The Forgotten Ring

Chapter 21: Factuality

"I can't believe you would do that!"

I continue to sit in silence on my couch as Renovva berates me for last night's events. It's currently sunrise. I haven't slept a wink since I took the ladybug miraculous.

"How could you?!" she screams. "You know this will have major consequences!"

I say nothing.

"Say something!" Renovva yells, getting in my face.

"There's nothing to say, Novva," I murmur, staring at the earrings in my palm. "I'm not changing my mind."

"If you do this, things will never be the same. You could be gone!"

"I don't care, Novva!" I scream, finally meeting her blue eyes. "You forget the awful things I've done. If I'm the price to protect Adrien, then so be it."

"I can't lose you!" she screams back.

The room is filled with shocked silence.

"I can't lose you," she softly repeats. "You're the only person who brought me into the light after centuries, the only person I've met worthy of this power. If you leave, we're both fucked."

"I'm sorry," I murmur. "You've fended on your own before, Novva. You can again, even if it hurts. Maybe next time you'll find someone who doesn't...who doesn't..." I trail off, unable to finish my sentence.

"I don't want someone else," she cries. "It's not every century I find someone who can wield my power like you do."

"I've killed people, Renovva!" I shriek. "Or did you forget?"

Renovva stares at me with pity as a stunned silence fills the space.

"I don't care if it was an accident," I continue. "People died. I'm unforgivable. I'm not as competent as you think I am."

Renovva slowly floats over to me and lays a small paw on my arm. "You were in a dark place and...and you ended up saving a lot of people."

"That doesn't make up for the lives that were lost," I snap.

"But you still handled my power well even after that!" she argues.

"Renovva, I may not have killed on purpose like some of your past holders, but I still killed!" I yell. "I'm not as great as you make me out to be! You treat me like a saint, for what? Because I didn't mean to? So those deaths are magically not on my hands? No, Renovva. They died because of me. I'm responsible for multiple people's deaths no matter what way you go about it."

"We both helped each other out in a time of need," Renovva whimpers. "First when I was alone and unwilling to entrust my powers to anyone, and then when the whole...incident happened. Let me be here for you again. We can figure out a different way."

"I'd like to hear your ideas then," I respond dryly.

She says nothing.

I scoff. "That's what I thought. There's no other way, Novva. I'm doing this."

"So what now?" she whispers. "Are you gonna force to me transform you? You gonna go after Chat Noir as soon as possible?"

I feel tears prick at my eyes at the mention of his name. I can't help but listen to that part of me that doesn't want to hurt him, but I push it away. I may not earn his trust ever again after this, but at least he wouldn't be completely shattered like Adrien if I did nothing.

I let out a sigh through my nose. "Yeah. That's the plan."

A pause. "You're not going to like the outcome of this."