[57.1] A Swarm of Death

[Author's note: This chapter is back to Reika's perspective.]

The rain had finally stopped so I was able to use my ice chunk to return. Even though that method was faster, it still took me all night and until early morning. I yawned as I rubbed my eyes which were threatening to close from exhaustion.

Hm? Is it getting colder?

A snowflake hit my nose and melted.

A snowflake? Wasn't it just raining?

Why is it snowing now?

I opened my eyes and paused for a moment.

Wasn't I heading to the Island?

Why does it look like I'm heading to the wintry mountains?

"Oh sh*t!"

That IS the villa!

Why is it under this much ice!?

I forced myself to speed forward faster, quickly coming across a chaotic scene. Zephyr was running around screaming like a chicken without its head. My mother and the Headmaster were also frantically running around, spreading frost and ice at their feet while they searched under rocks and trees.

Wait. Where is Goldilocks?

My mother screamed, "Check in the tree!"

The Headmaster pulled out his wand and blasted the leaves clear off the tree with only a single syllable.

He spun around to her and shouted in a panic, "She's not there!!!"

I looked at that sad excuse for a tree and was suddenly reminded of the poor tree back at home that had wilted many years ago.

I lowered my ice chunk and spoke to them calmly, "What if I had been in that tree? You would have blown me straight to the next town."

"Reika!"

They both shouted as soon as they heard my voice.

Zephyr pounced on me, knocking me off of the ice chunk and to the ground. He sobbed as he dug his claws into me, "I THOUGHT YOU DIED!"

I rubbed his back to soothe him, "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to make you all panic. I really thought I would be back before anyone noticed me missing."

My father shouted, "THAT'S all you have to say for yourself?!"

I blinked innocently, "Yes?"

He threw up his hands, "I can't believe you!"

I pursed my lips, "Hey. I left a note. Didn't you see it?"

"THIS!?" He pulled out a piece of paper and read it out loud, "Don't come looking for me-"

Zephyr cried out still digging his claws into me, "-WHAT THE HELL DOES THAT MEAN!?"

I nodded, "I was looking for an owl and I didn't really know where I was going. That's why I said not to come looking for me."

My mother wiped away her tears, "We thought that lady got you and forced you to write something!"

I snickered, "How did you jump to such conclusions?"

The Headmaster slapped me on the head gently with the note, "How could we not?! Who writes this kind of ominous note!?"

She let out a sigh, "Poor Prince Cyrus-"

Zephyr pulled away, "-Oh yeah. He went berserk."

My body tensed up, "Hm?"

My Mother looked around in a hurry, "Ah! Now that you say that, I just realized that I don't see him around. He must have run off. Aldrich, do you remember which way he went?"

The Headmaster shook his head, "No. I was preoccupied with catching my delinquent child!"

My face twitched, "I'm not a delinquent! I snuck out one time! Just one!"

Zephyr immediately tattled, "You snuck out plenty of times before to go smooch your boyfriend-"

I quickly covered his mouth, "Shut up!"

-But it was already too late.

The Headmaster shouted, "YOU DID WHAT!?"

This little brat keeps getting me into trouble!

I spun away from them and took a deep breath, illuminating the red thread. I started running in that direction, "Can't talk right now! Gotta go stop a rampage!"

"REIKA! GET BACK HERE AND EXPLAIN!"

Do you think I will just do that?!

No way!

I don't want to turn into a popsicle!

As I sprinted away, I kept smelling through my nose vigorously to keep that red string in focus.

Thank the Gods for this cheat code! If it wasn't for this string I wouldn't be able to-

My footsteps slowed to a halt.

In front of me were trees cut in half and knocked over, creating a clear trail of destruction. Swarms of black butterflies resembling locusts covered the newly built town in an ominous dark cloud.

This…

Isn't this an illusion?

Wow. If not for my sniffer, I would have definitely thought it was a real swarm of bugs.

Please don't tell me Cyrus is in that swarm.

Illusion or not, I'd rather not walk into a swarm of bugs.

I took a deep breath and saw the noticeable red string leading into the swarm.

…He is.

As I walked to the beginning of the illusion, I could tell the destruction wasn't faked or part of the illusion. The buildings were blasted apart as if some powerful blast went through the streets.

I feel a bit bad for the villagers.

First, I destroyed their houses with a hurricane.

Then, after they managed to rebuild, Cyrus became a new hurricane and flattened their town.

I stood at the edge of the swarm and held out a hand. A black butterfly flapped out, landing delicately on my finger. Sensing no danger from it, I calmly entered into the dense swarm, walking solely based on the red string.

My foot tapped against something firm on the ground, causing me to stumble and fall. I peered underneath the swarm and caught sight of some villagers in the street, passed out and laying face down. I quickly felt for a pulse from the nearest one. Once I found it, I let out a sigh of relief.

They are unconscious, but alive.

I lifted my head and heard a rhythmic humming from the swarm. With that hum, came a gnawing feeling in my chest. I tried to ignore it and keep on walking to find the source of the swarm. Buzzing grew louder the further I traveled, so loud in fact that I thought I was becoming deaf.

I started shouting just to hear my own voice, "Goldilocks! Cyrus! Are you in here!?"

My voice was lost to the deafening void.

I started feeling nauseous as I forced my feet forward. It took everything I had not to lay down and fall asleep just to end the nightmarish discomfort.

The corners of my vision started turning black as the leftover light from the red string started to fade.

Ugh…

My chest…

It hurts so much…

Am I…

Am I dying?

My feet were now being dragged, forced forward based on instinct.

Everything was dark, but through the darkness, a single light shone.

Eh?

Cyrus?

Is he collapsed?

He's holding his chest…

Ah.

The curse.

It's going to kill him.

But why?

What caused it?

My feet stopped moving, finally too numb from the overstimulation in my mind. I fell to my knees, holding out my hand to him.

"Cy…"

I'm right here.

Right beside you…

So…

Turn…

Around…

Please.

*SNAP*

For a brief moment, the swarm between Cyrus and me slowly disappeared. Cyrus turned around, spurred on by the finger snap that we both heard clearly through the swarm. In the next instant, he was pouncing on me, hugging me with all his strength.

Before I was pinned to the ground under him, I noticed a pair of vibrant orange eyes staring at me. However, when I blinked, they were gone.

Just now…

Did I see orange eyes?

No.

There's no way.

I probably missaw.

Nothing is real in this swarm. Only me and him-

Cyrus's husky voice pulled me from my thoughts, "I thought you- Why did you leave me? I thought you were dead… Gone… I couldn't find you."

I slowly wrapped my arms, which felt like they were full of sand, around him, "I told you. Didn't I? I'm not going to leave."

"You…"

The pressure of his body on top of me was crushing, but I was now breathing easier than I had been moments before.

It was stifling, but I didn't dare try to push him off.

I rubbed his back to soothe him, "I think we should go back to the Capital."

His grip tightened around me.

Slowly, the swarm of ominous butterflies disappeared, leaving behind a city completely destroyed by far too powerful magic.