Chapter 17

Chapter 17 – Diverging Wishes (1)

A gentle breeze brushed past her cheek, leaving a faint tickle in its wake. Erin remained still, unsettled by the unfamiliar sensation.

For the first time, the stench of blood did not fill her nose.

For the first time, that horrific scene did not spread itself before her eyes.

She was sitting quietly beneath a great tree. For the first time in eighteen years, she was dreaming a different dream.

Erin stared blankly at the unfamiliar peace unfolding before her. 

Across a wide field, nameless wildflowers bloomed here and there. The expanse of green grass stretched out before her, clearing the tightness that had long weighed on her chest.

The cool shade cast by the great tree, the scattered sunlight that warmed her skin in gentle intervals.

Everything felt strange, yet at the same time faintly familiar.

What am I longing for, to dream something like this? She had always sworn herself to revenge. And yet, perhaps she wanted to flee from the dreadful reality that ran counter to that resolve.

As Erin gazed at the field, she became aware of a heavy warmth resting on her knees. Still, she could not bring herself to lower her gaze.

An instinct wrapped around her whole body, warning her not to look down. Erin trusted her instincts, so she kept her eyes fixed straight ahead.

Someone was lying with their head resting comfortably on her knees, breathing in a steady rhythm. The ticklish sensation of their breath brushing her knees now and then made her body stiffen.

Who was it, that could feel so at ease with her?

In contrast to the peaceful surroundings, Erin’s heart was restless. She wanted to wake up quickly, but even that proved harder than expected.

Why was that? Was this not a lucid dream? Or was she unconsciously refusing to wake because there was something she wanted to confirm?

Her thoughts churned in confusion, and in that moment she realized something else.

Her hand was resting on someone’s chest.

A steady heartbeat, no, a heartbeat just a little faster than steady, traveled from her fingertips into her palm.

Startled, Erin tried to pull her hand away, but the person beneath her caught it, lacing their fingers with hers.

Erin.

At the sound of her name, Erin was finally able to open her eyes.

Cold sweat soaked her body, leaving an unpleasant, sticky sensation. She breathed roughly as she brushed her bangs back, then stared at her own hand.

The hand that had naturally interlaced with another’s felt achingly familiar. It was a gentle touch, like one shared between lovers, and the voice that had called her name had been full of affection.

Yet all of it was new to her.

In other words, it was a peace she had never once experienced. Then why did it feel so natural, as if she had lived it before?

Erin knit her brows sharply and brushed her bangs back again. Since that day, her life had known no peace.

Why, then, did she long for that dream? She could not understand herself.

***

Despite the early hour, Erin arrived once more at the underground prison where Gabriel was held. Since she had to give him blood anyway, she wanted to get it over with as quickly as possible.

When she opened the door and stepped inside, the space that had always been steeped in darkness was now filled with light.

Illuminated brightly by torches, the interior was far neater than she had expected.

She had never cared what the place looked like before, so seeing it properly for the first time was oddly fascinating, and her gaze wandered without her realizing it.

The wallpaper and pillars testified to a splendor on par with the imperial palace itself. Yet taken as a whole, the atmosphere did not harmonize at all.

It felt as though someone had forcibly fused together pieces of different homes.

And then iron bars had been added on top of that, ensuring the grotesque impression never faded.

As she glanced around and approached where Gabriel was, a rather pleased voice greeted her.

“I thought you would come later, but you arrived earlier than I expected,” Gabriel said cheerfully.

When she turned her head, she saw Gabriel reading a book he must have found somewhere.

What was more, he seemed to have remodeled the place to his liking. The area around him was no different from a study.

As though he had lived here the longest. Even the way he had naturally claimed the space as his own was laughable.

And seeing him read so leisurely was incomprehensible. Erin wanted to see what kind of book it was, but the writing was in a language she could not read.

As she tilted her head in curiosity, Gabriel smiled and showed her the book.

“It is an ancient text, so it is quite different from modern languages,” Gabriel said.

“Where did you get a book like that?” Erin asked.

“I found it,” Gabriel replied.

Found it? Where exactly had he found it?

Erin frowned at him. Gabriel laughed aloud, clearly amused by her reaction.

“Do not worry. I have not taken a single step outside,” Gabriel said.

“Then where did you find it?” Erin asked.

“Perhaps here,” Gabriel replied lightly.

The way he looked at her, smiling as he did, grated on her nerves. Gabriel rested his chin on his hand and studied her.

“Are you curious about what it says?” Gabriel asked.

“Not at all,” Erin replied.

“You look curious,” Gabriel said.

She had no intention of indulging his wordplay any further. As Erin drew her dagger and was about to cut her palm, she felt her body refuse to move.

“There is no need to wound yourself,” Gabriel said calmly.

Fury flared in Erin at the audacity of him restraining her with magic, and she glared at him. Ignoring her gaze, Gabriel hurriedly snatched the dagger from her hand.

He examined her palm carefully, as if worried she might be hurt. The sight was now outright repulsive, and Erin ground her teeth.

“Shut up and drink the blood,” Erin snapped.

“Little one, your body,” Gabriel began.

That tone, and that form of address. Erin clenched her teeth and seized Gabriel by the collar, slamming him back against the wall.

The backlash from breaking through his magic with brute force strained her body, but that pain was nothing.

What mattered was that his damned mouth had dared to call her that.

Erin twisted her grip so his clothes tightened around his neck. As he coughed and gagged, the look he cast down at her still carried a trace of amusement.

She was furious. She wanted nothing more than to snap his neck then and there.

But no matter what she did, Gabriel would not die. Had she not already cut his throat once before?

Break his neck, sever it, burn him to ash, he would still revive.

“I told you not to call me that,” Erin growled.

“I am sorry, but I like that pet name the most,” Gabriel replied lightly.

He reached up and tucked a strand of Erin’s hair behind her ear. His cool fingers deliberately brushed the rim of her ear as they withdrew.

“Think of it as my own way of showing affection,” he said.

“That is nonsense,” Erin replied.

Clicking her tongue, Erin flung Gabriel aside. He rubbed his neck and laughed, the sound airy and untroubled.

“In any case, I drank quite a lot of blood the day before yesterday,” Gabriel said.

Taking Erin’s hand, he gently bit the tip of her index finger. A sharp sting followed, and a single drop of blood welled up.

The blood pooled briefly at her fingertip before slowly running down.

“This will be enough for today,” Gabriel said.

As he finished speaking, he extended his tongue and deliberately licked her finger. The wet, heated sensation clung obscenely to her skin.

Erin tried instinctively to pull her hand away, but his grip was firm, and she could not free herself.

Gabriel’s gaze was fixed on her.

It was an obsessively intense stare, enough to prickle her skin. It felt as though it pierced not only her body, but her very insides.

“You said it was enough,” Erin said sharply.

She wrenched her hand free. Gabriel looked at her with faint regret, then shrugged as if conceding the point.

“Now tell me how to kill a demon god,” Erin demanded.

“The Night Demon is,” Gabriel began. He stroked his chin, thinking for a moment, then slowly continued. “He is the strongest of them all, and at the same time the most fearful,” Gabriel said.

“So that is why he hid his heart separately,” Erin said.

At her words, Gabriel smiled and nodded.

“Finding his heart is easy. The Night Demon will soon come to retrieve it himself,” Gabriel said.

“And then?” Erin pressed.

“Wait,” Gabriel replied. With that, Gabriel closed his mouth again. Dissatisfied that he would not readily give an answer that satisfied her, a thought suddenly crossed Erin’s mind.

She stepped closer and stared him down, her voice low and threatening.

“You do not actually know how to kill the Night Demon, do you,” Erin said.

Gabriel looked at her for a moment, then laughed softly and shrugged, as if air were leaking out of him.

It was clear he was trying to appear unbothered and at ease.

“…That hurts. I am trying quite hard to find out and tell you, you know,” Gabriel said. He rubbed his chin, seeming lost in thought, then tilted his head and asked her instead. 

“I said I would tell you. I never said I knew everything. I do not think there is any need to be angry,” Gabriel said.

“Are you just trying to buy time?” Erin asked.

At her question, Gabriel fell silent for a moment, then let a smile curve his lips.

“You do not believe everything I say anyway,” Gabriel replied.