QT: Against My Will

502 8.19 – A Habit – Monster Heist

Bing Shi leaned over Ru Quan’s earpiece, whispering softly against his skin, “You are leaving already? What about my request?”

“Sweetie, I’m not sure I’m the right guy for the job if you’re looking for someone to kill you.” Ru Quan pecked Bing Shi’s head as he affectionately tucked her under the warm cover, “You went to great lengths to leave the fruit basket in my room,” he said, “but how are we going to try them when you are always in a half-dead state, hm?”

Bing Shi grinned, quite satisfied with the custom-made order that was supposed to be for Damon first, “Marry me, and I will tell you.”

“...” Ru Quan flicked her forehead gently as he stood up, “Don’t be ridiculous,” he sighed, “I don’t want to end up as a widower.” Not again.

Bing Shi’s head dropped down slightly as she looked at Ru Quan’s leaving figure, “I’m not in a half-dead state, just a bit more ugly and more heavy than usual.” She mumbled under her breath before she turned towards the window, unable to retort the widower thing.

· · ────────── · ???· ────────── · ·

Bing Shi extracted the exoskeleton from her legs and placed it inside her space. She grabbed her cane and struggled out of bed, leaning against the wall as she limped towards the window, opening it and letting in a cool breeze.

Was redemption even possible for someone like Silvia? She took a deep breath; what more could she do? What else could she sacrifice for the sake of helping Stinky Bun?

Even Ru Quan was not happy with the situation that she was involved in or allowing to happen to her. Riley only reflected Silvia’s attacks whereas Victor wanted more than simple revenge.

.....

In silence, Bing Shi sat at the window frame, her legs dangling out into the open air. She let out a contented sigh as the breeze tickled her toes and lifted her hair. She realized that the answer was nothing. There was nothing more she could do for Silvia.

‘I’m perfect and it’s the world’s fault things aren’t perfect!’ were the thoughts many believers tried to convey to Bing Shi in their strange language. Upon entering this world, one was louder than the rest, but despite her best efforts to help them, she was unable to assist them and ultimately, she lost their trust and faith — that person was Silvia LeClére.

Bing Shi took a moment to pause and appreciate the beauty of the world around her. The city skyline was a breathtaking sight, full of bright lights and towering buildings. She supported her chin with the hilt of the cane, her fingers tracing the intricate design etched into its surface.

The thought of the power that rested in her hands was both thrilling and terrifying and she found herself hovering her finger over the trigger at the side of the cane. Suddenly, the sound of a gunshot shattered the stillness of the air, her body tensed up as it stumbled forward, her legs giving out beneath her.

Victor caught her cane in his right hand, he held her waist in place with his left arm as he healed her wound from the gunshot, “I’ve wondered when you will get an idea of leaving this place again. Stay back. I can give you a new body, a new identity, a new life.”

“Even Elera Mai’s?” Bing Shi asked softly as she looked at the shaking arm wrapped around her waist. Being touched so intimately by someone else felt so uncomfortable when it wasn’t her husband doing it.

Victor didn’t reply immediately; he was lost for words for a moment. He never failed a mission and would have continued pursuing Olivia if she didn’t threaten to cut her wrist before him. She was not a useless wish like Nora believed her to be.

Even though her soul was dead, a product of his imagination would sometimes resurface in his mind from the amount of time he had spent on uncovering the mystery behind her soul’s death.

He didn’t know when it began, but he would sometimes let this image of her devour the darkness he carried with him, even if it meant letting it suck the life out of him in the process.

Finally, he whispered, “Yes, of course,” his voice quivered.

“Liar.” Bing Shi laughed quietly as she let Victor pull her away from the window, “Let me remind you how girls can get tired around you even without intercourse,” she sank her teeth into her tongue.

“...” Victor shook his head slowly as he stared at the blood oozing out of her mouth, like a river of crimson spilling forth from a dam. “Why are you being like this whenever we are alone?”

Victor smiled weakly as he mended her tongue. He could feel the weight of exhaustion settling on his shoulders like a heavy winter coat.

Peeling down her bandages, he was jolted by the sight before him. His mocking gaze intensified, as though relishing the sight of her broken beauty.

Her face was a grotesque canvas of swelling and bruises, with jagged scars etched around her eyes and mouth like cracks in ancient pottery.

Bing Shi let out a deep sigh, her hands moving up to cover her face like a pair of shields. “It’s just a habit,” she muttered to herself,

“What now? Do I get down on my knees?” she added with a resigned shrug as if she were a character in a dark tale who had grown used to being tormented by malevolent spirits.

Silvia should have burned together with Ziek, consumed by the flames that had engulfed them both. But despite the odds, she had somehow managed to survive, saved from death by a force that she couldn’t quite comprehend.

It certainly wasn’t her husband who had saved her; in fact, when he found out that she was still alive, he tried to use an ancient technique to free her soul from a possible thousand-year fire, only to find out that it was something else entirely.

· · ────────── · ???· ────────── · ·

When Silvia’s heart stopped beating, Victor felt the loss of the connection he had with her deeply. For thousands of years, he got so used to Bing Shi’s dead soul and formless spirit that he became incredibly sensitive to the slightest of changes.

The moment Bing Shi entered Silvia’s physical body, it was like an alarm going off in his mind, alerting him that something was out of place.

He was confused and uncertain; was it his imagination? The spirit that had always surrounded him wherever he went had suddenly taken physical form, causing him to question his sanity. Was she truly alive? What was happening to her?

This uncertainty was only intensified by Dai An’s presence, as her presence further complicated Bing Shi’s existence in the physical world.

Victor played a significant role in the creation of Bing Shi’s new soul. However, it was Dai An who ultimately brought about the creation of her new soul, resulting in Bing Shi not having a soulmate bond with Victor.