Chapter 215: The Shells That Are Swept by The Ocean

"Charlotte is still not waking up?"

"I'm afraid not."

The group was waiting outside the room where Charlotte was currently resting. And as soon as they saw Sofia come out, Diao Chan quickly approached her and asked. But hearing that her friend has yet to wake up, Diao Chan could not help but let out a concerned sigh.

Duke Erik had also canceled all of his plans for the whole week and chose to remain by his sister's side at least until she wakes up.

Sofia kept telling them that she was fine and that there was nothing to worry about, but it has been almost half a day since she collapsed.

"What could really be wrong with her?", Diao Chan muttered.

"Hm…"

As soon as she asked that, Viel, who was currently eating a slice of cake that he got from the castle's pantry, spoke up. "If she really is the same as me, then she should be talking with someone right now", he said as he took another bite of his cake.

"Whenever I lose consciousness like that, that is usually what happens to me."

"Who… could she be talking to, then?"

The others could not help but place their attention towards Viel, waiting for him to answer. Lu Xun, however, was currently staring at the cake he was eating, wondering where on the castle he was able to get one… and why was he the only one eating?

"No idea.", was Viel's only answer.

"So Viel… Miss Charlotte really is your mother?", Diao Mei could not help but ask. The others have been wondering it too, but they couldn't really find the timing to ask him.

"Hm.", Viel only nodded as he took another bite of his cake.

"That's amazing!", Violet clapped her hands as the joyful tone in her voice showed itself, "You… you finally have a family!"

"Hm… I already have a family, though.", Viel nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

"That's good… that's very good", Violet let out a tiny breath.

Diao Mei, who could not help the sudden shift in Violet's tone, approached her with a question. "What about you, Violet?", she asked.

"Where's your mother? I remember she helped out a lot during the calamity in Taizhou?", Diao Chan continued, "I also remember her being slightly strict", she then slightly chuckled.

"...", Violet's eyebrows, however, instantly lowered as soon as she heard Diao Chan's question, "My mother… she died."

"What!? Why didn't you tell me!?"

"It's… it happened after I was named as the new Hero."

Suffice to say, the others were also shocked to hear the news from Violet. The adults already think that she already had enough burden on her hands being crowned as the new Hero at such a young age, but to think the weight she carried was much more than that.

Viel and her were of the same age, and both had already experienced too much tragedy in the little time they have in this world.

Fate…

...Fate truly is cruel.

"Well… there are lots of us old ladies here!", Diao Chan patted Violet's head, "So don't be afraid to ask us, okay? A mother's advice is always the best."

"Hm…"

The warmth on Diao Chan's hand transferred to the deepest parts of Violet, who could not help but tear up a little bit as she nodded her head.

Yinji, on the other hand, could not help but look away. Sure, she can be considered old, too old, in fact. But a mother's advice? How would she even know the first thing about that?

***

"S… sh*t! Sh*t! Sh*t!"

Rudolf's stuttered and weighty breaths whispered through the deep and ruined forest. The sounds of his blood dripping… no, gushing on the soft cold ground also echoed throughout the night, each drop reflecting the moonlight.

"Why… why would she even do that!?", he roared as he tightened the grip on his dismembered arm, his forearms, nowhere to be found as he bled profusely from the elbows.

They didn't even stand a chance. It happened in the blink of an eye. Why did she do that? No, why did it even happen in the first place?

They were investigating what happened to the city, and why it was littered with dead bodies. But then they saw the Hero of Freiden. Rudolf's chest rose up as he couldn't contain the excitement he felt when he saw Cortana.

And Pam, who idolized the Hero Of Freiden to the deepest parts of her bones, quickly ran towards her. Rudolf could still remember Pam's sudden high-pitched voice as she screamed for her idol. That was the first time Rudolf was hearing that tone from her even after they have been in a party together for more than 3 years.

But then, that excited voice was instantly cut, literally. Before she could even reach Cortana, Rudolf and the other party members saw her body split in two. They didn't even see how it happened, but one thing they did know... was that it was the Hero of Freiden who did it.

His two other companions quickly rushed towards Cortana. Rudolf tried to stop them, but alas, they died without even landing a single hit on Cortana.

Rudolf… Rudolf could only turn around and run away. Perhaps the right decision, as him turning around caused him to luckily dodge Cortana's attack that came out of nowhere. And unlike his companions, whose whole body was split in two, only his arm was cut off.

And so, he ran. He ran because he knew that even a thousand of him didn't have a chance against the Hero of Freiden. It was a battle that he could never win. No, it wouldn't even be a battle.

He couldn't even see Cortana's attack. It was as if she was able to cut them down even at a distance.

Cortana. The Hero of Freiden. Wasn't she supposed to be the gallant Hero that saved all of them more than a decade ago?

Rudolf quickly shook his head as he hastened his steps. No, none of those mattered now.

The way the Hero of Freiden looked, her eyes that brimmed red with blood. The red trail of tears that marked her face, her pale skin which almost made her veins visible…

...But most importantly, the two tiny horns that protruded from her forehead.

...Everyone must know.

Everyone must know that a new Demon God has been born. The new Hero, Violet, must know of this… and that she should run. The way she is right now, the Hero of Freiden won't even need to lift a finger for her to kill her.

Everyone should run. He must warn them no matter the cost!

'Warn them… I must… warn--'

Rudolf then felt his whole body stop moving. "W… what?", he let out a tiny but hoarse whisper. He then felt something warm trail from his nose.

Blood? He thought. He wanted to see what it was, but even his hands were no longer following his orders. And soon, he felt his vision shift. His left eyes, falling to the left, and his right eye, falling to the right.

His whole body was cleaved vertically in half. But no one seemed to be behind him, the only thing that changed was that the ground beneath him suddenly formed in a crevice. And that crevice led all the way back to the city.

And there, towards its origin, was Cortana, her axe was lifted into the air. She then slowly and gently placed her axe on the ground as she closed her eyes.

As soon as she did so, the sound of the birds from the forest entered her ears.

The crawling of the ants that were tirelessly working also whispered to her.

The slight hint of the shifting moon…

They all entered her ears.

And as soon as she heard the sound of laughter, coming from a village a few kilometers away from her, she quickly opened her eyes.

"All of you… sinners…", she whispered again, the only words she seemed to know now,

"All of you… will die."

Her whispers, although silent, still echoed throughout the night. Her steps, as if a drum that signaled the start of a long night.

***

On a shore, somewhere in the edge of the islands of the Western Continent, a man slowly walked and ascended from the ocean. His dark skin, almost merging in the night, moving as if he was invisible.

"Finally, I have arrived in the Western Continent."

It was the Glorious One… no, Noah, the Deity beneath Emperor Cha's throne.

"..."

There was, however, also a little girl, looking up at him with the most curious of eyes. "Who are you?", the little girl asked. She seemed to be holding a bucket full of shells. Perhaps taking advantage of lower tide to collect her treasures when Noah suddenly emerged from the sea.

"...", Noah, however, only looked at her with his eyebrows furrowed.

"Are you a Spirit?", the little girl continued to ask.

Noah, however, ignored him and continued to walk.

"Where are you going!?", the little girl followed him as she continued bombarding him with questions.

"...I am going to fulfill a Prophecy?"

"Prophecy, what's that? Food?"

"...Where are your creators, little human?"

"Creators?", the little girl tilted her head.

"Your parents."

"Do you want to meet them!?"

Hearing Noah's words, the little girl's eyes quickly lit up as she grabbed Noah's hand and pulled him away. But feeling that she couldn't even move Noah, the little girl's eyes started to redden.

Noah could not help but furrow his eyebrows. Should he just kill this little human before she makes a noise? He thought.

No, killing her might alter the Prophecy, which seemed to be so fragile now because of Viel. And so, with a slight hum, he let himself be pulled by the little girl.

"Yay!", the little girl jumped as she started pulling him to the forest. The little girl's loud and excited breaths annoyed Noah, but still, he did not do anything.

And soon, after a few more minutes of the little girl catching her breath…

"There they are!"

"Hm?", Noah could not help but squint his eyes as he looked to where the little girl was pointing to, "...Your parents are stones?", he then let out a breath as he looked at the two large stones in front of him.

"Pft.", the little girl could not help but giggle as she heard Noah's words.

"No, my parents are sleeping there!", the little girl pointed towards the ground,

"I'm still waiting for them to wake up so I can give them all the shells I collected! See? See how many I collected today? I have many more at home!"

"...I see."

"Want…

...Want to help me collect some shells, mister?"