am-books Chapter 139 - 139: Krisella
Chapter 139 - 139: Krisella
"Krisella…"
Lyerin muttered the name under his breath, almost as if testing the weight of it after all these years.
It felt strange to say it now, with the woman in question standing just a few yards away, unaware that he had spotted her.
The memories hit him in waves, unbidden, dragging him back to a time he had long buried in the recesses of his mind.
His heart thudded against his ribcage, the once cold and calculated Lyerin momentarily overtaken by emotions he thought had been extinguished.
It had been in the early days of the apocalypse, in his past life, that he first met Krisella.
The world was already falling apart then, but amidst the chaos, their bond had formed.
She had been so full of life and energy, her laughter somehow capable of brightening the darkness that surrounded them.
Lyerin, who had never known what it felt like to be loved, had been drawn to her innocence and vitality.
He remembered the first time they had fought side by side, fending off a wave of twisted creatures that had emerged from the fissures in the earth.
Krisella had saved him that day. Her movements were swift and precise, her agility unmatched as she danced through the battlefield with effortless grace.
At first, Lyerin had been cautious around her.
His usual instincts, honed from years of solitude and betrayal, told him not to trust her. But she had been persistent, constantly breaking down the walls he had so carefully constructed.
She had a way of making him laugh, of getting him to talk about things he never thought he'd share with anyone.
They would sit under the stars, taking refuge in the brief moments of calm that came between the waves of monsters.
She would talk about her dreams, about the life she had before the apocalypse, and Lyerin would find himself opening up in ways that made him feel vulnerable.
He had told her things no one else knew—about his past, his struggles, and even his fears.
The two of them had become inseparable, always saving each other in the chaos of battle.
He had saved her from a horde of mutated creatures more than once, pulling her out of danger at the last moment. And she had saved him from the emptiness that had threatened to consume him.
For a while, Lyerin thought they could survive anything, as long as they were together.
He remembered the nights they spent huddled together in abandoned buildings, the heat of her body next to his providing comfort against the cold reality of their world.
It was in those moments that Lyerin had allowed himself to hope, to believe in something more than survival.
He had been innocent then, naïve even, when it came to love.
Krisella had taught him what it meant to care for someone, to trust someone with his heart.
It was so different from the sadistic thrill he got from hunting his enemies.
With her, there was no need to be on guard, no need to calculate every move.
For the first time in his life, he had felt at peace.
But one day, it all ended.
He had woken up in their makeshift shelter to find Krisella gone.
There was no note, no explanation, just an empty space where she had once slept.
Lyerin had waited for hours, days even, expecting her to return. But she never did.
He
The crowd fell quiet, all eyes on him. He could feel their fear, their desperation. It was palpable.
"You're all wondering what my rules are," Lyerin said, his voice low but carrying authority. "And whether or not you can trust me."
He let the silence hang in the air, watching as their expressions shifted between hope and uncertainty.
"Well," he said, a slow smile creeping across his face, "are you ready to hear them?"