I Will Die for You, My Darling! - Chapter 64

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Chapter 64

A horrible death. Arietta replayed Isaac’s words in her mind. She smirked. Nothing could be as horrible as what she’d endured every New Year’s Eve. Today, death would be easy. She crossed the barren garden, a stark contrast to the vibrant blossoms of the Sky City above. She’d learned about the beauty of an unpolluted spring from picture books.

Security was lax. She slipped past the unseeing guards and pushed gently against the smooth, transparent wall. A hidden seam appeared, and the door opened. The area around the glass dome was always crowded, scavengers circling like crows whenever refuse was discarded, eager to snatch anything of value.

Their gazes snapped to Arietta. She met their stares unflinchingly as she closed the door behind her. In her clean clothes, she stood out starkly among the ragged figures, all of whom fell silent, watching her. They all knew who she was: Isaac Tygra’s acquisition, his mistress. The glass dome’s canary, Arietta.

Most had only ever seen her from afar within the dome. While she rarely ventured close, she sometimes strolled in the garden in front of the manor. Though too distant for her features to be clear, they’d seen her long hair sway with each step. That same, swaying gait was unmistakable. They were momentarily mesmerized. Her profile, with her hair swept over one shoulder, as she checked her simple shoes, was breathtakingly beautiful. Her pale face, the ethereal white of her dress. She was supposedly a Downstream baby, but she looked nothing like one. Big Cat, Isaac, though he’d risen to power, still carried the stench of Downstream.

Arietta, however, exuded a delicate, otherworldly aura. Above all, she was utterly composed, serene. Anyone who remembered the long-dead witch would have seen her reflected in Arietta. She started walking. It was the first time in a decade she’d felt the squelch of Downstream’s soil beneath her feet.

The ground was dark and sticky, unlike the clean, dry, light brown earth within the glass dome. The toes of her shoes became soiled, but she continued on. No one obstructed her path. Many were so captivated by her surreal beauty that they forgot how to speak or act, simply staring in awe.

Even the less aesthetically inclined, those hardened by Downstream’s realities, didn’t interfere. They couldn’t be sure if she was a discarded plaything or still under Isaac’s protection. If the latter were true, interfering would be unwise. Their hopes were quickly dashed as two of the “Black Tiger’s Dogs” silently fell into step behind her.

Ultimately, no one dared to approach. Arietta, oblivious, walked on. Downstream’s air stung her lungs. This is the first time I’ve been exposed without a purifier. She unconsciously touched her throat, remembering the pollution mutations that had marred Seia’s skin.

If I die from the pollution, will I bear the same scars as my mother? The thought spurred her to a near run. “I have to go back to where Mother and I lived.” After ten years, Downstream’s air was steadily reclaiming her, starting from the ground up. Still, she had enough time to find her old home and say goodbye. Drawing attention with her out-of-place elegance, she navigated the familiar streets, her steps, contrary to Isaac’s expectations and wishes, surprisingly light.