บท 12: Ch 12: Cristina Yang

Cristina's POV

My life began in tragedy. Abandoned by my parents at birth, I was left at the hospital with nothing but a name. From there, I was taken to an orphanage, a place that offered no warmth or kindness.

As I grew older, I was bullied relentlessly for my unusual appearance—my pale complexion and icy blue eyes often drew mocking remarks and ostracization from the other children. The constant ridicule and isolation shaped me into a timid and withdrawn girl, afraid to trust or let others in.

At the age of 8, everything changed. During a particularly cruel incident where I was cornered by bullies, my deep-seated emotions erupted, awakening my latent powers as an ice mage. Frost coated the walls of the orphanage, and the room filled with a piercing cold.

Though the bullies fled in terror, the experience left me even more isolated, as the staff and children began to view me with fear. Despite this, I found solace in mastering my powers, dedicating myself to control and understanding them.

At 15, my dedication and intellect earned me a place at a prestigious academy, where I quickly rose through the ranks, becoming the top 2 in my batch. My talents as an ice mage were unparalleled, but my shy demeanor kept me from forming close relationships.

It was during my time at the academy that I met Reed, an average and unassuming boy who seemed ordinary compared to the other prodigies around us. Despite his lack of exceptional talent, Reed proved to be brave and kind, saving me during a goblin attack.

His courage broke through my walls, and I found myself drawn to him. Over time, our bond grew into love, and we became a couple.

However, our relationship was far from perfect. As Reed's reputation grew after our adventures, he attracted the attention of other women who admired his heroism. Over time, he developed a harem of companions, leaving me feeling heartbroken and overshadowed.

Despite my sadness and the pain of sharing the man I loved, I chose to stay by his side, unable to let go of the connection we had.

Together, along with Reed's other companions, I joined the quest to defeat the Demon King. My ice magic proved invaluable, and my growing mastery of my powers earned me both respect and fear from my allies.

In the final battle, it was my relentless courage and strength that turned the tide, and I dealt the finishing blow to the Demon King alongside Reed and his harem.

Yet, the end of our journey marked the beginning of my downfall. As my powers grew, so did Reed's unease. He began to fear the extent of my abilities, worrying that my control might falter or that I could one day become a threat.

In a moment of weakness and paranoia, Reed made a devastating choice. In a confrontation driven by his fear, he struck me down, my life fading in the same icy cold I had mastered.

'I guess this is it, huh?', I laughed at my own pathetic self. I had loved him with every fiber of my being, and yet he had discarded me. My final thoughts were not of the life I had saved or the battles I had fought, but of my hatred for Reed.

"This is for the greater good, Cristy. If I don't kill you now, you'll just grow and grow." His voice, colder than the ice I control. How could he do this to me? He knows that I'll never betray humanity, so why?

"You get what I'm saying, right Cristy?" He said, while looking down at me. The warmth in his eyes was now replaced by cold indifference. 'Ah, I get it now.' I knew he was ambitious, but I never expected it to be this bad. 'You jealous prick!' with that thought, I finally drew my last breath.

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Stirring up, I felt a soft cushion all around me, as if I was on a cloud. "Oh? Are you hungry, Cristina? Wait here, I'll go make you a food." I heard someone say, 'what's this? Is this hell or heaven?' I tried opening my eyes, but they were too heavy, and when I successfully opened them, I was greeted with darkness.

A few minutes of panicking later, I heard a click at the door, and the matron (or what I assume is) came back. She put something in my mouth, and I unconsciously began to suck on it, 'oh, this milk is delicious.'

While thinking about useless thoughts, I suddenly remember Reed. 'That bastard, I'll kill him and make him regret what he did do me'. Although I knew that he still hasn't done anything to me right now, I'm sure he'll do it again.

He's someone who will do something thoroughly, so I'm sure that he already planned that way back in the past. 'I'll kill him, and steal every good thing he got'. Fueled by a burning desire for revenge, I vowed to make Reed pay for his betrayal.

After making that vow, I started to drift off to dreamland, 'But before that, I'll make sure to grow up healthy first.'

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I suddenly woke up, when I started feeling a presence slowly getting near me. 'Shit, are they an assassin? Did anyone find out that I'm a regressor?'. As those thoughts swirled in my mind, I felt the person lifting me and finally heard their voice, or rather 'her' voice.

"Hi baby, I'm your new mommy." She said gently, while cradling me. '... this voice'. I recognize the voice of Serena Bellus, a former legendary healer known for her beauty and kindness, whose life took a dark turn when she learned of hunters sacrificing young talents to monsters.

"My precious baby." My brain stopped functioning for a moment, she said it so tenderly, as if I was the best treasure in the whole Elaris. Though it touched my heart, I was so unfamiliar with that kind of love that my body began shifting on their own.

"What's wrong, baby? You're not hungry are you?" I heard her say, I'm not hungry. Please don't show me that much love if you're just going to leave me. No, it's impossible that she left me. I looked at my records before, and no one adopted me, so does this mean that the future has changed? Why? I didn't even do anything yet!

Theories came pouring in, but then stopped when I felt her sniffing my butt. 'HEY! WHAT'RE YOU DOING??' I know she's just worried but, come on. "*phew* you cute, little rascal. You scared mommy." She gently scolded me, and she must've been really scared. 'Her hand was trembling!'.

Me being a baby, I couldn't control myself and accidentally cracked a smile, which earned me a gentle scolding. '....this might not be so bad after all'.

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After we left the ward, we came across a commotion. Rodan Wraith, an orphan who refused adoption. While the caretaker and Serena were talking about something Rodan said something that shocked me.

Rodan claimed to be my brother! My brother?? Me?? I had a brother?? And most importantly, he was my senior in the past!

'Now that I'm thinking about it... Could that be him?' Memories from my past life surged back—fleeting glimpses of a green-haired archer who had saved me countless times during Reed's conquests.

Rodan Wraith, a gifted wind-type archer and a senior at my former academy, was known for his striking green hair, golden eyes, and cold demeanor. His disdain for Reed had always been palpable, but I now understood its source: Reed had repeatedly endangered me, sparking Rodan's fury.

In my past life, Rodan had paid the ultimate price for opposing Reed, killed in battle while I was away. 'That bastard Reed, he always has something to do with their deaths'.

While thinking about that, I heard Rodan sobbing. This time, I heard another voice and it was also familiar! Valerie Ignis, a world-renowned fire swordsman and Reed's former mentor, stepped in.

'Why is she here? And why does she sound so coy with—' I connected the dots, realizing that Valerie and Serena had a history, and that Reed reminded Valerie of Serena in some way.

'So that's why she always says, "you remind me of someone."! It was Serena!'. Processing this new revelation, I felt someone hold my hand, 'calluses..' I thought, this must be Valerie.

I was touched by her attentiveness not only to Rodan and Serena, but also to me. Maybe, God seeing me suffering for my whole life, decided to give me this. Then I'll gladly take it, God. Thank you for this, thank you for giving me this family.

With Serena, Rodan, and even Valerie by my side, I began to hope that this life could be different—one where I could finally find happiness and perhaps rewrite my destiny.