Artemis Unveiled:The Descent

Untitled Part 26: Ripples

After the flame-like kiss departed from her lips, the iron kettle upstairs clattered. Aria blinked her curled lashes slowly, while Neven gazed at her tenderly. Yet, in the next moment, his eyes narrowed, and a wave of agony twisted his pale face once again.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Aria asked anxiously.

"I didn't feel anything when I kissed you..." he managed to squeeze out a smile.

"Help me get it out..."

Neven took off his shirt, revealing his bare back, a sight that made Aria cover her mouth in shock. Something writhed beneath his skin, starting from his palm, traversing his arm, and forming a twisted red-purple streak on his back.

The gatekeeper carried a worn-out kettle, hobbling as he hung it on the fireplace mantle. "The master reminded me to inform you that tomorrow he will come to demand your promise, if you can hold on until then. If that creature finds your heart, the master will be very angry," he sneered, dragging his feet as he ascended the stairs.

Aria took a deep breath and held her dagger into the flame of the fireplace for a simple disinfection. The ruby ​​eye of the dragon on the blade emitted a faint red light, as if reminding her who the true owner of this dagger was. Facing Neven leaning over the table with his bare back, although Aria carefully attempted to rid him of the heart-eating worm with her dagger, her hands still trembled uncontrollably.

"After it comes out, it must be burned, don't touch it..." Neven said.

"Alright," Aria breathed deeply. With the dagger in her hand, she nervously approached Neven's back, as if she could hear his heartbeat echoing in her ears. Her fingers trembled slightly because she knew the next moment would determine Neven's fate. The air around them seemed to freeze, so quiet that even the sound of their breathing seemed particularly clear.

"Are you ready?" Aria's voice was tinged with nervousness.

Neven took a deep breath, his expression turning solemn. He nodded slightly, his lips moving slightly but no sound came out.

Aria slowly closed her eyes, entering a state of complete concentration. She could feel her heart beating rapidly, as if it was about to jump out of her chest.

The blade of the dagger lightly touched Neven's skin, making a slight piercing sound. Aria was astonished to find that the creature she had expected did not appear. Everything beneath the skin seemed unusually calm, without any abnormal wriggling.

"How is this possible?" Aria asked, surprised and puzzled, as she had clearly aimed at the creature under the skin.

Neven was also filled with unprecedented astonishment, his eyes flashing with confusion and bewilderment. He tried to turn his head to look at his back, but found that his body was trembling uncontrollably.

"It's...it..." Neven's voice was low and hoarse, "It's evading..."

"It's moving," Aria said anxiously. The raised streak of blood was accelerating downward. "What should I do, oh my god, I..."

"Aria..." he trembled, suppressing the pain, "Even Alexander had to catch it several times...you have to keep cutting...until you make it come out..."

At this moment, Neven began to tremble violently, emitting a horrifying low roar, more like a groan of extreme pain. Aria had never heard such a terrifying sound before. After that low, gut-wrenching groan, Neven was almost on the verge of unconsciousness

Aria was so nervous that she couldn't breathe. She took several deep breaths, trying to keep herself calm. When she felt her hands stop trembling, she focused all her attention on cutting Neven's skin again. At the moment of cutting, a mysterious black mist surged out of the wound, filling the room with a strong smell of blood.