NOVEL NEXT Chapter 35
Chapter 35 I Won’t Abandon You:
Krisa ran, tears streaming down her face.
She fled as far as her legs could take her, so far that even the knights sent by her “father” could never find her. From that day, her life became a constant cycle of wandering, teetering between being half-dead and near-death.
Her demon blood made her identity obvious to anyone who saw her.
Those who initially showed kindness and considered adopting her quickly recoiled in horror upon noticing the horns on her head.
Why?
Why was it always like this?
The young Krisa couldn’t understand at the time. It wasn’t until she grew older that she realized why people reacted with such fear.
This was a world ruled by gods.
The gods, benevolent and mighty, shielded humans with their supreme divine power. Meanwhile, demons were seen as evil beings, always opposing the gods and threatening humanity.
Thus, humans despised demons with an instinctive hatred.
“Get out! Get out of here!”
“Great Sun God, bring your fire down and burn this witch to death!”
People either shunned her with disgust or pursued her with swords and stones. Krisa found no place to belong.
So, she obeyed her mother’s last words. She kept running, searching for a distant place where she might survive.
She wandered for a long time.
She once laughed when she found a fallen fruit on the roadside. It was sweet, and for a moment, it filled her heart with joy.
She once cried when she tried to join the games of human children, only to be met with rejection and stoned until she was bruised and bleeding.
But as time passed, Krisa’s laughter and tears disappeared.
Only fear remained.
As she grew older, her demonic traits became more pronounced. Her horns and scales became impossible to hide, drawing even more violent reactions.
People threw stones and rotten food at her, pelting her until she was covered in filth and wounds.
They took pleasure in her pain, beating her, whipping her, or even tying her behind carriages to be dragged across the ground.
“Mother… why is it like this…?”
In the face of constant torment, the light in Krisa’s eyes extinguished completely. Her emotions became void, dulled by the endless cycle of despair.
“I guess this is a good thing,” Krisa said flatly, her pale golden eyes staring forward, devoid of any waves or ripples of emotion.
Without sadness, she didn’t cry. This saved her energy. After losing her emotions, she could flee faster.
“If you run fast enough, you won’t get beaten.”
Krisa shared this piece of wisdom with Xu Xi. She recounted her experiences with an eerie calmness, her face expressionless and her tone devoid of any fluctuations.
She explained how drinking muddy water wasn’t ideal because of the sand and stones that caused stomach pain. City drainage ditches, she added, were slightly better since rats could be used to stave off hunger.
“That’s enough, Krisa!”
Xu Xi’s sudden outburst interrupted her.
Taking a deep breath, he spoke with uncharacteristic heaviness.
“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for making you relive these painful memories. I’m… truly sorry.”
His voice, filled with self-blame, shattered the silence in the room.
As Xu Xi looked into Krisa’s empty eyes, his guilt deepened.
“Sorry…?”
The demon girl tilted her head in confusion. She didn’t understand why Xu Xi was apologizing. Had she said something she shouldn’t have?
Her Master, her savior, was infallible in her eyes. If he was upset, it must be her fault.
“I must be useless if I’ve made you so troubled,” Krisa said softly, her voice sincere. “Please… abandon me.”
Useless things should be discarded—this was the lesson her “father” had taught her.
Though she cherished Xu Xi and wished to stay with him forever, Krisa resolved to leave if that was his decision.
Like her mother’s final wish for her to run far away, she would obey.
Krisa sat quietly, her hands clasped tightly on her lap, waiting for Xu Xi’s judgment.
“I don’t want to leave, but… it’s okay,” she thought, her fingers unconsciously fidgeting.
She believed she was ugly, weak, and insignificant. Being abandoned was only natural. She had already received more kindness than she deserved.
The few seconds of waiting felt like an eternity.
Then, a warm and familiar hand gently rested on her head, stroking it softly. The touch carried a faint warmth and comfort.
“I will not abandon you, Krisa.”
Xu Xi’s voice was soft but firm, filled with heartache and love.
“Really, Master?”
Krisa’s voice trembled with disbelief. Her dull eyes reflected a glimmer of light as she looked up at him.
“Yes, really,” Xu Xi replied.
The weight of her misfortune, which had shadowed her since birth, suddenly lifted. What once seemed like an unreachable dream now became her reality.
Krisa was stunned.
In the past, she might have laughed or cried with joy. But now, with her emotions dulled, she could only feel a faint ache at the tip of her nose.
“Thank you…”
In the stillness of the meditation room, Krisa felt a strange warmth spread through her chest.
Her Master’s words had planted a seed of light in her heart.
[The witch’s talent will amaze you, but her past weighs heavily on your mind.]
[Ravaged, bullied, hunted, tortured—Krisa has endured almost every imaginable cruelty. Her life has been a relentless series of hardships. If not for her young age, something truly irreparable might have happened.]
[You begin to wonder: Is human malice greater than the abyssal cruelty of demons?]
[You realize that simply cultivating Krisa’s strength is not enough.]
[You must also nurture her spirit, helping her become an independent person who can thrive even without you.]