Reawakening: Primordial Dragon with Limitless Mana
Chapter 40: A glimpse of her madness

Chapter 40: A glimpse of her madness

"I’m coming with you," Rinne said firmly, without a hint of hesitation, after hearing Hades’s decision to accept the quest.

Hades let out a quiet sigh. "First, calm down and sit," he said, motioning toward the chair in front of him.

But Rinne didn’t budge. Her voice stayed steady as she repeated, "I don’t want to hear any reasons that would make you leave me behind."

Hades rubbed his forehead, clearly troubled. "I just want you to understand the risks of coming with me. So please, listen carefully."

Rinne stayed silent, but the fire in her eyes showed no signs of fading. She was ready to push back against anything that might separate them.

Hades spoke in a calm tone. "I don’t know why, but I feel like Cedric wasn’t the only one after me. Someone else at the academy is targeting me."

He paused, his gaze thoughtful. "Think about those mercenaries. Cedric wouldn’t be foolish enough to send them after someone who supported him."

After all, the Pope had protected Cedric’s secret and even stood by him during the trials. Cedric wasn’t dumb enough to go after an ally.

So, someone else must be pulling the strings from the shadows—and Cedric was just their pawn.

Now that Cedric is out of the picture, whoever was behind him will likely set their sights on Hades next.

"And the King... he still hasn’t made any official statement about where he stands in all this," Hades continued. "There’s a good chance he might send troops after me. And if you’re with me, they’ll treat you like a criminal too."

Rinne spoke calmly, but there was hurt behind her words.

"You’re trying to get rid of me, aren’t you?"

Hades was caught off guard. "Why would you say that—?"

"I saw it, Hades," she said, her eyes not leaving his. "You’re not going on either of the missions the Headmaster gave you. You marked a completely different place on the map. You don’t trust him... and you don’t trust me."

Hades had tried to cover it up, but even in that hurried moment, Rinne had noticed.

He was planning to leave her behind.

To abandon her.

Not because she wasn’t strong enough—but because, in her eyes, he didn’t trust her.

"It’s not about trust, Rinne," Hades replied quietly. "I just don’t want the officials coming after you... or the Headmaster. That’s why I’m leaving the academy. I’m heading somewhere else entirely."

He paused for a moment, as if weighing his next words.

The truth was, he saw no future for himself here anymore.

His instincts had been warning him for a while now—urging him to begin the hunt. Sooner or later, the other dragons would sense his presence. And once they did, they would come for him.

He had cherished this academy. So many good memories were tied to it.

But if he wanted to survive...

He had to leave it all behind—and begin a new life.

Rinne lowered her head, her shoulders trembling.

A single tear slipped from her eye, tracing down her cheek like a scar of pain.

Her fingers twitched, then curled into trembling fists.

"I... returned from my grave... just to be with you..." she whispered, voice cracking. "...and now... you want to throw me away?"

Hades blinked, stunned by her words.

"Rinne-ah—!"

Before he could react, chains burst forth from the ground—black, spectral chains forged by grief and magic. They coiled around his wrists and ankles, yanking him up into the air, limbs spread and body bound.

"Rinne, what are you—?!"

She slowly stood, her head still low, tears glistening in her lashes.

Then she looked up.

Her eyes—red, watery, wild—bore into his soul. The kind of eyes that had nothing left to lose.

"I can’t live without you," she said, her voice a fragile thread on the verge of snapping. "Can’t you understand? I belong to no one but you. I breathe for you. I exist for you. I will rot in any hell—as long as it’s beside you. So why? Why? Why? Why are you leaving me?!"

Each "why" cracked louder, more broken, more maddening than the last—like glass shattering under pressure.

Then she lunged—pinning him to the bed beneath her as the chains adjusted, holding him still.

She straddled his lap, fists grabbing the front of his shirt, knuckles white, eyes burning.

"Am I really that untrustworthy?!" she screamed, shaking him, her tears falling like rain onto his chest.

Hades could break free. One pulse of magic and he’d shatter her spell like paper.

But he didn’t.

Because he knew—hurting her would destroy something inside her that might never heal.

"I trust you, Rinne—" he said softly, his voice gentle, careful, like speaking to a wounded animal.

"Lies." Her voice cut him off like a knife.

She shook her head violently, eyes clenched shut, her long hair falling over her face.

"You’re just trying to convince me," she sobbed. "You’ll say all the right words, and then you’ll vanish."

Hades moved his hand and held hers. "I promise I won’t leave. So, first, liberate me, and then we will talk."

Rinne was weeping continuously and the sight made his heart wrench.

Rinne suddenly jerked as she said, "I have got an idea..." She hurriedly got up from the bed.

Hades felt that there was something wrong and her following words confirmed his doubts.

"I will just perform the blood ritual and clear all your doubts, okay-"

"Rinne!" Hades roared, breaking the chains and appearing before the girl.

Rinne trembled under his strong gaze and lowered her head.

The redhead cupped her cheeks and made her look at him. "As I said, I trust you. So don’t you dare try to do something foolish."

Rinne weakly asked, "Will you let me come with you?"

Hades growled and thought for a moment.

But upon noticing the anxiety and the madness returning to her gaze, he yielded, "Okay, you can come."

A smile bloomed on her face as she asked, "Really?"

"Yes. But now, don’t you dare pull another trick, understood?"

*Nod* *Nod*

Hades shook his head in defeat before embracing her.

A little eccentric.

A little dangerous.

But an irreplaceable person in his life.

As such, Hades decided to keep her by his side.

°°°°°°°°°

A/N:- Thanks for reading.