Chapter 119: Chapter 119: The Truth of Resurrection
The silence was so heavy it could be cut with a knife. Only Zela’s muffled sobs broke the stillness as she caressed Lira’s cold hand. The pain in her chest was so deep she could barely breathe.
Suddenly, a white light began to wrap around the broken body. Everyone lifted their heads, eyes wide open, as they watched the corpse slowly rise into the air.
The wounds that had torn through Lira started closing as if time itself was moving backward. Blood flowed once more inside her veins, her skin regained its lost warmth, and a faint sigh escaped her lips.
"[Resurrection]..." Jax muttered in a deep voice, his eyes burning with determination.
A murmur of shock spread among the women and the gathered representatives. No one dared believe what they were seeing. Resurrection was something only mentioned in ancient legends, and yet, it was happening right before their eyes.
Lira’s eyelids slowly opened. Confused, she looked around as if waking from a nightmare far too long. Her breathing was uneven, her eyes damp, and her body trembled lightly.
"Did I... come back again?" she whispered, barely audible.
Zela was the first to rush to her, breaking into even louder sobs as she hugged her tightly, terrified she might disappear once more.
But Lira, her voice weak yet firm, gently pushed Zela aside and then turned her gaze toward Jax.
"I want to speak... only with you two. No one else."
The air grew even more tense. The others exchanged glances, caught between disbelief and discomfort. Yet no one dared question her words. One by one, the guests and warriors backed away and left, until only Jax, Zela, and Lira remained in the silence.
When the last door closed, the atmosphere grew unbearably heavy. Still frail, Lira clenched her trembling fists, tears filling her eyes as she looked at the two people dearest to her.
"Jax... Zela..." her broken voice trembled, "there’s something you need to know."
The hall fell silent. Lira, freshly pulled back from death, struggled to keep herself upright on her knees. Her eyes, once confused, now reflected nothing but horror.
"I... I remember everything..." she muttered in a shattered tone.
Zela, tears streaming down her face, hugged her tightly.
"It’s okay, Lira. Everything’s fine. You’re alive again."
But Lira shook her head violently, as if those words stabbed her.
"No!" she screamed, shoving Zela away. "You don’t understand! Dying... was peace. It was an end. But coming back... coming back is the real hell!"
Her breathing grew frantic, her eyes wild with terror.
"From the moment I opened my eyes again, every second has burned inside me like fire. It’s like being burned alive for all eternity!" Her hands clawed at her chest as if trying to rip out the pain inside. "This isn’t life—it’s torture!"
Zela’s tears wouldn’t stop falling. She tried to hold her again, but Lira pushed her away even harder.
"I’d rather be dead! Don’t you understand? I’d rather have nothing than this torment!"
The weight of her words cut through everyone present—but none more deeply than Jax.
His hand trembled as he watched her break apart, a knot of iron tightening around his throat.
He stepped forward slowly, his heavy steps echoing in the silence. His eyes, usually blazing with anger or determination, now reflected only guilt.
"Lira..." his voice cracked into a whisper, "I only... wanted to bring you back."
She looked at him through her tears, trembling, her voice breaking into a scream.
"You didn’t bring me back! You stole my peace and gave me an eternity of pain!"
Jax lowered his head. The power he had wielded—the miracle granted by the God of Time—no longer felt like a blessing. It felt like a curse, a burden he had forced onto someone he loved.
He dropped to his knees before her, fists pressed against the floor.
"Forgive me..." he said, teeth clenched, eyes burning with regret. "Forgive me for bringing you back."
The hall filled with sobs. Zela hugged Lira again, and this time, she didn’t resist, though her body shook as if she were still burning in invisible flames.
Jax didn’t raise his head. For the first time, he felt powerless, unable to fix the very damage he had caused.
Because he had realized a terrifying truth:
Resurrection was not a gift... it was a curse.
Zela held her with all her strength, as if she could keep her from fading away. Her tears fell on her sister’s face, mixing with Lira’s own.
"Don’t leave me again... please, don’t leave me..." Zela begged in a trembling voice.
Lira caressed her cheek with a trembling hand, her expression already weary but full of tenderness.
"Zela... my sweet sister... you were always my light. Promise me you’ll keep shining even if I’m not here."
"No! Don’t say that!" Zela cried, hugging her even tighter. "I can’t live without you!"
Lira smiled faintly and pressed her forehead against hers.
"You can... and you will. Don’t cry for me anymore... live for both of us."
Zela let out a sob that tore through her soul.
Jax stood before them, heart shattered. He couldn’t move, couldn’t speak—only watch the farewell that should never have happened.
Finally, Lira turned her face toward him, with the calm of someone who had accepted her fate.
"Jax..." she whispered. "Thank you for this moment... but now, let me rest."
He closed his eyes, nodding with unbearable weight.
With a muted murmur, he gave the command:
"[Cancel Resurrection]."
The light within Lira’s body slowly faded, like a flame consumed by the wind. Her breathing stopped, and the warmth vanished instantly from her hands.
Zela clutched her with a strangled cry, as her sister’s body finally fell into silence.
Jax clenched his fists, unable to lift his gaze. He had given her life, only to steal it away once more.
Death had claimed what was hers... and this time, it wasn’t letting go.
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