Chapter 33 Unfinished Business.
When the roar of the explosion had tamed itself, a calm yet heavy atmosphere lingered in the surrounding area, which drenched Iris in cold sweat. Iris set forth toward the destroyed forest as she saw the desolated carnage.
The once lush scenery had turned into desolated fields, charred ground and gouged earth, no sign of plant or even animal carcasses in sight. What she saw was the motionless body of the black-haired boy lying on the ground.
"Jin?!".
Horror drained the color from her face; her breath stuck in her throat, heart gripped with a tight clutch that contorted her lips. However, her feet betrayed her heart as she stood beside the boy.
A sickening scent burnt Iris nose, charred skins, teared flesh, blood, her face contorted in tears. Iris scanned the boy's tattered body, his arms were stripped on his skins, raw twitching flesh glistening under the dim light, and Jin's chest rose and fell in rough gasp, barely keeping alive.
'...It's too late!'. She dropped to the ground, kneeling, watching the scene with fear. But, the moment when Iris thought everything was over, she found that the boy's chest was puffed out and in, still desperately clung to life.
With no time to waste, Iris, who planned to take the boys away from the place and hurriedly treat his wound, had to stop when she saw several black magic circles appear in her surroundings, spewing nasty tentacles.
"Tch, such troublesome". Iris slipped her hands under Jin's back and knees as she jumped to the side and turned around to see where the magic source was.
"You?!". She placed Jin on a level ground and clenched the bow.
Standing a bit far away from Iris, the robbed man, his smirk hidden beneath the hood, reveals his identity.
"It's been a while, Iris?".