Chapter 119

Chapter 119

Layla

Three months had passed since I left Alexander behind.

I was now living on a small island where the wealthy had taken refuge from the war. Most of the people here were humans terrified of the conflict, while a handful were werewolf nobles who had fled after losing faith that their kingdoms would survive.

Fear lingered over the island like a permanent shadow.

Hhh...

I let out a slow breath after finishing the last of the laundry atop a gentle hill. Before me stretched a sea of wildflowers swaying beneath the breeze, their colors blending into the endless blue ocean that reached all the way to the horizon.

When my eyes drifted toward the large tree standing near the edge of the cliff, a bitter smile found its way onto my lips.

Alexander always had a way of appearing in front of me. No matter where he had been, he would somehow emerge from nowhere and walk straight toward me the moment I finished hanging the laundry.

Those piercing blue eyes... That calm, unreadable expression that always made my heart race.

Looking back now, I realized he probably hadn't been trying to intimidate me at all. He simply didn't know how to express his feelings the way other people did.

An unbearable emptiness spread through my chest.

I missed him so much.

Every single day, I fought the urge to run back to him. But I couldn't.

I had to disappear from his life if I wanted him to survive.

My fingers tightened around the damp fabric of my maid's skirt until they trembled.

It's all right, Layla.

He'll be fine.

As time passes, he'll forget about you.

He doesn't love you yet... so everything will be all right.

I repeated those words to myself over and over, desperately trying to calm my heart, even though every sentence felt like a blade sinking deeper into my chest.

Of course it hurt.

Just imagining Alexander slowly forgetting me was enough to make it difficult to breathe.

But if that was the price for keeping him alive...

Then I was willing to disappear from his life forever.

Taking another deep breath, I began walking back toward the mansion where I now worked as a maid. I had even abandoned my own name.

Here...

I was Maya.

But the moment I reached the estate, my footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

The mansion was already engulfed in flames.

Fire raged through the building, sending thick black smoke billowing into the sky as terrified screams echoed all around me.

My heart lurched.

Instinctively, I turned to run but...

THUD!

A violent blow struck the back of my neck. Pain exploded through my body, and before I could even react, darkness swallowed my vision whole.

I didn't remember anything after that.

The world faded away as I lost consciousness.

...

After what felt like an eternity, consciousness slowly returned to me.

The first thing I noticed was the acrid smell of burning meat. My head throbbed violently, and every inch of my body ached as though I had been beaten.

"Hahaha! Today's haul is incredible. We're going to be rich!" Their laughter echoed around me.

The moment I forced my eyes open, fear spread through my entire body like ice.

I couldn't move.

My wrists and ankles had been bound so tightly that even the slightest movement sent pain shooting through them. Keeping my breathing as steady as I could, I carefully observed my surroundings.

Several men were sitting aboard a ship, gathered around a fire where chunks of meat were roasting over the flames.

"Hmph..."

The instant one of them turned in my direction, I immediately squeezed my eyes shut again, holding my breath as I pressed my lips tightly together.

"I can't wait to get my hands on that brown-haired girl," one of them said, his voice so close that it made my skin crawl. "She's too pretty to waste. But the boss already said the prettiest one belongs to him."

"Be patient," another man laughed. "Once the boss gets tired of her, we'll all get our turn."

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

My heart pounded so violently that it felt as though it would crack my ribs.

I didn't know exactly what had happened, but it wasn't difficult to guess who these men were.

With so many soldiers and able-bodied men away fighting the war, gangs like this had begun appearing everywhere. They seized villages and estates, looted whatever they wanted, and treated women as nothing more than spoils of war.

No...

I couldn't panic. Not now Layla!

I had to stay calm. I had to find a way out!

Keeping my eyes barely open, I caught sight of several other women nearby.

Just like me, they were bound hand and foot.

I had to think of a way to escape... And somehow take them with me.

"Did you hear the news?" one of the men suddenly said as he tossed another piece of meat onto the fire. "King Herman Darges Noir was killed by the Lycan King. The King of the Underworld still hasn't been found, though. The humans lost the war, but it isn't truly over because the ruler of the Underworld has disappeared without a trace."

THUMP.

Time seemed to stop.

My chest tightened so painfully that it became difficult to breathe.

Even after I had erased myself from Alexander's life... Everything was still unfolding exactly as I remembered.

Alexander had defeated the human kingdom.

The King of Darkness had gone into hiding, preparing his trap while waiting for Alexander's power to weaken before launching the second war.

And... That was the war in which Alexander lost his life.

But...

I wasn't part of Alexander's life anymore. That meant he wouldn't lose half of his power. And if that never happened, then the King of the Underworld would never be able to defeat him.

Yes...

Everything was unfolding exactly as I'd hoped. There was nothing left to fear.

...

Some time later, the ship finally docked.

I kept my eyes closed, pretending I was still unconscious, while the bandits carried me off the vessel along with the other women. They led us deep into the forest, where a large mansion stood hidden among the towering trees.

"The boss hasn't returned yet. He'll be back tonight," someone ordered. "Put today's loot where it always goes, and lock the women in that room."

I listened in silence.

Just as I expected, all of us were shoved into a cramped, airless room before the door was bolted shut from the outside.

Only after the bandits' footsteps faded into the distance did I slowly open my eyes.

"Hic... Hic..."

"I'm so scared..."

"They're going to kill us, aren't they?"

The women around me were trembling, their quiet sobs filling the tiny room. Despair was written across every face.

Leaning closer, I lowered my voice until it was barely more than a whisper.

"Hey... we have to get out of here. If we work together, we can escape."

I kept my voice as soft as possible so the bandits outside wouldn't hear us.

"B-but... if we fail, they'll kill us."

"If we stay here, we'll die anyway," I whispered firmly. "So it's better to try." My words gradually silenced their crying.

One by one, they turned to look at me.

That alone told me they had made their choice.

"First..."

I lowered my head and caught the necklace around my neck between my teeth before pulling it free. Lifting the Rava Crystal I always carried with me, I whispered, "Break the necklace, then rub the crystal against the ropes binding my wrists."

The young woman sitting in front of me nodded nervously.

Using all her strength, she snapped the necklace before gripping the flat crystal between her teeth. I turned around, and the moment the crystal brushed against the ropes around my wrists...

The bindings instantly crumbled into dust.

"It worked..." I whispered, barely stopping myself from shouting in relief. "Just as I thought... this crystal really is magical."

Working as quietly as I could, I untied my ankles before freeing the other women one after another.

"Huff..."

Carefully, I peeked through a narrow gap in the wooden door.

Several bandits were standing guard outside, but they looked completely relaxed, never imagining their captives could escape.

I slowly pushed the door open.

"Now..." I whispered, glancing at the frightened women behind me. "Follow me. Don't make a sound. Don't scream. Understand?"

Every one of them nodded, covering their own mouths with trembling hands.

Slowly...

Silently...

We slipped out through the back door one after another before breaking into a run toward the dense forest surrounding the mansion.

Our legs burned with exhaustion, but none of us dared stop.

We ran as fast as we could until, at last, we reached a harbor.

Huh...?

A sharp pain settled in my chest as my eyes swept across the streets.

Countless people sat along the roadside with their heads lowered, worn-out bowls placed before them as they waited for someone—anyone—to show them mercy.

"All the young men were taken away by the kingdom," one of the girls beside me said, her voice shaking. "And all the food supplies were seized for the palace... Almost everyone in the kingdom is starving now."

I turned toward her.

She wiped away her tears before continuing.

"I worked for a wealthy family to help support my parents... but I never imagined even the rich would be robbed."

Her sobs echoed softly beside me.

Right before my eyes, I was witnessing the true aftermath of war.

The rulers satisfied their pride...

While ordinary people paid the price.

This had to end.

It had to.

But then—

"Run!"

Huh?

I looked up just as chaos erupted throughout the harbor.

"A ship from the Kingdom of Lunaris is here!"

"They're going to slaughter us!"

"Run!"

People scattered in every direction.

My breathing grew heavier as I turned toward the sea.

A massive ship was slowly approaching the harbor.

It can't be...

Alexander couldn't possibly be on that ship...

There's no way he's still looking for me... That's impossible!

By now... he should have forgotten me.

I forced myself to run with the panicked crowd. But the moment I glanced behind me, my heart nearly stopped.

The very bandits who had kidnapped me were charging after us.

Oh no...

No! No! No!

The girls who had escaped with me disappeared into the terrified crowd, but the bandits' eyes remained fixed on me alone.

Without thinking, I gathered every ounce of strength I had left and sprinted toward the jagged rocks lining the shore.

I had to escape.

Whether it was from the bandits... Or from the ship that had come from Lunaris.

...