Destined to Die, Determined to Survive

Third Person's POV Harmony and Zeferino were silently making their way somewhere in the carriage after they had left the celebration inside the palace. “Big sis—" “Harmony." The girl interrupted what the young man was about to say by stating her own name, leaving him perplexed. “Pardon?" “Call me what you usually do." The young woman looked straight out the window while uttering those words. The young man had never referred to his older sister as big sister, which is why Harmony was surprised by his behavior. “I-I'm sorry..." Harmony glanced at the young man, noticing a hint of emotion on his face that she couldn't quite identify. “I know I failed as your brother, that's why I apologize. As your brother and the Crown Prince, I should understand what you're going through." The young man was taken aback by the girl's unexpected laughter. “As your brother my *ss," she faced the young man, and the smile on her lips disappeared as she looked at him with a serious expression. “Now you use the word brother when I have always been invisible in your eyes. Do you see how much you make me laugh?" “Since you were born, I have never existed in your life. Now, you'll show how you care about me, even if you don't truly. Well, let's just say you suddenly become concerned and sincere in what you say. But do you think I'll be pleased? No. I don't need your concern or pity whatsoever, so how you treated me back then should continue until my death. Get it?" Harmony didn't know where that feeling was coming from, but she thought maybe it was the words and feelings that the real Harmony couldn't express due to a lack of courage. But is it normal for her to feel that way when she is not the real Harmony? She doesn't know; all she knows is that her end is near. The scene where her life will end is near. But is she ready? Is she ready to face death a second time? Will she simply accept that her life will end at the hands of assassins? She chuckled internally while placing her right hand on her forehead and leaning against the carriage window. No! It would be a disgrace for a high-ranking assassin like me to die at the hands of low-level assassins. She let out a sigh and adjusted in her seat. It was clear to her that she wouldn't allow her life to be determined solely by the feeble group of assassins. Therefore, she was determined to do whatever it took to survive, even if it meant using this frail body. She wasn't born an assassin for nothing. “Harmony—" the two were both left astonished as they were abruptly startled by the sound of an explosion accompanied by the frantic neighing of horses. “What happened—ackk!" Harmony's eyes widened as Zeferino suddenly spewed a substantial amount of blood. She closed her eyes when she smelled the toxicity in the young man's blood. “This...you are poisoned!" as she shouted, the carriage they were riding in overturned, causing the girl's head to hit and break the window glass at the same time. Harmony felt the abundant blood flowing from her head, so she closed her eyes. When she reopened them, her vision was momentarily blurred. However, she was able to make out the strange shape of the body pulling the prince. Even though it was difficult to move, she made an attempt to crawl out of the carriage. And as she did, she noticed a significant amount of blood on the ground and the lifeless bodies of knights. She blinked and frowned when she saw what was happening. The intense pain she experienced was swiftly replaced by surprise as, instead of encountering assassins, she saw monsters. And she can't be mistaken because, according to the book she read, assassins attacked the carriage they were riding in to assassinate the Crown Prince, who was the reason for the death of the original Harmony in the book. Due to the poison that Zeferino drank at the party, he was unable to save his elder sister's life, and Harmony died within the first five pages of the book. And that's where Harmony's role as a side character ended. Following her death, the male lead will seek justice, causing the paths of the female and male lead to cross. But what in the world is going on?! What has caused this scene to change? Monsters here instead of assassins?! The girl's mind screamed, but it halted when she witnessed the monster lifting the Crown Prince, ready to devour him alive. Harmony was at a loss, unsure of what to do next. However, she found herself pulling out the sword lodged in the knight's chest and rushing towards the Crown Prince's position. In that moment, she felt nothing but an overwhelming desire to save the young man, although the reasons behind her determination remained a mystery to her. While the young man feels as if his core is burning due to the poison inside his body, the abyss of death gradually consumes half of his soul with every passing second but despite the pain he felt, fear pounded in his chest. He wasn't afraid for his own safety, but for his older sister. While the monster lifted him, he glanced over at his sister's position. He was surprised to see her slowly pulled the sword from the knight's chest and sprint toward his location. He shook his head. “No. D-don't...don't come this way. I'm begging you, please run away...sister—" The prince lost consciousness abruptly before he could finish his sentence. Harmony, on the other hand, continuously approached the monster. By leaping behind it, she managed to free the prince from its grasp, diverting the monster's attention towards her. She stabbed the monster, but winced when she couldn't even bury the sword in its body because of her lack of strength. As a result, when the monster's big hand struck her, she was sent flying from the tree. “Argh—d*mn it! I am no longer pleased with this scenario." The girl shrugged off the pain she was feeling and slowly stood up while still holding the sword. If she had to give all her strength to the point that her body reached its limit, she would do it, just to survive this scene. She took a deep breath and let out it as she went towards the monster, closing her eyes. She didn't open her eyes, but she was able to get close and stab the monster thanks to her keen hearing and sense. After stabbing it, she stepped on its head and leaped towards the others. When she smashed the monsters' heads with the sword, she faltered, and her feet landed on the ground as her eyes opened simultaneously. She stared expressionlessly at the heads that had fallen to the ground. However, her brow furrowed as she sensed a presence behind her. When she turned around, the monster's large hand met her, and it was too late for her to dodge. The impact sent her flying and her body sank slightly to the ground. Her chest pounded, and a dizziness washed over her, making it difficult to move her body. Eventually, she closed her eyes. Is that all? Is this the end of my life? Can I truly not change my fate? Will I die in my second life? She chuckled inwardly, realizing that this could be karma catching up to her for her past wrongdoings. She asked herself if the people who died at her hands felt the same way? “Sis," she was stunned when she heard that voice in her mind, “stay alive. Try to live, my sister..." Harmony tearfully opened her eyes just as the monster dragged her, realizing its intention to devour her whole. Savianna... “NO!" Harmony was startled when someone suddenly shouted, which triggered her memory of the Crown Prince. His clothes were stained with blood, and he was continuously vomiting blood. “S-spare my sister's life—take my life instead. P-please!" even though Harmony was struggling, she still managed to frown because she didn't expect the male lead to kneel just for an extra like her. What happens is not written in the book; this scene, especially the male lead begging for his older sister to live, is not in the book. Why? Why is he doing this? Instead of kneeling, why didn't he just run and save his life? If this continues, he may die from blood loss. The girl glanced up at the monster as it shifted its left hand, seemingly preparing to bury her brother who stood nearby. However, she managed to halt its actions just in time. She doesn't know how, but she doesn't seem to care if her life ends now as long as she can save her brother. This is something new for her. Suddenly, it seems like she no longer recognizes herself because of her strong desire to save the young man. She found herself on top of the monster's chest and used her palm with all her might to stab the monster's chest. She screamed and bit her lip in pain. She stared in disbelief as she watched the monster's body collapse. When she looked back at Zeferino, he was once again unconscious. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he hadn't witnessed what she had just done. She stood up slowly and shifted her gaze back to the monster. “I took countless lives in my past life, but in this second life of mine, it's the first time I've saved a life with these thin and soft hands. It's funny, isn't it?" after she spoke those words, she dropped to her knees and grasped her head due to the intense pain. She just realized that she was vomiting blood. Amidst this situation, she let out a laugh and used the back of her palm to smear the blood across her lips. This d*rn body! How did I end up in this situation? To be continued...