If Vienny’s power fell into Chiron’s hands, it would mean trouble for them. Helping her end her life was preferable to allowing her to be captured. As she’d expected, her request was readily accepted.

Since they would have to spread out to avoid Chiron’s pursuit anyway, they agreed that one of them would accompany Vienny to the waterway.

“Let’s travel by horse.”

The one who had volunteered to accompany Vienny was a woman named Nuere. Unlike the other demons, Nuere seemed less hostile towards her and had even offered to travel at her side.

Vienny was grateful – having a less hostile companion made the journey easier. Riding behind Nuere, who was skilled with horses, allowed them to move quickly. Nuere also seemed adept at avoiding the attention of the soldiers, probably due to her long experience fighting Chiron’s forces.

“Let’s rest here.”

She noticed with a keen eye that Vienny was beginning to tire.

Realising that the unexpectedly early rest was to her advantage, Vienny obliged without complaint.

The two began to prepare a place to sleep in an empty cave.

“We still have a long way to go before we reach a real waterway. The place you’re looking for requires some special conditions. But we should be there by tomorrow.

A place with deep water, deep enough to drown her if she fell in. Nuere nodded, assuring them that if they left at dawn, they’d arrive soon enough. It didn’t seem like a difficult task.

After gathering some branches for a campfire near the cave entrance, Nuere skilfully built a flame.

“So how did you get the fanatic’s attention?”

Nuere asked casually, blowing gently on the small flames to help them grow.

“Chiron wants the power of the Great Witch.”

It wasn’t a big secret, so her answer came easily. Nuere looked up at her in response.

“But it’s really the High Priest who wants this power, isn’t it? There’s no reason for that fanatic to keep you so close.”

Vienny chose to ignore Nuere’s curiosity, instead calmly changing the subject.

“How did you know it was the High Priest who wanted it?”

Nuere’s expression hardened at Vienny’s question. As she jabbed roughly at the flames, more smoke began to rise.

“We were also stripped of our power,” Nuere said.

“The high priest became the vessel, and if we don’t bow to him, our magic will continue to weaken.”

“A vessel?”

“Yes, a vessel to hold power. Have you met the High Priest?”

“Yes.”

“He didn’t look like an old man, did he?”

Far from it. He was incredibly beautiful, strikingly so. Although he clearly wasn’t the same age as Vienny, he seemed almost ageless.

When Vienny nodded in agreement, Nuere curled her lips into a cynical smile.

“That’s all because of our power. But now it seems they’re even targeting witches,” Nuere said, clucking her tongue in disgust and shaking her head. “You’d better not fall into their hands.”

Vienny stared silently into the campfire, the flickering flames reminding her of the warmth of a fireplace.

“Don’t worry,” Nuere said confidently, as if to calm Vienny’s fears. “My sword skills are among the best of the demons. Long range, short range – once I mark a target, they never escape.”

She proudly displayed the swords at her waist, along with several throwing knives.

Vienny had assumed that all demons relied mainly on their physical strength, especially after seeing how Gentian fought, but it seemed that style was a matter of personal choice.

She studied the sharp blade Nuere had half pulled from its sheath. Aside from its impressive sharpness, it was the mottled surface that caught her attention – a testament to countless battles.

Noticing Vienny’s gaze, Nuere grinned and pulled the sword fully out, revealing even more of the mottled markings. She explained that they were caused by poison.

“But you were captured a year ago and managed to escape, right?”

“Yes.”

“And then you were caught again, but even now you haven’t been offered to the High Priest?”

Nuere gave a low whistle.

“That fanatic must have really liked you, didn’t he? So now he’s hunting us as his first priority, right?”

Vienny’s expression twisted slightly. There was something about Nuere’s casual, flippant tone that made her feel like the subject of some third-rate gossip.

As Vienny bit her lip, trying to keep her silence, she couldn’t stand Nuere’s sharp look any longer and stood up abruptly.

“If you don’t mind, I’ll sleep first.”

“Ah, go ahead.”

Vienny couldn’t tell what was behind Nuere’s look – whether it was contempt, mockery or maybe even pity. The only certainty was that whatever it was, it wasn’t pleasant.

Vienny tried her best to calm her churning emotions. The poor conditions, where she had to rely solely on her cloak for warmth, made sleep elusive. Even with her eyes closed, true rest remained out of reach, only increasing her sense of fatigue.

She squeezed her closed eyes tighter, trying to suppress the overwhelming feeling of despair that was creeping in.

Though she hated to admit it, her body missed the warmth of the soft air, the softness of a plush bed and the comfort of a warm blanket. Perhaps she even missed the strong arms that used to hold her, or the soft, unconscious kisses that sometimes touched her skin.

But what bothered her even more was the realisation that the emotion she felt right now was betrayal.

* * *

The lake before her was so beautiful that she could only think of clichés like “a picture-perfect view”. It was almost an insult to nature to think of her body sinking beneath such pristine waters.

The weather today was annoyingly clear. The blue sky and puffy clouds reflected perfectly on the surface of the lake, creating a breathtaking view.

It felt like if she were to jump, she wouldn’t be jumping into the water, but into the sky itself. There was something poetic and beautiful about that thought.

She hadn’t been able to fulfil her wish to die at sea, but this – this was more than she could have hoped for.

Vienny thanked Nuere sincerely and Nuere nodded without much emotion.

Lifting her head, she noticed a few crows circling the sky. They had been at Rave Castle, too, and these days it seemed that the crows were always near her, even when she didn’t call them.

Perhaps the crows knew instinctively that she had decided to let go of her life. She remembered how a year ago, when she had fallen from the waterfall, a flock of crows had gathered and broken her fall. It was almost as if they had an innate urge to protect the Great Witch.

But this time, not even the crows would be able to stop her. She wanted to go into the water alone.

“Do you have any last words? I’m listening.”

Nuere offered her words as if she was doing Vienny a favour, though it wasn’t exactly an act of kindness.

Vienny, who had no intention of leaving any trace of herself behind when she died, was about to shake her head when a thought suddenly struck her. She spoke instead.

“Tell Gentian I’m grateful… and sorry.”

“Ah, first loves never work out, do they? Poor Gentian,” Nuere said with a mockingly exaggerated sigh.

Ignoring Nuere’s tone, Vienny slipped one foot into the water. The colour was so deep blue that she had expected it to be icy cold, but surprisingly the temperature wasn’t as harsh as she had expected.

Not that it wasn’t cold – it was just the right kind of cold to go in.

She took a few more steps forward and felt the weeds clinging to her legs as she sank into the soft, yielding bottom. The underwater plants were unexpectedly tough and long, an irritating obstacle in her path.

“I’ll at least be watching your last moments. Let me know if you need a push.”

It didn’t seem like Nuere was saying this out of any real concern for Vienny. It felt more like she wanted to be absolutely sure that Vienny would go through with it – no loose ends, no doubts.

Vienny smiled bitterly. If she had known that the demons would be so cooperative with her death, maybe she should have stayed with them from the beginning. All she gained by staying at McClart’s side – someone who never intended to let her die – was a warmth and peace she should never have known.

With just a few steps forward, waves spread out, distorting the reflection of the sky. There were even more crows flying now than before.

As she looked up, a black feather fell from one of the crows flying directly above her.

The feather fell without making the slightest ripple in the water.

She watched it spin and float to the surface, then raised her eyes again to see that more crows had gathered above, their black feathers dotting the water, leaving tiny marks on the rippling lake.

“What is wrong with it? Is it too flat? Just take another step forward. The depth will be completely different,” Nuere called out, her voice suggestive.

Vienny heard Nuere’s words but did not react. Instead, she stood still and stared at the blue surface of the lake before her.

The once turbulent water gradually calmed and the crumpled reflection of the sky smoothed out, returning to its original beauty. It was as beautiful as it had been the first time she had seen it – beautiful, but cold.

It was only when the words ‘cold landscape’ crossed her mind that Vienny realised her body was shaking.

She hadn’t intended to hesitate because of the temperature of the water, but the cold was unbearable. She had become too accustomed to warmth, and now even this degree of cold seemed unbearable.

“What is this?”

Nuere’s voice dropped slightly, and there was an edge to it that sounded almost mocking.

“Are you… afraid to die?”

Vienny’s shoulders tightened. It felt like someone was tightening their grip around her throat and she found herself gasping for air through slightly parted lips. Words of denial spun around in her mouth, but they refused to come out.

The moment had come. The moment she had so desperately longed for was only a few steps away. She had come this far without looking back, so why stop now, when the end was so close?

Vienny gritted her teeth, but her feet still refused to move. The tangled weeds felt too tight, as if they were holding her in place.