CHAPTER 217: CURSE AND CURE [3]

"Sephrina?"

Akamir called her.

"She asked something impossible, Akamir."

Sephrina replied without looking at him, her voice dead.

"She asked to burn the World Tree to save everyone."

Akamir quieted down as he looked at her in silence.

’....That’s fucked up.’

He thought as he rubbed his face, taking in a deep breath.

The World Tree wasn’t just sacred—it was the core of elven existence. Their life, their bond, their pride.

Without it, there was no meaning left for them.

Sephrina’s body trembled as she kept on staring at the World Tree.

"W-what type of request is this?" She whispered, her voice barely audible. "To ask an elf to kill the World Tree....."

Her knees gave out, and she sank to the ground, staring blankly ahead.

Her hands shook as if her entire soul was being pulled apart.

Akamir closed his eyes and activated his spirit eyes as he walked closer.

He crouched down and placed a hand carefully on her shoulder.

Sephrina broke down, tears falling as she hid her face in her hands. Her body shook with each breath.

Akamir stayed there, watching her quietly.

He didn’t offer false comfort, nor empty promises.

He simply stayed close, his hand steady on her shoulder, letting her cry without shame.

Minutes passed before her voice broke through the quiet.

"Why me?" she whispered. "Why ask me of all people...?"

Akamir didn’t reply as he remained silent.

He knew Kros asked to burn the World Tree because it was almost impossible for her to do that.

Even if Sephrina did that, the entire elven kingdom would see her as a traitor.

’...I am sure they will hate her for burning their sacred tree.’

It would be a loss for Sephrina in every condition.

Akamir drew in a deep breath as he ’looked’ out of the window.

"Hey, Sephrina." He mumbled softly. "You know that the entire Kingdom is empty right now."

"...."

Sephrina looked up as she tilted her head in confusion.

"Everyone is sleeping right now." He continued to explain. "No one is in their right mind."

"Thank you for reminding me." Sephrina said, glaring at him.

Akamir smiled as he extended his hand towards her. "Would you like to go out with me?"

Sephrina blinked innocently before she asked. "...What?"

"On a walk." Akamir replied. "I meant to say on a walk."

She looked at his hand for a while before she hesitantly grabbed it.

Slowly getting up she let him lead out of the palace.

---

It had been years since Sephrina had walked out of her room.

Because of her curse she couldn’t walk out of her room no matter how much she wanted.

But right now, as she walked on the empty streets she couldn’t be happy.

The place was filled with laying bodies that were mutilated.

Their bodies turning into a cluster of liquid as they remained asleep.

It was a gruesome sight that made her stomach twist.

"Don’t focus on them." Akamir said, squeezing her hand tightly. "Focus on me."

Sephrina looked at the boy once again who was leading her.

She wanted to keep her distance but his presence oddly enough was helpful to her.

"Why aren’t you getting cursed?" She asked, her voice soft. "Is it because of your spirit eyes?"

"Your curse makes people fall helplessly in love with you right?" Akamir asked, glancing back at her. "Who knows, I might already be in love with you."

Sephrina flinched visibly but she quickly composed herself.

".....Really?" She asked.

Akamir glanced at her once again, as he observed her body.

Sephrina felt visibly awkward as it was the first time someone was blatantly staring at her body.

"Well... you are too flat." He replied, looking away. "Not really my type."

Sephrina narrowed her eyes at him, still holding his hand.

"...Flat?" she repeated, her tone cold.

Akamir coughed into his fist, pretending to look at something else. "Forget I said that."

Her glare didn’t fade. For someone who rarely left her room, she was quick to pick up on his teasing.

"You’re insufferable," she muttered.

Her steps were slow, careful, but she didn’t let go of his hand.

As they moved through the streets, Sephrina’s gaze shifted toward the World Tree in the distance.

Its towering figure glowed faintly in the night, pulsing with life, untouched by the curse that had gripped the elves.

Her chest tightened. "Do you think... if I refuse, she’ll kill everyone?"

"Maybe," he said honestly.

"But they will die either way if you follow her request. The difference is in one path, you’ll be hated. In the other... they will just be dead."

Sephrina’s lips pressed together. His blunt words didn’t offer comfort, but they grounded her.

They stopped near a fountain, the water still and untouched.

She stared at him, searching his expression, then whispered, "You really don’t understand how much it hurts, do you?"

Akamir didn’t reply as he looked at the fountain.

"You either save them...." Akamir said. "....Or you let them die, your choice."

Sephrina didn’t say anything as she kept on staring at the fountain as well.

"The sun will rise soon." She whispered softly. "Everyone will die once that happens."

Akamir didn’t reply as he glanced at the genderless woman.

He wanted to comfort her but he didn’t want to influence her as well.

Though he really wanted her to choose the elves.

"I can’t do it." She whispered, shaking her head. "....I can’t burn the World Tree."

"...."

Akamir could clearly see that she was in pain.

Asking an elf for such a thing was just plain madness.

He let out a sigh as he said. "....Then let me do it."

Sephrina slowly turned to look at him. "...What?"

"I will do it in your stead." Akamir replied, looking at her. "...You can just tell everyone that a masked monster burned the World Tree—."

"No!" She cut him off. "If someone gets to know it’s you, then even I won’t be able to protect you."

"Sephrina you can either blame it all on a masked vigilante." Akamir said, tilting his head. "...Or you can do it yourself."

Sephrina’s breath hitched. Her eyes widened as if she had just been struck.

"Don’t talk like that," she said, her voice trembling. "You don’t understand what you’re suggesting."

"I understand more than you think," Akamir replied. His tone was calm, steady, but his eyes carried weight.

"If the World Tree burns, you’ll be branded a traitor forever. But if it’s me, I’ll just be another villain to them. Someone faceless. Easy to hate and easy to blame."

"...Why are you like this?" she whispered.

"Like what?"

"Willing to throw yourself into something that will destroy you."

Akamir smiled faintly. "We are married now, aren’t we?" He asked. "Can’t I do this much for my wife?"

"...."

Sephrina opened her lips to reply multiple times but she couldn’t say a word.

"You don’t even understand what marriage means to me," she whispered at last, her voice faint. "You can’t say things like that...."

Akamir turned towards her.

"Say the word." He said. "And I will burn the World Tree."

Sephrina remained silent as she looked at her face within the fountain.

She stood like that for almost five minutes, fighting her inner battle.

Finally, she let out a sigh as she turned fully towards him.

Sephrina bowed deeply in front of him.

"I will never forget your help, Akamir."

She said, her voice soft and filled with emotions.

"Even if it isn’t much..."

She strengthened her back to look into his eyes.

"....I will fulfill my duty as your wife."

"....."

Akamir felt like they were not on the same page.

’But I was joking about the husband part....’

He couldn’t say that to her when he felt her determination.

He quickly turned towards the World Tree.

"...Then, I will do my work and you stay away."

He quickly rushed towards the World Tree.

’...Fuck!’