CHAPTER 276: CHAPTER 276: HER LOYAL SHADOWS

The moment the shadows tore her away from Xu Kai, Aeris felt her chest tighten, not from pain, but from the way his voice broke behind her.

She didn’t dare look back.

If she turned around... If she saw the way his hands would reach for her, or the way his eyes would search hers for answers... She wouldn’t be able to go.

But she had to go.

Because she could feel it, the slow, creeping cold in her veins, the fragile way her heart struggled with each beat. Her shadows had already given more than they had to keep her standing this long. There was nothing left for her but a few breaths, a few minutes.

Xu Kai... He wouldn’t survive seeing that.

If he knew, truly knew, that she was dying right there in front of him, he would throw away everything to follow her into the dark. He would not stop. Not until he broke himself trying to save her.

And she couldn’t allow that.

Better to leave him with hope. Better to make him believe she would come back. That way, he would keep going. That way, he would keep their child safe.

Her fingers twitched as the shadows carried her further away. Her body was screaming for rest, but her heart... Her heart clung stubbornly to the image of him holding the baby, swearing with every breath that he would protect her.

She bit down hard, swallowing the lump in her throat.

This was the only way.

Her lips moved silently, shaping words she couldn’t let him hear.

"I’m sorry... forgive me..."

The ruins appeared ahead, empty and cold. She let the shadows set her down there, away from all warmth, away from all temptation to turn back.

The loneliness hit her in a single, sharp wave. But this was the price she had chosen.

Her body crumpled to the ground like a broken doll. The last of her shadows flickered beside her, hovering like a guardian.

They had used everything, their strength, their essence, to bring her this far.

And now, one by one, they faded.

The last shadow lingered just long enough to brush against her cheek like a farewell. Then it, too, dissolved into the air.

Aeris felt her life leaving her slowly, gently. Her breath grew slower... weaker...

She closed her eyes.

A quiet smile touched her lips, and her final thought was peace.

The child is safe.

And with that, her breathing stopped, like the ending of an old story in a forgotten book.

The air was still.

Aeris lay on the cracked ground, her body curled slightly, her arms limp at her sides. Her skin had lost all warmth. The glow in her face was gone. She was no longer breathing.

Liora’s breath hitched.

The images that had been flashing before her eyes slowed... and then stopped.

Her mind felt like it had been torn open, every locked door inside her memory flung wide. She saw it all—the ruins, the blood, the shadows dissolving into nothing, and Xu Kai’s face twisted in agony as Aeris tore herself away from him.

Her heart clenched so hard it hurt.

She had never imagined... Never thought that she and Xu Kai had parted like this. Not by choice. Not in peace. But in desperation, in silence, with him clutching their child and not even knowing she was breathing her last steps away.

Her fists tightened at her sides.

And then that name. That face. That bastard.

Kazren.

The root of all of it.

She could see it now, clear as glass. Every thread, every move, every play in the dark—his hands were all over it. She knew he had a motive but never understood what it was... She was too focused on surviving to see the bigger game he was playing. But now... now she knew.

He wanted her child.

The thought sent a violent shiver through her veins. Rage rose up like fire licking at her skin; she wanted to rip apart that bastard. How could he do that to her when she had trusted him so much?

If he even dared to lay a hand on her baby, she would skin him alive.

Her chest eased only slightly when she remembered the child had been safe. She could feel it even now, a distant, lingering warmth from that moment. Xu Kai would keep her safe. She knew it. He would guard her like the world itself depended on it.

A faint, bittersweet pride welled inside her.

Even in those final minutes... she had chosen well. She had made the only decision she could, and she had made it without hesitation.

And her shadows... her loyal shadows. They had poured every last ounce of themselves into keeping her alive long enough to do it. She would never forget that grace.

No wonder, when she awakened her ability in this current time, there had been no fear. No hesitation. Only a deep, unshakable attachment, as if she had known them all her life. They were her family—they had been her family, even in death. That’s why she had done everything since then to keep them well, to keep them happy.

But... one question gnawed at her, sharp and relentless.

If she had truly died there, in those ruins... what had happened?

What had taken her from here and sent her into another timeline entirely?

Her thoughts spiraled, racing too fast for her to catch them. Countless possibilities, each darker than the last, clawed at her mind.

And then, the voice came.

[Host... your memories end here.]

[Soon you will be pulled back from the memories.]

If you wish to continue this scene, you must pay the price. This data was traced from someone else’s mind.]

Liora’s answer was instant, cold as steel.

"I don’t care about the price."

What did payment matter when the truth was at stake? How could she survive when she returned without knowing everything? How could she protect anyone when there might be another hand pulling strings in the shadows, and she wasn’t even aware of it?

Her eyes hardened.

"I want it all. Every last piece."

She knew the system was doing it for her; the aftermath of what happened was too important for her. She could not leave before knowing it.

[Understood... Initiating transfer.]