You, My Devil - Chapter 19

He unsheathed his knife and began hacking through the tall grass and undergrowth, carving a path through the forest. The rain showed no signs of letting up, drenching them both to the bone. The croaking of frogs echoed all around them, filling the damp air with their chorus.

Heina followed closely, her pace determined but labored. The relentless rain lashed against her, soaking her completely as she struggled to keep up. She rubbed her eyes, trying to clear her blurred vision, and pressed on despite the growing weariness in her legs.

The uneven ground sucked at her boots, and thorny leaves scratched at her arms, leaving small cuts in their wake.

Yuri, for his part, glanced back frequently to ensure she was still behind him, which slowed their pace even more. He cursed under his breath as he glanced at the darkening sky through the thick canopy.

Damn it… at this rate, we’ll have to spend the night in the mountains.

As the thought crossed his mind, a sharp scream rang out behind him.

“Ahhh!”

He whipped around to see Heina sitting in the mud, her eyes wide with terror. Near her, a thick snake, as wide as her wrist, slithered away, its tail disappearing into the undergrowth.

“Were you bitten?” Yuri demanded, his gray eyes narrowing as he strode toward her.

Heina whimpered, clutching her leg as tears welled in her eyes.

“Answer me!”

Heina’s body trembled uncontrollably, her face pale and ashen. She couldn’t speak—only her quivering lips betrayed her panic. Yuri took one look at her and didn’t hesitate. His hand gripped the fabric of her soaked dress near her thigh, and with a swift motion, he tore it open.

“Ugh…”

A faint whimper escaped Heina as she watched in horror. On the pale skin of her inner thigh, a pair of distinct puncture marks from a snake bite glared back at them, the flesh around it already turning a sickly bluish hue.

It must’ve slithered up her leg without her noticing, Yuri thought grimly, his jaw tightening. The torrential rain likely masked the snake’s movements.

He recognized the venom immediately. Kun had warned him countless times about the deadly vipers of Knompen Mountain, their venom capable of paralyzing the body before slowly, agonizingly killing their victims.

“If the venom reaches the brain,” Kun’s words echoed in his mind, “the victim will feel as if they’re being burned alive from the inside as they die.”

Yuri didn’t waste time. He tore a strip of fabric from the hem of her dress and tied it tightly above the bite, creating a makeshift tourniquet to slow the spread of the venom.

“Agh—it hurts!” Heina cried, her face contorted in pain.

“It’s going to hurt more,” Yuri muttered, his voice cold and detached as he pulled a knife from his boot.

“What… what are you doing?” Heina stammered, her voice trembling with terror as she saw the blade gleaming in his hand. Her panic grew as she realized what he was about to do.

“No… no! Don’t!” she pleaded, shaking her head desperately.

“Don’t hold back. If it hurts, hit me as much as you want,” Yuri said flatly.

There was no time to hesitate. Gripping her leg firmly with one hand to keep it steady, Yuri used the knife to slice into the wound with the other.

Blood spilled from the gash instantly, staining her pale thigh a deep crimson.

“AAAAH!”

Heina screamed in agony, the searing pain far worse than the initial snake bite. Her hands shot out, clutching at Yuri’s shoulders as if trying to channel her torment into him.

“Haah… haah…” she gasped, her breaths coming in ragged bursts as the pain overwhelmed her. Her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the muddy ground, but Yuri didn’t stop.

Leaning over, he pressed his lips to the wound and began sucking the venom out with forceful determination.

“Ughhh… STOP!” Heina cried, thrashing wildly as she clawed at his shoulders, her nails digging into his skin. But Yuri didn’t flinch. His grip on her leg was iron-tight as he spat out the blood and venom mixture onto the ground, then lowered his mouth to the wound again.

“Tch!”

Yuri repeated the process over and over, his focus unwavering despite the rain pounding on them relentlessly. Each time his lips left her wound, he spat out another mouthful of tainted blood.

Heina’s screams eventually weakened, her voice hoarse and cracking. Tears streamed down her face, mixing with the rain as her body grew limp from exhaustion and shock. She tilted her head back, her chest heaving as she struggled to breathe through the unrelenting pain.

“Ugh… ugh…”

Her body shivered violently, the chill of the rain sapping what little strength she had left. She could feel her limbs growing heavier, her head swimming with dizziness.

Finally, Yuri pulled back, spitting the last bit of blood from his mouth before wiping his face with his sleeve. His white face was tense, his jaw set as he rifled through the drenched bag strapped to his back.

His fingers closed around a small vial filled with dark green liquid. It was the antidote Laura had packed for them—her parting words now echoed loudly in his ears.

“It’s a powerful antidote. It works on most poisons, so it should help.”

“Please… work,” Yuri muttered under his breath, ripping the cork from the bottle with his teeth.

Heina’s lips were clamped shut, her body too weak to respond. Yuri didn’t hesitate—he forced her mouth open with his fingers and poured the antidote down her throat.

She sputtered, her body jerking reflexively as the bitter liquid went down. Yuri tilted her head back slightly to ensure she swallowed it all, his heart pounding with a mix of urgency and dread.

“Drink it—it’s the antidote. Quickly!” Yuri barked, his voice tense with urgency.

Heina barely opened her trembling eyes, her jaw quivering as she took a few sips of the bitter liquid. The taste was revolting—a sharp, overpowering herbal flavor that made her head spin. Her stomach churned in protest, and nausea rose immediately.

“Gah… ugh…” she gagged, her body lurching as she tried to spit it out.

“Drink all of it! Not a single drop left!” Yuri growled, gripping her chin firmly to keep her mouth open.

Heina squeezed her eyes shut, forcing the burning liquid down her throat. The taste made her feel as if her insides were on fire, and her head swam with dizziness. Ever since Yuri had sliced open her leg, she felt like she’d been trapped in a nightmare.

“Cough, cough!” she spluttered, her throat rebelling against the vile concoction. Tears streamed down her flushed cheeks as she struggled to keep from vomiting.

Yuri slapped a broad hand over her mouth, scowling fiercely. “Don’t you dare spit it out. Swallow it all!”

Her entire body was shaking violently, her teeth chattering audibly as her body succumbed to the cold and shock. At last, she managed to swallow the last of the antidote, though it felt like it burned all the way down. Her body seemed trapped between extremes—her skin felt icy cold, yet her throat and stomach burned as if engulfed in flames.

Heina trembled uncontrollably, her limbs jerking with spasms. The rattling sound of her teeth clashing together filled the air as she muttered weakly, “C-cold… s-so… cold…”

Yuri froze. “What? Did you just say you’re cold?” he demanded, his voice edged with panic.

“Too cold…” she whispered again, her lips barely moving.

Cursing under his breath, Yuri pressed his hands to her shoulders, rubbing them vigorously to create friction. “Stay awake! You can’t fall unconscious—do you hear me?!”

Her eyelids fluttered weakly as she struggled to respond. The gray hue of his eyes burned into hers, an anchor keeping her tethered to reality.

“Too… cold…” she repeated faintly, her voice barely audible over the pounding rain.

“Just hold on! Stay with me!” Yuri shouted, his tone both commanding and desperate.

Her lips moved again, this time forming words that hit him like a dagger.

“Save me… please… save me…”

The whispered plea was so faint that he had to lean in close to hear it. Her desperate words ignited something primal within him, and without hesitation, he scooped her up into his arms.

“You’re not dying on me. Not here,” Yuri muttered through gritted teeth, his voice low but resolute.

Kun’s voice from earlier that day echoed in his mind: “If you’re ever stranded overnight in the mountains, there’s a cave midway up the slope. Head west, past a small ravine, and you’ll find it.”

It has to be nearby, Yuri thought, his mind racing. It has to be.

Adjusting his grip on Heina’s trembling body, he started running through the storm. The mud beneath his feet splashed with each step as the rain continued to lash down relentlessly, soaking them both to the bone.

* * *

The entrance to the cave Kun had described was blocked by a massive boulder. Yuri set Heina down gently on the damp ground, her unconscious body leaning precariously against the rock, before turning his full attention to the obstacle.

He clenched his teeth, planting his feet firmly in the mud as he pushed with all his might. At first, the boulder didn’t budge, but his sheer determination finally prevailed. With a grating grrrrk, the massive stone shifted, revealing the dark mouth of the cave.

Sweat mixed with rainwater streamed down Yuri’s face as he wiped it away with his forearm. Without wasting a second, he scooped Heina up again and ducked into the cave.

Though the entrance was small, the interior was surprisingly spacious—large enough to comfortably fit a group of hunters. The ceiling was high, and the air inside was cool but dry, a stark contrast to the torrential rain outside.

Setting Heina down on a relatively flat spot on the ground, Yuri scanned the space. His eyes landed on some supplies left behind by previous travelers, and he quickly set to work.

His fingers found a sturdy branch shaped like a bow, and he tied a taut string to its ends. With practiced precision, he looped a smaller stick through the string and began sawing it back and forth rapidly, creating friction.

The damp air made it a frustratingly difficult task. His arms strained, and his face contorted with concentration as he increased his speed.

Finally, a faint wisp of smoke rose from the friction point, and Yuri’s eyes lit up. He carefully gathered a bundle of dry grass and tinder, coaxing the ember into a small flame.

“Come on, burn… Just burn already!”

As the first flickers of fire took hold, Yuri sighed in relief, adding more kindling to build the fire. Outside, the rain had eased slightly, but the approaching night made the world pitch-black. The faint, growing glow of the flames offered much-needed light and warmth.

Turning back to Heina, Yuri knelt by her side. Her pale face was almost ghostly, her delicate frame curled into itself as she shivered violently. It wasn’t just the cold causing her tremors—it was the antidote working its way through her bloodstream, leeching the remaining heat from her body as it neutralized the venom.

Yuri frowned as he reached for her. Her clothes, soaked through from the rain, clung to her like a second skin, amplifying the chill.

“You’re cold because your clothes are wet,” he muttered, speaking more to himself than to her. “You won’t warm up like this.”

His hands moved decisively, loosening the ties of her clothing and peeling the drenched fabric away from her trembling body. Though the sight of her bare, porcelain skin momentarily caught his breath, his focus shifted immediately to the inflamed wound on her thigh.

The vivid redness and swelling made his jaw tighten. He shook his head and stood, retrieving the travel supplies he had packed. His hands pulled out the fur-lined sleeping bag Laura had insisted he take. Thankfully, the thick material was still dry on the inside.

Carefully, Yuri wrapped Heina in the bag, ensuring she was fully cocooned in its warmth.

“The fire will warm this place soon,” he said quietly, more for his own reassurance than hers.

“C-cold…” she whispered faintly, her teeth chattering violently. “T-too cold…”

Her voice, weak and strained, sent an unexpected pang through Yuri’s chest. He wasn’t used to feeling… this.

“Just a little longer,” he said, his voice low and steady. “The heat will come soon. Just hold on.”

Still, her trembling continued. Her pale lips moved as if to say something, but the only sound that escaped was a soft whimper. She looked so fragile—almost like she might shatter if he so much as touched her.

Her words, broken and faint, reached his ears: “T-too… much… pain…”

Something inside Yuri twisted. Watching her suffer, helpless and in agony, made his chest feel unbearably tight, like his very breath was caught in a vise.

Yuri stared down at Heina’s pale face, her delicate features drawn tight with pain even in her unconscious state. Her trembling body felt as if it were carved from ice, the antidote draining what little warmth she had left.

If only it had been me bitten by that snake…

Pain, no matter how unbearable, was something Yuri could endure. He had survived worse before, and he knew that eventually, all pain faded with time.

But this—watching her frail body shiver uncontrollably, struggling against death—was different. He clenched his fists, anger bubbling inside him, not at her, but at his own helplessness.

“Damn it…” he hissed, pulling off his soaking wet tunic in one swift motion.

Standing stark naked, he walked to the corner of the cave, where a pile of straw lay abandoned by previous travelers. Grabbing fistfuls of it, he rubbed the straw against his drenched body, the rough texture scraping away the water and cold. He worked quickly, drying himself until his skin was warm and dry.

Turning back to Heina, Yuri knelt beside her and unzipped the fur-lined sleeping bag Laura had given him. Without hesitation, he climbed inside, pulling her trembling body close.

The sleeping bag, spacious for one, was cramped for two. Yuri’s larger frame pressed against her smaller one as he wrapped himself around her, his chest flush against her bare back. Her cold skin sent a shiver down his spine, but he held her tightly, his hands moving to rub her arms, trying to transfer his warmth to her.

Her skin was icy to the touch, covered in goosebumps.

“By tomorrow, this will all be over,” he murmured softly, his lips brushing against her ear. “When the morning sun rises, the darkness will vanish, just like your pain. You’ll see.”

“Mmnh…”

Heina stirred faintly, her body shifting as if uncomfortable, but she didn’t pull away. Yuri tightened his arms around her, his hold firm yet protective.

“You’re not going to die,” he said firmly, his voice low but resolute. “I won’t let that happen.”