Chapter 32

Kyla didn't know where the sudden pressure on her body was coming from. Carefully and painfully she opened her eyes and recognized Azamir, who had thrown himself between her and Darian. Her gaze swept over the small body and stopped at the long, deep wound on his back. She carefully raised her hand and touched the red that was spreading. Her eyes wide, she stared at her boyfriend in disbelief. "W-why?" It was little more than a whisper that left her lips.

"Girlfriend don't be mad, please!" Despite his faint voice, Kyla could hear the pleading within her.

“Azamir, why? I told you…” Tears welled up in her eyes and Kyla wasn't able to continue.

"Azamir wanted to help once... Just be good for once in his life..." It was difficult for him to keep his voice down to a whisper.

Kyla saw the blood begin to trickle down onto her own body and felt her heart rate increase.

With the last of his strength, Azamir tried to get up, but each time he collapsed onto Kyla.

She half sat up, ignoring her own injury, and cradled her friend's head in her lap.

When she realized that she couldn't help him anymore, countless tears ran down her face and a murmur went through the room. Kyla ignored this as well. She blanked out everything that had nothing to do with Azamir.

Darian himself did not understand her reaction. This something was no more than a piece of meat and was now better off than ever.

Ever weakening, his fingers touched the tears that landed on his face and a crooked smile spread across his face. "Girlfriend... crying..."

"Yes because of you! Why did you do that? I told you to stay out of this! Azamir, you are a fool!” Kyla refused to accept what was to come.

Azamir slowly closed his eyes. "Kyla... first... friend... thanks..." As if in a trance, she stared at the small body. She felt how he had left her. What she was holding was nothing more than a shell. Azamir was dead.

The words echoed in her head. A ceaseless echo echoed by the darkness that enveloped them at that moment.

Darian decided he had waited enough. Again he aimed his sword at her. When Kyla lifted her head, a pair of crimson eyes stared at him, making him hesitate.

Kyla slowly laid her boyfriend's head on the tile so that she could stand up herself. Everything around her was forgotten. She felt herself being drawn into an ever-deepening darkness. An abyss from which there would never be an escape.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the forest she had been in before. She looked around and saw that the snow had melted. Everything blossomed in a fresh, rich green. The trees were beginning to show their first leaves, the wind playing gently with their faces. Then she turned to the water. The figure that had previously been locked in the ice now stood in front of her. The feet were lapped by the water, the long white hair was blowing in the wind and her eyes were fixed on her.

Kyla felt tears running down her face, knowing she had no strength left.

The red eyes radiated an irrepressible calm. She slowly came out of the water and stopped just in front of Kyla. "Are you... Raia?" Kyla had to pull herself together, not wanting to lose her voice.

"You're tired... Rest." Fingers gently stroked her face, a strand behind her ear.

"But... Darian... Liara... I... I can't..."

“You have no more strength. rest here I'll take care of her instead of you." The smile Raia gave her made her words come true.

She slowly sat down on the lawn. Arms wrapped around bent legs, her eyes focused on the water and the sun breaking on it.

"It's nice here..." Kyla murmured to herself and was soon alone.

Darian took a step back. He didn't know how she did it and he had always been careful. He watched her get up. The band that had previously held her hair in a braid her fingers ruthlessly tore in two. The next moment she was surrounded by a red glow. Darian was forced to protect his eyes. He couldn't see into that light without going blind. When he turned his gaze back to Kyla, her hair had turned white. His gaze slid deeper. The wound he had inflicted on her earlier was no longer visible. Slowly he realized that it was no longer Kyla who was standing in front of him. But the very being whose resurrection he wanted to prevent.

Rai smiled. Finally, after such a long time, she was in control of a body again. She rolled her shoulders and a knowing smile played around her lips. She slowly stretched her arm and opened her hand. Kyla's sword, previously lying on the floor, disappeared and reappeared in her hand. As her fingers closed around the sword's hilt, she let her gaze travel down the blade. Then she looked at the person across from her.

"You made a lot of mistakes...", her soft voice broke the silence as she slowly began to circle Darian like a big cat.

Everyone seemed to be holding their breath. All eyes were on Raia, who appeared to be Reawakened. As whispers surrounded the lords' table, Devon could only stare at her. He wasn't able to say anything, let alone move. He had hoped so badly. There was only a slim chance that the resurrection would work out this way, it had only been one thread of the future out of infinite many and yet... it had worked. Raia had returned to him.

Raia had her eyes on Darian, who was still staring at her in bewilderment. And as she circled him painfully slowly, her voice was little more than a whisper: "You took so many lives from me. So many lives of other beings. But this time, I was faster than you. I always noticed everything. Every single death and always it was you who killed me. At first I wondered why, but over the course of lifetimes it occurred to me that you didn't do it out of fear of me at all, but to love your brother. You didn't want me around him, you wouldn't have taken it if someone he cared more about than you was in his presence. Darian you were so stupid. Do you think I would forget? The countless torments and pains you caused me? When you ripped my tongue out before you lusted after me I was an eight year old girl in this life! Or when you put me in the Iron Maiden at the age of 16 and slowly closed the door? When you killed my human parents in front of me? These mistakes are still acceptable, but one thing is unforgivable… Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, kills what's MINE.” Raia's voice was like a thunderclap now. She echoed loudly in the room before she lunged at him and he was only able to parry. The blades met, the steel gleaming in the light that flooded the room, and when Darian looked at Raia's face, he saw the smile on her lips. Or when you put me in the Iron Maiden at the age of 16 and slowly closed the door? When you killed my human parents in front of me? These mistakes are still acceptable, but one thing is unforgivable… Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, kills what's MINE.” Raia's voice was like a thunderclap now. She echoed loudly in the room before she lunged at him and he was only able to parry. The blades met, the steel gleaming in the light that flooded the room, and when Darian looked at Raia's face, he saw the smile on her lips. Or when you put me in the Iron Maiden at the age of 16 and slowly closed the door? When you killed my human parents in front of me? These mistakes are still acceptable, but one thing is unforgivable… Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, kills what's MINE.” Raia's voice was like a thunderclap now. She echoed loudly in the room before she lunged at him and he was only able to parry. The blades met, the steel gleaming in the light that flooded the room, and when Darian looked at Raia's face, he saw the smile on her lips. ' Raia's voice was like a thunderclap. She echoed loudly in the room before she lunged at him and he was only able to parry. The blades met, the steel gleaming in the light that flooded the room, and when Darian looked at Raia's face, he saw the smile on her lips. ' Raia's voice was like a thunderclap. She echoed loudly in the room before she lunged at him and he was only able to parry. The blades met, the steel gleaming in the light that flooded the room, and when Darian looked at Raia's face, he saw the smile on her lips.

Her tongue slowly stroked her bottom lip. "Darian... It's a pleasure to meet you again."

Darian gathered all his strength and pushed her away. The distance between them wasn't big enough for him to avoid her next punch. Raia's sword grazed his stomach and through the thin tear you could see the red thread running down his body. Raia studied the wound for a moment. "I see Devon took your immortality?!" The smile on her face widened a little. She still loved the smell of human blood. She began circling him again. Darian stood, tightened his grip on his sword, and waited.

"You know that you don't stand a chance against me...", Raia's voice was pure temptation. “And yet you want to fight for your life? Like... pointless... But I enjoy it more that way." Raia stopped when she was right in front of him again and slowly raised her sword. The tip pointed right between his eyes. "Come on!" was the only thing she said.