Chapter 120 Rosalyn Shadowgarden (1)

Ever since I was born, I knew I was different from most girls. I wasn’t born from a traditional union of man and woman. I had no father… No mother… No one to call my family.

I was already aware of my surroundings when I first came to consciousness. I remember the faces of those who gave me life very vividly. They smiled and cheered for my birth, laughing with an odd expression I couldn’t understand.

I didn’t know what they were doing, even after all these years… I couldn’t understand their emotions.

Time passed, and I grew from an infant to a small child. Throughout my growth, I was given explanations of what I was and who I was meant to be.

A perfected product of the Shadowgarden House.

The Vampire whose sole existence was to resonate with the World Tree. My power was required to balance the world and to keep the World Tree from external threats. With me around, the World Tree would never fall ever again, keeping the harmony of all living beings in check. When I matured and came of age, I would attune myself to the World Tree and eventually become its sole protector and the Vampire who would eternally leash its power to the Shadowgarden House and the Elves.

At least… That was what I was told.

Over the years, I was placed under a special training program to prepare me for my eventual future. I’d learnt the magical arts of the Shadowgarden House to sate my Vampiric blood. I’d learnt Spirit Magic that only Elves could possess in hopes that it could help in my bonding with the World Tree.

Everything that I had been placed into was all for that one moment in the future.

I would one day become the World Tree’s protector and maintain the planet’s balance through my powers.

I had to do my duty…

It was for the good of everyone else…

And I accepted that fate. Ever since I was born, I had only known one fate. I was just a tool to be used. A life to be sacrificed. I was born without emotions because of that.

Joy… Sorrow… Anger…

They were all redundant in the face of the greater mission.

But when I was finally given the chance to meet face-to-face with the World Tree, I heard a different voice. One that contradicted my mission and gave me a different answer to my existence.

“Go and find the boy, and he’ll make you happy…”

Boy? What boy?

I didn’t understand what the Spirit of the World Tree meant. Wasn’t my purpose in life… The sole reason I was born… Wasn’t it to serve the World Tree? What does this boy have to do with anything?

I didn’t know, but my existence was meant to serve the World Tree. If the World Tree states that I must find this boy, then I’ll do everything in my power to do so. However, there were no other hints other than that one sentence.

Fortunately, over time, the prophecy became clearer and clearer. And finally, when I turned eleven, the World Tree gave me a clear answer.

Jin…

That was the name of the boy who was promised to me.

He was the one who would save us and the boy that the World Tree was looking for. I didn’t know what the World Tree sought to do with that child, nor did I have an interest in discovering its intentions. There was only one thing that I was focused on…

Jin… He would make me happy.

Happiness… What kind of emotion was it?

Would it change my life for the better? Would it change anything at all? I couldn’t help but be curious about that.

In the beginning, I was just going to perform the duty that the World Tree had given to me. But as the date came closer, my mind started to wander. What did Jin look like? What kind of personality does he have? Does he smile a lot? What emotions would he show me?

Day by day, my mind was filled with thoughts of Jin, and for the first time in my life, I felt a new emotion. Something that I’d never thought was possible in my empty heart.

Expectation.

How would Jin be my promised saviour? What did the World Tree prophecise about him? How would my life change when he arrived? And most importantly… What would happiness feel like?

Just by thinking about it, my lips unconsciously rose into a smile. Smile? Was this my first time smiling? In time, I realised that even before meeting the boy, my mental state had also begun to change.

And so when the promised day came…

“Hi there, my name is Jin Valter. I’ve recently become Irina’s older brother. Nice to meet you!”

Jin’s youthful voice echoed in the hallways of the villa. Since I’ve been given the prophecy, I’ve already learnt what he looked like by looking at him through the eyes of the plants nearby. Yet, this was the first time I’d ever heard him speak. His voice sounded very juvenile, and his tone had yet to shift. Yet, there was a tinge of confidence hidden within his octaves.

It was also my first time seeing him face-to-face, and the first thing that struck me was… He’s far more attractive than I’d thought. Whenever I saw him through the eyes of plants, he was always a green blur with barely any colour to his skin. But now that I could see him clearly, I realised that his skin was a healthy beige colour. His glossy black hair was as smooth as possible, and his beautiful blue eyes glistened the same colour as the morning sky.

When he entered the villa for the first time, it felt like watching the sunrise in the morning.

And his personality wasn’t any less radiant.

Always kind and loving, Jin quickly captured the other girls’ hearts around me. Irina, Lilith and Ysabelle had become obsessed with him, showing bright smiles whenever he came into the room.

I wonder how they can show their emotions so openly.

My heart winces a little whenever I see Jin, but that was it. My face wouldn’t smile as widely as the others. My eyes wouldn’t sparkle like theirs, and my skin would never flush red.

And yet, the other three girls could openly display their affection to Jin with such ease.

I wonder how they do that?

Without knowing, I’d observed the three girls and how they’d interacted with Jin, hoping to come up with some idea on how I should behave around him. Whenever they were playing together, whenever they studied together, whenever they trained together… My eyes would never leave Jin.

I’d thought that if I looked hard enough, perhaps I could get some clue on how to obtain this ‘happiness’ that the World Tree promised.

Surprisingly, it worked. But not in the manner that I’d hoped it would.

Jin approached me one day and started asking about my past. Although I was slightly surprised that he would be curious about me, I didn’t hesitate to tell him everything I knew. After all, he was the boy that was prophesied. There shouldn’t be any demerit to him learning the truth.

However, rather than accept our fates… Jin said something astonishing.

He wished to free me.

He wished to save me.

He wished… To give me a soul.

I didn’t understand what he’d meant. How could I have? I was someone who was born without emotions, and I didn’t know what emotions ran through his mind. But with the fervour and excitement he said it in… I couldn’t help but nod unwittingly.

And well… Jin delivered on his promise.

The next few days were the best days of my life.

I’d experienced a new range of feelings that I never knew I could have. Every time Jin played with me, I felt an ease within my heart. Every time he came near to talk to me, I could feel my heart pounding ever so quickly.

The days passed so quickly, and each time I thought I couldn’t feel anything else, Jin would surprise me with yet another fresh experience. Bit by bit, I started feeling emotions that I’d never thought possible, and eventually… I came to realise how true the prophecy was.

Until that one fateful day…

“HELPPP!!!”

Covered in rain and grime, Ysabelle ran into the villa with sobs in her voice. The sudden tears of the girl woke Irina and Lilith up, while I was rubbing my eyes in confusion.

Wasn’t Ysabelle supposed to be training with Jin? Why was she running back in tears?

“Ysabelle? What happened?!”

“J-Jin! W-We were attacked by an Outer Demon!”

“Outer Demon?! Here?!” Lilith screamed out in shock. “How can there be an Outer Demon? We’re far away from any Gates!”

“I-I don’t know!” Ysabelle cried out, her body shaking like a falling Autumn leaf. “W-We were training normally and then… It came out and attacked me! J-Jin stood back to save me, b-but…”

“Brother! Where is he?!”

“F-Follow me!”

Not knowing where they were going, Irina and Lilith grabbed onto Ysabelle and rushed toward Jin’s location. But I didn’t need to run along with them. Since I could talk to all the trees nearby, I could save Jin even without moving a single inch. I closed my eyes and spread my awareness throughout the meadow, eventually zoning in on Jin’s location.

Fortunately, Jin was still safe. He and the Outer Demon were still fighting, and it seemed like neither side was able to deal any significant damage.

If that’s the case, I can save him! As long as I use my magic, I can eliminate the Outer Demon and protect him from any harm! I can…

“Stop.”

W-What?

“Rosalyn… Stop… It’s his destiny.”

World Tree?

“Stop… It’s his destiny… And your duty…”

My duty?

Was this the prophecy? Jin would save us? Was this how he was going to save us? By fighting the Outer Demon?

No, that can’t be right… He was meant to make me happy. He was meant to be promised to me. He was meant to… give me a soul.

Why was this his fate? Why must I stay my hand? I could protect him right now, and yet… Why are you stopping me?

“Don’t do anything… It’s your destiny…”

Don’t do anything? I could see Jin losing the fight. The Outer Demon was attacking him without rest, and it won’t be long before he couldn’t take it anymore. Why? Why must I do nothing?

Is that my destiny? To watch helplessly as Jin perishes?

Before I knew it, my power to control the trees was sealed, and all vision I had of Jin faded out. Not knowing what had happened, I ran frantically in the direction that Jin was in. I don’t remember the last time I ran this hard. My breath was heavy, and my face completely flushed. My limbs were aching, and my eyes filled with tears.

What’s this?

Yet another emotion I’d never felt before.

I was praying… Praying that nothing would happen to Jin. I didn’t want to see anything happen to him. I didn’t want his radiant smile to stop brightening up my life.

If his destiny was to die for us… I reject that fate.

And yet… When I arrived at the scene…

“Jin… Jin… Jin…!!!”

Tears were streaming down the three girls’ faces. Ysabelle held the young, bloodied boy in her arms as Irina knelt down by his side. Lilith was letting out tears as she drew some weird symbols on the ground, and as for me…

For the first time in my life…

I screamed.