❝ I'm in a league of my own. ❞
Ban, The Fox's Sin of Greed has been searching high and low to bring Elaine, the girl he fell for back to life but his attempts and searches seemed futile.
❝Seek the Dragon Empress if you dare. ❞
Until one day, Ban stu...
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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
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❝ A shrine dedicated to me.. why? ❞
The morning sun crept through the thick foliage, casting soft beams of light across the camp. The air was still cool, a quiet contrast to the warmth of the rising day.
Around the fire, the other Sins slowly stirred from their sleep, stretching and grumbling as they prepared for the day ahead. But among them, Ryoko remained still. The exhaustion from the night weighed heavy on her, and despite dawn approaching, she had not yet roused from her deep slumber.
She had stayed on guard, watching the perimeter of the camp with a guarded gaze, the silent dread of the unknown gnawing at her senses. But sleep had finally claimed her in the early hours of morning, sweeping her into a restless dream.
In the dream, Ryoko was a child again, running through fields that seemed endless. Her small hands reached out to the vibrant flowers, and in the distance, she could hear her mother's laugh—a sound so familiar, so full of warmth, that it tugged at her heart. Her father was there too, strong and tall, his deep voice reassuring her as he always had. But the happiness was fleeting, quickly replaced by the growing darkness that always came after the light.
She could see her parents' faces, their eyes wide with fear, calling her name as the ground beneath them cracked and splintered. Ryoko tried to run to them, but her feet wouldn't move, the ground swallowing them both, leaving her alone in the emptiness.
The flames rose high in the distance, consuming everything in its path, and she screamed their names, but they were lost to the inferno. She reached out desperately, but the fire burned everything, her family, her home, all reduced to ash.
Her heart ached with an unbearable weight, and she felt the hot sting of tears against her cheeks. They were gone. They had always been gone. And it was her fault.
The dream twisted into the abyss, the flames scorching her mind, the cries of her people echoing, loud and deafening. Ryoko's chest tightened with the grief she couldn't escape, her sobs raw and unrelenting.
And then, just as the pain reached its peak, a soft touch on her cheek roused her from the depths of her nightmare.
The cool, gentle touch of someone wiping away her tears.
Her eyes fluttered open, and the blurred outline of a face came into focus. Pretty scarlet eyes—deep, warm, and full of concern—gazed down at her. For a moment, Ryoko couldn't place the face, the world still spinning from the remnants of her dream. But as her vision cleared, the details sharpened, and she realized who it was.
