Ch. 9 - Contract of the Soul

Eira’s breath caught in her throat. Kael’s grip on her neck was so tight it nearly cut off her airway. On top of that, the excruciating itching and pain at the base of her throat only added to her suffering.

Every beat of Eira’s heart caused pain as if a spear were thrust through one part of her body, then pulled back out only to repeat the same process. Meanwhile, the roots of the cherry blossom growing there entwined tightly around her heart—as if trying to crush it.

“KAEL!”

Hearing the scream, Eira glanced over and saw Lucas approaching with a look of shock on his face. He even dropped the box he was holding.

Without a second thought, Lucas rushed forward and landed a punch to Kael’s face, causing Kael’s grip on Eira’s neck to loosen.

“Let go of Eira, you bastard. You’re hurting her!” Lucas punched Kael again.

“Oh, so you two are conspiring to destroy me, aren’t you? I knew it!” Kael released his grip and groped around, searching for Lucas.

“I’LL KILL YOU BOTH!”

The commotion drew the doctor and a nurse, who arrived with a sedative injection to stop Kael’s rampage. It was unclear how long Kael’s body would continue to be injected with that liquid, as he was completely out of control.

Eira crawled toward the bathroom, breathing in short gasps—the only sign that she was still half-alive at that moment.

Eira was struggling desperately to suppress her cough by covering her mouth with her palm as hard as she could, even though it was excruciatingly painful—a pain that left her body weak and helpless.

She knelt—curling up tightly, not wanting anyone to pity her because of the strange illness she was suffering from.

“Eira, are you okay?” Lucas’s voice rang out as he knocked on the bathroom door.

Eira could no longer respond. She could only stifle her sobs as best she could when her coughing finally stopped after a few minutes—it felt as though her soul was being torn from her body.

With her body completely drained of energy, Eira sat on the bathroom floor, pounding her chest in the hope that the tightness in her chest would subside.

But her sobbing suddenly stopped when her eyes caught a strange light in the bathroom mirror.

The light was small, forming letter by letter into a few sentences; as Eira stood up and approached the mirror, the writing became clearer.

‘Part of your soul no longer wants you. The contract has ended.’

Eira’s hand reached out to touch the light—which immediately vanished, replaced by a reflection of her pale face and a trace of blood at the corner of her lips.

She knew it was a message from the Moon Goddess.

The pact she had made with the Moon Goddess back then had come to an end. It was because Kael so desperately wanted Eira’s death—a part of her soul she had surrendered to the Moon Goddess so that Kael might survive when he was on the brink of death many years ago.

Eira never imagined that her deep love for Kael would actually cause the hanahaki disease to take root within her body.

“Eira, say something!”

Lucas’s shout rang out again. At that very moment, Eira quickly wiped away the blood and the dozens of cherry blossom petals scattered across the floor, then opened the door.

“Are you okay? Did something happen?” asked Lucas.

Eira gave a small smile. “I’m fine,” she replied, glancing over at Kael’s bed—where he was already fast asleep and looked peaceful.

Eira approached Kael’s bed again and sat down beside him, holding her husband’s hand so gently—because she knew that, right now, Kael wouldn’t hurt her.

“His clan cast him out because he’s blind,” Eira murmured.

Lucas, who heard this, also felt guilty—because he was the one chosen to be the next leader. But right now, Lucas was also in a state where he was refusing that throne, which was too heavy a burden for him.

“What would happen if Kael received an eye transplant, Lucas?” Eira asked suddenly.

“He’d still be Kael if the donor were from the Valerius clan.” Lucas sat on the sofa.

“If not?”

“It wouldn’t mean anything other than that he’d be able to see again. He might even lose some of his powers.”

Eira nodded in understanding. She hadn’t realized the rules were so strict. After all, the Moon Goddess clearly wouldn’t give away eyes for free, even if she asked, and no wolf powers from any clan could cure a medical condition.

“When I die someday… ask Kael if he’d be okay with getting a donor from a member of another clan.”

Lucas’s eyes widened in shock at Eira’s terrifying statement. Even though he already knew why Eira was talking about death, donating her eyes to Kael was still a terrifying prospect.

Because Eira had crystal eyes.

“Eira, are you crazy?” Lucas raised his voice slightly.

Eira shook her head slowly. “Promise me, Lucas, that if I’m gone, you’ll make sure Kael’s life goes well.”

“Stop talking about that, Eira!”

“Have you forgotten that I have hanahaki?”

Silence.

The atmosphere grew somber as Eira gently stroked Kael’s hair. It was a stark contrast to Kael’s attitude toward Eira.

“It’s okay. I’ll never regret loving Kael, even if my body is destroyed.” Eira stood up and gently kissed Kael’s forehead.

She then approached Lucas and held out her hand—asking for a handshake.

“What’s this?” asked Lucas.

“I have to go home.”

Lucas let out a long sigh and finally shook Eira’s hand before she stepped out of Kael’s hospital room.

Even though she was silent, Lucas knew Eira was crying.

“All right, I’m ready to meet you, Moon Goddess,” Eira murmured.

Eira was done with her love, her suffering, and her pain. At the very least, Eira had been fighting tooth and nail for years. And by refusing to give in to Kael and accept her death, Eira has triumphed over her fate.