Chapter 102: Compressed Hearts Part 2

“Hey,” she said.

“Huh?”

“Hi,” she said. “Why can’t you reply back?”

She tightens her hold on her sword. He focused his eyes on her, his eyes dilating as he felt overwhelmed. The wind presses down from the east, their hairs fluttered about, and clothes as well.

“Leave me alone,” he said.

“Why?” She said. “So you can run away?”

“Yes,” he said. “I will run away. I have no business here.”

“Is that so?” her voice was shaking. “Is that really so?”

“What are you?”

His expression was cool and steady, yet his heart pounded. No, it was more like he didn’t want to believe. The War Maiden that has shown up, looked like Ciara. He couldn’t believe it simply, how she looks like, and the power she exerts just by standing in front of her.

“There’s no way,” he thought. “This might be a far off world, but can she really be alive after so many years? How is that even possible? She aged back on the past world...and if she’s really her, then she’s too...how do I put the words together?”

“Who do you think, I am?” she asked. Her expression crumbled, yet it did not make her look unpleasant, her face became a crumbled rose.

“I...,” he looked down, his sword now pointed at the ground. “Are...you perhaps...Ciara?”

“Oh really?” she scoffs. “Why do you think that?”

“I...you looked like her, but that can’t be it.”

“Why? Because I am far beautiful than her? Is that it?”

“...”

He couldn’t understand, his heart beating loudly, almost deafening.

“Aren’t I lovely? Far beautiful than her? Look at me, do you know many princes and Emperors begged for my hand? Almost groveling, telling me to marry them? I know that cursed woman, ugly, unfathomable, and none loved her. She was pitiful, and everyone who looked at her would vomit, how can ANYONE love that kind of woman? So please, don’t you dare to ‘say’ that I am that woman,” she said, lips quivering.

Nolan’s head blank, his eyes squinting, stance widening, throbbing veins in the neck, and jaw clenched hard. He was a kettle.

“You...”

“Angry?” she said with a bite. “Isn’t what I am saying the truth? If you KNOW that woman, then you would know, but that woman is dead, she’s not around, and thank the heavens that she isn’t. Gosh, five hundred years, and you make me feel disgusted.”

“F-five hundred years?” His mouth twisted. “No, wonder.”

“?”

“I see, then, this might,” he said, eyes staring into the distance, not minding. “But, take that back.”

“My words? Why should I take back my words?”

“Don’t speak ill of the dead,” he said, the sternness his voice, evoking despair. “I, then, I had, no, never mind me, will you please leave me alone?”

“Why should I do that after you run amok my city?” she said.

“I thought I was right,” he said. “I thought wrong.”

“You thought you were right?” she laughed dryly. “If any crime could be forgiven just because you ‘thought wrong’ then laws shouldn’t exist. Give yourself up, you cannot run away, no, you cannot, I will not allow you.”

“I see.”

He put away the sword of obsidian, his head lowered.

“Fine, it’s not like I can run away, nor I want to anymore.”

She sauntered to him, her blade turning into dots of light, she grabbed hold of his hand, pulled on his wrist, and stared at his eyes.

“You really don’t remember?”

“...”

“I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Ciara Alician, and this city belongs to me, as you will be as well.”

He looks up at her, his eyes squinted. “Don’t jest, don’t you dare.”

“I am sorry,” she said mockingly. “I am not the one here who forgot someone’s name after five hundred years, not to mention, forgetting that he’s the one that gave her the burden of the world.”

He stared at her in utter disbelief. Nolan tries to gather words, but his heart seems compressed, unable to extract the tinges of emotions coming out.

“Oh don’t bother, it’s not like I haven’t seen a person who lost his memories, look at the side of the face, surely, you would remember a bit?”

“I...asked you if you were her.”

“I am still angry,” she tightened her hold on his wrists. “Do you know how frustrating it is? Now, I see you, and you can’t remember me, what did I do to deserve this? I have carried the burden of the world, this empire, and yet a bit of happiness isn’t allowed? No, I expected a better, no, a sweeter meeting, not you beaten, my heart angered, and pissed off. I have my duties, no, I should have the right to get away.”

“What are you?”

“Shut up,” she said grumbling. “It doesn’t matter now, these eyes of yours, no, I cannot be mistaken even if am this old, I cannot mistake you for anyone, and I hate it. Why, do I have to fall so hard to a guy that wasn’t even present in half of my life? This is absurd, no, I feel idiotic loving someone who then doesn’t even remember me!”

She continued talking as if she has been treated unfairly. Nolan allowed himself to be pulled, looking at her back, trying to concede that it was truly her and if her words could be true. Why was he unable to remember what he has done? He could only remember his death in that desert and his awakening in this world.

“I thought you were taking me to the city?”

“Back to the palace of worrywart granddaughters, and politicians that would want to lick the end of my boot? No thank you, so, since you had sinned, how about escorting me, I am going to run away, and I am bringing you with me. It’s not like you were planning to get back.”

“Shouldn’t you be worried about a war?”

“The empire deserves to be beaten once,” she said. “Their confidence will lead to their defeat, they might actually consider new strategies now that you’ve ruined things for this place, and that I would be gone, no superweapon they can use as a triumph card. That way those kids won’t have to be worked to death.”

“What about telling them all that first?” he asked, he’s just going with the flow, like a paper boat down a stream.

“So you would vanish on me again? For what? Five hundred years again? Nope, not going to happen, doesn’t even matter if you don’t remember, only had to make up for a lost time, and I can do it.”

Nolan’s head just stopped working, he couldn’t even form any thoughts as he watches her pull him away from the city, ribs hurting, wrist aching with such iron grip. His heart compressed, tightened, unable to breathe for air. He couldn't understand at all. It was too easy.