Chương 28: A Grateful Embrace.

"Flower!"

I stood before him, my eyes widening in horror. Flower was unconscious, bleeding profusely as the thorny vines tightened their grip on him.

The darkness surrounding us seemed to press in closer, suffocating and cold. A disembodied voice echoed around us, urging me to kill Flower.

The thorns wound tighter, but Flower showed no reaction. My anger surged, and I stepped forward, reaching out to the vines in a desperate attempt to free him.

Just as my fingers brushed against the thorns, Flower's lips parted, and he spoke in a pained whisper.

"Touch it, and you'll be bound as well."

"Flower!" I pulled my hand back, dropping to my knees beside him. My voice trembled with worry. "I know you're in pain! I'll find a way to get you out of there!"

Flower's eyes met mine, devoid of emotion. I glanced at his bleeding hands and then back at the ominous sword glowing behind me.

"The only way to free me," he murmured, "is to pull that sword and pierce my heart."

A chill ran down my spine. My eyes widened in shock and anger as I stared at him. "What are you even saying? Kill you? Are you out of your mind?"

My cheeks burned with fury, and I could almost see steam rising from my ears. Flower averted his gaze, looking past me.

"If you can't... then can I?"

"...huh?"

I stumbled back as he struggled to rise from the thorny chair, his body bleeding profusely.

"It's always like this. Humans keep interfering with my plans. Every time, they all..."

Suddenly, images flashed through my mind. A child lay on the ground, bathed in his own blood. That same child, decapitated, crying and begging for mercy. The scene was haunting, brutal.

"What... what is all of that?" I asked, confusion and horror mingling in my voice. That child, could it be?

In an instant, the sword appeared in Flower's hand. I backed away, fear gripping me. "That child... is it you?"

"Stop peeking into my past, you ungrateful human!" he shouted, his voice filled with rage. "It's because of you that I'm going to die again! No, I won't die here..."

I tripped and fell, hitting the ground hard. Flower loomed over me, the sword now pointed at my neck.

"Because you'll die in my stead. That's the only way to help me."

"Flower..." My voice was barely a whisper. I didn't know what had happened to him in the past, but I felt his pain, his anguish. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair.

But deep down, I knew I couldn't save him. A wave of resignation washed over me as I closed my eyes, a bittersweet smile forming on my lips.

"If the only way to help you is to erase my existence, then I…"

I opened my eyes, tears welling up, yet I smiled widely at him, hoping he could see the sincerity in my gaze.

"I won't stop you!"

After all, I had been living on borrowed time, destined for retribution ever since I killed my sister.

Flower's eyes widened in shock, his fierce expression faltering. Slowly, he lowered his gaze, the resolve in his posture crumbling. The sword slipped from his grasp, clattering to the ground.

In that moment, I saw the pain and confusion in his eyes, mirroring my own inner turmoil. We were both broken, haunted by our pasts, yet bound together in this cruel twist of fate.

"You—"

"Ahh.. ah, I thought there would be more of it," I murmured, my voice trailing off into the darkness.

"Huh?"

As the darkness slowly faded, reality reasserted itself, and we found ourselves back where we had started. A woman stood beside me, her gaze fixed on me with a mixture of concern and curiosity. With a gentle gesture, she offered her hand to help me up, but my attention was drawn to Flower, still rooted to the spot where he had stood before, tears glistening in the dim light.

"Flower!"

Ignoring the woman's presence, I hastily rose to my feet and darted towards him, wrapping him in a tight embrace.

"Ah..."

Surprise flickered across Flower's face as he met my gaze, but my smile reassured him. Despite his earlier actions, he wasn't a bad person.

Yet the child I had seen, crying and begging, was a different story altogether.

"Flower, thank you," I whispered into his ear, feeling the warmth of his blush against my cheek. He averted his eyes, nodding slightly in acknowledgment. "Hm," he muttered softly.

"Listen here, has no one ever told you to listen to the person talking to you?" the woman interjected, her tone tinged with annoyance.

"Sorry, sorry," I replied hastily, tearing my gaze away from Flower to address her.