Author's notes: Anddddd I am back everyone!
First things first, I absolutely love the place I am meant to go for Uni and I managed to find two places I can stay at! Looks like I will stay at one of the places for six months and then the other place for another six months. Because of the current situation with Corona and all, it's been really difficult finding places but I'm so glad I found a place before classes start.
Secondly, I realised after I re-edit my published chapters, certain comments are not linked to the sentences I have changed. And I only realised this after editing a couple of chapters which really annoyed me because I really like seeing your comments in certain parts of the story. I will try to make sure the chapters are in tip-top condition when I publish them so as to make sure that I don't have to edit them again!
Thirdly, thank you so much for all the votes and comments while I was away! Over 600 votes? Damn, thank you guys!
Please enjoy the brand new chapter! ❤
"ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴇ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴇ'ʀᴇ ʙʟᴇᴇᴅɪɴɢ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ꜰɪʟʟ ᴜᴘ ᴀ ʙʀᴏᴋᴇɴ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ."
ʀᴜɴᴀɢʀᴏᴜɴᴅ
"I think anyone from any race would have taken that as a compliment," Elizabeth coos as she watches my face turn redder by the second.
"Probably," I say, chuckling.
When I turn to her to see her expression, I nearly come to a screeching halt when I see her shining blue earring. The same earring I gave Meliodas sixteen years ago, the same one the Demon Queen gave to me so that she could keep an eye on me. Damn, how could I have forgotten about it?
"Elizabeth," I say as I slow down and then stop. "May I have a quick look at your earring?"
"Of course," she immediately complies as I gently set her down to her feet. She takes off the earring and hands it over to me.
"Thank you," I murmur, placing it in the middle of my palm and bringing it closer to my face to get a better look.
"Is there something wrong, (Y/n)?" Elizabeth asks, gaze flickering from the blue earring to me.
Within this jewellery, there is no magic except for—
"Merlin," I breathe as I pull away. Yet again, the Sin of Gluttony has impressed me with her powers. She has managed to cut off all magical ties with Oriana which means there is no way that Oriana will be able to see through the earring. So both Oriana and Zeldris will still believe that I am dead.
"(Y/n)?" Elizabeth calls out my name again.
"Apologies," I cough out, happy that she did not hear me say Merlin's name. "It is a beautiful piece of jewellery, Elizabeth."
"Thank you," Elizabeth says shyly as she puts the earring back on. "Oh dear, it seems we lost the group again."
I turn to the direction where we last saw the Seven Deadly Sins and it seems Elizabeth is correct; none of them are in sight.
Sighing, I say, "My fault again. But don't worry. We can catch up with them."
Before Elizabeth can react, I sweep her off her feet again, carrying her the same way I was holding her before, and then take off once again.
"(Y/n), you really don't have to carry me," Elizabeth insists.
I let out a small giggle. "But this is so much more fun, don't you agree Beth?"
Elizabeth shrieks when I suddenly leap high into the misty air and then land onto one of the roofs of the houses.
"(Y/n)!" she cries out as I continue to jump from roof to roof.
"This will be a quicker way to find them," I explain breathlessly. "In no way does the mist help us, but it is a much better view from up here than down there on the streets."
"There!" Elizabeth says, pointing at one particular alleyway where Gowther, King, and Diane are. I can't quite hear them but I can tell that Diane and Gowther are arguing with one another.
"You aren't getting away from me," I mutter as I hop off the roof and smoothly place Elizabeth on the marble ground. Raising a hand towards Gowther, I whisper, "Eternal Chains."
"What is this?" Gowther asks, panicked as ancient obsidian chains encase themselves around his feet and wrists.
"A move I usually do not like to use," I answer, making sure that my magic is completely hidden so that none can detect it.
"Do not let go of him, (Y/n)," a voice speaks above us.
"Merlin," I say once I catch sight of her. "Trust me, I won't."
"Gowther, it took a while but I finally figured out why you're so mentally unstable," Merlin states. "Your memories themselves are the issue. Every time you start to remember something, you trigger an adverse reaction by going berserk. This is one of the causes." The Sin of Gluttony reveals Gowther's heart in her hand and then lets it float in the air. "Seems you gave it to the King's elder sister, Nadja, who died quite young of an ailing heart. But that poor, ill-fated girl wasn't able to be resurrected."
My hand shakes slightly as Merlin slowly exposes Gowther's tragic past. "Dammit," I snarl under my breath.
"Please, I beg you," Gowther says in a voice I have never heard before. "I want you to destroy me."
"So much pain," I just manage to hear King murmur.
"Keep it together, alright?" Diane yells. "Let us carry your pain. We're your friends, we're here to help you. Even in your worst memories, there must be some precious ones worth holding onto! Try to remember, Gowther!"
Gowther flails around helplessly in my bondages, eyes widening as his memories wash over him.
"I've been looking into this trinket and have found absolutely no heart magic in it," Merlin claims. "Not a single shred."
"That's strange," King says. "Then where's his heart now?"
"It exists inside Gowther himself," Merlin replies. "Now and before."
"I have...a heart?" Gowther breathes.
"Of course you do, silly," Diane says with a smile. "If those tears aren't proof, then I don't know what is."
The second the Sin of Envy says this, I start to feel magic erupting from within Gowther, so I release my chains holding him. A bright light starts to surround the Sin of Lust and everyone stares in shock.
"Gowther's magic power just had a huge surge!" King exclaims.
"What we're seeing must be his true magic power level," Merlin says. "It's finally returned to him, along with his memories."
"From the looks of things, I'd say they didn't really need us," I hear the Sin of Wrath say. I glance over to see him and the Sin of the Greed standing on the gravel wall beside us.
"Guess not," Ban agrees.
"Ain't nobody needing your lazy ass in this situation," I tease my best friend and then stick out my tongue and pull down one of my eyelids. Meliodas does the same while Ban shoots me a huge grin.
"Thank goodness," the Sin of Pride says as he comes running onto the scene. "I see that you were able to track down Gowther."
"You never gave up on me," Gowther says as he turns to Diane, face shining with pure happiness. "Thank you for guiding me in the right direction, Diane."
"That's what friends are for," Diane states cheerfully. "No big deal. Now the whole gang's here."
"For the Seven Deadly Sins, today is a day to celebrate," Merlin says. "Let's drink and be merry, Captain."
"Hell yeah!" Meliodas cheers as Ban swings an arm around his neck.
"Oh, and (Y/n)," Gowther says as his yellow eyes dart over to me. "The question that you asked Elizabeth? Did you make the right choice of letting go of the one you love?"
I pout at this. "Gowther, I would appreciate it if you didn't—"
"If he's the one, he will always find a way to come back to you (Y/n). Love will constantly guide you to the one who changes you for the better."
Everyone instantly turns to me to see my reaction and other than my cheek twitching, no other part of my body moves.
"Like I said," Diane speaks as she firmly grabs onto my hand, "we're friends so we're here to help you. And if your heart is broken right now, then we'll help heal it."
"And if you feel like your entire world is crashing," Elizabeth continues as she takes my other hand, "then we'll hold you up, high above everything else so that you can see the sunrise of a new day."
"Thank you," I whimper and clench onto their hands desperately. "Thank you for saying that."
Beneath my chest is just one beating heart. But with the friends I have around me, who the hell needs more than that?
***
"Are you going to say anything?"
My best friend says nothing. Simply clenches onto the mug of beer in his hand.
Everyone at the moment is outside on the balcony of the Boar Hat Tavern whereas Meliodas and I headed inside earlier to talk about what had happened to me in the Kingdom of Camelot the past couple of weeks. About my growing powers, about my injuries, about my heart. What I had to say did not please Meliodas.
The mug shatters into pieces but the loud chatter and laughter from outside cover up the sound it makes.
"That bastard," Meliodas snarls as he roughly grabs a piece of cloth and starts cleaning up the mess he made. "I'll—"
"You are just angry as I am," I cut in softly before his current emotions turn into something worse. "I know."
"And you knew this even when I came over that night?"
"Well technically—"
"(Y/n)."
This time, I flinch at the tone and then start to nervously play with my hands behind my back. "Not exactly. My suspicions were confirmed after you left."
"Dammit," Meliodas growls as he flings the cloth to the back of the bar. "Dammit!"
"Hey, easy now," I hum as I head over to him behind the counter. "Elizabeth still hasn't gained her memories and you won't be dying anytime soon, so we still have time."
"But we don't have much of it," Meliodas says as his restless breathing slows down.
As I tap my fingers along the wooden counter, I murmur, "Wonder if I could cut down the words."
"What?" Meliodas snaps and then launches himself towards me. "(Y/n), don't you dare—"
"Love ya," I wheeze as the two of us come crashing down to the ground. Centimetres away from my face, Meliodas waits in horror as I casually continue to lie where I am.
"(Y/n)—"
"Huh, I can say that but not—"
"(Y/n), you damn idiot!"
I yelp when Meliodas hits my head with a clenched fist. "Ow, that hurt!"
"Well, you deserved it!"
"No, I did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!
"I am going to marry Elizabeth!"
"Did—Wait, what?"
Meliodas bursts out in laughter and I immediately join in but he shuts his lips together a second later and then harshly pulls me to sit up straight.
"Mel—"
Arms similar to Zeldris's wrap around my shoulders and I hear my best friend whisper near my ear, "I won't lose you. I'll make sure that both you and Elizabeth will be free one day."
"Then I can't wait for that day," I whisper in return and then hug him back.
"Is there anything else I need to know?" Meliodas questions as he tears away from our hug.
Oriana, the Demon Queen, his mother.
But for some reason, I decide to shake my head. "No."
"Are you sure?" Meliodas presses.
"Yup," I say with a huge smile.
"Why would you lie to me, (Y/n)?"
My smile wobbles slightly. "What are you talking about?"
"Come on, (Y/n). I'm not blind. I can see the ring."
"Huh?" When Meliodas grasps onto my hand and then raises it in front of us, I exhale loudly. "Oh that. Yeah, Zeldris gave it to me before..." I grit my teeth and look away.
"Oh." Meliodas places my hand on my leg. "Guessing that he didn't take it too well."
"He looked absolutely devasting," I say quietly. "It was horrible to see him like that."
"But when this is all over, the two of you can be together," Meliodas says, grinning. "Even if he tries to, my little brother won't be able to get away from you."
I slap him from the back of the head and then hold his face to the ground, but the smile on my lips never leaves.
One day, you will find someone who will change everything in your life. Don't let go of him.
Additional author's notes: For that last part, thank you for the idea @gender_who_is_she!