Chapter 3 Part 13: The Last Sound of Sand

Waking up drenched in cold sweat.

The blanket that had felt cozy before falling asleep now clung unpleasantly to my skin.

But I was too cold to kick it off.

My limbs were curled up from the chill, and I tossed and turned.

“Ughhh…….”

In the shadow world, it was hard to tell the seasons.

The color of the sky was different from what I knew, and the plants growing outside were unfamiliar, making it impossible to pinpoint a specific season.

The only thing I knew for sure was that, aside from summer clothes, the temperature remained comfortable—light attire didn’t feel cold or hot.

So the bone-chilling cold that came over me, as if I’d been thrown into winter alone, couldn’t have been caused by the weather.

‘Something’s wrong with my body.’

Was that why I’d been forced to dredge up unpleasant memories in my dreams?

My stiff body wouldn’t obey and kept trembling.

It didn’t seem like I had a fever.

Despite sweating so much, I wasn’t thirsty.

Instead, I felt a terrible pain in my belly.

Something inside was writhing and struggling.

Movements that seemed like screaming.

As if demanding to know why I was doing this, how I could do such a thing.

‘It’s just a clump of cells, after all.’

It wasn’t wise to project emotions and narratives onto an unborn child using adult standards.

‘It’s survival instinct.’

There had already been several violent movements that felt like stabbing from the inside.

I doubted any normal fetus would have survived such shocks without miscarrying.

Abaddon had overworked the little one, who clung on with a wizard’s tenacious vitality.

“Hah…….”

It wasn’t even my will, so why was I the only one bearing the responsibility?

I simply couldn’t understand.

Outside was so dark it looked pitch black, and not a single sound came from nearby.

No signs of people, not even the faint noise of natural phenomena.

It was as if this place alone had been carved out and set apart from the world.

“…….”

Staring out the window while curled up, I suddenly realized something odd.

Even after I’d refused because I didn’t want people swarming around, Abaddon had still stationed the minimum number of people in the annex for Rudan’s comfort.

They usually never interfered with anything I did, but whenever I called for something, they’d appear as if they’d been waiting.

“Hey.”

I called out into the empty air.

My voice echoed as if in a large open field, but no answer came back.

Something was definitely going on.

“……Ezekiel?”

I called the name of the most likely candidate for casting unknown magic around where I was.

Still no answer.

Of course not.

Ezekiel had left Nieta, and if he got caught approaching me, he’d surely be punished by Abaddon.

If so.

My gaze slowly dropped downward.

Beneath my still-flat belly, something was churning, as if trying to announce the presence of life there.

‘No way.’

Even as I thought it was a near-delusional inference, I placed my hand on my belly.

“Was it you?”

Whoooosh.

A sudden gust of wind sounded outside the previously quiet window.

Perhaps I’d gone mad from all the abuse I’d suffered in such a short time—that seemed more plausible.

Suppressing my lingering doubts, I spoke again.

“That’s enough now.

You can stop.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the wind died down.

The crushing pain also seemed to subside slightly.

A sense of buoyancy, as if floating on still water, slowly took over my body.

The feeling of my consciousness drifting away wasn’t painful or unpleasant.

Click!

As if someone had flipped a light switch, all my senses suddenly sharpened.

My dark vision brightened, and I heard the presence of several people around me.

I found myself lying comfortably on a dry bed, as if I’d never been wet at all.

“……Hm?”

Feeling as though I’d been under a spell, I blinked slowly while staring at the ceiling.

Just then, a gloved hand grabbed mine.

“Rudan.”

Wasn’t I in a critical situation just moments ago?

What was he doing here?

When I turned my head, Abaddon was looking down at me with a slightly distorted face.

Behind him, a few servants were sighing with relief.

“Do you know where you are?”

“……The annex of your mansion.”

The answer finally brought relief to his face as well.

In a situation I couldn’t fully understand, I couldn’t find the right words to say.

Fortunately, someone stepped in to speak for the taciturn man.

“You’ve been unconscious for ten days.”

According to the servants’ explanation, after finishing Abaddon’s magical power recharge, I’d returned to the annex and fallen asleep as if passing out—and I’d remained there, deathly still, for ten whole days without opening my eyes.

They’d searched for wizards who could use healing magic to examine me, but no one could identify the exact cause, and time simply passed.

“If only Sir Ezekiel had been here…….”

One of them let slip thoughtlessly, and the person next to him stepped on their foot as a warning.

Fortunately, Abaddon seemed inclined to let it slide, acting as if he hadn’t heard.

“I was worried, Rudan.”

More precisely, he acted as if he and Rudan were in their own world, regardless of the chatter behind him.

“If I’d known this would happen, I should have had you sleep in my bedroom.”

“I have no intention of doing that.”

Ignoring my cold response, he rubbed his cheek against my hand.

As if the shadow of a moment I wasn’t sure was real or illusion remained, even his naturally cool body temperature felt somewhat warm against my chilled hand.

“You can rest easy.”

It felt like our conversation wasn’t quite connecting.

I observed him for a while, like someone broken, speaking only what he wanted to say without context.

“I’ll burn everything away.”

……Ah.

He’d always been a man with little expression, making his emotions hard to read, and after confirming I was okay, he seemed to relax—so I hadn’t noticed at first.

This.

He’s in a state of panic.

“Abaddon.”

I reached out my other hand and pressed both his cheeks firmly.

Hmm, even with his face squished, a handsome man doesn’t become that ugly.

“Pull yourself together.”

“……I will.”

Now that I knew his feelings for Rudan, the man who’d seemed cold and distant started to look a little foolish.

“How are things outside?

Since ten days have passed, Imera should have made some moves by now.”

“Repeated attempts to break through the gate have been detected.”

“You said it’s normally unbreakable.”

“It’s not at a dangerous stage yet, but it’s chipping away slowly.

It would be wise to have countermeasures in place.”

I see.

It didn’t sound like an immediate crisis.

During the pause in conversation, the servants were whispering among themselves.

“If only Sir Ezekiel were here for that too…….”

“Shelsi!”

“But it’s true.

How many wizards can craft a magic circle of that scale within such a short time?”

Abaddon had made it sound like Ezekiel was just a clever wizard without much practical use, but from the situation, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Abaddon lowered his gaze and spoke in a low voice.

“So, should I bring Ezekiel back to the nest even now?”

The chattering ones clamped their mouths shut and bowed their heads deeply.

Abaddon let out a small sigh.

“It’s true that his absence is regrettable, but trust has already been broken beyond repair.

He won’t return to Nieta.

So I hope you’ll refrain from speaking carelessly outside, so that the morale of our comrades doesn’t waver.”

The man murmured mercifully.

“You are my people, so I trust you can manage that much.”

“Of course.”

At the servants’ unanimous reply, Abaddon dismissed them.

After the room grew quiet, he sat by the bedside and toyed with my hair.

“The situation isn’t looking good.”

There seemed to be other problems besides the gate.

I nodded and waited for him to continue.

“I’ve heard that under Killian’s orders, retaliation is being carried out against Nieta’s wizards in that world.

Already confirmed casualties number seven, and if you count the professors and students who died mysteriously within the academy, it exceeds ten.”

“……Then aren’t they the ones breaking the peace treaty?

The academy is supposed to be a mutual non-aggression zone.”

“Officially, it hasn’t been revealed as the Tower Lord’s orders.

So it’s difficult to hold them accountable.”

He was using dirty tricks, just as expected of him.

“So I’ll likely be away frequently for a while.

You’re in such a weakened state…… I’m sorry I can’t stay by your side, Rudan.”

He explained that he’d already delayed a lot waiting for me to wake up, wearing a genuinely regretful expression.

As if he assumed I’d feel the same way about not being together.

‘No, this is a win for me?’

I’d had something on my mind anyway.

This worked out perfectly.

📚 Also on NHV Novels

A Tangy New Life After Breaking Up with My Girlfriend

HaremRomanceSlice of Life

Read Now →
Not interested