Book 13: Chapter 15
“Lucia! Lucia!”
The waves destroyed Lucia’s room, taking her along with it. Nier took in a deep breath and watched the black silhouette that was sinking down. Nier dove down after Lucia, who was unconscious. Lucia was immobilised in extreme cold weather and would even pass out. Lucia couldn’t respond to Nier in her state. Further, she wore thick clothes to stay warm, resulting in her sinking even faster.
The turbulent ocean thrashed Nier around, but she swam down toward Lucia with all her might. She finally managed to grab onto Lucia’s hair. She pulled with all her might, and then desperately swam down further to grab Lucia around her waist. However, Lucia’s weight almost pulled her down further. She drew her dagger and cut Lucia’s clothes and removed them in order to be able to grab Lucia around her waist. With Lucia secured, she struggled to the surface.
“I’m almost out of breath… Why is the surface so far away…?” cursed Nier.
Lucia grew heavier and heavier, while Nier’s nose and mouth almost burst from water accumulation as she took breaths of desperation. She struggled with every ounce of energy she had; she nearly cried out due to the torture. She wasn’t a skilled swimmer. She practiced swimming in calm waters, while the ocean was in a frenzy. Not to mention she was pulling Lucia along. Her arm felt as though it would break.
“Kgh… Ugh…”
A rush of salty water forced its way into Nier’s mouth. She nearly coughed. Her strength gradually leaked from her paddling hands and legs. The surface was so far away. She felt a sharp painful sensation in her lungs as her cells screamed at her to prepare to run for dear life. She wanted to save her husband. Unfortunately, the water had swept him away by the time she entered the water. That was when she saw Lucia sinking. She remembered the last words her husband said to her. He told her to save Lucia at all costs.
Feeling overwhelmed, Nier’s mind began to run wild with thoughts: “My husband will be all right. I will definitely do what my husband asked me to do… However, I genuinely can’t seem to do it. I can swim to the surface if I abandon Lucia, but then I’ll be all alone… Without Lucia and His Majesty, I’ll be alone… I won’t know anybody else… That would be the same as reverting back to my past self… It would be the same as life in the past. Wouldn’t the blissful life I felt be an illusion, then? Wouldn’t that mean I’d lose everything I had…? I don’t want that… No… I don’t want to return… I, absolutely, don’t want to return. No way!! I absolutely don’t want to return to the past!!
Don’t die! Don’t die! Don’t die! Don’t die on me! You may have fought for my man with me; you may like to infuriate me and you may make me a little jealous… But I don’t want you to die. If you die, if you die now, I won’t have any friends! I won’t even have somebody to argue with anymore!”