Advent of the Three Calamities - Chapter 846: Evelyn’s Resolve [2]

Chapter 846: Evelyn’s Resolve [2]

The days continued to pass in the same manner.

Evelyn lost track of time.

She simply focused all of her attention on improving her skills. Aside from training, she would occasionally return to the safe-house to play with everyone else. Poker was the game of choice for everyone.

“I think I’m getting closer, everyone.”

Looking at everyone in the room, Evelyn placed the cards on the table.

The old man’s face flashed red.

“Y-you…!!!”

Evelyn’s lips curled.

“Not so easy when you can’t cheat, right?”

“…I wasn’t cheating! Who said I was cheating?”

The old man smacked his hand against the table, his face turning a deeper shade of red.

“So how did that card end up under you?”

“That’s…” Ol’Sal’s expression froze before he eventually turned his head and muttered, “must’ve been the wind.”

Covering her lips, Evelyn giggled.

“Sure. I believe you.”

“No, really…”

Still smiling, Evelyn directed her attention towards Velar.

He merely nodded back at her.

“If there’s anything that I can help you with, let me know.”

“Yes.”

Standing up, Evelyn stretched her body, feeling rather sore. Nevertheless, she felt much better than before. Her body felt a lot warmer. Now that she could control the lightning within her, she no longer suffered from the cold.

Her skills were good enough to keep everyone else in the room warm, too.

All that was left was to free Julien, alongside the others. Then, after that, there were the other people in the city.

She was going to save everyone.

’…I’m almost there.’

After that, they could finally leave this forsaken place.

Yes, this was the plan.

“Nn…”

Feeling a tug at the hem of her clothes, Evelyn turned her head to see Penelope staring up at her with a hesitant expression. Her large eyes looked directly at her. Despite being unable to see, the young girl acted as though she could.

“What is it?”

Evelyn’s tone softened.

Enough for the young girl to build up some courage to speak.

“Ehm… So…”

“What is it? Why are you suddenly hesitating? Let me know, and if I can do it, I’ll try my best to help you.”

The young girl bit her lips.

Eventually, however, she looked up and muttered.

“…Take care of him.”

That was all she said, but it was enough to make Evelyn’s lips freeze. Soon after, however, she nodded.

“I get it. Don’t worry.”

The young girl smiled before turning to face Ilyen.

Really, that girl…

Evelyn sighed while helping Chloe put the cards back.

’Sometimes I forget that she’s blind.’

The way she knew exactly where to look and how to move was worthy of admiration. Evelyn doubted she’d have much of a problem in the future. It was almost as if there was no disability for her.

“She’s a strong girl.”

Chloe muttered, putting the last cards inside the card box.

“I know,” Evelyn replied, leaning back on the sofa and watching the young girl as she played with Ilyen’s palm. “She’ll be fine.”

“…I know she will.”

“But do take care of him.”

Evelyn stood in silence, not saying another word as Chloe put the box away.

“I know you’re still unsure, but I’ve watched you train every single day. I’ve seen the effort you put in, the pain you pushed through, and the progress you made. You’re ready. All that’s left is for you to believe in yourself.”

Evelyn’s lips parted, quivering for a moment.

“You… you think so?”

“Mhm.”

Chloe answered with a smile.

Evelyn opened her lips, but soon closed them.

“In that case, I should get back to training, right?”

Standing up and massaging her shoulders, Evelyn brushed her hair back, coating her body in a thin layer of mana as faint bolts of lightning fizzled around her. Any form of ice that formed around her body shattered the moment it came into contact with her lightning.

“All good.”

Evelyn smiled, patting her cheeks twice before heading for the door.

But just as she reached the handle, she paused.

Her smile remained, but her firm and steady hand started to shake slightly. She gripped the handle tightly, trying her best to pull it open, but it was almost as if the handle had been frozen, preventing her from opening it.

“Ah, damn.”

Evelyn continued to smile.

Bolts of electricity crackled from her hand as they coursed into the door, trying to shatter the ice apart.

But for some reason, despite her efforts, the door wouldn’t budge.

Her hand remained glued to the handle as her smile slowly started to fade.

“Aah, well… Why isn’t it opening? Why…”

“It’s alright.”

A soft voice reached her from behind, a hand gently covering hers.

“Nobody blames you. We understand just how much effort you put in. Just go. Keep practicing until you can finally get rid of this curse. We’re all with you.”

Evelyn’s lips trembled.

By now, her smile was gone.

The warmth that had once wrapped around the room like a gentle embrace drained away without a sound. The light thinned, dimmed, and finally withered into a pale, lifeless glow as Evelyn slowly turned her head.

Towards the empty and cold room.

Evelyn’s gaze eventually fell on the numerous statues within the room.

Chloe’s statue. Ol’Sal’s statue. Reginald’s statue. Julien’s statue. Ilyen’s statue. Penelope’s statue.

Evelyn’s lips trembled further.

“Aaa-ah.”

So did her chest.

In the end, she had failed.

Evelyn’s chest ached the moment she looked at the two children, a deep, piercing pain invading her heart as she stared at them.

Even now, she could feel their trembling in her palms. She had wrapped them in her arms, shielding them with her body, whispering promises that she herself knew she wouldn’t be able to keep.

She used everything she had to keep them awake. Her warmth. Her skills.

Her everything…

But they weren’t like Julien.

They couldn’t survive frozen like him.

They were just children.

So in the end…

So in the end….

Evelyn gripped her shirt, the ache in her chest growing even more pronounced as she stared at everyone in the room. In spite of everything she had done, not one… she hadn’t been able to save a single person.

’You’re a failure.’

The voices whispered in her mind.

’…Not even one person. You were not able to save one person.’

Evelyn’s grip on the handle tightened as she slowly pulled it down and stepped out, her face growing paler as she exited the building. A fierce blizzard met her, her hair whipping back as she pushed through the chaos.

’You were everyone’s last hope. You were the one that everyone pinned their hopes on. The one that they believed would help them finally be free from everything. But in the end, you failed? Just like always, you’ve been useless.’

Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.

The snow crunched under her steps as Evelyn continued ahead.

’How much time have you spent here? With your abilities, there’s no way for you to free anyone else. Why don’t you just give up? Just let them be frozen and leave this place. You can leave. So why waste time?’

Crunch. Crunch—!

Lightning began to crackle around Evelyn’s body as ice shards formed around her. The lightning quickly shattered them away as she continued walking in silence.

The more she walked, the faster and louder the lightning around her became.

Cra Crack! Cra Crack! Cra Crack!

’Cease your meaningless struggle! Like always, you’re useless! Give up!’

The voices in her mind grew louder.

Almost to the point where they drowned out all the noise around her.

But Evelyn’s gaze remained fixed ahead.

She continued to walk.

Even as the ice around her body grew more numerous, the lightning flickering around her struggled to keep up.

Eventually, her movements started to slow down.

The cold started to seep deep within her body.

But regardless, Evelyn kept moving. She pushed through the blizzard until she eventually spotted a silhouette in the distance.

Evelyn’s steps slowed down at the sight of it.

She couldn’t clearly see the silhouette through the blizzard, but she knew exactly what was happening. As she moved closer, she eventually stopped behind the figure, his hand moving in slow circles, a frozen cloth brushing against the surface of a frozen statue.

It was as if he were a machine, his movements slow and rhythmic.

Evelyn’s lips parted, reaching forward to the silhouette ahead.

“…Velar.”

Her voice was not particularly loud, but it was enough to reach the blue-haired figure ahead of her.

But it didn’t.

“…..”

He remained silent, continuing the motion as though it were the only thing he could do.

Large chunks of ice had spread across his body, gripping his arms and legs as his already pale face seemed even paler.

Evelyn continued to speak.

“You… need to go back. At this rate, you won’t be able to keep going. You’re cutting your life shorter. Just… take a break for a moment. You’re the only one left. If… we combine forces, then we can do this. I believe that I’m close. I… understand your feelings, but please bear with it a little longer. I can… I can…”

Swoooooooosh—!

Evelyn’s words drowned out under the blizzard as Velar’s hair fluttered violently.

But despite everything that she said, he didn’t react at all.

It was as if he couldn’t hear her.

“Velar.”

Evelyn reached out for his shoulder, trying to get his attention, but…

He didn’t acknowledge her.

He just continued to go through the motions.

He wiped. He wiped. He wiped.

Evelyn’s chest ached further as she weakly called out again.

“….Velar.”

But yet again, no response.

Evelyn’s lips trembled as she moved closer to his side, trying to face him directly. But when she did, her expression froze as she noticed the blank look on his face. She raised her hand and moved it in front of him, but he showed no reaction.

It was as if he couldn’t see at all.

“A-ah.”

Evelyn grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

“Velar. Velar.”

But… he showed no reaction.

It was as if he couldn’t feel her at all.

“Velar!”

Nor could he hear her.

“Velar! Velar!”

Evelyn’s cries rang out across the blizzard as she tried to grab his attention, tried to make him snap out of it. She even used her lightning, but it was of no use. He didn’t react at all. He simply continued to wipe blankly at the air before him, and in that moment, Evelyn realized it.

She…

She was alone.

“…”

Everyone had left.

Evelyn slowly let go of Velar’s shoulder as she stumbled back.

“…”

Velar was gone.

So was Julien. Ol’Sal. Penelope. Reginald. Chloe. And Ilyen.

Everyone… was gone.

She was the only one left.

In the biting cold that only grew stronger, she was alone.

“A-ah. Haa… A-ah.”

Evelyn’s chest rose and fell repeatedly as the realization struck her.

Alone…

Not because they left her.

But because she failed them.

“Haaa! Haaa! Haaa! Haaa! Haaa! Haaa! Haaa! Haaa!”

Before she knew it, she had started to hyperventilate. Her mind remained fixed on Velar’s figure as she continued to take steps back, her mind struggling to come to terms with the reality of the situation.

’…I, no. I… was close. I am close. Why…’

The realization that she was alone hurt her. But it didn’t hurt her as much as the realization that the reason she was alone was that she had failed everyone.

’You’ve failed everyone. Again.’

’You’re not Julien. You can’t be relied on. If he were here, he’d have solved the situation by now. The only reason he isn’t is that he had to deal with your mess!’

’Now… everyone is frozen. Several have died, and the only one left is you! With your abilities, it’ll be impossible for you to—’

“Shut up!!!”

Evelyn screamed as bolts of lightning burst from her body. Another gathered in her hand, and she hurled it toward the sky with all her strength.

BANG!

Purple flashed across the blizzard as the lightning exploded in the air.

“Shut up!”

Screaming once more, another one formed in her grasp as she threw it above her with all her strength.

BANG—

Purple light flashed once more, a thunderous clap following right after.

“Haaa! Haaaa…!”

With ragged breaths, Evelyn extended her hand once more, ready to strike at the sky once more, but just as she was about to, she stopped.

Her already pale face paled further as her expression twisted.

Until eventually…

Drip.

Blood started to leak out from the corner of her mouth.

Coming to a stop, Evelyn’s expression remained twisted as she continued to glare at the sky. Despite the snow blanketing the surroundings, the blizzard remained unaffected by her actions. Almost as if it were amused by them.

Evelyn’s face eventually eased, replaced by a look of helplessness.

“A-ah…”

Can I even be free from this?

For a moment, Evelyn started to hesitate. For just a moment, she thought about quitting. After all, this was too hard.

She was cold.

She was hungry.

And most importantly, she was alone.

There was no one else besides her.

Julien had turned into a statue. Leon, Kiera, Aoife, An’as, and Anne had turned into statues. The remaining survivors had also turned into statues, and Velar… he was unresponsive.

She was the only one left.

Besides her, there was no one else.

Could she do it alone?

’You can’t.’

Could her mind keep going?

’You can’t.’

Would she even be able to help them?

’You can’t.’

Slap—!

All of a sudden, Evelyn slapped both of her cheeks. Feeling the sting on her cheeks, she wiped some of the tears that had formed in the corner of her eyes as she sniffed her nose.

“Even if I can’t, I have to do it.”

So what if she was alone and hungry?

This much…

She could take.

And so, without further ado, Evelyn took a deep breath and began channeling the little mana she had left, strands of lightning emerging from her body.

Cra Crack! Cra Crack!

Once more, Evelyn continued.

In the biting cold, she remained the last dying ember of the city of ice.