Subliminal Wayfarer

How long had passed?

His consciousness was fading in and out.

The only thing that faintly held his consciousness together was the name ‘Rosetta.’

“Quite resistant.”

“Yeah, how could he not scream even once? Anyway, this should be enough, right?”

“Yeah, looks sufficient…”

“Then let’s inform him quickly and prepare to move.”

Several began drawing magic circles on the ground. Then they threw Cassion’s body onto the magic circle without care.

His body, tossed aside, screamed in pain.

Cassion, struggling to open his eyes glued shut with thick liquid, surveyed his surroundings.

“Hey, the signal’s here. Seems like it’s time to go.”

“Did you confirm the coordinates?”

“Yes, to his location.”

At that, the cloaked group all stepped onto the magic circle.

Clasping one another’s hands, they chanted an indistinct spell.

And soon, the surroundings shone brightly, whipping up a sandstorm.

 

* * *

 

“How do you like the gift I prepared for you, Rosetta?”

A gentle voice reached Rosetta’s ears.

She abruptly turned her head, her bitten lips red and pale.

“…What is this.”

“What do you mean? I brought him here thinking you’d like it. Don’t you? Should I get rid of him right now?”

“Urien!”

Rosetta’s voice rose in volume, and Daniel laughed pleasingly.

The greater the desperation, the greater the shock.

Then she would finally give up on her pointless thoughts.

Like daring to have feelings for another man.

Ah.

Just the thought soured his mood.

Daniel twisted a smirk and turned away from Rosetta, signaling the group.

“Finish it.”

With his short command.

“No!”

Rosetta screamed in agony, but the cloaked figures didn’t stop.

They all reached out towards the prone Cassion.

Something flickered in their palms, blue, red, and black. Clearly ominous at first sight.

“Stop! Stop it, you bastards!”

In a voice caught between pleading and commanding, Rosetta screamed as the light around Cassion intensified.

Cassion, struggling to lift his head, faintly moved his immobile lips.

“I’m… fine… Rosetta… just… escape… be happy…”

“NO!”

With a burst of ominous black light, Rosetta’s scream intertwined with the darkness.

She closed her eyes tightly, her head dropping heavily.

The shock was immense, like being struck on the back of the head.

Where had it all gone wrong?

‘Is it all over now… truly over…?’

Cassion was dead. She was in Urien’s clutches. It all ended in such a mess.

All because of her.

‘Ah, I really am…’

Indeed, no different from the past.

Tears and hollow laughter mixed.

It was a mess.

Rosetta’s hand fumbled with the necklace around her neck.

If only she had used it without hesitation, perhaps this outcome could have been avoided.

Regret washed over her.

And then,

“…What?”

Next to her, Daniel’s puzzled voice echoed.

Rosetta’s eyes snapped open.

…Something was there… a flicker of hope.

If his plan had been completely successful, he wouldn’t be so flustered.

Yes, so maybe Cassion…

Slowly raising her head, Rosetta’s vision cleared.

What she saw was a hard, turtle-shell-like barrier wrapped around Cassion’s body.

Inside, Cassion was intact.

It seemed like he had lost consciousness, but his chest was still heaving.

He was still breathing.

‘Could that be…?’

Rosetta’s gaze drifted to Cassion’s neck.

From a distance, it was hard to see clearly, but a thin silver thread protruded from between his clothes.

And the red gemstone on the necklace…

‘It’s broken!’

That was the necklace Rosetta had given to Cassion before he left.

A collaboration between Blanca and Riddle.

Just once.

A one-time protection in a dire crisis—that description flashed through her mind.

The magical device had activated just in time.

Rosetta sighed with relief, calming her startled heart.

Meanwhile, the enemies were thrown into confusion.

“What the hell is that?!”

“We… We don’t know.”

“We definitely attacked with all our might….”

As the men stuttered their excuses, they suddenly stopped speaking and clutched their throats.

Coughing harshly, their eyes rolled back, and they began to collapse one by one.

“What… what did you do to us…?”

The last man standing glared resentfully at Urien before following his comrades.

Urien watched the scene blankly, then irritably ran a hand through his hair.

“Looks like they really did use all their strength… So what the hell is that thing?”

Muttering to himself, he abruptly turned to look at Rosetta.

“Just wait, Rosetta. I’ll figure it out soon and deal with it.”

This crazy bastard.

Rosetta stared coldly at Urien’s retreating back.

The shock of almost witnessing Cassion’s death had passed, leaving her unnaturally calm.

Yes, she had been careless.

She had never imagined Urien would publicly take her away, even with the imperial investigator right there.

Even if she had known, there would have been no way to avoid it.

Nevertheless.

It’s not like she had been idle all this time.

She had prepared as well.

Back then, when she had heard about the ‘imperial family’s sacred relic’ from Blanca…

She had considered that Urien might use it.

Using sheer force to overpower her in her current state would be difficult.

But with the imperial family’s sacred relic, which was capable of suppressing extraordinary abilities, that problem would be solved.

Though it would not be easy to access the imperial relic, Urien could probably manage it.

So, she thought.

If she was trapped in such a space, how could she escape?

How could she shake Urien?

And the conclusion was clear.

Rosetta stared at Urien.

He was crouching among the sprawled bodies, tapping the barrier surrounding Cassion.

He looked as innocent as a child playing in the sand.

Rosetta watched him and pulled at the necklace around her neck.

Snap—

With some force, the necklace easily broke.

It was designed to break easily in an emergency.

At the end of the necklace was a round green ornament.

At first glance, it looked like a small green gemstone the size of a fingernail, but upon closer inspection, it contained a sloshing green liquid.

Rosetta slowly brought it in front of her face.

“Urien.”

At her quiet call, Urien turned his head.

“Yes. Why do you call, Rosetta?”

His voice was incredibly affectionate.

Chillingly so.

Rosetta looked at him and smiled unnervingly.

Urien’s expression momentarily stiffened at her ominous smile.

His blue eyes belatedly noticed the strange gemstone in Rosetta’s hand.

“Rosetta, what is… that?”

Instead of answering, Rosetta just laughed deeper.

Then, she pushed the gemstone into her mouth.

“Farewell, Urien. Let’s not meet even in the next life.”

With those brief parting words, Rosetta clenched her jaw.

Crunch.

A sharp, cracking sound echoed from behind her red lips.

Urien’s blue eyes gazed at her dumbfoundedly as blood flowed from her lips and Rosetta began coughing violently, covering her mouth.

Her hand was soaked with red liquid.

Urien snapped back to reality, sensing the thick scent of death in the air.

“Ro… Rose… RITA!”

He rushed to the iron bars.

Rosetta’s body had already collapsed.

“Why did you do this? Why?!”

“I’d rather die than be caught by you again. This poison has no antidote. In less than ten minutes, I will be dead.”

She laughed sardonically.

“And that’s not all. After I die, my body will rapidly decompose. There will be nothing left, not even ashes. In the end, you will have nothing of me, Urien.”

Hahaha!

Her triumphant laughter resonated sharply.

Urien blinked, digesting her words.

‘Dead in ten minutes? Not even ashes left?’

That was unacceptable.

He had just managed to have her in his grasp.

Even if it were just her corpse, he could have lived with it…

But if not even ashes remained.

‘What’s left for me?’

No. It couldn’t be.

It couldn’t end like this.

Rosetta— No, Rita was supposed to be his forever.

Everything about her belonged to him.

Yes, mine.

Always had, always will.

But she kept slipping away like an eel, so he chased after her in this life.

And now, she was leaving again? Forever out of reach?

“…No. No!”

Screaming like a madman, Urien frantically reached through the bars.

Even without an antidote, his divine power should be able to save her.

Death loomed, but it wasn’t final yet.

There was still time.

But no matter how much divine power he poured, Rosetta’s body refused to absorb it.

Seemingly, the imperial relic’s suppression of abilities extended to the point where her body couldn’t even accept his divine power.

“Damn it!”

Urien cursed roughly, pulling out a key from his pocket.

The key to the cell he had ordered to be kept after dealing with the imperial investigator.

His hands shook as he inserted the key into the lock.

Several attempts missed their mark.

His usual composure was nowhere to be found.

It was a race against time.

With each passing moment, the aura of death grew stronger.

Finally, the lock clicked open, and the iron bars swung wide.

Urien hurried inside, scooped up the dying Rosetta, and carried her outside.

Rosetta, continuously spilling red blood and slumped lifelessly, looked up at the open sky and let out a laugh.

‘…As expected.’

Everything was unfolding just as she had planned.