Chapter 84
“No way…”
As the light surrounding Carlton and Velia grew stronger, Bain’s expression turned desperate — he had realized what Carlton was about to do.
Fearing Bain might break free from the binding, Karin — tears streaming down her face — hastened the pace of her incantation.
“Velia.”
Carlton gently stroked Velia’s head.
Despite the tenderness of his tone, the pain twisting his face only deepened.
The faster Karin’s tearful chanting became, the brighter the circle of light shone.
Within that brilliance, Carlton tightly grasped Velia’s hand.
“I… If I could’ve escaped, I wanted to go with you. To that world you always talked about — the one you loved so much.”
Carlton smiled faintly.
“You’re a good girl, Velia. You’ll be happy. Thank you… for everything.”
As the life faded rapidly from him, Karin turned her head away.
She couldn’t bear to watch her dearest friend offer up his life and soul to the spell.
Within the thickening glow, Carlton gathered the last of his strength to utter one final spell —
Oblivion, a spell to erase memories.
The moment he finished, his body collapsed to the floor, limp and lifeless.
With a peaceful expression, as though he held no regrets, Carlton closed his eyes.
As the ritual neared completion, Velia’s hair began to darken from the roots upward.
The change quickly spread to the tips.
“Aaaagh!!!”
Bain screamed as he saw his own body rapidly aging.
“Carlton!!”
Karin’s ritual came to an end behind him, while Bain desperately tried to grasp at his escaping vitality.
Karin cried as she looked upon Carlton’s fallen body and the returning life in Velia’s.
“Carlton!!!!”
At the very moment Bain’s scream echoed, a blinding light burst from Velia.
“Carlton.”
In his fading consciousness, Carlton heard Velia’s faint call — and then, her clearer, desperate shout.
“Carlton!!”
When pure white light engulfed everything, strange visions filled Carlton’s sight.
“No! No! That’s not me! Brother!”
A child’s throat was cut, her screams ending abruptly.
Throbbing pain struck his left shoulder, and the vision shifted.
“Hic… really…”
Before finishing her words, another girl fell dead.
Pain flared again in his shoulder — and blood trickled from Carlton’s lips.
Another vision appeared.
“Damn it, failed again…”
This time, the girl didn’t cry — only trembled in terror as her life slipped away.
Carlton winced. Unbearable agony spread from his left shoulder throughout his entire body.
Coughing blood, he saw another scene — Bain, looking down at a moving carriage, muttering to himself. Between the carriage’s falling windows, black hair fluttered in the wind.
“Aaagh!”
As the vision faded, Carlton fell to the ground, his whole body trembling in pain.
It felt as if his limbs were being torn apart, as though his veins were being eaten from within.
He banged his head against the floor — an instinctive act of someone trying to escape unbearable torment.
Fluid streamed from his nose and eyes.
“Kh…!”
He gasped and screamed — pain so intense that death itself would’ve been mercy.
His heart pounded violently, searingly hot.
Just as he let out another scream, the white light around him rushed toward him, wrapping him in its embrace.
The pain ceased instantly — and as the light faded, a faint silhouette appeared before him.
“Velia?”
With a soft murmur, Carlton widened his eyes.
A girl with bright blue eyes was smiling at him.
That was the last thing he saw before his vision went dark.
* * *
“…lton!! Carlton!!!”
“Gasp!”
Carlton inhaled sharply.
Blinking wildly, he saw Velia crying before him.
“You’re awake?! Carlton?!”
As soon as he recognized her, Carlton noticed strange glowing letters shining over the purple mark near her ear.
They were ancient numerals — the symbol read 4.
The same number was carved into his left shoulder.
“Carlton, we have to get out of here!”
Velia struggled to tear away the wooden vines binding him.
“Ah…”
Carlton’s eyes trembled; he couldn’t tell if what he saw was real or an illusion.
“Carlton! Snap out of it! We need to escape! Karin’s outside! Ah—”
With a mere gesture from him, the wooden bindings loosened and fell away.
“Thud.”
Carlton collapsed weakly to the ground, and Velia immediately knelt beside him.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?!”
Carlton reached out with a trembling hand toward her face.
“Carlton…?”
“Velia.”
He cupped her cheeks, staring blankly into her eyes.
“You…”
Velia’s eyes widened in surprise — his were wet with tears.
It wasn’t her imagination. Tears gathered quickly and overflowed, trailing down his face.
Drip.
Velia reached up and brushed away the tear.
“…Don’t cry.”
Seeing his pain, Velia’s eyes softened. He must have faced the same unbearable memories.
She pulled him into a brief embrace before letting go.
“We have to move.”
She wanted to cry too — but that could only come after survival.
“Let’s get out of here. It’s dangerous.”
Sensing a strange energy, the wooden vines around them began to ripple violently.
“Carlton?”
He nodded once.
Then, effortlessly, he shattered the space encasing them.
Bang!
Velia gasped — more from shock at his power than from the sound.
She’d always known he was strong, but now his aura felt unfamiliar, heavier, deeper.
And in that same instant, Carlton stiffened in surprise.
Something inside his chest felt… off.
“Let’s go.”
Suppressing the nausea rising in his throat, he grabbed Velia’s hand and led her out.
“Carlton!!!!”
Karin waved frantically when she saw them.
“You! You’re alive— Aaagh!! Hey, do something about this!!”
Carlton freed her from the vines dragging her by the ankles.
“You… you’re alive. You…!”
Tears welled in Karin’s eyes as she looked at him.
“Good to see you.”
“That’s all you’re gonna say?!”
“Velia, take care of Karin.”
“Ah, right!”
As Velia helped Karin to her feet, Carlton moved slowly toward the now-frozen trees.
“Cursed fate,” he muttered.
A truly wretched bond.
Swallowing his grief, he placed his hand on the tree.
Sensing his intent, the surrounding vines lashed out all at once.
Just as the razor-sharp ends were about to pierce him, Carlton completed his spell.
BOOM!
The explosion was deafening.
From within the protective barrier, Velia stared blankly at him.
“Was he… always like that?”
“He’s remembering everything,” Karin replied quietly.
“Huh?”
Startled by the blast, Karin blinked.
“He regained his memories — and with them, his power.”
“So he was that strong before?”
“Probably…”
Karin checked Carlton’s hands — there was no sword.
“Something’s off, but… yeah. He’s gotten insanely strong, fast.”
Then she turned to Velia.
“You okay?”
“Huh?”
“You… got your memories back too, right?”
Karin’s face softened; she guessed Velia’s unstable magic had been caused by Bain’s experiments.
“Sorry. I misunderstood you. I thought you were one of Bain’s lackeys. Didn’t realize we were both his victims.”
Velia quickly shook her head.
“No, it’s fine. We’re both just… pitiful, I guess. Anyway — are you okay? You found your memories too, didn’t you?”
“Yeah. I did. Turns out I lived a pretty horrible life… Honestly, if I’d known, I might’ve preferred not to remember.”
Velia nodded slowly.
“Me too.”
As the smoke from the explosion cleared, the forest’s original form came back into view.
“Ah, the sun’s up.”
The thick mist had vanished.
Velia squinted against the bright rays streaming down, and Karin lifted her head, letting out a small laugh.
“To think I lived to see this…”
“Grrr—”
A low growl drew both their attention.
“Ah, you!”
Velia gasped when she saw the wounded beast staggering toward them, dripping blood.
The creature blinked, its red eyes flickering once — then it collapsed on the spot.
“Karin! We have to heal it!”
“What? That’s a monster— hey!”
Karin ran after Velia, who was already rushing forward.
Watching them go, Carlton pressed a hand to his chest.
He wiped the blood from his lips and closed his eyes.
Every time he used magic, something inside his heart slipped out of place —
— just like that moment, when he was dying within the circle of light.
