comment as it would really motivate me! and fret not for addiction shall be updated tomorrow ^^
"Stay calm," Y/n said in a quivering voice, trying to adjust his legs in a way that wouldn't further worsen the bleeding, "don't move. We'll—we'll figure something out. I promise."
He let out a quiet hiss as a thorn ripped through his skin, sending a stream of blood cascading down. Angelina let out a startled sound as she furrowed her eyebrows. A bead of sweat dropped from her cheek—she was obviously extremely stressed.
"Why are you so prone to injury?" She tried to keep her voice light, but it was strained—"you should be the one to stay calm. Does it hurt terribly?"
Because of the fucking system.
"Only a little," Y/n answered through gritted teeth, knowing full well himself it was a lie, "I didn't know there would be an attack today. Definitely not on my agenda. Definitely isn't how I want to die."
"Don't joke about dying!" Angelina said, upset—"see! You are always getting into trouble!"
"Right, right.."
Y/n tried not to let the pain show on his face. Everything was burning. It felt like there were trails of fire patterning up his leg; breathing flames down to the very bones of his body. Was there poison infused in the vines? How annoyingly treacherous.
And besides that one little thing, there was also Aristidis to think about. Y/n was very sure that the Prince would plot murder after this. /n knew his possessive nature very, very well.
What is that?
There was a slight shimmering effect near the base of the vines, where they connected to the floor.
The source.
Drawing on his quick thinking and knowledge from the game, Y/n realized that vines like these usually derived their power from their source, which in this case—might be a magical gem or core. If he could find and destroy it, there was a chance he could weaken or even break the hold the vines had on him.
Summoning his last reserves of strength, Y/n managed to reach for a thorn—and through closing his eyes—he painstakingly ripped it off. With a swift and focused movement, he stabbed it into the ground, right where the vines seemed to originate. A magical gem, pulsating with dark energy, was embedded in the floor.
The moment the dagger connected with the gem, the vines loosened their grip. Taking advantage of the opportunity, Y/n tore himself free and stumbled back, panting heavily. The vines, now disconnected from their power source, withered away into lifeless twigs.
At least now, he was disconnected from it.
But that wouldn't help his worsening injury.
The vines let go of Angelina too—and she stumbled away from it, relieved. Her body had nicks and cuts from the vines, and she was pale.
"Your—your wounds, Brother.."
"I'm fully aware," Y/n said shortly, breathing in and out shakily, "but we just need to avoid the culprits. This can be treated."
"I'm not sure—they are everywhere. We might not be so lucky. We can't stay here," Angelina said, her voice urgent. "Let's find a place to hide and tend to your injuries. There might be more attackers lurking around, and we need to be cautious."
Y/n nodded, wincing as he tried to put weight on his injured leg. Together, they carefully made their way down the corridor, away from the scene of the attack. The academy was in chaos, with students and faculty members rushing in all directions, trying to understand what was happening.
As they turned a corner, they stumbled upon another scene of destruction. The attackers seemed to have left their mark all over the academy, and Y/n couldn't help but feel a sense of dread—just what was this? A hidden event, the system said. But what was the purpose of it? Why the hidden event?
"There's..someone there. With a knife," Angelina whispered, "I don't know. It's embedded with mana. I can sense it."
The organization that directly opposed the academy was called The Star—and in truth, it posed no threat. At least, it didn't typically serve as one. The members were weak and insignificant—but occasionally, they could pull off large scale attacks like this.
"He saw us," Y/n said softly, seeing how those brown eyes fixed on him—"shit."
"Do you recognize them?" Angelina said with bated breath, "perhaps he's with us.."
Y/n recognised that symbol anywhere. He was definitely part of the Organization.
As they observed from their hiding spot, the person with the knife began moving with eerie silence through the corridor, searching for something or someone. The dim light cast long shadows around them, making it even harder for Y/n and Angelina to identify the intruder.
"We can't stay here," Y/n said, making a quick decision. "We need to find a way to escape and get help."
Angelina nodded, her eyes never leaving the intruder. "Agreed. But how do we get out without being seen?"
Y/n scanned their surroundings, looking for any potential escape routes. He spotted a narrow passageway that led deeper into the library—which was where they had somehow stumbled upon, away from the intruder's current path. It was risky, but it might be their only chance to slip away unnoticed.
"There's a passageway over there," Y/n whispered, pointing to the hidden path. "We'll use that to get out quietly. Hopefully, it'll lead us to a safe place where we can regroup and come up with a plan." His leg throbbed viciously as he said it—and he glanced at it and immediately recoiled.
Poison.
There were black patches on it.
He pushed the edges of his clothes down, hoping to conceal it.
Angelina, fortunately, did not notice, and her hand was laced in his as they cautiously made their way towards the hidden passageway, keeping an eye on the intruder to ensure they weren't detected. Each step felt like an eternity, and Y/n's heart raced with every sound that echoed through the library.
As they reached the entrance to the passageway, the mysterious figure seemed to sense something was amiss. They turned in their direction, and for a moment, Y/n feared they had been caught. But then, the intruder's attention was drawn to a distant commotion in another part of the library.
Seizing the opportunity, Y/n and Angelina slipped into the hidden passageway and quietly closed the entrance behind them. The passage was narrow, barely enough room for them to walk side by side. But they pressed on, guided only by the faint light that filtered through small cracks in the stone walls.
"Where do you think this leads?" Angelina murmured, her voice echoing in the confined space. It made Y/n jump a little; but he was feeling particularly nervous.
"I'm not sure," Y/n replied, his voice shaking the teeniest bit. "But we have to keep moving. We can't risk going back out there with that person still in the library."
The passageway twisted and turned unpredictably. Y/n had no idea where they were headed, but he hoped they would find a way out of this dangerous situation.
Screw dangerous. This whole thing is idiotic.
Finally, it opened up into a small hidden chamber. The room was dimly lit, and it appeared to be a forgotten storage area filled with old books, scrolls, and artifacts.
"We should be safe here for now," Y/n said, glancing around to ensure they were truly alone.
Angelina looked visibly relieved, though her worry for Y/n's injuries still showed on her face. "We need to find a way to contact Aristidis and the others. They need to know what's happening. Do you think they will come to save us?"
"Of course," Y/n said softly—but his tone wasn't because of being cautious—but merely because he was weak; "I should think everyone—especially the Crown Prince—"
"Behind you!"
Angelina barreled forward, her arms pushing Y/n to the side. She looked defiantly behind him; and Y/n forced himself to turn around.
There was a dagger that had flown past him, narrowly missing him. Y/n breathed out a long, shaky breath. Internally, he cursed the whole system. Was this game rigged?
Standing in the shadows of the chamber was another assailant, dressed in dark clothing, their face concealed by a black mask. It was clear that they were here to finish what the previous attacker had started.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Angelina demanded, her voice surprisingly strong despite the fear in her eyes.
The intruder didn't respond, but their intent was clear as they lunged forward with another attack. Y/n's heart raced, and he knew they couldn't afford to be caught off guard again. Despite his injury, he pushed himself into action, reaching for anything he could use as a weapon.
A nearby shelf held a few old, dusty books. Y/n grabbed one and hurled it at the intruder, causing them to stumble back momentarily. It bought them enough time to take cover behind a stack of crates while Angelina conjured a protective barrier around them.
In return, the intruder summoned a best of magic—and sent Y/n stumbling backwards.
Pain shot through his body, and Y/n felt his vision blur for a moment.
I can't fucking die here.
Y/n reached for the dagger that had been dropped during the scuffle, knowing he had to end this confrontation before they were both overwhelmed. Gathering what little strength he had left, he focused on the magical gem he had discovered earlier—the source of the assailant's power.
With all his willpower, he channeled a surge of energy into the dagger, aiming for the gem. This was the first time he had used..magic. Livio was surprisingly strong.
The assailant seemed to sense what he was doing and tried to stop him, but it was too late. The dagger connected with the gem, shattering it into pieces.
The attacker's power immediately waned, and their magical attacks faltered. Angelina seized the opportunity and launched a powerful counter-attack, incapacitating the intruder and leaving them gasping for breath on the floor.
That was one thing settled.
Y/n collapsed to his knees, his body trembling with exhaustion. He turned to the die, looking at Angelina with relief set on his face; but..
"Your wounds are gone," Y/n said in wonder, "what—what just.."
"Healing," Angelina whispered, "I think I just..triggered it."
..What?
Was that even possible?
Was that even part of the powers the game described her with?
[Iris.] Y/n thought desperately, [Iris! Fuck you. Explain yourself.]
Just what was the meaning of hidden events?
There was silence.
Y/n did not receive a single reply. Iris was selectively avoiding him. Playing a cruel game with him. Testing when he would break. Hiding from him.
Tears burned behind Y/n's eyes. He was humiliated and hurt beyond belief.
"I'll heal you," Angelina told him, "I think—I think I know how. I'll channel it in my fingertips; then I'll pull.."
A beam of light shot lit; and the moment Y/n blinked, his injuries..they were all gone.
"That's amazing," Y/n breathed out, feeling the pain slowly subside—"Angelina—this is.."
The cuts were gone. He was now..
Bang.
Angelina flinched; but Y/n merely heaved a sigh of relief.
Aristidis was here..
The door crashed open; and Y/n looked at the Prince who was stalking towards him. He mustered a smile; but Aristidis did not reply to him. His jaw was taut; as he was suppressing something; and his strides were fast.
...What?
He looked..mad. But why? Y/n wondered, wasn't he perfectly fine? He didn't have any visible injuries..
Y/n's eyes fell upon the sword by him—and his heart immediately fell.
From the top down to the bottom, it was utterly red. It had been bathed in the enemies' blood. Y/n only realized belatedly that all the thorns and vines had disappeared, and during that time where Y/n was trying his best to defeat that assailant, everywhere had grown quiet.
Again, there was only one explanation.
Aristidis had killed everyone in sight.
"Your Highness," Y/n said with uncertainty, "what happened? Are you injured? Are you—"
"Come with me."
Aristidis took Y/n's hand—and Y/n blinked, startled, as he felt himself being pulled away from Angelina—and down the corridor. His touch was gentle yet firm; and Y/n could hear a door slam behind the both of them, leaving the two of them alone.
Before Y/n could react, he could feel hands tip his chin up—and Aristidis's eyes practically burning into his own.
"Allow me," He whispered, and Y/n managed a faint nod—before lips crashed into his own. This was entirely different from the previous ones they both shared; this was ravenous—this was practically eating him up whole; bruising his lips. When they separated, Y/n gasped for breath, and Aristidis's fingers pressed on the mark on his neck.
"Did you know," Aristidis said in a dangerously low tone, "this mark tells me about your well-being? About your safety? About your condition? I warned you, Livio—I told you. You promised me. And yet.."
Y/n swallowed.
"I didn't get hurt. Look—there are no wounds.."
"Oh, you did," The Prince continued in a silky voice, "the mark tells me everything. Injuries on your legs; enough to tear the skin—enough to scar. Enough to make you feel great pain. I don't know just how your sister managed to heal you—perhaps that's one reason she's even useful—but you seem to persist on getting hurt."
"I'm sorry," Y/n murmured, his voice barely audible—and he could feel a tender kiss on his forehead— "I didn't mean to worry you. It's just... I don't know why. I couldn't help it. The thorns curled around me—then I tried to escape but someone noticed—"
Aristidis sighed, his anger seeming to soften slightly, but the tension in his body remained. "Livio. You are more important to me than my own life. If you—if you died;" His voice got softer—"if you died, I don't think I would know..I think I would become capable of inhumane things. You—you have already seen it several times. The unsavory habits I revert back to; over and over again. It has already astounded me that you accept me for who I am; for what I did—but I cannot help but go mad when someone just touches you; grazes you—looks at you. I burn with bloodlust whenever someone hurts you. And I know, Livio. It isn't your fault. You shouldn't be apologising. It's just that—"
Y/n sucked in a breath. He reached out to the trembling Prince, stroking his cheek softly. His heart swelled at the sudden, honest confession—it was clear he was struggling—and his mouth opened.
"You don't have to worry about me, Your Highness," Y/n said softly, trying to convey his feelings as best as he could. "I know you want to keep me safe, but I'm strong too. I won't let anyone hurt me, and I'll be by your side through it all. And..that's a promise I can definitely keep. A promise I will keep."
Aristidis let out a shaky breath, his grip on Y/n tightening. "I know you're strong, Livio. It's one of the things I admire most about you. But the world can be cruel, and I fear that one day my worst nightmares might come true."
Y/n pressed his forehead against the prince, their breaths mingling.
"It's a nightmare for a reason. It's not real," Y/n whispered, "look. I'm real. I'm here. I'm safe. And I will always make it back to you."
It was with these words Aristidis fully relaxed; and simply leaned on him. His hair tickled Y/n's neck as Y/n ran his fingers through the soft, delicate strands, pressing soft kiss on it.
He had survived another hidden event.
He could do this..
Y/n breathed in Aristidis's scent as he held the Prince.
No matter what, he had to honor his promise.
Y/n would try, no matter how, to find his way back to him—even if he was forcibly torn apart.