The Heart of a Guardian (Elsword)

Chapter 31: True Loyalty

"Whatever he did to you," Chung continued, "was beyond your control. You did what you could on your end and I'm alive because of it. You saved me that day I fell off the Black Crow and I don't blame you for anything at all."

Chung felt the queen rest her head on his shoulder as she quietly considered his words. He listened as the sharp draws of breath calmed, felt as the twitch of her fingers ceased. Eve gave a single, drawn out sigh, and that was all her guardian needed to hear to know she was feeling better.

This felt nice. Serene. He could get used to this. He shut his eyes as he gently ran his fingers through her silver hair.

"It was like... I don't know how to describe it," Eve said after a long while. "Like a hallucination. A horrible anomalous hallucination."

"A nightmare?" Chung corrected.

"I... I believe so. I was in my body but had no control over its actions. I had access to all the physical senses but was unable to react to them. All I could do... was watch.

"Twice, I witnessed the life drain from your eyes. Each time I saw you desperately searching for me within mine... I tried, so hard, to let you know that I was here... That the person you were fighting for was still right here... I wanted you to forgive me; to know that everything that was happening was beyond my control."

Chung felt her bury her head against his shoulder. He heard a faint sigh escape her lips as her guilt ate away at her heart.

"I'm sorry, Chung," she whispered, again, after a long moment of recomposing herself, "I'd never wish for something like this to happen to you."

"It's okay, Eve. I forgive you. Like I said, it was something you couldn't help. I don't blame you for anything."

"And to think... this was the best outcome out of the other two."

Chung's brow furrowed, pulling away slightly as he looked at her. She kept her gaze downturned and he noticed she was holding back tears.

"Other two?" Chung asked, gently brushing away the water that welled in her eyes, "You mean..."

Eve nodded, clutching his hand in hers.

"Code: Empress and Code: Battle Seraph. Upon slaying them, I received their memories. Everything they learned, everything they had seen and felt was recorded in my core. It was... strange. It was like living two other lives in those brief moments before I awoke and found you."

Chung had witnessed this phenomenon. He saw the way the blue fragments of El surrounded her; funneling into her mind. He had the same experience as well. Everything the other Chungs knew from their own reality, everything they have felt, seen, and more, was embedded into his memories.

"I... didn't make it very far as Code: Empress," Eve said, apprehension and uncertainty in her voice, "I lived a more regal life. My influence as the Nasod race's ambassador brought unity for many of Elrios's nations. I remember continuing to build an army through the foundries... and a strange anomaly that would never leave in the back of my mind. It wanted me to turn on the others. To militarize the rest of my production facilities and to take over the entire continent."

"Just like King Nasod," Chung muttered.

Eve tensed as he mentioned her old creation. Still keeping her gaze away, she nodded.

"The corrupted core that I melded with was slowly changing me. It lead to the creation of Oberon, and later, an upgraded version by the name of Ophelia. They served as my assistants but required more of my consciousness to function. They became the violent outlet of the corruption that affected me, only appearing to carry out my militaristic intent when diplomacy was not an option... and they did so with horrendous brutality. Despite their effectiveness I still wanted more. Development of a more powerful, more efficient killing machine had begun in my foundries, and I couldn't stop myself from building him.