I yawned. The rose was overflowing with blood, and I felt satiated and sleepy. I lay on the ground, using the vines as a mat and waited for my extraction signal. 

I looked at the back of my right hand. The circle had turned a darker shade of grey - it seemed the more I killed, the darker it grew. What would happen once it turned completely black? I thought of the maker of this circle - the ethereal woman I met before I got here, whom I suspected was the goddess of this world.

What are you going to do? Kill me? Throw me down to purgatory? Go for it, then, nothing’s gonna be worse than now.

I laughed dryly. How many did I kill today? Honestly, it doesn’t matter. Except for Fiel, there had been no one who treated me like a human being. Furthermore, I have no connection to this world, and thus hold no feeling for the people in it.

…Why was she being so kind to me anyway? There was no benefit to her, and she was even outcasted and threatened because of it. I couldn’t think of a single reason why she would do so.

Unless it was all just an act, to keep my spirit vulnerable so that she could pry into my heart and exploit me at my weakest. There was no other explanation I could think of. If it is truly so, then I will kill her the same way I’ll kill that man.

I sighed, turning sideways and put my palm on my chest. But then, why did her warmth feel so genuine?

×

*Bang!* I saw a column of red smoke in the sky, telling me it was time to leave. When I came here I had to walk to conserve my almost empty blood reserve - which was used up after a month of training, but there was no longer a need to be careful about how much I spend.

With vines wrapping around my legs, I casted [Accelerate] and made a dash for rendezvous. In addition, I put some more in front of me to act as a shield as I ploughed through the trees. My reaction time wasn’t good enough to avoid obstacles when I was moving at near 30m/s - or twice as fast if it was a short dash, so my only option was to brute force through everything.

Not even five minutes later, I arrived at the SUVs I came in, while it took the others another 20 to get back after me. They didn’t seem to be surprised by it, however, nor bothered by the line of smashed trees on their way here. They swiftly checked their weapons, then put me back in the bindings and we left the place.

×

When my blindfold and earplugs were removed, Fiel’s concerned face was in front of me. She hurriedly untied the belts, then wiped my face with a wet towel. The white cloth instantly turned dark red. 

“Were you hurt?” She asked. I shook my head. 

“You’re not lying, right?” No. Why would I?

“Phew…Thank the goddess. Come, let’s clean you up. The blood must feel sticky and uncomfortable, doesn’t it?” She suggested, and I immediately knew what she meant.

Oh no, not this again. I tried to run, but my arm was firmly held. I couldn’t use my power, because I was sure they would kill me the moment I did. So I was dragged away by Fiel, my limbs flailing in pointless desperation.

×

I was wrong. It wasn’t just ‘this again’, it was even worse. After shamelessly stripping me and scrubbing me from head to toe, Fiel tied my hair up into a double bun (they were huge since my hair was so long). She then threw me in a bathtub filled with bubbles and flower petals which smelled of lilac, after which she entered it herself. I tried to get out, but she put her hands around my waist and pulled me back inside. I slipped on the slippery base and fell, the back of my head hitting her soft chest. 

As I raised my head, I saw Fiel’s face looking down at me, her skin and lips glistering with moisture. I instantly turned red all over my body as I tried to remove myself from her. “Wait”, she said, wrapping her arms around me. Then I felt her hand caressing my head. “Relax. The battle is over. There is no need to be so tense anymore.”

What is she talking about? I blinked in confusion. Before long, though, I got my answer. As I sat soaked in warm water, I suddenly felt fatigue taking over my muscles and mind, and I slumped down against Fiel’s body. What is this sudden tiredness? Was I still in battle mode all this time? How does she even know that?

I stared at Fiel. But seeing that she had no intention of telling me, I shrugged, turned around and let her continue to pet me. Gradually, I succumbed to the comfort of the bathtub, my mouth letting out a satisfied sigh. “Ahhhh…” When was the last time I had a bath like this?

No longer had the desire to leave, I submerged myself in the water. A white petal crossed my line of sight, and I swirled it around with my finger.

“Isn’t it pretty? It’s what gave the water such a nice aroma. Do you know what it’s called?” Fiel asked. I shrugged.

“Fielra. Which means ‘To fly’ in my mother tongue, and the origin of my name. Ironic, isn’t it?” She smiled wryly.

How so? I tilted my head. But she didn’t answer, just stared at me for a while. 

“Mmm. It’s nothing. Forget about what I said.” She shook her head and resumed petting me. 

I tilted my head in confusion. What was that about?

×

I thought I would go back to my cell once we were out of the bath, but Fiel then brought me somewhere else instead. I tugged on her clothes trying to ask her, but she just waved her hand, “Don’t worry about it, you’ll see.”

We arrived at a door inside another isolated hallway. Fiel then opened it and led me in. Inside was a room about 4 times as big as my cell, with a queen size bed in the middle, to the right of the door. Next to it was a nightstand attached to a medium sized mirror. On the opposite side of the bed was a wardrobe - though it was full of the same white robes I always wore when I opened it. On the right wall was a door that led to a bathroom. On the left side of the room was a bookshelf filled with books of numerous sizes and colours, with two chairs and a table. 

Everything was simple but clean and neat, giving the feeling of a minimalistic hotel room. Or a private hospital room, depending on where you look at it from.

As I stood at the door in absolute confusion, Fiel said. “It’s your new room!”

Huh? I stared at her.

“Since your performance of today’s mission was excellent, director Klade had decided to reward you by giving you this room. How is it? It’s a bit plain, but still way better than a cell, right?” She explained to me excitedly.

I blinked repeatedly, speechless, looking around in a daze. Spotting a notebook and pencil on the table, I grabbed them and wrote in the paper. Then I ripped it off the notebook and showed it to Fiel. 

It said: “Please give me back my cell.”

“Eh? What? Why?”