Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power Chapter 406: Traveling with Rea
Previously on Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power...
The days flew by in a blur. Kaden and Rea kept moving—running, walking, jogging—though they'd avoided crawling entirely during their trek.
Various landscapes unfolded before them, shifting from rugged rocky paths to vast fields dotted with dried-up weeds that left them mildly fatigued, and even scorching an entire forest to speed things up...
That last part was solely Kaden's idea, of course.
At last, they arrived at a spot where pale sand blanketed the ground beneath their feet.
After three full days, the pair stood on the edge of the Frosted Bridge.
Kaden figured that three days of shared travel would melt away the tension, yet he'd clearly misjudged how things stood.
Rea's defenses proved tougher than solid ice itself.
What should have been a thrilling adventure turned into pure discomfort for him.
Now and then during the trip, Kaden let his mind wander to how this journey might feel alongside Meris... or Vaela... or even Inara, for that matter.
But each time, he shook off those notions, scolding himself for daydreaming about other women while accompanying his fiancée.
He came across as a sorry unfaithful sort.
And that's exactly what he was. Facing that reality stung harshly.
Even for someone like Kaden.
"From here," Rea said, pulling Kaden back to the moment at hand, "we must locate the bridge and cross to the far side to press on."
Kaden gave a nod, scanning the area nearby.
The chill in the air had dropped noticeably since entering this zone, turning downright frigid right at the entrance to this odd realm.
Around him stretched emptiness, save for the snowy sands swirling at his boots and a handful of pale, ghostly rocks scattered about.
Peering further ahead, Kaden made out the silhouettes of several mountain ridges—eight in total, to be exact.
These eight peaks thrust upward in jagged, unnatural angles, positioned in an peculiar pattern. Strangely enough, Kaden sensed the precise sequence of those formations.
He pondered the reason behind that awareness.
A layer of frost coated every one, but something about the ice struck Kaden as off. Even the sand underfoot carried an unusual vibe.
Like ice, yet somehow not quite.
His brow arched in curiosity, and he heightened his senses, bracing for potential threats.
Nevertheless...
Kaden tilted his head skyward, noting the sun's retreat and the moon's slow ascent.
Darkness loomed near. As shadows deepened across the land, an unnatural spike in cold hit both Rea and Kaden with alarming speed.
"I believe," Kaden started, glancing sidelong at Rea, "we should push forward come morning. Nightfall's closing in, and I have no interest in navigating unknown territory after dark."
Rea agreed with a nod, her red gaze sweeping the surroundings. "Agreed. Still, we'll have to scout a decent resting place."
Her stare landed on Kaden at last.
"Can you handle that? Your senses outmatch mine."
Kaden murmured his assent, then concentrated intently. Instantly, a mental layout of the area formed in his thoughts.
The deeper his scan went, the heavier his scowl grew, carving lines across his forehead. He tsked in annoyance, detecting a fog rising from the terrain's depths, creeping steadily their way.
When his senses brushed the mist, they slowed to a crawl. Worse, probing it felt like contacting a sentient entity.
Kaden caught a piercing cry echoing from within. And the pulse of a single heartbeat.
Rea whipped her head toward the oncoming haze, her mouth tightening into a grim line.
"Well?" she pressed Kaden.
"Got a spot," Kaden replied. His form flickered as he dashed toward it, just ahead of the fog's advance.
He kept his pace moderate enough for Rea to keep up.
The landscape blurred into streaks as they raced across the ivory sands.
Before long, they arrived at...
Both tilted their heads in unison.
"A house?"
...
Rea and Kaden circled the structure. Calling it a house felt generous—it resembled a modest cave shelter, built from whitish stones with a triangular roof.
A modest hearth sat inside, its azure flames dancing gently and casting a warm glow over the space.
In the center rested a shabby sofa on a rug resembling shed beast hide.
Yet which creature boasted a hide in such a riot of hues? A quick look revealed at least a dozen shades to Kaden.
The display clashed with Kaden's tastes. He grimaced, averted his gaze, and probed further.
His starry crimson eyes fixed on Rea, who gazed fixedly at artworks lining the walls.
Only then did Kaden notice the walls brimmed with paintings, depicting familiar scenes alongside utter mysteries.
Once more, his brow furrowed. The images stirred a mix of fond and painful recollections in his mind.
Unless Vaela had created them, such art grated on him.
Even so, he chose to inspect them, beginning from the wall opposite Rea.
The initial piece was a stark white void. He stayed silent and moved along. The following one matched it, save for a minuscule black speck at its core.
It was barely noticeable—Kaden nearly overlooked it.
On he went, his steps scraping softly over the enigmatic flooring.
As he progressed, more dark spots marred the canvases. By the room's midpoint, one lay entirely shrouded in black.
Kaden halted, a peculiar buzz stirring in his thoughts. He teetered on the edge of grasping the artwork's secret, but it slipped away like smoke.
Utterly elusive, whatever insight the pieces aimed to share evaded him without proper clues.
That said, curiosity now gripped him. He hurried to the next, where Rea already stood, locked in rapt attention.
Bathed in the azure flicker, her profile—with its array of earrings and piercings—held a distinctive allure, Kaden had to concede.
She possessed undeniable beauty.
Nothing beyond that, though.
Turning to the artwork, his pulse hammered fiercely in his chest.
Suddenly, Kaden crumpled to the floor, while Rea jerked her head his way in shock.
"Kaden?" Her concerned tone failed to pierce through to him.
All he could fixate on was the crimson streak oozing from the darkened canvas.
Merely a blood trail.
Yet his Warborn bloodline and the half-death essence stirred with unfamiliar sensations.
His eyes flipped back, whitening fully, before Kaden plunged into an alien realm.
Here, the sun didn't weep blood.
The heavens themselves crumbled onto the ground in fragments, amid chaos of gore, conflict, and demise everywhere.
And amid it all, Kaden perceived the melody.
Oh... how terrifying that tune rang out!
Time froze, and Kaden's awareness sank ever further into this bizarre vision.
Rea knelt by his side, her expression a blend of bewilderment and alarm. That alarm intensified as she observed...
Blood seeping from every pore across Kaden's form.
"What's going on? Einar! What's happening?"
—End of Chapter 406—