CHAPTER 80: PRICE OF LOVE

XENON WINGATE

8 MONTHS AGO

I have finished packing all my things up. Today is the day when I’m finally discharged from this hospital and I’m excited to go home. It’s been months since I last got out of this white room and it’s killing me. Now, all I have to do is wait for Serena to come back.

Serena attended concerts and tours together with her girl band and her financer Duke Corasell for five days to promote the Dragonoid Rights Bill. For the past five days, I’ve been alone with no one to talk to. Alphonse, Z, Danielle, Nathaniel, Kevin, and Rius all went out in an operation to rescue the kidnapped princess a few days ago. I don’t worry about my friends that much because they are strong and are on par with Pentagram Knights. 

I sat on my cushiony bed as I await my dragonoid. After a few moments, the door to my room opened, revealing the most beautiful dragonoid and the woman I have ever known in my life.

“Good afternoon, Xen~” Serena made a smile as she waved her hand charmingly. It’s been weeks since she stopped calling me Senpai and started giving me an informal nickname, but I’m still not used to it. 

“Good afternoon, Serena… err… Rena…” I scratched my head. I’m not used to talking to her with her nickname either, and I prefer speaking out her whole first name. “How’s the concert?”

“It was a success!” Serena jollily pumped her fist, and then she immediately switched to a tired facial expression. She started to unbutton her idol costume as she gloomily looks for her casual clothes on her baggage. “It was exhausting though. I’ve been singing and dancing and traveling for the past five days, and I worry about you.”

“Don’t worry about me!” I swung my arms. “I’m perfectly fine now, and I don’t really feel lonely here."

“No, I’m actually worried that you might break the hospital rules and drink beer inside this very room,” Serena said.

“O-Of course not! I-I’ve been locked up here, so there’s no way I can buy liquor! Aha...ahahaha...” I said as I kicked the empty beer bottles below my bed to the deeper and darker corners. I’m just glad that the bottles didn’t make an obvious sound.

“That’s good~,” Serena said as she removed her clothes on her top, revealing her pink bra. She really intends to showcase her body shape and perfect skin in front of me. She even acted as if she had a severe headache and mumbled something ridiculous while blushing. “Man, I’m so tired. It would be great if I get a welcome cuddle with the man I secretly love.”

“I’m not giving you that. Hmph!” I said as I made my tsundere act.

“W-What!? Why?” Serena asked as if she’s in a total loss.

“You sinned to me,” I said. Then I withdraw all the teenage idol magazines that were stuck below the cushion of my bed that I have been collecting up for weeks. I revealed one of the magazine’s cover to her, which has her picture on a two-piece bikini. All these magazines are filled with gravure idol’s sexy pictures. “I never knew you were doing these kinds of modeling.”

“X-Xen… S-Senpai… I… err…” Serena scratched her head, trying to think of an excuse, but after stuttering for five seconds, she finally gave up and sighed. “Y-Yeah, I-I’m sorry if I never told you. B-But I swear, that’s the only bad thing I made on my idol career! I did it for the Dragonoid Rights Bill! Please understand, Senpai Master Xen! I didn’t do anything dirtier than that!”

“Really?” I curled my eyebrows so that she could feel that I’m doubting on her. “Is that all you’re hiding?”

“Yes! Totally!” Serena shrieked. “I know it’s bad that I hid it to you, so feel free to punish me! I’m your slave and you’re my owner after all! I don’t mind if you ravish me, as long as you will trust me again!”

I gave a disgusted look at my dragonoid with a forced smile on my face. “I will punish you, but I will not ravish you again, idiot. Ravishing you is more like a reward rather than a punishment. You’re just doing it as an excuse, you perverted lizard.”

“Tch. Spoilsport.” Serena whispered to herself as she looked away.

“Anyway, you’re forgiven.” I reverted back to my smile, silently telling that my anger is just a prank. “I don’t mind if you do something like this stuff, as long as you don’t go beyond. I’m your master and secret lover, so I demand to know what you’re planning to do. I will not stop you as long as you are enjoying.”

“Yes! Your wish is my command, Xen~” Serena returned to her jolly self. Then, she magically spawned a casual black shirt and white cardigan on her body with her Forge magic. “Now, let’s go back home. I’m missing our house.”

“Right,” I said as I lifted my baggage.

Just before we are about to leave the hospital room, something made us want to stay more. When we opened the door, a dragon knight with wounds and tattered uniform appeared in front of us. He seemed to be in a panic, and I can see the traumatizing symptoms on his eyes that are full of fear.

“You’re Sir Xenon Wingate, right!?” The dragon knight hurriedly talked. “Please follow me!”

The wounded dragon knight rushed away, and Serena and I had no choice but to follow him. We went to the lower floors of the hospital until we finally reached the destination that gave chills down our spines. 

We went to the morgue.

The wounded dragon knight stayed behind as Serena and I stepped in. The dead bodies covered in white sheets did not distract us as our eyes are just glued on one spot. We can hear the weeping of a man as we went closer to the cadaver that is covered in all-white clothes.

The weeping man is Nathaniel, who seemed to have sustained major wounds. His right shoulder has been cut clean, but there are thick muscle fibers blocking the ruptured blood vessels. He must have used his Stockpile Buff magic to prevent any further blood loss, but I can see that he’s still in bad shape.

The person, or cadaver, is none other his knight, Danielle. Danielle is all pale white maybe due to the coldness of her temperature, and her body seemed to be preserved by it. She looks like she’s in a deep peaceful rest like sleeping beauty, but the reality is that she’s already gone.

Serena and I were at a loss of words. We don’t know how to react. We don’t know what to do at this moment. But one thing is for sure. I can sense a faint corrupted magical energy from Danielle’s heart, which indicates that she has been killed by magic forcing her heartbeats to stop.

“Nathaniel…” Serena held her heart as she approached closer. “W-What happened to Lady Keine?”

Nathaniel bowed down as he mumbled. “Sakuradrop. She killed her. She has the power of the Psychic Amplifier. She controlled Alphonse and Z and forced us to fight each other. When she got bored, she used the Heartstopper Curse on Nielle.” 

“S-Sakuradrop!?” Serena is both confused and sad as she unleashed tears from her wide-opened eyes. “The Psychic Amplifier…? T-That’s…”

“Where’s Kevin and his dragonoid?” I asked.

“I don’t know. The word is that Michael Eldritch captured him and his dragonoid by using the mind-controlled dragon knights under his command.” Nathaniel said.

“That fucking Eldritch.” I gritted my teeth and balled my fists. I’m squeezing my hand so hard that blood is about to come out from my palms.

“Xen…” Serena looked at me with a worried set of puppy eyes.

I promised Serena that I will no longer seek revenge from Eldritch and Trystgade. I’m prepared to start life anew with the woman I love. I have planned for a new peaceful journey with my dragonoid, and I have decided not to take on the emperor’s offer of an army. I chose not to challenge Pentagram Knights again for the sake of revenge.

But just when I’m prepared to have a change of heart, this fucking happens. This always happens. Eldritch always finds a way to piss me off. He has taken so much in my life that I could not help but be consumed by my anger. This is too much. This is too much. He must pay for what he has done to everyone. Eldritch still has to die.

I bowed down to hide my blazing green eyes. I don’t want Serena to see me like this so I turned around. As I succumb to my inner rage, Serena continued the conversation with Nathaniel.

“How about the princess? Is she safe?”

“She’s safe and secured, but it was for the price of dragon knights. Almost half of the students of the academy are mind-controlled by Eldritch. Only a few managed to escape with the princess.”

There was a ten-second silence. Serena could no longer ask for any question as she let the poor Dragonoid Nathaniel mourn for his knight. She could do nothing but to stare at the beautiful face of the deceased lady Danielle Keine.

Suddenly, Nathaniel made a request. “Serena, can you give a little of your magical energy to me?”

Serena did not let out a question. She just nodded as a confirmation, then, she touched Nathaniel’s back. When Serena closed her eyes to focus, she partially activated Elform to gather natural energy and give it directly to the injured Nathaniel.

“Nielle…” Nathaniel whispered at the cadaver as he held his chest, which is glowing with platinum light. “Thanks for being my master. Thanks for being my friend. Thanks for being my love. This is the time I will say goodbye to you.”

I turned back to see what’s happening. That dialogue right now does not seem to be a parting speech from the one who has lost a loved one. Nathaniel is speaking as if he’s the one dying himself.

“Nathaniel, what are you…” Serena muttered.

Nathaniel’s hands touched Danielle’s lifeless chest, and it glowed with platinum light. I can sense Danielle’s life force going up little by little, but Nathaniel’s energy is rapidly decreasing.

“Heart Transfer Magic,” Nathaniel said with a tired smile on his face. “It’s secret magic of my clan, which makes me able to switch hearts with the one I’m compatible with. Since my heart and Nielle’s heart are identical due to the powers of the Vesryn Pulse, there will be no compatibility problems if I give her my heart.”

“But Nathaniel, if you switched hearts with her…” Serena failed to finish her sentence.

“Yes... I will die in her place.” Nathaniel smiled innocently. “My body is on the verge of dying anyway. It’s better to give my life to my dying love.”

“Nathaniel…” I muttered.

“Sir Xenon Wingate, Serena Maizono. Take care of Nielle for me. Please watch over her, and don’t let her go to random street fights again. Please forbid her from fighting from now on. I don’t want to see her brutally die for the second time.”

“Will do,” I said as I tapped Nathaniel’s macho shoulder. “It’s nice serving with you, Nathaniel.”

“We will do our best to watch over Lady Keine, Nathaniel,” Serena said as she started to cry more.

“Thanks,” Nathaniel said as he closed his eyes.

There was a blinding flash of light for just a second, and when the light faded, Nathaniel’s body no longer bore life. His tattered muscular body fell to the ground like a ragdoll. But this sacrifice was for the better good of Danielle, who is now breathing softly. Her heart is now beating normally as if she was not inflicted by the curse at all. In fact, she’s not affected by the curse for the reason that she’s now having Nathaniel’s heart as her own.

Serena hugged me. She’s crying with endless tears, and she doesn't know how to stop it. She’s amazed at Nathaniel’s heroic deed to save his knight, owner, and lover from death’s hands.

I turned my back to Serena. I don’t want to see her crying as I speak of breaking my promise to her again. I clenched my fists one more time as I let out my feelings from my heart.

“Serena, I’m sorry if I’m going to break another promise to you. I love you, and I wanted to live peacefully with you. But I can’t take this anymore. Eldritch must be stopped. I will take the emperor’s offer again and challenge the last Pentagram Knight. My decision is final, and you can’t change my mind. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Xen,” Serena replied in a calm and collected tone. “I told you before, didn’t I? I will follow you wherever you go, even to the depths of hell and carnage. I will be your starlight to guide you in the darkest path you chose. I will do this not just because I love you, but I because I want justice to be served. Eldritch took Sir Alphonse, Z, Sir Kevin, and Rius. They are my friends too, so I will do all my best to bring them back.”

“Serena…” I looked at my dragonoid’s eyes. Serena wiped off the tears from her face and gave me a fierce and determined smile.

“We’re in this together,” Serena said.