I froze at the sound of the chamber doors slamming open.
"YOU SELF-RIGHTEOUS FOSSILS!"
Narsh's voice cracked through the silence like a whip.
She stomped across the polished stone floor, ignoring the gasps of the priests and the guards scrambling after her. Her eyes were burning, her fists clenched, her whole body radiating fury.
I nearly choked.
"Narsh—what are you doing here?!"
She jabbed a finger at the dais.
"I've heard enough of this bullsh*t! Sitting up there on your golden chairs, demanding Ark 'prove' himself like he's some circus monkey! You call yourselves holy? More like holy pains in the ass!"
---
The youngest priest shot to his feet, livid.
"Remove her at once! This chamber is sacred!"
Narsh spat on the floor.
"Sacred? Don't make me laugh. You're just hiding behind big words because you're scared of Ark's power. You want proof?"
Her hand went to her belt.
My stomach dropped.
"Narsh—stop!"
But her eyes flicked to me, defiant, soft just for a heartbeat.
"You always hesitate, Ark. You doubt yourself because of idiots like them. So I'll give them proof."
---
Before anyone could move, she pulled out a small knife.
"Watch closely, you self-important clowns."
Her hand flashed. The blade cut across her throat.
Blood splattered the stone.
"NARSH!!"
Her body crumpled, the sound echoing through the chamber like the crack of a bell.
---
Time slowed.
I was on my knees before I even realized I had moved. My hands pressed against her wound, warm and slick, as her eyes fluttered weakly.
She managed one last grin, even as her breath rattled in her chest.
"…Don't… let them… call you weak…"
Her lips stilled. Her body went limp.
Narsh was gone.
---
"Boy…" one of the priests muttered in horror.
The sharp-eyed priestess hissed under her breath, "Blasphemy!"
The youngest priest's face twisted. "This… this madness proves nothing!"
Their voices blurred into static.
All I could see was Narsh.
Her blood on my hands. Her life slipping away.
And then—like every time before—something inside me pulled.
---
"No… no, I won't let this be the end."
The air around me rippled, heavy and suffocating. My vision swam as light and shadow coiled around us, like unseen chains breaking apart. My heart thundered louder than the priests' shouting.
I pressed my palms harder against her chest and screamed with everything inside me:
"COME BACK, NARSH!!"
---
The chamber shook.
Her body jerked violently beneath my hands. She gasped—loud, ragged, alive.
Her eyes flew open.
Narsh coughed, blood still smeared on her lips.
"…Hhha… son of a b*tch… that stings…"
Her voice was hoarse, but it was hers.
---
Gasps echoed through the hall. Some priests recoiled in fear, others leaned forward in awe. Even Malrik's lips trembled as he muttered a shaken prayer.
But I wasn't listening.
I was holding Narsh, shaking with relief and fury all at once.
"You reckless idiot… you absolute—why would you do that?!"
She managed the faintest smirk.
"…Because… now they can't… call you a liar."
---
The eldest priest finally stood, his face unreadable, but his voice thundered with finality:
"We have seen it with our own eyes. The boy can defy death. This power is no lie."
The entire chamber stirred—some in awe, some in terror.
And I realized… everything had changed.