Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power

The silence was loud.

Kaden stopped mid-step as Sabine's words registered inside his head. His mind went blank for a second, and in that second, he imagined the worst thing that could happen if Eliot truly died.

Rea.

Immediately, his thoughts went to her, making his heart race in trepidation before he cracked his lips open, his throat dry as sand in a desert, and spoke,

"W-What?" His voice came out shakier than he expected. "Die?" he echoed, hoping, that he had misheard.

But he hadn't.

Sabine herself was sweating, her breathing ragged as if she had run five whole kilometers under a furious sun. "Yes, young master," she stammered.

"But weren't my parents and Lady Mayari keeping tabs on his situation closely?" he asked, his tone broken and disbelieving. "How is it possible for him to be about to die?"

What was going on?

"I don't know, young master! I don't know…but this is not the time!" Sabine shook her head, panic slipping into her words. "Please, hurry! He… he doesn't have long!" she urged, terrified that before Kaden arrived, Eliot might already have surrendered to the sweet whisper of death.

Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Kaden didn't waste another second. "Where? Where is he?" he demanded, his body already flickering, phasing in and out of reality like a mirage.

The space around him began to warp, heat distorting the air as tongues of fire erupted, the scent of burn filling the room.

"In the health recovery center, young master! He's at the top of the building!" Sabine replied, her fingers fidgeting uncontrollably.

Kaden vanished in an instant, leaving behind both Meris and Inara.

Inara's eyes were confused, wondering what was happening and who was about to die. But Meris, who knew Eliot and his significance far too well, had her heavy gaze fixed on the world beyond the door.

"Do you know him?" Inara asked, noticing Meris's grave expression.

Meris nodded. "I do," she said quietly, before adding, "He's the father of Rea."

"Rea?" Inara echoed, puzzled by the name.

Meris fell silent for a heartbeat, then murmured,

"Rea is the first."

That was all she said, but she didn't need to say more. Inara's eyes widened in realization before her face quickly calmed, understanding the delicate weight of the situation.

Because this wasn't just anyone, this was the father of the girl Kaden loved.

"Is there any way to heal him?" Inara asked, unable to ignore the uneasy feeling twisting her chest. The idea of that man dying, of seeing Kaden's sad face, filled her with uneasiness.

Because his sadness was something she didn't want to see.

Meris didn't respond. Countless thoughts crashed against her mind like waves in a storm, each one dragging her toward places she'd rather not go.

Because thinking too deeply about it, like Inara, would make her feel bad too.

Even though she didn't hold Rea dear in her heart, that didn't mean she hated her. She just hated the fact that she had Kaden.

But now, she had come to accept the reality that she would have to share him. That thought made her unconsciously glance at Inara, her eyes still cold but no longer as sharp.

She wanted to talk with her about Kaden, but that would have to wait. For now, she needed to go and support her love.

Pivoting sharply, Meris began to walk away. "I'll go and see if I can help," she said.

"Wait for me!" Inara called after her, hurrying to catch up. "I might be able to help too."

Meris simply nodded, recognizing the peculiar nature of Inara's powers.

And thus, with each step that seemed to ignore the very concept of distance, Meris and Inara arrived at the building…where they were met with a chilling scene.

…

The death of one man is a tragedy. The death of millions is a statistic.

A wise man once said.

A bitter truth, unfortunately. The human mind could feel and understand the death of one. It could understand the pain, the agony, the fear of seeing a single being dying…either by simple old age or by being nuked for no goddamn reason.

But the death of millions? Sad to say, the human mind cannot fathom that level of loss. It cannot relate to so many deaths at once. It becomes overwhelmed and so everything turns into numbers…into statistics to truly understand.

And when you start to look things in that manner, you lose the ability to relate.

That was Kaden's situation.

He had already thought about it before, already recognized, even if unintentionally, that concept when he realized he felt more sorrow for his master's death than for the millions who died in Waverith.

But it was not that deep.

His master might have died, but he was, in the end, only a Will. The true Undefeated Slave still lived…somewhere, somehow.

So in the end, his death hurt, but it wasn't unbearable.

But that would not be the case if Eliot died… and he was dying.

Kaden was silent as he observed the sight before him. Eliot was slumped on the bed, his body frail and devoid of muscle, deep slithering black veins crawling through his skin like water trailing across dry stone.

He lay there, his body covered by a white blanket damp with sweat, his eyes fluttering open and shut. And every time they closed, his weak hand would tighten on the blanket, forcing them open again.

Kaden had been there for a while, yet he still didn't know what to say.

His parents stood in the far corner of the room, their expressions solemn. Mayari, Medusa, Meris, and Inara were there too, their faces clouded with silence.

Another figure sat by the other side of the bed. It was a woman with short pink hair and green eyes, wearing a white coat and pink-rimmed glasses.

She looked exhausted.

She was the healer in charge of treating Eliot.

Kaden sat on the opposite side of the bed. Eliot coughed, sensing his presence. He turned his head weakly toward him, though his eyes were too hazy to truly see.

"Cough… cough… K-Kaden." He rasped, then shakily raised a trembling hand toward him.

Kaden took it gently, holding it with both of his.

The fading warmth of that frail hand reminded him of he death of his master. His teeth sank into the inside of his mouth.

Feeling the warmth of Kaden's hands, Eliot smiled faintly, then spoke again, "I… I have only one thing to ask you," he said, before another cough tore from his chest, black blood spilling from his trembling lips.

"I'm listening," Kaden said softly. His voice was calm, but his parents could taste the pain and fear beneath it.

Serena clenched her fists.

She hated this, but there was nothing they could do. They had tried everything, poured every ounce of their power into healing Eliot one way or another, but nothing worked. None of them knew what kind of rune Luke Thornspire had used on his brother, but it was dreadful enough to make even them wary.

Not even a Legendary-rank healing potion could save him. It could only slow the infection, and once its effects faded, the corruption doubled in strength.

They would have tried a Mythic-rank potion if they had one, but they didn't. Even Legendary ones were scarce after the war.

The cost of that war had been far greater than any of them expected.

"R-Rea…" Eliot began, his voice cracking. "Tell her I'm sorry… ask her to forgive me for being a bad father."

That was his only regret. That because of his pursuit of power, of wealth, he had neglected his daughter…the daughter who had only him after her mother's death in childbirth.

He was all she had, and yet he made it clear that she wasn't all he needed.

That was why…

"T-Tell her…"

…he only wanted her forgiveness. Only that.

Kaden stayed silent for a long moment. Then, gently, he released one of Eliot's hands and lifted the blanket to look at his body more closely.

He regretted it instantly.

Goosebumps crawled up his spine at the sight.

From where Eliot's heart should have been, a cluster of runic inscriptions was carved into his skin. They were black in a way Kaden had never thought possible…an immaculate, devouring black that seemed to swallow the light around it.

The runes pulsed, and with each beat, black veins spread further, weaving through Eliot's body, even reaching his head.

"What is this?" Kaden asked, his voice trembling at the disturbing sight.

"We do not know, young master," the healer said, shaking her head. "All we know is that this rune doesn't affect the physical body in any way."

Kaden's eyebrows knitted into a deep, tight frown. "What do you mean?"

The healer exhaled sharply, trying to compose herself. Even she, and the leaders of Waverith, had doubted her discovery, but there was no mistake.

That was the only possible explanation.

The rune didn't touch the blood, the organs, or the flesh. It didn't consume life in a way any random poison did. No…

"This rune…" she whispered, voice trembling.

"…this rune eats the soul of its host, young master."

—End of Chapter 274—

A/N:

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