CHAPTER 47: CHAPTER: 47 I LOVE YOU FOR ETERNITY, ELI!

"Dad, how strong were you?" Ian asked as he followed his father through the forest.

His eyes gleamed with excitement. He had always loved hearing his father’s stories, especially the ones about his past glory.

But those tales were rare treats, told only when they were away from the hut.

Whenever his father tried to speak of them at home, Ian’s mother would give him that look, and the stories would end before they even began.

The man rested the axe on his shoulder, straightened his back, and said proudly,

"Listen, son. What I’m about to tell you is a secret, you can’t tell your mother, understand?"

His expression turned serious, sterner than anything Ian had ever seen inside their hut.

"Yes," Ian nodded, mimicking his father’s serious look. "I won’t tell Mom, even if she gives me a beating."

The man chuckled and ruffled his son’s hair. "That’s my boy. Never let your mom intimidate you, just like your old man."

"So, Dad... can you tell me now?" Ian asked impatiently, his brows furrowing as he urged his father to continue.

"Alright, listen carefully," the man began in a nostalgic tone. "When I first picked up a sword, I was so cool that all the girls in the neighborhood fell for me."

He lifted his chin proudly, a smug smile tugging at his lips. "Every time I went out, there’d be a group of girls following me around, asking me to marry them."

Ian listened intently and instantly understood why his father had made him promise not to tell his mother.

If she ever found out, his father would be sleeping outside the hut for a day, or maybe two.

But Ian had no intention of telling her.

In fact, he already had a mischievous plan: he’d use this secret to blackmail his father whenever his mother got angry, shifting the blame away from himself.

"Hehe," he chuckled quietly as his father continued boasting, pretending to be engrossed while his little mind schemed.

"So after that, your mother started begging me to marry her," the man continued, puffing his chest with exaggerated pride.

"And I said, ’Look, lady, there are thousands of women head over heels for me, so what’s so special about you?’"

He went on boasting about events that had never happened.

In truth, he had been the one on his knees before his father-in-law, pleading for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

Turning back to Ian, he asked with a grin, "Do you know what she did then?"

Ian’s eyes widened with mock curiosity.

"What did Mom do?" he asked, his voice laced with impatience, but it was all an act.

Anyone could have seen through it, except his clueless father, who was happily digging his own grave.

"Hmph," the man snorted proudly. "She started fasting for days! As an honorable man, I couldn’t just let her suffer, so I married her."

He continued to recount his glorious tale, conveniently switching roles and details to make himself sound cooler in front of his son.

"No way, Dad! You’re such an honorable man!" Ian exclaimed with an exaggerated look of admiration.

The man beamed with pride at his son’s words. "That’s right! So when you grow up, be like your old man, got it?" he said, patting his chest confidently.

But then, out of nowhere, Ian felt the sudden urge to tease him. Tilting his head innocently, he asked, "By the way, Dad... if you’re such a strong man, then why does Mom always beat you up?"

That sudden question was enough to make the man freeze mid-step.

His confident expression crumbled as embarrassment crept in. Scratching the back of his head, he fumbled for words to justify himself.

"Look, son," he began awkwardly, his voice stammering, "a true man isn’t the one who dominates his wife..."

His eyes darted around as he tried to sound wise. "Yes, that’s right! A true man is someone who has the courage, and the strength, to take a beating from the woman he loves. Do you understand?"

Ian blinked, barely holding back a laugh.

’And besides, I can dominate her in other ways...’ the man thought silently, wisely choosing not to say that part aloud.

After that, the man fell silent, wary of his clever son. He knew Ian might catch onto his words and strike back with that vicious dagger cleverly disguised as an innocent smile.

It was wiser, he decided, to say nothing at all.

As they continued walking, exchanging small talk, Ian suddenly paused and glanced back toward the hut.

"Hmm? Dad... we should head back. I think it’s going to rain," he said, his voice uncertain, brows furrowed as a strange sensation crept over him.

"What rai—?" The man’s words died in his throat as he turned to follow his son’s gaze.

There it was: the sky above their hut had darkened unnaturally, as if a storm were about to break.

But strangely, there were no clouds, and it was still bright, far from night.

"What the... fuck?" he swore, a cold, unfamiliar sensation crawling into his chest.

It was unknown, yet strangely familiar, like a memory etched into his bones. Cold sweat slid down his spine.

Though he had never felt this exact thing before, he knew it instinctively: this was fear.

An inextinguishable flame of terror had taken root inside him, searing and relentless, as if it had always been part of him.

"Dad?" Ian’s voice pierced through the haze of dread, snapping him back. Without another thought, he scooped Ian up in his arms and bolted toward their hut, his heart pounding as he ran.

He ran like a man possessed, ignoring his son’s frantic shouts. In that moment, only one face filled his mind—his wife’s, Eli’s.

’Please... please be safe,’ he prayed, climbing the mountain with every ounce of strength he had.

A blinding light suddenly flared in the distance, intense enough to sear the eyes, but he didn’t stop to look. Something deep inside told him to keep moving.

By the time he had climbed halfway up the slope, the light vanished, replaced by... something else.

"Gasp!" Ian, still clutched in his father’s arms, let out a terrified cry. His face was pale, eyes wide with horror. "Da...d... look!" he stammered, pointing with a trembling finger.

Following his son’s trembling finger, his gaze shifted.

The sight that greeted him sent another chill racing down his spine.

"A... dragon," he stammered.

Yes, a dragon, the mythical creature whispered about in old tales, the one said to bring the end of the world, stood there, right in the forest they called home.

"ROARRR!"

The sound tore through the air, a deafening, earth-shattering roar. The dragon stretched its enormous neck toward the sky, scales glittering with otherworldly power.

The ground quaked beneath them. Trees toppled like kindling, proving just how catastrophic this creature was.

The man fought to keep his footing on the steep mountainside, pouring every ounce of mana he could muster into his legs.

Pushing himself to the absolute limit, he clawed his way upward, determined not to be swallowed by the chaos below.

Finally, he managed to climb the mountain, but the moment he reached the top, he could hardly breathe. His eyes fell on the sight of their hut, reduced to rubble.

Despair hit him like a physical blow. He gently lowered his son, who had lost consciousness from the dragon’s deafening roar, and sank to his knees on the ground.

"No... no, it can’t be..." he mumbled, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. "Please... please, Eli... don’t leave me..." His words choked out between sobs, grief and helplessness overwhelming him.

Then, through the chaos, a weak, strained voice reached him. "Honey... leave with Ian..."

Following the voice, he turned and saw her, his wife, struggling beneath the rubble.

Her legs were pinned, keeping her trapped, yet her eyes found him, filled with determination and pain.

His eyes blazed with renewed strength. "Wait, I will—"

"ROARRR!"

He couldn’t even finish his words. Another deafening roar ripped through the air, and with it, the dragon’s scales were flung like arrows from a massive bow.

He looked skyward in horror. Thousands, no, millions, of razor-sharp scales rained down, a deadly storm aimed straight at them.

"Honey... leave... save our son," Eli shouted, her voice steady despite the fear in her eyes. She was ready to sacrifice herself.

But the man refused to yield. With a surge of power, he scooped up Ian and slammed his feet into the ground.

Boom!

In an instant, a blinding shockwave propelled them forward. When the dust cleared, he was standing before his wife, holding his son safely in his arms.

When Eli saw him appear before her, her eyes widened in horror. She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her with a gentle motion.

Carefully, he placed the unconscious Ian in her trembling arms, forcing a confident smile even though fear clouded his eyes.

"You know, Eli... we won’t survive this," he said softly. "But I can’t let you two go ahead of me."

There was no other way. If he tried to pull her from the rubble, not even his body could shield her, the scales were already upon them.

He knelt beside her and pressed a trembling kiss to her forehead. "I’m grateful," he whispered, voice breaking, "that you chose a useless man like me to be your husband."

it... please, run away!" Eli cried, tears streaming down her dirt-streaked face. "Please, just listen to me for once!"

But he didn’t listen. He stood tall, turning his gaze toward the darkened sky where millions of glimmering scales were descending like a deadly storm.

"This is the last moment of my life," he said calmly, "so let it end while protecting you both."

"Please... please!" For the first time, Eli begged, casting aside her pride, begged just to see her husband and son live.

But he remained unmoved. His eyes hardened with resolve as the storm of scales drew closer, painting the sky with death.

He turned toward Eli and flashed a confident grin, one that trembled at the edges.

"Eli... no matter how many lives I may live, I’ll always fall in love with you."

Hearing those words, words that would’ve once filled her with joy, only deepened her despair now.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she shook her head violently. "Please... I’m begging you! At least save our son!"

"There’s no meaning in life without you. Don’t be so ruthless toward me," he said, his voice trembling as he looked at his son with regret.

The chances of surviving together were slim, but to try would mean abandoning his wife, and that was something he could never accept.

Tears blurred Eli’s vision; no words came.

He smiled softly, eyes filled with warmth and sorrow. "Eli, I will love you... for eternity..."

Shkkk!

In that instant, a dozen blazing scales tore through the air and struck him. His body jolted, blood spraying across the ground, and across Eli’s face. But he didn’t fall.

Gritting his teeth, he forced his trembling arms to stay raised, shielding his wife and son with what little strength remained.

Blood poured from his wounds, but he still managed one final smile.

"Thank you..." he rasped, his voice barely a whisper, "...for loving someone like me."

And with that, his body finally gave out, his last smile frozen in place, as if to remind her that even in death, his love hadn’t wavered.

As his body hit the ground, the raining scales suddenly stopped.

Eli couldn’t even speak. She just stared at her husband, her eyes hollow and lifeless.

No scream, no tears, nothing escaped her as she remained frozen, staring at the man who had protected them until the very end, the faint smile still on his face.

And then, for the first time, she truly saw him. The white patch that had always obscured his features lifted, revealing the face beneath.

Her eyes widened even further, and a single name escaped her lips, trembling and barely audible.

"V... Vivian..."