My Strange Savior - Chapter 96
Chapter 96
Unaware that Kalion, considered the empire’s finest groom, was harboring such thoughts, Gia held onto his thick wrist and walked, her mind elsewhere.
The sunset painted the sky like Kalion’s gaze, and a hum escaped Gia. How long could this brief peace last? Once they reached the capital, they would encounter the emperor, as Kalion and Oscar had mentioned. Would he willingly hand over the army?
It seemed doubtful. In this situation, where Gia could offer no help, she grasped at her troubled thoughts. What could an enhanced human do? Gia, now without her previous weapons, possessed nothing but a body infected with the zombie virus.
Thinking of her situation made her mouth dry. Nevertheless, Gia couldn’t let go of Kalion’s hand. It was comforting. She only now realized the warmth of someone’s touch.
The one who held her hand now, and the one from before—it was all Kalion. Gia’s heart raced and then cooled again.
Norman’s question about whether she came from a world like Morrison’s pushed Gia into a dark abyss. Overwhelmed by the approaching anxiety, she tried to scratch her hand as she always did. The large hand that used to block her sharp nails, and Kalion’s hand that comfortingly held hers, reddened her cheeks.
Thinking of Kalion now brought only positive emotions. Gia didn’t know how to suppress these feelings.
Kalion, with the kindness of a gentle rain on dry land, how could she dislike him? Responsible and upright, Kalion’s warm touch melted Gia’s frozen heart.
Even if she killed Morrison, she was stuck crossing over to her world anyway. This meant she couldn’t stop the spread of the zombie virus. After using the last four remaining medicines, all that awaited Gia was the path of becoming a zombie.
She wasn’t emotionally prepared for it yet. A life sentence had been pronounced. Why had she lived so haphazardly until now?
Gia reflected on her past, and it was painted entirely with vivid bloodstains.
Bang.
Gia stood tall, gazing at the gun in her hand. From the barrel, smoke and flames erupted, accompanied by the lingering smell of gunpowder just discharged.
Bang, bang.
As the gunfire continued, zombies fell one by one at Gia’s hands. Killing zombies and even people approaching the shelter, she left nothing but corpses around her, drenched in blood from head to toe.
Those who were once human, and those who still were.
The pile of bodies now surpassed even a mountain in height. Relentlessly advancing, they stood tall, reaching for Gia.
Bang.
A man rushing towards her collapsed as sparks flew from the barrel. Blood splattered from the man’s mouth, indicating he was not yet dead.
Hearing the plea for mercy, Gia hesitated for a moment before delivering mercy.
Bang.
The mercy she could offer was of this kind.
Blood spurted like a fountain onto Gia’s cheek. Wiping her face expressionlessly, Gia raised her dazed eyes, free from the blood-stained past.
Having escaped such a wretched past, perhaps this kind of ending suited Gia. Although she had to fight against those who raided the shelter, the recognition that should come as a fellow human was absent in Gia.
Such weakness only made Gia vulnerable. In a brief pause, she would be the one to die.
Whether emotions overwhelmed her or not, Gia had become a person who only knew how to shoot a gun. Chasing invaders who begged for mercy, she pursued them until their throats were torn apart.
As it was said, you reap what you sow. Having lived like this, Gia may have to accept these results as natural. When Gia looked down at the opposite palm, she realized it was filled with blood, though she couldn’t recall when it had been stained.
Was it the sunset casting a red hue, or was it the unerasable blood from the past? She couldn’t tell. Gia’s path had been entirely crimson until now. However, amid that path, something remarkably colorful caught her eye.
‘Kalion.’
Looking back at Kalion, whom she held by the wrist, Gia saw a multitude of colors from head to toe, almost blinding her eyes. Upon seeing the radiant Kalion in various hues, Gia involuntarily tightened her grip on his hand.
“Kalion.”
“Yes?”
Responding obediently when called by Gia, Kalion’s fate seemed to be the only thing left. Gia decided to be a bit ambitious in her own way.
After capturing Morrison, wouldn’t it be all alright to stay with Kalion for the remaining permitted time? Gia’s soft brown eyes trembled as they contained Kalion.
‘Is that okay… that much?’
She didn’t know if he would be better suited for someone like Yuria, the woman they met today, who wasn’t like her. No, she suited him well. Yuria, shining in a blue light, felt like she had been delicately raised in a warm greenhouse.
Compared to Gia, who had lived through slaughter and bloodshed, Yuria was a different woman in many ways.
Thinking of Yuria standing by Kalion’s side, Gia’s lips became dry. Her heart felt strangely itchy. Although she knew that such a woman suited Kalion better, Gia’s heart felt torn in many directions.
‘To like someone… still, it’s my heart. Confessing… feelings are not something I can control.’
Gia, who had been comparing herself to Yuria, bit her lip and looked up. Then, the affectionate gaze of Kalion, who always looked only at her, followed.
‘Maybe I can be a bit ambitious.’
Gia, who managed to erase the sunken expression, locked eyes with Kalion, holding her decision. Now, Gia’s time was set. How she would spend it was solely her choice. The long-contemplated decision found clarity in Kalion’s warmth.
The virus was created by her father, driven by the desire to cure people with the same illness as her mother. Gia would kill Morrison, the one who spread the virus, and bring peace to Kalion’s world. If time allowed, she would spend it wisely with Kalion.
Having decided this, Gia chose not to look back. With a relieved expression, she called Kalion.
“Kalion.”
Gia had been calling his name incessantly, and Kalion looked at her with a face that seemed to say he didn’t understand.
“I’m here.”
Gia, as if she had made a decision, took a deep breath and stood upright. Despite facing each other, Gia didn’t let go of Kalion’s hand.
“Me.”
“Yes.”
Kalion looked puzzled at why Gia seemed to hesitate with her words. The sunset behind Gia cast a glare in Kalion’s eyes. Nevertheless, his red eyes were fixed solely on Gia without a hint of blinking.
“I like you.”
“Yes.”
Kalion consciously answered, and his lips gradually curved into a smile.
“Yes?”
The echoing voice of Kalion’s questioning carried through the space. The attendants who were coming and going took a glance at the two, but Kalion paid no attention to them.
“Yes? Uh, could you please say it again?”
In a hurry to confirm if he had heard correctly, Kalion urgently asked Gia.
“I like you.”
Gia’s straightforward confession made Kalion’s heart skip a beat.
[Fruitful Outcome]
“I’m sorry.”
Gia’s mouth turned downwards, and soon her lips sealed shut.
“I shouldn’t have liked you on my own. I’m not forcing you to accept it.”
How shamelessly Gia expressed her feelings for Kalion. Gia also knew the limits of her audacity.
“Just… be aware of it. Just… be aware.”
If only, just like the day she arrived here, Yu Gia had disappeared abruptly. If Kalion Bowers knew that someone named Yu Gia liked him, that alone would be enough. With that sentiment, Gia’s face was stained with sadness as she conveyed her confession.
“You’re just……. like you’ve always been……. umph.”
Kalion grabbed Gia’s hand and pulled her forcefully into an embrace. The strong pressure made a sound, “umph,” escape from Gia’s lips.
“Gia… Gia.”
Kalion’s voice settled in her ears. Was it an illusion that the sound of him calling her name felt like suppressing something? Trapped in Kalion’s embrace, Gia felt the warmth emanating from him.
“I also…”
In Kalion’s voice filled with intensity, Gia held her breath.
“I like you.”
“Huh?”
To Kalion’s unexpected response, Gia exclaimed in surprise. She had thought it was a one-sided crush. She had believed it was an unrequited feeling that she would never get back. Could it be that a compassionate deity granted Gia’s wish for the remaining short life? Gia’s chin, resting on Kalion’s shoulder, trembled.
“I like you too. I’ve liked you. Even knowing that someday you would have to return to your original world… I couldn’t stop the lingering feelings. So… that’s why.”
Kalion, holding Gia in a tighter embrace, stumbled through his words, trying to express the emotions he had held onto.
“I wanted to just hold onto these feelings. I tried to do that. But…”
A heartbeat seemed to leap out from their joined hearts. It felt like that pulsation was an affirmation of Kalion’s affection.
“So, that’s how it was.”
“Yes. Yes.”
Kalion, still holding Gia firmly, conveyed the trembling emotions.
“I just wanted to express my feelings. But you reciprocated the same feelings. I… I tried to just hold onto them. But…”
Should Gia be happy that Kalion also harbored affection for her? In the face of a reality that couldn’t be entirely joyous, Gia’s expression darkened.
While Gia wanted to bask in the warmth of Kalion’s reciprocated feelings, the reality felt bitter.
“If I hadn’t spoken first, what would have happened?”
“I don’t know. I was just… enduring and enduring, thinking of continuing like this.”
Kalion’s breath reached Gia’s ear.
“In the end, I probably spilled everything, right? Shouldn’t I have clung to you, begged you to stay, and asked you to like me?”
Gia closed her eyes tightly at Kalion’s words. This was shaking her resolution to accept the end humbly.
Gia faced Kalion and embraced him. Even though there was still some time left, it was only a short four months. How much time would she have to stay with the affectionate Kalion after dealing with Morrison?
The limited time made Gia impatient and selfish.
‘Just… just. Can’t we spend the remaining time together, just happily?’
Although she worried about Kalion being left alone later without knowing the reason, Gia wanted to be faithful to the present. Even though she knew what the end would be like, Gia wanted to pretend not to know.
The selfish desire to think only of herself simmered within her.