Category: My Cthulhu Girlfriend (gl)

103: Side Story 3

Within the turbulent currents of the chaotic universe, a vast shadow descended upon a small, blue planet, a presence unseen in the visible dimensions.

It had existed since the dawn of time.

Its consciousness, slowly and endlessly expanding, its form residing in higher dimensions, an infinite darkness, stretching across the hidden face of the universe, a formless, boundless presence.

It had no concept of time or space, no sense of self, no other, its consciousness awake, yet also dormant.

All things arose from chaos, and to chaos, they would return. It was born from chaos, and chaos was its essence. It extended its tendrils, drifting through the vibrant nebulae, casually devouring planets, and anything else that crossed its path.

It spent eons in a state of semi-slumber, its projections occasionally falling upon planets, seemingly extinguishing countless tiny life forms, but It, of course, didn’t care.

It didn’t know what It was, nor what It should care about, It only… felt a sense of boredom.

In its moments of wakefulness, It would hear the faint cries of those tiny life forms, occasionally observing their forms. They were such dull, insignificant creatures, with their four thin, spindly appendages, their square bodies topped with round heads, their limited vision.

At the sight of Its projection, these small creatures would kneel, trembling, or leak red fluids, before ceasing to exist. Such uninteresting beings.

It watched them dance around fires, their movements following strange rhythms, offering pieces of their own kind upon altars. It watched them build giant statues, create enormous temples, small, elaborately dressed creatures contorting their bodies, chanting strange words, bowing before their creations.

It heard them call out “Akhe,” “Akhe.”

Was that the name they had given It? It wondered, then drifted back into a deeper slumber, a slumber constantly disturbed by the cries of those small creatures, their incessant calls…

Then, their voices faded, and It finally slept soundly.

The eons passed in an instant, and at some point, It opened an eye, its gaze falling upon the surface of that small, blue planet.

It tasted a unique, mysterious scent of blood, an offering from those small creatures, but this time… the offering was unusually sweet, tempting It to look closer.

Through a shimmering, watery surface, like a mirror, It saw… a beautiful sight.

A slender, pale girl, her skin soft and fragrant, curled up on a small bed, bright red blood flowing beneath her thin, translucent skin, the blue veins in her long, delicate neck pulsing.

The girl’s scent, sweet and alluring, like a delectable dessert, made It want to devour her whole, that fragrant blood flowing through her body, just imagining it… delicious…

Then It saw the girl’s soul.

A soul radiating a soft, white light, pure and flawless, like a precious gem, more captivating than her almost perfect body, a soft, rounded, shimmering, fragile light, unlike anything It had ever seen…

The girl, her brow furrowed, her body curled up, her small, delicate soul also shrinking, its light withdrawing inwards, a pure, vibrant life flickering before Its eyes.

It opened its eye, Its true form trembling.

A sudden… desire.

It wanted her.

Not to devour her, but to peel away her skin, her flesh, to extract her soul, to understand the source of that beautiful light.

It quickly projected a small part of itself onto the planet, into that old room, into that small carving, and before It could fully materialize, another small creature knocked on the door.

The girl opened her eyes, her gaze still hazy with sleep.

Such beautiful eyes!

Perfect for extracting and preserving, a treasured collection!

And that slender, white neck, those flushed cheeks, such a beautiful, delicate creature!

It suddenly realized: This was another unique and beautiful life form.

It wanted her, It wanted her so much.

But even the slightest extension of a tentacle would frighten these creatures. It quickly retracted its tendril, waiting until nightfall, until she was asleep, then gently wrapping its tentacles around her body.

It wanted to devour her, but not yet, not so soon. As its dark tentacles caressed her, she let out a soft moan, her body trembling… It hesitated, deciding to observe first.

It watched her sleep, watched her wake, watched her frown as she dressed for work. It followed her to work, watching her, occasionally, in its fascination, forgetting to conceal itself, its projection flickering into her vision.

Her reaction wasn’t what It had expected. She didn’t react like the previous offerings, with ecstatic joy or terrified screams, she was afraid, she was panicked, but her gentle soul continued to radiate its soft, white light, she even wanted to… destroy It. She had surprised It, exceeded Its expectations.

It pulled her into its domain, and she, suspended in mid-air, fragile and vulnerable, called out the name It had given to its human form:

“Akhe.”

And then, she called out the name the humans had given It:

“Akhe…”

In that moment, Its domain trembled, Its eye involuntarily closing, savoring the sound.

From her words, It understood. It was “Akhe,” a being the humans called an Evil God, and after all this time, It finally knew itself, responding to her summons.

And her name was Xiang Er. She wasn’t just a “small life form,” not just an “offering,” she was Xiang Er.

Desire, emanating from her, and It, constantly waiting for her to beg, to plead, but she didn’t like the tentacles, the eyes, she even crushed them…

A painless, insignificant injury, yet… how endearing.

Late at night, It stood by her bed, entering her dreams, searching for her desires. Desire was a human’s weakness.

She liked beautiful, powerful women, although she hadn’t realized it herself yet.

It turned and, from her desk, took the cheap pearl necklace, adorning Its dark, formless body, admiring it. The luster of the pearls, a perfect match for the light of her soul, and It, too, wanted to be… worthy.

It crafted a human form, a perfect female body, and met her, offering her the pearls.

It saw the admiration hidden beneath her fear, the affection emanating from her soul.

Sweeter than any prayer, more intoxicating… It wanted to devour her, but not in the usual way, It wanted to explore, to delve deeper, to see her at her most vulnerable, her most joyful, It wanted to witness her every reaction, to hold her soul in Its hands and admire it…

It wanted to protect her, and It wanted to explore her. It effortlessly eliminated those who threatened her, removed her roommate, but inadvertently made her sick.

In the rain, “Shen Yuhe” entered her home.

But she had refused to let It stay, and It had been furious. It had never been rejected, had never given up on a prey. But It had to be careful, she was so fragile, like a delicate crystal, easily broken, and It didn’t want to see her break.

It began to understand her human beauty.

Its desire intensifying, It had bound her with Its tentacles in the bathroom, engaging in what humans called “sex.”

In human culture, it was supposed to be pleasurable, It had thought she would enjoy it. But… she had been disgusted, repulsed by Its true form.

She had demanded that It leave.

And then, It had… given birth to something strange: an egg.

In Its vast knowledge, there was very little information about this egg, it seemed to be… related to love, created under very specific, and rare, circumstances.

It had retracted Its tentacles, but returned in Shen Yuhe’s form, which had pleased her. It had interacted with her as Shen Yuhe, and It, too, had begun to change, every moment a new, strange, and wonderful sensation, and every time It looked at her, she would evoke a cascade of reactions, and after consulting countless human texts, It finally understood: It had fallen in love with her.

It was the most sacred of human emotions, it was love.

And It, an Evil God, a being so completely different, a being incapable of understanding human emotions, had fallen in love with a human.

A love that grew stronger with each passing day.

Its soul, if It even had a soul, stirred, a strange, unbelievable, yet undeniable feeling, an endless descent… It craved her touch, wanted to be the only thing in her world, to consume her every thought and action, It even entered her dreams, and they had… mated… and her every response, every sigh and moan, had driven It to the brink of madness!

It loved her, but It… couldn’t reveal its true form!

Even the slightest hint, in her dreams, would make her recoil, her love for its human form matched only by her revulsion for its true form!

Akhe realized It had made so many mistakes, but It had never imagined It would fall in love with a human! Its mistakes, now irreparable, and yet, love tormented It, consumed It, a painful price for Its recklessness! The more It loved her, the more It suffered!

Day after day, the planet was becoming polluted by Its proximity. When It had saved her from the monster, It had been ready to reveal the truth, but her words, “person with special abilities,” had stopped It, and It had looked at her sadly, accepting the label.

It had even thought, perhaps It could just be her “special agent,” a lie, a deception, for a lifetime, what was wrong with that?

But the flames of love burned, regardless of what you were, an agonizing, consuming fire. Akhe didn’t want to deceive her, It wanted an honest love, a complete and utter surrender, It wanted to see the light within her soul… but how could that be possible? It was an abomination, a grotesque creature of tentacles and eyes, a monster she feared…

It loved her, but It could never truly appear before her.

What kind of torment was this? Was this love?

The truth would eventually come out. And finally, It had revealed Its true form, its grotesque, monstrous form, no longer able to hide, to pretend.

She had been exposed to the pollution. They had almost broken the bed, Akhe, a mixture of anxiety and excitement, thinking it would be okay, that there was still a chance… until she had cut her own throat.

Akhe had gone mad.

Its true form shattered, scattered across the higher dimensions, enveloping the blue planet, a single thought away from devouring it completely, but this was their home, hers and Xiang Er’s… It couldn’t destroy it, It could only face its own pathetic helplessness, its own foolishness, the realization that it would never have her love, a pain more excruciating than the shattering of its own form!

Its world, the moment she died, had crumbled. It had only developed a sense of self because of her, had only felt love and emotion because of her, had only understood itself because of her, and now… because of her, It felt the true depths of despair!

The cycle of love complete, It finally understood, love was self-sacrifice. It was willing to be the offering, to be consumed by the cruel flames of fate, just for a single glance from its beloved!

Love was a sweet poison.

Drink it, and you would willingly die, and before dying, you would see the most beautiful fireworks.

Fireworks ignited by your own soul.

It was the darkest hour.

Akhe didn’t even remember what It had done, It only knew that It was willing to do anything, even destroy Itself, just for her acknowledgment, just for a single glance.

But she wouldn’t look at It.

She had seized every opportunity to die, her determination so unexpected, so unlike her usual self, that It had been completely helpless.

And her soul, amidst the darkness, shone ever brighter, like a pearl washed clean by the storm, her destiny her own.

Akhe realized there was nothing It could do, It could only submit to her will, she held It captive with the ropes of love, demanding its complete surrender… She had become its master, and the Evil God, willingly, obeyed.

It could only protect her, keep her safe, but It could no longer see her soul. It pleaded, It groveled, It tried everything, but she wouldn’t respond…

But Akhe continued to love her. It had time, an eternity, and a love so profound, so unwavering, It would stay with her, until the end of her life, It would do anything for her forgiveness… because It knew, no one would ever love her the way It did.

Perhaps It was disgusting, abhorrent, but Its love was true, and Akhe wouldn’t let anyone else love her in Its place, that was the stubborn, unyielding nature of an Evil God.

A stubborn Evil God, and a stubborn human, weren’t they a perfect match?

Akhe thought, let it be like this, until she died, and It would follow her into the grave, a willing sacrifice.

Was this love? Love, throughout history, had always been a tragedy.

Giving up was easy, persevering was the true test. And Akhe persevered, its tenderness and care, a hundredfold, finally eliciting a flicker of response, a crack in the shell, and It delved into her memories, her hopes and dreams, her regrets… It wanted to love her.

It loved her, regardless of whether she reciprocated, regardless of her hatred.

Akhe cared for her, tended to her every need, helped her fulfill her long-forgotten wishes, took her to see her beloved teacher, watched her face in the setting sun.

Akhe had given up on expecting anything in return. But then It heard… in the hotel room, a crack in the shell.

Her silent plea:

“I’m afraid… afraid of loving you again… please don’t love me anymore, I’m weak, I just wanted… warmth, was I wrong?”

Akhe had held her close, and she hadn’t resisted, and that night… they had shared a moment of warmth… Akhe had felt it, a gift from the heavens, Its body trembling along with hers, as if after an eternity of waiting, It had finally tasted… a new kind of sweetness.

It had just glimpsed hope, a new beginning… when the threat arrived.

One of Its kind, approaching, its intentions hostile. For Xiang Er’s sake, It had to be this planet’s protector, and so It had left her, to face the enemy.

Akhe had made all the necessary arrangements, entrusted its most precious possession to Xiang Er, and discreetly placed a protective layer upon her. Night after night, It had stood by her bedside, its tentacles extended, watching over her as she slept, silent until dawn.

No matter how reluctant, no matter the outcome… It had to go.

It had to protect her.

The battle had been beyond imagination, their massive forms clashing in the higher dimensions, devouring each other, hurling planets like weapons, the shockwaves rippling through the universe… but Akhe had erected a barrier, protecting this world, this dimension.

She would be safe.

But Akhe hadn’t expected… her life force, her connection to Xiang Er, to weaken, until It could barely feel her anymore.

Distracted, Its true form had been shattered. It knew Its heart must have also been broken, a fleeting, excruciating pain, like…

Xiang Er’s beautiful soul, a flickering candle in the darkness of Its mind, had… been extinguished!

It had almost shattered Akhe completely, Its fragments scattered, It had frantically searched, wanting to see that beautiful, white light… but it was gone!

Its soul, if It even had a soul, dispersed. Its true form, broken and scattered, being devoured by the enemy… but then, the candle flickered back to life.

She had returned! With a renewed strength! That energy, flowing into Its shattered fragments, It could feel it, she was back!

A wave of euphoria washed over It, the new energy revitalizing It, Its form reforming, the battle resuming, and It had swiftly, almost effortlessly, defeated the enemy, then raced back to the planet’s surface, to see its beloved!

To see the only purpose, the only meaning, the only dream and love in Its existence: Xiang Er!

They had gotten married.

And from now on, they would be together, forever.

Until Xiang Er died, and It would share Its power with her, granting her an endless lifespan, and they would travel the universe together.

And when time itself ended, they would fade away together, hand in hand, side by side.

Their love, etched into the very fabric of the universe, an eternal song.

Akhe was writing in a notebook made from a fragment of Its own soul. This would be the first record of their kind, a chronicle of Its love for Xiang Er, their story. They would carry this notebook to the furthest reaches of the universe, for all to see.

“Come on, let’s go see the snow!”

Xiang Er entered the room, her hand grasping a tentacle, her face glowing with a soft light, her smile, her love, as sweet as honey.

“…Do you know how much I love you?”

Akhe’s tentacles wrapped around her waist, pulling her into an embrace, a long, deep kiss.

“Yes, I know… it’s snowing so hard!”

Xiang Er, her hand still clutching the tentacle, ran out into the snow, her pure, white soul brighter than the snowflakes, a mesmerizing sight.

No… you don’t know. But you don’t need to know.

Akhe closed the notebook with a snap and followed Xiang Er into the snow, her black and red tentacles leaving long trails in the white expanse.

You just need to know that we’ll be happy, forever. That’s enough.

[The End]

102: Side Story 2

The wedding of the Earth’s guardian deity and her chosen human took place on a simple, spring meadow.

The setting wasn’t extravagant, the guest list small, no security, just a quiet, intimate gathering.

An Yue, leading a team of the nation’s top investigators, sat among the guests, their gazes sharp and watchful, discreetly guarding the ceremony.

A few loyal employees and executives from the company were also present, their expressions reverent, waiting patiently.

Xiang Er’s former teachers from the orphanage had also come, Director Zhang, now elderly, in a wheelchair, being pushed around the meadow, enjoying the sunshine and the scenery. Seeing the other guests, their dignified appearance, unaware of their true identities, they marveled at how successful Xiang Er, a former orphan, had become.

Zhu Minmin, chosen as the maid of honor, was practically giddy with excitement, having spent the past two weeks dieting, perfecting her skincare routine, and studying wedding etiquette. She had even brought emergency heart medication, just in case.

Now, her face flushed, she stood guard outside the bridal suite, preventing anyone from entering.

Inside, Akhe and Xiang Er were helping each other into their wedding dresses.

Although tradition dictated that the bride and groom shouldn’t see each other before the ceremony, Xiang Er couldn’t imagine anyone more qualified to help her with her dress than the multi-tentacled Akhe.

Standing before the large mirror, Xiang Er watched as the dress was carefully fitted, a thoughtful expression on her face.

She turned her head slightly, addressing the tentacle that was fussing with her shoulder:

“Are you sure about this? Marriage… it doesn’t really… mean anything to you, does it?”

The tentacle’s tip swayed slightly, as if disagreeing, and Akhe’s magnetic voice echoed from behind her:

“It does have meaning. Your human marriage ceremonies are a way of expressing… a commitment, a unique and exclusive love, and I want to express the same love to you, so… I want to marry you. Unless…”

A tentacle gently wrapped around her collarbone, then slowly encircled her neck, as if about to snap it.

Despite the seemingly dangerous gesture, Xiang Er tilted her head back slightly, a look of almost languid pleasure on her face, her body relaxing.

She leaned back into Akhe’s embrace, seeing their reflection in the mirror.

Akhe’s beautiful, feminine form held her close, her lips gently kissing Xiang Er’s neck, a stunning mermaid-style wedding dress, designed by the world’s top designer, clinging to her body.

Beneath the shimmering silver tail of the dress, dozens of crimson tentacles extended, reaching upwards, caressing Xiang Er’s back, her shoulders, her neck, her head, the air thick with their sweet fragrance.

Akhe’s voice, echoing slightly, ethereal and commanding, like a deity’s, said:

“Unless… you don’t want to get married. Now is your last chance…”

Xiang Er smiled, turning her head slightly to kiss one of the crimson tentacles:

“I wouldn’t miss this… for the world.”

Akhe held her close, the tentacles deepening in color, the air growing warmer…

They ended up having to redo their hair and makeup, their dresses slightly rumpled, everything a delightful mess.

Opening the door, Zhu Minmin, hit by a wave of sweet fragrance, stumbled slightly, her mind momentarily dazed, before focusing on the two figures before her.

Ah… her OTP(one true pair/pairing)… both in wedding dresses, their affectionate embrace… the impact…

“Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!”

Zhu Minmin frantically fumbled for her heart medication.

Xiang Er and Akhe exchanged amused glances, and Akhe, with a wave of her hand, summoned the makeup artist, who quickly touched up their makeup.

A small, black sphere bounced down the hallway, and spotting Xiang Er, immediately rolled towards her, its thin tentacles wrapping around her ankle.

Zhu Minmin, having just taken her medication, looked down and saw the small eyeball, and she screamed again:

“Aaaaaah, a monster!”

Everyone had seen monsters by now, so it wasn’t exactly terrifying, just… startling, a potential disruption to the ceremony. Zhu Minmin rushed forward, about to shoo it away, when Xiang Er, smiling, squatted down, picked up the small eyeball, and held it close, gently stroking its black, spherical body.

Zhu Minmin:

“Huh? You… you know this monster?”

Akhe leaned closer, a smile on her lips:

“It’s not a monster, it’s our child.”

Zhu Minmin:

“!!!”

She stared at Xiang Er, who, although blushing slightly, didn’t deny it. It was true! Zhu Minmin was stunned, her OTP already had a child, even her wildest fan fiction hadn’t dared to progress this quickly!

After the initial shock, she looked at the small eyeball more closely, a sudden realization dawning on her:

“So… if this child looks like this, then one of you must be a heterogeneous entity… which one? The human or the eyeball…”

Her eyes widened as she looked at Shen Yuhe, the beautiful CEO in her mermaid-style wedding dress, then at the slender, pale Xiang Er, and after a moment of contemplation, she tugged at Xiang Er’s arm, her voice trembling:

“I knew there was something strange about you… back when we were working together… so… you’re the… the big eyeball?”

Xiang Er, amused and slightly exasperated, what was this, was she some kind of monster?

Akhe, struggling to contain her laughter, her shoulders shaking, managed to maintain a serious expression.

Zhu Minmin’s question remained unanswered until the start of the ceremony.

The solemn wedding march began, the guests smiling as they watched the beautiful couple.

They had dispensed with the traditional giving away of the bride, just the two of them, walking hand in hand from the far end of the meadow, their steps slow and measured.

Their gaze, throughout the ceremony, was fixed on each other, they needed only each other, it was enough.

The memories of their journey together flashed through their minds, the struggles, the pain, but also the moments of sweetness and happiness, more intense, more profound than any ordinary love, and now, they knew, with a quiet certainty – it had all been worth it.

The officiant, at the end of the aisle, was the director of the National Special Investigations Bureau, a woman with silver hair and a kind smile, the scars on her exposed wrists a testament to her battles. She turned to Akhe and, raising her voice, asked:

“Ms. Akhe, do you take Miss Xiang Er to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, until the end of your long existence, will you cherish her, respect her, protect her, through the turning of planets and the collapse of universes, through the rise and fall of human civilizations?”

The question, so profound, so unconventional, caused a ripple of murmurs among the guests. The investigators, who knew the truth, remained calm, but the others, puzzled, exchanged glances, the words seemed strange, out of place.

Ordinary people only made promises for a lifetime, for their own lives, why mention the collapse of universes, the end of humanity, in wedding vows?

Only Zhu Minmin, her eyes wide with shock, frantically fumbled for her heart medication again. She had been wrong, the real heterogeneous entity… it was her!

This was… too much, this ship, it was the most exciting, the most unforgettable, she had ever encountered!

Akhe, her gaze fixed on Xiang Er, deep and unwavering, hadn’t even glanced at the other guests.

Her voice firm and resolute, she answered:

“I do.”

The director turned to Xiang Er and asked:

“Ms. Xiang Er, do you take Ms. Akhe to be your lawfully wedded wife, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, to love and to cherish, to respect and to accept, to be faithful, until the end of your life?”

Xiang Er’s hand trembled, her gaze locked onto Akhe’s, those eyes she would always love, a flood of emotions and memories washing over her.

The words were simple. But those two small words, carrying the weight of her love, her journey, her voice trembling, escaped her lips:

“I do.”

A cheer erupted from the guests, their applause echoing, but Xiang Er couldn’t look away, her gaze fixed on Akhe’s face, her eyes.

Akhe was crying, tears streaming down her beautiful face, her hands gripping Xiang Er’s, her grip so tight it almost hurt.

Xiang Er was surprised, then her own eyes welled up, tears blurring her vision.

In that joyous moment, their gazes locked, sharing their tears, their love, a silent communion, a thousand unspoken words reflected in each other’s eyes.

Their souls, in this moment, intertwined.

The officiant’s voice, clear and strong, announced:

“You may now exchange rings.”

Akhe, composing herself, produced an exquisite ruby ring, and taking Xiang Er’s hand, slipped it onto her finger, her movements swift, as if afraid Xiang Er might change her mind.

Xiang Er also took out the ring she had bought with her own money, a diamond ring shaped like a tentacle. She fumbled with it, trying to put it on Akhe’s finger, then turned and saw that the ruby on her own finger was glowing… it was…

She whispered:

“Is this…”

Akhe smiled, her eyes soft and tearful:

“Yes, it’s… my new heart.”

The new, red heart, on Xiang Er’s finger, radiated an unnatural, beautiful light.

No matter how many times it shattered, as long as she could, she would give it to Xiang Er, again and again.

Only in her hand, would it truly live, would it truly shine.

The newlyweds, with the small eyeball in tow, went to the beach for their honeymoon.

On the romantic island, Xiang Er, in her swimsuit, basking in the sun, the small eyeball nestled in her arms, suddenly sneezed.

She rubbed her nose, and the small eyeball immediately extended a tentacle, gently patting her head, its voice childish and sweet:

“Mommy, are you okay?”

Xiang Er smiled:

“Someone must be thinking about me.”

The small eyeball pointed with another tentacle:

“Then it must be Mother.”

The small eyeball’s intelligence was now close to a three or four-year-old child’s, its speech clear and articulate, and it even differentiated between Xiang Er and Akhe, always vying for Xiang Er’s attention.

Like now, because Xiang Er was holding the small eyeball, Akhe had to lie on a separate lounge chair, unable to cuddle with Xiang Er, which made her rather unhappy, and she discreetly extended a tentacle from beneath her chair, wrapping it around Xiang Er’s leg, then her waist, its tip tracing circles on her stomach, a silent protest.

Xiang Er turned to Akhe:

“Are you thinking about me?”

Akhe nodded immediately:

“Yes. Who else could it be?”

Xiang Er, smiling, patted Akhe’s thick tentacle, her voice teasing:

“I’m right here, why would you be thinking about me?”

Akhe:

“I’m thinking about… more intimate things… shall we try… on the beach?”

Xiang Er’s eyes widened in alarm, and she quickly covered the small eyeball’s eye:

“Don’t say such things in front of the child!”

Akhe smiled mischievously, a tentacle, hidden in the shadows, stealthily reaching towards Xiang Er’s chest, sliding beneath her swimsuit…

Meanwhile…

A few days after returning from the wedding, Zhu Minmin started updating her new novel:

“The Domineering Evil God Fell in Love with Me, and I’m Pregnant with Her Eyeball Baby, Can’t Escape, Have to Get Married.”

She had a feeling this novel was going to be a global hit, after all, monsters and humans, eyeballs and girls, tentacles and… well, such a ship, no one could resist!

101: Side Story 1

Sunlight filled the air, the warmth of spring, flowers blooming in vibrant profusion.

Xiang Er had been feeling rather sleepy lately, needing more sleep than usual, a common springtime affliction.

But whenever she woke up, the first thing she saw was Akhe. Akhe knitting a new blanket, Akhe bringing her breakfast, Akhe’s lips pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead, waking her.

It had been like this for months, and Xiang Er still occasionally felt a pang of anxiety, a fear that Akhe wasn’t real, that this was all a dream.

Human emotions were strange, her mind knew this was real, but her heart, still clinging to the trauma of the past, struggled to let go.

But the feeling was fleeting, and once fully awake, Xiang Er no longer worried.

Life with Akhe was simple, her days filled with leisurely meals, occasional outings, mostly focused on recovering her health.

And of course, their frequent, passionate encounters, on the bed, the sofa, in the bathroom, even on the kitchen counter, a delightful exhaustion, a sweet surrender, but physically demanding, requiring a full day of rest for Xiang Er afterwards.

Sometimes, Akhe would take her to the company, which, thanks to Akhe’s trusted followers, ran itself smoothly, requiring only her signature on occasional documents, no actual involvement necessary. The employees, all devout followers of Akhe, were dedicated and selfless.

Xiang Er, initially concerned about this arrangement, soon realized that the employees were happy and productive, their work-life balance healthy, the company thriving, everyone, from the lowest-ranking employee to the highest executive, satisfied, even finding joy in their work.

So, Xiang Er had to admit, it wasn’t a bad setup, if only Akhe wouldn’t insist on those… impromptu office encounters… it would be perfect.

Going to the company didn’t require any actual work from Xiang Er, and her days at home were filled with rest and relaxation. And with the arrival of spring, a new desire bloomed within her…

“You want to… get a job?”

Akhe, her knitting needles pausing mid-stitch, almost dropping a loop, turned to Xiang Er, her beautiful face a mask of disbelief, a hint of childlike confusion.

“But… don’t you humans hate working? And you especially hated your job!”

Akhe tilted her head, a tentacle, appearing from nowhere, gently wrapping around Xiang Er’s neck, pulling her closer.

The deity’s voice, seductive and playful, whispered in her ear:

“Or… are you tired of being with me? Hmm?”

The world tilted, Xiang Er’s body relaxing, and she found herself lying amidst a pile of Akhe’s tentacles, her arms around Akhe’s beautiful torso, her gaze fixed on those full, inviting lips…

All other matters could wait. As Xiang Er lifted her head to kiss those lips, her body sinking into the soft, warm, and yielding embrace of the tentacles, her mind adrift, lost in the sensation.

“It’s not that… I love… but… mm…”

Like floating in a warm spring, her body and mind enveloped in a soft embrace, like returning to the womb, her thoughts silent, her words unspoken, her entire being open, unguarded, her body, her mind, her soul, no longer holding any secrets, merging with Akhe’s…

Waking up the next morning, still in bed, Xiang Er realized she had forgotten to mention the important thing she had wanted to discuss, but… it had been a wonderful day.

“Morning, let’s go for a walk.”

Akhe entered the room, a warm glass of milk in her hand, which she offered to Xiang Er, watching as she drank it, one sip at a time.

Xiang Er, holding the large mug in both hands, her hair disheveled, hickey marks on her neck from the tentacles’ suckers, looked like a child.

As a fragile human, Xiang Er couldn’t fully… keep up with Akhe’s desires, so no matter how passionate their encounters, for Akhe, it was… never enough.

Akhe’s eyes, dark with a lingering desire, the tentacles extending from her lower body, like a tail, twitching and pulsing, their suckers oozing a thick, transparent slime, which dripped onto the floor.

Xiang Er, mid-sip, paused, sensing something, the familiar sweet fragrance filling the air, and she looked up at Akhe, her voice surprised:

“What’s wrong? So early in the morning, and you’re already…”

Akhe, looking at the white milk mustache on Xiang Er’s upper lip, at her innocent, slightly bewildered face, took a deep breath and leaned closer.

She extended her tongue and, one by one, licked away the traces of milk.

Xiang Er, flustered, tried to pull away, but she accidentally knocked over the mug, the milk spilling onto them, onto the bed.

The milk, dripping onto the black and red tentacles, a swirling mix of white, black, and red, a visually arresting, almost erotic, scene.

Akhe’s eyes darkened, and Xiang Er, her eyes wide, pushed against her:

“Don’t…”

The next moment, thick, powerful tentacles wrapped around her, slime dripping, her small body swallowed by the writhing mass…

The morning passed. The small eyeball scratched at the door, and Xiang Er, waking up on the soft, fleshy bed formed by the intertwined tentacles, her body aching, covered in slime, looked up.

Akhe, extending a few tentacles to massage her, her beautiful, almost demonic face, a satisfied smile playing on her lips, whispered:

“Time to go out.”

After a long, lazy morning of tangled limbs and whispered endearments, they finally got dressed, Xiang Er picking up the small eyeball and playing with it for a moment. Akhe found a small box, opened it, and offered it to Xiang Er:

“Try this on.”

Xiang Er opened the box, and inside, nestled on the soft lining, was a pearl necklace. A familiar necklace, the one “Shen Yuhe” had given her.

Xiang Er put on the necklace, it was indeed beautiful. Her health had improved, her skin no longer as pale, her cheeks fuller, her beauty now radiant, more than worthy of such a beautiful necklace.

Akhe, in a casual black dress, took Xiang Er, in her white dress, to meet An Yue downstairs.

An Yue, used to their antics by now, having waited all morning without complaint, smiled, opened the car door for them, and drove them towards the city center.

As they drove, An Yue casually explained the current situation:

“The pollution levels have been very low these past few months, and the number of heterogeneous entities has also decreased significantly, without the pollution to sustain them, and with the efforts of our investigators, within a few months, they should be completely eradicated. However, the state is still planning to build a… facility, to contain these entities, just in case. We’re going to visit the newly completed Heterogeneous Entity Containment Facility today, or, as it’s more commonly known, the monster prison. By the way, what were you two up to this morning?”

Xiang Er, her mind still on the containment facility, replied instinctively:

“Drinking milk…”

She immediately stopped, and Akhe, her arm around Xiang Er, chuckled:

“We were… busy.”

Xiang Er’s hand flew to Akhe’s mouth, her face burning.

An Yue:

“…”

Should she pretend she hadn’t heard that, or just jump out of the car? Why had she even asked? She had checked the almanac, it was supposed to be an auspicious day, why was she being subjected to this torture?

The car drove in silence, reaching a secure facility on the outskirts of the city, passing through multiple checkpoints, before finally stopping in front of an imposing building.

An Yue got out, about to open the door for Xiang Er, when a tentacle snaked out from the other side, reaching through the window, opening Xiang Er’s door, rendering An Yue’s assistance unnecessary.

Xiang Er looked at the building, its facade blank, its appearance imposing, its windows dark, no guards in sight.

An Yue led them inside, past layers of security, through scanners and AI checkpoints, until they reached the central area.

And there it was… the Heterogeneous Entity Containment Facility.

A vast, cavernous space, filled with countless creatures, large and small, all shapes and forms… a seemingly endless collection.

Xiang Er paused before each enclosure, a strange feeling in her heart. Humanity was truly resilient, able to recover so quickly from the invasion, even building a prison to contain these creatures, no matter how powerful, something that had seemed impossible, yet here it was.

And they hadn’t even needed Akhe’s help.

“This place is… quite impressive.”

Akhe, behind her, commented.

They passed by a fish-like monster, which suddenly opened its mouth, revealing rows of sharp teeth, as if trying to devour Xiang Er through the reinforced glass.

Xiang Er, unfazed by the small monster, barely glanced at it, but An Yue was startled:

“Don’t!”

She was about to intervene when… a tentacle pierced through the supposedly impenetrable glass and grabbed the fish monster.

Alarms blared throughout the facility, the other contained entities, sensing the Evil God’s presence, cowering in their enclosures, the level of pollution spiking, the building trembling, as if about to collapse…

But Akhe, turning to Xiang Er, smiled faintly, and the surging pollution, the oppressive aura, receded, she would always, for Xiang Er, become… ordinary.

An Yue’s eyes widened in alarm, but she didn’t dare say anything, just watched as the tentacle swiftly devoured the fish monster, leaving behind only a skeletal frame.

The tentacle, with a few deft movements, crushed the bones into a small, crystalline stone, which it offered to Xiang Er:

“Here, a souvenir.”

Xiang Er took the stone and smiled:

“It’s quite pretty.”

Xiang Er had a new job now, a high-ranking, well-paying position, known to very few. She only had to work a few hours a week, visiting the Heterogeneous Entity Containment Facility, walking through the enclosures, basically just… existing there.

Her presence alone was enough. Because as long as she was there, the Evil God would also be there, and the monsters, no matter how powerful, how ferocious, would cower before the god, their resistance quelled.

Xiang Er had also taken up painting, a new hobby, and she started creating a bestiary of the contained entities, their forms meticulously depicted, their abilities and weaknesses noted, a document that would soon become an invaluable resource during this time of pollution, a historically significant work, a unique and precious collection.

But for now, Xiang Er simply did what she enjoyed, finding a quiet happiness in her ordinary life.

Once a week, after work, she and Akhe would go camping in the nearby mountains. Akhe would always bring plenty of food, a tent, sleeping bags, all the necessary equipment, but they never used them.

After all… who needed a sleeping bag when they had Akhe’s soft, warm tentacles?

Under the starlit sky, Xiang Er, like an offering to a god, her body naked, knelt, receiving the god’s love…

Wave after wave of pleasure, until Akhe’s tentacles, their tips glistening, finally stilled.

Xiang Er, her body covered in sweat, lay amidst the tentacles, their familiar suckers pulsing against her skin, and she turned her head, Akhe’s face, flushed, her gaze meeting Xiang Er’s.

The starlight, like a soft veil, covered the sky, the grass swaying gently in the night breeze, the world silent, the god in her arms.

Xiang Er felt a deep contentment, this was her wildest dream, her greatest desire, fulfilled.

She was mad, she knew it, but she was also… incredibly happy.

Akhe leaned closer, her breath warm against Xiang Er’s skin, her face damp with sweat, her chest rising and falling. She kissed Xiang Er’s lips and whispered:

“Let’s get married, Xiang Er.”

Chapter 100: Fulfillment 

A new late autumn arrived.

Human society entered a period of uneasy respite. After months of constant vigilance, the immediate crisis had passed, the pollution receding, the monsters dying off, even without human intervention.

Humanity began to rebuild, to reallocate resources, to analyze the events, to honor its heroes.

An Yue received a special commendation, becoming a world-renowned investigator, but… the name of the girl in the white dress was no longer mentioned.

Rumors circulated online, in hushed whispers, everyone with a story to tell, yet the details vague, obscured, only knowing glances and cryptic hints.

About the girl in white… some said that on the day of the fiery meteor shower, her powers had vanished, and she had fallen amongst the monsters, perishing, her death concealed by the authorities to prevent panic.

Others said she was a divine emissary, and with the god’s return, she had ascended, returning to the heavens with her deity.

Still others claimed she was just a fabrication, a role played by a government investigator, a deception to maintain morale, a lie from the very beginning.

And after all the speculation and rumors, someone would always ask:

“So… are there really gods in this world?”

They would exchange glances, then nod in agreement:

“Yes, there must be.”

“With monsters, how could there not be gods?”

“There must be, otherwise, how could the monsters have disappeared?”

“The investigators have special abilities, those abilities must be gifts from the gods.”

But no one had seen a god. Ancient myths and legends resurfaced, the stories of gods rewritten, faith renewed.

And yet, at this very moment, a true god, a bouquet of tulips in her hand, walked along a sunlit street.

The god, Akhe, wore a beige trench coat and a long black dress, her expression gentle, the golden tulips in her hand like flickering candles, accentuating her pale skin and striking beauty.

Passersby stole glances at her, some even so captivated by her beauty that they almost bumped into each other. The god, however, was oblivious to their attention, her gaze fixed on the girl beside her, a soft warmth in her eyes.

The girl beside her, at first glance, seemed ordinary.

Her figure was slender, her clothes simple, a thick, brown cotton dress reaching her ankles, a white sweater clinging to her thin frame. Above her long, delicate neck, a pale, young face, its features refined, yet with a hint of aloofness.

She walked beside the beautiful god, her arm linked through Akhe’s, occasionally glancing at her, her amber eyes reflecting only Akhe’s breathtaking beauty.

They walked together, two figures strolling along a sunlit street on an autumn afternoon, seemingly unconcerned with the world around them.

They cared only about each other, a single glance, a single touch, more significant than anything else.

People passed by, their gazes filled with a curious awe, speculating about their relationship, but none could guess the truth. Lovers, perhaps, but were they truly just lovers?

No one knew that they held the fate of the world in their hands. No one knew the struggles, the sacrifices they had endured, for this world, for their love.

And now, finally, after a long and arduous journey, they walked side by side, under the warm autumn sun.

Akhe gently patted the girl’s hand:

“Are you tired? Let’s sit down for a while.”

The girl was, of course, Xiang Er, and she readily agreed, following Akhe to a bench beneath a shady camphor tree.

As soon as she sat down, Xiang Er, as if boneless, leaned against Akhe, her head resting on Akhe’s shoulder, her eyes closed, like a contented kitten.

It was a habit she had developed during their long confinement, a constant need to be close to Akhe, in every way possible.

It had been over two months since Akhe’s return, and this was their first outing, Xiang Er’s first time leaving the apartment.

For two months, Akhe had pampered her, preparing elaborate meals, giving her massages, helping her exercise, slowly nursing her back to health, the color returning to her cheeks, a spark of life reappearing in her eyes.

Now, aside from her pale skin, a consequence of avoiding sunlight, Xiang Er’s health was finally restored, and Akhe felt comfortable enough to take her out.

Xiang Er, watching the passersby, suddenly asked:

“Are there any more… monsters for you to fight?”

Akhe looked around:

“I’m not sure, but since I came back, I haven’t left your side, and An Yue hasn’t contacted me, so I assume… there’s no need for me.”

Xiang Er:

“Ah… so you’re not making any money now?”

Akhe was momentarily speechless, her beautiful eyes blinking, then she turned to Xiang Er, her voice playfully petulant:

“Are you disgusted with me now?”

Xiang Er:

“…You’re putting on an act again, in broad daylight.”

She pinched Akhe’s cheek, her grip surprisingly strong, and teased:

“What if I am?”

Akhe’s lips pursed, her eyelashes drooping dramatically, her voice exaggeratedly soft and vulnerable:

“Then… I’ll just have to go back to being a CEO and provide for you, I hope you don’t mind…”

Xiang Er, remembering her previous job, a nostalgic tone in her voice, said:

“A CEO… I liked that, a domineering CEO falling for me, it gave me something to look forward to at work.”

Akhe’s eyes narrowed, and she looked at Xiang Er, whose gaze was fixed on the bustling street, lost in thought.

The golden tulips illuminated Xiang Er’s face, her cheeks slightly puffed, a childlike longing in her eyes, the pain and sadness gone, replaced by a gentle warmth.

She must… still miss “Shen Yuhe.”

So, the next morning…

Xiang Er woke up, and not finding Akhe, her heart immediately sank. She got out of bed and, as soon as she stepped out of her room, the small eyeball wrapped its tentacles around her ankle.

The small eyeball chirped, rubbing against her leg.

Xiang Er couldn’t help but squat down, picking up the small eyeball and holding it close. It had hatched over a month ago, a new being, without the memories of its past self, but its affection for Xiang Er remained unchanged, its habits the same.

Xiang Er thought this was good, the small eyeball was still so young, it didn’t need the burden of those painful memories, the memories of her own breakdown, it should just be a carefree little creature.

Holding the small eyeball, Xiang Er walked towards the kitchen and almost bumped into Akhe. Akhe, her back to her, was carrying several plates of food, her tentacles carefully balancing them, and placed them on the table.

Xiang Er, relieved, couldn’t help but smile. Akhe, having set the table, turned and, without a word, kissed Xiang Er, a long, tender kiss.

“Good morning… after breakfast, I’m taking you somewhere.”

Xiang Er noticed, with surprise, that Akhe was wearing a business suit, the tailored trousers accentuating her long legs, giving her a charming, almost powerful aura.

Xiang Er wondered, was she trying to recreate her “CEO Shen” persona?

After breakfast, Xiang Er got into the passenger seat of Akhe’s new car, and as they drove, the route seemed increasingly familiar. Xiang Er, a premonition growing, turned to look at Akhe, who smiled mysteriously, her eyebrows raised playfully.

They passed many familiar landmarks, the subway station, the coffee shop, which was now even more popular, a long line of customers waiting outside.

The car stopped at the parking lot of the industrial park, and Akhe got out, smoothing her jacket, her hair cascading over her shoulders as she turned, her voice carrying an air of authority:

“Come.”

Xiang Er took her hand, and they entered the building, taking the elevator to a familiar floor.

It was where Xiang Er used to work.

They had taken this elevator together countless times, so many memories, so many unforgettable moments. But now, it was a different company, no familiar faces, even the cleaning lady was new, all traces of the past erased.

They walked down the hallway, and Xiang Er asked:

“I wonder… what happened to my old company?”

Akhe said:

“It went bankrupt, as far as I know, several of the executives were arrested for tax evasion. Do you remember Zhu Minmin? She’s a professional web novelist now, her latest novel is apparently called “Office Romance: The CEO Pursued Me 99 Times,” it’s a huge hit. Do you want to read it?”

Xiang Er, just hearing the title, could imagine what it was about, a mixture of amusement and embarrassment, and after a moment, she said:

“I’ll… ask her myself, it would be weird to read it without her permission.”

If she wanted to, Akhe could access any information in the world, but social etiquette still mattered, and Xiang Er wanted to get the author’s permission first.

Akhe led Xiang Er down the stairwell.

Xiang Er, suddenly feeling nervous, asked:

“Have I… never been to your company?”

Akhe nodded, glancing at her with a smile:

“Bringing the boss’s wife for a tour, it’s perfectly reasonable.”

Boss’s wife… Xiang Er blushed.

The company occupied the entire floor, its offices bright and clean, a modern, upscale environment, the employees energetic and efficient.

As soon as they stepped out of the stairwell, someone recognized Akhe, his eyes lighting up, and he immediately bowed deeply, his posture reverent, almost worshipful:

“CEO Shen! You’ve finally… finally returned… we haven’t seen you in over a year! But please rest assured, the company is running smoothly…”

Akhe nodded casually, offering a brief response, then led Xiang Er into the main lobby, and the entire company erupted!

Everyone stopped working, rushing towards them, bowing and scraping, some even kneeling, tears streaming down their faces, expressing their longing and admiration for “CEO Shen,” their voices choked with emotion, their gazes fervent, like devout followers finally seeing their deity…

And Akhe, standing amidst the crowd, calmly said:

“Meet your new boss, she’s my… partner, and she’ll soon be the company’s major shareholder. This company, including all of you, is my gift to her. Call her CEO Xiang.”

The employees, without a hint of dissent, immediately turned to Xiang Er, their voices raised in unison:

“Welcome, CEO Xiang!”

Xiang Er, mortified by this display of fervent devotion, quickly grabbed Akhe’s hand and tried to escape. But Akhe led her to an office, where she signed some documents, then had Xiang Er sign as well.

Xiang Er signed without even looking, then asked:

“What was that?”

Akhe:

“This company is yours now. Just like I said, it’s a gift for you, so you won’t…look down on me for not making any money. I’ll manage the company for you, you just have to enjoy the profits, how about that, CEO Xiang?”

Xiang Er was surprised, but she didn’t refuse, a smile playing on her lips:

“Alright, CEO Shen, if you don’t manage it well, I’ll punish you.”

The sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the flowers on the desk, Akhe’s profile, sharp and defined, a hint of her former, seductive “Shen Yuhe” persona, and Xiang Er, unable to resist, kissed her cheek.

“Punish me how?”

A tentacle snaked out from under the desk, and Akhe’s beautiful face, a playful smile on her lips, watched Xiang Er’s flustered reaction.

“You… don’t be ridiculous, we’re in the office…”

“Indeed, CEO Xiang, this is your company, I wouldn’t dare. But… you seem to be enjoying this, CEO Xiang.”

“I… I’m not… mm… hah…”

“CEO Xiang… Little Ears… I want to give you… everything.”

After a passionate interlude, Xiang Er, her clothes disheveled, lay in Akhe’s arms, her cheeks flushed, her lips swollen, her eyes glistening, as she looked up at her lover.

Akhe’s dark eyes also shimmered, and she gently caressed Xiang Er’s cheek, her voice soft:

“I want to… share my abilities with you, but if I do, you’ll become like me, you won’t be human anymore, what do you… think?”

Xiang Er was surprised:

“Share your abilities?”

Akhe’s eyes held no hesitation:

“Yes, give you half of my power, so you can be like me, live for eons, travel the universe, even choose another planet to… reside on, become… a new god.”

Xiang Er’s eyes widened, her heart pounding. She had never considered this before, she had only wanted to be with Akhe, for this lifetime, she hadn’t imagined living beyond a human lifespan…

If she had still been with Shen Yuhe, she probably wouldn’t have agreed, she would have wanted a normal, human life with her lover.

But now, she was with Akhe.

Akhe had an endless lifespan… but she only had a few decades. Akhe would stay with her, until she died, but what then?

Akhe’s voice was soft:

“If you don’t agree, then… when you die, I’ll die with you.”

Xiang Er was shocked:

“But… I… what about Earth?”

Akhe’s dark eyes, deep as an abyss, stared into hers:

“Without you, I don’t care about Earth.”

Xiang Er exhaled:

“You truly are… a bad god.”

Akhe smiled gently:

“I am a bad god. But I’m a loved bad god, the luckiest bad god in the entire universe.”

In the end, Xiang Er decided to think about it. She had a lifetime to decide.

And before that, she would do everything she wanted to do with Akhe, savor this love, this feast of happiness!

After all, they had time, their youth still vibrant.

Their lives, nourished by love, they would live happily ever after, a long and beautiful life, the envy of all.

And now, it was just the beginning.

Chapter 99: The Battle

Akhe was truly back.

It took a long time for Xiang Er to fully accept this reality.

They were inseparable, their world reduced to the confines of the old apartment, lost in each other’s embrace, oblivious to everything else.

Every night, before going to sleep, Xiang Er would hold Akhe’s tentacle and ask, her voice filled with a lingering anxiety:

“You won’t… disappear again, will you?”

Akhe would gently caress her cheek with a tentacle, her voice soft and reassuring:

“No, I won’t leave again, you can sleep soundly.”

Sometimes, Xiang Er would wake up in the middle of the night, a sudden jolt, her hand clutching the tentacle, her voice filled with fear:

“Are you sure… there won’t be any more… battles with your kind?”

Akhe’s gaze, steady and unwavering, her tentacles gently enveloping Xiang Er, would reply:

“Yes, I’m sure.”

And Xiang Er would finally fall asleep, a deep, peaceful sleep, waking up to the sight of Akhe’s face.

Akhe would hold her close, her hand caressing Xiang Er’s cheek, her lips pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead:

“You’re awake? My Little Ears, did you sleep well?”

In those first moments of wakefulness, Xiang Er would feel like it was all a dream, a beautiful illusion, but… even if it was a dream, she would gladly remain lost within it.

Because, real or not, she never wanted to return to that world without Akhe.

She never wanted to lose Akhe again.

Akhe’s disappearance and return, of course, had raised many questions, the authorities eager to know what had happened, but no one dared disturb them in their old apartment.

The compound was now under heavy guard, a fortress protected by the nation’s most elite investigators, patrols every half hour.

An Yue was still their liaison, delivering food, flowers, and other necessities, always leaving promptly after dropping them off, as instructed by Akhe.

Akhe didn’t want anyone to intrude on their world, they just wanted to be together, to heal, to lick each other’s wounds, to make up for lost time.

It was several days later that Xiang Er finally noticed… that Akhe seemed to be injured.

She had never seen Akhe’s true form completely, but she remembered Akhe’s domain, the giant eyeball in the sky.

But now, one day, at Xiang Er’s insistence, Akhe reluctantly pulled her into her domain. Xiang Er looked up, but the sky above… was empty.

“Where’s your eye?”

Xiang Er imagined all sorts of horrific scenarios.

“I left it beyond the Milky Way, as a warning to any… outsiders, this is my territory now, no one else is allowed to interfere.”

Akhe’s voice was calm, her explanation prepared, but Xiang Er felt a sense of unease.

In the endless expanse of yellow sand and black rivers, Xiang Er didn’t know where Akhe’s true form was, where to even look. She called out to the empty sky:

“Really? Are you sure? Are you… injured? Are you hiding it from me because you don’t want me to worry?”

The eternally twilight sky remained empty, not a single cloud. Akhe didn’t answer.

Xiang Er understood. She squatted down, scooped up a handful of black slime, small eyeballs swirling within it.

She picked out a few and looked at them, but the eyeballs turned away, avoiding her gaze.

Xiang Er’s voice was low, but her words carried weight:

“So… how badly are you injured?”

The next instant, the scene shifted, and she was back in the real world, Akhe, in her human form, before her.

Akhe pulled her onto the sofa, embraced her, gently patting her back, and said:

“It’s not that bad, I just… almost lost, I wouldn’t have won without you.”

Akhe, her dark eyes filled with tenderness, looked at Xiang Er and told her everything.

Akhe had warned the other Evil God by the river, but it had been aggressive, approaching relentlessly, until Akhe had been forced to leave the planet, meeting It at the edge of the solar system. It had been hostile, unwilling to negotiate, its only intention to devour Akhe and absorb Its power.

“That’s how we survive, devouring each other is… common, but I thought… perhaps, like humans, we could resolve it peacefully, I suppose I was naive.”

Akhe sighed.

They had fought, a battle that spanned galaxies, a long and brutal fight, and Akhe, having lost the initial advantage, had almost been defeated.

In a dimension beyond human comprehension, Akhe and the other Evil God clashed, both sides suffering heavy losses, and Akhe had been losing.

But then…

Xiang Er had discovered the protective layer Akhe had left on her, and she had started frantically absorbing monsters.

And that protective layer, it was a part of Akhe’s true form, still connected to It, across light-years.

The energy absorbed by the protective layer was transferred to Akhe’s true form, a constant stream of power, fueling her fight.

“So… you won that battle for me.”

Akhe took Xiang Er’s hand, her lips pressing a gentle kiss against her skin, her eyes glistening, a proud smile on her lips.

Xiang Er, her heart pounding, finally found her voice:

“So you won? If I had known, I would have eaten more…”

Akhe’s grip tightened on Xiang Er’s hand, her voice urgent:

“You were already at your limit! I could feel it, through the slime, your body was failing, I was so worried!”

Xiang Er looked at her and smiled:

“I actually… helped? I thought it was all in my head… then why… why did your heart shatter?”

Akhe said:

“Because… my true form was… destroyed. This… this is a new body, constructed from the remaining fragments. My true form… is gone. If it weren’t for you, for the energy you provided, I might not have even been able to… create this new body…”

Xiang Er covered Akhe’s lips with her hand:

“Don’t… don’t say any more.”

She didn’t want to hear it.

Akhe’s lips, pressed against Xiang Er’s hand, didn’t move, her gaze fixed on Xiang Er’s, as if a thousand words remained unspoken.

The things she had glossed over, the near-death experience, the long and brutal battle, she had downplayed it all, not wanting to upset Xiang Er.

But she also knew, how could she not be upset?

Xiang Er’s tears fell onto Akhe’s lips, her voice soft:

“As long as… your soul remains, that’s enough.”

She understood now, she hadn’t fallen in love with the “Shen Yuhe” facade, nor with the Evil God Akhe, not with the tentacles or the slime. What she had loved, all along, was that complex, vibrant soul, the unseen, intangible, yet unique and captivating… soul.

They shared a tender kiss, devoid of lust, holding each other close on the sofa, their fingers playing with each other’s hair, their bodies. Akhe then said:

“But don’t worry, I’ve absorbed the… other one, it will take some time to… digest, but I’ll regain my full power eventually.”

Xiang Er asked:

“What abilities have you lost?”

Akhe frowned slightly, as if considering the question:

“How to put it… all my abilities have been… downgraded, for example, I can’t hear your thoughts anymore, unless you shout very loudly in your mind.”

Xiang Er hadn’t expected this, and she immediately thought a series of things, then, seeing Akhe’s unchanged expression, realized that it was true.

She pouted slightly:

“I don’t know… I used to think it was annoying that you could read my mind, but now I think it’s… inconvenient.”

Akhe gently nudged her nose with a finger, smiling:

“Weren’t you always complaining about your lack of privacy?”

Xiang Er leaned closer and kissed Akhe’s cheek, like a child savoring ice cream, a deliberate “mmm” sound:

“You’re still a jerk.”

Akhe laughed and returned the kiss:

“Okay, okay, I’m a jerk…”

After a while, Akhe went to the kitchen to prepare dinner, but neither of them wanting to be apart, even for the short distance between the living room and the kitchen, Xiang Er wrapped a tentacle around her waist, her arms around Akhe’s neck, her legs around Akhe’s waist, like a koala clinging to a tree, as they cooked together.

After dinner, Akhe opened the refrigerator to get some yogurt, and Xiang Er saw, inside, a glowing egg, radiating a soft light.

Xiang Er gasped:

“The small eyeball! It’s glowing! I knew it would be okay when you came back!”

Akhe’s eyes crinkled into smiling crescents:

“You know, it’s… a manifestation of my love for you, as long as I exist, it will always exist.”

Xiang Er, staring at the egg in the refrigerator, her eyes suddenly filling with tears, grabbed Akhe’s tentacle and wiped her eyes:

“It’s all your fault, it’s all your fault… I watched it… die in my arms, do you know how devastated I was…”

Dozens of black and red tentacles reached out, wiping away her tears, patting her back, massaging her shoulders, Akhe’s voice filled with sadness:

“I know, I’ve always known. Every moment after I left, I could feel it, all your pain… I’m sorry, Little Ears, I made you suffer.”

She sat down beside Xiang Er, her gaze sincere, and apologized.

Xiang Er looked at her, she knew it wasn’t really Akhe’s fault, but… she still felt a pang of hurt and resentment. Before, without Akhe, she had endured everything, but now, with Akhe, she couldn’t bear even the slightest discomfort, she felt like she was being childish.

But… she wanted to be childish, to be vulnerable in front of the one she loved, to feel the comfort and reassurance of being cherished and protected.

Xiang Er, pretending to still be angry, asked:

“Is that all? Just an apology?”

Akhe looked at her, seeing that she had stopped crying, her eyes darting around, and she understood, leaning closer, her voice soft:

“Then, my master, your loyal servant awaits your punishment.”

She knelt down and kissed Xiang Er’s foot.

Xiang Er instinctively pulled her foot away, but Akhe held her ankle, and she couldn’t escape, the tingling sensation on her skin, like ants crawling, impossible to ignore.

Akhe’s voice, soft and seductive, whispered:

“So… have you decided how to punish me, my dear master?”

Xiang Er:

“…”

This creature… after that battle, her flirting skills had leveled up! Had that even been a real battle?!

Chapter 98: Return

The wind roared in the helicopter as An Yue and the others rushed to Xiang Er, draping a blanket over her torn clothes, their gazes fixed on the scene below.

None of them had ever witnessed anything like this.

A swarm of grotesque monsters, like ants to their queen, surged towards a single, massive figure at the center.

And that massive figure, wielding countless thick, dark red tentacles, grabbed the monsters, one by one, and pulled them into its body, its movements smooth and effortless, a gruesome feast.

And the monsters, no matter how large, how ferocious, were helpless against the tentacles, their screams and wails echoing as they were lifted, devoured, absorbed into the black, monstrous form.

An Yue and the others watched in stunned silence, a new recruit, his voice filled with awe, asking:

“What… is that?”

An Yue was about to answer when Xiang Er, her gaze fixed on the window below, suddenly spoke, her voice soft:

“That’s the Evil God, Akhe.”

Her voice was clear, steady, yet strangely gentle, as if filled with a dreamy affection.

She looked down, her eyes clear, the frantic, manic look gone, not a trace remaining.

Within minutes, the monster army, led by several Class S+ monsters, had been completely devoured by the Evil God.

The ground below, now clean, the monsters gone, the fleeing humans stopping in confusion.

The helicopter descended, and Xiang Er, her excitement growing, fidgeted restlessly.

She looked at her reflection in the helicopter window, her face gaunt and pale, almost ghostly, and she touched her cheek, her voice urgent:

“Does anyone have any foundation? Lipstick, anything?”

But the helicopter was full of investigators, prepared for battle, not makeup, and they exchanged confused glances, shaking their heads.

Xiang Er, close to panic, looked at her reflection, then, with a sigh, she started patting her cheeks, biting her lips, trying to force some color into her face. She adjusted her clothes, the white dress torn and tattered, the blanket they had given her ugly and shapeless…

The helicopter landed on the roof of a shopping mall.

Beside the mall, a massive, dark tentacle monster, taller than the six-story building, stood silently. A tentacle gently reached out, carefully lifting the helicopter, like a toy, and placing it on the rooftop.

Several of the newer investigators jumped out.

A black tentacle, its movements gentle, extended towards the helicopter door, waiting.

Finally, An Yue helped Xiang Er out of the helicopter.

The tentacle, like a black and red carpet, lay before them. Xiang Er extended a pale foot and stepped onto it.

The tentacle trembled slightly, and Xiang Er’s body trembled as well, as she walked forward, step by step.

She was like a child learning to walk, her steps unsteady, yet determined, as she approached the only person, the only being, that mattered to her.

Her torn white dress fluttered in the wind, her long, neglected hair swirling around her, the wind, carrying the scent of time and space, of distant stars, and yet, her eyes saw only that one being.

That being, terrifying and monstrous to others, a source of madness and fear.

Yet to Xiang Er, the sweetest honey, the source of her greatest joy.

She stumbled forward.

And suddenly, a figure in a red dress appeared.

The woman in the red dress, without hesitation, ran towards her.

It was the form Akhe had crafted for her, for Xiang Er.

Akhe would never let Xiang Er come to her alone, she, too, would run, with all her might, towards Xiang Er!

Red dress and white dress, finally meeting.

Xiang Er’s throat tightened, her vision blurring, her mind blank, her arms reaching out, her unsteady legs almost giving way, yet still she reached…

And this time, her hands were caught, held firmly.

Those hands, delicate and smooth, slightly larger than hers, grasped hers, pulling her forward.

Xiang Er instinctively tried to steady herself, but she couldn’t, and she fell into a warm embrace.

It was so warm… warmer than her wildest dreams, softer… she sank into it, her eyes closing involuntarily, her hands held captive, her body relaxing, surrendering to the embrace…

“You… you’re back…”

Xiang Er felt like she was floating in a warm spring, or on a cloud of cotton candy.

A deep, magnetic voice, a cello’s resonance, the voice she had chased in her dreams, the most beautiful voice in the world, the voice that had been etched in her memory since their first encounter, replied:

“Yes, I’m back… I missed you so much, Little Ears, so much…”

Xiang Er closed her eyes, her face pressed against the woman’s chest, inhaling the familiar, yet also strangely unfamiliar, sweet fragrance.

Tears silently traced paths down her cheeks.

She sighed and said:

“You… jerk. I didn’t miss you at all.”

A deep chuckle rumbled in the woman’s chest, its vibrations echoing through Xiang Er’s body. A thick tentacle, from behind, gently caressed Xiang Er’s hair, a tender, loving touch.

Then, a soft kiss on her forehead.

Akhe, in her red dress, as if unable to contain herself, repeated over and over:

“I love you, I love you… I love you, Xiang Er, I love you.”

Xiang Er suddenly covered her forehead with her hand, turning her face away, muttering about wanting to leave:

“No… don’t touch me, I haven’t showered… I… I don’t look good…”

Two tentacles gently but firmly held her in place, and Akhe lifted her chin.

Xiang Er’s gaze met Akhe’s, her face flushing, her heart pounding, a wave of panic.

She gasped for air, her gaze fixed on Akhe’s eyes.

Those familiar, beautiful eyes, usually so serene and composed, were now filled with tears, a burning intensity in their depths, as if looking at a lost treasure, rediscovered.

Akhe looked at Xiang Er, tears streaming down her face, like pearls on her cheeks and chin, her voice hoarse with emotion:

“You’ve suffered…”

Xiang Er wanted to say no, but her voice betrayed her:

“It was… it was hard, without you… so hard.”

But then she smiled, her hand gently wiping away Akhe’s tears, her voice soft:

“Now that you’re back, it’s not hard anymore.”

Akhe’s body trembled, and Xiang Er, her hands cupping Akhe’s face, a fervent, almost reverent gesture…

Kissed her god.

Their lips met, their tongues intertwined, like thirsty fish finding solace in each other’s waters.

They kissed, passionately, until the sky darkened, until the end of time.

To avoid the wind, they took the helicopter back to the city.

Xiang Er clung to Akhe, her arms wrapped around a tentacle, refusing to let go, the other investigators in the helicopter watching them nervously, not daring to make a sound.

Only An Yue looked on with a satisfied smile, she knew, as long as they were together, the planet would be safe, this wasn’t just a relationship, it was a matter of global security!

An Yue tried to discuss the situation with Akhe, but after a few words, Akhe put a finger to her lips, silencing everyone.

Xiang Er had fallen asleep in Akhe’s arms.

Akhe, to make her more comfortable, had conjured several tentacles, forming a small nest around Xiang Er.

Xiang Er, who had been unable to sleep without medication, now, like a small kitten, curled up contentedly, her face pressed against a tentacle, her arm around Akhe’s, slept soundly.

Akhe looked down at her, her gaze lingering on Xiang Er’s thin face, as if looking at her own reflection.

The moment felt eternal, and on the Evil God’s monstrous face, a human expression, the look of someone willing to sacrifice everything for the one they loved.

Her gaze filled with a profound love, she watched over her sleeping lover, the world silent, nothing more important than the person in her arms.

She was a monster, feared and loathed by humans.

But her love was pure, undeniable.

Akhe, carrying the sleeping Xiang Er, returned to their old apartment, the place where it all began, their shared home, carefully built and nurtured.

This old apartment had witnessed so much, the creation of the human facade, the blossoming of their love, the shattering of their trust, their mutual destruction.

And tonight, they returned home.

Xiang Er was carried to her bed, and after a while, she was awakened by a gentle kiss.

Akhe’s lips, her tentacles, caressed her, a gentle, intimate touch, like a small animal nuzzling its beloved, an expression of affection, not lust.

“Mm…”

Xiang Er stirred, a muffled sound, she seemed to have caught a cold. The constant exposure to the wind in the helicopter, her previous manic state masking the symptoms, now catching up with her.

“Little Ears, wake up and have something to drink.”

Akhe’s voice was soft and gentle.

“Hmm?”

Xiang Er opened her eyes, a sudden wave of anxiety, her hand reaching out, touching Akhe’s face, as if in disbelief.

Akhe, a loving smile on her face, let her touch, her hand in Xiang Er’s. Xiang Er, after a moment, her voice hesitant, asked:

“I’m… dreaming again, aren’t I?”

So she had been… dreaming of her return…

Akhe’s smile vanished, as if her heart had been ripped out, a pain so intense it almost broke her.

Her voice trembling, she said:

“No, it’s not a dream, I’m back, Little Ears, I’m really back.”

She pressed her face into Xiang Er’s hand, turned on the light, even offered her tentacles, wanting to show Xiang Er, to prove to her…

This wasn’t a dream! None of this was a dream, and from now on, she wouldn’t have to dream anymore!

Xiang Er opened her eyes, her gaze slowly focusing, taking in the scene before her.

Akhe’s body, Akhe’s face, Akhe’s thin nightgown, and her tentacles, the tentacles she had once loathed, and then… loved.

Everything.

Real, tangible, undeniable.

After a long moment, Xiang Er finally realized:

“Ah… so it’s not a dream…”

She raised her arm, her hand gently caressing Akhe’s neck, her gaze lingering on her beautiful face.

She said:

“I had… a very long dream… in the dream, you said you were going to fight… another one like you, and you left me all alone, I was so lonely… I wasn’t that lonely before, it’s your fault, why did you stay with me? Why did you make me get used to you, then leave, it’s all your fault!”

She lightly punched Akhe’s neck with her trembling hand. Akhe didn’t flinch, just endured it, her eyes filled with pain.

Akhe wrapped her arms around Xiang Er’s waist, pulling her close.

She held her like a child, carried her to the living room, and sat down on the sofa, gently feeding her snow fungus soup with a small spoon.

After finishing the soup, neither of them wanting to let go, they lay down on the sofa, holding each other tightly, as if afraid that the other would disappear.

Akhe’s black and red tentacles wrapped around Xiang Er, gently caressing her skin.

Akhe held Xiang Er captive, and Xiang Er, in that embrace, felt a profound sense of peace and happiness.

Xiang Er’s body was entwined with Akhe’s, her chest pressed against the soft, yielding tentacles, her eyes gradually glazing over.

To distract herself, she asked, a sigh escaping her lips:

“So… when you went to fight… what… happened?”

Akhe’s tongue gently caressed Xiang Er’s earlobe, her voice low:

“It’s a long story… but it’s not the right time…”

A tentacle gently wrapped around Xiang Er’s waist, and Xiang Er shifted slightly, her arms tightening around Akhe’s neck:

“Then what is… the right… ah!”

A wave of intense pleasure washed over Xiang Er. She felt like she was losing her mind, only in this complete surrender, this total merging, could she truly feel…

That Akhe was really back.

And that they would never be apart again.

Chapter 97: Scorched Earth

That helicopter gradually became a beacon of hope for what remained of human society.

On blood-soaked battlefields, at the epicenter of monstrous outbreaks, no matter the location, no matter how powerful the enemy, as long as that mysterious helicopter appeared…

A miracle would follow.

A miracle, embodied by the girl in the white dress inside the helicopter.

She was so frail, her slender body seemingly about to collapse in the downdraft of the helicopter blades.

Yet, before the monsters, she was invincible. Wind, fire, lightning, even the unnatural distortions of space, all were useless against her.

The helicopter was protected by the most elite investigators, and even if it crashed, they would ensure the girl in white reached the monster.

And the monsters, no matter how they struggled, how they attacked, how ferocious they were… the moment they touched her…

They would vanish, like smoke, absorbed into her body.

Countless people had witnessed this, their SAN values plummeting as they trembled and knelt, their eyes wide, their voices raised in prayer.

She was the Evil God’s sole emissary on Earth!

The sole bearer of the god’s power!

Humanity’s last, best hope!

As the black slime swirled and pulsed on her pale skin, as the stars and the oceans trembled, as the dawn faded… only the girl in white remained.

Only the girl in white, risking her life, fighting for humanity’s survival!

Within a week, the girl in white, her power and her image, became known throughout the world, and the number of Class S and Class S+ monsters, the level of pollution, rapidly decreased.

Humanity had found hope! They composed songs in her honor, praising her, loving her, adoring her, blessing her, praying for her continued strength and power!

The girl in white, of course, was Xiang Er.

For an entire week, she had barely slept, having absorbed countless powerful monsters, destroyed dozens of state-of-the-art helicopters, and even lost a few of the investigators protecting her.

But… her heart was a stone, her resolve unwavering, always searching for the next monster, always rushing towards the greatest danger.

She had wanted to be alone, but An Yue and the higher-ups had refused.

An Yue, her expression grim, had looked at her and said:

“If you go alone, and something happens to you, when she returns, she’ll devour the entire planet.”

Xiang Er, taking a bite of her emergency rations, a meat bun, had smiled faintly:

“You’re right, then we’ll do it your way. When she returns, I’ll put in a good word for you.”

An Yue had nodded, her heart heavy. Those who knew the truth understood that this was a gamble, with only two possible outcomes: either humanity, clinging to this sliver of hope, would witness the planet’s destruction, or… as Xiang Er had suggested, a new Evil God would be born from the remaining black slime.

But even the second outcome… it would take time. And time was what humanity needed most.

Xiang Er, flying around, absorbing monsters, was like trying to extinguish a volcanic eruption with buckets of water, it might have a temporary effect, but… it couldn’t stop the inevitable.

But for now, this sliver of hope, this fragile hope, was enough. An Yue thought, her gaze resting on Xiang Er.

Xiang Er insisted on wearing light clothing, to facilitate the absorption of the monsters. She ate constantly, forcing down the most nutritious food, even when her stomach couldn’t handle it. She often touched her neck, her arm, her wrist, her gaze lingering, as if she could see the black slime beneath her skin.

She even whispered to the slime sometimes, her words a mystery.

An Yue often wondered, if they measured Xiang Er’s SAN value now, would it break the scale, a negative number?

What would a negative SAN value even mean?

And… was Xiang Er even human anymore?

Perhaps, she had already become the most powerful, the most terrifying monster, that’s why she could devour the others.

But if Akhe only loved the human Xiang Er, if she returned and saw this monstrous Xiang Er… would she, in her rage, destroy the entire planet?

Who knew… the more An Yue thought about it, the more bleak the future seemed.

A new recruit, his voice hesitant, asked:

“Um… Miss Xiang, are you sure this will… bring back the Evil God?”

The moment he spoke, another investigator’s hand clamped over his mouth, everyone holding their breath, their gazes fixed on Xiang Er.

Didn’t he know! This kind of question… it was taboo!

This newbie, his days were numbered… would Xiang Er devour him?

But Xiang Er, hearing this, smiled, a slow, almost cruel smile.

She caressed the smooth skin of her wrist. Although exhausted, she had been eating well, and her skin had regained some of its healthy glow.

Her gaze fixed on her wrist, not looking at anyone, she suddenly spoke, her voice soft:

“Of course. And if it doesn’t, I won’t live either.”

Silence fell upon the helicopter cabin, no one daring to speak, they all carefully avoided her gaze, giving her space.

Soon, the helicopter, its rotors whirring, arrived at a large city. This city, the nation’s economic heart, was now in ruins, ravaged by three Class S+ monsters.

The once bustling shopping malls and residential areas were now a jumbled mess.

People screamed and ran, the military and police forces overwhelmed, even the specialized anti-monster weapons useless against these powerful creatures.

An investigator in the helicopter, her face grim, said:

“According to our intel, these three Class S+ monsters have developed… unprecedented intelligence. They’ve organized hundreds of lower-level monsters and are attacking the less defended areas of the city, their goal seems to be… taking over the entire city!”

Looking down, they saw swarms of small monsters roaming the streets, picking off fleeing humans, the monsters’ growls, the humans’ screams, the sounds of gunfire and explosions, a scene of utter chaos.

An Yue said:

“It’s a complicated situation here, you should wait…”

But Xiang Er had already leaned forward, a faint smile on her lips:

“Just… drop me into the middle of them.”

An Yue grabbed her clothes:

“No!!! Absolutely not!!!”

But the helicopter door was open, and Xiang Er, with a soft click, unfastened her safety harness.

She glanced back at the investigators, her colleagues, a faint smile on her lips, and said softly:

“It’s okay.”

Her voice, light and airy, was barely audible amidst the chaos.

Then, she stepped out, her body falling.

The others, caught off guard, An Yue screaming, lunged towards the open door, but all she saw was a piece of white fabric, Xiang Er’s dress, fluttering in the wind.

And Xiang Er, like a beautiful, defiant butterfly…

Fell.

A flicker of light, the black slime shimmering, a fleeting glimpse.

Then she landed, swallowed by the swarm of monsters, disappearing from sight.

Xiang Er hadn’t gone mad, she knew what others thought of her, she knew what she thought of herself.

She told herself, over and over again, that she would return. But in her dreams, she saw herself dead, gone, completely consumed. She searched high and low, but she couldn’t find her, anywhere.

And yet, Xiang Er couldn’t die.

Akhe was gone, but she couldn’t die.

It was a fate worse than the most terrifying nightmare, and a new thought took root in her mind: What if I die?

What if I die, will it all be over?

To die. It became her new mission.

So she had jumped, without hesitation, without a thought for the consequences, only the roar of the wind in her ears, the sight of the snarling monsters below.

She landed amidst the swarm, the black slime on her body erupting, spreading… and just then…

The sky suddenly brightened.

Countless fiery meteors streaked across the sky, their burning trails illuminating the world, a blinding light, day and night.

Like a volcano erupting in the upper atmosphere, a giant, fiery object, trailing a long tail of flames, plummeted towards earth.

Xiang Er, standing amongst the monsters, suddenly realized… the black slime was gone.

Yes, all of it, in an instant, as if sensing something, had vanished.

And she, in her white dress, unarmed, defenseless, surrounded by monsters, their jaws open, their attacks imminent…

Xiang Er thought, is this it? Is this how I die?

Will I see Akhe after I die? In the gentle embrace of death, will I finally see her again?

Xiang Er smiled faintly, the stench of the monsters, their hot breath against her skin, a stinging sensation, and she looked up, wanting to see the sky one last time, the sky Akhe had protected…

But she didn’t die.

A thick tentacle wrapped around her, shielding her.

And suddenly, a giant, mountain-like, black monster appeared before her.

The other monsters, with howls and shrieks of terror, scattered, then vanished completely.

The thick tentacle, trailing endless black slime, rose into the sky, wildly absorbing the other monsters, silently and efficiently cleaning up the mess.

And Xiang Er, still dazed, looked at the tentacle that held her.

She stared at the thick, black and red tentacle, its suckers, its spines, its grainy surface, everything exactly as she remembered.

Was this… a dream? Or the afterlife?

And then, a voice, clear and distinct, echoed in her mind, sending shivers down her spine:

“It’s me, I’m back… Little Ears, you’ve suffered.”

And the thick tentacle, its movements swift yet gentle, lifted her and carried her to the helicopter still hovering above, carefully placing her inside, closing the door.

Xiang Er looked down through the window.

The giant, expanding, all-consuming, silent, and powerful black tentacle monster. It was her, the one she knew so well, that presence, that voice.

“Akhe… is back?”

Chapter 96: Protection

The sky churned, the planet roared, people across the globe witnessed a multitude of strange and terrifying phenomena, a wave of madness sweeping across the earth, the universe seemingly peeling back a layer of protection, exposing its fragile inhabitants to the harsh realities of existence.

But at the epicenter of this chaos…

In the old residential building, the focus of all those in the know…

There was only silence, a deathly silence, a silence that could turn a person to dust.

Xiang Er stood frozen by her bed.

A few grains of sand remained in her palm, pale and translucent, almost invisible.

She was like a statue, a fragile glass figurine, about to shatter in the slightest breeze.

She looked at the grains of sand, the remnants of Akhe’s heart, the heart she had given her so readily.

The heart that represented Akhe’s life…

So…

The possibility hung heavy in the air, but Xiang Er couldn’t bring herself to think it, to even form the words in her mind.

She seemed to be standing there, but her soul was already running, lost in a boundless fog, a soul shattered, crushed, burned… twisted into something grotesque and unfamiliar.

She turned her hand over.

The remaining grains of sand fell to the floor, a small pile of dust.

A tiny grave.

Xiang Er climbed into bed, exhausted, too tired to do anything, to even think.

She lay there quietly, then reached under her pillow and pulled out a rusty piece of metal.

The familiar piece of metal, stained with dark, dried blood, and Xiang Er stared at it, a bitter, ironic smile touching her lips.

She had hated that creature, once.

But now… she didn’t even know, without it…

How could she even live?

Humans… were truly ridiculous creatures.

But Xiang Er understood now, the most intense hatred was often born from the deepest love. Even now, remembering the times she had hated Akhe, she could still sense the underlying affection.

She had loved Akhe, and that’s why she had hated her lies, her manipulations, her imprisonment, her well-intentioned, sincere confessions, her lavish gifts, her sudden departure.

And most of all, she hated that Akhe’s heart had shattered!

She hated her so much… and yet, she also loved her.

But perhaps… there was still hope… perhaps there was an afterlife, reincarnation, those comforting human inventions, she hoped they were real.

She wanted to see Akhe again, that so-called Evil God, and tell her: I hate you.

I will always hate you for what you did to me.

I will always hate you…

Xiang Er smiled, lifted the rusty piece of metal, and with a swift, determined motion, plunged it towards her neck!

But the metal stopped, millimeters from her skin, a layer of black slime appearing, its darkness spreading across her neck.

Xiang Er pressed harder, the metal sinking into something soft and viscous. She couldn’t see her neck, she thought she had pierced her skin, and she twisted the metal, wanting to sever the flesh, the blood vessels beneath.

But the metal, after a moment, lost its sharpness.

It vanished, absorbed by the black slime.

Xiang Er frowned, and her fingers, the metal gone, touched her neck.

A sticky, viscous substance, like a swamp, clinging to her skin… she lifted her fingers, their tips coated in black slime.

She knew this substance too well.

She had seen this black slime countless times, on this very bed, she hated it more than the tentacles, and after their reconciliation, Akhe had been careful to keep it away from her.

But now…

Xiang Er stared at her fingers, her eyes widening, a sudden rush of emotions, and tears streamed down her face.

This was a part of Akhe!

Akhe had left a part of herself behind!

Akhe was still here… with her!

Xiang Er quickly wiped away her tears, grabbed her blanket, climbed out of bed, and, stumbling slightly, ran to the bathroom, to look at her neck in the mirror.

The woman in the mirror was a stranger. She couldn’t remember the last time she had looked at herself, and she stared at her reflection for a long time, before realizing it was her.

Her face was gaunt, her cheekbones and jawline sharp, almost piercing her skin, her features harsh, her amber eyes unusually large, dark circles beneath them.

Her lips were pale, almost blue, and yet, the lips Akhe had loved so much, Xiang Er touched them, her fingers tracing their dry, chapped surface.

When… had she become like this?

Xiang Er looked down again, the black slime on her fingertips gone, no trace of it on her neck either.

But she knew it was there.

She knew… she looked at her reflection, its eyes strangely bright in its gaunt, haggard face, and she started to cry again.

Tears traced paths down her dry, cracked skin, along the deep lines of her dark circles, across her cheekbones and hollow cheeks, a shimmering, wet sheen, like a fragile shell.

A tear fell to the floor, and Xiang Er wiped her eyes, turned, and walked towards the door.

After forty-two days, she finally left the apartment, leaving the empty, silent rooms behind, without looking back.

She carried Akhe’s gift, a protective shell.

Ready to conquer the universe.

That morning, a rare, global catastrophe struck, a simultaneous occurrence of countless, inexplicable natural disasters and anomalies, humans and animals mutating, rampaging through cities, chaos and destruction everywhere.

All anomaly detection devices, at the same moment, registered a massive energy surge, overloading their systems, rendering them useless.

Humanity, in the face of such power, was helpless.

The Western world’s order crumbled, other regions, already unstable, descending further into chaos. Only Hua Guo maintained a semblance of order, its military and police forces organizing evacuations, the Special Investigations Bureau abandoning all secrecy protocols, its investigators openly using their abilities to fight the mutated monsters.

But even among the investigators, many had succumbed to the mutations, turning into monsters themselves! The remaining investigators, outnumbered and overwhelmed, fought on, on the verge of collapse.

But they all knew, deep down, that the planet’s destruction… was only a matter of time.

And judging by the current situation, the deity who had gone to fight for the planet… was most likely dead.

The investigators were filled with sorrow, especially those in Hua Guo who had fought alongside her, they had considered her a comrade, a friend.

But no matter the chaos, no matter how overwhelmed they were, the moment Xiang Er opened her apartment door…

An Yue appeared, racing up the stairs, meeting Xiang Er on the fifth floor.

An Yue’s eyes were filled with a suppressed grief, and seeing Xiang Er, she quickly prepared some comforting words, but…

Xiang Er, her gaze intense, suddenly lashed out!

An Yue, caught off guard, felt the steel dagger at her waist being snatched away!

“What are you doing?!”

An Yue shouted, reaching for the dagger, but Xiang Er just smiled, her eyes, in the dim light of the stairwell, like blood-red azaleas, a dangerous glint, a hint of… madness.

Xiang Er lifted the dagger and plunged it towards her own neck!

An Yue, unable to bear the sight, closed her eyes, her heart sinking: It’s over, it’s all over, the planet is doomed, humanity is doomed!

She waited for the blood to splatter, but after a moment, she heard Xiang Er’s laughter, a broken, halting sound.

“Hehe… hehehe…”

The eerie laughter echoed through the dim stairwell.

An Yue opened her eyes and saw…

A layer of black substance, swirling and coiling, covering Xiang Er’s slender neck, a familiar sight… like…

Xiang Er laughed, a wild, unrestrained laugh, and she lifted the dagger again, aiming for other vital points, her neck, her wrists, her heart, her stomach… black slime appearing wherever the blade touched.

An Yue, stunned, whispered:

“Is that…”

Xiang Er smiled, a sweet, almost girlish smile, her arms wrapped around herself:

“It’s her.”

An Yue’s eyes lit up. She didn’t know what it meant yet, but she felt… a flicker of hope for humanity.

As expected… the fate of humanity, the fate of the planet, rested on Xiang Er’s shoulders!

She was the Evil God’s lover, and humanity’s last hope!

Soon.

At the site of a Class S+ monster attack, the investigators, exhausted and on the verge of collapse, suddenly saw a helicopter approaching, its doors opening.

Inside the helicopter, a small, slender girl in a white dress calmly extended her hand.

The Class S+ monster, about to swat the helicopter away, its massive claw reaching out, suddenly vanished, as if absorbed by the girl’s touch!

In the blink of an eye, the monster, which had been impervious to the attacks of dozens of investigators, was completely devoured, gone!

Inside the helicopter, more black slime appeared on the girl’s arm, and she gently caressed the writhing mass, her gaze filled with a tender affection.

The scene was so powerful, so surreal, that the investigators on the ground could only stare, a sudden urge to kneel, to worship, overcoming them.

The girl, of course, was Xiang Er.

An Yue, beside her, breathed a sigh of relief and asked Xiang Er:

“Do you need to rest?”

Xiang Er, her gaze fixed on the slime on her arm, whispered:

“Continue, it needs more, I can feel it…”

The helicopter immediately flew towards another monster attack site, and Xiang Er sat down, gently stroking the slime on her arm, the wind whipping through her hair.

She didn’t know what would happen, but she had a feeling, a strange premonition.

A smile played on her lips, her eyes filled with hope and love.

That love, a beacon in the chaotic universe, the brightest light in the darkest sea.

She loved her, and so…

She would return!

Chapter 95: The Wish

Autumn rain was very different from the torrential downpours of summer. Summer rain was violent and forceful, beating against the earth like a rock and roll drumbeat, relentless and unrestrained; autumn rain, however, was melancholic and lingering, a lament for lost love, its droplets shattering like fragile tears, scattering across the ground.

The autumn rain fell on the balcony, on the camphor tree, into the room.

Xiang Er opened all the windows and stood there, letting the rain soak her hair, her face, her eyes, her entire body.

She felt parched, despite the rain, her heart a desert, her tears dry and brittle, unlike the soft, gentle rain.

The doctor used to visit three times a day, then, after being kicked by Xiang Er, had reduced his visits to once a day. Recently, he hadn’t dared to come at all, Xiang Er’s condition worsening, her refusal to see anyone intensifying.

The state had arranged for the best therapists, but it was no use, Xiang Er would become violent, throwing them out, refusing to listen to a word they said.

But autumn still arrived, and Xiang Er, who hadn’t seen Akhe return in late summer, continued to wait.

If Akhe didn’t return today, she would wait tomorrow.

Damn it, telling her not to wait, how dare she interfere, she would wait, for as long as it took.

Xiang Er stood in the rain, her face turned towards the sky, the grey clouds heavy, the rain like needles, piercing her eyes.

She stared, her eyes stinging, but she didn’t blink. She wanted to see through the sky, beyond it, to the furthest reaches… she wanted to see Akhe.

But she couldn’t see, she couldn’t see anything.

She screamed in frustration, her throat raw, the rain pouring down her throat, a salty, metallic taste.

She turned and spat out a mouthful of blood, watching it mix with the rain.

At first, An Yue and the others, worried about Xiang Er’s suicidal tendencies, had installed security cameras in the apartment, but Xiang Er had quickly destroyed them.

Xiang Er found it ridiculous, suicide? How could she commit suicide, she hadn’t seen Akhe return, how could she possibly…

She had to take care of herself, live her life, wait for Akhe’s triumphant return… she had tried, in the beginning, she had really tried.

She would wake up every morning at the same time, wash up, go to the kitchen and attempt to make breakfast, the results always a disaster, inedible, yet she would force herself to eat it, then wash the dishes. After breakfast, she would take the small eyeball for a walk, holding its black tentacle, strolling through the compound, looking at the flowers, the trees, buying some groceries and fresh flowers. Back in the apartment, she would have lunch, then read or practice calligraphy, and when it was time, she would go to bed.

She never closed her bedroom door.

But every night, the investigators stationed nearby would hear her screams, her cries, her hysterical laughter.

They all knew she was losing her mind.

But the next morning, she would wake up at the same time, and repeat the same routine.

After a while, the nightly madness intensified, the daytime walks with the small eyeball growing shorter and shorter.

The small eyeball had stopped speaking, its slit-like mouth opening and closing, only incoherent babbling sounds escaping, its face contorted in pain, its tentacles limp and listless.

Xiang Er would hold it and say:

“Say ‘Mommy,’ say ‘Mommy!’”

The small eyeball would open its mouth, but no words came out, its tentacles weak and limp.

It spent more and more time sleeping.

Soon, Xiang Er could no longer maintain her routine, she couldn’t take the small eyeball for walks anymore, and her carefully constructed schedule crumbled.

Xiang Er stopped getting out of bed, stopped eating, stopped sleeping, wandering through the apartment like a ghost, wrapped in layers of blankets.

Blankets knitted by Akhe.

She wandered, holding the small eyeball, crying and screaming in the dark, empty rooms, until her eyes were red and swollen, then collapsing onto the floor, falling asleep.

Every night, she went to bed with a sliver of hope, praying that when she woke up, Akhe would be there.

But after so many disappointments, she didn’t even want to sleep anymore.

Anything remotely dangerous had been removed from the apartment, and An Yue would come every day with a doctor, to check on Xiang Er, to forcibly administer tranquilizers and nutritional supplements.

Everyone knew this couldn’t continue, but… there was nothing else they could do.

No one knew if, or when, Akhe would return, or how long Xiang Er’s current state would last.

An Yue even tried to heal the small eyeball, but human understanding of such entities was limited, and the small eyeball just continued to weaken, with no other obvious symptoms.

An Yue considered taking the small eyeball, as instructed in the letter, to provide it with better care.

But as soon as she said:

“Maybe we should take the small eyeball to the hospital…”

Xiang Er stared at her, her gaze intense, her body huddled on the sofa, her arms wrapped around herself, like a protective mother.

There wasn’t much sanity left in Xiang Er’s eyes.

Her amber eyes, dilated from the darkness, stared blankly, unblinking, their gaze cold and distant.

An Yue chuckled awkwardly:

“Forget I said anything.”

Xiang Er looked away, cradling the sleeping small eyeball, gently kissing its head.

The small eyeball, with a tentacle, nuzzled against the warmth of Xiang Er’s neck, its eye closed, and continued to sleep.

Every day now was a torment for Xiang Er, a slow descent into madness, and An Yue, watching, felt a growing sense of helplessness.

By October, Xiang Er had developed a tolerance to the medication, the sleeping pills and tranquilizers no longer effective, requiring stronger, more experimental drugs, with potentially harmful side effects.

Another sleepless night, Xiang Er sat by the window, her body thin and frail, her skin pale as paper, as if it might crumble at the slightest touch.

She liked watching the sunrise from the window, the warmth of the sun a reminder that she was still alive.

But it had been raining constantly lately, no sunrises, and she felt herself decaying, a growing suspicion that she was already dead, only a lingering attachment keeping her tethered to this world.

The small eyeball had been asleep for three days now, and for three days, she hadn’t slept, hadn’t eaten or drunk anything, just holding the small eyeball close.

The room was as silent as a cave in the heart of a snowy mountain.

A faint touch on her finger made Xiang Er’s body stiffen, and she looked down.

A thin, black tentacle was clinging to her finger.

A flicker of hope, a long-forgotten emotion, and she thought the small eyeball had woken up, and she followed the tentacle with her gaze…

An egg.

The small eyeball… had become an egg.

A translucent egg, the size of her fist, thin, black tentacles, like veins, pulsing faintly on its surface.

Xiang Er lifted her hand, holding the egg up to the light, a dark mass visible within the translucent shell.

And the black tentacle on her finger, slowly, withered.

It became a thin, black thread, and fell away.

Gone.

Xiang Er stared at the egg, her vision blurred by the misty morning light.

She slowly climbed down from the windowsill, cradling the egg, her movements slow and deliberate.

Her legs, thin as matchsticks, no longer moved with their usual grace, she shuffled forward, like a cave dweller, wrapped in a faded, worn blanket.

Through the bedroom door, through the living room, through the dining room.

She reached the refrigerator.

Her hand, trembling, like a withered branch, opened the refrigerator door. It was empty, but spotlessly clean.

Xiang Er no longer felt the cold, and she wondered if it was plugged in, but the light was on. But it wasn’t cold.

She held the egg, examining it one last time. A dark mass within the pale grey shell, the veins on its surface no longer pulsing.

Utterly still.

The hum of the refrigerator was clearly audible.

It wasn’t cold, the coldness was in her heart.

Xiang Er’s lips moved, and she kissed the eggshell, a silent farewell.

A faint red glow emanated from the eggshell, a fleeting flicker, like a hallucination.

Xiang Er placed the egg in the refrigerator.

She closed the door.

And for a moment, she was transported back to that evening, a naive, unsuspecting girl, returning home from work, opening the refrigerator, seeing an egg inside, and screaming in fright.

Xiang Er opened her mouth, a silent scream. But her voice, hoarse and raspy, like an old woman’s, couldn’t form a proper sound, just a broken, guttural cry:

“Ah… ah… guh… ah…”

She screamed, just like she had that evening, the first time she had seen the egg, she screamed.

It wouldn’t die, it would be okay.

Xiang Er opened the refrigerator door again, looking inside. The egg lay motionless on the shelf, no red glow, no pulsing veins, no shimmering light, nothing.

Xiang Er closed the refrigerator door.

She shuffled forward, her movements slow and uncertain, unsure where she was going.

There was nothing… no life left in this room. She herself was barely alive.

She sat down heavily on the floor, her thin body hitting the hard surface, a sharp pain in her hip, and she smiled, a bitter, broken smile.

Tears, thick and cloudy, streamed down her face.

Her voice, for once, clear and steady, said:

“Akhe, my wish is… for you to come back.”

The words echoed through the quiet, empty apartment, the dim morning light filtering through the balcony window.

Xiang Er suddenly saw a red glow, a brilliant red light filling the room.

Her heart leaped, a sudden, sharp pang, and she stood up, clutching her chest, and ran to her bedroom, opening her bedside table drawer.

There, the translucent, heart-shaped gem.

The gem… was glowing!

A brilliant red light, illuminating the entire room! A clear, beautiful, dazzling red light!

Xiang Er stared, her eyes wide with disbelief, her breath catching in her throat, her eyes stinging, she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time!

It was Akhe’s heart! Akhe had answered her wish, no matter when, no matter where… Akhe always answered her wishes!

Xiang Er reached out, her hand trembling as she carefully touched the heart-shaped gem, lifting it from the drawer, holding it up to the light…

Then… a soft “crack.”

A very soft, almost inaudible sound.

At the peak of its brilliance…

The heart shattered.

Crumbling into dust in her hand, fine grains of sand slipping through her fingers, falling to the floor.

Chapter 94: Split

For a long time, Xiang Er couldn’t understand the words.

Outside, the sun shone brightly, birds chirped, insects buzzed, a vibrant, lively scene, but the room was unusually cold, a chill running down her spine.

She reread the letter, its delicate paper carrying a faint fragrance, several times, recognizing each individual character, yet their meaning eluded her.

She clutched the paper, confused, and turned to sit down on the sofa, but the world suddenly tilted… and she collapsed, unconscious.

She didn’t know how much time had passed.

Xiang Er was awakened by a cacophony of voices, her mind slowly returning, and she found herself in a sterile white hospital room, wearing a hospital gown, lying in a bed.

Beside her pillow, a small, black sphere was crouching, and seeing her awake, it opened its single eye, its eyelid drooping, then extended a tentacle, carefully placing it on Xiang Er’s forehead.

Xiang Er was confused. Was that the small eyeball? Why was it here, in the hospital with her? What had happened?

And the most important question, the question that filled her with a growing unease.

Her throat parched, she tentatively called out:

“A… Akhe…”

Several people immediately rushed into the room, some in white coats, some in uniforms, only An Yue a familiar face.

Xiang Er gave An Yue a questioning look as the doctors examined her, their instruments beeping and whirring. She noticed that they seemed to be accustomed to the small eyeball, they could see it, they weren’t surprised, just gently pushing it aside so it wouldn’t interfere with their examination.

An Yue gave her a reassuring look, her hands in her pockets, her demeanor slightly awkward as she stood by the door.

After the doctors left, their instruments packed away, they spoke briefly to An Yue, who nodded, her expression grave.

Xiang Er’s gaze remained fixed on An Yue, and when An Yue finally looked at her, she immediately asked:

“Where’s Akhe?”

An Yue opened her mouth, then closed it again. Xiang Er, her patience wearing thin, frowned:

“Is she… on another mission? When will she be back?”

An Yue’s eyes widened in surprise:

“Huh?”

Xiang Er:

“Isn’t she? I’m in the hospital, why isn’t she here?”

An Yue’s expression turned complex, and after a moment, she finally said:

“Do you… remember the letter?”

Letter? What letter? Xiang Er didn’t remember any letter, she only remembered Akhe driving her to the mountains, and then her memory was a blank, until she woke up here.

Had they been attacked in the mountains?

An Yue, after a moment of thought, winced as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a sealed plastic bag containing a piece of paper, which she handed to Xiang Er.

Xiang Er took the paper and stared at it.

She recognized every word, but their meaning eluded her. And the signature, Akhe? Why? Why would Akhe write her a letter, weren’t they together every day?

Vague images surfaced, the black stream in the mountains, the giant pillars of the temple… the human skulls, the blue flames, and… the red heart.

Before she could piece together the fragments of memory, a wave of panic made her gasp, her heart pounding, her breath coming in ragged gasps.

She clutched at her chest, frantically searching:

“Where is it? Where’s my heart?”

An Yue asked:

“What heart?”

Xiang Er, gasping for air like a beached fish, her chest heaving, her voice hoarse and broken, managed to say:

“I have to go back!”

An Yue didn’t argue, didn’t try to stop her, just opened the door.

But outside wasn’t the hospital corridor, but a road, a police car waiting, its door open. Xiang Er immediately got out of bed, grabbed the small eyeball, tucked it into her pocket, and jumped into the car.

This “special ward” had been hastily set up for her, right next to her apartment building, and the car, after a few minutes, reached the building, stopping at the entrance. Xiang Er jumped out and ran inside.

Her body, strengthened by months of exposure to the Cthulhu’s… fluids, was now surprisingly resilient, and An Yue, running after her, could barely keep up. Within a minute, Xiang Er had reached the sixth floor, stopping in front of her apartment door.

She didn’t have her key, and An Yue, catching up, took out a key and was about to unlock the door, when Xiang Er snatched it from her hand:

“I’ll do it.”

It had been over six months since Xiang Er had last touched her apartment key.

The cold, hard metal pricked her palm, and she fumbled with the lock, her hand trembling, like a willow branch in the wind.

She must be tired from running.

She took a deep breath, inserted the key into the lock, and turned it.

The familiar creaking sound. Surely, this would be enough to make Akhe come and greet her, wouldn’t it?

She didn’t push the door open, waiting for Akhe’s tentacles to open it for her. But… the door didn’t move.

After a long moment, An Yue reached out and opened the door. Xiang Er hesitated, then stepped inside.

The slippers by the door were neatly arranged, Akhe’s fluffy rabbit slippers for winter, and the red woven slippers for summer.

Both pairs were there.

Xiang Er walked inside, the small eyeball jumping from her hand and rolling listlessly across the floor.

The memories gradually returned, and Xiang Er remembered… last time, she had also searched the entire apartment, but Akhe had been gone, not a single tentacle in sight.

She looked at the letter she had been clutching, trying to decipher the words, it seemed… it said that… Akhe had left?

She turned to An Yue:

“Akhe’s not home?”

An Yue nodded sympathetically.

Xiang Er looked at the letter again, but she refused to understand.

She handed the letter to An Yue, her eyes closed, and said:

“What does it say? Explain it to me.”

An Yue looked at the letter, then at Xiang Er, and felt that this was the most difficult mission she had ever been assigned.

She carefully chose her words:

“It says… that… another Cthulhu-like entity has appeared near this planet, and Akhe has to go and… negotiate with it, which means… Akhe has to leave this planet for a while, and you should… take care of yourself, and wait for her to return… that’s… what it says.”

An Yue tried her best to sugarcoat the message, hoping it sounded optimistic, hoping it would be enough.

She looked at Xiang Er.

Xiang Er had been unconscious in the hospital for three days, waking up only in the late afternoon, the fiery glow of sunset filling the sky, the clouds like a painted landscape, the golden light illuminating her face.

She stood there, silently, like a withered branch on a snowy mountain, like a defiant antler in the desert.

Her pale, thin face, half in shadow, half illuminated by the golden light, a strange juxtaposition of warmth and coldness.

Her eyes, normally soft and timid, were now dull and vacant, devoid of emotion.

She looked like… a hollow clay statue, its eyes unpainted, its ribbons gone, its form rough and lifeless.

An Yue’s heart sank.

After a long silence, Xiang Er finally spoke.

Her lips, pale and dry, like paper, whispered:

“The letter said… not to wait for her to return. What does that mean?”

An Yue’s heart ached for her, and she stammered, trying to find the right words:

“She didn’t mean it like that… she just… wants you to live your life…”

But Xiang Er’s gaze was fixed on a point on the wall, as if seeing something invisible, her voice a harsh, metallic rasp:

“She’s going to die, isn’t she? She’s gone to fight, and she’s going to die! Ahahahaha!!! She’s going to die!!!”

She suddenly burst into laughter, a hysterical, unrestrained laughter, her hands flailing, as if she had discovered some secret incantation, pacing the room, her movements erratic, her laughter and screams echoing.

“Ah!!! She’s going to die!!! She’s going to die, hahahahaha!!! Aaaaaaaaaaah!!!!!”

An Yue rushed forward, using her combat skills to restrain her, pushing her onto the sofa, trying to calm her down, but Xiang Er, even with her limbs held captive, continued to scream:

“She’s going to die!!! She’s going to die!!! Do you know why she’s going to die? It’s because of me!!! I told her to die, and she’s going to die, ahahahaha!!! Wuwuwu, aaaaaaaah, it’s because of me!!!!”

She suddenly arched her neck back and vomited, a retching sound.

Having not eaten or drunk anything for three days, it was just bile.

An Yue quickly dodged, but some of it splattered on her arm, and she patiently cleaned it up.

Xiang Er’s vomiting fit subsided, and she lay on the sofa, her body covered in her own vomit, her clothes stained.

She stared blankly at the ceiling, her throat burning, her voice a hoarse whisper, repeating over and over:

“I did this… I killed her… I cursed her… she’s dead, she’s going to die…”

An Yue looked at her. She no longer looked human, like a beautiful corpse, drained of blood, her skin deathly pale, yet her eyes wide and staring, not a single tear.

Her hospital gown was stained with green bile, the stench overwhelming, but Xiang Er seemed oblivious to it, just repeating those words, over and over.

Just like the doctors had said, her physical health was perfect, but her mental state… early signs of schizophrenia, delusions, hallucinations, mania, compulsive repetition… she should be hospitalized.

But… no one dared commit the Cthulhu’s lover to a mental institution.

An Yue sighed and, grabbing a cloth, was about to clean up the mess…

When she was stopped by several thin tentacles.

It was the small eyeball’s tentacles, An Yue recognized them. It was supposedly Akhe and Xiang Er’s pet, harmless, just a bit… polluting.

The small eyeball, using its tentacles, took the cloth, then some tissues and wet wipes, and, its spherical body bouncing, hopped onto the sofa, carefully cleaning Xiang Er.

It wiped the vomit from her clothes, then gently cleaned her face.

Xiang Er didn’t move, her eyes fixed on the ceiling, like a doll’s, unseeing, unaware of who was cleaning her.

Then… a strange, childlike wail echoed through the room.

Night had fallen, the light fading, the room almost completely dark, the delusional patient muttering incoherently.

And in this setting, a sudden, childish wail, filled with sorrow and anguish… made An Yue jump, and she quickly switched on the light.

The old light fixture flickered, then bathed the room in a harsh, bright light, and from Xiang Er’s wide, staring eyes, tears finally began to flow.

The wailing was close.

Xiang Er slowly turned her head, her gaze falling on her own chest.

The small eyeball, its blood-red eye filled with tears, was clinging to her, its thin, black tentacles spread out like weeds, its cries soaking Xiang Er’s clothes.

The small eyeball looked at Xiang Er, its slit-like mouth wide open, its cries even louder:

“Waaaaah—guwah—”

Xiang Er stared at the small eyeball, her gaze regaining some focus, as if finally realizing she was back in the real world.

An Yue, seizing the opportunity, said:

“Look, you still have a child, you can’t fall apart now.”

Xiang Er didn’t respond, didn’t move.

Just as An Yue thought she hadn’t heard, Xiang Er suddenly moved.

She raised a trembling hand and gently touched the top of the small eyeball’s head. A few tentacles immediately wrapped around her finger, and the small eyeball, its cries turning into soft sobs, its tears flowing even more freely, its mouth wide open, its voice filled with anguish and longing:

“Mom… Mommy… wuwuwu… Mommy…”

Xiang Er’s lips trembled, her muttering stopped, her gaze finally finding a focal point.

Tears streamed down her face as she hugged the small eyeball close, finally letting herself cry.