Wicked Reincarnation

Chapter 178: Attack 19

Loud wails echoed in a dark alley. A little kid ran towards the garbage can and threw itself against it. Blood ran down its face and it tumbled onto the ground.

"Goodness, Nana, what are you doing?" a pair of hands took the little girl into their arms. Nana blinked and barely could make out her mother's face.

"Why are you squinting your eyes?" Nana's mother walked out of the dark alley towards the busy main street.

"Can't see good," Nana hiccuped.

"Oh no, is your eyesight bad? I'm sorry, mum should've realised it sooner," Nana's mother wiped the blood away from Nana's face and patted her head, "We'll get you glasses."

Nana buried her face into her mother's chest and fell asleep.

This was when Nana was still living with her family in the core. She could barely remember the time spent there but she remembered one event clearly. Several years later when Nana was already in her twenties, she has lived in the Veil since she was 10 after her parents fled there because of their identity as a hidden family.

Family M warned them not to appear in public again because soon a major disaster would happen. It has also been 11 years since Nana lived on her own in the Veil. For some reason, her parents left her behind in that tiny house all on her own. Then a while later, Elder M told Nana her parents had died. Chose to die to make way for Nana.

Nana couldn't understand. Why? How would that help her? But in the end, she'd never find out. Her parents went to the K family to be killed leaving only a faint memory in Nana behind and the notion that she wasn't good enough to make them want to keep living in this world.

All they left, passed on was the knowledge about the U family and that soon she'd have to serve the Immortal King. Nana had no clue about this but because they were words incessantly drilled into her by her parents, Nana memorised them and took them to her heart.

After all, these were the only things her family gave her.

Then when Nana turned 23, after almost 100 years of living alone, finally her dull and bleak days were over. Someone came to kill her. It didn't make sense why. Was it because she was part of the hidden families? But that was still at least 30 years before the Ghost King came to reign.

And then in order to protect herself, Nana used the ghosts but instead to only kill the person, she has also deprived four young children of her parents.

Run. Run away. That was all Nana could think of. But the cry of the baby, the youngest kid, was so piercing Nana's heart bled and bled until she couldn't take it.

She knew more than anyone else what it meant to have their parents taken away and to be abandoned, but could she raise those kids? Would these kids want to live with their parents' murderer? Each day, Nana spent with them, she was so agonised, it tore her from the inside up.

Useless and helpless she was. She wanted to give these kids who lovingly and unknowingly called her big sis a wonderful life but she was the one who denied it to them.

So, if they one day would betray her, Nana would be heart-broken but also know it was her sin she had to bear. Then Lia came, Lia who gave Nana a way out of the nightmare and bittersweet dream.

Nana loved her siblings but hated herself. She couldn't protect them. She had to get stronger but she knew it was only an excuse. She didn't want to be with her siblings any longer but the guilt that Nana was enjoying a life she shouldn't, had friends and allies she shouldn't have, being away from her siblings she shouldn't be, was slowly eating her alive.

But Nana still pretended and pretended. Her weak self only managed to get this far. It was Nana's duty to help Lia because that was what she's been taught and she was indebted to Lia and Mika for giving her siblings a life she couldn't give them.

Nana wanted to repay it all. And to Timo who made her feel less worthless, who believed in her, Nana was also grateful.

"This didn't have to end up like this," Nana could see the regret in Timo's eyes, could hear the faint sadness and for some reason, she was happy to go away having someone mourn her.

Deep down, Nana knew she only used not letting Timo get away as an excuse. The truth was Nana wanted to achieve her real goal through this fight. This was the final escape. Death.

She was foolish and a coward. Instead of facing her siblings, Nana wanted to die to escape her sins and guilt.

When Nana heard of Susa's premonition the first time, panic overcame her and even to the last minute before they split up, Nana didn't want it to come true, but now she actually embraced it. She came to terms with it because this was what she wanted all along.

She didn't want to be a hidden family. She didn't want to have siblings like this. She wanted her family, wanted to travel the world with her friends without any guilt and regret eating her alive.

Nana was doing another cruel thing. She wanted Timo to be one to kill her even though she knew it would be unfair towards him. But Nana wouldn't mind him ending her life.

As Nana laid in her own pool of blood, the burnt bits on her body crumbled off and turned to ash. After Nana declared that none of them could leave, Nana tried her best to fight against Timo. But seeing Timo not being hurt in the slightest bit while she was dying was very laughable.

In the end, Nana had to ask herself if she really properly put everything into her fight with Timo. Once again guilt overrode her and her own desires came first. Nana wasn't a good person, the others trusted in. She might have sinned the most.

"I'm sorry commander but I guess I'm also happy," Nana reached out her hand and Timo actually took it but it only crumbled underneath his touch. She could now clearly see the pain in his gaze.

"Thank you," Nana whispered again.

Timo might never know why she thanked him but that was ok. He didn't need to. Because Timo was with her, Nana thanked him first. But she silently also thanked Lia for giving her the opportunity to escape and have fun. For Mika and his family taking care of her siblings. For Xavi, Lily, Susa and Noel brightening her days and helping her.

And thanking her siblings for keeping her company during her most desperate and lonely time but also for showing her what a truly vile and cowardly person she was. They were her remedy but also her poison.

And Nana apologised to Lia and the others that she couldn't be of use. Her selfishness has won over her.

Nana stared at the sky before losing her consciousness. Her last thought was that she was indeed cruel, she knew how awful it felt when her parents chose death over her, yet here she was passing away the same way her parents did. Leaving both of her families behind.

However, maybe she'd get to see her parents and come to know the truth. Slowly the burnt layer chipped off Nana's body and her eyes turned glassy.

Timo watched her for a while before getting up and leaving. He wanted to bury her but he might come back to do it later. Right now, he just didn't want to, couldn't bear to see her corpse for even a second longer. It really reminded him of-

Timo held his hand against his mouth, stopping himself from throwing up. Killing has never been a problem for him but things like these were truly different.

He silently prayed for Nana to rest in peace. That whatever it was that made her face, the second before she died, to contort in pain and regret, would pass and not haunt her in her afterlife.

Now this teacher and student relationship was truly over. A memory that Timo wanted to erase as quickly as possible before it'd become a lasting torture like the other one.

Timo walked aimlessly through the second layer. His mind tried hard to forget while he, on the outside, seemed unfazed. His wounds have long healed up and only the blood on his clothes and his hands indicated he had fought.

Timo could hear the other fights going on but didn't breathe right until he arrived at the plaza and saw Leo running away with one of the hidden family.

Timo thought for a while. Maybe to Leo that person was also someone Leo wanted to let go, just as Timo would've let Nana escape.

Timo wanted to assess the situation and headed towards the academy. It was already night. Timo had no idea how he managed to aimlessly walk around for hours.

He was a bit surprised that the fight with Nana lingered more heavily on his mind than he would've expected.

Maybe it was the fact that she willingly seemed to want to pass on. In many aspects, Timo realised that he and Nana were similar. Maybe that energetic girl from the academy harboured her own dark secrets and suffering. Timo could never get to know and the talk they were supposed to have also never happened.

With this last thought, Timo stepped into the academy facing Leo who was bright red.