My Long Lost Mate - Chapter 136

Surprised to see the young girl again, I promptly stood up and hid the stone behind my back. What is she doing here? If she’s one of the villagers, shouldn’t she have responded to the call? What made her different from the others?

Is she not under control? Is it possible that she didn’t eat the food Mary had provided? Is she a normal young girl? Questions after questions came flooding my mind at the sight of the young girl, seeing how frail and small she was.

Given the poor condition of the village, it’s fairly possible that the people didn’t have enough food to feed everyone. But Mary obviously won’t let that happen if she wants to turn all of them into her puppets. Are young children not qualified?

While I desperately wanted to believe she wasn’t under Mary’s control, what had happened before was far too strange for me to believe so. It was strange how she looked at me and how she remained in the same position for such a long time.

Besides, the other young children in the village were exactly the same as the other half-mad people. She was the only one who was different.

“What are you doing?” She asked again, a flat expression on her face..

“T-treasure hunt!!” I said, racking my brain about what other things I should be searching for now. “I-I heard someone hid a treasure around here.”

She said nothing but only stared at me, walking a little closer to me step by step. I backed away as she approached, wanting to keep a safe distance between us. She looked harmless, but at the same time, dangerous. I reached into my pocket, gripping the gun Luke gave me before. I was ready to pull the gun out but stopped when she smiled brightly, again clapping her hands.

“Treasure hunt!! Can I join?” She asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.  “The other friends are acting weird,” she said, lowering her head as if sad. She tilted her head, fiddling with her feet as she waited for me with great anticipation. Looking at her now, she looked like a normal kid. But I still can’t trust her.

“S-sure,” I said, releasing the gun in my pocket. She didn’t seem harmless—for now. “How about you search around here and I’ll search somewhere else? It’ll be easier for us to find the treasure that way,” I gulped the lump in my throat, sincerely hoping that she’d agree. I can’t stay with her.

“Promise to share the treasure with me?” She asked, holding her little finger out. I begrudgingly agreed, wanting to leave as soon as possible. “Okay!” She giggled, immediately searching through the snow.

“Then… I’ll be going,” I hesitated before leaving, still feeling unsure about the little girl. Right now, there was a 50/50 chance that she was both dangerous and harmless.

If she is just a normal girl, as she appeared to be, it would be dangerous for her to stay alone like this. But if she’s under control, staying with her will be risky. Nonetheless, I can’t take the risk of her being dangerous to me. The most important thing for me to do right now is to break the barrier.

I gave her one last look before leaving, realizing she was no longer interested in me. She was digging through the snow with glee, a wide smile on her face.

I turned around and pulled the magic stone to my ċhėst, seeing it still intact. I should hide somewhere safe and quickly destroy this stone. I was about to start running when the little girl called from behind me, asking a question that gave me shudders all throughout my body.

“But lady, haven’t you found the treasure already?” She asked, making me freeze in place. “Why are you running away with the treasure in your hands?”

Shit. How did she know?

I hesitantly turned around, gasping as I found her only two steps away from me. The smile had vanished from her small face and been replaced with a scowl, and her hands were curled into a fist as she glared at me. The possibility of her being dangerous immediately rose to ninety percent, and I’m almost sure I was right about this.

“W-what do you mean?” I stuttered, swiftly putting the stone in my pocket. I then raised my hands at her, showing that there was nothing on my hands. “I haven’t found anything.”

“But you promised to share the treasure with me,” she ignored my remark and continued to glare at me. She stepped closer, her eyes never leaving me. If looks could kill, it would be like this. “Lady, do you know what Mama told me about someone who broke their promise?”

I backed away as she asked, feeling something was very wrong with her. I had a feeling that whatever the answer to her question was, it wouldn’t be a good one. I shouldn’t have made that stupid promise.

“They die.”

I turned around and attempted to flee, but my path was blocked by a man who appeared out of nowhere, his eyes milky white. The man was tall, two times my size.

What should I do? I looked down at the stone in my hands, gripping it tighter in the hope that it would break quickly. I must keep my cool. I can’t let my emotions get the best of me. Maggie told me that my magic would react accordingly to my emotions, so I needed to remain calm. I can’t panic.

“KILLLLLLL!!!” The man let out a monstrous screech, moving his neck in a strange manner as he stumbled closer to me.

How the hell am I supposed to stay calm?!

I should go hide inside those houses, but if I run forward now, this man will catch me right away. Furthermore, I’m not sure what this kid behind me is capable of. It’s obvious that she was under the control of a witch, or that she was a witch disguised as a kid. Both are as dangerous.

If I can’t go forward nor backward, I’ll have to turn in other directions. There is a reason why a compass has four main points.

I spun around and ran to my right, giving it my all for my dear life. The man, too, gave it his all to chase after me, his murderous intent skyrocketing along with his screech. All that I could say was that it was a screech that was not well appreciated by the ears.

I didn’t even dare to know how close the man was behind me, and all I could think about was to run from the man. I desperately held the magic stone, frustrated at how it was yet to be broken.

Please—just this once—please listen to me. I begged, hoping that my magic would listen to my desperate plea and finally break the stone. Should I fail here, it won’t only end my life, but also the lives of many others. I can’t afford to fail.

My heart felt like it was going to burst from the man’s screeching and the ringing of the bell. Adrenaline rushed through my veins as I ran as fast as I could while clutching the stone even more tightly.

I tried my hardest to remember how I felt before, but all the running made it difficult. Even more difficult when I felt the man’s hands reaching for me, which I avoided with all my might.

Unfortunately, the man was faster and managed to catch up to me, ultimately gripping my hair and pulling me backward. I yelped and fell back to the ground, accidentally letting go of the magic stone in my hands. The stone bounced off and stopped a few steps away from me.

“KILLLLLLL!!” Another screech came from the man, his hands strangling my neck. I frantically scratched at his hand, attempting to rip it away from my throat. Am I going to die now? If that’s the case, I’d better die after I’ve broken through the barrier. I’m not going to let numerous others die with me.

I eyed the stone and reached out for it, desperately wriggling to reach the stone. Just… a little… more—the stone got stolen away.

“No—ugh!!” I coughed for air, feeling my life slipping away. The same little girl appeared beside me, holding the magic stone in her hands. She stared at it with fascination—as if it was her first time seeing it.

“I got the treasure now, lady,” she said as she watched me struggle to tear the man away, moving the stone triumphantly left and right. “Remember to keep your promise next time, okay?” She giggled.

With one last glance at me, she walked away with the stone in her hands, heading in the direction where the people had gone before. Not wanting to give up just yet, I drew the gun from my pocket with the last of my strength, aiming it at her hands—at the stone.

Please hit the stone. Please hit the stone.

I did everything I could to maintain my focus and aim. With my vision getting blurry, all I could do was pray it hits the right spot. I finally pulled the trigger, ready to fire.

A deafening sound from the gun came, thundering the whole area along with the scream of the young girl. And in the midst of that, the barrier vanished.

I did it.