Chapter 83: The weight of living

Fernando

As if what had happened was already predestined, a ferocious wolf howled, the wild animal was nearby. Perhaps the presence of a wolf nearby was a bad omen, and what was already dangerous could get even worse.

"What have you done?" I crouched down and checked on the boy, but any initiative was in vain, he was dead.

"Aren't you going to ask me if I'm all right, Dad?"

"Stop calling me Dad, you asshole! You killed him!"

"I swear he didn't give me a choice, I'm lucky you didn't kill me. Wow, I can't believe I wasn't afraid to go into that dark cave, look at me, my stupidity almost made me fall into such a simple trap."

"He was a nice guy, all this nobleman wanted was to be a safe haven for a woman who will soon lose her sight."

"Oh, I'm sorry about that. He was a stone in the way, I had to remove him, after all, after what happened around here, I can't make the mistake of leaving witnesses, can I, Dad?"

"Stop swearing at me, being the father of someone like you is a punishment!" I stood up, letting go of the body and faced her, my voice piercing through the cold wind that surrounded us.

"Give me a handkerchief, Duke, I have to stop some of this blood." She looked a little groggy, taking two steps back and forth. "Gee, that hurts! Did you hit a woman?"

"I didn't know you were the killer. If I had, it would have been fairer to throw the stone at you and not punch you."

"Very well! Now give me a handkerchief, it's serious." She looked away from me and examined the ground.

"If you're looking for the gun, it's not there." What could I do to stop her? "You can take care of yourself. Come here, Lucia, let's get this over with."

Maybe that idea would be enough.

"Damn it!" She muttered.

"I was worried. Very, very worried. You wouldn't believe how much, you fool. Did you really have to go back in time and risk so much?"

"Were you really worried, Fernando?" Lucia Ortiz smiled faintly, looking into my eyes.

Then she blinked, the only emotion she saw in the depths of my eyes was anger.

"Lucia, come here, my little one."

"Fernando, Fernando, I..." She took the first steps towards me. "I need you, Papa. You remember this life in the future, do you?"

"Of course, my little one!"

"I can't stand this life any longer, this damned DNA that runs through my veins is a hellish curse." "We need to put an end to this story, just like in the future. Don't make the same mistake."

She was panting, no more than I was. A few more steps and she was exactly where I wanted her. I gave her a wide, inviting smile, that idiot will never be and has never been my daughter.

"What exactly did I do?" I asked, curious.

Lucia immediately stopped her steps and stared at me, what had she noticed about me? Had my plan been discovered before its time?

"Didn't Your Grace say you remembered?"

"Yes, but I think my memories are still a mess."

"You killed Mom, right? That's your memory, going against my destiny. She can't die, damn it, that spiritual entity can't die!" She explained, her nose bleeding.

"That's right! Then come and hug me, I need to miss you and right this wrong."

She continued her slow steps towards me and, when she was finally close enough, I grabbed her by the wrist I pulled close.

Lucia groaned and tried to sit up. Reluctantly, I didn't let her, causing her to break eye contact with me.

"You're hurting my arm!"

"Get up!" I ordered with irritation, the voice of the woman who had once given me pleasure now making me nauseous. "Get up and get out of my sight. You're lucky to escape without further punishment like your minions."

But what I could never have imagined was that that insane woman would start smiling. What was so funny about that? I hadn't intended to let him get away with laughing, but to let the wolf who was sneaking up on us somewhere finish the job. Even knowing who she was and the atrocities she had committed, I didn't want to get my hands dirty, but it seemed that fate had other plans for me.

"I tricked you again, you bastard! I'm not afraid of you!"

"What do you mean?"

"My ultimate goal has always been to be killed by your own hand. I need to die today, so don't hesitate! Take revenge for all the evil I've done, huh? Did Your Grace know that your friend Raul also died?"

"You're abused! Practically a poisonous snake."

"But you liked my poison, didn't you? What a pleasurable sin, isn't it?"

"I won't fall into your trap!" I finally understood what that cunning woman was up to, she wanted to use me to achieve her insane goals. "You don't even deserve my pity."

"Come on, don't waste time and break the bones in my neck, your hands are big, it'll be easy."

I let her go.

"Feel free and forgiven. But if I hear anything, any rumor, any word, or if you say anything about the future, I'll ruin you."

"Your means aren't that effective, especially as this place will soon descend into a bloody war."

"I have the means, don't forget that I'm still the duke; I know exactly everything you know. So get out of here and go back to the hole you came from."

How could someone be as strange as her? Lucia began to cry while laughing uncontrollably.

"Please kill me. I don't want to live and be reborn, remembering other lives; this is an unbearable burden. Only you, who are my father, can end my suffering that you yourself started."

"I told you I'm not your father, young lady! Have you thought about the suffering of everyone you've hurt until this moment? And if Isabela really is your daughter, why have you hurt her so much?"

"End it once and for all! Everything I've done has been for fate to bring me to this moment. She's as responsible as you are."

"I've told you I won't do anything; live your mediocre life, plodding around. As far as I know, you can't leave this time; as long as I don't kill you, you'll rot here in your last life."

I looked away from Lucia, who sat down, but what I didn't expect was to see that pair of angry eyes staring at me from the cave entrance.