Chương 23: Purple Forest

He wasn't proud of what he had done. Neither did he regret it. It was something that had to be done, so he could close that chapter of his life. The one that had pushed him toward a path of blood. A path of destruction. One he wouldn't be able to return from. That day had haunted him in his nightmares, just as the destruction of his village had. The things he had done. The innocent lives lost. It still weighed on him, but not as much as it had when he first woke from that frenzy.

He had promised himself that day that it would never happen again. A promise he had already broken. His mentor had kept him moving. Then his party. If not for them, he didn't know what would have become of him. Nothing good. That much he knew. His lips curled into a faint smile. The Demon King had given him another chance. A new life beyond the chains that had bound him. A chance to become something more. Something that might even make him happy. And… make his mentor proud. That was a good goal to have.

He would have to thank the Demon King. Maybe even learn his name, if he met him in this world. He had a feeling he would. The sun was already setting by the time he returned to the clearing. The smell of iron had only deepened. The soldiers were still harvesting materials. Two hours, and they hadn't stopped once. It was good to be a mage. He didn't have to do the dirty work. Just watch from a distance. Revel sat by a tree. The color had returned to her face some time ago. She was good.

Better than he had expected in the heat of battle. But she lacked confidence. She could do more than just support. Lira would be alone for a while. He just hoped they returned in time, before her cravings got worse. He didn't want her to go through that again. He didn't know anything about her. Now that he thought about it, he didn't know much about anyone around him. Not in this life. Not in the last one. At least not before his party. They hadn't given him a choice. He needed to try harder this time.

To get to know the people around him. That would be a step in the right direction. And it would make his mentor proud. He chuckled. His mentor wasn't hard to please. He stopped in front of Revel.

"You did well," Adolin said. She tilted her head.

"That was unexpected." She looked him over.

"After… well." She chuckled.

"Thanks, I guess." He didn't blame her. He had been overwhelmed by the attention himself. He sat down beside her.

"Your awareness is good, and your instincts are on point. But you rely too much on a single spell." She frowned slightly.

"And how would you know?"

"Oh," he chuckled.

"There's more to me than you think." He winked at her. He felt awkward the moment he did it. She was usually the one doing that. Revel stared at him, her eyes widening slightly. Then she laughed, softly at first, then louder. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

"Didn't know you had that side to you." He chuckled lightly.

"Only when I'm in a good mood."

"You are?" she pressed. He didn't answer right away.

"You could say that. The… fight brought back some memories," he said, looking up at the sky.

"Good? Bad?" she asked.

"A bit of both." She studied him for a moment.

"Looks like the good won." He just nodded. The sky had darkened, and the first stars had begun to pierce through it. They were quiet for a while. She said, "It brought some memories for me too. They weren't really good, but... I saw my brother's face again." She paused, taking a deep breath.

"It just, it calmed me. Gave me. Courage." When he was certain that she wouldn't continue again, he prompted, "Your brother?"

"Ry," she said.

"He was the eldest. The most talented. The smartest." Her expression softened, something dimming behind her eyes.

"He was the heir." She paused, her gaze drifting.

"He was supposed to lead us. He was supposed to live." She cleared her throat.

"He died," she said.

"Because of me." Well, that didn't go as he had hoped. Or maybe it did. If the goal was to grow closer to his party, then this was… one way to do it. Just not this fast. Not like this. He wasn't good at this. Comforting. Whatever he was supposed to do now. Revel was pulling him into it, whether he liked it or not.

"How did he die?" Her face darkened at that. She was probably reliving painful memories.

"He brought me to see the Purple Forest. It had always been my wish, ever since he told me about it. Maybe that's why purple became my favorite color." Her gaze drifted, unfocused.

"Trees as tall as the watchtowers in our estate, he said. Their branches spread wide, thick with violet flowers. Just like the stories we heard." She chuckled softly.

"Then he took me there. The forest was… disappointing." She hesitated.

"Well. It was beautiful. Just not as much as I expected. Not as much as he made it seem." She fell silent for a while.

"It happened then. A rift of corruption opened in the forest. And everything nearby… changed. The monsters, the air… all of it." She exhaled quietly.

"We didn't know. Ry didn't know. He thought he was taking me somewhere safe." She smiled faintly.

"It was. For a while. We spent half the day there. Running through the forest. Enjoying the view. The mana density. He even brought a picnic basket. We sat down. Ate together."

"Then it happened. Monsters poured through the forest. Their skin blackened, veins of green crawling across it. It was just like what had happened in Zent. Only this time, they were corrupted. Everything they touched… changed. They moved faster. Hit harder than they should have." Her fist clenched.

"First, the forest around us started changing. The wrongness in the air. Something… vile." She drew a slow breath.

"Then the flowers. The purple ones around us. They started to change. Green lines spread through them, and then they blackened." Her fingers tightened.

"It happened fast. Less than a minute. Before Ry even thought about corruption, the monsters were on us." Her voice faltered.

"His squad engaged them. They made us a way out. And we ran."

"He didn't hesitate. He left his men to die. Because of me." Her voice shook.

"I saw it in his eyes. He wanted to go back. To fight with them. But he had me to take care of."

"The monsters were everywhere. Behind us. In front of us." Her fingers trembled.

"He fought. And fought. Then he carried me. And kept fighting." Her voice broke.

"Because of me… because I…" She swallowed hard. A corrupted creature bit him."

"It… corrupted him." He could see her eyes glistening, a single tear running down her cheek. There was nothing he could say to comfort her. He wasn't even sure if she needed comforting. The best thing he could do was just listen. Well… that was the best he could come up with. Luc, or even Eve, would have known what to say. But not him. He did get a few more pieces of information about the corruption. But it wasn't enough to come to a conclusion. He decided to ask her. Just not today. Today was not the day for that.

She continued, "It didn't happen quickly. We didn't notice it at first. It was on his arm. If we had noticed it… we could have done something." She swallowed.

"We were deep in the forest. It took a long time to get out. He noticed it along the way. But he didn't say anything."

"I was too scared to even look at him. So I didn't know. Not until we left the forest. His whole arm was black. The green veins had started spreading through his body. It was too late. Too late. He told me not to worry. To run to the garrison. Said he would go back. Help his men.

""And I… did. I ran. As fast as I could. I didn't look back. That was the last time I saw him. I've thought about it. Countless times. He didn't want me to see him like that. What he would become. He didn't want to hurt me." Her eyes broke, and tears streamed down her face. Adolin stayed quiet, letting her get it out. Nothing came to mind, so he stayed that way. Well, his first attempt at bonding went… bonding. At least he learned something about his companion. Her head slipped onto his shoulder. She didn't move.

Just stayed there. Her tears kept coming, soaking into his shoulder. He felt the urge to click his tongue, but forced it down.