138 No One Can Sleep
Selma Payne’s POV:
Looking at the unfamiliar girl in the mirror, I felt like I was in a dream.
When I was a child, I saw a tyrant covered in tattoos in comics. I thought it was cool back then, but things were not so wonderful when I became a tyrant.
The pale golden medicine flowed into the scar, giving off a faint glow from time to time.
“With the healing speed of werewolves, these scars will be completely healed in about a week. The same tattoo as the purification rune will appear on your body by then.
The power of the Moon Goddess will continuously tear and heal your wound. The process is speedy, so it won’t be evident on the surface. However, the pain won’t disappear.
“You have to get used to this feeling. Don’t scratch the tattoo. If the tattoo is damaged, everything will be in vain.”
Like what Hayley had said, although my wounds had already scabbed, the burning pain was still wreaking havoc on my body.
“Thank you,” I said.
I put on my clothes and walked out of the medical room.
My parents were waiting outside the door. My father was sitting on the sofa reading documents while my mother looked out the window in a daze.
When they saw me, they stopped what they were doing and came to me.
“Father, Mother, the process went smoothly,” I said with a smile. “My mutation has been temporarily contained. Master Hayley said there will be no problem for the next six months.”
My parents were lost in thought as they looked at the tattoos on my face and exposed arms.
“Moon Goddess,” my mother trembled as she touched the runes on my cheek. “How painful, how painful…”
“It’s okay, Mother. It’s not as painful as you think.” I held her hand and consoled her. “It seems like it was worth it, wasn’t it?”
“But you’ll have to wear these tattoos for the rest of your life!” My mother cried. The power of the goddess can not be cursed. Once it is imprinted, it can not be washed away. You are still so young; what will you do in the future…”
My father held my mother in his arms and said gently, “Have some faith in our daughter, Helena. Do you know how brave she is?”
“I know, but… Oh, my god…”
I hugged my parents tightly and sobbed, “Tattoos are the trend now. Everyone has one, so I won’t stand out.”
After we collected ourselves, we looked at the other medical room.
Dorothy was inside with another werewolf grandmaster who specialized in the soul.
Dorothy’s engraving process was much more manageable. She only had to engrave on her head, but the foundation of her engraving process was her soul, which made all the work dangerous.
Therefore, Master Hayley first carved marks on my body to train the feeling.
After all, the skin could be changed, but the soul could not.
Dorothy was not idle either. The werewolf grandmaster had to cast layers of protection on her soul, which was even more time-consuming than inscribing.
Master Hayley packed up her tools and was waiting in the medical room. I wanted to wait for Dorothy, but my mother insisted I go for dinner first.
“It’s been a whole day, and you haven’t eaten anything. You have to eat something now, or your body will collapse,” she said.
I had no choice but to eat some of the kitchen’s special nutritious meals. Although nutrition doesn’t always come with good taste, this sick person’s meal was a little too difficult to swallow. When I returned to the medical room, Dorothy was being prepared.
“She’s asleep,” Hayley said. “We used some mild spell to ensure that she won’t wake up during the whole engraving process. It’s meaningless for her to feel pain in her body. Right now, she has to focus all her attention on resisting the pain in her soul.”
Dorothy was lying on a special marble altar with a tranquil expression as if she had a beautiful dream.
A special prayer was drawn on the marble altar in the hope that she would receive the protection of the Moon Goddess.
Dorothy’s lifeless face terrified me. I asked uncertainly, “She’ll be fine, right?”
“I promise,” Master Hayley said firmly.
Then, she closed the medical room door with the other werewolf grandmaster.
It was a sleepless night.
I kept praying outside the door. Later, my parents couldn’t stand my stress and called Aldrich to accompany me.
He had wanted to come to help me through the difficulties this morning, but I didn’t want him to see my embarrassing appearance. I was afraid of revealing any trace of an undeserved scream, so I solemnly begged him not to come.
“My heart is one with you.” Aldrich said, “Even if I was not here, I could feel your pain.”
Aldrich didn’t smile. In his worried eyes, I could see my haggard reflection.
Did I not mind being covered in weird tattoos for the rest of my life? Was I not afraid that my trip to the Rocky Mountains would fail and that I’d be torn to pieces by demons in my endless despair?
No, I was afraid.
I was forcing myself not to show it. I told myself, ‘Dear Selma, you’re a princess, a warrior, a future queen. Weakness is your stumbling block. You must show that you’re stronger than everyone else and give confidence and strength to those who support you.’
But once Aldrich appeared, I couldn’t hold it in any longer.
I buried myself in his arms and cried silently.