Killed Me? Now I Have Your Power Chapter 446: Shapeshifters

"Blood and ashes." Kaden muttered under his breath, staring in horror as Rea's severed head began reattaching itself to her body in a truly nightmarish fashion.

Gray thread-like tendrils shot out from the sliced neck, wrapping around the head before pulling it back into place and mending the wound.

A piercingly intense gray glow exploded outward, enveloping the entire area in a haunting, melancholic shine.

That radiance faded swiftly, vanishing entirely in moments. Moments later, Kaden watched Rea gasp for air like a fish returned to water after being stranded on dry land.

Her head snapped toward Kaden right away—eyes bulging wide—with terror, bewilderment, and dread swirling into an expression that sent chills down the spine.

Around her neck, Kaden spotted faint thread marks, confirming it wasn't his imagination. Indeed, Rea's head had been sewn back onto her shoulders.

’How the hell did she manage that?’

Amazement overwhelmed him completely. His shock must have been plain on his face, since Rea offered a bitter smile.

"I... am I alive?" she murmured, her voice odd and strained, like something was lodged permanently in her throat.

It bore no resemblance to Rea's normal voice or manner of speaking.

"You look alive enough." Kaden replied, gazing at her intently. "But are you really?"

"I feel alive."

"Do you recall dying?"

"I haven't forgotten a single thing, Kaden." Rea responded, her fingers repeatedly brushing her neck and tracing the stitches, her body shaking uncontrollably. "I remember my neck being slashed clear as day. And the agony that came with it, Kaden—I'll never forget that."

Tears of ice-cold fear trickled from her eyes as she fixed her stare on him. "Kaden, I... I actually died. I really did. But... I don't want to die." Sobs wracked her suddenly, the terror of mortality crashing over her.

Only in that instant did the truth hit her hard. Sure, everyone understands death comes eventually. Yet, hardly anyone grasps the terrifying depth of that reality.

This wasn't funny at all.

Death... it was anything but a joke.

Rea grasped it fully now. After dying, nothingness had swallowed her whole. But eventually, an icy, endless abyss had pulled her under with relentless force.

Deep within, something yanked at her core—her soul, most likely—dragging her toward a terrifying, inescapable realm.

Back there, her perceptions had been muffled and distorted. Still, a vision of a Tree had appeared. Or was it truly a Tree?

The God-Touched woman wasn't certain anymore; her thoughts tangled and throbbed endlessly.

Locking gazes with Kaden, she finally took in his battered condition. Her eyes grew huge, then darted around, absorbing the ashen, dusty, smoke-filled world that had greeted them upon arrival.

"Is... is it finished?" she inquired softly, hesitantly.

A slight frown creased Kaden's brow. He longed to reassure her, yet a knot twisted in his gut.

Rea's brush with death had transformed her demeanor. She turned timid, gripped by near-constant dread. Her eyes flickered everywhere nervously. To Kaden, it looked like Rea had reached the breaking point of her fear threshold.

No wonder— she'd just endured humanity's most instinctual terror.

The dread of dying.

Kaden couldn't know precisely what she'd sensed or seen—probably nothing like his own experience—but whatever it was screamed nightmare fuel.

He let out a sharp breath.

Ignoring her query, he studied her as though peering into hidden depths no one else could discern.

After a brief pause, he nodded, relaxing the scowl on his features.

"Yeah, it's over. At least for the moment."

’How much time left, Blanche?’ he wondered silently.

’Forty minutes, darling.’ came her reply.

’That should suffice, I hope...’ he thought, then leaned on Reditha to haul himself upright.

Standing proved agonizing, with his bones popping and pain surging through every part of him. He grimaced, grunted, and swore aloud.

Enduring the torment for a few seconds to acclimate, he shuffled toward Rea, gripping Reditha's hilt like a walking stick for better balance.

As he neared, Rea finally pushed herself to her feet and stepped closer.

"What's our next move? What happens if they return?"

"Oh, they'll come back for sure." he replied. "It's only a question of timing."

’If they show up too soon, we're finished.’

Rea's expression crumpled, dread etching into every line. She stayed silent, trailing after Kaden as he moved forward.

While walking, Rea gestured toward the bridge she'd spotted before chaos erupted, describing it to him.

She figured the bridge lay beyond reach, crafted from the very illusions forming this bizarre domain.

Kaden merely grunted in response, disagreeing internally. He knew it was accessible, thanks to his sharp Will and senses.

Accessing it relied on perception, much like the eight mountains had, though in a distinct manner.

Rea ought to have figured that out, he thought with a subtle frown before dismissing it with a head shake.

Even so, this insight sparked questions about the realm's origins and its architect.

’I suspect who built it,’ he pondered, ’but its essence eludes me. It's forged from intents and Will, fine... yet how? And why? What exactly are those creatures?’

Encounters with shapeshifters were uncommon, yet Kaden knew of two who could transform.

Rory and White.

Their methods differed vastly, though. Rory's stemmed from her potent illusion powers, linked as she was to the Devourer of Souls.

Now curiosity gnawed at Kaden about the mechanics.

White, meanwhile, shifted only after consuming blood, with time limits and risks from potent lineages.

So how did those eerie gray-skinned entities morph into any form? What powered their changes?

Kaden's mind spun in a whirlwind of questions, driven by an urgent need to comprehend. It felt vital—perhaps essential—to unravel their secrets.

And the shapeshifters weren't alone. Those incredibly powerful fighters, the blood manipulators, and the figures draped in deathly robes... they all evoked a strange familiarity.

The warriors especially. For reasons unclear, their traits mirrored those of Kaden's brother and father uncannily.

Only their tribal markings and beards braided with finger bones set them apart.

’This feels off... the whole place is unnervingly weird. I can't stay much longer.’

Such thoughts occupied him as considerable time slipped by, the engaged pair wandering without direction.

Or so it seemed; Kaden had a clear destination in mind.

By now, his wounds had mended fully, with Blanche and Reditha collaborating to repair his bones and flesh.

Eventually, they confronted a eerie but anticipated scene—at least for Kaden.

Ahead stood a modest hut. The very one from before they tackled the eight mountains; where Kaden had encountered Nocthar.

Unlike before, it wasn't vacant. Green smoke puffed thickly from the chimney, and warm light danced within.

"Someone's inside!" Rea cried out, relief flooding her voice. "At last, we can learn about this world."

She spun to Kaden with bubbling excitement. "We might escape this place, Kaden!"

Kaden remained quiet initially, then gave a slow nod. "Yeah, about time." he murmured, before cocking his head. "But before that, I've got a question for you. Or more like, a request."

"Huh?" Rea raised an eyebrow in confusion.

He closed the distance, stopping mere inches away. A brilliant smile curved his lips.

"I want a kiss from you, Rea." he breathed, leaning in close to her face.

"W-What?" She blurted, stumbling back a few steps. "Are you serious? This isn't the moment—!"

"Kiss me."

"Kaden, I just—!"

"Kiss me, Rea."

Fury flushed Rea's cheeks crimson. "I SAID—!"

"I was correct." Kaden exhaled wearily, then his hands shot forward aggressively, pressing his palms against the sides of her head.

He yanked her forward, pressing his forehead to hers, their gazes clashing intensely.

Rage deepened the red on Rea's face. Kaden ignored it completely.

"I'll say this once." His eyes gleamed like blood under moonlight, divine power stirring within. "Where is Rea, Woeful One?"

—End of Chapter 446—