Chapter 108: Three Lucky Things in Life
“I desperately brewed healing potions, saving as many lives as I could. People praised me, calling me the little hero of Lavoisier City. They brought gifts and blessings to my home.”
Rebecca’s voice choked with emotion. Abyss, realizing he couldn’t just sit there while she cried, gently wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. Rebecca trembled slightly at his touch, then relaxed, leaning her head against his chest, inhaling the scent of herbs that clung to him.
“Every word of praise felt like a dagger piercing my heart… The guilt was unbearable. I couldn’t tell anyone that I had created that potion, that I had sold the formula to those gangsters for a paltry sum,” Rebecca said, her voice muffled against his chest, her words sending shivers down his spine. “I buried this secret deep inside, never telling anyone. Only my mother knew, and she kept it to herself, fearing I would be ostracized… until her death.”
“Those gangsters are the ones responsible. You only wanted to help people,” Abyss said softly, comforting her. “If you had known they would use your invention for violence, you wouldn’t have agreed.”
“No, it’s not like that…” Rebecca said, shaking her head in his embrace. “Even if I had no ill intentions, even if I was deceived… It doesn’t change the fact that innocent people died because of me. So many families were torn apart, so many lives lost in that fire. I couldn’t face the people of Lavoisier City. I felt like a monster…”
Abyss leaned his cheek against her hair, gently stroking her back, trying to comfort her with his warmth.
“From that day forward, I lived with this guilt, never sharing my research with anyone. It became my eternal burden. The guilt for those who died, those who were injured, those who lost their loved ones, weighed heavily on my heart. I tried to forget, but my conscience wouldn’t allow it. It tormented me constantly, punishing me, the reckless, greedy, attention-seeking Rebecca. I hated those gangsters. I wanted revenge, to punish them, but nothing could bring back those lost lives.”
Rebecca stopped crying, her sobs subsiding. She pulled away from his embrace.
“I have to go back in time, to save those people. Only then can I find peace. Otherwise, I’ll never forgive myself… The reason I risked so much to explore other worlds, the reason I dedicated myself to this research, was because of my fear… Sometimes, I thought it would be easier to just die. And I did die. But after you resurrected me, I still wanted to continue my research, to pursue the secrets of magic, until I could create that time machine and save those victims.”
Abyss gently wiped away her tears. “I’ll help you, no matter how difficult it might be.”
Her plan was crazy, childish even, but he wouldn’t dismiss it. He was a dreamer himself, driven by a seemingly impossible goal: to kill the Creator God for allowing the world to be destroyed. It sounded like the ramblings of a child, yet he was pursuing it, and he had made some progress. If he could achieve that, why couldn’t Rebecca’s dream be realized?
“Thank you, Abyss. I can always trust you,” Rebecca said, forcing a smile. “With your help, I’ll find a way to save those I harmed.”
“Alright, after we deal with the Lord of Nightmares and fulfill Leona’s wish, we’ll visit the mage who created spatial magic. I believe he was an elf, buried somewhere in the Elven Kingdoms. We can dig him up along with that genius Druid,” Abyss said, wiping away the last of her tears. “He might have been dead for centuries, and his body might be gone, but as long as I can find his soul, we can talk. I’m sure he would be happy to know that someone is continuing his research.”
“Yes! It’s a promise!” Rebecca said, nodding firmly.
After their conversation, Abyss felt a shift within him, as if a switch had been flipped in his brain. A new sensation filled him, a sense of clarity and heightened awareness, like a window opening in a stuffy room, letting in fresh air. His mind felt sharper, ideas blooming like flowers in spring. He looked at the potions and ingredients before him, and designs for new potions, new combinations, filled his mind. His knowledge of herbs, once dormant, was now fully activated, each ingredient a shining star in his memory.
It was the necromantic link, sharing a portion of Rebecca’s talent with him as a tribute. It meant she had finally opened her heart to him.
After all they had been through, she finally trusted him enough to share her deepest secret.
Abyss was pleased. He hadn’t done anything special to earn her trust, simply being himself, acting with sincerity. This was the outcome he had desired.
“Now that you’ve entrusted me with your secret, I won’t let you down. This is my promise to you,” Rebecca said, wiping away her tears, her eyes still red, but her gaze now determined. “I’ll also do everything I can to help you. We’ve decided to confront the Lord of Nightmares. We won’t let him get away with this, even if he’s a god.”
“Having you by my side is one of the three luckiest things in my life,” Abyss said, grinning.
“Ah… I wish you had lied and said I was the only lucky thing in your life. It wouldn’t be fair to Flora and Leona, though,” Rebecca said, chuckling. “But… that’s just like you. I like that you don’t lie to me.”
“Well… I do lie sometimes, but I promise I’ll always be on your side.”
“That’s enough for me. Please, never abandon me,” Rebecca said, hugging his arm. “Aah, I wish I could have your baby.”
“I wonder what kind of abilities a child born from a human and an undead would have,” Abyss said, nodding thoughtfully.
Rebecca blushed, playfully slapping his chest. “You’re supposed to be embarrassed!”
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