Chapter 37: The Reset III

A nervous laugh left his lips before he could stop it. It's fine, however. From the look on her face, she thinks he's mocking her. Well, guess that's the plan now.

"Why would I eat a kid?"

The implications of his words made his insides clenched, but he kept his ground as her teeth bit down on her bottom lips.

Fuck... He remembered how those same teeth felt when she's biting his lips. This isn't appropriate at all, and his brain seemed to like supplying those thoughts to him. She's still a kid, for goodness's sake. Sure, he still has feelings for her but...

Her safety is his priority. His feelings can go fuck themselves because the young witch standing in front of him is fifteen and vulnerable.

"Isn't it in the nature of demons to consume?"

"I suppose."

Right, right, to the world, he's a monster.

"I'm not that young." He could see the gears turning in her head, but it's clear that she's irritated. "I'm turning sixteen in a month."

She just won't give up... He let out a sigh. "Oh well, I suppose I want someone my age."

How old is he anyways? Since the new shadow wielder was already born, he put himself at two hundred seventy. Two hundred fifty of those years were spent sleeping on the very ground he's standing on right now.

The new shadow wielder just happened to be Prince Alexander, who should be attending the Monastery at this age, too. Xiao must've already met the prince. Alexander will be there when Xiao and Trix's relationship reached a boiling point, and it exploded to the point of no return. She held her barrier until her last breath while the Abbot and the Prince stood outside, helplessly watching her passing away in his arms.

The memory was another thing he shouldn't think about right now because it hurts. It hurts that he couldn't save her, and it hurts that he's one of the main reasons why she's dead. It hurts when Alexander drove his sword through the monster's heart because that's what he deserved.

But she's right here in front of him now, replaying day one.

"You know what," Her voice was dangerously casual, and he knows she's about to pull some shit since her patience run out. "If you're not going to kill me, I'll just do it myself."

What?

He didn't say a word, but his face probably betrayed him by looking like an idiot. His red eyes followed her hand as she took out a wand from her messenger bag. At fifteen, second year, nothing she does with magic can be life threatening yet.

Oh, how he was wrong when he felt mana being pushed into the stick as it's pointing at her chest.

Fuck, fuck!

"No!" He shouted as he reached out with his left hand.

None of the magic spells she knows are dangerous, but how she uses it is. His dumbass should've thought of that earlier...

In slow motion, he watched her stab herself, his mana devoured hers as muscle memory took over in his panic to stop her from hurting herself.

Blood splattered on his face as her body dropped into his arms. No, no, no... His mind went back to the day when multiple duplicated swords through her body.

The duplicated swords technique was only taught to the royal family, and it's deadly, having a 99% fatality rate for the enemy. The demon had used the technique himself in his youth, and the person who sent those swords was none other than his brother's descendants, Prince Alexander.

The prince was horrified of his mistake when Xiao took the hits, and the monster was in a panic. He saw red and he couldn't heal her no matter how much he tried. He's free from his chains, nothing was holding his mana back anymore, but he couldn't make the healing spell work.

That was went he realized he became a true demon, because demons of the dark can't heal.

He was screaming at her, screaming at the world. He's angry at the young prince for not diverting hus attack in time, and he's angry at Xiao for taking the attack without a barrier, and he's angry at himself for not protecting.

Angry at himself for letting their relationship get to this point. Angry at himself for not realizing that he loved her sooner.

That thought snapped him back to the present, tears were steaming down his face, mixed with her blood.

He took in a deep breath and focus his sight on her. The blood was coming from the wand embedded into her sink, right below her diaphragm, and thankfully it's nothing fatal.

He set her down on the ground, and he began digging through her messenger bag. Students of the Monastery always had some form of medical kit on them, and the demon's heavy breathing was calming down as he pulled the wand out of her flesh. Then, he gently unbuttoned her shirt to get to her wound. He wouldn't dare undressing her more than necessary. Even though he had seen everything before, she's fifteen now.

It's a small thing, he's glad he diverted her wand in time. His large hands carefully and slowly stitched up the wound. This would stop her from bleeding out, and the ointment would prevent infections.

When he's done, he sat down crossed legged, and her body was draped over his thighs. Her head was cradled in his hand, and his eyes scanned her face in the moonlight.

Fuck, she's fifteen, yet she wanted to die. Xiao never got into the specifics of why, and he never bothered to ask her since she got uncomfortable when talking about it. She rathered have him thrusting into her until she couldn't think anymore than talk about what's bothering her.

Tears lingered in his eyes again, and he let out a low snarl. She's better off without him, and tomorrow, he'll send her on her way.

But now, he's holding her in his arms as he silently sobbed in grieving.

Grieving what exactly? Their relationship? His death? The monster doesn't know anymore.