I Will Die for You, My Darling! - Chapter 85

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Chapter 85

Benjamin’s heart plummeted, then hammered against his ribs. The creature before him was humanoid, but its eyes were the size of saucers. Its head was abnormally elongated, and its large nostrils constantly puffed out hot air. It chewed on something unseen, black saliva dripping from its mouth. The sheer size of the thing, easily eight feet tall, was oppressive. Benjamin stumbled back until his back hit the door.

“Whooo?” the creature questioned.

No, this isn’t human. It’s a monster. Benjamin gritted his teeth, crouched low, and bolted the moment the monster’s attention wavered.

“Whooo!” The monster gave chase.

“Oh, s**t…!” Benjamin sprinted. The ground was muddy, and his shoes were ill-suited for running, but survival instincts propelled him forward. The problem was the monster’s speed.

It wasn’t until he risked a glance back that Benjamin fully grasped its grotesque form. Humanoid at its core, it was a patchwork of beastly parts. From a distance, the head resembled a bull’s, as did its powerful shoulders and corded arms, but its fingertips ended in cruel, bluish claws.

The creature’s exposed flesh revealed a bizarre, reverse-jointed anatomy unsuitable for bipedal movement. Yet, its wide feet and elongated claws gripped the earth like hooks, propelling it forward with unnatural speed. Benjamin was horrified.

The monster, uttering simple, meaningless sounds, gained on him with each stride. Benjamin’s breath grew ragged, but the creature showed no signs of fatigue.

“Damn it!” He swerved into the trees, a desperate attempt to lose his pursuer, but it was a fatal mistake. More of the creatures lurked within. This was the edge of the forest, the foothills, barely into the depths of the woods. Benjamin finally understood why the recovery team hadn’t dared venture this far.

He was surrounded. Dizziness swept over him. This was the danger Isaac hadn’t mentioned. If only he’d been armed. The sting of his unarmed, unprepared state was sharp. But there was no time for regret. He had to move. He couldn’t die here, in Downstream.

He thought of Arietta. He’d come here for her, to bring her comfort, to find some clue, even if that hope was now lost. He had to get back to her. He pictured the beautiful, aloof woman who seemed so indifferent to him. He didn’t know how much she’d loved Isaac, or for how long her love had been unrequited. He’d heard she’d been Isaac’s… possession… for ten years, since Isaac had inherited the Marquisate of Tygra. Had those been years of hell for her?

His thoughts were consumed by Arietta. Ever since their first encounter in the rain, she’d been his sole focus. Her cool grey eyes, like Downstream’s sudden showers. Her pale face, smooth skin, and the contrast of her red lips. She was capricious, seemingly uninterested in him, but that only fueled his desire. Arietta was weaving her way into his heart with increasing speed. He wanted to matter to her.

But here, in Downstream, he was helpless, pathetic. He’d never felt so utterly insignificant. The hothouse flower of the Sky City felt a crushing wave of powerlessness and shame. He was grateful Arietta couldn’t see him like this. He’d bite his tongue off in embarrassment. This isn’t me. He thought it over and over.

Then, a ground-shaking, bestial roar echoed through the trees. Worse and worse, he thought, his back tensing. I have to find a way out… He struggled to think, his mind frozen with fear.

A dark shape sprang from the shadows behind him.