The Hunted Regressor: Rise of the Heretic Saint-Chapter 123: Just The Wind

"Are you feeling better now?"

Ignotus sat beside Gaia on a grassy hill, the two of them overlooking the little town they'd just come from.

The roofs glimmered faintly under the moonlight, making it quite a beautiful view... Only a bit ruined by the fountain square not so far below them, still stained red from earlier. Though from this distance it was hard to tell that it was even there.

"..."

Gaia didn't answer Ignotus's question.

She sat with her knees drawn up to her chest, her hands resting over them, with her face buried between her legs.

"...you're safe."

He didn't know if he meant it as a promise to her or a reassurance for himself; either way, it didn't help much, if at all.

The poor girl breathed out quietly, more of a sigh than a word, making Ignotus scratch his neck.

"It'll get better, don't worry."

He leaned back on his palms for a moment, then hesitated before sliding closer.

With no particular elegance, he wrapped one arm around her shoulder and pulled her gently against his chest.

Gaia, of course, didn't resist.

She stayed there, shaking faintly against him.

"And that guy wanted you dead, you know?"

Ignotus added after a moment, his tone a bit too casual, something that had finally gotten a reaction.

"You really..."

Gaia let out a short, messy laugh.

"…really don't know how to handle these things, do you?"

Her words came hoarse from all the crying earlier, but there was a little life in them again.

"It's how I'm built.

Ignotus looked at her and shrugged.

"Don't expect that to change."

"Uhn…"

She neither agreed nor disagreed.

And that was that; the two no longer speaking.

They just sat there, feeling the wind brush over the hill, carrying the scent of grass and faint smoke from the town's hearths.

Gaia leaned more and more of her weight against him as time passed, her breathing slowing down, finally evening out.

It seemed she only wanted warmth from him now. And for once with her, Ignotus didn't fill the silence.

He leaned his head back, staring at the stars overhead.

So bright and distant, the same as always, no matter what realm.

After a while, his thoughts drifted a little.

They reached someone important.

'Eris, thanks for the help earlier.'

'...'

He heard nothing back.

'...Eris?'

'...'

Silence.

Ignotus frowned slightly.

He wanted to thank her for snapping him out of it earlier, as, besides that one moment, it'd been a while since She talked to him.

'Eris, I said thank you.'

'...'

But still nothing.

He rubbed the back of his neck.

'Hm, is she sleeping, or is it...?'

He guessed something before immediately shaking his head.

'No way. She's a Goddess. They don't… right?'

Ignotus hesitated, then mentally nodded to himself.

'Yeah. No way. Definitely not.'

Right.

He exhaled and let it go.

Right. He'd deal with the Goddess's ghosting later.

Beside him, Gaia's breathing hitched slightly. She didn't look up, her face still tucked away, but her voice broke through the wind once more; it was so soft he almost missed it:

"Do you... do you still see it?"

Ignotus tilted his head.

"See what? The blood? No... It's been too long since I grew numb to it."

"No."

Gaia whispered with the shake of her head.

"I meant the Tree. The Hanged Tree in the Trial."

Ignotus's posture stiffened just a fraction.

'Ah. That mess.'

He remembered the smell of it—sweet rot and old blood.

"The Corruption there..."

Gaia continued, her fingers digging into her sleeves.

"I remember how it felt, and it wasn't like being possessed. It was like... like all the worst parts of me suddenly grew teeth. I looked at the others... and I just wanted them to stop breathing... I wanted you to stop breathing."

She let out a shaky breath.

"I killed Merlin... my first kill. She's a friend, but when the Tree took us... I didn't even hesitate. I remember the look in her eyes, but it feels like a dream. Like I was watching someone else use my body to do something terrible."

Ignotus stayed silent as he thought back to the end of that trial, the way his entire cohort ganged up on him to stop and end the madness. They'd looked at him like he was the monster... and they weren't wrong to do so.

"It's weird..."

He hugged her a little tighter.

"You're the first."

Lykos didn't say a word about it.

Ulv acted like it was just a bad day.

Even Merlin... she likely just slept through the memories.

Aurelia might have something to say, but he didn't see her yet.

Out of everyone... Gaia was the only one who'd actually brought it up.

And Ignotus didn't say that outright; he wanted to be subtle about it... gentle.

Gaia understood, nevertheless, and looked up, her eyes red-rimmed and glassy in the moonlight.

"Is that because I'm weak?"

"No."

Ignotus looked her dead in the eye.

"It's because you're the only one honest enough not to pretend it didn't happen."

Gaia looked back toward the town, a stray tear finally escaping.

"I'm sorry for what we did to you at the end. For plotting against you. For... everything."

Ignotus shook his head.

"Don't. There's nothing to apologize for. You didn't do anything wrong, and you didn't say anything wrong. Neither did I."

He looked up at the stars, his expression returning to its usual state.

"The Tree's owners were to blame. They wanted a show, and They got one. We were just the actors, so please... don't give Them the satisfaction of making you feel guilty."

Gaia leaned a little heavier against him. She didn't say "thank you," and she didn't say he was right, but the tension in her shoulders seemed to leak out. They sat there for a long time, the shadow of the Hanged Tree finally beginning to recede behind the actual trees of the hill.

She didn't say another word, and Ignotus didn't push her to. He wasn't exactly good at "comforting" anyway, so sitting there in silence worked more than fine for him.

When the night deepened and the town below began dimming its lanterns, they finally made their way back.

Gaia refused to walk far from him the entire time. If he stepped too far ahead, she'd grab his sleeve and pull him back beside her.

By the time they reached the manor, Theodore was waiting in the entry hall.

His face was red, and his fists were clenched, no doubt holding it in for hours now.

"You nearly let assassins harm my daughter, and now—now you want to sleep in my daughter's room?!"

Nora stood beside him, biting her lip, clearly guilt-ridden.

"It's my fault… I should've been there… I should've protected her—"

"Enough."

Ignotus cut in before she said anything triggering.

"Now's not the time for blame."

That silenced both of them.

It was the first time they saw him with such a face, and no, he didn't look angry, just done with the entire conversation.

Theodore's eye twitched; he clearly wanted to yell more, but Gaia, who hadn't spoken since the hill, clutched Ignotus's sleeve tighter and pulled him upstairs, caring not for what her father had to say.

That ended the argument.

Her room wasn't what Ignotus expected.

It was simple... far too simple, almost minimalist.

A large bed, a wooden wardrobe, and a desk with only a single flower vase.

It was like someone who had money but no idea what to do with it, unused to such a large space and the ability to actually buy things.

That, of course, spoke much of her past, something that Ignotus made sure to never even think of mentioning now.

Gaia led him to the bed and sat down, still holding his hand. After taking off her sandals and he his boots, she tugged him down beside her.

He let himself fall onto the edge of the bed, lying stiffly, and she leaned back, pulling the sheets over them both.

Ignotus froze up a little.

He had no idea where to put his hands.

On the bed? On his chest? Near her?

No, definitely not near her.

She might think he was taking advantage of her.

That'd be bad... very, very bad.

So he just kind of kept them awkwardly away from him before resting them flat at his sides like he was posing for a crime scene chalk outline.

An act that Gaia quickly noticed.

She reached up, grabbed his arm, and pulled it around her waist. Then, pretty awkwardly, she pulled his other hand too.

His eyes went a little wide.

"Are… are you—"

"Yes."

She cut him off quickly.

Though quiet, she sounded certain.

Ignotus paused for a moment before sighing.

"…Alright. I'll be gentle."

Her shoulders relaxed, and she leaned her back into him while he did the opposite.

Outside, the night wind moved through the garden, brushing against the window, where a lone cat sat perched on the sill, staring at the two humans doing weird things on the bed.

It had been watching them for a while now, its head tilted, its dark eyes wide and curious.

To the cat, Ignotus's strange movements looked like some kind of elaborate ritual.

So, naturally, the cat decided to try it too.

It sat up straight, stretched both paws forward, then leaned in with its lower body.

Its golden eyes narrowed in deep feline concentration.

Up, down, up and down.

It looked oddly proud of itself.

Unfortunately, physics did not share that pride.

Because, as it extended its tiny paws outward in another imitation, the cat's balance slipped, and in one perfectly graceful second of betrayal, it realized it had made a terrible mistake.

...fwump!

The cat vanished off the sill, landing somewhere in the garden below with a startled "Mrrrp!" followed by the sound of rustling leaves.

Inside, Ignotus paused and blinked at the sudden noise.

"Hm..."

He turned his head toward the window with furrowed brows.

"What was that?"

Gaia mumbled in a moan with her eyes half-closed.

"...probably the wind."

He stared for another moment, then shrugged and continued the 'elaborate ritual.'

Outside, the unfortunate cat poked its head out of a bush, twigs sticking out of its fur. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

It gave the window a betrayed glare before shaking itself off indignantly.

Deciding that mimicry was overrated, it stalked off into the shadows of the garden, its tail held high.