CH 438

I feel something warm flowing through my right hand.

But below this gentle warmth, there is a very intense heat.

It shines as brightly as the sun in my consciousness. The heat is overflowing from my chest.

Those emotions are stronger than I could have expected. It’s overwhelming how vivid the glimpses of memories of me and Kalin are.

But I’m slowly getting used to it, and grasping the smaller details. In essence, it feels like a delicate glass globe.

I feel a delicate fragility from it, like it’s enveloped in multiple layers of light, but would crumble if I touched it a little too strongly.

This is Kalin.

I take in Kalin’s feelings, and they overlap with the real Kalin for a moment.

“Don’t look at it so much, Rust.”

Whispers Kalin while looking up.

The next moment, the fragile glass inside my consciousness begins to crumble, and at the same time, light flows through the vine connecting me to Araysla.

It’s a new band of light, Kalin’s heart.

It constricts Araysla and her subjects tighter.

Araysla shrieks, and for the first time, I hear pain in her voice.

Kalin then loses consciousness. Her body falls, and I catch her with one arm.

Ahri and Roa quickly come to help.

“『Manifest』 Aroma Vine. Look after Kalin.”

I have a little more leeway now that my control of Rose’s vine has stabilized a little, so I can manifest Aroma Vine.

It follows my instructions and gently wraps its vines around Kalin.

I see Kalin’s face one more time before Aroma Vine takes her, and see it’s surprisingly peaceful and content.

“Ahri, am I next?”

“Yes. Are you ready, Roa?”

“Of course.”

Ahri and Roa hold each other tightly, but stop their embrace not soon after, and Roa slowly walks towards me. But she stops just before she gets to me.

“Master Rust?”

Roa raises her right arm, and gently touches and wipes my cheek.

“…I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. Just promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Keep what you see a secret.”

“Yes. I promise.”

“If you don’t, no more secret sweets for you.”

“That’ll make me very sad. I promise I won’t say anything.”

And then, Roa slowly takes the last step forward.