Your Shadow Is My Light

Chapter 8 - Mercy in the ruthless game called life

Normal text
Thinking
Onomatopoeia

Ahri's POV
What's wrong with Rae?

Empty-headed and constantly in a daze today. She was so distracted that I had to help her out many times. Weird. That girl's usually hyperfocused when it comes to ugly freaks towering over her.

Looking at her bleeding arms, my heart ached. It would definitely leave a nasty scar on her flawless skin...

That horrendous thought had me shaking my head. No! This won't do! I must protect my baby's supple skin! Keep her beautiful and cute. Maybe fatten her up too. She's too thin!

Making sure that she's safely on a horse, I sped off to my territory. This time, under half the usual time. I was practically blazing through the fields, reaching within a couple of hours. Just by staying near Rae, my magic has grown denser again. An excellent sign.

I snuck into Mama's room and took one of the many ointments displayed on her vanity table. It's her favourite brand of herbal medicines, able to prevent any scarring from healing wounds. In fact, it became part of her daily beauty routine because of its moisturising properties. Perfect for my mate. Maybe it could also fix her right eye?

By the time I rushed back to the humans' castle, it's already nightfall-our scheduled meeting time. Winding along the familiar route, I briskly trotted to her room. A peek through the dusty window and I instantly spotted her figure sitting on the bed. I knocked politely. No reaction.

Was it too soft?

My knuckles rapped on the glass pane again. Rae still didn't turn her head over. No choice. I flicked out a claw and inserted it between the gaps. Fortunately, the window wasn't locked. Otherwise, I would've to melt a hole through it, which wouldn't be good. What if rainwater comes in and wet her nest???

A gentle tug and the window swung open silently. The silly baby hadn't realised there's an intruder trespassing into her den yet. And that's why I can't leave her unattended with those useless imbeciles. Look! She's bleeding so much and yet that incompetent cleric still hasn't healed her! If she can't do her job, then what can she do??? Just be a green-tea bitch at the side??? The other dimwits weren't better either! No one even bothered asking about Rae when she's acting so off today. They simply don't care. In the end, they're all blind goons through and through. Nothing changed in this life either.

I was about to snuggle with her when I stopped dead in my tracks. There's this strange eerie smell hanging around her. Unlike the usual clean scent of detergent. Not only that, one look at her ghastly expression said it all. Her mind was utterly broken, her soul fragmented. The puffiness around her eyes that I've been working hard to remove was back again. This time, with a vengeance. It's dark as ever. Her abnormally pale complexion alongside the dazed look made her seem like a lost little deer.

My nose wrinkled uncomfortably. I don't know if it's because of her necromancer roots but the depressing aura around Rae was downright suffocating. It reeked of death and desolation. As if her soul has been sucked out, leaving behind an empty shell. No wonder the exquisite aroma of her life essence was really faint today. I could barely smell it. In fact, the sweet fragrance has turned slightly sour. Maybe even bitter. Now I was thoroughly pissed. What the hell's going on??? Where's my flavourful cutie??? Wasn't she fine yesterday??? What happened-who's the damn rat that made her sad this time?!

Panic sirens wailed in my mind as I tunnelled straight into her embrace in the hopes of making her smile. But what I got was a smile of death. It was so forced and disingenuous, void of true happiness. Exactly like the past. Back then, she also had to maintain an amiable smile even when Will and Lily started acting up like baboons. She would always receive their toxic insinuation with this face. A docile face. A sign of submission... I hate it. I hate it so much.