Elegy from Another World

The chilling killing intent hadn't yet faded from my fingertips when I transformed into a blur, rushing out of the blood-soaked torture chamber. The knights who rushed down the corridor upon hearing the commotion saw me covered in blood and wielding a strangely energetic short blade, and immediately drew their weapons to try and stop me.

"Stop her!"

"Murderer!"

Shouts rang out behind me. I didn't want to create any more unnecessary bloodshed. These ordinary knights might just be following orders and might not know about the priest's conspiracy. With a thought, the short blade in my hand, a fusion of water, electricity, and shadow, subtly changed shape, becoming more precise and swift. In a blur, the short blade drew a cold arc.

The blade missed its mark. It precisely sliced ​​through their wrists and ankles, severing tendons. Screams instantly replaced cries of pain as the incapacitated knights collapsed to the ground, the threat temporarily averted. I had no intention of confirming their innocence; at that moment, escape was the only objective.

Breaking through the Knights' encampment, I returned to my inn room as fast as I could, grabbed my spatial backpack from the corner of the bed, and leaped out of the window without a second thought, disappearing into the chaotic Valencia night. Behind me, the footsteps of my pursuers and the wailing of alarms grew ever closer. I knew that from this moment on, in their eyes, I was no longer the adventurer Lissia, but a vicious fugitive who had murdered his comrades and attacked the Knights. Any explanation would be utterly futile before the ironclad "facts" and the weight of power.

Valencia, there is no place for me anymore.

I fled into the vast and dangerous Gloomy Forest on the outskirts of the city. The dense canopy blocked out the sunlight and provided me with temporary shelter. But the pursuit did not stop. The Knights' search party, along with adventurers drawn by the high bounty, patrolled the forest like hounds that had caught the scent of blood.

To protect myself, I had no choice but to raise the "butcher's knife" once more. When faced with an unavoidable siege, I unleashed a massive attack spell, with flames and frost sweeping across the forest. In desperation, I even used that steel bar again, unleashing a blazing laser beam with terrifying penetrating power, capable of instantly turning well-equipped warriors into dust.

I survived. But my hands were stained with far more blood. Among them, perhaps some were simply knights fulfilling their duty, or adventurers who took the mission to support their families, not villains. Each forced killing was like a poisonous thorn piercing my heart. The guilt was far more tormenting than any physical pain. To survive, I became someone I might have once despised.

About a week later, I hid in a cave I had stumbled upon deep in the forest. Outside, a torrential downpour was falling, the dense raindrops pounding against the leaves and rocks, making a dull, continuous sound, as if the whole world was weeping.

I huddled in a corner of the cold stone wall, my backpack lying to the side. Gazing at the curtain of rain at the cave entrance, the experiences of the past two months flooded my mind like a tide: the confusion of traversing another world, the astonishment of gaining abilities, the slight comfort of helping others, the complex emotions when I discovered the healing power of flowers, and... the despair and anger of being betrayed, framed, and forced to flee for my life.

I always thought I was optimistic enough to adapt to all of this. But at this moment, the accumulated grievances, loneliness, fear, and heavy guilt finally broke through the dam of pretense.

Tears welled up uncontrollably, sliding down my cheeks and mingling with the undried blood and rainwater on my body. I sobbed softly, my shoulders trembling slightly.

"Waaah... I shouldn't feel any pain anymore..." I choked back sobs, my voice barely audible in the empty cave. "Why... why does it still hurt so much here..." I clutched my chest tightly.

Once again, I lost the little connection I had painstakingly built, once again I lost my safe haven, and even my identity as a "normal" adventurer, burdened with unfounded accusations and real bloodshed… The feeling of losing almost everything overwhelmed me like a cold tide. What should I do in the future? Where can I find refuge?

Thinking of all this, the suppressed sobs could no longer be contained, turning into a complete and unrestrained wail. The sorrowful sounds collided and echoed between the cave walls, intertwining with the sound of rain outside, creating an atmosphere of utter desolation and loneliness.

As I sobbed, I vaguely sensed that my cries carried exceptionally far into the cave, even echoing multiple times. This cave seemed to be much deeper than I had imagined.

"Perhaps... when I have the strength... I can renovate this place... and temporarily use it as... a shelter..." This thought quietly emerged in my grief, bringing a faint sense of reality about the "future".

But at this moment, I didn't want to do anything, nor did I want to think about anything. I just hugged myself tightly, buried my face in my knees, and let the tears flow freely. In this desolate forest, in this cave that had become a refuge by chance, I cried my heart out, alone and unrestrained. The rain outside the cave continued to fall.