I'm Not a Flame-Chaser - Chapter 616

"How did you get here... You shouldn't be here... I'm dangerous... Don't come near me..."

If Kiana's resolve when facing Rin was so strong that she would no longer have no choice but to kill, then when facing Mei, all that remained was a heart that she thought was strong, yet was filled with immense fear.

There was no composure, no relief, no smile as they faced the reunion.

At that moment, she understood that she would definitely die at Lin's hands tomorrow.

Kiana's self-deceiving resilience crumbled under the combined impact of Rin and Mei.

"Kiana..."

The cold swordsman in front of Rita now embraced the helpless silver-haired girl with tears in his eyes, just like a little girl.

Kiana was numb and powerless, and she understood why Lin always had that look in his eyes.

Understanding and growth often arrive amidst the pain we are unwilling to face.

The Journey Begins in the Sky: Chapter Thirty-Four - Escape

What can control Herrscher's power? What does it mean to have become an adult? What does it mean to be strong enough...?

It was only because the Class President helped suppress her Herrscher consciousness that she was able to survive.

My feigned strength has been shattered, and my already cracked heart is breaking again with a soft, resounding sound.

Tomorrow, I will die.

Having witnessed countless similar situations, Lin's numbness when he looked at her was the best proof of this.

Whether it was Lin or herself, they already had the answer in their hearts.

The silver-haired girl's breathing was rapid, her golden right eye twitched erratically, and a hint of gold began to appear in the deep blue of her left eye, while the Herrscher of the Void's piercing mockery echoed in her ears.

"Kiana! Control your mind!"

Fu Hua's voice boomed like thunder in her ears. The gold in her left eye disappeared. Kiana covered her head and broke free from Mei's embrace. She looked at Mei in panic, like a frightened little rabbit.

Guilt, fear, panic, sadness, and a collapse of confidence... all the emotions she had suppressed for too long surged into her heart all at once.

"Kiana... I'll take you back to the Hyperion... The headmistress and the others are waiting for you, okay?" Mei, afraid of disturbing Kiana, carefully reached out her hand and asked her with a sob in her voice.

Go back...

Where to go back to...

Does she even have anywhere to go back to...?

Kiana's blank and bewildered mind was unable to think. The image of killing Himeko- sensei and the image of living with St. Freya alternated in her mind, and the pain she hadn't felt for a long time turned into a demon, tearing her brain apart.

"No... I can't let you..."

Kiana lowered her hand from her head, pursed her lips, and tasted bitterness in her mouth.

"We can't let you take this risk again."

When something becomes a fact, no matter how many smiles you use to cover it up, it's nothing more than a hypocritical escape.

"..."

Mei stared at the silver-haired girl. For the first time, she felt unfamiliar with her. Her eyes held both vulnerability and strength, but more than anything, they seemed to be avoiding her gaze.

She is mature and sensible, yet fragile and sensitive, unlike the carefree girl who always calls out "Mei Mei".

"The crisis in Sky City has been resolved, but I have one more important thing to do. After I finish this, we can talk about other things, okay?" Kiana's knuckles turned white as she looked up and saw a flash of rainbow light in the darkness not far away.

"Yes." Even though Mei was feeling down, she could see Kiana's immense pain. "We'll always be waiting for you to come home, Kiana."

"I know," Kiana managed a weak smile.

"Hey Kiana, there's something on your neck..."

At that moment, Mei noticed something conspicuous and out of place around Kiana's neck: a golden chain firmly fastened around the girl's slender neck.

"Ah, this is..."

Kiana didn't know how to explain the chains, and her feelings were complicated, beyond what could be summed up in a single sentence.

She clutched the chains, lowered her head, and then bit her thin lips.

"Mei, I... have to do that now."

"But didn't you say the crisis was over?"

"..."

"That's another matter."

The girl's smile was so heartbreaking. Mei watched Kiana's heartbreaking smile, then turned away, lowered her head, and walked in the opposite direction.

"Kiana..."

The purple-haired girl's outstretched hand could not catch up with the silver light fleeing in the darkness.

Fate is like a fork in the road with no turning back; a single step can make all the difference.

Kiana, where are you going?

Fu Hua's question echoed in her mind.

Escape.

The girl bit her lip, fleeing desperately through the night towards the colorful lights, as if she had returned to a few months ago when she was covered in mud and running away, not knowing where to go.

The sky was dark.

The ground is soft.

The air was thick with the smell of blood.

My hands were covered in a scarlet stain that I couldn't get rid of no matter how I washed them.

Where is she going to escape to?

Where in this world can she find refuge?

Don't come any closer...

Don't come near me...

"Hehehe... Run away, run away quickly, where can you run to?"

"No matter where you go, you can't escape my grasp."

"Countless people want to kill you. You have caused their families to be destroyed and their lives to be lost. What right do you have to criticize what the World Serpent did in Sky City? You have slaughtered far more people than they have."

"You're still that little girl, only you're hiding in a tin shell, thinking you're invincible."

"Hehehehe..."

Don't come near me!

"Thump!"

Kiana, running away with her head down, bumped into a familiar "wall." She frantically and fearfully raised her tear-filled eyes and saw a blank face and heterochromatic eyes, one rainbow-colored and one black.

My heart rate accelerated uncontrollably, and then stopped.

"Where are you going?"

The man looked down at the silver-haired girl who was slumped on the ground, looking utterly dejected, and spoke slowly.

"Don't come any closer..."

In Kiana's eyes, Lin's appearance was distorted into that of a blond man. She frantically crawled backward, while his image rapidly changed.

"Kiana, do you remember you promised me you would turn this imperfect world into the way you want it to be?"

A red-haired woman covered in wounds limped toward her, her body crippled.

"I... I... can't do it... I'm sorry, Himeko- sensei..." Kiana trembled, clutching her increasingly painful head, crystal tears streaming from her eyes.

"Kiana, why won't you come back with me?"

The bewildered purple-haired girl stood rooted to the spot.

"I will hurt you... I can't go back..."

"Kiana..."

"Kiana..."

"Kiana..."

Fu Hua called out Kiana's name in her mind, but Kiana's eyes were lifeless and she could not be awakened no matter what she did. She looked anxiously at the silver-haired girl. At this moment, Kiana's consciousness had been severely corrupted. The complete collapse of her psychological defenses led to the acceleration of the erosion. Even the chains could not completely suppress the erosion of Honkai Energy.

What should I do? Use the power of Feather of Dust again? But I can only use it once more now...

Kiana waved her hands, terrified of the darkness that surged toward her, grabbed Kiana's hands and feet, and dragged her into the depths of darkness.

"Don't come any closer!"

She flailed her limbs wildly, struggling to break free from the darkness that enveloped her. She opened her mouth and frantically tore at the black mud, scattering it everywhere.

I am a monster...

I am Kiana...

I am not Kiana...

The hot, wet mud covered her cheeks, mingling with her tears, and dripped down her face.

Suddenly, a familiar, sweet fragrance wafted from the darkness, halting her madness.

"..."

The night is still there, unchanged.

The city's neon lights have never changed; the distorted world has returned to normal.

The silver-haired girl sat blankly on the ground, the sweet and pungent taste of blood and the nauseating sensation of raw flesh making her vomit.

The darkness dissipated, revealing his true face. He was embracing her and gently patting her back. His shoulder and neck, which she had bitten, were a bloody mess, staining half of his trench coat dark red.

Seemingly afraid that her irrational madness would hurt him, he held her tightly, even after his blood vessels were broken and a piece of flesh was bitten off, he still held her without moving.

Are you feeling better?

A soft whisper sounded in her ear.

My eyes feel sore and tired.

The silver-haired girl's blank face melted, twitching, her bloodied lips trembling, as she buried her head in the man's chest...

"Waaaa... waaaa..."

The heart-wrenching cries echoed through the city before fading away.

The Journey Begins in the Sky: Chapter Thirty-Five - Wounds

Lin Jingjing knelt on the ground. The blood from the bite marks on her neck and shoulders had stopped. The girl's silver hair swayed slightly, and her clothes, soaked with tears, felt damp. Her body trembled like a small animal.

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps half an hour, perhaps an hour— Kiana was exhausted from crying and simply leaned silently against Lin's chest.

"Sorry."

After some time had passed and the moon had disappeared into the clouds, the silver-haired girl quietly apologized.

"It must hurt a lot."

"... It's just a minor injury."

Of all the injuries Lin had suffered, this could only be considered a minor one.

Kiana slowly moved away from the soaked chest, her disheveled silver hair stretching like moonlight in the darkness.

Her red eyes, as delicate as an ordinary girl's, stared at Lin's expressionless face, which resembled a work of art sculpture. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but the lingering taste of blood in her mouth made her lower her head.

She lost control again.

This means that Lin's more than half a month of teaching has been in vain. Even though Kiana could tell from Lin's eyes that he had long been prepared to kill her, now she has to face the reality that has already happened.

"I..."

Come early tomorrow.

Lin didn't let her speak. He stood up, pulled his hood up, and said coldly as if nothing had happened.