Chapter 153: The Second Reincarnation
The air in the small hut crackled with the raw power of her anger. The spear of light, as thick as her thigh, grazed his shoulder and tore through the wooden wall, leaving a charred hole in its wake. Clearly, the elven miss was not completely consumed by her rage.
Rhodes flinched, his triumphant grin instantly replaced by a look of contrition and a desperate attempt at appeasement. "Calm down, Lady Serie! Let me explain!" he said, his hands held up in a placating gesture as he braved her murderous gaze.
"Explain!? What is there to explain?" she said, advancing on him, her steps heavy on the wooden floor. "Explain why you didn't tell me sooner? Explain why you lied to me—" Her voice broke, and a new wave of shame washed over her. It was all his fault. She should have just buried him herself and been done with it.
"I didn't lie, my lady. This body... it really is at its limit," he said quickly.
She paused, her anger now tinged with confusion. "Then what was that about extending your life?"
"Reincarnation," he said with a deep breath, and began to explain. "Do you remember when I told you that I had to use a secret art of reincarnation to get rid of the goddess's curse?"
"I do. I thought you could only use it once. A thing like that... it's too dangerous. There's no record of anything like it in history."
"It is dangerous," he admitted. "And the most important thing... is that you must have the authority over life." He pointed to himself. "And I... just happen to have it. So what do you think? Can I use it again?"
"But it's too risky. A single mistake, and your soul could be completely annihilated."
"But there's no other choice, is there? And with each reincarnation, the magical formula becomes more perfect. In other words, with each one, the risk becomes smaller. Don't worry."
"..."
He was right. They had no other choice.
It had taken him thirty years to complete the process last time. But this time... he wouldn't disappear. She just had to wait.
"Thirty years..." she murmured, her sense of time, once again, a little skewed. For an elf, thirty, fifty years... it was nothing. As long as he was by her side, it was a wait worth making. "How long will it take this time?"
She was hoping for a smaller number, a shorter wait.
"I don't know. I can't guarantee how long each reincarnation will take. The last time it was thirty years. This time... it could be faster, or it could be slower," he said honestly. "I can't give you a definite time."
This time, she was the one to take his hand, a gesture that he, himself, had so often initiated. "It's alright," she said, her voice a strange mixture of command and a plea. "Thirty years, fifty, even a hundred... I will be here, waiting for you. But..." a new urgency entered her voice, "don't go alone this time. I want to be by your side."
How could he refuse? He had originally planned to do it alone, as he had before, to avoid any distractions or risks. But now... he couldn't say no.
"Alright," he said with a firm nod. "We'll do it together."
In the days that followed, he transformed their small hut into a massive magic circle, with complex runes covering every inch of the floor and walls. The last time, he had been in a hurry and hadn't been able to properly fine-tune the circle, which had led to a difficult adjustment period with his new body. This time, he would do it right. He would skip the rehabilitation phase altogether. The "reincarnation" was, after all, just a remaking of his own body. He was still himself.
And she helped him.
She did not have the authority over life, so she could not participate in the spell itself. But she was a powerful mage, and she could help him to construct the magical formula.
When all was ready, he lay down in the center of the circle, and as she watched, a light enveloped him.
And she was alone again.
But this time, it was a different kind of alone. This time, she was waiting.
The flowers outside the hut bloomed and faded, over and over, and her own restless heart, with each passing day, grew calmer, more patient. She stopped counting the years. She just watched him, his familiar form now wreathed in light.
Fifty years passed in the blink of an eye.
And then, one day, the spell was complete. The light of the magic circle flared, a brilliant, blinding light that drew her attention and stirred her tranquil heart.
And then it began to recede, to contract, and then... it was gone.
In the center of the circle, a familiar figure was standing.
It was him, his body now filled with a vibrant, new life. He moved his arms and legs. The spell had been a success. There was no discomfort, no awkwardness. He was himself again.
And then his gaze fell upon her, the one who had been waiting for him.
She stared at him, at that familiar face, and the joy she had suppressed for fifty long years now washed over her.
"Rhodes!"
She couldn't hold it in any longer. She ran to him and threw her arms around him.
"It's me, Serie," he said, and held her close. "I've kept you waiting."
She shook her head, her face buried in his chest. Then, she looked up at him. "So you'll be able to live forever now? To adventure with me forever?"
He stroked her hair. She was so gentle, so pliant in his arms. "Yes. As long as I can continue to reincarnate, I can walk with you, forever. I will always be here."
A look of pure, unadulterated joy filled her eyes, but was then replaced by a flicker of confusion. "As long as you can reincarnate? You mean... this body's lifespan is not infinite?"
A look of resignation came over his face. "Yes. I can't quite decipher the formula for creating a truly immortal race yet. Perhaps, with a long, long time, I can. But for now... this is the only way."
The light in her eyes dimmed for a moment, but then it returned, brighter than before. She reached up and gently touched his familiar face, and then, her hand slid down and she took his own.
"It doesn't matter," she said, her voice soft but firm. "Even if I have to wait a hundred years next time, I will be here. I will wait for you. As long as your soul remembers to return... my waiting will always be worth it."
He squeezed her hand. In the future, there would be many more farewells, and many more reunions. But as long as they had each other... the wait would always be worth it.
(End of chapter)
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