Episode 5
Just as she opened her lips again, a violent heat surged from within her.
It bubbled up like boiling water, then rushed through her body as if it was searing all her internal organs.
Unable to swallow the heat rising to her throat, Lapia coughed violently, finally vomiting it out.
It was the side effect of pushing herself too far—her body wasn’t ready to use power yet.
That meant her spell, which bound the two men, could break at any moment.
“N-No, it can’t end like this.”
Lapia’s voice trembled, and so did her eyes.
The heat flowing down her chin made her panic even more. If she lost consciousness now, all her effort would be for nothing—she would be handed over to the sponsor just like in her first life.
‘Please, just once more. Just one more time.’
Her body was clearly at its limit. Fatigue spread rapidly through her limbs.
Her vision blurred, and her eyelids, heavy as lead, kept trying to fall shut.
Desperately, she clung to her fading consciousness and forced her eyes open.
Then, staring straight at the men one by one, she opened her trembling lips:
[Lose consciousness. Fall.]
“W-What…?”
“Why… so suddenly…”
The fierce glare in the men’s eyes—like they were ready to tear her apart—faded.
The whites of their eyes spread, their focus vanished, and their eyeballs rolled back.
Their bodies collapsed to the filthy alley floor like puppets with their strings cut.
‘It… worked!’
Lapia, who had been holding her breath in fear, let out a quiet sigh and approached the fallen men.
“…Ugh.”
Using up her last ounce of power made her head spin.
‘I can’t pass out here.’
She bit down on her lip hard enough to draw blood, trying to stay conscious.
Then she poked their heads and shoulders lightly with her toe. No reaction.
“They’re out cold. Thank goodness.”
Haaah… Lapia let out a huge breath, her body relaxing all at once.
“Thank goodness. Really…”
Just as she staggered away, breathing in relief—
“Hooh.”
A man’s voice came from the darkness, making Lapia freeze.
‘Someone’s nearby…?’
What was that? Were there more pursuers besides those two?
She held her breath again.
“You’ve got an interesting talent.”
Step, step…
Footsteps crunched closer over debris and trash.
‘I have to run. I have to get away.’
Lapia shook her head hard and stumbled forward again, urgency rising.
She thought Yuri had come to catch her himself.
‘I can’t be caught!’
But after all the running and pushing her power to the limit, her body was done.
Her legs, heavy with fatigue, no longer obeyed her.
Thud!
Even though nothing was in her way, Lapia tripped over her own feet and crashed to the ground.
‘I’m doomed.’
She squeezed her eyes shut, face pressed to the floor.
She quickly tried to check if any power remained in her—but the gate to her Word Magic was completely closed.
She pushed herself up on trembling hands.
Her body, heavy as a soaked sponge, moved like a slow turtle.
Had someone already gotten close?
Someone gently grabbed her thin arm from behind, trying to help her up.
“Hey, are you okay?”
The voice belonged to a young boy—not yet past puberty.
—I’ll take the child with me shortly.
For a brief moment, Lapia felt as if Yuri’s voice had layered over the boy’s.
“N-No!”
Terrified that Yuri had caught her, her body locked up with fear.
She shook her head fiercely.
Her silver hair, damp with cold sweat, clung to her face, narrowing her already blurred vision.
‘I can’t be caught!’
She couldn’t bear to live like that again.
Panicked, Lapia screamed blindly.
“Let go! Let go of me!”
Without even checking who was holding her, she twisted her body wildly to break free.
“No! Let me go! Please…!”
“Hey, calm down.”
The startled boy raised his voice a little.
But when she didn’t stop struggling, he repeated himself more clearly:
“I’m here to help you.”
“H-Help…?”
His unexpected words froze Lapia in place.
Slowly, she turned her head.
Trying to earn her trust, the boy spoke again with more strength.
“Yes. I’m here to help you.”
Then he pulled back his hood.
Something about that gesture immediately put Lapia at ease.
‘He’s not the first Yuri. He’s someone else.’
The alley was so narrow no moonlight could seep through—pitch dark.
Even so, she couldn’t see the boy’s face clearly.
Still, what reassured her was that he didn’t hesitate to show his face.
‘He’s not Yuri…’
Lapia let go of her resistance, relaxing slightly.
As if grasping a lifeline, she now clung to his sleeve with her small hands.
Then, in a tearful, desperate voice, she asked over and over:
“Really? You’ll really help me?”
A kind of desperation the boy could never understand.
After a moment of gazing at her face, he nodded.
“…Yeah.”
He was still clearly a child, but the quiet weight in his voice gave her strange comfort.
Oddly enough, her heart began to pound wildly—perhaps with hope that she could finally escape this nightmare.
“Then please… Please don’t let him take me.”
“Who’s him?”
But Lapia couldn’t answer.
“Ugh…”
The nausea returned, and she couldn’t hold it back this time. Dark red blood spilled from her mouth.
She had pushed herself too far with the spells. As time passed, her body grew heavier and her eyes harder to keep open.
‘I can’t pass out yet…’
Panic surged again. Shaking, she drew in a breath and whispered:
“Please… Please…”
Tears welled up again, spilling down her cheeks before she could wipe them away.
“Why… why are you crying?”
The boy seemed flustered by her tears.
He sighed quietly, then spoke again.
“All right. Just calm down first. I don’t know where he is, but I won’t let you be taken there.”
Lapia’s sobs gradually quieted at his words.
Sniffling, she nodded.
“Then… If I get out of here… is there anywhere you can go?”
She hesitated.
Why now…?
One name floated to her mind.
“…Soleia.”
Was that the right decision?
Without thinking logically, acting only on instinct, she let the name slip from her lips.
“…What?”
The boy’s voice sounded… displeased?
Lapia interpreted his tone as rejection.
Worry consumed her. Panic flared again. Hot tears spilled, and she clung to him even more desperately.
With a faint, trembling voice that sounded like it might vanish at any moment, she pleaded:
“Please… Please take me to Soleia…”
“Wait, just calm down—”
“Ah…”
A faint groan slipped from her lips.
Her vision blackened—she could no longer see the boy in front of her.
‘No… not yet.’
Lapia shook her head again and again, trying to hold on to consciousness. Thankfully, her vision returned—but unfocused and hazy.
No matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept slipping away.
She wasn’t in any condition to use her power, but she had pushed herself far beyond her limits.
The exhaustion she couldn’t withstand finally came to consume her.
‘I’m going to pass out soon.’
Lapia knew it—so she said what she had to with all her remaining strength.
“Please…”
Gripping the boy’s clothes tightly, she whispered:
“Take me… to… Sole…ia…”
But she couldn’t finish the sentence.
She finally collapsed—unconscious.
—Lapia.
A gentle whisper, like someone calling a cherished name—Yuri’s voice from the first life.
—Lapia, my special girl.
And Lapia realized this was a dream.
A memory from when she was thirteen in her first life.
Summary
