The surging waves swallowed Nicole whole.

The currents felt like countless powerful hands dragging her into an unfathomable abyss of cold darkness. She felt as fragile as a sheet of paper, torn apart at the vortex’s center.

The crushing pressure and suffocating lack of air hit her in relentless waves. Even as someone skilled in water, she found herself unable to maintain control in such dire circumstances.

The rushing water slammed her into a rock, the unexpected impact sending searing pain from the back of her head throughout her body.

In her struggle, Nicole inhaled her first mouthful of water, choking violently.

Worse yet, through the swirling bubbles and faint sunlight filtering from the surface above, she saw that the ghoul that had fallen earlier was also trapped in the vortex with her.

The ghoul, though unable to swim and flailing chaotically in the water, didn’t need to breathe and was unaffected by the crushing water pressure.

Upon sensing Nicole’s presence, it thrashed through the raging currents, clawing wildly as it tried to close the distance between them.

Nicole tumbled uncontrollably in the torrent, her body flipping and spinning with the chaotic flow. Panic and fear consumed her entirely, to the point where she even forgot to draw the short sword at her side.

She was utterly terrified, her mind overwhelmed by fear. Every combat skill she had painstakingly learned in her short life vanished from her thoughts.

All she could do was desperately try to swim upward.

Countless bubbles swirled past her, racing upward. She tilted her head back and thought she glimpsed a faint light above her.

But at that very moment, a claw seized her leg, yanking her downward with brutal force.

She kicked frantically, flailing with all her might, but she couldn’t break free from the venomous grip. Instead, the claws tore into her right leg, leaving deep gashes.

Her blood diffused into the water, staining her vision red in an instant.

The venom coursed through her, paralyzing her nerves and eating away at her consciousness.

At last, her strength gave out, and she stopped struggling.

The ghoul clung stubbornly to her ankle, refusing to let go. Together, they were carried out of the vortex, swept downstream by the raging current.

It opened its tooth-filled maw, preparing to sink its fangs into Nicole’s leg.

Just then, the silver headband on Nicole’s head—marked with the “Blooming Feather” insignia—suddenly radiated a burst of brilliant light.

The sacred glow seemed to sear the ghoul, causing it to shriek in agony. It involuntarily released its grip and scrambled to retreat, moving as far away from Nicole as the current allowed.

Bathed in the divine light, Nicole appeared to momentarily defy the water’s force. For a brief instant, she floated motionless in the turbulent flow, while the ghoul was swept over a tiered waterfall and carried further downstream.

The ghoul’s resentful screeches were drowned out by the raging current, fading away downstream.

The light enveloping Nicole gradually dimmed, and she was once again at the mercy of the water’s flow.

This time, she was caught in another whirlpool. As the glow vanished, the silver headband disappeared as well, lost amid her floating, swirling hair.

Only the pendant around her neck emitted a faint, flickering light.

That dim glow attracted a Darkscale Anaconda.

Its jet-black scales shimmered faintly, and its deep purple eyes glowed like mysterious amethysts.

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This was the last sight Nicole saw before she completely lost consciousness...

***

When she opened her eyes again, she found herself lying on the riverbank downstream.

The sun was already low in the western sky, its once-blazing intensity softened, yet its light was still too bright for her to see clearly.

It took a while before her vision adjusted, and she made out the figure of a black-haired man busying himself with something nearby.

Had the Darkscale Anaconda that found her… been Shinya?

Nicole tried to reach out a hand, only to realize she could no longer feel her limbs.

Her heart sank as she was forced to confront a terrifying reality—ghoul venom was fatal to humans.

There was no saving her now.

When faced with the inevitability of death, Nicole surprisingly felt a sense of relief. Shinya seemed to be fine now.

She didn’t know why and lacked the strength to think about it. She simply felt grateful from the bottom of her heart.

"Shinya… you’re… okay now? That’s… good…"

"Don’t talk. I’m stopping the bleeding," Shinya said firmly.

He rummaged through Nicole’s bag and found a roll of bandages, already soaked from the water. Still, it was the best he could use to dress her wounds.

Unfortunately, despite his powerful regenerative abilities, Shinya had no knowledge of how to properly or efficiently bandage injuries.

The blood continued to flow, and the dark purple venom had already spread to Nicole’s upper body.

If it kept spreading, she wouldn’t last until nightfall.

Shinya found an ordinary antidote in Nicole’s bag, but it was nowhere near enough to counteract the venom of a ghoul. Only holy magic—specifically a priest’s "Purification" spell—could neutralize it.

And yet, Rivern was nowhere to be seen.

Shinya remembered glimpsing Rivern’s condition when he transformed into a horned owl. The priest might have been injured, perhaps even incapacitated.

Should he keep waiting?

But Nicole didn’t have the luxury of time!

Shinya’s frustration boiled over as he slammed his fist into the riverbank’s pebbles. A small stone flew from the force of the strike, skipping across the river before sinking into the current.

"Why did I have to kick that ghoul off the cliff...?" Shinya muttered, his voice filled with regret. "I'm sorry, Nicole."

"This isn’t your fault…" Nicole forced a faint smile, her voice weak, her gaze unfocused. "It’s my fault… I shouldn’t have… asked you to bring me here."

"No, it’s my fault." Shinya’s voice cracked as he gently pulled her into his arms, burying his face in her frail shoulder. "If I hadn’t mentioned Acorn Town last night, you wouldn’t have gotten this idea in your head."

He clung to her tightly, his heart breaking. "It’s all my fault. I was selfish. I brought you to this dangerous place just to make you remember who I am. And once again… I’ve failed to protect you."

Nicole felt Shinya’s fingers threading gently through her hair as he cradled her head, resting it against the crook of his neck. The warmth of his touch brought her a profound sense of peace, as if the looming shadow of death was nothing more than an illusion.

"No, I should’ve died fifteen years ago in that massacre," she murmured, her voice suddenly steadier.

The unexpected strength in her words made Shinya loosen his embrace. For a fleeting moment, he thought a miracle might be unfolding.

But then his gaze fell upon her chest, where dark purple veins spread ominously beneath her skin.

Her body was making one final, desperate stand against the deadly venom.

And it would also be her last.

In that instant, Shinya felt a bone-deep chill flood through his entire being.

He stared at the girl in his arms, his mind overwhelmed with sorrow and guilt—until, suddenly, a wild idea sprang to life. It was so absurd that it drowned out her soft, fading words entirely.

"I don’t know why my time was reset, but it doesn’t matter anymore… I wasn’t supposed to get the chance to see you grow up… but now I have. Maybe that’s the purpose of my rebirth… and it’s enough, truly…"

Before she could finish, Shinya grabbed her hand, cutting her off mid-sentence.

"Nicole, answer me one question," he demanded, his voice firm and urgent. "Look at me—look into my eyes."

He released Nicole’s hand and gently cupped her face, his deep purple eyes locking onto hers.

"Tell me, do you want to survive?"

In his unwavering gaze, Nicole saw a determination so fierce it bordered on madness—resolve so strong it was almost terrifying.

She couldn’t understand what he intended to do.

"Answer me," Shinya pressed, his voice firmer, more urgent. "Do you want to survive? Do you want to live with me?"

It didn’t feel like a question—it felt like a demand.

"…Yes," Nicole finally whispered. Just as she thought she’d made peace with death, his insistent questioning rekindled the survival instinct she had abandoned.

How could she not want to survive?

She was merely trying to convince herself to accept death.

She didn’t want to die; she didn’t want to be separated from Shinya. Only today had she remembered who he truly was, and she wanted to spend more time with him, to share the days ahead. How could she willingly give that up now?

"But…" she whispered, fully aware that her condition was beyond saving.

The cruel reality shattered her hopes, and tears spilled uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes.

Shinya wiped away her tears with his thumb. "No buts," he said firmly.

Suddenly, he became calm and focused, his voice steady. "You want to survive, don’t you?"

"…Yes," Nicole managed to nod, though the motion was faint and arduous.

"Good," Shinya said as he pulled her back into his arms, burying his head against the side of her neck, where her pulse beat steadily. "No matter what happens next, don’t abandon your will to survive. Trust me."

"Shinya?"

"Nicole, I’m sorry. What I’m about to do might cause you pain. Please, bear with it."

Suddenly, white mist rose around them, swirling like steam and obscuring her vision.

Nicole gasped as a chilling sensation spread from her neck. It felt as though something sharp had pierced her skin.