Advent of the Three Calamities-Chapter 848: Evelyn’s Resolve [4]

Cra Crack! Cra Crack—!

The sound was muffled at first.

However, the more time passed, the more pronounced the sound became.

Cra Crack!

Within the darkness of Velar’s mind, he began to see it, the faint traces of purple seeping into his body.

’What are you doing?’

Velar spoke. Or at least, he tried to speak.

But his voice... It had long left him.

Cra Crack—!

’Why are you doing this? Why are you wasting your energy on me?!’

Velar wanted to scream. He wanted to tell her to stop.

He knew what she was trying to do. But it was already too late for him. It was best for her to save her energy on people who actually mattered. Not him.

He... had already given up.

But—

Cra Crack!

The lightning continued to pour into his body.

His words existed only within his consciousness. There was no stopping the lightning, and as it continued to seep into his body, to his shock, Velar felt something.

Twitch. Twitch.

His muscles.

He started to feel his muscles once more.

’W-what...? But...’

Cra Crack! Cra Crack!

The lightning didn’t stop. Instead, it grew stronger. It seeped deeper and deeper into his body as Velar’s muscles started to twitch. The more they twitched, the more Velar began to feel. Yes... feel.

The one sensation he had thought he had lost was slowly returning.

But that wasn’t all.

Gradually, he started to hear.

Swooooosh! Swoooosh!

The raging wind.

The crunch of the snow.

...And the soft sound of the breath in front of him.

Velar began to hear everything.

’But how...? How did she...?’

"Stop resisting."

A weak, yet resolute voice entered his mind a moment later.

Cra Crack!

Lightning crawled into his body once more, and Velar’s senses began to sharpen. He felt the biting cold around him, the warmth in his chest, and the pain that flared with every crackle. The more time that passed, the more Velar began to feel, and soon, his sight began to return as his eyelids began to twitch.

With the soft sound of his breath, Velar’s eyelids opened, and the darkness shattered.

Swoooosh!

A cold wind followed, strands of purple hair fluttering through the air and filling Velar’s vision. He slowly lowered his head to look at the figure standing before him, her face pale, her hands pressed against his chest as her lips trembled.

She didn’t even seem to notice his awakening.

She just... poured everything possible into him.

And as Velar looked at her, he also took notice of the figures standing around her.

With the return of his senses, so had they.

You...

For what reason do you struggle so much?

***

It hurts.

It hurts so much.

I can’t take it any longer.

For how long do I have to do this?

Should I stop?

No, I can’t stop.

I will never stop. Not like this.

I’m not done.

But... it hurts so much.

My head feels so light. This is enough.

Why do I do this?

I am not useless.

I...

Cra Crack—

Lightning continued to crackle in the air as Evelyn focused all her attention on the faint warmth before her. The roar of the wind had long drowned out her hearing, and she didn’t know how she was doing it, but she continued to persist.

The cold and loneliness had taken a toll on her.

The weight of the situation pressed heavily on her shoulders as she was the last one standing. There was no one else to bear the brunt of the responsibility. The weight of the entire situation.

She couldn’t throw that responsibility to anyone else.

Because...

There was no one else to give it to.

That’s why...

’I-I... need to... keep going. I- can’t stop.’

She couldn’t give up.

Even as her mind grew faint and her body weakened, she couldn’t stop.

She wasn’t allowed to stop!

Everyone had stopped, but not her!

"M-more...!!"

Cra CRACK—!

Lightning crackled ferociously, bolts crashing down from above as Evelyn’s face grew even paler. Her mana reserves dwindled, and shards of ice began forming around her body. Despite the pain, despite the exhaustion, Evelyn did not stop.

She had to keep going.

This was her duty as the last one standing.

’I am... not useless. I... can do it. I can definitely do it!’

Biting her lip, a metallic taste filled her mouth as she continued to pour everything she had into the task before her.

Her mind grew foggier, but she continued to persist.

’I c-can keep going. I can keep going. I can... keep going. I-I can keep going. I-can keep going.’

Even as her thoughts started to dwindle, Evelyn continued to scream the same things over and over again in her head. It was thanks to this that the lightning never stopped. It continued to shoot down on Velar’s body, seeping into the deepest parts of his body and shattering the ice that had frozen his organs and blood.

"I... can."

But every human had a limit.

And Evelyn soon began to reach hers.

"I-I... c-can. I..."

The white world around her slowly began to fade into darkness, and Evelyn’s hands slipped from the figure before her.

Her words grew more slurred, and her body began to sway.

’No, I can’t. N-not... yet. I can’t. I...’

The darkness continued to creep into her mind. Despite her best attempts at stopping it, the darkness only grew, taking her mind with each passing second.

And soon—

"A-ah."

Evelyn’s hands slipped away from Velar’s body as she stumbled forward.

N-no.

The snow below seemed to rush up toward her as a wave of weakness overtook Evelyn.

Evelyn wanted to persist. She wanted to struggle more.

But her body refused to listen to her. And just as the snow beneath grew closer, Evelyn felt something.

A... trace of warmth.

Alongside the warmth, she heard a voice.

"I didn’t think you would persevere to this point."

His voice was soft, but it carried a rare warmth that seeped into her body.

"You’ve somehow gotten even better than you were before. I didn’t think you would have reached a point where you could finally have freed me. You’ve worked hard."

The voice paused, and Evelyn’s eyes closed.

"...So, rest. I’ll watch over you."

CRUNCH—!

Evelyn’s eyes flared open as she clenched her teeth and brought her hands down against the snow. Rest?

Feeling the warmth seeping into her body as a hand pressed against her back, Evelyn looked up.

She looked towards the figure that had once acted like a mindless doll and shook her head.

"N-no. Not yet."

Evelyn’s mind was exhausted.

Her mana reserves were empty.

But she couldn’t let herself. Not yet.

"....."

Velar remained silent. He said nothing as he watched Evelyn struggle to rise and turn around, her body trembling while her hair and clothes whipped wildly in the fierce wind.

His lips parted as he was about to speak to her, but Evelyn spoke before he even had the chance to.

"...I h-ave found a way to g-et rid of the curse."

Evelyn’s voice was weak, barely audible under the strong wind, but Velar heard it all as his lips gradually closed.

"If... I-lose conciousness, I’ll lose sight of it. T-that’s why... I can’t... I c-can’t rest."

Crunch! Crunch!

Each of her steps felt heavier than the last as she looked ahead, her body trembling in the fierce wind like a dying flame struggling to stay alight.

"I... d-don’t know... h-ow long had... p-assed. I j-just trained. And tried to... get b-better. T-that’s when I finally felt it."

Without even realizing it, Velar raised his hand, sending mana into Evelyn’s body. She froze mid-step as color slowly returned to her face. But soon, her face became resolute.

Raising her hand, a magic circle formed before her. Bolts of lightning gathered once more, enveloping her entire arm, and without waiting for Velar to react, she hurled the lightning into the sky.

BANG—!

The world thundered, purple and blue taking over the white that had enshrouded the air. And as the purple appeared, Velar caught a glimpse of it. The numerous bolts of lightning shot in every direction, eventually revealing a dark orb in the sky.

"That’s..."

"T-the source of the curse."

Evelyn replied, her voice even frailer than before.

"I-I found it not too long ago. H-however, I... am too weak to destroy it."

"....."

Velar stood in silence, his gaze locked onto the space above him. The orb was long gone, replaced by the white of the storm. However, he could still picture the orb in his mind as he slowly turned his attention towards Evelyn.

How...?

How did she find it?

Even he, far more powerful than she was, had never felt it. In fact, he hadn’t even known it existed until she mentioned it.

But Evelyn remained quiet under his gaze.

That orb... it was something she had felt in her despair. Something that resonated deeply with the darkness hidden within her. But finding it wasn’t the hardest part. The real difficulty was keeping hold of it, as its presence would fade and vanish the moment she lost focus.

That’s why...

Despite being tired. Despite feeling like her body was about to give up on her. Despite feeling like passing out any second.

Evelyn couldn’t rest.

"H-haaa."

Stopping, Evelyn looked up.

Towards the raging white that was above her.

Velar stood behind her, his silence allowing for the strong wind to pierce through the silence between the two.

The more Velar looked at her, the more complicated his expression became.

But soon, as memories of his past resurfaced in his mind, he couldn’t help but smile.

"I can kind of imagine the life that you’ve lived."

Evelyn’s expression remained unchanged, her eyes never leaving the white above her.

Velar’s voice continued to whisper through the storm.

"You, who always stays in the shadows yet claims to be content. You, who wants to be useful but is afraid to truly act, afraid of failing and disappointing others."

He placed his hand against her back.

But it wasn’t just his hand. Another one followed a moment after. Soon followed by another, and then another.

Five figures stood next to Velar as Evelyn continued to look up, her attention elsewhere.

But Velar’s wasn’t.

His attention was solely on her.

"You bear the weight of the world, but have no one to witness your struggles. Even if you do end up resolving the situation, they’ll never know the weight of your struggles. The weight of everything you carried on your shoulders. But that’s where you’re wrong."

Velar began to pour all of his mana into Evelyn’s body.

"I am watching."

Cra Craaaack—!

Intense lightning crackled around Evelyn’s body. Her face grew pale as she kept her gaze fixed on the white above her.

Cra Crack!

Blood began to leak out from her eyes and ears as her body started to squirm and spasm. The intensity of the lightning only grew, taking a toll on her already weakened body. But as if she were oblivious to the pain, Evelyn continued.

Velar stood behind her, his hand pressed against her back.

He poured everything he had.

He supported her.

"...We’re watching."

But he wasn’t alone.

Standing next to him was an old man.

A robust young man.

A pair of children.

A young woman.

CRA CRACK——!

Extending her hand, thunder rumbled through the air as the world flashed purple streaked with blue. A bolt of lightning tore down from the sky, and Evelyn closed her hand around it, seizing the bolt of lightning.

The moment she did, her expression twisted. A scream ripped through her mouth as her entire body started to tremble.

Pain, unlike anything she had ever felt, ran through her body.

It was almost as if she were being torn apart.

Velar’s gaze remained fixed on Evelyn’s back, his hand never leaving her. Even as her body began to spasm and her screams tore through the storm, his grip stayed steady as he poured every last bit of his mana into her.

As he did, he gradually raised his head, looking at the white above.

He even felt the thing that Evelyn was talking about.

Soon, his lips curled into a smile.

He wasn’t sure why, but he just felt like smiling. Especially when he felt the cold around him and saw the struggles Evelyn was going through.

Velar closed his eyes.

"Are you ready?"

To whom was he saying these words?

Evelyn, or the ones next to him?

Only he knew as he began to pour everything inside of Evelyn’s body. Frost gradually began to form around his body again. But this time, the figures next to him didn’t fade. They remained steadfast with their hands.

Evelyn’s scream continued, but at the same time, the lightning in her hand began to take shape.

It expanded and shrank multiple times.

Over and over again.

Until eventually, it took the shape of a spear.

Blood started to leak from Evelyn’s hand as she gripped onto the spear, her eyes fixed directly above her.

For a brief moment, everything seemed to come to a complete standstill. Evelyn’s muscles spasmed, her face contorting as though her body were beginning to fail. Blood seeped from her nose and mouth, staining the snow beneath her.

Evelyn let out a cry. A desperate cry.

One that seemed to shout, ’Move! Move...! Just a little bit more!!’

But her body refused to listen to her. It refused to move further. This was it.

’Move! Move—!’

Her cries roared across the surroundings, the spear of lightning crackling in her grasp. But the more she screamed, the weaker her voice became.

Until eventually, she lost her voice.

Drip! Drip!

Blood continued to seep into the snow beneath as Evelyn’s lips trembled.

She opened and closed her mouth, trying to say something.

But even that... seemed impossible for the current her.

Was this it?

Was this the limit?

But she was almost done! Just a little bit more. Just a little bit...!

"It’s cold, isn’t it?"

A warm voice whispered from behind, forcing Evelyn’s thoughts to falter. A moment later, she felt warmth against her hand as another hand gently grasped her own.

Evelyn’s eyes widened.

’No, wait... What are you doing?’

The words never left her mouth as her hand, along with his, slowly began to rise. Lightning crackled along the spear while Velar lifted his gaze toward the endless white above. Chunks of ice clung to his face, yet as the lightning flared, his skin began to peel beneath the strain.

’No, stop! Stop!’

His body was starting to break down.

Despite knowing this, Velar simply smiled. The only thing he could do was smile as he looked up ahead, feeling the piercing cold around him.

"Yeah, it’s cold."

He briefly nodded, his hair fluttering behind him. His skin began to peel further, his once pale skin starting to turn red.

But he seemed oblivious to the changes as he turned to face Evelyn.

"This weather..."

A smile pressed on his lips.

"It’s too cold for someone as warmhearted as you."

He guided the spear towards a certain direction, tensing his back as blood began to leak from his hand, the lightning crackling in his grasp.

’Stop it! Stop this!’

By now, the skin on his face had peeled completely.

’Please...! You’re going to die! No, at this rate, I’ll fail again! Stop!’

His arm was similarly starting to disintegrate.

’No! No! No! No! No!’

Evelyn’s eyes shook, but Velar no longer looked at her.

He was just staring at the white above.

"I was sworn in as Platoon Commander of the Eastern Division of Eisylra not for glory, not for survival, but for the sake of the city and its citizens. I have unfortunately failed my duty. All citizens of Eisylra have died, with me being the last one."

Velar’s voice was firm, his expression as stern as it could be.

Cra Crack—!

Pouring in every last bit of his mana into the spear in their grasp, Velar’s entire body started to tremble as his eyes turned white, seemingly losing complete control of his sight.

Despite this, his voice remained firm.

"If there must be an end, let it end with me standing. Let my final breath be spent liberating the city that I devoted my entire life to. The one place I grew up in, and the place that I swore to protect."

The chunks of ice grew, and blood dripped down from every corner of his face.

The mana inside of Evelyn’s body grew. Not only that, but she could also feel his power entering the spear as the crackling grew strong. Evelyn’s lips opened as she tried to scream.

Tried to shout.

But nothing left her lips as Velar’s body continued to break down, chunks of ice starting to take over him.

Looking back at him, tears streamed down Evelyn’s face as her hair fluttered under the strong wind. Although she wanted to stop him, she knew that she couldn’t. In her mind, she started to accept the situation.

Biting her lips, Evelyn looked away from him.

Looking up above and feeling the orb that levitated in the sky, her teeth clenched tightly.

Resentment surged in her mind as she looked up.

’I failed. I failed... In the end, I wasn’t able to save anyone. I wasn’t able to do the thing that I was supposed to do.’

The more she thought about her failure, the more her chest boiled.

She could feel Velar’s strength grow weaker by the second, and she could also feel his life slipping away. Even if she did succeed, he’d still die.

There was no saving him.

That’s why—

"Haaaaa!"

Evelyn roared, finding her voice once more.

She shouted at the sky.

At everything.

The spear crackled in Evelyn’s grasp, arcs of energy snapping along its length and illuminating her fingers. Her entire body tensed as she pulled deeply from within, draining every reserve of mana she had left. The strain showed in the paleness of her face and the shallow rise of her breath, but she did not falter.

Her focus narrowed to a single point.

She turned her full attention toward one direction, toward the place where light seemed to fade.

The source of all the chaos.

Glaring at it, Evelyn gathered all of her remaining strength, and...

Swoooooooooooosh!

Threw the spear.

The spear tore forward, ripping through the air with blinding speed.

It pierced through everything in its path, scattering fog and shockwaves alike as it shot toward the black orb in the sky.

There was nothing that could stop the spear.

It carried with it everything Evelyn had endured. Every trace of resentment, every ounce of despair, every relentless effort she had poured into reaching this moment had condensed into that single strike.

The spear surged forward without obstruction, cutting through wind, debris, and lingering fog as if none of it existed.

Nothing slowed it.

Nothing deflected it.

Nothing... could stop it.

And then, it reached the orb.

Contact came in an instant.

For the briefest fraction of a second, there was silence, a suspended heartbeat where the world seemed to hold its breath. Then the collision erupted into a thunderous explosion, light and force bursting outward as the impact shook the very air around it.

BANG—!

The sky erupted in an instant.

A blinding light tore across the heavens, swallowing the storm whole. The roaring winds were silenced mid howl, the swirling clouds shredded apart as if burned away by sheer force.

The bitter cold that had gripped the city vanished just as suddenly, replaced by a certain warmth.

Above them stretched a dim gray sky.

One... that was like the norm for the Mirror Dimension.

Thump!

Staring at all of this, Evelyn knelt down.

"I... d-did it."

Evelyn mumbled, her face pale as she emptily looked at the gray sky.

"I..."

With trembling lips, Evelyn looked behind her.

Towards the kneeling figure whose entire body was encased in ice, his thin smile directed at her.

Behind him, she could see several figures.

They all stood in silence, watching her with smiles.

A young boy. A young girl. A large boy. An old man. A young woman.

Beyond them were several thousand other people.

She could feel them all looking at her.

Thanking her.

But as she felt their gazes, Evelyn’s clutched her chest tightly.

"I... d-did it."

Evelyn leaned forward, pressing her head against the snow.

"I c-ut the storm."

The cold touched her forehead.

"I cut.. the curse. I-I did it... I... did it, I... did it, but... b-but..."

Staring at Velar’s body and seeing that all signs of life had vanished, Evelyn covered her face with both hands, her shoulders trembling.

That day, Eisylra was freed.

The storm that had once cursed the city was gone.

But despite her efforts, nobody survived.

The cold left.

...But it left alongside every life.

Desolation and a lingering warmth were all that was left.

Alongside the quiet sobbing of a certain girl.

"S-summer."

Gripping onto her chest, she cried.

"I c-couldn’t do it... I... couldn’t do it. I couldn’t.. show it to you."

For despite her efforts, she still failed.

She was useless.

That she knew.

But even in her uselessness, she did it.

She cut the cold.