Kael Voss's POV
Am I… still alive?
No. That's impossible.
I clearly remembered the cold steel slicing through my neck. The sharp pain. The sudden darkness. My consciousness should have ended right there.
Yet I was floating.
Floating in an endless black sea with no up or down. No sound. No light. Just… nothing.
I tried to move, but my body wouldn't respond. I was drifting aimlessly, carried by some invisible tide.
Think, Kael. Stay calm.
I died. That much was certain. Right after my heart stopped, the bomb I hid inside my chest should have detonated. The old man and his entire crew were probably blown to pieces along with half the city. My revenge was finally complete.
So why did I feel so hollow?
This place… was it the afterlife? If so, it was far too dark and empty for someone who had committed as many sins as I had. This had to be my punishment — an eternity of drifting in silence.
I didn't regret the blood I spilled. Not even a little. Given the chance, I'd do it all again. The only real regret was never getting to live a normal life. No school days with friends, no stupid teenage mistakes. Just survival and vengeance.
Guess that was the price I paid.
I stopped fighting the current and let myself drift.
Time lost all meaning.
Then, after what could have been hours or centuries, a faint glow appeared in the distance.
A single point of light.
I tried to reach for it, but my limbs felt weightless and useless. No matter how hard I struggled, the current pulled me closer anyway.
As I approached, the light grew into a rapidly spinning orb. The moment I got near it, a heavy, malevolent pressure washed over me — cold and threatening.
Without warning—
BOOM!
The orb burst apart violently.
Light particles swirled wildly and condensed into a twisting black vortex. A swirling gateway that looked like it led straight into oblivion.
The portal began pulling everything toward it with terrifying force — including me.
I fought desperately, but it was useless. The suction was too strong.
"Damn it…"
Powerlessness. That old, bitter feeling returned. The same helplessness I felt the day I lost everyone I cared about.
As I was dragged closer, faint voices leaked from the other side — angry, sharp words in a language I couldn't understand.
Then the portal swallowed me completely.
Slap!
A stinging pain exploded across my face.
My eyes snapped open.
I was no longer in darkness. I was sitting at a wooden table inside a noisy tavern filled with chatter and the smell of food and ale.
Across from me sat a girl who looked about sixteen or seventeen. She had long, silky golden-blonde hair that fell in soft waves past her shoulders. Her skin was fair, her features delicate and elegant. What stood out most were her bright emerald-green eyes — currently narrowed in clear irritation.
She was strikingly beautiful, but right now her expression was full of disdain.
Before I could process anything, she spoke sharply:
"I've told you countless times already — I am not your fiancée. Stop following me around like a lost dog."
Fiancée? What was she talking about?
I kept quiet, trying to understand the situation.
She continued, her tone growing colder:
"That engagement was forced on us by our families. I want nothing to do with it. So leave me alone from now on."
A sudden, crushing headache hit me like a truck.
"Argh—!"
Pain far worse than anything I had endured in the basement exploded inside my skull. My vision blurred. I clutched my head and collapsed to the floor, writhing in agony.
The world spun. My breathing turned ragged.
After several painful minutes, the headache slowly faded.
I pulled myself back onto the chair using the table for support. The other patrons glanced at me but quickly returned to their meals — as if this kind of thing happened often.
The blonde girl stared at me, surprised, then stood up with a haughty look.
"Looks like you've finally cracked. Whatever. Just remember what I said. Don't ever approach me again."
I looked at her and replied calmly:
"Fine. I won't."
She blinked, clearly caught off guard.
"…What?"
"I said I won't bother you anymore."
Her face paled. She stood frozen for a moment, then demanded:
"Promise me."
I nodded. "I promise. I won't trouble you again."
Silence.
She studied me suspiciously, then turned on her heel.
"I don't trust a single word from you. You'll probably go back to being annoying soon enough."
With one last glare, she muttered "Disgusting," and walked out of the tavern without looking back.
I exhaled slowly and leaned back in my chair.
My heart was pounding.
What the hell is going on?