@@@AUTHOR'S NOTE@@@
I planned on uploading these remaining chapters on the last day of May but oh well, whatever, I'll just upload it now to end your time of waiting... Though it will just be a thirteen chapter... this will be the final volume... Please enjoy it... ^_^
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"What's wrong?"
Saphira turned to Willow.
Their group is walking around the imperial city to check the current reconstruction of everything.
Most of the people living in the imperial city were relocated to the six other kingdoms under the Qillian Empire. They are to renovate it before the people could return.
Of course, this includes the small villages surrounding the imperial city.
The whole land where the battle occurred was greatly damaged. Especially the imperial city. It may take a year or two before they can finish it even with their powers.
"It's nothing," Saphira replied.
She glanced back at the dark alley before she started chatting with the rest.
Even though they planned on leaving the empire after the war. Their help is still needed at this moment, that they can't just leave.
"You seem to be spacing out a lot," Hunter spoke to her.
"Well, sometimes it feels like a lot of eyes are looking at me," she answered honestly.
It has been three months since the war ended. She woke up a week after collapsing due to mana deficiency. At first, she was doing fine but soon, she started feeling a lot of eyes on her no matter where she goes.
"Maybe it's because you are the main star of the battle? I mean, a lot of people are idolizing you at the moment," Nixon commented.
Saphira simply agreed but she still felt different.
It was not simply eyes that were looking at her.
They were eyes filled with greed.
"You don't seem truly convinced with what Nixon said a while ago," Hunter commented when there were only the two of them.
Night came before they were done with all their rounds on the imperial city.
Now, Hunter was walking her back to her home.
"Just that, it doesn't seem like it was simply looking-"
She abruptly turned to a dark alley before she could finish her sentence.
"What is it?" Hunter turned to where she was looking.
Saphira, who was used to all glares, couldn't help but to shiver in response to what she was feeling.
"There it is again, the feeling of being stared at like a prey with pairs of greedy eyes. Yet whenever I turned, there was nothing in there."
Hunter knew of her strength and she would never feel this way even when it comes to unknown enemies. Yet, she was showing this kind of reaction.
'What do you think?' he asked Qirin.
'There really was nothing there,' Qirin replied.
"Have you not asked Vermilion Bird or Lily?" Hunter asked her as he placed his arm around her shoulders, even just for a bit he wished to alleviate the obvious fear she was showing.
Saphira indeed felt better feeling his presence.
She shook her head, "Both of them are still asleep."
After the battle, both fell into deep slumber.
Vermilion Bird was still recovering from the times he was forcefully passed. So it was no question that he would once again fall unconscious to recover due to the burden of what they had done.
Lily was the guardian of the light ability. With how much they used it, Saphira understood that she also took damage from it.
It seems that the two of them were the ones who received most of the damage.
She was also waiting for them to wake up and understand what she was feeling because it doesn't seem like the others were feeling it.
Not even the mythological beasts.
After getting back, Saphira walked up to her mother.
"Mom."
"Yes dear?"
"Can I sleep with you tonight?"
Carmilla was stunned but Saphira showed shyness as she asked this.
"Just that it seems your grown up daughter is quite scared to sleep on her own at the moment."
"What's wrong?"
Worry instantly filled Carmilla, Archie and Asherton's faces.
Saphira waved her hand, "I am fine. Uhmmm... I guess it's a bit of a post war something?"
Since she also couldn't understand what was going on and what she was feeling. Saphira felt this nagging feeling that it is better to not stay alone as much as possible.
"Well, why don't we sleep together then?" Carmilla said seeing this uncharacteristic fear that Saphira was showing.
Archie and Asherton looked at one another before nodding at each other.
When the two ladies went to sleep, the two men decided to stay up and guard them.
Yet, the day broke and there was nothing. Just that Saphira was in between sleep and being awake. Even though she knew that her father and grandfather were there standing on guard because of her sudden request. She still couldn't fall into deep sleep.
This went on for a few more nights.
"Are you okay?" Carmilla asked worriedly, handing her a glass of milk.
Saphira was pale and she felt lethargic.
"Thank you," she sat up from her lying position on their couch and accepted the warm milk.
It was not only her family who was there.
Even her group of friends were there.
Today was supposed to be their farewell party for Felix as he needed to go back to his kingdom to help out as well.
Obviously with the dark lord's rise, the whole world plunged into chaos with the rise in the number of the demonic beasts.
Felix is returning to help in leading the reconstruction of their kingdom.
"I can only apologize," Saphira said to them.
"It is fine. Your condition is what is important," Felix spoke.
Saphira smiled, even at this moment, despite the fact that she is being surrounded by so many people. The eyes remained there, staring at her greedily.
This was what she was feeling for the past few days. And it kept getting worse as the time passed by.
"Seriously what is going on?" Stormie asked in worry.
'SAPHIRA!!'
Saphira's eyes went wide upon hearing Lily's voice.
It was filled with urgency.
"Li-"
Before she could continue, her shadow suddenly burst, like a water that exploded from beneath the surface.
It turned to little hands that wrapped around her body and pulled her down.
Everything happened in split seconds.
A ball of light flew out of her.
Before the hole that suddenly pulled her down was closed, Hunter, who was able to take out his sword, pierced through it leaving a small opening on it.
The ball of light casted a sphere of light around it as miasma slowly seeped through this hole. Before another layer was casted around the sword and the floor in order for it to be closed without pulling the sword out.
"SAPHIRA!!!!"