Chapter 28: Am I Evil?
His body was still trembling, the wound on his hand not yet fully healed after attempting to break the chains that sealed Lyrith. Alvaric sat cross-legged in front of her. His breathing was heavy. Every time he tried, the seal on the chains lashed back at him.
He stared at Lyrith's face, hidden behind strands of messy hair, her eyes still closed. There was no expression, but Alvaric knew—deep down, she was conscious. Still waiting.
"If this keeps going... nothing will ever end," he muttered.
He glanced up at the rocky ceiling, then shut his eyes. He tried to think harder. It was difficult, but from the novels he had read, every seal should have a way to be broken. The only problem was—he didn't know how.
He had no clue what to do. He had already tried various methods of unsealing based on what he remembered from novels, but every one of them failed. Worse, his body kept getting shocked by the cursed electricity from the chains.
Alvaric rubbed his chin. "If it stays like this, I'll be stuck here forever."
He lay down, frustrated and bored of this place. For a moment, he thought he should leave and take Niva back to the den to give her a proper burial. But Alvaric felt he had come too far to give up now.
Just one step left. He had to finish this. If he left, it wouldn't just mean failing to protect Niva, but also breaking the promise he made to the Giant Sandworm.
Alvaric stood up. "I know this is stupid, but it's worth a try."
He walked over to Lyrith, standing in front of the demon girl and gazing at her face. Alvaric nodded to himself and wrapped his arms around her in an embrace. He held her for a long time, closing his eyes. There was no reaction, but he maintained his position.
One minute. Three minutes. Even five minutes passed without a single movement. Alvaric remained still. He actually felt comfortable—Lyrith's body was soft. This was his first time hugging a woman, and to him, it felt amazing. He could've stayed like this forever.