Saving You, Villain - Chapter 103

I slowly blinked, then opened my eyes again. Tears trickled down my nose and soaked into the pillow. My vision, blurred by sickness, watched the dusty light streaming through the cracks. Death was close, chasing right at my back. If I gave in to the pain and let go of my will to live, it would swallow me whole.

“Trust me, Camian.”

But the promise I had made to Camian wasn’t something I could break just because of pain. I’d hold onto this fragile thread, no matter how thin, and prove that I could survive. When that day comes, I’ll boast to Camian all night long about how strong I was.

“Camian… Camian…”

But blackness began creeping over my vision. I struggled for breath, gasping, but it was no use. I sank into a deep, long sleep.

I had a dream.

In the dream, I was a miner, trapped in a dark, suffocating mine, digging for coal. The air was so thick with heat that I could hardly breathe, and I was crushed under the weight of the stones. Hungry and exhausted, I cried sorrowful tears. There was no escape, and I didn’t even know whether it was day or night or how the seasons had changed. All I did was keep swinging my pickaxe, over and over. My life was unbearably miserable.

But the exit was always behind me. No matter how deep I dug or how far I went, I only had to turn around and walk a few steps to find the way out. A bright blue sky, trees heavy with ripe fruit, and a cool stream followed me like a shadow. There were countless moments when I wanted to run toward that exit, but for some reason, my feet kept moving forward. Even when the pain was unbearable, I had this feeling that I needed to stay inside. Some might call it foolish stubbornness, but I had chosen to be unwavering and stubborn.

I don’t know how much time passed, but I was nearing my limit. I wanted to give up on everything, including that vague feeling I clung to. A surge of despair and loneliness overwhelmed me. The utopia behind me tempted me, and for a moment, I nearly threw my pickaxe to the ground.

“…I can’t do this anymore.”

I collapsed in exhaustion. At that moment, the entire mine began to shake violently. Fear gripped me, but I was too weak to do anything except look around in confusion. The black stones in front of me started to crumble. Then, suddenly, a blinding light burst through the cracks between the stones. Without thinking, I dropped my pickaxe and reached out to grasp the light with both hands.

“…!”

A flash. My eyes flew wide open. My left collarbone throbbed as if it were burning. A cool sensation flowed down from my neck, soothing my wildly beating heart and repairing my failing organs. My weakened body slowly filled with new strength. I took a deep breath, letting my heaving chest settle.

My foggy mind began to clear. I blinked, trying to focus, but my vision was still swallowed by endless darkness. Just then, a familiar warmth touched my face, quelling my anxiety. A wave of intense longing surged through me, and I turned toward the warmth.

“I’ve been waiting for you,” came the voice I missed so much.

“……”

“Thank you for keeping your promise.”

The one reason I could endure the hellish pain, the one place I could return to—he was here, waiting for me. As I looked at Camian’s face, I realized I had survived. A rush of joy filled me. I felt his hand gently brushing my hair, and I didn’t know how to react. I wanted to laugh, cry, complain about how hard it had been, and tell him how much I missed him all at once. Camian tapped my nose playfully.

“Say something, will you? I’m dying to hear your voice.”

“Camian… ahem.”

My voice came out hoarse, rough from disuse. I had wanted to sound strong and confident, but my voice betrayed me. Despite that, I felt the vibrant energy coursing through my body, stronger than ever before.

“Camian.”

“Yes?”

“Come here. Let me hug you.”

I opened my arms, and Camian moved through the darkness toward me, entering my embrace like he had been waiting for it.

Even though I’d said I would hug him, my frail, paper-thin body couldn’t fully hold his solid frame. Instead, I found myself curling into his arms. I listened to the strong, steady rhythm of his heart. We sat there in silence, just feeling each other’s presence. As I touched the bony ridges of my spine and felt his lips press against my head, the familiar scent and warmth of him washed over me. The thought that I could live without losing this brought a wave of overwhelming emotion. Tears began to fall again. It was then that I realized my vision had not returned, and the persistent darkness was not just my eyes adjusting—it was permanent.

I worried. I worried that Camian might feel guilty about my blindness. The moment of happiness faded, and I began to think about how to break the news to him without him being devastated. But, as always, Camian noticed before I could say a word.

He said nothing.

***

“Where are you going now?”

The discontent in my voice was impossible to hide as I spoke from above Camian’s head. He was kneeling, staring at my small, reddened knees with a blank look. Even though I always insisted that I was fine without my sight, I still bumped into things and fell multiple times a day. Despite Camian’s constant care, sticking close to me like a shadow, it was as if I had a talent for tripping the moment he looked away.

Every time I stumbled, I worried more about whether Camian pitied me than about the actual pain. Even when I tried to brush it off with a laugh and say, “I just haven’t adjusted yet,” it hurt Camian in ways he couldn’t describe. His throat would tighten, and a darkness heavier than the one I saw would descend on him.

But unlike Camian, I truly felt that this was the happiest ending I could have. I had survived, and I was with him. I wore a bright face, and Camian, seeing that, couldn’t let his deeper, darker feelings show.

“Hey, where are you going? Why aren’t you answering me?”

I playfully nudged his shoulder and chest with my bare foot. Camian moved closer, letting me kick him as much as I wanted, and answered casually.

“I’m going to fix the distortions in time.”

“Even though you went yesterday, you’re going again? You’ve already gone four times this week.”

Rarely, a hint of frustration slipped into Liv’s voice. Normally, she was prideful and found expressions of affection between couples embarrassing, so she often had trouble being honest with her emotions. Even when she missed Camian, who had been out all day dealing with the distortion of time, she pretended otherwise. She would grumble that the bed was too small, even though she liked it when Camian slept next to her. The fact that Liv was showing her displeasure this much made Camian realize once again how often he had been absent from home lately. Still,

“It’s not like I can just refuse to go because I don’t want to.”

“…That’s true.”

“It’s dangerous out there, so don’t wander around out of boredom, and don’t try to help with the housework either.”

“Anyone listening would think I just cause trouble wherever I go.”

“Whoever’s listening, you certainly seem to hear it right.”

“Hey!”

Liv, visibly irritated, kicked Camian in the chest. Despite the forceful kick, Camian remained unmoved, like a solid rock, gently stroking the top of her foot as if handling something precious.

“I’ll be back soon, so don’t get hurt while I’m gone.”

“I know, now hurry up and go. Talking to you for too long is infuriating.”

“Says the one who doesn’t mean it.”

Liv grumbled quietly with a pouty face. Camian couldn’t hear exactly what she said, but he could guess that most of it was complaints about him. As he gazed at Liv, he kissed the slight hollow at the middle of her foot.

“Ah!”

Startled, Liv quickly pulled her foot away. Seeing her ears turn red, Camian smiled slightly.

“I’ll be back.”

Liv clasped her foot with both hands, her lips silently moving. Her eyes didn’t meet Camian’s, instead floating aimlessly in the air. The smile on Camian’s face slowly faded away.

A cold chill seemed to settle over Camian’s face. His footsteps were heavy as they hit the ground, and his hands were rough as they pushed open the layers of massive doors. The place he passed through exuded a desolate atmosphere, like a battlefield after a bloody war.

“Rainer.”

His deep voice echoed majestically through the wide, obsidian-black and blue-lit space. At Camian’s call, red smoke began to rise from the floor. Camian, already at the edge of his patience, reached into the smoke before Rainer even appeared.

“Ugh!”

Camian’s hand gripped Rainer’s throat, squeezing tightly. Rainer clawed desperately at the hand choking him, struggling in vain. When Camian finally let go, practically throwing him aside, Rainer coughed several times and glared at Camian.

“If you came to ask for a favor, tone down that temper of yours!”

Rainer shouted, his voice filled with anger. The place Camian had come to, supposedly to fix the distortion of time, was unexpectedly the demon realm.