SPELLBOUND

Background Music: I will find you by Harry Lightfoot/Audiomachine

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Laiza could no longer see the dragon. Her hand was pressing down hard on the circular wound that was on her bleeding abdomen. After she had slashed through the last tentacle, it had regrown and launched a sneak attack on her. That hit had struck her hard, throwing her back like a rag doll being flung off carelessly.

The impact was so strong that she had been sent flying many meters away and landed in a rolling heap, resulting in more cuts and bumps that would definitely bruise â€" if she managed to stay alive, that is. She had thought for a moment she was quite lucky as that hit had actually sent her further away from it. That way, she might still have, even the slimmest chance to escape. Well, that was what she had hoped would happen. But she was wrong. Luck was apparently not on her side at all as always.

She had fallen back onto a heap of spiky crystallized ice, causing it to pierce straight into her back and its tip protruded through her abdomen.ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ (f)ir(e).nᴇt

Blood trickled from her lips as she forced herself into a sitting position. Her weak magic could not even do anything to heal herself nor stop her bleeding. Thus, resulting in the reason for her putting pressure on her seeping wound. She then looked around. Her surroundings were so dark and quiet. The desolate ground looked so creepy and lonely too.

Alone. She was all alone in this vast darkness. A bitter, almost hysterical smile curved on her lips as maniacal laughter was bubbling at the back of her throat, just waiting to be released. It seems like her death was just as what she had imagined. She was going to die alone. Just like this. And then... after her passing, she would quickly be forgotten. Like how the dew would disappears as the day brightens or like how the snow melts when the sun rises. It would be as though she had never even existed in the first place.

She had thought that she was more than ready for this. Because she had known that this was coming. This was the inevitable fate of a rogue warrior like herself. But damn... why did it have to be so sad...? She had never thought that the ending of her life would be this sad. She did not think that it could be this painfully sad to die alone. With no one to accompany by your side.

Lifting her head up, the image of that dragon and Levy's annoying face flashed unbidden in her mind. At least, her death was not going to be in vain.

Right now, the only thing that she was so thankful for was the fact that she was not regretting what she had done. At least, her demise would not be for nothing. That dragon and those vampires were more precious and useful to the queen than her. They could do more things that were beneficial than a rogue like her. At that comforting thought, her mocking smile gentled and a soft light filled her eyes.

Forcing herself to stand up through her pain, Laiza moved her feet to walk through sheer will alone. Every single movement caused her to cough and blood continued flowing from the corner of her lips. But she still pressed on. She knew that it was hopeless. She was not walking ahead because she still naively believed that there was a chance that she could make it. She just did not want to sit in one spot and obediently wait for death. She would rather keep on moving stubbornly, fighting to the end. Where it was possible, she wanted her death to be one that was on her own terms rather than being passive about it.

She really was not expecting for any miracle to happen. Because so far, she had been so unlucky. Things like miracles and luck had never once played nicely with her. It was as though she was a deterrent to miracles and luck. She just wanted to move because she would rather continue feeling the physical pain and know that she was still half alive, than feel the loneliness and misery of dying all alone.

A faint yell echoed. She thought that she might be hallucinating due to her significant loss of blood and the pain that was causing her to feel lightheaded.

"Laiza!!! Laiza my love!!!"

Nope. She definitely had heard someone calling her. And it was curiously a very familiar someone.

After some moments, Laiza's eyes widened at the click of realization to that familiar voice she had thought was just a figment of her imagination. But then, she stilled in shock. Her mouth dropped opened at the sight of a vampire running happily and eagerly towards her.

"No... no..." she uttered to herself as she watched him ran towards her with that wide and silly smile. And he was somehow looking at her as though he had found some hidden treasure that he had been dreaming of for his entire life. Laiza could feel sweat beading on her forehead as she was frozen for a moment as she stared at his approaching figure.

She then shook her head. This man...!! He had chosen to come back for her! An awkward yet ecstatic feeling seemed to be bubbling deep within her heart. However, as he got nearer, Laiza got agitated.

"W-what the hell are you doing down here! You, dumbass!!!" she screamed at him. She could not explain what she was feeling. She definitely felt happiness at the sight of him but at the same time, there was also a tinge of despair. Seeing his situation, she knew they could not move away fast enough to escape. She could not help but tear up at the thought. Why? Why did he have to come back? Why was he throwing his only chance of survival to come find her? Though she wanted to scream out these questions, she could only bite down on her lips and stare at him.

He grinned apologetically at her as he finally reached where she was. He didn't ask anymore. He simply smiled gently, lovingly. Looking as though he was so glad and happy he had found her.

And then, he scooped her up as careful as he could and held her in his arms.