Back at the storage room...

No. This can’t be. I’ve been dead for almost a year?

“Hiiro?” Satrillo asked; “Is there something wrong? You’re acting weird.”

“N-nothing. I’m sorry. I’m just a bit shocked from what I just heard.”

“Shocked?” he whispered. “By the way, Hiiro, can I ask you something?”

“What is it Satrillo-san?”

“How did you meet Lady Emily?” he asked. “This has been bothering me for quite a while since I met you. Actually, when I saw you fight in the arena, I thought you were a Lich.”

“A Lich?”

Satrillo explained to me what Lich was. When a mage with powerful magic dies, there’s a rare chance of them coming back to life. The negative energy from the mage’s regrets or anger to their killer could combine with their mana cursing them to be re-born as an immortal. This was also how the demons discovered curses.

“When I saw you cast elemental magic in your battle with Lucie, I immediately assumed you were a Lich,” he added. “There’s also the fact that a normal Skeleton Knight would never have a will of its own. However, you seem to be self-aware and in control of your own actions.”

So Liches also exist here.

“But I can’t seem to feel any form of curse on you,” he added. “Hiiro. What are you? How did you meet Emily?”

What should I do? He’s suspicious of me. Do I tell him the truth? That Emily used a forbidden spell to reincarnate me? Well, he did serve her mother. Maybe he can help us look for her; or knows something about reanimation.

“Emily… reanimated me from the dead.” I stated.

As these words came out of my mouth, Satrillo’s behaviors suddenly changed; his body froze. His face became paler with his mouth slightly opened and eyes widened. “Hiiro. P-please, tell me you're joking,” he faltered. “N-no, this is just not possible. I can still talk to Lady Emily. There’s no way this is possible.”

“Satrillo-san?” I queried.

“Hiiro, do you know that reanimation is forbidden? Do you know the reasons why?” he quickly grabbed my shoulders.

“I-I don’t know the reason but I know it’s forbidden.”

“When necromancers use reanimation. They use all of their life energy and give it to their subject,” he explained.

“All of her life energy? Does this mean...”

“Emily will die,” he added.

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After my talk with Satrillo, I went to our room and sat on top of my bed, thinking about everything he just said. “Emily... will die?” I whispered, looking at my hands.

The door opened, and I saw Emily entering. Everything happened so fast that I never noticed my shouts vibrating throughout the room. When I returned to my senses, my cheek bones were hurting as I looked at her hands red and swelling. With the continuous drop of tears from her face, I couldn’t speak. “I-I’m sorry,” she apologized and ran outside leaving me still standing, regretting what I’ve done.

“I’m sorry!” Shouting these words, I continuously punched the wall close to the door, almost breaking my right hand. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I wanted to cry but I couldn't, for I had no eyes. “I’m sorry, Emily.” Staring at my fractured fist, it stung every time I tried to move it. But, her slap was more painful. It twinged not on my face, but on my heart. “I need to find her quick. I must apologise to her.” Immediately, I went out to look for her.

Running around, I explored the inside of the castle, but I couldn’t find her. “Please, Emily, where are you?” I did this until I saw Aria entering from the castle gate. “Aria!” I screamed. Running over to her and panting; I quickly asked her. “Have you seen Emily?”

“Emily? I just passed her. She went outside,” she replied. “Hiiro, what going on? Seemed she was crying.”

“I...”

“Hiiro, whatever it is, please talk to her,” she pleaded. “I… I don’t want to see her cry again. She already suffered too much from the past.”

“Yes. I will. Thank you, Aria.”

Before I had the chance to ran, Aria stopped me. “Wait, Hiiro, I’ll help you look for her.”

Aria and I decided to split up so we could find Emily easier. The entire area was massive; I looked everywhere until I was exhausted. “Shi*t.” The sky had turned dark since it’s already night. But, I never gave up. With my fist hurting from punching the wall, and my feet aching from too much running, I managed to find her, standing beneath the shade of an autumn tree. She was facing the other way. “Emi...ly.” But, I was too tired. Visions dimming, steps slowing, I forced myself to continue, and walked towards the girl wearing a black robe. “Emily… I… I’m sorry.” Everything turned black, and I collapsed.

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Waking up, I found myself lying in Emily’s lap; she was crying. Slowly, I raised my left hand towards her face, wiping the falling tears. “I’m sorry. I made you cry again.”

“H-Hiiro.” Tightly, she grabbed my hand. With her forehead touching my fingers, she spoke, still crying. “Hiiro, I’m sorry. I’m really really sorry.”

“No, Emily.” I said as I stood. “I’m the one who should apologize. I couldn’t control my emotions and I… I did that you. I’m really sorry.”

“But...” As her gaze shifted down, she saw my broken fist. “Hiiro, what happened to your right hand?” she asked, but I couldn’t respond. Avoiding eye contact, I remained silent. “I’ll heal you right now.” She immediately grabbed her scepter and started casting a spell, but I stopped her.

“Please, Emily you don’t need to exhaust your life force on me.”

“Y-you don’t have to worry, Hiiro,” she replied. “I-I’ll use my mana.” She cast a spell to fix my broken hand.

Turning my back, I pleaded, “Emily, please; cancel the reanimation spell. I… I don’t want you to die because of me.”

“I-I can’t,” she responded with a soft voice.

Hearing these words I faced her. “Emi--” But before I could say her name, a guard appeared and interrupted us.

“Master Hiiro, Lady Emily,” he shouted. “King Dullahan wants to see you two in the throne room. Please, go there immediately.”

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At the throne room, Dullahan sat in front with Satrillo, Lucie and Robyn standing beside him. “Emily, answer me.” Dullahan slowly spoke, looking at us with glaring eyes. “Did you really use ‘reanimation’?”

My gaze turned to Satrillo. “My apologies, Hiiro,” he spoke. “I had to tell this to the king since this is a serious matter.”

“Answer me!!!” Dullahan’s loud voice echoed across the entire room.

With her trembling hands, Emily answered as she looked down. “Y-yes, your highness.”

There was a bit of silence before Dullahan let out another word; his face became sullen. “Tell me, Emily,” he said with a soft and slow voice. “Where did you learn this spell and how did you survive?”

Survive?

“I-I learned reanimation from a book I picked up in the forest,” Emily quivered; her hands were shaking. Immediately, I held her right palm. It was the only thing I could do.

“Where is this book right now?” Dullahan slowly asked.

“I-it’s in our room.” Emily answered..

Dullahan commanded his guards to search for the book. The throne room became quiet after that.

“Y-your highness.” Looking at Dullahan, my voice stuttered. “Can I ask something? What do you mean… What do you mean by survive?”

“Allow me to explain...” Satrillo interjected. He explained the process of reanimation.

In order to perform ‘reanimation’, the necromancer must offer their life force force to their target. In other words, for reanimation to be successful the necromancer must first die. Emily being alive contradicted that one requirement of the spell. She shouldn’t be breathing right now.

The guards returned, one of them held a worn-out book in his hands. He walked towards Dullahan and handed him the book. As Dullahan read its pages, his expressions suddenly changed. They had the same eyes as when I told Satrillo about Emily reanimating me. “No, this penmanship. It can’t be.” He looked at Robyn and called out her name. “Go to the Village of the Necromancers right now and look for Oliver! I need him to explain this to me.”

“Yes, your highness,” Robyn replied and walked out of the room.

“Your highness,” Satrillo spoke. “What’s the matter.”

“The reanimation spell on this book had been altered,” Dullahan responded. “It seems the previous owner is trying to resurrect a necromancer.”

“A necromancer?”

Satrillo looked at me. “In order to reanimate someone, the target must have a soul. However, due to the contract of the necromancers to the Demon King, if they died, their souls would vanish.”

“Then that means...”

“Yes,” Satrillo responded. “It is impossible to reanimate a full-blooded necromancer.”

Hearing this, Emily fell on her knees. “I-I can’t reanimate mother?”

No. I forgot Emily is here.

“Then, for what reason did I learn necromancy. For what reason do I have to live!!!” Emily shouted.

“Satrillo, take Emily back to her room, immediately,” Dullahan commanded. Satrillo then went to the king and whispered something, but I couldn't hear them since they were too far from me.

As the three of us walked towards the door, Dullahan called me, “Hiiro, please stay. I need to talk to you.” After the door closed, Dullahan began to talk. “I never thought the reason why she’s looking for Marina is so she could reanimate her.”

“Your highness!” I shouted. “Please, tell Emily to cancel the reanimation spell she cast on me.”

Dullahan looked at me. “I’m sorry, Hiiro,” he apologized. “But that is impossible right now. Reanimation is a one-time spell; the caster is supposed to die after using it. There is no known way of canceling this spell.”

“No... This can’t be.”

“However, Oliver might know something about this,” he added, and coughed after. “Anyway, Hiiro, I know this is too sudden, considering what just happened with Emily, but I want to ask you something. This is important so please don't lie to me.” Dullahan flicked his finger, and a number of guards entered the room, each carrying a weapon. “Are you a spy from the Human Kingdom?”

“Y-your highness. W-what do you mean by spy?”

“Tell us the truth, Hiiro,” he added. The guards raised their weapons and aimed it towards me. “We can tell if you’re lying using Lucie’s curse.”

What’s happening? Spy? Me? But I never even went to the Human Kingdom.

“Hiiro, we’re waiting for your answer,” Dullahan demanded.

Since I had no choice, I told them everything. How I came from another world. How a plane did crash into me. How I don’t have memory of anything that happened before I died. And how Emily and I met.

“I… I never once set foot in the Human Kingdom.”

“Are you really sure, Hiiro?” Lucie spoke.

“Lucie-san? What do you mean?”

“Based on the information that we have gathered.” Lucie walked towards me. “Last year on November, the humans tried to duplicate the summoning magic they used on the previous war. It seems they’re planning to start the third world war.”

“The third... world war?”

“Yes. We’re also investigating about the recent attacks on the Village of the Necromancers.” Lucie placed her right palm on my forehead. “Sweet dreams, Hiiro~ I hope that when you wake up, we’re still allies.” Suddenly, my body felt exhausted. Visions slowly fading, sounds disappearing. As my sight completely vanished, my skeleton body fell on the ground.