Chapter 120 120

Chapter 120 120
Chapter 120

Layla

...

I kept running without daring to look back... My breathing grew heavier with every step, yet the pounding footsteps of the bandits chasing me only sounded closer and closer behind me.

"Catch her!"

"Don't let that woman escape!"

"Cut her off from the crowd!"

Their shouts blended with the terrified screams of the people fleeing across the harbor. Everyone was desperately trying to get away from the ship from the Kingdom of Lunaris that was about to dock, while I was doing everything I could to escape the bandits who refused to stop chasing me.

My chest tightened until it hurt. Every breath burned. It wasn't only because I was trying to escape those men...

I was terrified.

Terrified that Alexander might be aboard that ship. Terrified that he was searching for me.

I bit down hard on my lower lip until pain spread through my mouth, forcing my legs to keep moving even though every part of my body had nearly reached its limit.

If Alexander found me now... Then everything I had endured over the past three months would have been meaningless.

I couldn't go back. I couldn't let Alexander die again!

The rocky path beneath my feet gradually turned into a steep hillside overgrown with wild shrubs and thick tree roots that twisted across the ground. I stumbled more than once, nearly falling each time, but I always forced myself back onto my feet before pushing myself to run again.

A sharp sting slowly spread across the soles of my feet.

Only when I accidentally lowered my gaze did I realize that drops of blood had been trailing behind me all this time.

The jagged rocks had torn the skin on my feet open long ago, but somehow I hadn't even noticed.

Even so...

That pain wasn't enough to stop me.

Compared to watching Alexander die one more time... These wounds meant nothing!!

I kept forcing my way through the increasingly dense undergrowth until the trees ahead finally began to thin. Not far away stood a low hill overlooking the sea, and without giving it another thought, I climbed its rocky slope as quickly as I could, hoping the thick bushes at the top would be enough to hide me.

The moment I reached the summit... My legs gave out beneath me. But perhaps I had been foolish to believe I could outrun anyone with feet in this condition.

The bandits were much faster than I was.

Even from here, I could already see them closing the distance between us.

Hah...

My breathing became ragged. I clenched my trembling hands so tightly that my nails dug into my palms, yet the pain in my chest only grew worse with every passing second.

The deep horn of a ship echoed as it prepared to dock.

My entire body stiffened. My eyes widened, and with the last bit of strength I had left, I staggered toward the edge of the cliff.

The crashing waves roared beneath me.

At the same time, a powerful gust of wind suddenly swept across the cliff, whipping my hair wildly around my face.

"So that's how fast you can run."

The bandits had finally caught up.

They stood only a few steps away now, glaring at me with furious eyes filled with something so filthy that it made my stomach churn.

"There's nowhere left for you to run."

"So stop resisting and come with us before you get yourself hurt."

"What a shame it would be if this pretty little face ended up bruised by these hands." One of them stepped closer, his breathing still uneven from the chase.

I gritted my teeth. Instinctively, I raised the Rava Crystal in my hand like a weapon and pointed it straight at him.

"D-Don't come any closer!" My voice shook so badly that I could barely hear myself. "The crystal in my hand is dangerous. If any of you try to come closer or hurt me..."

I tightened my grip around the crystal despite the trembling in my fingers. "...then I won't have any choice but to use it against you." The words came out unsteadily.

My breathing had become so heavy that every sentence made my chest ache even more, but I refused to lower the crystal. Not when this was the only thing standing between me... and everything I had sacrificed to protect.

There were four bandits chasing me. The moment they noticed the tiny crystal in my hand, all four of them stopped at once. Their eyes locked onto it, then slowly shifted toward one another.

For several long seconds... No one said a word.

Then...

"HAHAHA!"

"Hah..." One of them rested his hands on his hips before tilting his head, glaring at me as though he wanted to tear me apart where I stood. "I've finally run out of patience."

"You helped the other captives escape, made us chase you until we were exhausted..." He took another slow step toward me, his eyes growing colder with every word. "...and now you're threatening us with that pathetic little crystal?"

"DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH, DAMN IT!" His roar made me flinch.

My breath caught in my throat as I instinctively stumbled backward while he continued advancing toward me.

He kept staring at me with those horrifying eyes, then curled his lips into a cruel sneer.

"When you're no longer useful, I'll carve up that pretty little face of yours, you filthy whore."

The growl in his voice drained every bit of strength from my legs.

Before I could react, he lunged forward, grabbed my wrist, and violently snatched the Rava Crystal from my hand.

"Ah!" A frightened cry escaped my lips.

He held the crystal between his fingers, turning it over with a mocking laugh.

"So what exactly is this ugly little thing supposed to d—"

He never finished.

Everything suddenly fell silent.

The crystal slipped from his fingers and disappeared into the bushes.

"Huh...?" My eyes widened.

Right before me, the bandit's hand suddenly began to blister.

His flesh blackened in an instant... The skin cracked and peeled away while the bones beneath it crumbled into powder, as though his entire hand had been thrust into the hottest furnace imaginable. Before my horrified eyes, it rapidly disintegrated into ash until nothing remained.

"AAAAAAAH!" His scream echoed across the cliff as he finally realized his hand had vanished.

"A witch!"

"She's a witch!"

"Catch her! Witches should be burned alive!"

Clutching the ruined stump of his arm, he staggered backward in agony while screaming at the other three to seize me. As soon as he finished shouting, he turned and fled in blind panic, unable to bear the sight of his own arm disappearing before his eyes.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

My heart hammered against my ribs like a war drum.

I didn't understand what had just happened...

But none of that mattered.

I had to find the crystal. If the Rava Crystal wasn't on me, Alexander would be able to find me immediately.

"N-No..." I instinctively turned toward the bushes where it had fallen, ready to search for it.

But...

My feet froze.

The remaining three bandits had started moving toward me again.

Unlike before, they approached cautiously now, clearly shaken by what they had just witnessed, yet they still intended to capture me.

The deep horn of the ship echoed across the coast once more.

I immediately turned toward the massive vessel. It had already come to a complete stop.

Oh no...

No!

My eyes desperately searched the bushes again.

For some reason, my heart refused to settle. My legs trembled uncontrollably, and my chest rose and fell with ragged breaths as I frantically searched for the crystal — the only thing capable of hiding me from Alexander.

But then...

"Huh?"

I stared in disbelief as the other three bandits suddenly turned and fled in complete panic. They ran as though something far more terrifying than death itself was chasing them. None of them even dared to shout anymore, nor did they dare glance back.

Do they really think I'm a witch?

"Ugh..."

"My feet..."

I frowned as another sharp wave of pain spread through the soles of my feet, making me grit my teeth. But this wasn't the time to think about the pain. I couldn't waste another second.

I had to find the Rava Crystal. I had to hide myself again!

Otherwise...

Hah...

My breathing grew heavier and heavier... Every breath I drew felt like a knife dragging through my lungs. I blinked repeatedly, trying to clear my blurred vision, but everything still swayed before my eyes. I didn't know if it was because I had been kidnapped, escaped, and then forced myself to run for my life again, but my body had truly reached its limit.

Every muscle screamed in agony, And every step felt as though my body was begging me to stop. But I couldn't.

If Alexander was truly on that ship... Then everything I had sacrificed over these past three months — everything I had endured just to disappear from his life — would become meaningless.

I slowly drew another trembling breath, forcing myself to endure the pain burning through my feet and the overwhelming exhaustion threatening to drag me down.

Sometimes...

I forgot that I was only human. And human bodies were fragile. No matter how desperately my heart wanted to keep moving, no matter how strong my determination was, I knew my body had already reached its limit.

I no longer had the strength to keep running. I no longer had the strength to search for another place to hide. Even so, I forced my trembling legs to take another step.

My vision flickered. Dark spots danced before my eyes.

The moment I shifted my weight forward, my balance gave way beneath me. And then...

Bump!

Instead of crashing onto the ground...

I fell against something firm. Something warm. Something solid enough to catch my entire body.

Time stopped.

THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.

Within seconds, my vision became startlingly clear.

My breathing caught in my throat.

The roaring wind was the only sound left in the world, carrying with it a scent that was achingly familiar; warm, fresh, mint.

A scent I could recognize anywhere.

"I've finally found you... my bride, Layla." His deep voice washed over me like relentless waves crashing against the cliffs below.

Everything inside me froze. Every part of me screamed.

This cruel, merciless fate... Had left me utterly powerless.

And...

...

To be continued...