"No! No! No! I can't die!" Nux yelled frantically but it was too late.
The moment the figures said the word 'Die' his head disappeared from his neck. But before he died, he watched them take Isabella away despite her struggles.
'I failed... I'm useless!' Nux cried as darkness shrouded his eyes.
.....
"Are you even listening to me at all?" Val's tiny voice entered Nux's ears bringing him alive and when he opened his eyes, he saw himself standing before the angry-looking boy.
"What were you saying?" Nux asked, scratching his hair. 'I'm back again, hah'.
"Are you even listening at all, fool!" Val yelled, visibly angry at Nux. "I told you not to leave but you insist on going to see that witch! She's going to put you into trouble! What if something happens to you and you don't come back alive?"
Nux forced out a saddened smile. Val was clearly worried about him. 'Die you say?' Je thought and scoffed inwardly. The latter didn't know that he had already died.
If it wasn't because of... Wait a minute!
If it were before, the mechanical voice in his head would tell him what to do but this time, nothing happened and he happened to come back alive. How was that possible?
"Hey!" Val yelled. "Say something!"
Nux sighed. He didn't know why this was happening but he guess it was for a reason and that reason was Isabella. Dying didn't scare him any longer because he believed that he can return no matter how many times he died.
"I'm sorry, kid but I have to go," he turned to Val and said. "The person you are calling a witch saved my life and I am not the kind of person to owe debts. I must go back and save her, she needs my help."
With that, Nux ran off, leaving behind Val who kept calling him to return. He ran all the way to Isabella's home without stopping to take a break. He was scared of wasting any second because that second lost may lead to Isabella's death and he didn't want that happening.
Those men dressed in black robes, who were they? Why were they after Isabella? Why did they call her a witch and why were they so unbelievably strong? It just took them a word to finish him off like a fowl. Just a word! If wasn't for his fate, he would have long be dead. The thought of it caused his heart to beat faster than usual. He had to do something, anything that will help keep Isabella alive. If only he was strong...
Thinking about it, he doesn't know anything about himself yet. In a world, isn't he supposed to have some kind of powers? Why hasn't he ever felt power surging within him?
No! This wasn't the time to be thinking about that problem. Probably after everything has settled, he would seek answers for himself. But now....
He finally stopped running, he panted for a bit and then pushed open the gate and went in. The noise from the commotion led him to the place where Isabella was standing in front of her parents, there were tears in her eyes as she stared at them.
"You can leave, never to return!" Her father, Lord Thomas yelled at her. "I do not wish to ever see you again. As long as I am concerned, I never had a daughter called Isabella." With that, he stormed out of the house. As he got to the door, he saw Nux but he angrily walked past him, storming out of the house.
"Mother..." Isabella cried and turned to her mother but Lady Sophia was just like her husband.
"Don't call me mother you little witch!" The lady spat, anger burning in her eyes as she glared at her daughter. "To think that I carried a witch in my belle for nine months... oh! I curse the day I gave birth to you."
"Mother!" Isabella who couldn't take it yelled. "Why do you and father hate me so much? I am not a witch! I am your daughter!" She cried.
"You are not my daughter, Isabella!" Lady Sophia yelled as well. "I don't know how you turned into this but you can never be our child. Leave here, you have no place in this family anymore." With that, she took left the house, leaving Nux and Isabella.
"Hey," Nux said and walked up to Isabella but the latter turned and faced him, anger burning in her eyes as well.
"What have you come here to do?" She asked him. "Have you come to make fun of me as well? To call me names just like they did? Or remind me of how cursed my birth is?"
Seeing her sad shattered Nux's heart to pieces. She was sad and angry at the same time, but it was not at him... He was certain about that.
Without warning, he went and hugged her tightly. Firstly, he needed to calm her down and afterwards, take her out, away from the house and if possible, the capital.
"I am not here to make fun of you," he whispered to her ears, sending waves of calmness into her being. "I can't make fun of someone I treasure, can I?"
"W-what do—"
"Shhh!" He said, not allowing her to continue. "I don't care what you are, you are mine from today henceforth so stop crying, okay?" He caressed her brown hair whole she kept weeping softly. He knew that time was against him but he didn't want to rush her. She was deeply hurt and needed enough time to sort out her feelings.
At last, she stopped crying and finally calmed down. Breaking from the hug, she looked away, not wanting to meet Nux's gaze but the latter held her face and turned her face to him. He wiped the remaining tears in her eyes with a faint warm smile on his own face.
"Never cry for anyone again. Your tears are costly, therefore I am the only one entitled to see them. Never shed a single tear for anyone else even when you are on the verge of dying. Do you hear me?"
Isabella swallowed softly and nodded her head shyly.
Seconds later, Nux's gaze became serious.
"Isabella, I want to tell you something so you must listen attentively," he said to her. Gaining her full attention, he began. "Your life is at the stake right now and I must take you out of this place as soon as possible."
"I don't understand," Isabella replied, her brows knitted into a confused frown.
"You don't need to understand anything. The most important right now is that you leave here, leave this place entirely," Nux said, his voice urgent as he spoke.
"But..."
Nux grabbed her hand instantly and began to run. As they ran, his eyes darted everywhere while his heart raced.
'We are almost arriving at the place we first got surrounded. Maybe I should take a turn and head west instead of going back to the mansion'. He thought to himself.
As decided, Nux took a right turn and continued running. 'I will not allow them to take you this time, it's a promise!'
"Nux, where are you taking me to? What's happening?" Isabella who could not understand anything asked as they ran.
"When we get to a safe place, I'll tell you more but for now, we must concentrate on leaving this place as soon as possible," Nux replied.
They ran until they got to a shallow river and then halted. Nux glanced around and then sighed.
"I think it's safer here," he said to Isabella who was staring at him with a confused look on her face.
"Can you tell me what's happening now?" She asked him.
"Like I said, your life is in serious danger and this people are crazily powerful. We can't win against them."
"What about the mages of the kingdom?" Isabella asked. She just could not believe what Nux was saying. "They will able to..."
"I don't know about the mages you mentioned but believe me, these people can kill anyone with just a word." Nux was frustrated. Isabella wasn't believing him and it was getting him upset. "We have to cross this river to the other side."
"That is leaving the capital," Isabella mumbled. "Are we going to leave everyone and everything behind? Just like this?"
"If this will keep you safe then yes. We will leave everything behind and run away to another place," Nux replied. For her safety, he was ready to make the sacrifice. Leave Val, leave Lord Harry and the others, even the task given to him to return the bracelet. There was nothing he wouldn't do to ensure that she stays safe and alive.
"Fine," Isabella whispered. "If this is what you want, I can't say no."
"Thank you," Nux whispered back and held her hand. "I promise, nothing will happen to you this time."
He held her hand and made to go into the water but just then, the same robe-dressed men appeared. Seeing them, Nux gasped in shock.
'After everything I did, I still failed? It ended in nothing?'
Fear, disappointment, and Shane shrouded his whole being as he gazed at them.
"Give us the witch and you will live!" They said.
His hold on Isabella's hand tightened and his gaze turned fierce. "I won't!" He said.
"Who are they, Nux?" Isabella asked Nux.
"I am going to stalk them, use your magic and leave this place now! Go Lord Harry's mansion and tell Val everything that has happened. Go now!" He said instead of replying to her question.
"But—"
"We don't have time, Isabella!" Nux yelled. "Leave now!"
Isabella bit her lip as she activated her magic. As she left, she saw the fear etched on Nux's face and it saddened her so much that she wanted to help but she couldn't disobey him.
"Give us the witch and you will live."
"Take me instead!" Nux yelled.
"Fade."
At their word, Nux felt himself being swallowed up by a very thick fog and before he knew what was happening, his visions blurred and he fell to the ground.