Chapter 15 : Resolution

Flora’s intense emotions came to mind.

Her obsession and love for me, her burning anger toward the Demon King.

Everything raged inside me like a violent storm.

She was honest about her desires, and she didn’t hesitate to achieve what she wanted.

But I was so different from her.

I had never honestly expressed my feelings, and I had never desperately wanted anything.

I had just lived my life being pushed by the emotions and desires of others.

A heavy pain surged like a wave somewhere in my chest.

The dragon heart sounded as if amplifying that pain.

This heart was not mine.

It was just a terrible result of others’ desires.

Everything in my life was defined by others.

It was impossible for me to catch her, or to stand up to the Demon King.

The hatchling pattern faintly shining on the back of my hand seemed to mock me.

I could feel the faint scent of roses, as if they were passing by the wind.

It was the garden that Flora had lovingly tended.

The garden where her hands had not touched was now so devastated.

That scenery was exactly like the image in my mind.

A ruin where only the destroyed remains remained.

Now, no one will reach out to me again.

Like the chains she had held me by.

Maybe I had been bound by the shackles of fate since the moment I was born.

The weight of the lump of iron, which I could not escape or resist, pressed down on me more and more.

I flinched and trembled at the cold raindrops brushing my cheeks.

It was as if I could hear her voice in my ear.

“Peridot, please come in. You’re catching a cold.”

But now the owner of that affectionate voice was no longer by my side.

The faint afterglow of her magic that had lingered in the garden was being washed away by the rain.

The sound of raindrops falling, pitter-patter, filled the empty garden.

I slowly got up, holding my heavy chest.

I barely managed to stand up, leaning on my hand, and dragging my limp legs, I headed into the mansion.

I could feel the cold and rough stone floor beneath my feet.

Without having to worry about where to go, my footsteps naturally headed toward the room where her traces were still thick.

As soon as I opened the door and entered, a familiar scene came into view.

A portrait of Flora and I hung on the wall.

In that picture, instead of my stiff face like now, I was smiling, albeit a little awkwardly.

It was a smile that Flora had given me.

The teacup set placed underneath was one of her most treasured items.

The bowl When I lightly brushed her fingertips, I had the illusion that her warmth still remained.

I briefly considered whether to make tea, but ended up taking my hand away.

It would be meaningless now.

On the table, there was a faint trace of the sweet cookies she used to make herself.

Crispy and full of sincerity, She always proudly held them out to me and watched my reaction.

Those warm moments now remained as a handful of memories.

The rocking chair in front of the fireplace was empty, and the space where her soft voice and the warm scent of roses once existed was cold and desolate.

Her traces disappeared from my fingertips like an illusion, and only the feeling of the cold wood remained in my hand.

I moved my hand away from the rocking chair and toward the window.

Beyond the glass window, raindrops were falling endlessly from the dark sky.

As I stared blankly at the sight, I unconsciously muttered her name.

“Flora…”

Where is she now?

Am I suffering at the hands of the Demon King, or have I already lost her forever?

Fear spread coldly from the nape of my neck.

I couldn’t even imagine a world without her.

Could I truly do nothing without her?

The imaginary shackles I felt on my ankles were cold and heavy.

There was nothing to touch, but they were clearly binding me.

The invisible chains of fate. An unbreakable shackle.

The limping steps not only weighed down my body, but also my will. I could clearly feel the cold touch of the staff left on my fingertips once again.

The staff tried to ease my pain, but even that wasn’t complete.

The Dragonheart in my chest rang fiercely as if rejecting me.

A sharp pain spread through my body.

I held my heart and sighed.

When I looked out the window again, the rain had thinned, but the world was still immersed in darkness and coldness.

The touch of the white leash against my nape caught me.

The only trace left by Flora.

The place where her hands had left, the object that held her passionate possessiveness.

I carefully ran my fingertips over the leash.

In the cold, smooth sensation, the moments I had spent with her came to mind.

I raised my head and stared into space.

Will I ever see her again?

Or is this really the end?

The air soaked with moisture made it suffocating, but I slowly walked with my cane.

Without finding an answer.

Step by step.

Step by step.

After walking weakly for a while, I looked ahead and saw my reflection in the window.

The familiar face staring at me through the cold glass felt like someone else.

Pale skin, white hair that had lost its luster.

The empty, ash-colored eyes resembled a dead lake with unknown depth.

Legs barely standing with a limp and a body that looked as if it would break with a single gust of wind.

I looked so unsightly that I wanted to look away myself.

And yet…

Flora whispered to me that I was lovable.

She always tried to embrace me.

As if she was calling this appearance that I wanted to ignore myself, with her delicate hands, love.

Her voice and breath still seemed to linger in my ears.

But it was now just an illusion.

Her absence was cruelly clear.

I lowered my head and lowered my trembling gaze to my legs.

How far could I go with these legs that were difficult to even walk on?

I was always led here by someone’s hand.

Losing Flora, accepting my fate, and just living within the given framework.

That was my assigned role.

All the moments I had given up in life flashed by.

“Do you really think that’s the right answer?”

I asked in the mirror.

A frozen, cold voice echoed through the room.

I brushed the glass with my trembling fingertips.

Someone on the other side of the mirror was looking at me without wavering at all.

“If it’s an unbreakable shackle, how about breaking it?”

I unconsciously shook my head.

Would someone like me dare to make such a choice?

The weight of the invisible chains that seemed to be tied to my ankles pressed down on my whole body.

The shackles called fate.

I don’t have the strength to break them.

I thought of the figure of a warrior I had seen sometime ago.

His figure standing tall with strong will and unwavering belief.

He was so different from me. I was just a coward and a weak being….

“A vow to fall together into hell?”

A sharp voice suddenly rang out, as if piercing my ears.

A voice that was somehow familiar but unimaginable.

A cracking sound rang out from somewhere in my chest.

‘To fight the Demon King?’

I looked down at my two arms.

My arms were so thin that I couldn’t even swing my sword properly, my legs were so constrained.

My body wasn’t in a position to lift a sword like a warrior.

I thought of the battle between the Demon King and Flora.

Flora wielded a magical power that was stronger than anything I had ever seen before,
and used magic that seemed to come out of legends.

But even so, she was defeated without even inflicting a fatal wound on the Demon King.

What’s more, I couldn’t even use simple magic due to Dragonheart’s resistance.

I was just a helpless limp.

The result was obvious.

Defeat, and death.

That was a clear future.

But if I could choose even that death with my own will…

Even fate couldn’t stop my last struggle.

Even if this body were to break.

A cold but firm determination seeped into my dry heart.

The shackles had already been broken.

I limped forward, leaning on my cane.

However, it was different from the helpless and uncertain steps I had taken until just now.

This time, I had a clear purpose and determination.

A thick iron door appeared at the end of the hallway.

The smell of old iron stung my nose.

The rusty smell was somehow familiar.

Long ago, it resembled the smell I had smelled somewhere in the Duke’s laboratory.

Flora’s voice came to mind.

“Peridot, there are many dangerous magic tools here. Never go in alone.”

She had always worried about me and warned me.

But she was no longer here.

I needed anything to save her.

I held my staff tightly and pushed the iron door.

The huge door slowly opened with a rusty sound.

“Flora, wait.”

I took a step forward.

There was no more hesitation or regret.

I was ready to face the future.