Chapter 2 – A New Beginning (Part 9)

Ellerdin started running, following Fer.  

Fernan turned his head to check if Ellerdin was following properly.  

But her steps were too slow for a mere human. At this rate, they would both be caught by the monster.  

Even though the magic in her necklace would protect her if she was in danger, he didn’t want to put her in such a situation in the first place.  

Fernan stopped running and bit her waist with his teeth.  

“Whoa?”  

Before Ellerdin could understand what was happening, Fernan lifted her onto his back.  

Matching her pace at first, his body then sprang forward.  

As Ellerdin instinctively clung tightly to his fur, Fernan began running through the forest at a speed incomparable to before.  

‘We need to reach the water.’  

Fernan followed the faint smell of water in the forest. The monster particularly hated water.  

Unless it was killed, the chase wouldn’t end. But fighting while carrying her was impossible.  

If he could at least drop her off by the water, the monster wouldn’t attack her.  

It was a mistake to come in polymorphed form, thinking he could easily handle the monster. He hadn’t expected Ellerdin to follow.  

‘Ugh…’  

Ellerdin bit her lip.  

Her grip on his fur was weakening. Her arms trembled from the tension.  

As Fernan hurriedly ran, he saw a blue pond in the distance.  

Ellerdin had to struggle not to fall off as Fer moved violently to avoid the monster’s attacks.  

Sensing her struggle, Fer tried to run as smoothly as possible while increasing his speed.  

Just as she was about to let out a groan from the effort, the blue pond came into view.  

Before she could wonder why Fer had brought her to the pond, an unfamiliar voice called her.  

– Ellerdin, get into the pond.  

Fer’s voice echoed in her ears.  

Startled by the unfamiliar voice, Ellerdin looked down at Fer. It was the first time she heard him speak, and his voice was remarkably similar to Fernan’s.  

“Fer, you…!”  

Distracted by her, Fer failed to dodge the monster’s sharp arm.  

The monster’s arm pierced Fer’s belly.  

“Yelp!”  

The wound began to rot instantly.  

“Fer!”  

Ellerdin screamed with a pale face.  

Anticipating paralysis in his legs, Fer used all his strength to throw her towards the pond.  

As Ellerdin fell into the pond, Fer collapsed by its edge.  

Having run at such high speed, his body skidded across the dirt.  

Ellerdin, soaking wet, hurriedly climbed out of the water and looked around.  

Forgetting her fear of the situation, her eyes only saw Fer. She saw him lying by the pond.  

She ran to him and held his body.  

“No, no.”  

Tears streamed down her cheeks.  

Black blood gushed from the hole in his belly. The wound turned black and began to rot.  

Sensing the life draining from him, the monster shifted its target to Ellerdin.  

The monster swung its long, blood-dripping arm at her.  

At that moment, the necklace glowed, and a golden barrier surrounded Ellerdin.  

The monster’s arm hit the barrier and was cut off. Although the arm regenerated, the monster screamed in frustration.  

“No, no.”  

Ellerdin pressed her hands against Fer’s bleeding wound. But her small hands couldn’t stop the gaping wound.  

Blood seeped through her fingers, and tears fell.  

She had just started to open her heart.  

She couldn’t believe Fer was dying. Her chest ached as if every vein was burning.  

‘Ah…’  

She knew this feeling all too well.  

Pain, sadness, self-loathing, loneliness, emptiness.  

It felt like being thrown into a whirlpool of emotions.

It was exactly like when she saw her dying mother.  

“Haha…”  

The realization that she could do nothing hit her again, hard.  

If the word “useless” were a person, it would surely be her. She had come to do anything for Fer, but in the end, her presence had driven Fer to death.  

Fer was dying because of her.  

Her tear-filled eyes looked at the golden barrier.  

The solid barrier was cracked from the monster’s attacks. It was only a matter of time before it broke.  

“Dear, later… If you ever have someone you truly want to protect, don’t hesitate to use it then.”  

Her forgotten mother’s voice echoed in her head.  

“…”  

Ellerdin looked down at the fallen Fer without a word.  

‘If that method were possible, if it could save him.’  

But she wondered if she could do it. She had never done it before.  

‘What if I failed?’  

Learned helplessness weighed her down.  

– Ellerdin, run away.  

At that moment, Fer’s voice was heard again.  

He was panting heavily, his legs trembling as if in shock.  

‘What are you hesitating for now?’  

Ellerdin tightly closed her eyes.  

She submerged herself halfway into the pond.  

She had always lived with a sense of restraint. From birth, her mother had taught her to hold back. Her mother had forbidden Ellerdin from even going near the water, saying she must never release her strength.  

Her mother said it was the right thing to do. But, if there was someone she wanted to protect, her mother had told her to release what she had been holding back.  

Recalling her mother’s words, Ellerdin slowly began to release the strength that had enveloped her body, like opening a tightly clenched fist.  

As her power flowed into the water, the pond began to sparkle.  

“Kieeek.”  

The monster flinched and retreated.  

Ellerdin, who had been human, had transformed into a mermaid.  

Her once white skin became smoother, and her legs turned into fins covered with blue scales.  

Her tail, which rose above the water, sparkled in the moonlight.  

“I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you sooner.”  

Ellerdin gently caressed Fer’s wound.  

To protect someone, her own sacrifice was necessary.  

Ellerdin picked up a stone and struck her hand. The sharp stone cut her flesh.  

But that wound alone wasn’t enough, so she picked up a rusty knife among the trash in the pond and cut her hand.  

As Ellerdin let her blood drip onto Fer’s wound, the wound bubbled with golden foam. A few more drops of blood, and the foam disappeared as the wound began to heal.  

‘Ugh.’  

The sudden use of her power brought on intense fatigue. Her body felt weak, and her heart pounded painfully.  

‘Not yet. I need to do more.’  

Ellerdin pressed her wound, forcing more blood out.  

Perhaps due to the excessive blood loss, her weakened body collapsed onto Fer.  

Through her gradually dimming vision, she saw Fer transforming into a human.  

‘Is this a dream? No, it doesn’t matter. Fer, just wake up.’  

“Kieeek!”  

The monster broke through the barrier and lunged at Ellerdin.  

“Stop, that’s enough.”  

But with a single gesture from the now-human Fernan, the monster instantly withered and collapsed.  

Using his magic, one of Fernan’s arms reverted to a demonic form, covered in sharp scales. But he didn’t care and looked at Ellerdin.  

Yes, he could see.  

‘…Still so small and fragile.’  

Fernan gently caressed Ellerdin’s cheek and looked around.  

Though it was dark, the lake shimmered in the moonlight, surrounded by a green forest.  

The lines that had blocked his vision were gone, and he could see the entire landscape clearly.  

‘When was the last time I saw such a scene?’  

No matter how freely he wielded magic, magic couldn’t show him such a view. The days when he couldn’t see what he wanted to see were over.  

A huge emotion surged in Fernan’s chest.  

‘How could I repay the one who had gifted him this radiant world?’  

‘Who are you…’  

Fernan looked down at Ellerdin, who had collapsed in his arms.  

Her tail had already turned back into human legs.  

A mermaid.  

No wonder the monsters were so desperate to attack. To them, a mermaid was the most desirable and easy source of power.  

Fernan gently lifted Ellerdin.  

Even when he massaged her legs, they felt thin, but seeing them now, they were not just thin but close to dying.  

Her wounded hand was already healed cleanly.  

But even the power of a mermaid couldn’t heal the deep-rooted scars she had endured.  

Compared to demons, she was endlessly small and fragile.  

And with so many scars.  

Fernan wanted to change the way Ellerdin had been treated. She didn’t deserve such treatment.  

She was braver than anyone and deserved to be loved more than anyone.  

“From now on, only happiness will come your way.”  

With firm resolve, Fernan kissed Ellerdin’s fingers.