Wicked Reincarnation - Chapter 192

“Please hold on. It’ll be alright. I’ll bring you out of here,” these words came spilling out of Lia like a waterfall. Her incessant mumbles seemed to only reassure herself more than anything.

Leo would be alright. Leo wouldn’t die. They just met. Nothing would happen. Everything would be alright.

Leo closed his eyes and a smile spread on his lips. He could feel Min’s blood-thirsty lifeforce in his body, could feel the pain and could feel how slowly his life was sucked out of him.

He didn’t dare to cough but instead, the blood silently trickled out of his mouth as his organs started to explode and an intense pain gripped his body. Cold sweat dripped from his pale face and made Lia more anxious.

“I’ll find a way!” Lia wanted to stand up and break the door open but Leo held her back. He barely had any strength left, “Stay with me… It’s too… late.”

All Leo wanted was Lia to stay with him in his final moments. He knew it was cruel but he wanted to die in her arms to leave this world he loved.

Leo felt Lia’s trembling fingers, her restless body and knew what vicious thing he was asking of her. No one could stand having someone die right in front of their eyes. Especially not Lia who had to go through it again.

“Ok,” Lia’s voice comforted him yet the sadness, the pain and suppressed feelings in her made him flutter his eyes open and look at her, “I’m sorry….”

“Don’t speak, “Lia only held Leo tighter and endured the tears that wanted to spill all over his face. Leo wanted to go peacefully, she wouldn’t ruin it for him.

Leo appreciated her effort and took her hand, “Lia do you remember… the song… you used to… sing for me?”

Back then, whenever Leo was mischievous, his mother would lock him up in a room to spend the night. Leo hated the most to be alone, so Lia snuck into his place and sat in front of his door to sing a lullaby.

Lia thought she didn’t sing beautifully but Leo loved it. No matter what Lia did Leo loved it. And now she knew why. Because if someone loved someone, everything about them, to their biggest flaws and imperfections, everything would become lovable. Luckily, after a while, Madam L realised it was wrong to treat Leo this way.

Leo didn’t need to tell Lia twice. As he slowly started to die in her arms, Lia sang a lullaby to accompany him on this long and scary journey from now on, he had to take on himself. Hoping that Leo would feel loved. The road to the afterlife was unknown and mysterious. Any kind of strength Lia could give Leo would help him.

Listening to Lia’s comforting voice singing only for him, Leo slowly closed his eyes and drifted off. After a while, he opened them again.

But this time he found himself in a garden on a bright sunny day. His petite size stood next to his parents as he watched another couple approaching them, behind this couple was a little girl that curiously peeked at Leo and then quickly hid again.

“Go and greet Elder K and Madam K,” his father patted Leo on the shoulder.

“Elder K Madam K,” Leo bowed but then his view fell on the small girl with brilliant eyes and chubby cheeks. Her black hair flowed over her shoulder as she returned his stare.

Leo flashed her a grin and ran up to her, “I’m Leo!”

He held his hand up, hesitating for a second, the girl grabbed it and equally excited said, “Lia! Lia’s my name!”

At that moment, Leo was a ball of sunshine to everyone else, but for Leo, Lia would become his whole world.

“Leo?” Lia finally stopped singing when she noticed that Leo wasn’t moving.

The silence was painful because it made Lia realise that Leo has also stopped breathing. All of the walls Lia kept up to become strong have instantly fallen, broken into tiny bits to roll down her face.

After shaking Leo for a while, Lia couldn’t take it anymore. Her wails and cries couldn’t be contained by the roof of this hall.

His lifeless body was still warm under her touch but nothing could bring him back anymore. Leo was dead. She would never see his smile anymore, hear him talk, she would never get to tell him her answer.

He had to die like this. It wasn’t fair. It just wasn’t fair. Why did Leo have to die? Why did Nana have to die when Min could stay alive?

When Min could stroll around, abuse his power and enjoy his time. Lia couldn’t accept it. She wouldn’t. Her hatred for Min soared to greater heights. Her body uncontrollably shook but then when she saw Leo’s smile on his face, her anger broke and sadness came in like a tide.

Lia collapsed on the ground, held Leo’s hand and just sobbed relentlessly. For now, she just wanted to mourn his death. For now, just for now let her take a breather.

As Lia bawled out all of her feelings in this grand and desolated throne hall, outside the sun started the rise and a new morning began.

And on the plaza movement started. All previous bloodshed was removed. A new day signalled a new beginning and this one held a worse fate for Lia than anyone could imagine.

The destiny of the Immortal King once again began. A seemingly endless path that either led to victory or doom. Because the Immortal King could never attain what he wanted. But in the end, destiny was there to be broken.

Lia didn’t notice the new day coming. Her eyes were swollen and puffy, her voice was hoarse and her body sore. Her head laid on top of Leo’s chest and she didn’t move. Only when the door opened and familiar imposing footsteps entered, did Lia move as fast as lightning and stabbed the knife, Leo previously stole, into Min’s chest.

Her bloodshot eyes full of hatred met the ridiculing sparkle in Min’s. With one slap, Lia tumbled to the ground and her cheek pulsated badly. The door behind Min closed and Min calmly removed the knife out of his chest, then threw it away.

Each step he took towards Lia brought terrible terror into her heart, set a blazing fire with his smile that grew wider on his face. Then Min finally stood before Lia’s pathetic form on the ground and matched her height, “You should know, my own lifeforce can’t harm me, foolish woman.”

Lia shook with rage and fear but she still managed to look at Min’s wound closing up. Min’s gaze wandered to Leo and he stood up, “Things have changed. I’ve changed my mind. Instead of just throwing you in the abyss, I’ll make good use of you.”

With one glance, Lia could see the evil intention Min held but she had no idea what was coming.

“I refuse. Min, you’ll die. I’ll kill you,” Lia balled her fists.

She was no longer going along with him nor letting him do what he wanted, “You killed Leo. I won’t go back into the abyss.”

“So? How are you going to kill me?” Min was even more amused at Lia’s empty threats. Lia hated his face, hated that damned smile, hated Min’s existence.

Disappear. Disappear. Disappear.

He should just disappear! With absurd rage controlling her mind, Lia let her lifeforce seep out and then slapped it into Min’s chest. More, more, more. She needed to pour more into it.

Min widened his eyes when he realised she wasn’t powerless. He slapped Lia again and she tumbled on the ground before hitting a wall.

“Where did you get your powers?” Min approached her, ready to put his life force into hers when he coughed blood. Instead, Min poured his own life force back into him. Lia’s lifeforce was nothing, he just needed to purge it.

Lia glared at him. She was like a furious dog that lost its owner and attacked Min but each time, she was thrown against the wall again.

“I think you don’t know your place,” Min hissed before his expression finally was calm again. He managed to purge Lia’s lifeforce inside of him.

Lia was ready to charge at Min again when he grabbed her by the hair and flung her to the middle of the room. His lifeforce held her down again. Lia’s mind was blank. Nothing but the urge to rip Min to shreds controlled her body. She was acting on pure instinct.

“I’ll show you your place,” Min looked at Lia’s pathetic attempts and had the urge to completely break her and he would.

“Come in,” this time Min’s loud voice echoed in the whole room and seemed to have brought Lia to her senses.

Her eyes flickered between Min and the door, before finally resting on the open doors. Then the dreaded view appeared. A few soldiers came in, dragging something behind.

Then 1, 2, 3, 4, 5….

They came into sight.

Lia stopped and stared. And stared. And stared. Before finally processing.

“No!” her desperate wail was heartbreaking to hear.

“No,” her stumbling towards the corpses of her allies, her friends, was unbearable.

“No,” her eyes seeing their dead bodies completely rendering her useless, was pitiful.

“NO!”

Xavi, Mika, Nana, Susa, Noel.

How? How? How? Didn’t Susa say this would be a success? Didn’t she say everything would be alright? So why? Why did things go wrong? How? Where? As Lia clung onto their bodies and wept, Min sent the soldiers away.

It was all Lia’s fault! She has been careless. They should’ve just retreated just like Xavi suggested, yet she insisted… yet they died….yet….

Done.

Lia was done.

Her brain stopped working and her body gave up. She couldn’t deal with this pain. She couldn’t deal with this loss. It was over for her.

“I should thank you for helping me get rid of the hidden families,” Min’s words stabbed Lia deeper but she had no strength to retaliate or say anything. All she wanted was to stop this. This nightmare. That was right. All of this wasn’t true. It wasn’t. There was no way.

Absolutely no way. It was all an illusion. Lia looked up from their corpses and stared at Min. Then she tilted her head and broke out a desperate smile, “This is the power of the Z family, right?”

Min froze before erupting into laughter. Yes. Lia finally broke. Completely and utterly.