Chapter 36: Warm Welcome
As Dylan had suggested, they burned the corpses. The stench of charred flesh soon filled the entire village, mingling with the putrid reek of dried blood, to the point where they almost regretted their decision.
But after half an hour, they found a secluded spot, not too far from the village, where the air was more or less... breathable. They sat together, Dylan and Maggie in the front, while Élisa began absorbing the anima gems they had collected.
The gems pulsed faintly between her fingers, their energy dissipating into thin blue wisps before being drawn into her skin. Her golden eyes half-closed, her features relaxing slightly—an almost serene expression, were it not for the dried blood spatter still staining her face.
Dylan watched in silence, arms crossed, his back leaning against a tree trunk. Maggie, sitting cross-legged beside him, fiddled with a dagger between her fingers, looking vaguely impatient.
"Does it always take this long?" she murmured, not taking her eyes off Élisa.
Being the one absorbing spiritual essence, Maggie hadn’t realized how long it took to fully purify the essence within the body.
"The bigger the gem, the longer it takes," Dylan replied in a low voice. "She took three at once this time. Her body needs to assimilate it."
A shiver suddenly ran through Élisa’s shoulders. Her nostrils flared, her fingers briefly tightening around the now-dull gems. Then, as quickly as it had come, the tension faded. She reopened her eyes, the golden gleam in her irises a little brighter than before.
"Well?" Maggie leaned forward.
Élisa took a deep breath before exhaling, a satisfied smile on her lips.
"I did it."