The Mage/Witch Regrets

Chapter 4: YOU'RE A MAGE?

Valleria's POV

We spend the whole day treating the three survivor. The two of them regain their consciousness at noon, they have the same reaction as Yohan when they woke up. Their expressions twisted in agony, and tears poured down their cheeks. They wept uncontrollably, blamed themselves, and even the man named Nash tried to hit himself because of guilt. He repeatedly whispered that it's all his fault. His words was a desperate cry, a raw expression of the anguish that consumed him.

The sound of their cries still echoed in my ears, a heartbreaking reminder of the trauma they had endured.

It's such a mess earlier, I'm so drained. The chaos was overwhelming, and the weight of it all still feels like it's crushing me. Treating people is not really my forte, I'm not even sure how I managed to do it. It's not like I'm a skilled healer or anything. I can perform simple healing magic though, but there's no way I can use it to them without them noticing, so I just did what I could without my power.

Honestly, I was just trying to make up for something... to ease my own guilt.

Seeing the hope in their eyes, the trust they placed in us Arcana mages... I couldn't just turn my back on them. The thought of disappointing them, of failing them, was unbearable. Their faith in us is like a heavy burden on my shoulders, and I feel like I'm barely holding on. Every cry, every plea for help, it cuts deep into my soul.

Facing the full moon above the sky made me think that what if I didn't came back in this world. What will happen with these people? Seeing how vast the cursed already spread. I just hope I can keep going, for their sake, not just mine.

We sat around the campfire, its warmth a small comfort in our hearts. The prince beside me fixed the bandages on his burned left arm, his movements is gentle. Infront of us, his five guards, busy cooking the beef on the big fire, the smell of the meat filled the air. While the three survivors are on our right side, staring blankly at the flames, they seems spacing out.

No one tried to break the silence. The only sound you can hear was the fire crackling, burning wood and spitting out sparks. The forest was quiet, like it was holding its breath. No animals made a sound, no leaves rustled. It felt like the forest was watching us, waiting for something to happen. The fire was our only protection against the darkness, a thin line between us and the unknown.

"By the way, Sir, why are you searching for the Arcana Kingdom?" I tried to break the long silence. They looked at me slowly and then looked at each other, deciding if telling me the truth is the best thing to do.

And to think about it, my portal was supposed to take us straight to the Kingdom, but we're teleported near a dragon's lair in the forest instead. The thought sends shivers down my spine. Is this forest somehow manipulating my magic? Can it really interfere with my spells? The uncertainty is eating away at me, filling me with doubt and fear.

All I know for sure is that I'm not alone in searching for my home in the past. There are others out there, and I need to find out who they are and what they want. I'm desperate for answers, desperate to know what's going on and how to get back on track. But for now, I'm stuck here, in this dark and foreboding main road, with more questions than answers.

“A hundred years have passed since all the mages were killed by the witches. I’m sure their kingdom was destroyed along with them,” Yuri commented.

Our kingdom is made with gold and marble. We may be gone but I'm sure some of our kingdom's wall are still standing until this day.

But what is their reason for searching the kingdom? Is it perhaps because of the treasures? or perhaps because of the forbidden knowledge about magic that is hidden in there? I locked my gaze towards them.

"It's because we thought that..." Nash hesitated and sighed. "The kingdom holds the answers on how to lift the curse."

His words left me speechless. I never considered that. But… only I know the truth that there’s nothing useful left in that kingdom. The curse is banned for a reason. That’s why we hunted the witches. Even we, the most powerful beings on this continent fear the curse, because it has no cure.

I don't want to tell that to someone who's risking everything their entire life to save the continent.

"Is it really possible?" Nate questioned.

"After all, the curse started in that kingdom. So maybe, we can find even a little bit of clue out there." Drake responded. "We can't waste time anymore, those ugly witches are moving. They're stealing the territory of the people in the Eastern side."

"It is where the Tower of Hope is standing, right?" Nate asked again.

"Indeed. Those monsters... they wouldn't even dare to set foot on that land when the mages were still around." Nash voice trembled with rage and helplessness. "But now, with the mages gone, they've become emboldened. They're like rabid beasts, no longer held back by fear or respect, they're not afraid to show their true selves anymore. They harassed every people on their way."

"I met one in the past." Yuri's oldest guard shared. "They ravage everything in their path, leaving destruction and despair in their wake. They prey on the weak, the innocent, and the defenseless. Their cruelty knows no bounds, and their brutality is unmatched." His words spilled out like venom.

"Did you kill it, El?" Yuri asked.

"Yes your highness, that one is strong. If I didn't hit it in the head from the start of the fight, I'll lose." He sighed. "Those witches knows how to use magic after all, and we are just ordinary humans, only relying with our strength."

"Whoa, our old man right here is so cool!" Nate said proudly and give the old man a gentle slap on the shoulder.

Those stinky witches! Pray to your gods that you'll never meet me on the road, or I'll burn your heads slowly and hang it to the forest! I can feel the veins in my head we're popping out while thinking about them.

"Hey why are you looking so scary." Yuri whispered. That snapped me back to reality. "Here. You're almost naked, princess." the prince wrapped his arm in my body, as he hang his jacket on my back, his fingers touched my shoulder. How can his hand be so cold. I wrapped my arms around the jacket, feeling the warmth of his body.

At that moment our gaze met, the prince's bright blue eyes, like the clearest summer sky, shone with firmness and resolute yet infused with a great kindness. His eyes is drawing me in, with their gentle warmth. His blue eyes never left mine, and I felt like my heart flutter in response to the gentle intensity of his gaze.

In that moment, the world around me felt like melting away, leaving only the two of us, lost in the depths of each other's eyes.

"The beef is ready!" The prince men shouted.

I may be lost my mind. I slap both of my cheeks and diverted my gaze to the meat.

"Give it to me first!" I shouted back to cut the awkwardness.

"I can't believe I can taste beef again!" Yohan cried loudly with so much joy in his eyes while staring at the meat.

"It's such a shame we don't have any booze with us." Drake commented. Nash shot him a dirty look.

"Oh just be thankful, you ungrateful bastard!" Nash yelled at him.

"Hey! Keep your voices down, we're still surrounded by the damn forest!" Yuri hissed, his voice tight with panic. We all looked at him, and seeing how stressed he was, we burst into laughter, while his men struggled to hold theirs in, not wanting to disrespect their prince

We spent the night together around the campfire, enjoying each other's company. The beef was delicious, and we savored every bite. We talked and laughed, feeling grateful for the warmth and companionship. The stars shone above, and we felt a sense of peace, if only for a little while. The night was a welcome break from our journey, and we enjoyed the simple pleasure, eating good food, and sharing stories.

But the world is cruel, after all. Just a few hours had passed when we felt an ominous aura fast approaching. We stood up in unison and in the blink of an eye, Nate’s head flew into the air, his body collapsing to the ground. We barely had time to react before the creature swung at Yohan, trying to cut him in half. He dodged, but not fast enough—his right arm was severed and landed somewhere in the distance. The laughter from earlier was now replaced by screams.

"Nate no!" Yuri and his companion cried in despair.

"Yohan!" Drake and Nate rushed to their friend.

The creature moved too fast for me to track with my eyes. Then, suddenly, she stopped at a distance, locking her dark, burning eyes on me with a twisted laugh. Her ash-colored hair fell like a shadow over her pale face, she's beautiful, deadly, and terrifying. Her power radiated with a force that rivaled the Witch Queen I once fought.

Looking at her, I felt a cold shock... she was a reflection of my own body in the past, a haunting reminder of what I used to be.

My eyes widened, my body's frozen. This can't be happening right now.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting for you, my dear," she said, then vanished into thin air. In the blink of an eye, she reappeared right in front of me, gently brushing her fingers against my cheek. "I missed you."

Then she vanished again and in an instant, El's head was gone. Rage surged through me so fast, I couldn't think straight as I saw her charge toward Yuri.

"Stop!" I screamed, and a fierce blaze erupted from my body, scorching the air around us. This wasn’t the moment for them to discover who I truly was.

Their eyes went wide with shock, everyone except the witch. A cruel smile curled on her lips like this was exactly what she had been waiting for.

“Finally.” she whispered.

But before I could unleash my full power and strike, she vanished, disappearing into the shadows and leaving only sorrow behind. Her chilling laughter still echoed through the forest. It was then I realized that the witch’s true intentions was to break me… and expose my secret.