Monts later, her voice returned, clear and serious.
"Master, the shortest route will take you through the dense Linia Forest to avoid the human cities. However, you must be cautious. Several Blessed Sanctuaries guard the periter of the Hero Empire, and they are heavily monitored by the Heroic Order."
Aengus smirked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "Blessed Sanctuaries or not, nothing will stop ."
Adjusting his trajectory, he strode forward with resolve, the night enveloping him in its quiet embrace.
Aengus moved like a blur, warping space around him as though he were distorting reality itself with each step.
The Linia Forest greeted him with the eerie sounds of nocturnal predators—growls of beasts and the mournful cries of night owls filling the air.
Suddenly, a piercing cry shattered the ambient chaos.
"Help! Save ...please...soone!"
Aengus halted abruptly, his gaze snapping toward the source of the voice. There, beneath the shadow of a towering tree, a grisly scene unfolded. A massive bear-like beast was tearing into its prey—a small girl whose legs and waist were already half-devoured.
"Splash!"
In an instant, Aengus appeared before the beast, his hand plunging through its skull with brutal precision. The creature's enormous body collapsed lifelessly, blood pooling around its remains.
Casually shaking the blood off his hand, Aengus turned his attention to the girl. Her small, frail body trembled, and her wide, desperate eyes clung to him as though he were her last hope.
Despite her horrific injuries, she was sohow conscious, her gaze filled with an inexplicable glimr of hope.
Aengus sighed, his usual stoicism giving way to a rare flicker of compassion. "You're lucky I'm feeling kind today, little girl."
He leaned closer, placing his hand gently on her bloodied head. As his palm glowed faintly, a divine aura enveloped her. The radiance cascaded over her broken form, stitching torn flesh and restoring her mangled body.
The girl's breathing steadied, her injuries fading away as if they had never existed. Her legs and waist regenerated in a fluid motion.
Monts later, she sat up in stunned silence, her small hands trembling as she touched her now-recovered legs. Tears stread down her cheeks, but her words failed her.
Aengus stood up, brushing off his hands as though he had rely completed a trivial task. "Consider it a gift. Now, leave this place and never return."
The girl managed to shake her head, rejecting his advice. "Thank you... Mister. But I can't do as you say. I have to grow stronger. I-I have to save my mother. Or else, those paladins will execute her soon..."
Aengus paused mid-step, his sharp hearing catching the trembling determination in her voice. His dark eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to face her.
"What's your na? And for what offense do they plan to kill your mother?" he asked, his tone calm yet edged with curiosity, his brows furrowing ever so slightly.
The girl sniffled, wiping tears from her dirt-streaked face. "My na is Lyra," she began, her voice trembling. "The paladins accused my mother of being affiliated with a witch. They took her to the capital—the Holy City—and they're going to burn her alive tomorrow."
Her small body shook with desperation as she crawled closer to Aengus, clasping his leg tightly. "Sir... my savior... God... Whoever you're.. please, lend your power to save my mother!"
She clung to him as though he were her last hope, her tear-filled eyes pleading with a raw determination far beyond her years.
Aengus stared down at her, his expression unreadable, though his aura seed to grow heavier. For a mont, he said nothing, his thoughts churning as he weighed the situation.
Finally, Aengus sighed, his cold deanor softening slightly. "You're bold for a child, Lyra. And foolish as well. You think you can gain the strength to stand against them in just one night?"
He crouched down to her level, his piercing gaze locking with hers. "But your determination… I like it. Co, I will help you save your mother."
The little girl, barely ten years old, with dark circles under her eyes, an emaciated figure, and a tattered dress, looked at his kind yet cold face with overwhelming gratitude. Her cracked lips trembled as she spoke. "I will do as you say, my lord. Thank you for your grace. May I know my savior's na?"
Aengus stood up, looking at the horizon as though lost in thought. He replied casually, "There's no need to know my na, little girl. But soon enough, everyone will know it."
Without another word, he began walking toward the Holy City, the girl trailing behind him as his unlikely companion.
---
Aengus had decided to help her not out of sentintality but convenience—his destination aligned with hers. Yet, there was sothing about her desperate face that sparked a faint mory, one that he had long buried.
Her face and determination reminded him of his younger sister back in the Primal Realm. Though their bond had weakened over ti, he still regarded her as family. That flicker of emotion was enough to sway his cold heart, if only slightly.
As they traveled together through the dense forest, the growls of distant beasts and the cries of night owls seed almost irrelevant.
Lyra noticed the terrifying beasts lurking in the shadows of the forest, their glowing eyes fixated on her and her savior. Yet, none dared to approach. They growled softly before retreating into the darkness, as if sensing an aura far beyond their understanding.
She glanced at the imposing figure walking ahead of her and thought, "
It must be him. He's the reason they're afraid. The beasts fear his very presence."
A spark of hope ignited within her fragile heart.
If anyone can help save my mother, it's him. Even if it ans going against the Holy Cathedral of Gods themselves.
What surprised her more was the speed at which they were moving. It felt as though they had taken only a few steps, yet the dense trees of Linia Forest had already given way to open plains. She could see the Holy City looming in the distance, its towering spires illuminated faintly under the moonlight.
She blinked in astonishnt. "
How is this possible?"
Lyra thought. "
It takes days to travel this far… Is this another one of his powers?" Discover stories at mvl
Her gaze shifted back to her savior. His royal deanor, the confidence in his stride, and the unshakable air of authority he carried all spoke volus. He hadn't said much, yet she already felt she could trust him entirely.
For the first ti in a long while, Lyra felt a sliver of hope—hope that this mysterious man might indeed be the key to saving her mother.
Reviews
All reviews (0)