Chapter 27
"Because I am," he answered.
I blinked in surprise.
"What?"
Before I could ask anything else, the carriage suddenly came to a stop.
"This is as far as I can take you," the coachman said from the front.
Uncle opened the carriage door and stepped outside.
"Come on," he said.
I climbed out after him.
"We'll walk from here," Uncle said.
I simply followed him, wondering.
Why is he sending me away so suddenly?
Did I do something wrong?
I glanced at Uncle as we continued walking.
He hadn't said much since we left the carriage.
The more we walked, the more uneasy I became.
Then, in the distance, I noticed a few houses.
A small village came into view.
But the moment I saw it, I stopped.
Something was terribly wrong.
The village was shrouded in darkness.
The trees surrounding the village were completely lifeless.
Even the grass had withered, leaving the ground dry and barren.
Dead animals lay scattered along the path.
And among them were small monsters.
My eyes widened.
Dark patches covered their bodies.
They looked exactly like the monster in the cage I had used my divine power on.
"What happened here...?" I whispered.
"This village has been corrupted by dark magic," Uncle said grimly.
I looked around uneasily.
We continued walking into the village.
The sight only became worse.
A few people were still wandering around the streets, but they barely looked alive.
They were painfully thin, their faces pale and sunken.
Dark patches covered their skin, spreading across their arms, necks, and faces.
Some could barely stand.
Others sat against the walls of their houses, too weak to move.
My chest tightened.
Then, a small child slowly approached us.
The child looked no more than six or seven years old.
His clothes hung loosely from his thin body, and dark patches covered his arms and cheeks.
He looked up at us with tired eyes.
"Do you have any food?" he asked weakly.
Uncle reached into his bag and handed the child a piece of bread.
"Here," he said.
The child immediately grabbed it and hurried away.
Uncle and I continued walking.
After a few minutes, he suddenly stopped.
"We're here," he said.
I looked around.
We were standing in the center of the village.
I turned to Uncle, confused.
"What are we doing here?" I asked.
"I want you to purify this village," Uncle said.
My eyes widened.
"The whole village?" I asked.
"Yes."
I looked around at the lifeless trees, the sick villagers, and the dark patches covering their bodies.
"But... I don't think I can do that," I admitted.
Uncle flicked my forehead.
"Ow!"
"Believe in yourself!" Uncle said firmly.
I rubbed my forehead and glared at him.
"Just release your divine power," he instructed. "Don't worry about losing control. Even if it happens, your power will only destroy the monsters."
I took a deep breath and looked around the village again.
Could I really purify all of this?
"I'll try," I said.
I closed my eyes and focused.
Deep inside me, I could feel my divine power stirring.
I concentrated on the sensation, allowing the power to flow through me. Slowly, it spread through every part of my body, growing stronger with each passing moment.
I took a deep breath and steadied myself.
Then I opened my eyes.
A dazzling white light, shimmering with a golden glow, enveloped my entire body.
"Release it," Uncle said gently. "Don't hold it back. Let your divine power flow freely."
I nodded and concentrated, focusing on the power within me.
Slowly, I released it.
The light spread from my body, flowing across the village.
Every blade of grass and every plant it touched gradually turned green, coming back to life.
Even the trees began to change.
Their withered branches slowly sprouted fresh green leaves, filling the village with life once more.
The village that had seemed so lifeless moments ago was now filled with color.
Green grass covered the ground, flowers bloomed, and fresh leaves rustled gently in the breeze.
"It's... coming back to life!"
A gasp came from the villagers.
"She's doing it..."
"She's purifying us!"
One of the villagers slowly stepped forward, reaching toward the light surrounding me.
As my divine power touched him, the dark patches covering his skin slowly began to fade.
His eyes widened.
"It's disappearing..."
Another villager hurried forward.
"Please! Heal me too!"
More people began approaching me, allowing my divine power to touch them.
One by one, the dark patches on their bodies disappeared.
Even the animals were affected.
The sick and weakened animals slowly lifted their heads as the darkness faded from them. Their eyes became clearer, and their bodies gradually regained their strength.
I drew out more of my divine power and released it.
The light spread even farther.
Across the houses.
Across the roads.
Across the fields.
I could feel my strength draining with every second.
My head began to spin.
My vision blurred.
"I can't stop yet..."
There was still more to purify.
I pushed myself further.
More divine power flowed from me, reaching the farthest parts of the village.
Then, finally...
The darkness disappeared.
The entire village had been purified.
I let out a shaky breath.
"You can stop now..."
Uncle's voice reached me.
I tried to turn toward him.
"Uncle..."
My knees suddenly gave way.
"Whoa!"
Before I could fall, Uncle caught me.
He steadied me in his arms as I struggled to keep my eyes open.
"You did great," Uncle said.
His voice echoed in my mind.
I smiled.
The last thing I saw was Uncle smiling back at me before everything went dark.
★★★
"Luna, wake up!"
I slowly opened my eyes, only to be greeted by Uncle's worried face.
I rubbed my eyes and looked around.
I was inside a small house.
"We need to go now," he said as he picked up my bag and handed it to me.
"Where are we?"
Uncle helped me to my feet.
"We're still in the village," he said, his voice gentle as he steadied me. "You were unconscious for a while."
He walked out of the house first, and I followed him.
The moment we stepped outside, I was greeted by a crowd of villagers waiting for us.
They were smiling.
And they looked completely different from before.
The dark patches that had covered their skin were gone. Their faces were no longer pale and sickly. They looked healthy-almost as if the darkness had never touched them.
"Thank you for saving us!"
The villagers' voices filled the air.
Some had tears in their eyes as they looked at me with heartfelt gratitude.
Then, an elderly man around Uncle's age stepped forward.
He looked at Uncle and spoke with grateful eyes.
"Thank you for keeping your promise, Silas."
Uncle grinned.
"You should thank my niece. She's the one who saved our village."
The man's gaze shifted toward me.
He bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Miss. We will forever be grateful to you."
I smiled awkwardly and gave him a small nod.
"You know them, Uncle?" I asked, unable to hide my curiosity.
Uncle nodded.
"I was born and raised here."
The smile faded from his face, and his expression grew sad.
"Years ago, this village was nothing like what you saw when we arrived."
He looked around at the villagers.
"Then the corruption began."
His voice grew quieter.
"It didn't only affect the people. The plants, the trees, the animals... everything was slowly consumed by it."
He paused.
"People began developing those dark patches on their skin. At first, there were only a few. But as the corruption spread, more and more people became affected. Even my mother."
His gaze lowered.
"I was the only one who remained unaffected. My divine power protected me from the corruption."
I remained silent as he continued.
"I used my power to help purify them, but it wasn't enough," he said.
He clenched his hands.
"I couldn't save everyone."
His voice grew heavier.
"Eventually, my mother died and that's when I left the village."
He fell silent for a moment.
His eyes moved across the people standing before us.
"I made a promise to them that I would return one day and restore this village."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
He looked around at the green trees, the healthy animals, and the villagers who now stood before us with smiles on their faces.
"And now..."
His smile grew warmer.
"I've finally kept my promise."
He turned toward me, his eyes filled with warmth and gratitude.
"Thanks to you."
Before I could respond, a voice suddenly called out from the crowd.
"Someone's coming this way!"
The villagers turned toward the road.
I followed their gaze and saw several figures approaching from the distance.
They were still too far away to make out their faces, but they seemed to be heading straight toward the village.
"Who could they be?" someone asked.
The crowd murmured among themselves as the strangers drew closer.
Uncle's expression changed immediately.
His eyes widened, and the warmth that had been there moments ago vanished.
"Luna, you need to go. Now!" Uncle said urgently.
"Why? So suddenly?" I asked, confused by his sudden change.
Uncle glanced at the approaching men again, his jaw tightening.
"I think they're here for us," he said grimly. "That witch must have sent them."
His hands curled into fists, and a flash of anger crossed his face.
"What are you talking about, Uncle?" I asked, my confusion growing.
"We don't have time to explain," he said firmly. "You need to leave. Now."
The elderly man from earlier stepped forward.
"We'll buy you some time," he said. "You two should go."
Before I could argue, Uncle grabbed my arm and pulled me away.
"Come on!"
We hurried toward a narrow path leading away from the village.
But suddenly-
Screams echoed behind us.
I froze, then quickly turned around.
The men had entered the village.
Their swords flashed as they attacked the villagers.
"No..." Uncle stopped, his face filled with horror as he stared at the scene.
"Go on your own. Follow the path; it will take you to the border!" Uncle said firmly before turning back toward the village.
"Uncle, wait!"
I ran after him.
I pulled out my sword as I rushed back into the village.
I joined the fight, clashing with the mysterious men as they attacked the villagers.
They were incredibly skilled. Every strike was precise and powerful, forcing me to put all my strength into blocking their attacks.
"What are you doing?!" Uncle shouted as he knelt beside an injured villager, using his divine power to heal them. "You need to go!"
"No!"
I blocked another attack with my sword.
"I'm not leaving you!"
Uncle's expression hardened.
"Luna, listen to me!"
He looked at me, anger and fear mixing in his eyes.
"The Queen..." His voice shook with fury.
"That bitch will be celebrating if both of us die here!"