Wicked Reincarnation

Chapter 227: Rescue 5

"How could this be?" with a sharp gaze Lia turned to the assistant. The assistant crawled on the floor backing away from Lia, "Y-You should be happy! I-I saved him from being killed!"

Yes, in hindsight, it might have turned out to be beneficial to him and Lia but initially, Lia was sure that the assistant had other motives.

"Free him," Lia had no patience to waste with the assistant.

"Yes-Yes of course!" the assistant stood up and rushed to the vitrine.

"What did you do with him?"

"I just put him here. Nothing more!" the assistant hurried to open the vitrine when he noticed Lia's gaze on his back.

"He'll wake up as soon as I take him out!"

Indeed the vitrine opened and Lia stepped closer. The tubes that connected to the vitrine were actually stuck inside Noel's body.

"You surely don't think you can fool me like this?" Lia grabbed the assistant by the hair making him flinch even more, "What exactly did you plan to do to him?"

"You're worried about the tubes, of course, but this is only to keep him unconscious. That's all there is," the assistant fumbled to remove the tubes from Noel's body. The wounds started to heal.

Lia looked at Noel and tremendous chaos swirled inside of her. Noel was really alive. His eyelashes that slightly fluttered made him look like a sleeping prince about to wake up from a deep slumber.

An incredible joy welled up inside Lia but doubt also made itself apparent. If this was really Noel then-

"Who was the corpse?"

The assistant licked his lips as he continued to free Noel, "It's my power. I can cast illusions on objects."

"Dead people too?"

"Yes."

"So you created a fake corpse of him?"

"Yes."

Then Lia hugged a strange corpse and cried about that unknown person? Lia was even angrier at the assistant.

"Done!" the assistant moved back as Lia took Noel's hand and brushed his hair back.

Feeling his warmth and beating pulse Lia was reassured. But only Noel could be Noel.

If this was a fake Noel, then Lia had gotten her hopes up to have them shattered again.

"Noel" Lia's whisper seemed to slowly wake him up.

Noel's fingers twitched underneath Lia's hand. His lids quivered before he opened his eyes and slowly turned to Lia.

Once their eyes met, Noel gave Lia a weak smile, "Missed me so much?"

Noel's hoarse voice still held his usual teasing. These words, Noel would always say them whenever they were apart from each other for a while.

Lia finally started to let her tears flow she desperately held back. This was indeed the Noel she knew. He was alive. At last, someone was still alive.

"I did," Lia admitted, which stunned Noel.

"Ah haha," Noel cautiously sat up before taking Lia into his arms.

Her familiar scent and her frail body in his embrace just felt so good and comfortable. It was good to be back.

"Everyone everyone," Lia sobbed but Noel patted her head, "It's ok. We all already knew what was coming however-" Noel was pretty sure that Susa said he was also going to die.

Could it be what Susa saw was the fake corpse of Noel and Noel actually avoided death?

"Lia, we all made up our minds, so don't feel bad. Don't blame yourself. Susa-" Noel stopped but Lia caught a hidden piece of information.

"Susa what? Tell me! I- I need to know."

Noel wanted to avoid this topic but it has already happened and was a thing of the past, it didn't matter if Lia knew of it.

So Noel told Lia the truth and as expected Lia was devastated.

"Whyyou all" Lia couldn't understand. They all knew they'd go and die if they did things the way they did, so why didn't they try to change it but submitted to it?

"Lia, it's already done. Sorry, we didn't tell you but it's ok. We all share the same sentiment. Especially, Xavi told me you shouldn't get too hung up on it."

Not too hung up? Over their deaths? How could she not? Also, the way Noel talked now was way more softened down and serious. He didn't tease much nor acted cheeky anymore.

"By the way, how did you find me?" Noel looked around but only saw Lia.

"Huh?" Lia wiped her tears away, "The assista- Damn!"

The assistant got away again.

"We need to hurt!" Lia jumped up and helped Noel up.

This time Lia was sure that the assistant would go to inform Min. This was a battle against time. Lia and Noel had to get out of the palace before the assistant reached Min.

However, they were at a disadvantage because Noel had been asleep in the vitrine for quite a while, so his body was numb and his legs didn't have much strength.

"Sorry,'' Noel grit his teeth.

"It's fine," now it was Lia's time to reassure Noel.

"Also," as they moved out of the room, Noel dropped the next huge bomb, "I've lost my powers."

"What?" Lia was shocked but didn't stop to make their way out.

But before Noel could answer, they heard voices.

"We're found out," Lia pulled Noel's arm around her shoulder and quickly made it out of the staff's quarter. Hiding inside a room, Lia tapped on her hand. Noel noticed the circle and pattern on the back of it, "What are you doing?"

"Contacting Yano."

"Yano? He's here?"

Lia only nodded before Yano's voice appeared, "Lia!"

Hearing the worried and anxious tone in his voice, Noel looked at Lia while complicated feelings arrived. They got even more chaotic as Lia's gentle voice said, "I'm fine."

Lia might not even know that her expression has softened and a small smile tugged on her lips when Yano's voice first came. But Noel could see it.

Could it be that those two-?

Noel wore a wry smile. It seemed like he was a step too late. Or maybe he never had a chance to begin with.

"No, under no circumstance come!" Lia's hard voice brought Noel back. It seemed like Lia told him of their current situation.

"But-"

"No, we'll be fine. Noel's with me. If it's us two we can do it. Take care of the Mortal World."

Lia didn't tell Yano that Noel has lost his power. It was better this way. Yano would only abandon his duty and come for her. Frankly, Lia wasn't weak. If it was to escape, she could at least do that much.

"She'll be fine. I'm here, you don't trust me?" Noel took Lia's hand and spoke.

In the first place, he had no idea how that power worked.

"What? You who almost died and got caught?" Yano's playfulness was hidden.

Noel sighed, "Shut up, I'm doing fine now, ok? I ain't dead so cut me some slack, man."

After a few more minutes, Yano was conflicted then he agreed, "Alright."

"Good. Stick to yourse-"

"Noel!" Lia jumped up and pushed him to the side, right when a spear got stuck between them.

"Run!" Lia dashed towards the soldier in the door and tackled them down.

"Lia? Lia?" Yano's agitated voice rang through her hand.

"It's fine. Go! Talk to y-" the line was cut off.

"Lia? Lia! Dammit!" Yano cursed. Something must've happened to her. Yano looked at everyone around him and could barely contain his urge to bang on the table.

Meanwhile, Lia and Noel barely managed to escape a soldier who found them.

"They shut us in, we can't leave so easily," Noel concluded. Having realised that, Lia quickly worked her brain.

"I know a few places, we can hide but only for so long. We need to come up with a plan," Lia ran down the hallway while Noel followed. His body started to function properly again.

There were indeed a few places that Min might not know. However, Lia still wanted to avoid his area. Although maybe they wouldn't expect them to hide there.

In the first place, it was a stupid idea to get into the enemy base just like that. But the good thing was that Lia was able to reunite with Noel.

"We should be safe here for a while," the place Lia chose was none other than the inner court garden, the pavilion.

There was a small shed next to it. They wouldn't be able find them so easily here.

The starry night shone upon them through the cracks of the wooden shed. Noel was the first to open his mouth but his words surprised Lia, "Your relationship with Yano is?"

"Huh?" Lia caught off guard didn't know what to say. Everyone who saw Lia and Yano could already see because Yano was truly clingy but being asked this on the spot, Lia started to stutter nonsense, "W-Why are you asking? Haha Noel, what are you saying? Yano and I, we, I mean, the both of us.. well, you see-"

Noel quietly laughed, "I got it. Got it. It's obvious."

Lia was too flustered to notice the slight bitterness in Noel's voice. A slight sting hurt his heart and Noel quickly changed the topic, "Back to what I was saying, the assistant took me to his room after I managed to get to the palace. Then he led me to the room with the vitrine and took my power. He was really interested in it."

"So you really lost your power?"

"Yep, stupid of me ain't it?"

"No, I'm just glad you're alive," Lia's smile truly hurt Noel, a lot more than any of the fights he's been through. He could survive, he could emerge as the victor, he could gain anything, but this person in front of him could never be his.

"Thanks," Noel grinned.

"But isn't the assistant's power to create illusions?"

The assistance couldn't have multiple powers.

"He didn't use his power but my guess is the vitrine. The tubes absorbed my powers and," Noel's expression turned dark.

"Did you see the origin of the tubes?"

Now that Lia thought about it she didn't see where the tubes came from. They were shrouded in darkness before being connected to the vitrine.

"I saw it. Briefly," Noel stared blankly in front of him, "Just as the assistant knocked me out, I wanted to fight back. Then I saw it. A face. In the darkness staring back at me."

"Stop," Lia got a chill running down her spine This was too scary to think about. Lia hated horror and scary stories the most. Although her own life, especially with the corpses, was practically a horror story, "So, you're saying it's someone else's ability and that person is confined there?"

"I guess so. There's something else I found out," Noel turned to Lia, "That guy, the assistant, he's the one that successfully managed to create those artificial ghosts. He's an important key the Ghost King needs or needed. A crazy genius? Ha."

"Then we have to kill him," Lia concluded but Noel shook his head, "No, it ain't that easy. Because he took my power and made it his own."

Lia's eyes widened.

"Basically he can use all the abilities I've copied, some even from the others."

The others. Their allies. Used to be.

"This bastard," Lia grit her teeth, "No matter what you've to get it back. Copy it again."

Lia held her hand out, "What are you waiting for?"

"What you want to do?"

Lia threw her hair back and a furious glint was trapped in her dark and dangerous eyes, "I'm giving you your power back. Better said I'm giving you new ones."