441 Just Like Those Times
Guided into a secure room by Naida and Eradicator, Asher was reassured by Eradicator's diligence, "We checked this room thoroughly. It is safe for you to stay, Your Majesty," she stated with certainty.
Asher responded with a light chuckle, "I am sure it is. It's not like Lysandra would be sending me here to die after all that. But good work... both of you. Urgh..." His words were abruptly cut off by a grimace of pain, a searing heat spreading through his body.
He felt like his bones, nerves, and everything were slowly being melted. If this keeps up, he might go crazy.
Eradicator instinctively stepped forward, the gaze from her crimson slit wavering, but she was unsure how to alleviate his discomfort.
At that moment, Naida stepped in, her actions swift and practiced. She assisted Asher towards the bed, her voice calm and reassuring, "I'll prepare some potion to help you feel better," she told him.
Eradicator looked at the two for a second before she bowed respectfully and exited the room, leaving the king in Naida's capable hands. After letting Asher lean onto a soft pillow on the bed, he asked with a grimace, "The key...it's safe, right?"
Naida smiled as her fingers reached the cleavage of her dress, making Asher blink his eyes.
Then, with a sudden, graceful motion, she dipped her fingers into the V of her dress, and then she withdrew her hand, the crimson hilt glinting in the dim light. "As promised, I would never let it fall into the wrong hands," Saying so, she placed the hilt on the table and then moved to a table, where she skillfully prepared a potion, pouring it into a chalice.
Asher was surprised that she hid the key in such a vulnerable place, or maybe it was not that surprising since there weren't many options left to hide it.
But who would have known this harmless-looking hilt was the reason the most powerful kingdom was trying to hunt him down. He definitely had to find out the secrets behind this 'key'.
However, with the room now quieter and now that they were alone, Asher couldn't stop wondering what Naida was thinking about what she saw back there.
If she tells someone, he will be finished. Not even Rowena would tolerate someone who has some sort of relation with radiant mana. It goes against the beliefs of demons and would make them feel threatened. N0v3lVerse hosted the premiere release of this chapter.
Isola was able to accept it not only because of the initial circumstances but because she had never fought a Hunter in her life until she came out of the seas. And so he wanted to make sure for once and for all, "About what happ-"
"I always wondered about your origins, Your Majesty," But before he could complete his sentence, Naida unexpectedly interjected, her tone curious yet gentle. She then turned to face him with a thoughtful smile, "It's like you dropped out of the sky since you can't be from our world. Thus... an alien. You fascinated everyone in good and bad ways the first day we knew of your existence, even though you were just a soulless child. Some people thought you were an abomination that was never meant to exist."
Holding the conversation, Asher accepted the chalice from her, his eyes narrowed. Naida then sat down beside him, her demeanor open and inquisitive, "I also wondered if you had any idea of your origins. But if you knew, you would probably be doing something to get back," she mused, her eyes searching his for any hint of recognition or understanding.
Asher, his expression contemplative, took a sip of the cooling potion. Naida's words stirred questions within him, but answers seemed just out of reach, obscured by the unknown.
Naida continued, her voice tinged with wonder and a hint of melancholy, "It makes me wonder if there really is life outside our world, even if it's hard to imagine, considering how everything outside our world is filled with death," she said, her head shaking softly.
Asher remained silent, pondering her words as he took another sip of the potion. All these things were something he wondered as well.
Asher's eyebrows raised in surprise as he felt a dark, cold mana flowing from Naida into his body. The sensation was both startling and soothing, like being submerged in a cool, tranquil pool. The cold mana began to counteract the scorching heat ravaging his insides, offering him a much-needed respite.
As the cool, soothing energy continued to alleviate Asher's pain, he noticed Naida's expression contorting with discomfort. He could see that she was also using her mana to absorb the scorching heat being produced inside his body. It had to go somewhere afterall.
Concerned, he attempted to withdraw his hand from her skin, not wanting to cause her any more pain.
However, Naida held firmly onto his hand, her grip unyielding.
Asher, increasingly worried, insisted firmly, "Stop, Lady Naida...I'm already feeling better."
Naida, her face marked with a pained grimace, softly responded, "Just a bit more... so that you can sleep peacefully for the rest of the night." Asher's heart clenched upon seeing the toll it was taking on her. If she keeps this up too long, her skin could get burned or worse.
Her pale skin was now tinged with color, and sweat glistened on her body. He knew it must be agonizing for her.
Vampires were susceptible to heat, and her skin was now uncharacteristically warm. He was about to protest again when her grip loosened, and she slumped forward, her eyelids drooping.
Asher's reflexes kicked in, and he leaned forward to catch her, his arms instinctively wrapping around her waist. Their foreheads touched as he asked with genuine concern, "Do you need a healing potion?"
By now, he was feeling a lot better and almost normal.
Naida's eyes fluttered open, meeting his gaze, "Your arms... They are very comfortable. For now... all I need is them...just like those times," she replied softly, her smile tender while her eyes were distant as if remembering something.
"Naida..." Asher whispered her name, his voice barely audible. The emotions simmering in her bright red eyes stirred something within him, a feeling he struggled to define.
The memories he struggled to separate himself from flooded in, especially the ones where he held Selene when she was dying in his arms. Only in the last cycle was he able to hold her where she wasn't dying, and the warmth they shared in that moment felt the same as what he was feeling now.
Suddenly, the distance between them vanished. His fingers gently brushed a stray strand of her ruby-red hair from her face, and before he knew it, he was leaning in, capturing her rosy lips in a searing kiss.
Whoa...what's he thinking? :#
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