‘What’s that sound?’

While walking briskly, Helena suddenly stopped at the path in front of her.

The path ahead was nothing but pitch-black darkness. An area where now hardly anyone lives, most severely affected by repeated disasters every year.

‘But I definitely heard something.’

There was a human voice coming from the dark gloom. Though difficult to be certain as it mixed with the sound of rain, it wasn’t a sound that could be ignored.

‘But I can’t bring the others here for this faint possibility either.’

Helena’s gaze looked out at the receding lights. Currently, the group heading to the square was struggling to evacuate while rounding up the injured.

‘What should I do?’

Though conflicted, Helena eventually stepped onto the path after some hesitation. It wasn’t a very large area, so she should be able to catch up quickly if she hurried.

Even if it turned out to be in vain, it couldn’t be weighed against the chance to save someone’s life.

Helena followed the path without hesitation. She pricked up her ears, waiting once more for a sound to guide her.

Rumble−.

As if warning her to turn back now, a low thunderous sound like an animal’s howl rang out. The air engulfed by natural fear became even damper. Helena cut through it and continued to listen intently.

And then.

“It’s okay, just hang on a little longer!”

At last, a clearly distinct voice drew closer.

“We’re almost there, don’t be scared, okay?”

It was a voice seemingly trying hard to hold back tears. Gentle as if soothing someone, yet desperate.

Listening more carefully, she could also hear the crying voice of a young child.

“Papa, Papa!”

Her feet, already picking up speed, moved frantically faster. As she followed the sound, water rose up to her calves. The splashing water was so loud she could barely hear her own ragged breathing.

When she finally reached her destination, thankfully lightning struck. The blinding flash illuminated the terrible situation.

‘Oh my goodness.’

The house where the child was surely trapped was already significantly tilted. Debris that had been washed down was heavily pressing on the roof.

Judging by how much it had sunk, it was uncertain how much longer it could withstand the weight.

In front of it was a man frantically digging through the mound of earth mixed with rocks that had hardened.

“Just wait a little longer, my daughter, Papa’s almost done, almost…!”

Fresh blood kept flowing from the man’s hands, which must have been bloodied long ago, and tears mixed with rainwater streamed down his face.

“I’ll help you!”

Helena immediately joined him and dug through the mound of earth. Before long, Helena’s hands became similar to the man’s.

But sadly, the roof sank even further. The man’s soothing voice trying to reassure the child changed into intermittent sobs.

Rumble, crash!

The sky mocked their efforts fiercely.

As if for the last time, the roof sank once more with a thud. The child’s cries for help also faded away. Hope was running out like a parched mouth.

The man finally stopped what he was doing and collapsed.

“What a worthless father I am… I… I’m being punished for being greedy, trying to earn a few coins. I should have stayed home today… I should have been by her side…”

“How is working hard a sin? There’s no punishment in this world that trades a child’s life, so get up quickly!”

Helena rebuked him harshly, or perhaps desperately, but the man did not get up. He just buried his face in his hands, which were badly cut and torn.

The bloodstains in his grip engulfed him. Now he was shedding tears of blood.

Helena too had to desperately swallow the rising sobs.

‘Still, I can’t give up.’

From the start, she was that kind of stubborn person. A woman who couldn’t let go even in the face of obvious results, repeating persistently to the point of exasperation.

Helena picked up a long wooden splinter that had nearly pierced her palm just moments ago.

How desperate would she need to be for this piece of wood to become a sword and embrace aura?

‘Don’t try to dominate with anger, make it respond.’

Taking a quick breath, she recalled what Ian had told her before and steeled herself. Of course, it was terribly difficult. Everything around her was a whirlpool of chaos.

No matter how many times she struck, the wooden splinter only left slight scratches on the pile of rocks before falling off repeatedly.

Like an unyielding wall that would never break. Like that person who was like a wall.

‘Anger, domination? Don’t make me laugh. All I ever wanted was a response.’

Thwack!

‘If only the voice that came out when I was with you wasn’t just my own, that would have been enough.’

Thud!

‘I was always in the same place. So answer me.’

Thwack!

She sensed that only seconds remained before the house collapsed completely. Blood from her grip gradually seeped into the splinter.

Thwack! Thud! Thwack!

Everything spun before her eyes and her vision distorted. Her legs trembled mercilessly as if crushed.

The chaos swirled and became one. In the midst of it, Helena swung her final blow with a desperate cry.

Answer me.

Answer me. Please.

“Answer me!”

Is it the sword that demands an answer, or you, or myself?

And at that moment.

Boom!

At last, blue light burst forth explosively from the wooden splinter that had become a sword.

The wall that had seemed impenetrable finally shattered.

At the same time, the jaw of the man who had been sitting dropped. But only for a moment, as he hurriedly got up, stumbling, and brought out the child who was crouched next to the door.

The house reached the end of its life by a hair’s breadth and collapsed. The man burst into tears he had been holding back as he hugged the child. His blood-stained sobs mixed with the sound of rain.

In front of them, Helena gasped for breath that had risen to the tip of her chin. Heat was boiling through every nerve in her body.

When she raised her head toward the sky, the rain streaks struck her face. Rain that had thinned and no longer hurt.

“Ha…”

When she closed her eyes and exhaled, her strength gave out. The wooden splinter fell from her blood-stained grip with a thud. The blue energy that hadn’t been fully contained still swirled around her entire body like a veil.

“Helena.”

Ian, who had come looking for her as if drawn by instinct as soon as he finished his work, stood before her. Having run frantically, he too was busy catching his breath.

Helena slowly shifted her gaze from the sky to meet his eyes.

A bright smile spread across her entire face. It was irresistible.

“We meet in the aftermath of the storm.”

Ian’s lower lip trembled finely as he stood in the middle of that place.

Ah. What to do.

They say seeing is believing, but there are things in this world that are hard to believe even when seen. Ian thought what was captured in his eyes right now was one of those things.

Ridiculously, he couldn’t tell.

Whether the loud sound ringing in his ears was the laughter of the sky withdrawing its anger, or the sound of his own heartbeat.

He felt like he had become a fool. His numbed brain refused to cover his true feelings with flimsy excuses any longer.

‘Damn it.’

He, who couldn’t be a fool, had to admit it.

‘I think I like you.’

I’m always thinking of you.

I cherish you.

I want you.

I’d gladly be happy even if I became a shadow chasing the sun. That’s how much I like you.

‘I like you, Helena.’

But looking at the pale face approaching him, Ian felt something was lacking. This wasn’t an emotion that could be contained in just saying he liked her.

It was far from enough. It felt like it would overflow no matter how much he tried to cut it off or suppress it. It was an enormous surge.

He needed something bigger that could handle it. After a moment, Ian finally realized what that something was.

‘Oh my goodness. I…’

By now, Helena had come right in front of him. Her red hair shone lovingly like luscious rose petals. Ian tried hard to rub his face dry.

Dawn was breaking from the distant sky. A pale light of daybreak began to spread through the air.

It was finally dawn.

“Ugh, I knew this would happen from the moment I made a deal with that pig.”

“Now, now, don’t be too hard on the poor thing. Thanks to her, we didn’t have a single casualty all night despite such a big commotion.”

“What good is that? She looks like she’s about to become a casualty herself.”

“Well, even if you say that…”

Just ignore it and get some more rest. Along with the gentle soothing voice, a similar touch was felt on her head.

Helena inwardly expressed small gratitude to Plam. And to Gelda, who, despite her gruff words, frequently dabbed her lips with cotton soaked in lukewarm water.

Both touches were rough but extremely careful. Thanks to that, she felt a little more comfortable.

The head full of spicy fog was unavoidable though.

“Haa, haa…”

As soon as she painfully opened her mouth, all that came out was wheezing breath. And even that was an unsightly rasping sound, completely dried up.

Moreover, it was certain that lead weights had been placed on her eyelids. Otherwise, there was no way they wouldn’t budge at all like this.

In fact, it wasn’t just her eyes that wouldn’t budge. Every joint in her body felt terribly heavy, as if weights had been attached. She might soon sink through the floor and fall deep underground.

But more than anything, what tormented her was the boiling heat, as if she were submerged in lava.

⌜It may not sound helpful, but this is a natural phenomenon. Aura is something that can be overwhelming even when increased gradually. Squeezing it out suddenly like that, the body unable to withstand its ferocity has reached its limit. Already strained in the rain, and then shocked again, you’re bound to have a fever for a while.⌟

As Ian calmly explained, the fever that started just hours later had not subsided even now, on the third day.

It was a terribly hot fever.

So during her illness, Helena deliberately thought of Eugene. Ridiculously, when she thought of him, the pain felt like nothing.

‘…It’s like that day I waited endlessly for you in the rain.’

The current heat was nothing compared to the heart that was burned that day.

After all, waiting for you who had gone to meet another woman was always such a pain.