You Were My Sl*ve - Chapter 75

‘It hurts… it hurts so much.’

Elona couldn’t go on any longer. She collapsed onto the ground, her body burning with pain, unable to move. Tears streamed down her face, falling onto the dry earth beneath her. Her sweat and tears vanished as soon as they touched the cracked dirt, absorbed without a trace.

‘No…’

Elona desperately gripped the ground beneath her.

‘I can’t stop here. I have to find water. It’s the only way to make my wish come true… the only way to save Kazan’s life….’

Then, she heard it—a faint sound that tickled her ears. Elona gasped and lifted her head. Amidst the shimmering heat, she could hear it clearly now. The sound of water flowing gently.

Summoning her strength, Elona straightened up. The pain was still intense, but she ignored it and took a step forward. Then another. She started running.

Following the sound of water, she dashed through the unfamiliar city. Past empty streets, dust-covered fountains, and crumbling stone walls, she ran until she reached it—a building adorned with white marble and blue tiles. From inside, the sound of cool, flowing water beckoned her. Without hesitation, she entered.

There, in the center of the building, was a large spring—a shimmering oasis.

“Water!”

Elona plunged into the spring, the water rising to her waist. She cupped the crystal-clear water in her hands and drank deeply. Relief flooded through her as the heat and pain melted away. She splashed water onto her face and felt utterly refreshed.

But then she noticed it.

“That’s….”

Standing in the middle of the spring was something she hadn’t seen before—a tall, white statue, towering over two meters high. Elona waded closer, her curiosity piqued.

Up close, it was revealed to be the statue of a woman. She held a large water jar tilted toward the spring, as if pouring water into it. But oddly, no water flowed from the jar.

Why?

Elona leaned in to peer inside the jar. As she did, she noticed words carved roughly at the base of the statue. Her eyes traced the letters, and she instinctively read them aloud.

“The Water That Flows Forever….”

A sudden chill swept over her, and Elona clutched her stomach. Instinctively wrapping her arms around herself, she froze in shock.

The large, swollen belly she had carried just moments ago… was gone.

Her stomach was flat again, just as it had been before.

There was no one there.

*

“Elona!”

Elona’s eyes flew open at Aslan’s shout. She was no longer in the unfamiliar city. She was back in the temple. Panting, she wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and looked up at Aslan, who was leaning over her with a worried expression.

“Are you alright? Did something happen in the vision? You suddenly started crying, and I feared something had gone wrong….”

“Aslan! I found it!” Elona grabbed his robes, her voice trembling with excitement. The events of the vision flashed vividly through her mind. She hadn’t realized it while wandering through that place, but now she was certain. “I found the water! It was in Luca! Ashatra’s first royal capital—Luca!”

Aslan was stunned into silence, staring at her in disbelief. After a moment, he clasped her hands tightly and asked,

“Did you truly visit Luca? Did you find the first temple? A vast temple of Lu, white and blue… was it there?”

“Yes!” Elona nodded fervently, her eyes bright with conviction.

The place where she had followed the sound of water—it was undoubtedly the Temple of Lu.

“There was water there! And a statue! Beneath the statue, it was engraved—‘The Water That Flows Forever.’”

At that moment, Elona suddenly remembered something and instinctively placed a hand on her stomach. The child that had vanished in the vision—was it still in her womb? Her anxiety surged as she clutched Aslan’s robes.

“Aslan, there’s something I need to tell you. I… I’m carrying His Majesty’s child….”

“…What? A child?”

A flood of unexpected information left Aslan visibly shaken. Elona’s panic grew as she continued, her voice trembling.

“In the vision just now, the child in my womb disappeared. It happened when I entered the water in Lu’s temple. That couldn’t have happened in reality… could it?”

Aslan’s eyes gleamed with sudden understanding. He gently held her by the shoulders, trying to calm her down.

“Elona, relax. Your child is perfectly fine. What you saw in the vision isn’t real.”

Elona clung to his words, wanting to believe him. But Aslan wasn’t done yet.

“However, Elona… do you remember what I told you long ago?”

“…What?”

“I told you to come find me if you ever dreamed of being in Lu’s temple.”

Elona slowly recalled his words. Yes, Aslan had told her.

“One day, if you find yourself in Lu’s temple in a dream, it will be because Lu has chosen to grant you precious water. That will be the day your fate changes forever.”

“Yes… I remember you said that,” Elona whispered.

“I also warned you not to fear the desert, didn’t I?”

She nodded. Aslan let out a relieved sigh and continued.

“Don’t forget that. But now that you’ve seen this vision, a new future lies ahead of you. You will—”

Suddenly, the sound of shouts and shattering objects erupted from outside. Both of them froze, staring at the door. The chaotic noise—panicked screams, clashing weapons—felt disturbingly out of place in the peaceful temple.

“Ahhhh!”

“Help! Please, help me!”

Among the screams, the chilling ring of blades echoed. Heavy footsteps followed, growing louder. Elona’s heart seized as a memory from Parsion flashed in her mind.

The Temple of Lu was under attack.

“Aslan… what’s happening?” Elona whispered, fear-stricken, looking up at him.

Before Aslan could respond, the door to the small room burst open with a violent kick. A man strode inside, his eyes locking on Elona with a sinister smile.

“Ah, there you are. Both of you, right here.”

“Za… Zahhak…”

Elona’s blood ran cold as her eyes darted to the blood-soaked sword in his hand. Gasping, she jumped to her feet and stumbled back. Zahhak advanced toward her with murderous intent, his eyes dark with bloodlust.

Aslan quickly stepped between them, shielding her from Zahhak’s path.

“Zahhak Omar, what do you think you’re doing?! If His Majesty finds out about this—”

“Oh, he must find out. Otherwise, what’s the point of staging a rebellion?”

“A… rebellion?”

Aslan’s voice trembled with shock, and Zahhak responded with a satisfied smile. There was no metaphor in his words, and certainly no joke. The House of Omar, which had served the Milleshatra royal family for centuries, had now cast aside its long history and chosen treason.

Zahhak relished the horror on Aslan and Elona’s faces. Raising his blood-stained sword, he issued a cold command to the High Priest.

“I have no business with you, High Priest. Step aside quietly. My target is that woman.”

“You can’t… Elona is—ugh!”

“Aslan!”

Zahhak cut off Aslan’s protest with a brutal kick to his stomach. The impact sent the High Priest crashing against the wall with a loud thud. He collapsed to the floor, coughing violently. Elona rushed to help him, but Zahhak’s sword barred her path.

“Hey, you’re coming with me.”

“N-no… I won’t go….”

“Go ahead, resist. I’ll slice through every tendon in your body.” He paused, tilting his head with a wicked grin.

“Ah, that reminds me.”

Zahhak raised his left arm, proudly displaying the stump where his hand had been severed. Elona gasped, her face turning pale as memories of the Kalima festival flooded back. His sinister smile deepened as he leaned closer and whispered.

“First, I’d like to get my left hand back.”

Zahhak adjusted his grip on the sword with his remaining hand. Elona backed away, trembling, only to find herself trapped against the wall. His eyes locked onto her defenseless left hand as he raised his blade to strike—