49 A Memory that She Hid Away Starts to Resurface

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE – A MEMORY THAT SHE HID AWAY STARTS TO RESURFACE

Scarlette looked carefully at the lime green stone that Mikhael held into his palms as he presented it in front of the crimson-haired woman.

She felt something familiar to that stone and she couldn't shake the feeling about it.

'It's warm and familiar, but where did I see this thing? What's with this stone that the Prince of Dark Puppetry wants?'

She thought as she examined carefully the stone that appeared in Mikhael's palms.

Scarlette felt a strange connection at the stone in front of her and without hesitation, she touch the stone, and moments later; it reacted to her touch.

She felt a warm breeze like a nature that spread inside her veins but felt dizzy at the same time.

*THUD!

'W-what…'

She fell to the ground while clutching her head to ease the dizziness that she felt.

"Scarlette!"

She heard Mikhael screams at her name and she felt that the citrus-haired boy went to her side and cling to her.

But Scarlette could only feel a throbbing pain in her head as her visions became blurred.

The crimson-haired woman looked at her side as she saw Mikhael who's calling for her and saying something but she couldn't hear what Mikhael was trying to say.

She noticed that the barrier she cast from earlier had canceled because of her lack of concentration as her dizziness continued to swallow her.

As her eyes were about to shut down, she saw that Jeffrey and Ryan run at her side and tried to call her out, but Scarlette didn't have the strength to answer.

Her world is now consumed by the darkness as she closed her eyes…

….

Scarlette opened her eyes, and she looked around but she saw nothing but darkness that surrounds her.

'W-what? Where am I?'

She thought as she stood up from the ground and looked around, but no matter what she does, only darkness that she could see.

'What happen? The last time I remembered, I touch that strange stone that Yvan took it from his chest and after that, everything went blank.'

She thought as she tried to analyze what happen and what is with that stone.

'Why is that it came out of his chest?'

The more she thinks, the more her minds went into chaos because of these unexpected events that happen.

'First, I took a mission that seems suspicious and picked up a foreign companion with me and landed on our first city destination, but everything gets complicated after that.'

She felt angry and frustrated at the same time because this was the first time that something like this happens to her.

'Did I just woke up from the wrong side of the bed? Seriously?'

Scarlette felt exhausted just by thinking about these things that makes her want to quit this mission and go home.

However, the crimson-haired woman is not the type of person who would give up on something if things are not in her favor.

'This is quite challenging, and it's refreshing. Might as well enjoy this while it last.'

She thought as she remembered something else.

'Also, it seems like I need to speak with Ryan privately about some matters on hand.'

Scarlette thought as she smirk under her veil, thinking on how foolish Ryan is.

Does he think that the crimson-haired woman didn't feel those invisible magic earrings of his that reacted to her light threads?

She pushed those thoughts back at her mind as she needs to focus on the matters right in front of her as she didn't have any idea on where the heck is she.

The crimson-haired woman walked around the darkness and it seems like she couldn't see anything that would make her see where this would lead her on.

'Just what is this?! Argh!'

Scarlette took a deep breath as she felt even more frustrated because of her situation.

'I can't seem to know what is happening to me right now. This is frustrating that I want to punch someone right now!'

*WOOSH!

As she continued to wander around the darkness, Scarlette paused for a minute as she felt another presence around her as she prepare herself and didn't let her guard down.

'There is someone in here! I don't know how long as I didn't sense any presence the moment I opened my eyes and only darkness that welcomes me.'

She didn't have any weapon in here, but Scarlette was confident about her fighting skills and she didn't want to use magic as of the moment.

Scarlette prepare a battle stance as she bend forward her body and raise her both hands to do a fist form as she looked around using her eyes.

After some time had passed, Scarlette noticed the silhouette of her direction.

Not too far from where she stood, but the crimson-haired woman can identify that it's a man based on his posture.

Scarlette didn't move on where she stood as she still in her battle stance to prepare if the other person would attack her in surprise.

However, the silhouette didn't attack her but walked forward to where Scarlette was.

With every step that the other person take, Scarlette felt a warm and heavy feeling from her chest as if someone was picking a needle to her heart.

When Scarlette finally sees its features, the crimson-haired woman felt like there is a bucket of cold water that is poured into her system the moment she recognizes that person.

'N-no! I-it can't be! H-how…?!'

It took aback Scarlette when she saw the person in front of her and there are tons of questions swirls inside her mind.

Under her veil, her lips were quivering as if trying to find the right words to spill from her mouth, but she couldn't find the right words to speak.

The person in front of her stopped its tracks and they were only five steps apart from each other as the person looked back at Scarlette with a smile plastered on his face.

Scarlette breaks from her battle stance as she teared up as she recognizes the man in front of her and she didn't know that she would see him again like this.

The same feature that she knew and would remember for the rest of her life.

No longer than that, the darkness around them fades and Scarlette looked around as she saw the images that flashed right in front of her face.

Memories of the distant past are now resurfacing once again.

Memories that she tried to forget and buried inside her soul are now flashing right in front of her.

={'Nice to meet you, my name is ____'

'How are you, ____?'

'What are you doing here, _____? Why not join me and not to sulk there like a child! Haha!'

'Want to try this? It's delicious!'

'Here's my gift! I hope you would like it, ____.'

'I will protect you no matter what happens! Stay by my side!'

'You dare to touch her?! She's mine!'

'I love you and I know you do.'

'Until the end of our time, you are my one and only. My Empress.'

'We will meet again.'}=

Scarlette went back to look at the man in front of her and the man walks forward in her direction and she felt her heart beat faster than normal.

She didn't know what to do at the moment as she felt her legs went into numb when the man finally stopped his tracks in front of her and looked at her with gentle eyes.

Scarlette bit her lips as she tried to suppress the hidden desire that she felt, but in the end, she gave in as she hugged the man that she longed for to see.

Even if this is a dream, she didn't care, as she only wants to indulge herself and be selfish for once.

Even though this is some kind of trickery to lower her guard down but she didn't care at all of that.

For the first time, she felt powerless.

For now, she is not the SSS-rank adventurer and the strongest woman that everyone knew.

For now, she is nothing but a fragile woman that is longing for her beloved. Her beloved that she knew that can only appear in her dreams.

*SOB!* *SOB!*

She cried as if there is no tomorrow and Scarlette felt that the man pat her head to calm her down and that made the crimson-haired woman cried even more.

"I-I know you are not real but… I-I just… miss you so much! I-I know that in this life, we can't meet again and as I promised, I will love no one as I only love you"

She mumbled under her breath as she cried, even more, when she felt the man hugged her which makes her relaxed for a moment.

« "Not anymore, Scarlette" »

Scarlette immediately de-attach herself to the man when she heard those words as she looked at him with a questioning gaze.

Crimson-lilac eyes meet oceanic dark blue eyes.

"W-what—?"

« "It's about time for us to meet again, Scarlette. I have been protecting you all these years and now the time has come" »

The man leaned in and kissed Scarlette's forehead as a sign of respect for the woman in front of her.

Scarlette felt the warm lips that touch her forehead as she savoured this moment as if she didn't want to let go.

After that, the man de-attach himself to her and he faded away. That makes the crimson-haired woman panicked.

"W-wait! N-no! D-don't go!"

« "I love you, my Empress. Wait for me" »

Scarlette tried to touch him but she couldn't anymore as her hands only went through to the silhouette as she cried even more.

With that, the man disappeared, leaving the crimson-haired woman crying as she stumbled on the ground.