Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power

Chapter 446: Chapter 446: Shapeshifters

Chapter 446 – Shapeshifters

"Blood and ashes." Kaden cursed, witnessing Rea’s head slowly attaching itself back to her own body, nightmare-worthy.

He saw tendrils of grey threads erupting from the severed neck, then weave themselves around the head before patching it back.

An achingly bright grey light burst then, bathing the whole surrounding in that sorrowful luster.

The light didn’t last, for soon enough it was completely extinguished. Then the sight of Rea gasping like a fish finally in water after seconds outside occurred in front of Kaden.

She instantly turned her head towards Kaden — her eyes wide — filled with fear, confusion and horror all mixed together to give something utterly chilling.

Kaden noticed the marks of threads around her neck, showing that he didn’t imagine it. Rea’s head was truly stitched back together.

’How in the hell did she do that?’

He was utterly flabbergasted. And it seemed his face openly showed that, for Rea smiled wryly.

"I...am alive, aren’t I?" She whispered, her voice strange. It felt forced, as if something was stuck in her throat constantly.

It didn’t feel nor sound like Rea’s usual voice or tone.

"You seem alive." Kaden said, looking at her deeply, "But are you alive?"

"I feel alive."

"Do you remember your death?"

"I didn’t forget anything, Kaden." Rea said, touching constantly her neck, caressing the stitches, trembling heavily, "I didn’t forget how my neck was cut. And even less the pain of it, Kaden."

She stared at him, her eyes dripping cold tears, "Kaden, I...I died. I truly died. But...but I don’t want to die." She sobbed, suddenly feeling that fear of death.

Only now did she truly realize something. Everyone knew they were going to die at some point of time. However, few of them actually fathomed what that knowledge entailed.

It was no joke.

Death...was not a joke.

Rea realized that now. The only thing she felt after death was total emptiness. But then there was, at some point, a kind of overwhelming feeling drowning her in cold, infinite void.

Something was tugging deep at her — at her soul, she guessed — towards a dreadful, harrowing place. A place of no return.

She didn’t see much back then, her senses weirdly cut off or dulled. However, she saw the illusion of a Tree. But was that even a Tree?

The God-Touched was no longer sure, her mind jumbling, aching all the time.

She locked her eyes into Kaden, and finally noticed his current state. Her eyes widened before sweeping her gaze all around, seeing the world of ashes and dust and smoke they were welcomed to the first time.

"Is...it over?" She asked gingerly.

Kaden frowned a bit at that. He wanted to comfort her, but something was twisting inside of him.

With her death, Rea’s character seemed to shift. She became meek, almost constantly afraid. Her eyes were darting all around. It seemed, to Kaden, that Rea had attained the limit of fear she could manage without breaking down.

He was not surprised, she just experienced the most primal fear of mankind.

The fear of death.

Kaden didn’t know what she felt or witnessed — he doubted it was identical to him — but it certainly was worthy of nightmares.

He hissed a sigh.

He didn’t respond to her question, staring at her as if able to see — notice — things none shouldn’t.

Finally he nodded his head after a moment, easing his face from the frown twisting it,

"Yes, it is. For now, at least."

’How much longer, Blanche?’ He asked inwardly.

’40 minutes sweetheart.’ She answered.

’Well, I guess it will do. Hopefully...’ He added, before using Reditha as a help to get up.

It was hard, his bones cracking constantly, ache and pain taking over him on all sides. He winced, groaned and even cursed.

Basking himself in this pain for a couple of seconds to get used to it, he began to trot towards Rea, using the pommel of Reditha as a cane to walk a bit more steadily.

Rea managed to force herself up at last as he approached. She went towards him,

"What will we do? What if they come back?"

"They definitely will." He answered, "it’s just a matter of when."

’And if they come early, we are doomed.’

Rea’s face dropped, fear soaking every feature. She said nothing, and followed Kaden as he walked.

As they did, Rea told him about the bridge she saw before all these happened by pointing at it.

The bridge couldn’t be reached, she assumed, made from the same illusions that made up this strange realm.

Kaden only grunted as an answer, inwardly not agreeing with her. The bridge could be reached. That he knew thanks to his Will and perception.

The way to reach it, of course, was tied to perception just like how the eight mountains were. But just different.

It was something Rea should have realized, he frowned faintly then shook his head.

Still, that realization made him question the nature of this place, and who created it.

’I have my guess on the creator,’ he mused, ’but not the nature of it. They are made of intents and Will, okay... but how and why and what are those beings?’

Shapeshifters were a rare thing to come across, but Kaden knew two people who could shapeshift.

Rory and White.

However, their process was completely different. Rory could do so thanks to her illusion ability that was ridiculously strong. She was tied to the Devourer of Souls to add.

Now Kaden wondered how.

As for White, he could only shapeshift into those whose blood he drank. The duration is limited, and some strong blood could kill him.

Then what were those strange grey-skinned beings who could shapeshift into anything? How did their process work?

Kaden’s thoughts churned into a dizzying cloud, feeling the need to know. He felt it was important — almost crucial — for him to understand them.

And it was not only the shapeshifters. Those astonishingly strong warriors, the blood controllers and even those death-wearing cloaks...all of them felt somehow familiar.

Especially those warriors. Kaden didn’t know why, but their characteristics were eerily familiar to his brother and father.

The only difference was their tribal tattoos, and long beards knotted with finger bones.

’This is strange...this place is too strange. I should not last here.’

By the time he thought that, a long time had passed with the two fiancés walking aimlessly.

Well, not quite, Kaden knew exactly where he was going.

He was now fully healed, Blanche and Reditha working in unison to knit his bones and muscles together.

And after some time, the two came face to face with a chilling yet expected sight — at least to Kaden.

In front of them was a simple hut-like house. The same one they were before entering the eight mountains; the same one where Kaden met Nocthar.

This time, the house was not empty. The chimney was billowing out thick tendrils of green smoke. Light was also flickering inside.

"There is someone!" Rea almost yelled, relieved, "We can finally know about this place."

She whirled toward Kaden excitedly, "We have a chance to get out of here, Kaden!"

Kaden said nothing at first, then nodded slowly. "Yes, finally." He whispered, then tilted his head, "But first I want to ask you a question. Or rather, I want something from you."

"Huh?" Rea arched quizzically an eyebrow.

He approached her, standing an inch in front of her. His lips pulled into a dazzling smile,

"I want you to kiss me, Rea." He whispered, looming over her face.

"W-What?" She exclaimed, staggering a couple of steps back, "what are you saying? It’s not the time—!"

"Kiss me."

"Kaden, I said—!"

"Kiss me, Rea."

Rea’s face went red in anger, "I SAID—!"

"I was right." Kaden sighed tiredly, before his two hands stretched viciously, plastering his palms on each side of her head.

He flung her head towards him, putting his forehead on hers, their eyes locked together.

Rea’s face was getting redder in wrathful anger. However, Kaden cared not.

"I will say it only one time." He said, eyes glowing like blood in a dark night, the divinity inside of him churning,

"Where is Rea, Woeful One?"

—End of Chapter 446—