CHAPTER 14 : The Path of Ruin

Renwick winced as Maika placed her hand over his wounded leg, a soft golden glow pulsing from her palm. The pain lessened instantly, the torn flesh knitting itself back together as warmth spread through his veins. He exhaled a shaky breath, glancing at her.

Then his gaze dropped to her left side.

"Oi... you better focus on stopping your bleeding," he muttered.

Maika followed his eyes—and only now did she realize. Her left arm was gone.

She stared at the empty space for a moment before golden light shimmered around the wound. Slowly, a new arm took shape, forming seamlessly as if it had never been severed.

"Oh… I forgot about this."

Renwick’s breath hitched. "You— you forgot?!" His eyes widened in disbelief. "You just regenerated an entire limb—what even are you?"

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she turned toward the spiraling stairs leading upward and began climbing. Renwick, still reeling from what he just saw, pushed himself up and followed.

"I’m.. Renwick by the way." His voice carried through the stone stairwell as they ascended. He took a gaze at her for awhile, "What are you exactly? You… could regenerate— I mean, I don’t mean to sound rude, but… are you… the Greed?"

Maika halted mid-step. Renwick nearly stumbled into her.

"The Vessel."

Her voice was quiet, yet the weight of it echoed through the stairwell.

Renwick blinked. "The… Vessel?"

She tilted her head slightly, deep in thought. "Have you ever read the Divine Book?"

Renwick frowned, trying to recall. "You mean the old holy book of the Sapphire Heart? The one people say was bestowed by the Divine Oneness to guide the world in using the divine stone?"

Maika resumed climbing. "Where did you read that?"

Their voices echoed as they ascended.

"My grandparents," Renwick replied. "They told me that long ago, the nations were supposed to work together to bring harmony to the world. The Sapphire Heart was their shield against the Greeds. After the war, they vowed never to exploit its power selfishly—because doing so would only bring more despair."

Maika remained silent as he continued.

"The Selphine Kingdom was meant to be the guardian of the Sapphire Heart. It was said that the passing elf who ascended to Divine Oneness held absolute power, making sure the world remained in balance. But as the Greeds spread beyond their borders, Selphine refused to help other nations. Fear festered. The more people feared, the more Greeds appeared. Thalvaris took that as an opportunity to try and ‘fix’ the world…"

Renwick sighed heavily, his expression darkening. "But they became blinded by their obsession. The Warden… and the rest here… they thought taking innocent children like you would solve everything. They used you. They twisted everything for their own gain."

The words struck something deep in Maika’s chest, but she swallowed it down. She didn’t flinch, didn’t respond—just kept walking, the echoes of their footsteps dragging the past with them.

Renwick hesitated, his footsteps slowing. His hands clenched at his sides. “I should have done something back then.”

“But… aren’t you one of the guards? Why regret it now?” she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm.

“Because… I thought the girls were just mischievous… always breaking the laws. But I never imagined they would go so far as to torment them like this,” he admitted, his voice bitter, heavy with regret—too late, too hollow.

“Ah… right. Of course, you thought that,” she replied, her tone edged with mockery, though her expression darkened. “After all, that wouldn’t make you any different. Thinking so narrowly… until you finally see the truth for yourself.”

Renwick flinched, guilt twisting in his chest as her words sank in. He looked at her, desperation creeping into his gaze.

“Kid—listen… I never wanted this to happen—”

As they reached the top of the stairs, Maika’s hand suddenly stopped him midway. Before them stood a set of heavy iron doors, the silence broken only by the shifting movements of armed guards beyond them.

“Beyond this door… silence will no longer exist, Renwick.”

Renwick turned to her, momentarily speechless. His hands clenched at his sides, knowing full well what this meant. If she stepped through those doors, blood would be spilled. And no matter how justified, this path would only make things worse for her.

Just as Maika moved to step forward, he suddenly blocked her path, standing firmly in front of her.

“I can’t… let you hurt them. Even after everything they’ve done to you.” His voice was steady, filled with conviction, despite how small he felt before her power.

Maika remained silent, her gaze unreadable.

“Beyond this door, there are still people—innocents—who have thought deeply about you all. Not all of them are—” He took a step closer, desperate to reason with her.

“They would’ve quit a long time ago,” she interrupted, her glare sharp enough to cut through his words. “But why didn’t they hesitate?”

Renwick faltered, his voice dying in his throat. He had no answer.

“This is all because they were too carefree with what the world gave them,” Maika spat, her voice laced with venom. “They took every advantage for themselves, claimed the women they wanted, and discarded them when they pleased. People from Caelivara have never been bestowed anything—they deserve to have their lands cursed!”

Her words cut through the air like a blade, and Renwick flinched. But he steadied himself, taking a slow breath to keep his composure.

“Some people have their reasons..” he murmured.

Maika’s gaze sharpened, piercing through him. “No matter how cruel they may be….? Then maybe I have my reason to be cruel to those who’ve hurt me, tortured me, and tried to kill me.”

Renwick tensed, feeling the weight of her words. “No– That’s not what I meant… That doesn’t mean you should hurt everyone…!” he said firmly. “Not everyone here deserves to die!”

Maika’s green eyes locked onto his, unblinking. “You’re so generous with them, aren’t you? Maybe you were never on our side to begin with.”

“No,” Renwick shot back. “I just don’t want to see people hurting each other anymore…”

“Neither have I?” Maika’s voice wavered, her expression twisting with something raw and unspoken. “I am neither part of your world… your country… I am just an outsider.” Her gaze flared with fury as she clutched her chest, glaring up at him.

Renwick remained still, his voice careful. “…Listen. This has to stop. Don’t let your anger control you-“

“You won’t understand unless you become like me,” she said coldly. “If you don’t want to follow me, then don’t. You should’ve never followed me in the first place.”

A surge of energy crackled at her side, forming in her hand.

Renwick’s breath caught in his throat. “Wait—”

But before he could react, Maika had already flung him to the side, slamming him against the wall with her levitation.

With a single sweeping motion, golden energy ignited around her arm. The heavy iron doors blasted open, crashing into the guards beyond. They barely had time to react before she surged forward, the glow of her power casting long, flickering shadows against the stone walls.

Renwick lay frozen in place, watching as Maika disappeared into the chaos.

And for the first time… he wasn’t sure if he should chase after her.

The cold night air stung Maika’s skin as she stepped outside. Her steps were slow, deliberate, as if she were sinking deeper into her own mind with each movement.

Renwick had stayed behind.

That was fine.

She had no use for someone who hesitated.

The moment her feet touched the soil outside the compound, a sharp whistle cut through the night.

“There she is—take her down!”

A squad of guards rushed toward her, their armor glinting beneath the dim moonlight. They wielded long spears, enhanced with runes of suppression, their intention clear—to restrain, not to kill.

That was their mistake.

With a slow inhale, Maika lifted her hand. The ground beneath them trembled.

Snap.

Dark roots burst from the ground, twisting like living serpents. The green fields around the facility withered in seconds, turning into a wasteland of dying trees as the once-thriving plants shriveled and decayed under the force of Maika’s power.

The guards hesitated, their footing uncertain as the land beneath them turned into a graveyard of nature.

Then, Maika moved.

In a blur, she dashed forward, her hand glowing faintly with gold before piercing through the first guard’s chest. His body tensed, a choked gasp slipping from his lips before she pulled her hand free. Blood splattered onto the ground.

Another guard lunged with his spear.

She sidestepped with ease, catching the weapon’s shaft and twisting it sharply—driving it back into its wielder’s throat. The man collapsed with a strangled gurgle.

“Formation! Do not let her break through!” one of the captains barked, rallying his men.

A dozen more charged.

Maika’s eyes flickered green.

Exploded!

The ground split open beneath them as thick roots shot upward, impaling several soldiers mid-stride. Their screams pierced the air as the remaining guards scrambled to retreat—but Maika was already in motion.

With a flick of her wrist, a massive chunk of debris crashed down onto a group of fleeing men, their bodies crushed beneath the shattered stone.

One guard—foolishly brave—rushed her from behind.

She barely turned her head before a single backhanded strike sent him soaring through the air, his body and the large concretes crashing into the side of a watchtower. The structure wobbled, groaning as its foundation began to crack.

Crash.

The entire tower collapsed, sending shockwaves through the battlefield.

Maika exhaled, her breath steady despite the destruction.

This place deserved to burn.

As the other girls fled, their screams echoing through the air, Maika’s gaze shifted toward the heart of the compound—where multiple Sapphire Hearts lay embedded in the ground, their once-pure energy now flickering weakly.

With a single step forward, she reached out her hand.

The Sapphire Hearts trembled.

Then—snap.

Each one shattered in a pulse of darkness, their fragments dissolving into the wind. The last remnants of the cursed land’s defenses crumbled before her, their energy drained away.

The moment the last Sapphire Heart broke, the ground let out a deep, unnatural groan.

Maika froze.

Then—

Crack.

The earth beneath her split.

A deep fissure tore through the compound, swallowing what remained of the buildings. The once-solid ground became unstable, trembling beneath an unseen force.

Something was beneath them.

Something ‘alive’.

The sound of frantic footsteps made Maika glance up.

A girl—no older than fourteen—stumbled into view.

She was frozen in place, her wide eyes locked onto Maika’s bloodied form.

For a brief second, Maika considered reaching out.

Then—

The girl ran.

Her bare feet barely made it two steps before the ground beneath her gave way.

“Ahh—!”

A scream tore from her throat as her legs were yanked downward. Maika’s eyes snapped to the ground just in time to see them.

The Greeds.

Crouched just beneath the surface, their twisted bodies writhing in hunger. Their skeletal limbs clawed upward, dragging the girl down into the darkness below.

Her shrieks became desperate.

For the first time since she had left the facility, Maika hesitated.

She had seen countless deaths before. She had caused many herself.

But this was different.

The girl was not a soldier. She was not a captor.

She was just a child.

Maika took a step forward, instinct overriding reason.

The girl’s tear-filled eyes met hers.

“…P-please… help…”

But before Maika could react—

The ground collapsed entirely, swallowing the girl whole.

The last thing Maika saw was her outstretched hand disappearing into the abyss.

Then—silence.

The Greeds did not rise. They remained below, their bodies twitching and shifting but never breaching the surface.

It was as if they were waiting.

Watching.

Testing.

Maika’s fists clenched. The distant screams of other escaping prisoners filled the night, but she could no longer hear them.

Her mind was elsewhere.

Until a familiar voice spoke from behind her.

It was Shiba—the traitor. A name Maika had not forgotten since the day she lost her friends because of her.

“You’re feeding your kind.” Shiba smirked, her blue gaze glowing faintly in the darkness.