The Healer Of Light And The Prince Of Darkness

80. Not Allowed To Die

It went without saying that Rinea's new-found ability didn't stay unnoticed. Her mother was enraged and the commotion she caused lasted for days.

Illusion.

Illusion...

Illusion, illusion, illus...

The thing Rosemary del Hera resented the most.

Besides her youngest child, that was. Rinea had become the most hateful being in the world just overnight.

She felt sick. Every time she was made to come to her mother's room to have a lesson, she felt those spiteful eyes on her. They resented her too.

The maids.

The other workers.

Everyone.

For some time she believed that only her mother and siblings hated her. After some time she realized it wasn't just that.

Not receiving the love of the Masters was very dangerous thing. At least in this House.

And when her nanny was kicked out of the mansion, there was no one who actually cared for her.

"He was perfect...perfect...! But because of you...!"

Rinea was made to believe that she had become her mother's sole obstacle towards her happiness. She was too little to realize what that actually meant.

Her mother must have had a lover. Someone she really loved. Not the marques who her mother couldn't breathe the same air with.

A lover...

And that was when Rinea knew all those rumors were true. The reason why she wasn't acknowledged as a Hera and her name had never been written down into the family register.

She was a sideslip.

A mistake.

A terrible one that couldn't be erased.

For her whole life she was doomed to live this pathetic life, because she knew very well. She didn't harbor any stupid hopes. She wasn't going to escape.

There was no place for her in this world.

'Not when even my father hasn't thought of me even once...'

So, she shouldn't, she shouldn't...

Indulge herself with sweet illusions!

Rinea suddenly awoke from trance-like state and when her eyes – pointed naturally at his – met the king's, she knew.

This had to be...

She had done it again. What had happened when she was first pierced with that arrow was no nightmare, it was an illusion she had created!

And now, unlike before, she couldn't sense the others' bewilderment and shock.

She could only see His Majesty's slightly widened eyes.

'He has seen it too!'

An illusion that was created only for the two. What Rinea had just seen was an...

'No.'

It wasn't just an illusion. Not anymore. More like...

'A possible future...'

This must be it. Rinea had a very vague idea of how her abilities worked due to her rejecting them since day one, but she had a hunch there was more to her illusions than what she had firstly assumed.

If the presence of another person was important, this could only mean that the other person was conscious of their actions.

So, they would do the same in reality too.

What Rinea had just seen could become true soon enough.

But unlike how she had escaped this nightmare, she wouldn't be able to reject reality. And sentence Leo's knights to death.

As soon as Tara had discerned the unfamiliar bubbling mana around herself, Tara knew it didn't actually envelop her. It was rather that there was something unfamiliar, something that made her hairs stay on end, but there was no harm on her.

And just like that, everything was gone in an instant.

When she looked around, Tara didn't see shocked faces. It was only her that had se...

No. Her brother too.

Her amazing brother of a genius should have noticed too. Then why...

Except for his tightened jaw and sharpened eyes, Tara didn't notice anything odd in his behavior. And this didn't serve as enough prove for her she wasn't the only one to notice something abnormal happen.

What was happening?

"Rinea..." She tried to voice her worries.

"...Darling, calm down. Everything will be fine. I know you have done nothing, so...let us help you and Gale."

The girl didn't react.

"Darling, please..."

But she didn't move away her head to meet her eyes. Rinea kept staring at the king. And he too.

Since the king was silent and still some began murmuring and mutter filled the hall.

'Rhys...'

Tara was about to call out his name when Rhys suddenly stood up.

"...Rhys..."

"She mustn't...!"

SCREAM.

Tara averted her eyes in bewilderment and quiet shock when Jax suddenly grabbed the upper part of her arm. Showing his overprotective side.

"Don't look..."

But she did.

And she saw blood.

And shock.

Screams.

Uproar.

Cries.

And death.

There – below the podium – someone had finally moved. And it wasn't Rinea.

Hugo del Hera had stood up and picked his dropped sword. And he had lifted it. And he had pointed it towards her chest, wrapping his fist around her hair, forcefully lifting her on her feet.

And he had pierced her heart...

Rinea's body – still moveless – stood for a few seconds or so, before it stumbled and fell on the ground covering Gale's.

Even though Jax grabbed both her arms and pressed Tara's head on his chest, she had already seen.

And she knew.

"She mustn't...!"

She mustn't die.

Was that what Rhys had wanted to say?

But it was already too late.

Rinea was already dead.

This time for real.