Everything happened too fast.
Much faster than just the guy from the village could react or act.
An icy spear pierced Morbia's chest, leaving Kain one-on-one against an invincible opponent.
Red electrical discharges ran through the runes, condensing at Morbia's side, but it seemed only Kain could see them.
"Pffft, what kind of stupid sacrifice was that?" Aurora rolled her eyes when her Codex shuddered.
A new crystal soon appeared in her hand.
"Alright, let's say I'm impressed. The Highest Sacrifice, I'm giving you another chance. Come with me willingly, or I will force you to."
It was a choice without a choice.
Kain stepped back, staring intently at his enemy.
Aurora shrugged her shoulders. "Well, whatever you say."
She made another throw. For her, killing a Tainted like Morbia was no big deal. Kain had a different status and higher value in her eyes.
That was what would ruin her.
Instead of trying to dodge the spear, Kain took a step towards it. Oddly enough, even his self-preservation instinct completely shut down to not interfere with his plan.
'As I understand it, my curse will constantly prevent me from having a peaceful life, but... definitely won't let me die before my time,' Kain stood right in front of the projectile. 'I can't control what happens next, but as with the worm, there is only one way that will allow me to avoid death!'
Crackle.
A moment before the sharp crystal was about to pierce his head, the ropes untied, splitting the bridge in two.
Grasping Morbia with one hand, the other gripping the strong bone, Kain clenched his teeth.
The bridge crashed against the wall, throwing the two Tainted off, only a meter away from the raging bloody river.
A deafening pain ran down Kain's back, he thought he was broken in two, but nothing more serious than bruises befell him.
"Morbia!" he exclaimed, rushing toward the injured girl.
Through the blurred veil, she ran her hand over his cheek, leaving a bloody trail. His words became an unintelligible stream.
"Shut up..." Morbia wheezed, spitting out a clot. "Don't you dare pity me, for I didn't do it for you, I did it for my own sake..."
Kain stiffened. "What? What are you talking about?"
Suddenly, her gaze cleared, and the blood stopped flowing from the wide wound in her chest.
"You... I used you. Kain, to save you was my condition. I had to do it to gain power, there was no other choice..."
Space shuddered as a bright star cast a red light over her face.
Devastating electrical discharges emanated from a lone rune with a pattern unique to Morbia.
She found her Ascension Rune.
"H-How...?" Kain's voice trembled. "How did you figure out what to do? Tell me!"
Morbia's silhouette was falling apart, her mission at the Astral Dimension was accomplished. It was time to return home, but not as a Contender but as a Keeper.
"Hah, I was on a search for a long time, but once I saw your runes, then the Arcane Scripture explained everything to me... I had to save the most unfortunate soul.
"I don't know what happened to your life, but it was definitely you. You became my key, I don't care about your fate."
A bitter smile showed on her face.
"But, if you somehow survive... You can find me and say all your curses in my face. I'll accept them with a smirk."
Morbia disappeared, only a speck of light left in her place.
A chill ran through Kain, forcing him to turn around.
Aurora stood on the cliff, her eyes full of anger, staring at him like a helpless victim that pissed off a predator.
Kain blinked as an ice spear appeared in her hand, ready to throw.
Without wasting a second, Kain jumped into the bloody river. He couldn't risk staying on the surface.
'If she hurts me in the leg, I'm finished!'
Aurora snorted removing an orb with an amber reminiscent of a cat's eye from her belt. She closed her right eye, shattered the sphere, and opened her eye, her pupil was now vertical and yellow.
It did not allow her to see Kain's silhouette, but occasionally vibrations came from where he was.
She wasn't afraid he'd run away, she was terrified he'd die and she wouldn't be able to save him in time.
She had an obligation to bring him back alive or else... she could lose her own life.
"Tsk, there's something wrong with this guy..." she snorted, rushing forward. "We had troublesome Sacrifices, but that one. Fuck, I can't be worse than Valkyra!"
The flow of the river led Kain directly into the cave below the base of the Broken Skull peak.
"Gha!"
He gathered air into his lungs, not stopping moving forward. He hoped to find his way up, straight to the skull.
'Shit! If I had the flower now, I could escape them! I need to find the Grief of Forgotten and somewhere to hide. If Aurora came for me, then there will only be more Blades as time goes on!'
Climbing over stone ledges and narrow paths ready to collapse with every step he took, Kain reached the skull, passing through a wide crack in the jaw.
Everything sprouted roots, turning the skull of the unknown creature into a nameless statue.
A cold wind blew across Kain's face as he breathed a sigh of relief, unaware that Aurora was following him and hurriedly approaching across the long path.
A red light caught his attention.
"Hah... Just like that big cat said..." Kain smiled happily.
The crimson flower with dozens of petals spinning towards the center, forming a vortex, rippled from time to time, covering the ground near the slope with tiny scarlet sparks.
The Grief of the Forgotten awaited him - one of the few things in this world that could consume the Red Swirl.
Finding that flower was like a path to freedom for any Sacrifice, even one like Kain.
Step.
Kain stepped forward, his eyes shining brightly for the first time in a long while.
"Stay where you are!"
Suddenly, an irritated female voice sounded behind him.
Kain turned around to see an infuriated Aurora. With a wave of her hand, he created another ice crystal.
"GRHA!!!"
A stream of blood rushed from her mouth, she brushed the trickle off, not paying attention to it.
"Bastard, do you have any idea how much energy I spent on you? If you weren't a Sacrifice, I would have torn you apart a long time ago!"
She stretched her arm forward, ready to throw.
"You can't dodge from this distance, I'm sure of it."
Kain jerked, but before he could do anything, a shadow hound appeared out of nowhere and sank its jaws into Aurora's wrist.
Shocked, Kain turned to the side.
A silhouette with light hair and blue eyes stepped out of the darkness, full of cold wrath.
Valkyra arrived. It was the first time Kain was glad to see her, even if only for a moment.