Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power - Chapter 281

Chapter 281: Chapter 281: Masked feelings
Chapter 281 – Masked feelings

Lisa found herself walking with hurried steps through the bustling streets of Asterion. Beings of all ages, shapes, and colors passed by her, each absorbed in their own life…some alone, some laughing with friends or lovers, others sulking or cursing under their breath as they went.

Above, the blinding golden sun that usually bathed the city in warmth had already sunk into sleep, allowing the blue moon to rise and bathe the entire territory in its silvery luster.

It was peaceful.

But Lisa didn’t feel that way.

She bit her lip and walked faster, bumping into one or two people along the way, earning herself a few curses and glares.

Behind her, she could faintly hear the voice of a man calling her name, but the noise of the crowded street and the number of bodies between them hid her completely from sight.

She didn’t bother to respond. Instead, she pushed through faster, turning right at a crossroads that led her into another street. This one was quieter, less crowded. Rows of houses lined both sides, interspersed with small shops closing for the night.

When she reached another intersection, she turned left, walked for another two or three minutes, and finally found herself standing in a completely different part of the city, one where nothing surrounded her but plain stone walls and a single wooden door ahead.

She approached it, pulling a small copper key from her pocket — space rings were far beyond what she could afford — and slipped it into the keyhole. A soft click echoed, and the door creaked open. She stepped inside, returned the key to her pocket, and closed the door behind her.

Within the enclosed space lay a small field, no larger than a modest bedroom — about ten by twelve feet — carpeted with dozens of golden flowers that shone gently, their soft light filling the room despite the ceiling’s shadow.

The moment she saw them, Lisa’s tense shoulders relaxed. She walked toward one corner where her tools and farming materials were neatly arranged beside her uniform.

She began undressing, slowly removing the luxurious clothes Kenan had bought her.

Her teeth sank into her lower lip at the thought of him. Anger and indignation flickered through her brown eyes for a heartbeat before melting away into quiet sorrow.

Once she had folded her fine clothes aside, she changed into her working attire: a brown long-sleeved shirt and matching pants, tucked into sturdy boots meant for soil and hard ground.

Then she put on her gloves, walked toward the flowers, crouched down, and began tending to them.

At first, her face was hard and heavy with sadness. But as time passed, her movements slowed, her breathing steadied and little by little, a faint smile began to form on her lips.

The golden-colored flowers were called Jearuwy flowers. They were plants with thin, hard golden stems, their tips blooming into flattened disks that shimmered like coins before gently falling to either side. They were a type of flower that could only grow in enclosed spaces, completely devoid of sunlight. The soil, too, had to be rich with worms and salt for them to flourish.

It wasn’t easy for Lisa to grow these plants, but she liked the process. She liked how they gleamed…how golden they were.

She had saved her salary for three years to buy not only this little place but also the seeds and every material necessary to care for them. All that without forgetting the fact that she worked every day until late at night…every day except Sunday. So every night, she came here to tend to them, knowing it was the most optimal time for them to grow.

She had spent so much money and effort…

…for something that would never give her anything back.

These flowers were completely useless. The only thing they could do was shine golden and radiate a faint warmth. That was all. But Lisa treated them as if they meant everything to her.

And in a way, they did.

In this capital where no one cared about anyone, where every person was cold and wrapped up in their own problems, it was hard to find warmth.

For a girl who came from a small village where everyone knew each other and supported one another, Asterion was a suffocating place…one that threatened to snuff out the last spark of her heart.

Her job itself was suffocating, forcing her to smile and be pleasant to everyone every single day. It took its toll on her mind.

That was why she had wanted a wealthy husband.

Though now, that thought had died after the incident with Meris, after she found herself reduced to a slave.

“Heh…” she chuckled softly, her voice trembling as the memory surfaced, her eyes starting to shimmer.

She had only wanted a good life. Like everyone else in this world.

And she became a slave for it.

Because of what?

Because Meris could. Because she was a commoner. Because she was weak.

She thought she had made peace with that event, that she had buried it and moved on…but no.

What happened today with Kenan had brought it all back.

Lisa sighed with a woeful smile.

Just as she was starting to get used to him. Just as she was finally feeling comfortable being with him, hearing him ramble about everything, seeing his awkward face, his wry smile, his constant habit of using “Ashes” in every sentence…

Just as Lisa thought that in this cold and indifferent world, there might actually be someone who liked her despite everything…

…that same person came today to end it all.

She bit her lip harder until blood welled and slid down her chin. “I didn’t come to seek you…” she muttered, her voice cracking. “It wasn’t me who tried to be with you. It wasn’t me who kept pestering you to go on dates, or to watch plays, or to take walks…”

Her shoulders shook. “It wasn’t me… it was you, Kenan… it was you…” she wheezed.

“And now… now you decide to end it all after giving me gold?”

She laughed bitterly, the sound hollow and trembling.

Did he think she only cared about money?

She was human too. She had feelings. She was a woman too, one who longed for affection.

Yes, she loved gold, there was no doubt. It was the reason she had accepted his invitations in the first place.

But gold was cold. Gold was lifeless. Gold would not soothe her when she was breaking apart. Gold would not hold her when the world pressed too hard, when everything seemed to crumble and drown her in a sea of quiet despair.

Gold… would not smile at her as if she mattered.

Her knees gave in, sinking into the soil crawling with worms. Her chest tightened with emotions she couldn’t name, couldn’t bear.

She didn’t understand.

Why?

Why was it that every time she thought she had finally caught something precious, it slipped away?

Why?

Did she not deserve happiness?

Lisa’s vision blurred. The world around her dissolved into haze as tears poured freely…tears she had held back for years, for her family back in the village, for the strength she forced herself to carry.

She was tired. She was exhausted. She was… alone.

Soon, Lisa found herself lying on the ground, her body curled up like a child seeking warmth, eyes swollen and wet.

The golden flowers around her glowed brighter, their light deepening in hue as though they could sense her pain and sorrow.

The room grew warmer, gentler, and slowly, her trembling eased, her breathing steadied, and she fell asleep peacefully at last.

With her flowers as her only companions.

And all that while outside, an orange-haired young man searched through the streets of Asterion the entire night, eyes wide with worry, calling her name again and again, until his family found him at dawn and dragged him home, his voice still hoarse, his heart still restless.

…

Darklore — Waverith, The Pit.

Kaden sat on the ground, staring at the red book in front of him, his thoughts spinning in dizzying circles as he tried to process everything he had just uncovered.

Even without considering the fact that he had absorbed a trace of divinity from the Sorrow Pathway, something he had yet to even understand, the memories he had seen inside Luke’s mind were staggering.

And he was still struggling to digest them.

But some things were clear.

For one, Brain had lied to him. He hadn’t found the legacy of the Forbidden Alchemist in Fokay, Luke had given it to him. And Luke had done so in exchange for a way to split his consciousness, which could only mean…

Kaden’s gaze drifted slowly to the limp body sprawled across the ground…Luke Thornspire, eyes vacant, looking like a broken puppet whose strings had been cut.

‘He’s not dead yet,’ Kaden thought, brows furrowing.

“Are you okay, hero?” Inara asked from his left, her tone tinged with worry.

Meris sat on his right, her head resting gently against his shoulder, offering quiet warmth and comfort.

She could tell Kaden was unsettled by something, but she knew better than to force him to speak. Inara, on the other hand, wasn’t nearly as patient. She hated seeing him brooding and needed to know what was wrong before she could fix it.

Kaden gave a faint smile, Rory perched on his head nibbling on brown worms. “It’s nothing,” he said. “Just… mentally exhausted after what happened.”

He paused, then added with a small grin, “Besides, with this book, we might finally have a way to save Eliot. Isn’t that great?”

“Granted,” he continued humorously , “I almost got myself into something I’d rather not talk about, but hey…”

He shrugged lightly. “A win is a win.”

Meris and Inara exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter, both echoing at once, “A win is a win!” They leaned closer to him, their laughter mingling with relief.

The weight pressing on them seemed lighter. Eliot could be saved.

Kaden smiled with them, though deep inside, a darker thought lingered…

‘He fooled us completely. And he wanted to kill Eliot because of Rea… but for what reason?’

His eyes softened as he looked at the girls, masking the turmoil beneath his calm expression.

‘I need to know. But…’

“Let’s go, fast! We don’t have much time!” Inara said, her energy sparking back.

Kaden nodded absently, pushing himself up, his thoughts narrowing down to a single, chilling question…

‘Where is that bloody bastard Luke?’

…

Meanwhile, far away from the crumbling Waverith, within a realm soaked in hazy grey fog, a hooded man suddenly halted mid-step.

A smile, twisted between pain and amusement, spread across his lips.

“Oho! He lasted longer than I expected,” he murmured, chuckling softly.

Then he clicked his tongue.

“What a shame. I wanted to take back the book.” He sighed, shoulders rising and falling lazily. “Hopefully, it was destroyed along with that pathetic piece of garbage.”

Shaking his head, he resumed walking, his silhouette fading slowly into the shifting fog.

—End of Chapter 281—