Saintess? Not Anymore! I'd Rather be a Destroyer-Chapter 259 - 245: Hostage

"Another one, huh?" Aurianna muttered, scrolling through the profile that popped up. Her gaze lingered on the image: a young man with brown skin, long golden hair that fell gracefully over his shoulders, and a pair of striking, bright golden eyes. "He looks... familiar. But I don’t think we’ve met before."

"Maybe the Gemaris share some kind of link with one another?" Eva suggested, watching Aurianna’s curious expression.

"Could be," Aurianna mused, nodding thoughtfully.

Aurianna gave a small sigh. "And Iris barely even shows up on the system’s radar anymore. Makes it impossible to know what level she’s actually at."

"I wonder just how powerful she’s become now," Aurianna murmured, her mind drifting as she pondered.

Then, a whine escaped her as she looked at her level. "I barely leveled up in those last two days in the domain prison. Not fair!" She huffed, noticing her level was still the same as Leila’s.

"But hey! I finally surpassed that blasted green Germaris in just four years!" Aurianna grinned triumphantly, eyeing the Green Germaris’ profile with smug satisfaction.

Eva chuckled. "That’s because of my time magic."

"Yeah, yeah, but I must have some talent, right?" Aurianna pressed, looking over her shoulder.

Eva smirked, giving a teasing shrug. "I guess so."

"Yippee!" Aurianna cheered, bouncing on the bed with excitement.

But after a while, her energy faded, and her eyes grew heavy. ’Seems like creating all those suckers really drained me,’ she thought, sinking into the covers and quickly drifting into a deep sleep.

______

"Ehh, did I fall asleep?" Aurianna mumbled as she opened her eyes, finding herself in an unfamiliar place. She sat up, glancing around cautiously. "Where exactly is this?"

A flicker of movement caught her eye. A shadow loomed in the distance, barely visible. The scene shifted around her, transforming into a large, towering castle, though the shadow remained where it was, silently observing her.

Aurianna’s heart skipped a beat. "Wait, this feeling... is that you, Iris?!" The feeling of those chains that always saved her when the seal on her tried to kill her. Was extremely similar to the shadow behind that pillar.

The shadow let out a high-pitched screech, and, as if startled, it darted away. Aurianna’s instincts kicked in, and she took off after it.

"It’s me, Aurianna, your little sister!" she called, her voice echoing through the strange corridors.

A voice snapped back, low and quiet adorable. "Stay back! Don’t come any closer to Iris!"

Aurianna slowed, feeling an odd sensation settle in her chest, noticing the streaks of black lines appearing in her body. "Why?" she asked, hurt and confusion clouding her voice as she stopped.

The shadow hesitated, then slowly drifted closer, just within reach but still shrouded in darkness. "Iris... Iris is afraid of herself. Iris can’t meet you yet," the voice said. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Aurianna felt a pang of sadness as she watched the shadowy figure. "Iris, I’ve always wanted to meet," she whispered, gripping her palms.

The shadow shifted slightly. "Iris just wanted to see you. But Iris didn’t think you could come here. Leave. Wake up. We’ll talk later." A faint smile flickered across the shadow’s face—an unsettling yet strangely gentle expression. Aurianna felt a chill run down her spine as the dream dissolved around her.

______

Aurianna jolted awake, gasping, her hand clutching her chest as her heart pounded. Iris’s eerie smile lingered in her mind, sending shivers down her spine. "It was just a dream... or was it?"

But Iris’s words replayed in her mind, bringing a reluctant smile to her lips. "We’ll talk later," she murmured, remembering the strange, protective tone in her sister’s voice.

"She’s... nicer than I thought," Aurianna chuckled softly.

__________

In Heaha town the market buzzed with people—a blend of shouts from merchants, haggling rich customers that visited the town, and the wafting scent of food and sweet treats. Aurianna strolled through, savoring a slice of cake she’d just purchased, each bite bringing a delighted smile to her face. She was in her own world in that moment ignoring the mesmerized look of people who stared at her as she walked by.

But suddenly a woman in black cloaks appeared, lunging toward Aurianna and pinning her at knifepoint. She barely registered what was happening, too focused on her cake slipping from her grasp and splattering on the ground. A flash of shock crossed her face—her cake ruined, her treat interrupted. Realizing the culprit, Aurianna immediately became angry.

Nearby, a group of young fighters were hot on the heels of the other cloaked assailant’s group, weapons drawn and as they fought each other, destroying some places in the market as well. Among them was Batholem.

"Leave that lady alone!" he shouted, then paused, squinting at the lady in the woman’s hands in surprise. "Ehh... Aurianna? What are you doing here?"

Aurianna shot him a glare, her mood still sour by the sight of her smashed cake. She muttered, "I was just trying to enjoy some dessert." Her voice dripped with irritation.

Juvin, another one of Batholem’s comrades had just arrived, and he squinted at her as well, then his eyes widened. "Wait, isn’t that the lady from the market a few days ago? The one with those... white eyes?" He mumbled to himself.

Peter, meanwhile, exchanged nervous glances with the others. "Look, if you don’t want to end up regretting this, I’d suggest not using her as a hostage," he warned, scratching his cheek uneasily. As the other block clocked people stood behind Aurianna and her captor.

"Stay back, all of you, or this girl dies!" the woman in black snarled, tightening her hold and pressing the blade against Aurianna’s neck. She tried pushing the knife deeper, but the knife didn’t even scratch Aurianna’s skin—it felt as if she were trying to carve through solid steel with a flimsy blade. Her frustration grew as she realized that she may have just fucked with someone she shouldn’t have.

Unaware of the woman’s struggle, Juvin called out, "Miss, don’t worry! We’ll get you out of there!"

Peter and Batholem exchanged blank stares, each painfully aware of that woman’s bad luck. ’I doubt she’s the one in trouble,’ Peter thought, trying to hold in his laughter.

Aurianna, on the other hand, was gnashing her teeth, glaring at the ruined cake lying on the floor.

"Tch," she muttered, remembering Avriel’s advice. Her familiar’s voice echoed in her mind, a reminder of their mission. "Master, let’s totes not cause a scene, alright? If not, the plan could fail before it even starts."

Aurianna had argued back. "How so?"