Chapter 303: Charlotte [1]
Brandon held Eira close, his chest rising and falling as he tried to steady both his own breathing and hers.
His palm moved in small circles along her back, as if trying to absorb some of her fear.
Her sobs gradually weakened, but her body remained tense against his.
He lowered his head slightly and whispered, "It’s alright... I’m here, Eira. You’re safe now..."
He saw the dark finger marks across her pale skin in deep and bluish-purple against the soft curve of her jaw and neck.
His eyes trembled at the sight and his hand, which had been gently stroking her back, stiffened.
His fingers curled into fists against her shirt before he forced himself to breathe through the shock.
"Eira... Can... you breathe alright now? How are you feeling?"
Eira, though still trembling, nodded slightly, eyes swimming with tears but trying to pull herself together.
Her lips quivered as she tried to speak, but no sound came.
Seeing this, Brandon’s heart broke further.
He quickly reached into his storage ring and pulled out a small vial, the healing potion Naevora gave him during their dungeon training, just in case something happened.
Brandon uncorked it and gently poured the liquid down Eira’s throat.
"Here... this will help."
The potion’s cooling essence slid down her throat, and almost immediately Eira’s tense muscles began to relax and the color in her cheeks returned.
Her eyelids fluttered, and she let out a soft breath as the tightness in her chest began to ease.
Brandon’s eyes softened with relief and he continued to hold her gently, ensuring the potion did its work.
"I will bring some water..." Dhayun quickly darted from the bed, grabbing a glass and filling it quickly from the pitcher nearby.
She returned moments later, holding the glass with both hands.
Brandon took it from her and tilted the glass toward Eira’s lips, steadying it with his thumb.
"Here... sip this slowly," he said softly, brushing back a stray strand of hair from her face.
Eira’s lips parted, and she took a sip.
Brandon’s jaw tightened but he forced a small, reassuring smile. "That’s it... just breathe slowly."
Eira’s breathing gradually slowed and the panic in her eyes melted away little by little as the cooling touch of the healing potion and the soothing presence of Brandon steadied her.
Her hands, which had been clutching his shirt in desperation, relaxed, though she didn’t let go completely.
Brandon watched her carefully and relief washed over him "That’s better..." he whispered softly.
Dhayun, standing nearby, let out a breath and Yverine quietly took a seat beside the bed, placing a comforting hand on Eira’s arm.
Brandon’s eyes shifted between the two, "Noona... Yve... take care of her."
Dhayun nodded without hesitation. "Mhm." brushing Eira’s hair gently.
Brandon’s eyes softened and he gave Eira’s shoulder a final reassuring squeeze before gently pulling his hand away.
Reaching the jagged edge where the wall was shattered open, Brandon leaned forward and looked down.
The rain lashed down in thick sheets, soaking everything in a silvery blur.
The ground was now muddied and slick with rainwater pooling in uneven patches.
Amidst the downpour, Elize was standing with her blonde hair plastered to her face, strands stuck to her cheeks and neck.
Blood seeped from between her fingers, dripping steadily to the ground, mingling with the rain as crimson streaks washed away into the dirt below.
A few feet away Charlotte was sitting on the wet grass.
Her face was streaked with blood, some smeared and some congealed in small clots along her cheekbones and chin.
Rain ran over her skin in rivulets, mingling with the blood, making it appear as though tears streamed endlessly from her eyes.
Her yellow eyes glanced at Charlotte with affection "...Sister."
No matter how hard Elize hit her, Charlotte didn’t fight back because, whatever the personality she has, Elize is her sister.
Without a second thought, Brandon leapt down from the broken wall, landing in the mud below.
His legs splashed through puddles as he walked toward them.
"Elize... Charlotte..." He muttered under his breath as he reached Elize and the rain washed over him, making him completely wet.
Elize tightened her grip on her bleeding fingers as Brandon’s voice cut through the storm.
Her eyes darted toward him briefly before returning to Charlotte.
Charlotte looked up at Brandon and her eyes trembled with fear.
A green glow pulsed through her irises, spreading outward, warping her expression.
Her pupils dilated, and for a brief moment, her face seemed to twist, as if another consciousness wrestled within her.
She blinked, trying to force the vision away and the memories of what happened when her other personality took over crashed her mind.
Her breathing hitched, and her lips parted in horror.
"H-Huh?"
"No... No... No... NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.
Her hands clawed at her face, fingers digging deep into her skin and her tears blurred her sight, mixing with rain and blood.
She crawled forward frantically, "NO NO, what you’ve seen is not me... Kael...!" she sobbed, dragging herself across the wet grass.
Her palms smeared mud and blood as she reached for him, as if she could wipe away the memory with her touch.
Brandon instinctively flinched and his body recoiled as he took a step back.
"Huh?" Charlotte’s eyes widened further as she saw him backing away in fear.
"... K-Kael..."
Looking at her, Brandon’s gaze quivered and the memories of Charlotte hating him for years resurfaced in his mind.
He was sure she hated him in the past but recently they got back together.
Was it all a lie?
Why would she try to kill his girlfriend?
Because... she still hates him?
He opened his lips slowly "Charlotte...?"
She clutched at her face in anguish "NO NO NO!!! KAEL, NO!! IT’S NOT ME!!" she cried.
Sobbing uncontrollably, she yelled "I DON’T HATE YOU!! NEVER!! Please believe me!!"
Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the rain and streaking the blood on her face.
She reached out blindly, her fingers clawing at the earth as though trying to find him, "I... I love you, Kael!! I swear I do!!" she sobbed between gasps for breath.
She smashed her head against the muddy ground and the wet soil splattered with each impact.
"No, No, Kael! I S-SWEAR IT WASN’T ME! I SWEAR!" she wailed, shaking violently.
Her body jerked with sobs, and she slammed her head against the wet ground once more, "No, no, no!! Please... please believe me!! It wasn’t me!! It wasn’t me!!"
Elize, standing a few feet away, stared at the scene in stunned silence.
The blood from her fingers mingled with the rainwater and ran down her arm, as she clenched her fist, torn between heartbreak and helplessness.
Charlotte, trembling and soaked to the bone, stared at the ground with desperate, hollow eyes, searching for a way out of the unbearable weight of shame and fear.
"I... I can still fix it..." Charlotte whispered hoarsely, her breath hitching between sobs. "I... I can make him forget it all. Just... just a little time... and it will be like it never happened."
She just needs to reverse the time with her power and Brandon will forget everything and none of this will happen.
A glimmer of hope appeared in her heart "Y-Yes.. i can do it..."
But before she could use the power, Elize pushed her gently backward.
*thud* Charlotte’s body stumbled against the wet grass as she turned toward her sister. "S-Sister...?"
Elize’s lips quivered as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "No, Charlotte... don’t do it..." she whispered, barely able to keep her voice steady.
Charlotte’s face contorted with anguish, fingers digging into the muddy earth as if trying to pull herself out of despair. "What are you saying, Sister?! I... I don’t want Kael to hate me!"
Her shoulders shook violently as sobs wracked her body. "I would rather die... rather kill myself... than let him hate me... I don’t want him to see me like this..."
With a strangled scream, she threw herself toward Elize, crawling desperately through the mud. "No... NO! He’s... he’s the last person I want to turn away from me!"
Elize, eyes brimming with grief, knelt before her sister and cupped Charlotte’s face with hands "I know..." she whispered softly. "I know, my dear..."
"But how long can you keep hiding it from him? How long can you bury this part of yourself before it bursts out again?"
Charlotte froze "But... but I didn’t want him to learn it like this..." she gasped, pressing her forehead against Elize’s hands.
"He hates me now... I know it... I would rather end it than live with that look in his eyes..."
Slowly, Elize reached out and gathered Charlotte’s hands into her own.
"We can explain it to him," she murmured.
"He cares about you. He won’t turn his back just because of this. He... He’ll understand."
Charlotte’s eyes fluttered wildly, "B-But..."
Elize gently brushed away the wet strands of hair plastered to Charlotte’s cheeks. "I know you’re scared. But you’re not alone... We’ll face this together. Kael isn’t a stranger to you..."
Charlotte’s sobs softened, though tears still slid down her cheeks "I... I don’t want him to hate me... Sister."
"I know..." Elize breathed against her sister’s hair. "I know."
Brandon legs gave out and he knelt beside them on the grass, looking at Charlotte "Sister..."
The rain streamed down his face as if the storm itself wept alongside him.
Charlotte, still sobbing, lifted her gaze toward him in shock.
Her green eyes, now fading from the other personality’s grip, looked at his face with desperation and shame.
She flinched at his gaze, fearing that the bond she rebuilt so painstakingly would shatter again in this moment.
"I..." he began, but his words caught in his throat.
The sight of his sister’s broken, soaked figure crumbling in Elize’s arms was more than he could bear.
His lips parted again and he spoke in a softer tone this time "Sister... it’s okay... please..."
His muddy and trembling hand reached out, brushing the edge of her soaked shoulder.
Without hesitation, she threw her arms around his torso, clutching him with a force born from fear, love, and anguish.
"Kael... Kael..." she sobbed into his chest "I promise... I don’t hate you! I will never hate you!"
Her tears mixed with the rain, soaked his clothes and she clung tighter, as if holding him could somehow erase the nightmare of moments ago.
For a heartbeat, Brandon stiffened at the unexpected hug.
Then, as the truth of her words broke through the fog of pain and confusion, his heart gave way.
His own tears welled up, blurring his vision, and he wrapped his arms around her gently.
"I know..." he whispered. "My sister will never hate me..."