena answered.

“It was an offering meant for me anyway. Whether I take it now or later, nothing changes.”

“I also stopped the surge of your power for a while. But your vessel is definitely broken.”

“From now on, your power will leak out bit by bit. The witch hunters will slowly… ever so slowly… catch your scent and close in. You’ll feel the terror of your breathing space tightening.”

Vivian couldn’t understand.

“…Why…”

“Why bother going to such trouble?”

The demon laughed.

“I can’t just let a toy I carefully crafted break so easily.”

“…What?”

“Just say the word. You can give up your memories anytime. You can change your mind anytime. You can offer up the sacrifice again anytime.”

“And in return… I’ll keep bringing you news of Kailo. Isn’t that a good deal for you?”

A proposal filled with obvious malice.

She was, indeed, a being worthy of the name “demon.”

Vivian wanted to hear about Kailo.

But she also knew that hearing it would be unbearably painful.

Elena whispered.

“…So if you ever want to give up, just tell me. Changing your mind before your execution would be for the best.”

***

Baristan, the bishop, sat in the quiet room, sifting through documents.

Yesterday, he had done the same.

Today, he was doing the same.

Tomorrow, he would do the same.

He was focused solely on purging witches.

He knew all too well how destructive witches could be.

He understood how they deceived and exploited people.

People often criticized him for his extreme actions.

Some called him a fanatic.

Baristan himself accepted that judgment.

Sometimes, even he lost control of his own actions.

Sometimes, he was so consumed by rage that he ignored everything others said.

He knew it was a bad habit.

…But anyone who had suffered at the hands of witches would feel the same.

For witches, even execution was mercy.

They needed to be torn apart, burned, and utterly destroyed.

They should not be treated as human.

They should be treated as vermin.

As pests.

—Knock, knock, knock.

Lost in his violent imaginings again, he was pulled back by a knock on the door.

Baristan suppressed the madness in his eyes and responded.

“Who is it?”

‘Bishop, it’s Leopold.’

It was Leopold, a Holy Knight of the Las Order.

Baristan granted him entry.

And at that very moment…

The sound of metal trembling and vibrating filled the air.

A sound that set Baristan’s nerves on edge.

Leopold entered, holding a relic of the Las Order in his hand.

Leopold spoke.

“…It seems a witch has failed in a ritual.”

Judging by the intensity of the tremors, it didn’t seem to have occurred nearby.

“…Could it be in the direction of the Eastern Kingdom?”

Leopold speculated.

Baristan continued to observe the relic.

Given its intensity, it was certainly born far away.

However, an inexplicable sense of unease prevented him from jumping to conclusions.

“…Let’s begin an investigation for now. Tell everyone to prepare by tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

There was no need for further explanation for what might be a bothersome task.

Even if only one cockroach was seen, it had to be exterminated.

“…And…”

Baristan stroked his chin.

His eyes narrowed.

“…Keep Loctana in mind as well.”

“Yes.”

“That place is a bit… concerning.”

Especially with its lord, Vivian.

***

I spurred my horse forward roughly.

I had no idea how long I had been riding.

I had longed for my homecoming my entire life, but I never imagined it would feel like this.

I had thought I would return with a smile.

The horse beneath me foamed at the mouth, panting heavily, but I did not stop riding.

No matter how breathless I became, my chest felt unbearably tight.

“Aaaaahhh!!!”

I screamed as I rode across the plains.

Yet, this pain did not fade.

I kept seeing Vivian, clinging to my legs, crying.

The touch of her hands, sincerely seeking help, lingered in my mind.

A curse.

It wasn’t my heart; it was a curse.

That witch had been controlling me all this time.

Even this sorrow I felt now was all because of that.

No matter how many times I repeated it to myself, the tears streaming down my face would not stop.

The despair of realizing that everything I had done was not of my own will.

The sense of loss from knowing that all the emotions I felt for Vivian were not truly mine.

The betrayal of thinking that all her actions toward me had been deception.

And yet, the frustration of being unable to cast her away.

Did it mean that everything she showed me was a lie?

How much of her had been false from the beginning?

But perhaps it was only natural that I couldn’t let her go.

She was someone who had shared my childhood.

She was a companion who had endured hardships alongside me.

I couldn’t believe that she had been deceiving me all this time.

—Thud!!

At that moment, my body was suddenly lifted into the air.

—Thump!!

I was thrown to the ground, crashing violently at the same speed as the horse.

I tumbled for a long time before finally coming to a stop.

The sudden impact on my entire body left me struggling to breathe.

“…Haa… haa…”

When I regained my senses, I saw my horse, panting with bloodshot eyes.

It had collapsed, unable to run any further.

I tried to stand up, but I couldn’t.

I was just like that horse.

Slowly, I closed my eyes.

I wished for all of this to be a dream.

I wished that when I opened my eyes, I would awaken in my hometown as my fourteen-year-old self again.

For the first time, I had such a thought.