Chapter 81

Eched had always been involved in matters of life and death concerning humans, and for that, he was still under the punishment of the Goddess.  

He had endured hundreds of years in a precarious state—neither fully a divine beast nor a human—all on his own.

Yet, throughout those countless years, Eched had never once thought of saving anyone himself.  

Perhaps it was because he was a Divine Beast who inherently did not understand human emotions.  

Eched never saved anyone unless they begged for their lives first.  

There was no particular reason for this; it was simply how he had always lived.  

It was akin to an unspoken coexistence.  

Days, months, years, and centuries passed until the present.  

For the first time in his life, Eched found himself wanting to save Shaterian.  

What was the difference between the reincarnated souls he had encountered thus far and the Shaterian before him now?  

Eched did not know the exact answer, but he had a sense of it.  

Perhaps it was because the emotions he felt toward Shaterian were slightly different from those he had felt toward others.  

Maybe the concept of “affection,” a sentiment common among humans, had begun to take root within Eched.  

This was a monumental change for him.  

Eched, who did not even know the feeling of fear, found himself terrified at the thought that Shaterian might never wake up.  

His gaze upon Shaterian plunged into the depths of the abyss, like a bottomless sea.  

So, please, wake up.  

For the first time, Eched felt like pleading with the Goddess to awaken Shaterian.  

That sorrowful feeling continued to gnaw at his heart.  

Although he did not fully understand what that emotion was.  

***

The sensation of being suspended in midair. She knew this feeling all too well.  

‘What is it this time?’  

It was a sensation she had grown accustomed to, one she always felt during her conversations with the Goddess.  

Annoyed, she blurted out her question, wondering what business the Goddess had with her this time.  

However, there was no response from the Goddess.  

‘Hello? Goddess?’  

She asked again, but still, there was no reply.  

What was going on?  

No matter how many times she called out, there was no answering voice.  

Could it be that the Goddess wasn’t here?  

Summoning her only to be absent herself…  

She let out an incredulous laugh.  

‘Just because you’re a Goddess?!’ 

She snapped in frustration, but then sighed in resignation, reminding herself that the Goddess could do as she pleased.  

Giving up on looking for the Goddess, she began to walk slowly.  

Soft.  

The ground beneath her feet felt springy, as if she were walking on clouds.  

Was this what they called lucid dreaming? 

She wondered, feeling a strange sense of curiosity.  

‘Are you watching me from somewhere right now?’  

If so, there must be a reason for this, right? 

She asked, but once again, she was left talking to herself.  

Forget it.  

The Goddess probably had no intention of appearing before her today.  

But then, why had I been summoned?  

She continued walking down the seemingly endless path, pondering, but no answers came to her.  

So, she simply kept moving forward.  

Before long, a thick fog began to fill the path.  

Her surroundings grew darker and darker until she could no longer see even an inch ahead of her.  

She wandered through the darkness, but no matter how far she went, she couldn’t find an exit.  

Where was I supposed to go to find a way out?  

Was there even an exit in this place?  

Darkness, darkness, and more darkness.  

As she grew accustomed to the darkness, she began to think that searching for an exit was meaningless.  

The darkness, which had initially felt a little scary, now felt comforting, like a safe haven.  

Then, a thought crossed her mind.  

What am I doing here?  

Hadn’t I been desperately searching for something just moments ago?  

Everything seemed to be coming to a standstill. Her mind grew sluggish, and she felt as though nothing mattered anymore.  

Just as she was about to surrender to this state, two points of light flickered in the darkness.  

The moment she thought they looked like the eyes of an animal, the lights converged and began to take shape.  

It was, indeed, an animal—a wolf with a regal bearing.  

Her encounter with the wolf’s luminous eyes was brief.  

The wolf turned its body as if beckoning her to follow.  

‘Follow you?’  

The wolf nodded, as if it understood her words.  

Amused by its intelligence, she chuckled, but her legs felt too heavy to move.  

As she struggled to move her uncooperative legs, the wolf urged her on, as if saying, ‘Hurry up.’  

Its behavior reminded her of someone she knew.  

…Who was it?  

Her hazy memory began to surface, as though someone was blocking her recollection.  

Who was it? Who was that person…?  

The wolf suddenly approached her and gently nudged her thigh with its head.  

And then, like a flash, the memory returned.  

‘Eched!’  

As soon as she remembered Eched, her heart began to pound.  

Whoosh—  

In that instant, the wolf’s body swelled, emitting a radiant light strong enough to dispel the darkness.  

Sitting in place, the wolf wagged its tail amidst the light.  

The light enveloped her entire body.  

She was certain now. She could finally return.  

Smiling, she waved at the wolf, who seemed to be seeing her off.  

She bid farewell to what she assumed was her husband’s other half, promising to meet again.  

***

Her consciousness began to return in a haze. There was no sudden jolt or flash of clarity.  

Her eyelids felt unusually heavy today. She had to fight to keep her fading consciousness intact.  

“…Rian…”  

Eched’s voice came from right beside her.  

‘I’m awake!’  

But her eyes wouldn’t open, and no sound came out.  

She sighed inwardly, waiting for her scattered senses to come back together.  

“I shouldn’t have left you alone…”  

Eched, uncharacteristically, was blaming himself.  

It was such a novel reaction that she wanted to hear more, but knowing that his self-reproach was because of her made her feel a pang of guilt.  

Still, what could she do if she couldn’t speak?  

She had no choice but to listen to Eched’s self-blame.  

“I thought you’d be safe by my side…”  

Hmm… That’s probably why I’m alive right now.

She remembered it clearly—the moment when explosions rang out behind her, and Eched had pulled her hand.  

“I regret not sending you away.”  

Even if he had, she probably would’ve come back.  

Now she was getting restless. She wished her body would move already.  

“I’d rather… keep you locked away.”  

What…?  

She had been about to wiggle her fingers but froze at his words.  

Surely she had misheard.  

But that hope was dashed by Eched’s next words.  

“So no one else can see you… So you’ll never be in danger again.”  

What was he saying…?  

This wasn’t supposed to be that kind of story!  

The second male lead was trying to turn this into a dark romance!  

“Let me… lock you away…”  

“Not a chance.”  

Her eyes snapped open.  

The heaviness that had weighed down her body lifted as if it had never been there.  

She sat up, staring incredulously at Eched, who had been spouting such nonsense.  

Eched, meeting her gaze, looked at her with his usual indifferent eyes.  

Seeing those eyes, her resolve to scold him softened.  

“What… Did you know I was awake?”  

Eched nodded calmly.  

He had known and still said those things?  

She was even more flabbergasted.  

“You can’t just lock someone away like they’re an object!”  

“…It was a joke because you wouldn’t wake up.”  

“Don’t lie. You meant it, even just a little.”  

At her accusation, Eched reluctantly nodded again.  

Of course. Who did he think he was fooling?  

If she hadn’t woken up, he probably would’ve gone through with it, turning this story into a dark romance.  

She sighed, recalling the wolf from her dream.  

What hadn’t come to mind earlier now seemed so clear.  

That place had definitely been suppressing her thoughts.  

She had seen that wolf before. This wasn’t the first time.  

The most recent memory was…  

The moment of the traffic accident, often called her reincarnation truck incident.  

Just like before, when she was lost and wandering, the wolf had guided her out of the darkness.  

She let out a deep sigh.  

Today, she finally realized something.  

It was Eched who had brought her here.  

They were destined to meet again.