[AFYC] Chapter 33

“Master...”

Seo Ah blinked and was suddenly back in her master’s final moments. She knelt before the woman, her tears soaking the ground as she clutched the small key hidden for so long. 

“Even if you don’t say it, I must go. I have to. You understand, right?” 

The woman, who had been lying with her eyes closed as if already dead, opened them immediately. 

“No, you can’t.” 

Even in her dying state, she spoke with remarkable clarity, explaining why Seo Ah couldn’t go. Blood continued to seep from where her arm had been severed, and Seo Ah, desperate, used a large piece of white cloth to bind the wound, hoping it would stop the bleeding, hoping it would keep her master from leaving like her grandfather had. 

“Stop that and listen to me.” 

Blood soaked through the bandage, a sight that caused Seo Ah more pain than she could bear, but her master seemed unfazed. 

“How can I stop when you’re bleeding like this?” 

“Stop it. Listen to me.” 

Her master placed a hand on Seo Ah’s cheek, which was as cold as ice. The only hand she had left felt as cold as death. At that, Seo Ah’s tears burst forth. It was just like the day her grandfather died; the tears wouldn’t stop. 

“How can I stay here?” 

How can I stay here without you or Grandfather? 

Her master, who had insisted Seo Ah stop and listen, fell silent. Her deep green eyes, so intense and beautiful, gazed into Seo Ah’s endlessly. Her expression was as unreadable as ever, but Seo Ah felt the despair radiating from her. 

Despair filled the woman’s eyes, and then, for the first time, Seo Ah saw tears fall from them as she spoke. 

“The key... two people seek that key. One is the man, and the other... the only sword that can kill him.” 

“Who is it? Where do I go? I’ll take the key to them myself—” 

“No!” 

Even as she lay dying, her master’s voice was sharp, commanding Seo Ah to listen carefully and to warn her not to reverse the order of things. Only then did she explain the only way to reclaim her grandfather’s remains and the only way to find her father? 

Go directly to the Royal Felphe Bank. You must get the key claimant certificate regardless of what happens. 

“And after that, both he and the sword that can kill him will come for you...” 

Her words, which had been so clear and deliberate, suddenly slowed. 

“Master!” 

Seo Ah cried out in alarm, and her master’s eyes, which had grown distant, focused again. 

“Remember well. The person you must follow is a Reinhardt...” 

But then, just as suddenly, her eyes went blank again. 

Seo Ah’s tears fell uncontrollably as she embraced her master. She hadn’t realised how cold her master’s once-strong body had become. 

Don’t die. Don’t leave me here alone. 

Seo Ah repeated these words, but her master’s hand fell weakly from her back. Her final words echoed in Seo Ah’s ears. 

“The Wolf... the Wolf will come.” 

The one who will kill him... and eventually, will kill you too... 

Her voice, filled with despair and echoing with the sobs that had filled the night, faded into nothing. 

Perhaps it was because she had seen her master after so long Or because she had been forced to witness the final moments rather than the good memories? 

It felt as though a deep sob, as if to match her grief, was coming from far away. It was almost a whimper, a sound of fear or pain. 

“Ah, sob... sob...” 

The sobs, filled with terror or pain, were followed by a cold voice devoid of any mercy. 

“It’s been more than expected, and she still hasn’t woken up.” 

“One minute! It’s only been one minute! If you wait just a little longer—” 

“Cut off a finger.” 

“Ahhh! Wait, wait!” 

The conversation was terrifying, and the sensations around her felt more like reality than a dream. 

Through her closed eyelids, she could sense the dull light, hear the bustling footsteps, and feel the occasional touch of air against her skin. 

“Just wait a little longer, please. She’s waking up!” 

“Waking up, my ass. If she were awake, she’d be up already. Who gave her the drug in the first place?” 

It didn’t seem like a dream. 

And with that realisation, reality came crashing in as if the world had flipped upside down. 

Where am I? 

Who are these people? Why am I lying here? Wait, I... 

Her heart began to pound loudly, and her palms grew sweaty.