A thunderclap reverberated in the ghost ship as a golden light filled the room.
Lightning tendrils danced around Enigma as they burnt her skin and entered her body.
As she put up only a minimum defense, Enigma's skin cracked and blood spilled out.
Yet, she didn't flinch.
Her lips curled up ever so slightly as she looked at Varian glaring at her with bloodshot eyes.
There was a trace of clarity in his rageful eyes as he was just beginning to realize what he had done.
"Is that all?" Enigma asked. "Is that all your rage?"
Varian took a deep breath as his shaking fist suddenly calmed down. He looked at the blood flowing from the sword that lodged itself through his mother.
Even though she was going through so much pain, Amanda didn't show any fear on her face.
She gave Varian a sad glance.
'I'm going to miss you.'
Varian raised his head and looked at the woman holding the sword that took away his bundle of happiness.
The illusions he saw in the mirage abyss overlapped with the current illusion and Varian's heart pounded in his chest.
"Die!"
With a wave of his hand, the space around Enigma broke into a hundred pieces and gave her a thousand cuts.
From head to toe, blood began to spill out from her wounds, and Enigma was covered in red.
"I-Is that all your rage?" Blood spilled from the corner of her mouth as she stared at him stubbornly.
Varian's eyes flashed with thick killing intent. His rationale is stopping him from going for the kill, but that also meant anything other than kill was fine.
Anything.
"All of my rage?" Varian punched at Enigma.
A gigantic ice fist shot hit her and crashed her into the wall.
The sounds of bones breaking rang out as Enigma slid down the wall.
"You haven't seen even a tenth!"
Two spears of lightning and ice pierced through Enigma's shoulders and struck her at the wall.
Varian took a step toward her. Then another. His eyes locked onto hers.
Even though she's in this state, Enigma continued to stare at him with the same plain eyes.
"Why can't you control your own fucking body?" Varian waved his hand.
A space blade left a deep cut on her abdomen.
"Why did you lose your mind?" Varian growled as a sharp spear pierced Enigma's stomach.
Enigma felt a searing pain through her body as she kept bleeding. Varian really showed no mercy.
Even though he didn't kill her, each and every attack was optimized to increase the pain she felt.
Despite her determination, Enigma could hardly move. But she didn't need to move anyway.
So, she watched.
She watched as Varian approached her step by step. Until he reached the critical distance.
Then, a sword appeared in his hand.
"Why didn't you control yourself?"
He thrust the sword straight toward her heart.
Enigma closed her eyes as her body spasmed from the pain. Tears gathered at the corner of her eyes, but she stubbornly held herself from crying.
Right now, she's the villain who killed his mother. She only needed to appear hateful. She didn't have to cry.
She didn't have the heart to cry.
Even though her heart was now…
'Huh?'
Enigma forcibly opened her eyes and felt the sword in her chest. It was just an inch away from her heart. Not by accident, but by intent.
In confusion, she raised her head only to see Varian looking back at her with red eyes.
Chaotic emotions swirled in his red eyes that seemed to be on the verge of tears.
"W-Why?" Enigma asked as she coughed blood.
"Why?" Varian repeated her question in a low voice before yelling. "You tell me why?"
"Why did it have to be you? If it's anyone else, I'd have killed them!"
"Why did it have to be for saving me? If it's for any other reason, I'd have hated you for life."
"Why?" Varian clenched his fists and with a wave of his hand, pulled away all the weapons piercing through her body.
Enigma slid down the wall powerlessly and collapsed on her knees.
With a thud, Varian too collapsed on his knees as he stared at her.
"Y-You can kill me…" Enigma said in a weak voice. "In an illusion, at least. Or Sia will be in danger if I die for real."
Varian remained silent.
"I…I'll also be in the illusion. I'll experience death, I'll experience all the pain, but I won't die. Y-You can kill me all you want." Enigma lowered her head.
Varian looked at her injuries and wanted to ask Boo to heal them. But for some reason, he let them stay.
Maybe it was petty revenge. Maybe it was to tell himself that he was still cruel to her.
"Yes, I hate you. My mind tells me it's not your fault, that things could go wrong. But my heart, it doesn't listen." Varian said. "But. I hope there will come a day when I can convince my heart."
Enigma's bloodied lips arched up just a bit. "I…see."
"And thank you." Varian bowed his head. "I feel like an invisible burden is lifted off my chest."
"…are you asking me for permission to beat me up whenever you feel that burden again?" Enigma quipped.
"…I don't know." Varian sighed. "I won't deny a part of me feels great about this, but there's also another part that feels like trash."
"Since you're treating me with sincerity, it's only right that I do so the same," Enigma said.
"There are only a few times I've been this injured…my whole body is aching and I might faint from the pain. But what are you doing? You didn't even call Boo for treating me. You're a horrible man."
"Sometimes." Varian chuckled.
"But you're not that hateful, because I can feel my recovery speeding up…you did something, didn't you?"
"…" Varian maintained a straight face.
Of course, he used his plantae powers. Only to stop her injuries from worsening. Yep, only that. As for why her regeneration sped up, he had no idea. None at all.
Enigma looked at his expression and knew that she wouldn't get any reply for him.
"Stubborn. You keep being stubborn…" She sighed.
Varian looked at her for a moment before giving a deep sigh. His turbulent heart settled down and he started to regain his calm.
"Your words make you sound like a granny who watched over me."
"…I'm not a granny, but I did watch over you."
"Oh?"
Enigma's eyes flashed with rare nostalgia as she said. "You know…I was weak back then. I couldn't do much. I couldn't even talk to Sia. But I could stay awake for a few hours."
Varian stiffened as Enigma looked at him with weird eyes. "…So, I watched you every time I was awake. No, I woke up only when I know you were there."
Enigma looked at the young man in front. The younger versions of him in her mind overlapped with his current version.
"I watched you grow and with you, I grew up."
Enigma's lips curled into a beautiful smile.
Varian blinked twice to see if he was hallucinating. Was this really Enigma?
"Maybe that's why…" Enigma lowered her head and sighed. "That's why when I could finally come out, I got so angry that your life was in danger. That's why, when I wielded the power of three paths for the first time to save you, I lost my mind."
The conversation steered in a direction he didn't anticipate and so, for the first time in a while, Varian found himself completely speechless.
