660 The Birthday [4]

"STOP!"

Sia's golden eyes were filled with tears until then, but they suddenly burned with rage.

The world seemed to slow down. In an instant, Sia's eyes and hair turned into a dreamy mix of red, blue, and yellow.

A mysterious aura similar to an ancient treasure spread out from her body.

"Die!" Her cold voice was like the decree of death.

The wolf's teeth that were about to tear Varian's throat froze abruptly and the wolf was forcibly pulled back.

The woman held the giant wolf by its neck and broke its neck with a flick.

She threw away the creature like it was trash and turned toward the son and mother.

"S-Sia?" Amanda's emotions were a mess. Despairing her son's death to dumbfounded at Sia's transformation—it all happened in an instant.

All she could do was stare at the unfamiliar girl in shock.

"S…Si..?" Varian's lips trembled as he looked at the strange girl in front of him.

She was Sia a moment ago. But she wasn't Sia anymore.

He didn't know why, but his gut told him that she wasn't the same person. Worry filled his mind and Varian opened his mouth painfully. "W-Where is—"

The woman ignored his words and stepped toward Amanda.

Her tri-color eyes still burned with rage. She exuded a fearsome killing intent that far surpassed the wolf.

Reaching Amanda's position, she stared down at the woman and raised her hand.

A sphere of darkness conjured in her palm.

"S-Sia?!" Amanda cried out in shock. "Don't you recognize me?"

The woman didn't answer.

Instead, she clenched her fist.

"Die!"

Her voice was unforgiving.

"Stop!" Varian's throat burned as he shouted.

His knees were terribly injured, but he stood up and staggered forward.

"Sia, stop her!" He pleaded as he ran towards Amanda.

With each step he took, blood gushed out as his wounds worsened.

"Varian, stay back!" Amanda shouted in fear.

Varian didn't.

As the woman continued to stare at Amanda with eyes filled with killing intent, he ran forward and was just a foot from Amanda.

"Sia! Stop her now!" He yelled.

The woman who was still until then suddenly raised her head and met his eyes.

"Si—"

Varian crashed to the ground.

The weight of his body suddenly rose by multiple times. In his injured state, he couldn't even lift a finger.

'Gravity power!'

Varian's heart dropped as he raised his eyes and glanced at the woman who moved her palm closer to Amanda.

Amanda, laying on her back, looked at the strange woman with a pained look. The ball of darkness slowly approached her.

"Mom!" Varian's yelled as his throat threatened to tear apart. His heart crashed against his ribcage and tears streamed down his face.

"Mom! Mom!…." Varian pulled strength from every fiber of his being and tried to move.

His body was still frozen. At that moment, Varian hated himself more than anyone else.

"Please move!" He gritted his teeth. "I'm begging you! Move just this once and you can stay still forever!"

No matter how hard he tried, Varian's body refused to budge.

"Die!" The woman's palm touched Amanda's head.

"NO!" Varian's heart broke apart as he watched his mother's dying face.

Amanda turned to him at the last moment. Her face didn't hold a trace of fear. But the tears dripping from the corner of her eyes didn't stop.

She didn't want to die. Not yet.

She still had a lot of things she wanted to do and experience.

Her son hadn't awakened yet. He hadn't grown powerful yet.

If growing powerful and stopping the war was her son's wish, watching him accomplish that with pride was her wish.

Unlike other mothers, she allowed him to train as much as he wanted and supported him with everything she got.

Because she too had a dream.

When she died, she wanted to tell her late husband that their son had grown up.

"…You always said it's sad to see orphans from war. Our son also had to grow up fatherless. But now there's no more war. Our son did it! He fulfilled your dream!"

Amanda's tears continued to fall as the light in her eyes started to lose focus.

She didn't get to hold her grandson. She didn't get to see Sia in her wedding dress.

Yet, her life was about to end.

Looking into her son's red eyes that didn't stop crying, she had a lot of things to say.

Farewells. Wishes. Promises.

But in the end, she said the most important thing.

"Save…Sia."

Amanda's eyes dimmed and she stopped moving.

"MOM!" Varian's tragic cries filled the air as he wailed like a child.

"This is a nightmare! Yes. Nothing happened!" Blood started to leak out of his mouth, but he rambled endlessly as he turned his face away from Amanda's body.

"Once I wake up, everything will be alright!" His tears didn't stop falling.

"Sia will be normal. Mom will be alive." Varian bit his bleeding lips and forcibly closed his eyes.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The sound of footsteps caused him to force his eyes open.

The strange woman with the tri-color hair and eyes looked at him with the same rage and killing intent.

Feeling the alien stare, Varian raised his head and stared back at the woman with hollow eyes.

He couldn't beat her down. His hands were frozen.

He couldn't roar at her in anger. His throat was bleeding.

He couldn't cry in pain. His tears dried up.

All he could do was wish for death.

And wish he did.

The woman raised her hand and a ball of darkness appeared in her palm.

Without a word of complaint, without a sign of protest, Varian closed his eyes.

Your entire life was said to flash moments before death, but no such thing happened to him.

His mind was like a sheet of paper.

Blank. Devoid of even the simplest of thoughts.

He awaited his death. Perhaps, he could meet his parents on the other side.

But death never came.

"…" Varian opened his eyes and saw the strange woman kneeling in front of him. She clutched her head and her gaze quickly alternated between the wolf and Amanda.

Suddenly, her pupils shrank and her eyes widened.

"N-N...o...enemy...aman...is...wol..." Her teeth chattered as she tried to form a coherent sentence.

Then, she turned to Varian. Her face was deathly pale as if she lost all blood. The enraged look in her eyes was replaced by a look of disbelief and guilt.

In the end, she bit her lip so hard that blood spilled out.

"…It's my fault."

She lowered her head and said in a bitter tone.

"I…I will take my punishment."

The woman's hair turned to brown and her tri-color eyes reverted to the familiar golden.

Sia covered her mouth and crawled towards Varian.

"I…."

She was choking on her tears.

"...What did I do?"

That was the last thing Varian heard before he lost consciousness.

*** *** ***

"V-Varian?"