CHAPTER 160: CHAPTER 160: PROTECTION

Her whole body turned cold. Her chest felt tight.

’If that is true, then Silas... if he stays near me, he will die again. Just like before.’

Her knees gave out, and she slumped against the door, breathing hard. The thought alone made her stomach twist with fear.

She clenched her fists. ’No. I cannot let that happen again. Even if I have to suffer, I cannot drag him into this.’

With shaky hands, she finally pulled Silas out of her temporal storage.

The moment he appeared, he rushed toward her, eyes wide. "Ivy!" He hugged her tightly, checking her arms and face. "What happened? Why did you store me? Are you hurt?"

Ivy’s eyes stung a little at his frantic expression. She tried to smile, patting his arm. "I’m alright. Do not worry so much."

But Silas did not calm down. His face was dark. "Do not ever do that again! Do you even know how risky that was? If something had gone wrong with you, I... I will die too!"

If you dare to do it again, I swear, I will punish you."

His voice was low and angry, but it shook with fear, too.

Before Ivy could reply, the clock on the wall suddenly fell with a loud crash. The heavy wood struck Silas’s shoulder, cutting him.

"Silas!" Ivy cried, rushing forward. But Silas waved it off. "It is nothing. Just a scratch."

But Ivy froze. Her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach.

’It is true. My theory is right. Being near me on this day is dangerous. He will keep getting hurt... and one day, he will die because of me.’

Her throat ached. She forced herself to push him away harshly.

"Silas, stop worrying so much! You are being overpossessive. Calm down!"

Silas frowned. "What are you saying? Why are you acting like this?"

Ivy bit her lip, but she forced the words out coldly. "I do not want to live with you anymore. I am not interested in you."

Silas’s eyes widened. He stood frozen. "What? Ivy... you do not mean that."

But Ivy raised her voice. "I do! I do not like you, Silas! Can you not understand? Stay away from me!"

Her chest felt like it was being torn apart, but she did not stop. If she faltered, he would stay, and then he would die.

Silas reached for her arm. "Ivy, wait. Please, do not say things like that. Tell me what is wrong."

She shook her head, packing her clothes quickly into a suitcase. "I do not want this anymore. You should find another girl and live with her. Forget about me."

The words stabbed at her own heart, but she kept going.

Silas stood frozen, fists clenched. His lips trembled. "You... you are pushing me away on purpose. Because you think you are cursed."

Ivy avoided his gaze. "Think whatever you want. I am leaving."

[Host, let her leave. This time the death wavelength is twice as strong as it was before.] Sila’s system reminded him.

"What? So it means she would be in a much more dangerous situation compared to the previous time, right?" Silas asked, his heart skipping a beat, as he continued to stop Ivy.

[No host, the danger looming over her is just like the previous time: 50%. But the danger that will loom around her loved ones has increased to 200%. She is doing the right thing. Let her leave.]

"No! I can’t leave her. If she leaves, it will be equivalent to her courting death." Silas muttered in his heart as his attempts became more and more desperate.

At that moment, the door started to bang again, shaking violently.

Ivy’s face paled. ’It is happening again. The danger is not gone yet.’

She grabbed her suitcase and stormed out, ignoring Silas’s desperate calls. Once she was far enough, she disappeared into her temporal storage, shutting herself inside.

She hugged her knees on the floor, trembling. ’This is the only way. If I stay here for a few days, the misfortune will pass. Silas will live. He must live.’

Meanwhile, Silas searched everywhere, his face dark with anger and worry. He could not find her anywhere.

"Ivy," he muttered through clenched teeth. "You think you can just run away? Do you think you can decide everything by yourself? Fine. But this time, I will make sure you regret those words. I will not let you throw me away again."

Three days passed just like that.

In her temporal storage, Ivy sat under the dim light as items began to rain down one by one. Milk, potatoes, onions. She stared at them blankly, her mind heavy.

Maybe her superpower was still active, and since she couldn’t leave, the items fell into Temporal Storage instead.

When Ivy stepped out of her temporal storage after three days, the air felt colder than she remembered. She stood right outside Silas’s apartment. For a moment, her hand twitched toward the door, but then she pulled back.

’I cannot go in. If I stay with him, sooner or later, he will be hurt again. What if next time it is not just a small wound? What if he dies? No... I will not let that happen. I will walk away.’

So she turned and began walking down the street. Her suitcase rolled behind her, the small wheels making a scratching sound against the ground. She did not look back.

Halfway down the road, a familiar voice called out, "Ivy!"

Ivy turned quickly. Talia was running toward her, her face anxious. The moment she reached Ivy, she grabbed her shoulders.

"Where have you been these three days? I searched everywhere! I even went to Silas’s place, but that guy... he was busy with his military mission and that new girl. He barely answered me, and he said clearly he doesn’t want to do anything with you anymore."

Ivy’s heart skipped. Her chest hurt.

’What? Silas... said that? And what about the new girl? No, it doesn’t sound like him... but Talia doesn’t look like she’s lying. Her eyes are clear. Could it be true?’