Vows and Bullets
Chapter 146: Last Week of August (Part 9)

Chapter 146: Last Week of August (Part 9)

Please DON’T READ this Chapter yet. I will update this next week!

Good news! My hands have healed now and I’m catching up on writing my missed Chapters. My apologies for all the delays. I will replace this Chapter with the real one soon, don’t worry, and upload a new one for the next day. I really apologize once again.

In the meantime, please enjoy the continuation of the story below titled "The King’s Beloved". This is the revised version I am planning to submit for paperback publication. Hopefully, I get a chance someday.

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(Part 9 - Continuation...)

"P-Please don’t die... sniff," Rania begged. "Please don’t leave me. Sniff... I beg you."

"R-Ra... nia," Lailee barely managed to speak.

Blood gushed out of her stomach, and the hole left by the Magi’s power was too big to patch or put pressure on to stop the bleeding. Rania cried and shook her head as she kept repeating, "No, please."

"D-don’t cry. Be strong and... take heart."

Alas, the light faded from her eyes. Her hand that tried to touch Rania’s face fell lifeless on the ground.

"NOOOOOO!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" Rania wailed miserably. "How could you," she whispered to herself. "How could you... No! This has to stop!"

Desperate, scared, and out of herself, Rania walked towards the enemy. Her breath shook, her hands clenched so tight it almost bled, and from her eyes fell streams of unending tears. Deep anger and sorrow filled her heart.

"Babe, no!" Zeid exclaimed when he noticed her. "Please! Don’t expose yourself!" He then took her by the hand, trying to stop her, but he was a moment too late.

"Please, STOP!" Rania shouted with all her might.

She could not stand watching anymore. In fact, she shouldn’t have run in the first place to save herself. She should have run to assist the others, but no—she became a coward. Deep inside, she blamed herself for not standing up. She used to do it all the time—running towards people in trouble, but now, at the most crucial moment, she fled. So with all the courage she could muster, she confronted the devilish enemy.

"Please, stop this! We surrender! Just please, spare us. What is it that you want from us?"

Her body trembled in horror, but if it meant buying even just a little time for the others to flee, it was fine if the next life taken was hers.

The green-haired Magi halted as she expected. She then looked in her direction and approached slowly, hovering in the air. The Magi’s eyes were that of a ruthless demon. Just one look from her was enough for anyone to lose their courage. Closer and closer she came until Rania felt Zeid pull her close and hold her tightly, trying to protect her from whatever may happen.

Smiling creepily, the green-haired Magi spoke.

"Hah! Clever girl, that’s what you should have done in the first place," she scoffed. "But it’s too late now. I’ve already decided to kill each and everyone in this place!"

And there it was again, the sinister laughter. As she laughed, she raised her arms once more, gathering a growing ball of light on her hands. Zeid dragged Rania away from the crazy Magi. They ran away as fast as they could, but the woman’s ball of light only grew bigger and bigger, taking over half of the room to the ceiling. Then, she aimed at Rania.

"DIE, you worthless shit!" she yelled, throwing her massive ball of light towards Rania and Zeid. They tried to run, but it was too big to escape.

Nearer and nearer, the ball of light approached them until—

"Stop."

The doll-like woman opened her eyes and spoke a single word. Her voice was the only calm thing in that chaotic place. The moment she spoke, the crazy Magi stopped, and her ball of light vanished in thin air. She floated amidst the air paralyzed in her position—as if time stopped in her space, leaving only her mouth to speak.

"What are you doing, you brainless dimwit?!" she shouted angrily.

"The Judges have given an order," replied the doll-like woman—her face, expressionless.

"Those lazy rascals! What do they want now? I’m still enjoying myself, killing these foolish humans out here."

"They ordered everyone to bring back beautiful virgins to serve the king’s harem."

At these words, the green-haired Magi’s eyes rolled.

"Humans? Beautiful?" she scoffed. "As if they can satisfy his highness! They’re a bunch of lowly, good-for-nothing creatures!"

"But a perfect vessel to produce pure-blooded offspring."

"But—"

"Silence," she said sternly. Then, she looked around, eyeing for possible candidates. Her light blue eyes glowed like a cat’s in the dark.

"I doubt we can find any of that here," the mad Magi assured her. "Humans these days are carnal and liberated. Only children would be virgins. And there’s definitely no children here, so we better kill them all quickly and look elsewhere. Or better yet, his highness can just pick me since I’m beautiful from head to toe."

"There is one that suits all requirements," said the doll-like girl. Her fingers pointed at none other than... Rania.

"No! You can’t take her!" Zeid shouted angrily and hurriedly covered Rania in his back. "Babe, run! Now!"

"No! I’m not running without you. They’ll kill you!"

"Please! This is no time for arguing! Just go!"

"I—no. I won’t leave you! If we die, then we die together! So be it!" Rania intensely disagreed. More tears flowed from her eyes as she shook her head in opposition.

The doll-like girl waved her hands, commanding the four lifeless giants to take her. Rania and Zeid struggled as they refused to let go of each other. Crying, she stretched out her hand towards Zeid. As if time moved slowly at that moment, Rania realized their struggle was pointless because the enemy was too strong and that there was nothing they could do to stop them nor escape them at the very least. If they continue to struggle, more blood might spill again. Losing hope, Rania shook her head and spoke to Zeid through her eyes.

Let go.

Tears fell from both of their eyes. But Zeid was stubborn and didn’t let go of Rania’s hands. In contrast, Rania shook off hers wanting to spare his life lest the mad Magi become angry again and kill him. With their hands separated, they drew further and further away from each other as the giants pulled them apart. Alas, they took Rania and brought her to the doll-like woman, who, by then, created a dark hole through thin air.

Zeid clenched his fists and gritted his lips so hard they bled.

Rania could clearly see how his heart was very much broken, and his confidence shattered into pieces. He was probably blaming himself for being unable to protect the one he loved. She stared at him for the last time before entering the black hole, savoring every second, for she knew not of when she could see him again, along with the other people she cherished who might have managed to survive that tragic day.

Just as the black hole was about to close, the crazy green-haired Magi was freed from her paralysis. She stretched out her body, looked at Rania, and grunted disapprovingly. Then, as if a brilliant idea crossed her mind, she smiled devilishly once more.

PSHOOOK!

Rania’s eyes widened. Large droplets of tears scattered all around her as she struggled to free herself from the giants—kicking them away from her, begging to let go.

"NOOOOOOO!" a wild cry overcame her.

With every last bit of her strength, she fought but was unable to run towards Zeid. Her surroundings seemed to blur. Losing strength on her knees, she knelt on the floor staring at him, devastated by the sight.

Zeid, who was then lying on the floor, with an ice spear thrust in his stomach, tried to reach out to her as deep red blood gushed out of his body. And with his last breath, he whispered...

"I love you... now and... forever."

***

Chapter 4 MELANCHOLY OF A SHATTERED HEART

The memory that once made you happy, now makes you sad.

The love that once fulfilled you, now leaves you empty.

The warmth that once caressed you, now left you hurting.

Thousands of kinds of medicine have been made to cure all sorts of illnesses and diseases

Yet not one was created to relieve us from the pain of losing our loved ones.

Simply because... there is no such thing.

Death is indeed such a terrible, terrible thing.

It robs you of your life, of your future, of people you treasure.

The person whom you were just laughing with a moment ago,

Now gone. Just like that.

It won’t give you time to prepare—oh, no it won’t.

It won’t give you a choice.

And all we are left to face is the cold and bitter truth that

We will never see them again.

We will never see them smile again, or be angry, or sad.

We will never hear their voices again—talk to them.

We will never feel their warmth—their presence.

We will never ever do the things we wished to do with them.