The Flower Is Finished

The scorching heat made the air feel heavy and suffocating. The wind moved slowly, barely enough to ease the burning temperature around us. I immediately walked toward where Michelle and the Elder were sitting.

I did not know what the Elder had said to Michelle, but this time Michelle was laughing brightly. My hand held Lira's as we approached them together.

"You're finally awake?" Michelle asked as she turned toward me, and I nodded slowly.

"So, how far have you translated the book?" the Elder asked. Instantly, Michelle and I exchanged glances with one another.

"We've translated about half of it. We'll continue the rest after this," Michelle answered politely, and the Elder nodded in response.

"I do not know the full contents of that book," the Elder said slowly, "but according to legend, it contains something forbidden within the kingdom."

Hearing that statement immediately made both of us curious. Many stories in history were often buried or cut apart so others would never know the truth behind them.

"Then… does that history book truly exist?" I asked with curiosity filling my face. The Elder fell silent for a moment. He let out a long sigh before looking at the two of us seriously.

"In that history book, it also mentions fire and ice. There are signs recorded there, but we could never determine which generation would inherit the powers of fire and ice."

"Then how did you know Michelle possessed the power of ice?" I asked again. Perhaps Michelle had once been unaware of it just like I had been, and maybe she only realized it after growing older.

"You cannot see it," the Elder replied calmly. "Only witches are capable of seeing it, though not all witches truly understand it."

"Witches?"

"Yes. Witches can sense the presence of fire and ice, but not every witch can accurately prove whether someone possesses spiritual energy."

I fell silent, thinking carefully about the Elder's explanation.

"So the witches already knew about our existence?"

"They knew," the Elder answered, "but they could never pinpoint your exact location. It seems your ancestors deceived them, which is why you were not easily found."

"What…?"

"So our ancestors protected us?" I asked in disbelief, and the Elder nodded slowly. He spoke as though he was placing his final hopes upon us.

"According to legend, fire and ice should actually be easy for witches to detect. However, only witches who possess high-level power can sense them. If their spiritual power is too low, then fire and ice remain invisible to them."

The Elder paused for a moment before continuing.

"Most witches belong to lower ranks. If their abilities remain weak, they can do nothing but stay silent."

"Your ancestors hid you both. Even before you were born, your energies had already been concealed. That is why they could never discover your whereabouts."

"Your powers were sealed away… and they will return when the proper time arrives."

My eyes widened hearing those words. If that was true, then the power I possessed now was not even its full strength. That single thought echoed endlessly inside my mind.

"Read this book," the Elder said as he handed another old book toward us. "Perhaps it will help you understand things more clearly. The library has limited access, and this book is not something freely circulated."

"History of Witches and Their Past?" I read the title aloud while staring at the thick book in my hands.

"It seems the Elder knows far more than Grandmother ever did," Michelle said quietly. The Elder chuckled softly at her words.

"Your grandmother actually knew the most," he replied calmly.

"So… Elder, are you a witch?" I asked carefully, interrupting the conversation between Michelle and him.

The Elder nodded slowly.

"Then why don't you look like one?" I asked while glancing from his head down to his feet, making sure he truly looked like an ordinary human.

"My powers were taken away from me," the Elder answered bitterly. "I can no longer do anything."

Once again I was stunned. Just how cruel were the people who could steal something that never belonged to them?

"Is this really… Oh God, I can't believe what I'm hearing," Michelle muttered in disbelief. It seemed even she had only realized it now, because all this time the Elder had looked like an ordinary old man.

"Although I am no longer fully a witch, I still possess knowledge that may help you understand the book," the Elder continued.

"I'll leave you two now."

He slowly stood from his seat before walking away without looking back at us.

"Let's continue translating," Michelle said as she grabbed Lira's hand and led her inside the house while carrying the book with her.

After putting Lira to sleep, we decided to continue our work. Time passed without us realizing it, and eventually we managed to finish translating the entire text.

"Let me read it," Michelle said as she pulled the translated pages closer.

We began reading every line one by one. Honestly, I was not too surprised after discovering the contents of the book, but between the lines it felt as though a huge part of history had deliberately been erased, leaving behind only fragments of the ending.

"I can't believe what I'm reading right now," Michelle said excitedly, while I merely glanced at her from the side.

"Do you think they've lied to us this whole time?" she asked while staring deeply into my eyes.

I could not answer her question. Depending on which side we chose to see, the truth would always appear different. And because of that, I could not completely blame the demons for desperately seeking this power.

"Do demons also possess books like ours?" Michelle asked again.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I think we should leave this place tomorrow," I said after a short pause.

Michelle immediately fell silent after hearing my words. Leaving tomorrow meant she would once again leave Lira behind with the Elder.

"Can't we stay just one more day?" Michelle asked hopefully.

But I shook my head. We did not know what danger awaited us ahead, and if we lost even one opportunity, perhaps the next chance would disappear forever.

"We need to return to the original place."

I turned toward the back of the room where Lira was walking sleepily toward us after waking from her afternoon nap.

"I still want to stay with Lira…" Before Michelle could finish speaking, Lira suddenly hugged her tightly.

"Big sister…"

Lira climbed beside Michelle and rested her head on Michelle's lap.

"Are you hungry?" Michelle asked softly.

Meanwhile, I quickly organized the translated pages and placed them carefully inside my clothes. The translations were far too important, so I had no choice but to protect them with my own life.

"Maybe I'll take a short walk around here," I said before leaving the room.

For some reason, I could sense an enormous energy nearby, though I could not determine what kind of power it was.

"Don't go too deep into the forest," Michelle warned me. "I have a bad feeling something will happen."

I nodded and continued walking toward the forest.

With slow steps, I carefully observed my surroundings. Occasionally, I glanced down at my necklace, which still showed no sign of glowing red.

As dusk slowly painted the sky orange, I found myself drawn toward the river without understanding why.

The moment I stepped closer to cross it, my necklace suddenly pulsed with a crimson light. My heartbeat began racing violently, and I immediately sensed danger lurking nearby.

Srang!

Srang!

The sound of arrows cutting through the air echoed clearly in my ears, but I could not locate the attackers. I slowly closed my eyes and focused on the direction of the wind, trying to determine their positions.

And just as I suspected, several enemies had already targeted me from different directions.

Without hesitation, I activated my Shadow Technique. My body moved swiftly and silently through the darkness as I eliminated them one by one before they even realized I had reached them.

BUGH!

BUGH!

BUGH!

"ATTACK!"

After several archers fell, a man dressed entirely in black emerged from the forest alongside ten others. They charged at me brutally in the middle of the river where the current flowed violently.

BUGH!

Srang!

Srang!

Blesh!

The clash of swords rang loudly beneath the darkening sky.

I unsheathed my sword and fought back fiercely, striking each enemy down one after another. My blade pierced through their hearts, causing several bodies to collapse directly into the river before being carried away by the current.

Akh!

Akh!

Blessh!

One by one they fell, leaving only a single man standing before me—their leader.

They wore black robes and hats that concealed their eyes, but I already knew they belonged to the human clan hunting me.

"Hand over the translated book!" he demanded while pointing his sword toward me.

I spat onto the ground beside him, causing him to growl angrily.

"You think it'll be that easy?" I asked coldly.

He laughed softly.

"You think your friends are safe just because you came here?"

"You're wrong. You walked directly into our trap. Just wait… your friends are going to die."

He immediately attacked me with savage force, but I managed to evade every strike while searching for an opening to end the fight quickly.

Blessh… Akh…

It only took a few seconds. I thrust my sword directly into his heart, causing him to scream in agony.

"You think killing me will save them…? Ugh… ugh…"

"Let's see if you can still save them…"

Before he could finish speaking, I drove my blade deeper into his chest. Blood poured into the river, staining the water a deep crimson red.

I pulled my sword free, and his body collapsed lifelessly before being swept away by the current.

"I need to hurry back to them."

Without wasting another second, I immediately ran toward Michelle's house, fearing the worst had already begun.