Chapter 59: Chapter 59: The Burned Woman

"What?" Adey said.

"That's right," she nodded. "I'm a Lady of Death. They call me a destroyer of worlds since I have seen the worlds burn. All I had was my brain and this accursed immortality and I've destroyed the world. Are you scared now?"

"No. Why should I?"

"Huh, I thought you'd be scared of me."

Adey stood with legs on a stance, hands on his pocket, eyes staring at Machina. His brows drew closer, chilly gaze permeated to Machina, she ignored it, eyes interlocking with Adey who was trying to figure her out.

"Done staring?"

"I am. I do not fear you, Machina. In fact, I am starting to pity you."

His eyes grew soft, folded arms, he leaned on the wall. Adey gazed at her with blood-red eyes in awe, hand trembling as she tries to understand what did he mean.

"Why?"

"You speak like a bringer of death. But the tone of your voice sounds like you are just a miserable old woman who saw the death of worlds. To see all these worlds burned would give you an idea that you are Lady Death, but in truth, you are just a lonely woman that has been through a lot."

"You speak as if you are wiser than me."

"I may not. But it doesn't mean that I cannot see through this lie of yours. You are no lady of death. You are merely a woman who has fooled herself into becoming one."

"Adey, I think you are right in that regard. But do you really think you have the right to test me?"

"I don't. Everyone has their own sob story. Whatever your past it doesn't define your future. So tell me Machina, are you the Lady of Death of the past or are you Machina the Red-Eyed Woman?"

She raised a brow, her hand touched her left cheek. Her hair floated as the fan rotates. She kept her staring at Adey who told her that.

"You are right in that regard, Adey. I may not be the Lady of Death that I was in the past but are you sure about that statement? I helped great men burn the lands just for a silly reason like a kind old woman getting killed by the people of that certain nation. I burned the world for a kind old woman who I met a day ago once, Adey."

"I don't care," said Adey. "That was the choice of the past."

"But it was me who still did it."

"Do you think anyone can still recall you? You awaken in this world yet again. You are a blank slate. So tell me, are you willing to be that Lady of Death or just Machina the Red-Eyed Porter?"

She smiled up at her ears, holding her stomach, laughing loudly as she could hearing Adey. He continues staring at her with a serious look on his face. Still laughing, Machina inhaled fresh air and place her gaze back at Adey.

"You have a strange way of thinking. That's not how it works and you cannot simply erase the past that I know."

"Your past is not relevant at this moment."

"It is. Adey."

"To whom?"

"To me."

"Everyone has the right to start again. If I've seen you destroy worlds then I would believe this nonsense of yours. You can tell me that all of this mumble of yours is merely and I would laugh at it as a delusional nonsense of a woman who just awoke from her sleep."

"So you are telling me that it was all inside my head? That all those I killed are nothing but an imagination? The screams and pleas for mercy was nothing but an imagination done by this delusional me?"

"That's right," said Adey.

"What a joke," she scoffed. "You're treating my past like a sick joke."

"If you choose to think of it a sick joke. You could fool me into believing that you are doing nothing but giving a delusional talk of past that never happened in the first place. Therefore why should I think of it as real?"

She looked at him, "Are you a heartless man?"

"I don't think so. I am just saying that there was no need to tell that to me. You could have left it alone in the dark yet you choose to reveal it to me that you are a destroyer of worlds. You are a foolish woman to have done this."

"How unreasonable."

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"And you think too much about a past that has long past. I understand that you owe me a favor and that you could bring the enemies down to their knees if you want to. But I will not do it because I know that it is not the decent thing to do."

"You speak of decency," she raised her head. "But you have this thought of forgetting the past that I have done. Do you even believe in justice, Adey? Are you Evil or Good?"

"I am indifferent."

"That was not the answer I was looking for, Adey."

She stood up and was a breath away from Adey. He kept his stony face as the scrutinizing gaze of Machina stayed with him.

"My point is that I do not give a damn about your past or the knowledge that you have in your head. You speak as if that was important when you already know that you hate it. You can be mad as you can but in the end, you have to let go of these things, Machina."

"You may be right. But I do promise that if this land gets in trouble. Forgive me, Adey. I will turn towards the enemy and give them the hell that they deserve. I will not mention the world that I burn. I will make use of my knowledge to my benefit instead of others. So what better way to keep me from becoming a destroyer worlds other than letting you take care of me?"

Adey grabbed hold of his chin, he thought for a while before lifting it back to his side. Head tilted slightly, Adey sized up Machina with a friendly gaze before releasing his breath, clearing the moment and telling that he would agree to her request as her guardian.

....

It should not be mistaken. This world has been through a lot. Cycles happen and the world as it was now wasn't that different to what she knew. She has always been a part of this world by the time the first steam engine has been invented.

Somewhere along the line, she knew that she would forever be alone. She worked in the shadows gathering all the knowledge she could because she was bored. There was nothing to do with the eternal life that she was given. All she had to do was watch the life of those around him. She saw them grow old and frail. She saw many things that would break one's heart.

She saw the bright flash of light that changed the world. She saw their progress as they finally left the world for the first time. She remembered hearing 'Space Oddity' when it was being broadcasted. She thought that maybe she could be the first person to leave this world with her immortality.

She was wrong. She produced heirs by using her powers yet all her sons and daughters grew ambitious and they defied her wishes. All of them went their own way and was not heard again. Some died as tyrants while the others vanished like a speck of dust in the air.

She wept for them. Those who were their enemies used her for their own benefit. They were able to give her partial freedom. But was that all freedom? She remembered staying in a room where no light other than a screen came in. It was a long memory that was she was fond off. She had many hobbies and along the way, she becomes an uncaring woman who watched the world with passive eyes. Indeed, she was a heartless woman who watched the world burn. She watches the failures of those she allied with. She was sick of them.

When the world grew greedy she became the 'demon' that everyone hated. Through her many men and women died for the reason that she could give them everlasting life. She was given the role of the demon queen in order for the world to have a common enemy they can fight. She thought of those who died believing under her. Those familiar faces that died in the name of getting her affection.

But once in a while, she would remember a peculiar face. It was a face she had long forgotten. The face of a person who dragged her out of despair. The person wore a plate armor dyed with charcoal. He was a just a nobody knight that felt like it was wrong to take her life. She could remember that knight fondly defending her with his mortal life.

That was it. She could not forget the past that Adey wanted her to forget. She could allow herself to forget about the world that she burned. Yet she'll never allow herself to forget her dear knight that did everything for her being.

"Why?" she asked that knight

"It is the decent thing to do. Your eyes were so lonely that I could not help but do it."

"I don't believe you. You only want me."

That knight smiled, "I may have been fooled by your beauty. They say that you are a witch that could charm anyone with your rosy-eyes."

"Rosy eyes?" she remembered laughing. "They would call my eyes 'blood-red'. It is the first time that I heard that."

"It that so? Anyway, maybe your eyes enchanted me. Maybe that is why I am risking my life for you."

She thought that it was all lie. He would abandon her the moment he gets what he wanted. She even allowed a fire arrow to burned her face. It was painful but she knew that it would work for her. She could regenerate her face but she didn't do so. She wanted to expose that knight's lie.

But that knight never wavered. He continued protecting her for months. Not even her burned face could stop the knight from wanting to help her. No matter how hard or undesirable her face was he never bothered to stop his kindness.

Even the greatest walls could be torn down if attacked repeatedly. Somewhere along the line, she became fond of that knight. Even though the world was against her that knight was her protector. He was a nobody who did everything to save someone who didn't want to be saved. She offered immortality yet that Knight didn't want it. Maybe if she told him honestly that she only wanted a company in her life maybe she wouldn't have ended up becoming a destroyer of worlds?

She was too careless. She knew that no matter how determined that knight was he would end up falling against the enemies. She still remembered it bitterly. Upon a mountain wall, they were cornered and nowhere to go. That knight guarded the only passage and fought men who wanted her dead. Their blows struck his armor, arrows pierced his back.

He was bleeding all over but his body didn't stop fighting. It was like his burning his soul in order to protect the 'witch' that everyone wanted to put into a stake. He fought and fought. But nonetheless, he was mortal. He was struck down and he could only wait for death.

She could not allow her dear knight to perish. She fought them all and killed all of them with savagery. She won with ease and with haste she wanted to turn his knight into someone like her.

As she was about to give her gift. The Knight grabbed hold of her. With watery eyes, he smiled and said, "You really are wonderful—ah, I was foolish to think that you needed my help. You can take care of your own. I guess I was just being a burden to you? You watch all this time to see if I wasn't a liar. I understand."

He touched her cheek. "It matters not. I may have been fooled but I do not regret it. Were you pleased? Even this man from Salvatore can do good! Please do not cry milady, I think if it is already too late for me. One day...you will find your happiness. You may not remember me, but I am forever yours, o burned woman of Dubrovnik."

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