As the giant tiger sank its teeth into my head and tore it from my body, my life came to an end. In an instant, I was dead, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
All physical sensation vanished, yet my mind was still functioning. I don't know why, but I could still hear my own voice echoing in my head. I appeared in a vast expanse, surrounded by endless stars as if I were floating in deep space. I couldn't comprehend what was happening, but I was mesmerized by the beauty of the swirling constellations.
"What's happening? Why is the pain gone? Where am I?"
Ahead of me, a light flickered. To my shock, the Time Sword Ora had given me was suspended in the center of that glow. I had no idea what was going on; I couldn't feel my body, as if I were merely a lingering consciousness.
Only seconds after seeing the sword's light, a sudden force pulled me into a hole that looked like a black hole.
A moment later, my surroundings shifted. I was in the middle of a street, standing with Lavender.
I stopped walking and collapsed to my knees. I was gasping for air, gripped by a paralyzing fear, still carrying the trauma of my desperate, failed struggle against the giant tiger. My body trembled as I stared at my hands.
"Huh? What's wrong, Master Aren?" Lavender asked.
My eyes widened. I looked around frantically, searching for the merchant's men who had attacked me.
"What's wrong, Aren? Does your stomach hurt?" Ora asked from the crystal.
I couldn't believe it, but I could feel the dirt beneath my palms. I was truly there—and I was alive.
"Ora... I'm alive again. I've returned from death," I stammered.
Ora looked at me with confusion, asking why I was so tense. I didn't know how to explain it, but I told her I had died in the forest and suddenly found myself back here. I knew it wasn't just a dream; the memories were too vivid.
"Aren, are you serious?"
Ora was skeptical, so I explained how I was attacked in the middle of the night and killed, yet I had somehow returned to a time when we were still in town.
"The Time Sword must be the reason I'm still alive. Could it have rewound time on its own to save me?"
Ora went quiet, thinking. She said she had never seen anyone return from the dead, so she wasn't aware the Time Sword possessed such a feat. However, she admitted it was highly likely the sword had intervened to save its master.
"If you died in the forest, that's far beyond your current territory. Remember, you can only rewind time by about three minutes manually. The sword must have acted on its own to pull you back this far," Ora added.
"So the Time Sword can resurrect me by rewinding time, even if I don't command it?"
She found it strange that the sword acted independently, as spells usually require a master's command. If I were dead, I wouldn't have been able to give an order or cast a spell. Ora admitted this was unprecedented, but she warned me not to be entirely happy about what the sword had done.
The Time Sword requires energy and a command from its master. If it made a decision without an order, it meant it forcibly drew energy from me.
"The Time Sword can manipulate your time in this world, but instead of eating your stamina, it takes your very life as fuel," Ora said seriously.
"In short, it brought you back, but it shortened your lifespan," she added.
I was stunned. Ora warned me again never to command the sword to rewind beyond my limits like that, because it was incredibly dangerous. Reversing time to that extent sucks away life energy. She warned me to be wary of a weapon that moves on its own without permission.
"You don't even know how much time you've lost. It could be ten days or even a month of your lifespan. You'll die much earlier than your natural time on earth," she said. "Think about it: you escaped death today, but you'll die young because the time the sword 'ate' can never be returned."
Despite the danger, she was grateful I was alive and noted that I now had time to prevent the tragedy and avoid that death. She asked exactly what happened and why I was attacked.
I looked at Lavender, who was standing quietly in front of me. I realized the reason for those men's rage was what Lavender had done to the trade house. I chose not to say anything yet to avoid scaring her, and besides, I didn't know the full details of what she had done in that "other" timeline.
A few minutes later, I brought Lavender back to the abandoned house in the forest. While she was fixing up her room, Ora and I talked outside.
I explained everything that had happened in the previous timeline. She was shocked but believed Lavender was capable of it, given she possessed a Celestial Item. Ora noted that since I hadn't left Lavender in town this time, she wouldn't have a reason to attack the trade house.
"Right. That happened because I left her alone and something went wrong," I said.
Ora wondered why Lavender would attack so violently, and if she had that much power, why she hadn't used it until then. I suspected she wanted revenge against the masters who abused her.
"Whatever the reason," Ora said, "the big question is: what is your plan now?"
I sighed. I figured the attack by the merchant's men wouldn't happen now because Lavender was with me. I went inside and saw Lavender in her new clothes. I complimented her, saying she looked much better than before.
"Thank you, Master. But is it really alright for me to use the things you bought?" she asked.
I smiled and told her to treat it as a gift, and I told her again not to call me "Master" since she wasn't a slave anymore. Still troubled by the power she might be hiding, I asked her if she knew about the Celestial Item she carried.
She gasped and stepped back, looking frightened. It was clear she was hiding something.
"Don't be afraid. I don't have bad intentions. I just want to know if you're aware of the item you have."
Lavender looked down and fell silent. "When I was a child, a spirit appeared to me and gave me a weapon. It was a curse... it's the reason I ended up as a slave."
I was curious and asked for more details. Lavender sadly explained that she was an ordinary girl until that "spirit item" ruined her life. She couldn't control it; it seemed to have a mind of its own and would suddenly attack others. Their house burned down, and her family fell into deep debt. Her parents were taken as slaves to pay it off, and they eventually died from the labor.
I felt a pang of sadness. She had every reason to want revenge against those who exploited her family.
"So they really wronged you. Lavender... I'm not giving you ideas, but do you plan on getting revenge on the trade houses that abused your family?"
She shook her head. "I don't think about revenge anymore. I don't want trouble, and I never want to use that spirit item again. It only brings tragedy."
I saw the deep sorrow in her eyes and decided not to push further. "That's probably for the best. Revenge rarely brings anything good. Just forget the past and start a new life."
I scratched my head and told her I would likely be leaving Hayem soon for another mission. I asked what she planned to do now that she was free. She admitted she had no one else and didn't know how to start over.
"To be honest, when you told me I was free, I was so happy. Being a slave was so hard. But... I realized I don't know how to live on my own," she added.
She suddenly went to her room and came back with the iron collar she used to wear as a slave. She stood before me, pleading.
"Please let me go with you. I'm willing to be your slave and follow all your orders," she begged.
I was stunned. She was so happy to be free, yet now she was asking to be a slave again. I refused immediately, but the sadness on her face was heartbreaking. I asked why she would want that.
"I know it's hard, but I think you are a good person. I have no other way to survive. I never went to school; I only know how to rely on a master for food," she explained.
I realized she wanted to be a slave just for survival. It made sense; who would hire an uneducated demi-human? I thought back to the previous timeline—when I gave her money and left her alone, things turned miserable and violent.
But I was committed to her freedom. I told her that even if she was serious, I wouldn't accept her as a slave—but she could accompany me on my journey.
"Really? You'll take me with you?" she asked with a bright smile.
Before I could answer, Ora popped out of the crystal. "Wait!!! Are you sure? She can't control her Celestial Item. She'll just be dead weight!"
I grabbed Ora to keep her away from Lavender and told Lavender to ignore her. Ora had a point, but I couldn't just throw her back into the streets.
"You can come with me. Not as a slave, but as... a friend."
She was overjoyed and thanked me profusely, promising to make it up to me one day. Since it was getting late, I told her to rest. We would wait for the hunter to bring the money tomorrow, then we would leave Hayem.
She had a beautiful smile as she went to her room. She seemed so innocent, like a gentle child. No one would ever guess she was destined to be a "Destroyer."
Ora sighed in disappointment. "I don't know if I can trust your judgment anymore," she muttered.
"What's the harm in taking her along? Isn't it better if I can keep an eye on her?" I asked.
Ora argued that Lavender would only be useful if she used her Celestial Item, but if she was too afraid to use it and was just coming along for the food, she'd be a burden. She reminded me this wasn't a vacation; the path ahead was dangerous, and not every member of the Black Scorpion would be as "nice" as Lavender.
"I know that, but I can't just cast her out. And who knows? Maybe she can learn to use her item properly if we help her," I said.
I didn't dismiss the possibility that she might complicate the mission, but this was the only way I could monitor her. There was still a high chance she could cause trouble if she couldn't control her power. This was my way of preventing her from becoming a villain.
I eventually fell asleep on the sofa, hoping for the best.