Chapter Thirty: Amalia's Strike
Estelle
Hmm... what is this? Everything is so quiet.
I slowly opened my eyes, but I couldn't help to feel my body aching. My hand tried to grab the soil to relieve it, but I stopped doing it when I realized that it was not wet.
Has the rain stopped?
"Ah, the potion!" I exclaimed out of nowhere when I remembered it. That's the reason I told Lady Emilia to push me inside this cave.
Still on the ground, I tried to stand up and looked where the potion might be. While seeking a hand from behind, suddenly pass on top of my shoulder, holding the potion. I sighed in relief.
"Oh, thank—" I wasn't able to finish my sentence and immediately stayed meters away from the woman in front of me, who's still holding the potion. She chuckled.
"You look so scared. Looking for this?" Amalia said and shook the potion in her hands.
Wait, the potion is already in her hands. She should already drink it! Unless, she wants to choke me again.
I sharpened my gaze to her.
"E-Either you drink that or I'll do anything to have that potion back," I said while trying to hide the shaking of my voice.
She started walking up to me and instinctively, I walked backwards. This time, I put my arms up in the air, imitating the stance of a boxer.
"Come on, didn't be scared," she sighed in disbelief and stopped walking.
"Easy for you to say when you choked me earlier to death."
"I did?" Her green-jeweled eyes rounded and she pointed at herself. "No, that wasn't me!"
"Then who was that?" I asked. She suddenly sat on the ground and started twirling her hair like a child.
"Tsk! The one above is an imitation, a protector per say. Didn't the old man told you to only chant the spell inside the cave because if not, the protector will appear?"
I shook my head left and right because I didn't remember Master Hagas telling me something like that.
"Heh, he really is past his prime," she said and chuckled, "the protector, she's vicious, isn't she?"
I nodded while slowly caressing my neck. I really thought that that was the end of me earlier. Amalia patted the ground in front of her as if she's telling me to sit there.
"You see, we are just manifested by Amalia's subconcious that she left here in this world because there are flaws on the potion that we made. And we didn't expect that you'd take the pills all at once," she explains while I'm trying to seat comfortably to the ground also. "Oh by the way, your unconscious right now."
"What?" I asked, shocked.
"Ah, worry not. The time in this space is frozen. Once you wake up, you'll just be back to normal," she assured me.
"Maybe you wonder why I chose you to to replace my existence in this world. Well, that's because you look like my great-grandaughter."
"Great-grandaughter?" I gasped.
Princess Sina and Amalia are related. How come?
I just stayed silent while she continued what she was saying while now holding the potion bottle in front of her face.
"Techinally, she's my twin sister's great-grandaughter. I am stuck being young forever, you see." Even though she may act like she's happy and her lips are curved upward, I can sense some sadness in her tone. I wouldn't be surprised if she would start crying, too.
I didn't know what to do with that information, so I just nodded. At least she told me the reason she chose me, and actually, I am thankful to her for this experience. After all, I enjoyed my stay here and met a lot of nice people. I love everything here, just not the part that I would die in a couple of months.
"Say, will I be able to go back here? You know..." I asked. I don't mind coming back here and if I were given a chance, a visit would do. But I got disappointed when Amalia suddenly bowed her head down and shook it.
"Sorry. I cannot be of service in that anymore. I won't be able to make the potion anymore because the moment we will be back to our own world, officials from Errend will take me. I am guessing that they know where I am now based on the light from the spell. Who knows what they will do to me."
"Oh..." I replied, disheartened. She raised his head and moved closer to me. She gave me a pat on my shoulders like she's trying to say 'sorry'. After that, she opened the bottle of the potion.
"You see, once I drink this, your body will grow weaker and weaker as it will exchange our presence in such manner. The moment you close your eyes, you'll be back to your world." Amalia raised the bottle in front of our faces. "Are you ready?"
It took a while for me to respond to her.
"What about the knights? The dragon... everyone. What will happened to them?"
The time is froze here in this space, but the moment I went back to my world, what about them? I hear that the ancient dragon is a hard one to defeat.
"Didn't the old man told you that I'd take care of it? After all, Izes is my pet."
Oh right, Master Hagas told me about that! Maybe I was just overwhelmed by the fact that I won't see them again after all of this.
"Izes?" I asked.
"That's the ancient dragon's name," she said and drank the potion.
A light once again blinded me and surrounded both of us, especially Amalia. Ah, or should I say, the light is coming from her own body.
Amalia stood up and slowly raised and spread both of her arms as if she's imitating a dragon's spread of his wings. She's like a Saintess. The glow that is coming from her, it's so mesmerizing. It indeed is mesmerizing, but my eyes can't take the pressure of that light coming from her anymore.
As I closed my eyes, I saw her closing her eyes too while smiling and muttering some words I do not understand. It's as if she's chanting some spells.
Slowly, I can hear my surroundings getting louder and louder. Gushing of the wind, the heavy rain, knights shouting, dragon's roaring, and the sound coming from the forest that echoes inside the cave. But that didn't last long because the moment I opened my eyes, a more blinding light came out from Amalia's body and to the fear that I might be one of the casualty, I stood up and was about to run away, but it was too late.
A lightning struck my chest at the same moment the ancient dragon was. It let out a daunting roar as it's body slowly fell to the ground. It was all visible from the opening where I am right now.
That moment, after a defining silence, I heard victorious cheers from the knights above. I tried to smile, but as what Amalia has said, I felt that my body was getting weaker.
"Thank you..." Amalia whispered as if she's just a wind passing through. I soften my gaze to her as she slowly disappears into my sight.
"The Princess is here!" I heard one of the knights shout as he peeked to where I am right now. Beside him, I could see Lady Emilia's worried yet relieved expression.
Ah, she really does look like Sophie! I hope that girl would believe me if I told her about this world.
"Princess, we are coming for you! Come on, let's go inside the cave."
"We are saved by the Holy Flower!"
"Thank you our savior!"
They chorused different praises that were addressed to Princess Sina, but neither of us did it. It was all Amalia.
I was so overwhelmed by the shouts that I barely even noticed that I was already kneeling on the ground. Everybody was celebrating, yet I'm here, close to fainting.
It's the end, huh?
I slowly slid my hand into my pocket. The last item that I have there is the necklace Azval bought me. I smiled as I carefully wrapped it around my right palm. I hold it tightly.
For the last time, I want to be reminded by him.
"Miss Estelle!"
A familiar voice and stature made its way to me by jumping from the opening of the cave. I let out a smirk on my mind. I thought I'm not gonna see him again, but my body is already getting lighter.
Before my body reached the ground, a cold and wet, heavy armor touched my skin. Different from the first time we met, his face right now is full of worry rather than disgust.
Isn't that a late reaction?
He should have shown that expression when I was in trouble with those men.
"Hey! I'm Princess Sina, you know?" I joked, almost whispering.
"Say that if you have golden eyes and hair like hers," he said.
Oh, did my appearance go back to original? Was it Amalia's doing?
I felt him hugging me more tightly that even if he was still in his armor, I could feel his body trembling.
"Apologies. It took me so long," he whispered in my ear, and I saw him clenching his jaw. "I'm... I'm so sorry."
I am aware that it is not a time to let out a chuckle, but I did. I also tried my best to reach something inside my pocket. I held his hand and started counting while putting some coins there.
"73... 74... 75 rias. Ah, I think the other one fell somewhere along the way," I said and looked at him straight in his eyes. It was full of despair. "I-Is that alright?"
"You need to pay that one rias back," he jokingly said, yet tears already welled up on his eyes and starting to stream down his face.
I reached out for his face and slowly wiped the tears. "Shame... then will this do?"
I lightly pressed my lips on his and gave him a gentle kiss. I didn't think anything at all. For the last time, I want to be Estelle. The Estelle he meets on the night market. The Estelle that has a 76 rias debt on a Mercenary called Azval. The Estelle, who is worried about how she can pay that debt so he would accompany the mercenary at night.
Will this really be the last time I'll meet him?
"I already paid my debt. Why are you still crying? Don't tell me you put on some interest," I said when our lips parted, yet his sob grew even more intense. He even hugged me tightly as if he had no intention of letting me go. I can even feel his tears falling on my cheeks.
"Look, the sun is already starting to shine," I said while gradually closing my eyes as Azval was watching my face being shined by the sun. He was just watching me as my body started to disappear slowly.
"Hey Azval, I'm glad that I was able to meet you," I said for the last time before closing my eyes completely, and what he said before I disappeared made my heart shatter into pieces.
"You're as beautiful as the sun, Miss Estelle." A forced smile formed in his eyes that was full of tears. He held my gradually fading hands on his cheek. "Please... please don't leave me."
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