Chapter 154 - - Message To Acrypha (Part 2)
Floating silently as she listened to the message, Acrypha didn't realize that the barrier she cast around herself to protect her from the rain had vanished and she was now soaking wet with rain.
Her mind was in so much shambles that she didn't even care about anything else apart from the voice speaking.
"We really miss you, Your Majesty. Everyone here is still fighting for their lives in the hopes of seeing you again one day. That is our one and only wish in this life. You're the only one needed to keep our kind alive. So, please, if you receive this message, do not try to come back. Your father and grandfather sent you away for a reason… To find him… And to fulfill the prophecy.
That's the only way we can truly make a change."
"..." Acrypha pursed her lips as she clenched her teeth.
"I understand how frustrated and sad you might feel. But, please, don't do anything reckless. Don't worry about us, we shall fight till our legs can't carry us and till our arms can't lift a sword. No matter what, we won't fall back, we won't break. That's what we were taught and that's how we're going to die… On the battlefield, amongst our brothers and sisters.
"But, for now, this is all I can tell you in this short message: We're in the Norther Ruins, the place is extremely dangerous and we have to stay on the move constantly. Once you find the existence you're seeking, please head toward the Northern Ruins. That's all, this message shall self-destruct in 10 seconds to avoid keeping any trace of it left."
Hearing that, Acrypha's grip on the scroll tightened as she started shaking visibly. The droplets of water fell on her face hiding it completely.
"Thank you for everything, your highness. We all love you. Keep your head held high."
Then, out of nowhere, the scroll started burning on its own before it disintegrated completely in a matter of seconds, leaving nothing behind, not even ashes.
Acrypha floated in her place for a long time, not moving a single muscle. Her mind repeated the words the voice said again and again and again as if it were a broken record. Each time she remembered those words, her soul would shake.
"I found him… I have already found him… Everyone… He is the one I have been looking for… No, he is far better than that… Please, wait for me… I will come back with him on my side… He will be the one to finish it all…" She said in a wavery voice as she wiped her face with the back of her hand. A determined look flashed across her eyes for a split second.
"Don't worry, the message has reached me… All of your voices have reached me. Let me carry that burden till the very last moment. You have done enough, everyone. Thank you… For trusting me." Her voice echoed in the empty world, not heard by anyone except herself.
But, for one reason or another, the wind and the rain grew even more intense the more she talked as if it was reacting to her oath… An oath that she took right there and then.
***
"Hnng… It's already morning…" Opening his eyes, Talon frowned as he rose up rubbing his face. "I slept like shit yesterday but I'm not feeling tired."
For some reason, Talon didn't feel well-rested after yesterday's sleep. He could vaguely recall having a bad dream in the middle of the night but he can't really remember anything about it.
"Hey, Acrypha, what time is it now?" He asked as he rubbed his eyes, not looking around him.
However, he didn't get a response which made him look up confusedly. "Acrypha?" He looked around him, only to see the woman sitting near the window, staring outside.
"Oh, there you are. Good morning." He said as he stood up.
Acrypha: "..."
The woman didn't reply as she kept looking outside.
"Acrypha? I'm talking to you." Talon said again with an even more confused look. It was rare for this otherworldly companion of his to ignore him so it raised many questions in his head.
'Is she ok?' He asked himself as he approached her and peeked at her from the side.
"Heyyyy, from Earth to Acrypha. Do you copy?" He asked jokingly as he snapped his finger in front of her to catch her attention.
"What the hell do you want?!" Suddenly, Acrypha snapped back as she glared at Talon. A very small amount of her aura leaked out, making Talon step back with a frown.
At that moment, the woman realized what she had done as her expression went from anger to shock.
"Oh, it was you, Talon. Sigh, I'm really sorry… I didn't mean to snap at you… I was just…" She tried to find the words to apologize but all she could do was look down.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, it's nothing to worry about."
"Well, now I'm worried, that's for sure. Are you really fine? Did something bad happen?" He asked as he approached her again.
ɑ???ω#а-γ∫-σи-*
Even though Talon's heart was still beating fast from the sudden unleash of Acrypha's aura, he didn't let it show on his face as he tried to calm the woman down. But, in reality, he was still quite shocked by how terrifying that small amount of aura she leaked out was.
He was certain that it wasn't even a fraction of what Acrypha could reveal and yet it was more than enough to send chills down his spine. The difference in strength between them was like the earth and the stars.
"It's not something I can tell you about. Don't worry, it's really nothing you should be concerned about currently." She replied in a calmer tone.
However, Talon ignored her words as he looked down at her hands. He noticed how they were shaking visibly for some reason and it only made him even more concerned.
At that moment, his expression completely changed from confusion to a frown.
"I see…" He murmured before he suddenly extended his arm and grabbed her hand.
"Talon?"
"Follow me." He said as he pulled her hand and descended from the stack of boxes. Acrypha blinked as she followed him silently.
"Hey, leader! Good morning!!"
"Good morning, leader!"
The students greeted Talon when they saw him, but the latter didn't respond as he continued walking.
"Hm? Is the leader ok? Why does he look so serious in the morning?" One asked.
"Maybe he didn't have a good night's sleep? It happens." Another replied as they shrugged it off.
"Poor leader. He deserves the most rest out of all of us and yet he can't even have that due to stress. Oh, he's so amazing!"
"Shut up and eat your food before it gets cold, dumbass!"
***
Exiting the warehouse, Talon dragged Acrypha toward the exit as he left the place without telling anyone.
"Hey, where are you going?" Acrypha decided to ask when she saw Talon's weird behavior.
The latter didn't reply and kept walking till he was a hundred meters or so away from the warehouse. Then, he sprawled down on the ground.
"I'm not moving from here a single inch till you tell me what's wrong." He said in a dead serious tone.
"What? Why would you do that?"
"I can decide what I want to do. Now, you can either tell me what's wrong, or some monster can come by and kill me. I won't move a single muscle." He added.
Acrypha found herself completely speechless. The reason for that was the fact that she couldn't even notice a single hint of lying in Talon's voice. He was being as serious as he could be.
"Why would you do this? You're going too far. It's not something I can tell you about ye-"
"I've had enough of being completely clueless about what's happening outside this world. I know that you're doing this to protect me and I really appreciate that. But, at the very least, I want to know what's distressing you."
"... I… What…"
"It's all over your face, Acrypha. I can see it as clear as day… You're in a lot of pain and you're trying to hide it as best as you can. But, I know you more than anyone else. There is no reason to hide it from me."
With how much time Talon had spent talking to this gorgeous woman, he had basically mastered the art of reading her expression even though he thought it was an impossible task at first. Acrypha was simply too good at hiding her emotions, even the positive ones.
But, Talon and Acrypha shared a connection far deeper than mere companionship. The two of them knew each other inside and out as if it was the most natural thing to happen.
With Talon's soft look, and his words that resonated reply in her head, all of Acrypha's walls started crumbling.
A//N: Golden Tickets Boys ??