Your Shadow Is My Light

Chapter 32 - I will make sure there's an us

Normal text
Thinking
Onomatopoeia

Rayne's POV
"Ahri."

We were sitting around a separate campfire, far away from the heroes' party. Where their derisive jeers and mockery couldn't reach us. Amidst the ever encroaching darkness, the flickering orange flames became our only safety bubble protecting us from the vicious outside world.

Frankly speaking, it was ironic. A human and a demon-an unlikely duo. Two sides who had an unresolvable blood feud that's still going strong even till today. Yet, here we are. Huddling next to a bonfire and seeking solace from each other. The tragic circumstances bound us together. It facilitated this forbidden duet. However, not once have I felt guilty about this. Even if it supposedly went against the cause I was fighting for. I dunno... It just... felt nice to have someone to confide in. Those narcissistic Mary Sues and Gary Stus couldn't possibly understand my difficulties. But if it's the down and out Gatekeeper... Perhaps she could...

"Hm?" the vixen hummed leisurely while hovering a hand over the open flames.

Gradually, wisps of embers gravitated towards her. The glowing cinders pulsated as more and more inferno was drawn out. Fiery streams entwined her fingers languidly, as if caressing their long-lost mistress. It's been quite a while since Ahri was last crippled by those hateful gargoyles. 13 weeks, 6 days and 9 hours to be exact (but who's counting?).

They think this was all it takes to prevent her from ever seizing back the crown in this lifetime. By leaving the defeated general alive in such a humiliating state. But that's where they're sorely mistaken. Ahri's potential was so much more. She's the one and only Crimson Princess after all. Do those trash honestly think that knocking her down a peg like this would keep the pompous woman in line forever?

Even without a mana core, Ahri could still rebuild her damaged meridians entirely from scratch. Just through sheer willpower. That's what makes her different from mediocre folks like me, I guess. Because unlike me, Ahri's not a chronic quitter. There's no such thing as failure and giving up in this lady's dictionary. Which was really impressive. And very enviable. How I wished I had this steely resolve of hers...

Though there's still one thing that puzzled me. I don't know what convinced Ahri to put so much faith and trust in a lost cause. Especially after I had accompanied those sickening donkeys to disrupt her peaceful life. That gullible woman didn't bother hiding her progress in front of me. Like, at all. Instead, this naive little cub was eager to share each one of her newfound gains. Every single day. Without fail. Which left me somewhat dumbfounded, and very worried for her future. Shouldn't she be guarded towards humans? Particularly towards me, the scum responsible for bringing marauders to invade her land?

Why are you acting friendlier than those of the same species as me???

Sometimes, her unhinged enthusiasm overwhelmed me. It ranged from small favours like hunting delicious game for my meals, to bigger matters like adding rat faeces in the dragon knight's dinner plate. She knows I'm too spineless to vent out my frustration. So she's willing to be the bad guy.

I appreciate her concern and all but this series of mind-boggling operations confused me. To the point where I don't know how to treat her anymore. What attitude should I adopt when facing her? Guilt? Pity? Or perhaps feigned some form of happiness for her recovery? Do I even deserve the kindness she showered on me after what I had done?

Maybe I'm thinking too much. Maybe her sympathy was because I was the best option out of the batch of lousy apples. So Ahri had no choice but to chat with me to relieve her boredom and loneliness. In other words, I'm nothing more than a tool to preserve her sanity. Not that I'm complaining. Regardless of her motives, I appreciated her company. In fact, ever since she unceremoniously invited herself into this team of 'righteous' pigs, I became uncharacteristically talkative. The number of times I opened my mouth in this short span of months was more than all 20 years of my life combined.