My heart pounded in my chest as I looked down at the fallen figure of the madman.
His lifeless eyes stared back, filled with the same madness that had tormented the village.
The smell of burnt ash filled the air, a testament to the fierce struggle that had just ended. Crumpled in his stiff hand was the object that allowed him to wreak so much havoc—[The Emperor] Arcana.
Bending down, I carefully pried the Arcana from his lifeless grip.
The orb that surrounded it had long vanished, leaving the card bare and empty.
It glowed with a soft golden light, pulsating to a rhythm that matched my own heartbeat. It was beautiful, intricate patterns of gold and azure adorned its exterior, almost too divine to be part of such malevolence.
The power that had been used to corrupt and control the innocent goblins was now in my possession. I could feel it, a throbbing energy, waiting to be directed, used.
"I see… so this is what caused it."
Looking back at the madman's corpse, I felt an unexpected twinge of pity.
He had been driven to insanity by power, consumed by his desire to control and dominate. His life, once filled with promise, had been reduced to this sad, pitiful end.
'I guess power corrupts a person… especially if they do not have the will to control it.'
But I quickly shrugged off that feeling.
No amount of pity would bring back the lives he had destroyed. The balance he had disrupted. His intentions, mad or not, had caused chaos, and for that, he deserved no sympathy.
With the Arcana now in my hands, I turned towards the village. My gaze fell on the horde of goblins that had been under the madman's influence, their green eyes no longer glowing with malice, but with confusion.
'Looks like they're awake now.' I smiled to myself.
As the last echoes of victory died down, a weak roar pierced the stillness.
"UUUUURRRRRRR…"
It was a sound I knew all too well - the cry of the Kraken.
The giant beast lay by the shoreline, its massive body marred by the battle. Its eyes, usually burning with fierce intensity, was dim and full of pain.
I rushed to its side, skidding to a halt beside its giant, scarred head.
"Hold on, big guy," I whispered, reaching out to touch its cold, damp skin. It was far colder than it should have been.
I closed my eyes, channeling the power of [Connection]. My mind extended outward, touching the thoughts of the Kraken.
The contact was immediate, a torrent of raw pain and fading life force.
Its thoughts were disjointed, slipping away like sand through my fingers. I could feel its strength waning, the life force within it slowly extinguishing. My heart ached as I realized the bitter truth - the Kraken was dying.
A bitter taste filled my mouth.
'It's my fault…'
This magnificent creature was on the brink of death, all because it had saved me. If it hadn't intercepted the madman when it did, then…
'Even though you spent your life on the run… to think you'd just go like this. I'm so sorry.'
I currently lacked the energy to heal a creature of this size. All the energy around had been sucked dry, and even the immense Nether that the Kraken were now mere vestiges.
The situation made it impossible for me to save it.
Tears pricked my eyes.
No, I had to stay strong.
For the Kraken. I pushed deeper into its thoughts, letting it feel my presence, my gratitude.
"Thank you," I projected to it, my thoughts full of sorrow. "I'm so sorry."
A flicker of understanding passed between us.
It wasn't angry. But there was something else… something deeper.
As I reached out to the dying Kraken, I was enveloped by its mind once again. But this time, it wasn't the fading life force or disjointed thoughts that startled me. It was an undercurrent of emotion, something that had been hidden deep within the creature, now laid bare in its final moments.
Through the [Connection], I could feel the Kraken's deep-seated resentment towards its own existence, its constant yearning for death.
It had felt trapped, isolated in its vastness. The loneliness that its kind naturally carried was heightened to an unbearable degree.
It had lived a life of despair, hoping for an end.
But now, facing the finality of its existence, a strange feeling had surged forth.
The Kraken, which had for so long yearned for death, now clung desperately to life. It wanted to live.
'A-ahh…'
The revelation shook me. I could feel the Kraken's desire, its newfound will to survive, the sudden dread at the impending darkness.
But there was nothing I could do.
Its injuries were too severe, far beyond my ability to heal.
Tears welled in my eyes as the Kraken's emotions washed over me. Its desperation, its fear. I gripped its cold skin tighter, offering the only comfort I could - presence.
"I'm sorry," I found myself whispering. "I wish I could do more."
In its final moments, I didn't break the [Connection]. I stayed with it, letting it know it wasn't alone, feeling its desperation fade to acceptance, its fear into tranquility.
As its life force dwindled, I shared with it a single promise. Its sacrifice wouldn't be in vain. That its desire to live, its wish for more, would inspire me, drive me.
And when the final flicker of life left the Kraken, when the [Connection] between us was severed, I rose, a new determination set within me.
The Kraken might not have been able to cling onto life, but I could. I could live, for both of us.
'Thank you… truly.'
~FSHUUUUUUUUUUU!!!~
Suddenly, an unexpected radiance exploded from its body.
The once-dim eyes were now the epicenter of a pulsating, ethereal light that painted the world in a celestial glow.
I shielded my eyes, taken aback by the sudden brilliance.
As my eyes adjusted, I saw it.
"A-ah… no way!"
Floating above the now lifeless body of the Kraken was a spectral form. It was smaller, a shadow of its original massive form, yet it retained the same distinct features.
The ethereal Kraken pulsed with a gentle, inviting light. Its eyes, now an iridescent glow, looked at me knowingly.
'It became a Familiar!'
I was awestruck. It seemed I had underestimated the will of the Kraken to live. I never even considered this possibility.
But here it was, the Bond Soul of the Kraken.
'If that's the case, then… maybe…'
With a sense of reverence, I slowly reached out toward the spectral Kraken.
Its light intensified as my hand drew closer, casting brilliant patterns of colors onto my skin.
As my fingertips met its ethereal form, a surge of energy raced up my arm, enveloping me entirely.
The world fell away as a torrent of images and emotions rushed through me. It was the Kraken's memories, its feelings, its entire being, intertwining with mine.
Our consciousness merged, two becoming one.
'... It is done.'
The intensity of the connection subsided, leaving a warm, comforting sensation in its place. I looked into the eyes of the spectral Kraken, now my Familiar, and I could feel a sense of peace emanating from it.
Its despair was gone, replaced with a feeling of contentment. It had found a new existence, one that it chose, one that it desired.
And it was not alone anymore.
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[A/N]
Thanks for reading!
