495 RELUCTANCE
~ Flashback ~
"Except for the Dark Arts, there is another way to revive the dead. When I was in Louses, I did some research.
"They had information about the elves. Elves have the ability to revive people. You must have an idea, don't you?"
When the question was directed to Veronica, Catherine looked at Veronica.
"Ver?"
Veronica looked away. She couldn't look at her friend.
Catherine grabbed her shoulders and shook her.
"Ver, say something!"
Veronica frowned. "Things like this have a price, Cathy. And, it's not a simple price."
Catherine's eyes lit up with hope.
"What do you mean? You know a way to save him?"
"It's more like bringing him back."
Veronica was reluctant to mention it further.
"I don't care about the price. Tell me. What do I have to do in order to bring him back to life?" Catherine urged her.
"Even if you don't care, I care!" Veronica snapped at her.
Catherine couldn't understand her reason to act like that.
She asked suspiciously, "Why are you bothered about the price? It's not you who will pay for it, is it? Can't I pay the price?"
"Haah! This is what I'm worried about," Veronica muttered.
"Could it be that the prince is a life for a life?" Merlin mentioned.
Veronica had the urge to beat Merlin. She closed her eyes and did her best to quell her anger.
Catherine noticed that her friend didn't deny Merlin's claim.
Everything became clear to her.
Her heart suddenly felt empty. For a moment, time seemed to halt. The world stopped around her.
'Life... for a life...'
The mere thought of the idea sent chills down her spine.
Life is precious.
Anyone would choose their own life over someone else's.
She glanced over at Sebastian's body one more time. Her heart ached to see him like that.
How amazing would it be if he was alive!
There would be a time when he would get tired of this life of his and settle down with a pretty girl who would love him wholeheartedly.
They would have a family together and live happily ever after like in those fairy tales.
Slowly, she clutched the soil underneath her hands.
She wouldn't mind if she could give him that kind of life.
"Ver, I know how much you care for me. I won't blame you for anything. For the sake of our relationship, can I ask you for a favor?"
Her soft voice was like pleading. Veronica's heart was shaken by her.
She stood up and strode away from them.
"Ver, listen... Listen to me!" Catherine followed after her.
Veronica paused in her tracks and told her, "I can't do this to you, Cathy, not with my own hands."
Then, she told her how it has to be done.
Urulas brought her some scrolls from the Rosemary Temple. On the journey, she was reading one of those scrolls.
Basically, to save a dead human, another life has to be sacrificed. A life for a life.
A living human body has a life force. That life force has to be transferred to the dead person within a day.
This way, the dead will come back to life and the living being will die.
"It's not that you are killing me, Ver." Catherine smiled at her. "You are saving his life."
"But by killing you!" Tears finally shed from Veronica's eyes. "I can't do that. Please, Cathy. Don't make me do this."
"Don't think like that. You are just transferring me to him - think like that. I will be him."
The more tenderly Catherine spoke, the more tears fell from Veronica's eyes.
"No, you won't be him. How can you be him? It's not like your soul will be there..." she argued back while sobbing.
Catherine embraced her and pleaded, "Ver, please, I beg you. Do this for me. He died protecting me.
"If I wasn't there, his movements wouldn't have slowed down. It's my fault, Ver. I need to give him back what I took from him."
Veronica raised her voice, "It wasn't your fault! It was those barbaric people's fault. They shouldn't have attacked us.
"Ver, if you don't save him, I'll slit my throat here. I will die in vain. Would you want that?"
10:23
With her threat, Veronica became scared.
"Sebastian saved you with his life. He wouldn't want you to give away the life he died protecting."
Catherine smiled. "He wouldn't want that. I know it. But, I could never accept it. I could never face it. It's because of my incompetence that he is... dead. Ver, you must help me save him."
"..."
When Veronica didn't reply, Catherine became mad.
She moved away from her friend. Afterward, she took out a small dagger that she hid in her left boot and placed it on her neck.
"Ver, if you don't save him, I'll slit my throat here. I will die in vain. Would you want that?"
With her threat, Veronica became scared.
"Cathy, please listen to me. Don't do this. Or else, Sebastian's death will be in vain."
Catherine shook her head. "That's not true. He would have been alive if you would agree to my request. It will be your fault if I die."
"Cathy!"
"Ver, I told you properly but you didn't listen. I even begged you but you didn't listen. Now, you will see me slitting my throat and killing myself instantly. I will breathe my last breath before you have time to heal me."
Saying what she wanted to say, Catherine raised her dagger.
Veronica panicked and shouted, "No! Cathy! Please stop! I will do it! I will save Sebastian."
Catherine stared at her friend, trying to confirm whether she was trying to fool her or not.
When she realized that Veronica was being serious, she dropped her dagger.
Veronica let out a deep breath that she was holding. She took her knife and created a magical circle on the ground.
After that, she ordered Ironin, "Place Sebastian's body inside the circle. Don't mess up the circle."
Ironin carried Sebastian's motionless body and dropped it inside the circle.
Afterward, Veronica signaled Catherine to enter the circle.
"Hold his hand tightly and don't let it do no matter how painful it feels," she instructed.
"Will it be painful?" Catherine flinched.
She didn't want to die painfully. She wanted a peaceful death.
It's the part where it you will find out how Sebastian came back to life.
Big huuugs for those who are sad after reading the chapter.
Flow07
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