The cold, golden chains dug deep into his tense muscles, yet the physical agony paled in comparison to the invisible vice crushing his fragile soul.
Long's heart wrenched in his chest as his gaze fell upon Lia's small shoulder—where fresh blood still oozed from the deep, jagged bite marks he himself had inflicted. That sight was the needle that burst the bubble of his composure, unlocking a floodgate of dark memories that rushed back to pierce his heart.
It was the fading whimper of Lulu as his embrace accidentally crushed the life out of her... It was the dry crack of a classmate's bone snapping under his grip years ago... And most painful of all, it was the image of his grandfather's bowed back, apologizing profusely while other parents pointed their fingers at him, screaming that one word: "MONSTER."
In this moment, a primal terror consumed Long. He was terrified of himself. He feared that one day, these very hands, this beast inside him, would strip away the lives of those he cherished most.
Trapped within that hulking, veiny, and terrifying shell was, after all, just the soul of a sixteen-year-old boy—immature, broken, and profoundly vulnerable.
"You little bitch, what the hell did you just say?"
Lia's voice was razor-sharp, freezing the air. She leaned to the side, shooting a glare past Long's broad shoulder, fixing her violet eyes on Lily standing behind him with a ferocity that threatened to tear the girl into a hundred pieces.
Lily pursed her lips, shrinking back, her face draining of color, suddenly guilt-ridden by her own slip of the tongue.
Dropping the hostility, Lia turned her focus back to the boy in front of her. Her small hand gently cupped his ear, transmitting a soothing warmth. Her voice shifted instantly, dripping with sweetness:
"Go ahead and cry... It's okay. I'm here."
Her hand reached around to stroke his trembling back as she whispered softly:
"Just like when you lent me your warmth and let me throw up all over you... now, it's my turn to be your shoulder to lean on."
Lia's words were like a boulder shattering the dam holding back the flood of emotions inside him. Hot tears rolled down his cheeks, falling and dissolving into her wounded shoulder.
Through his blurred vision, Long froze in disbelief as he witnessed an incredible sight: the flesh on Lia's shoulder was knitting itself back together. Wherever his tears fell, the wound healed instantly, leaving behind fresh, pink skin.
"Huh?!"
Long's eyes went wide. His body shifted slightly, causing the golden chains binding him to rattle. Sensing something unusual, Lia turned to look at Long, then followed his gaze down to her own shoulder.
Her slender fingers tremblingly brushed against skin that was now smooth and white, as if never wounded. Her violet eyes widened in astonishment as she looked up at Long. Long looked at her, she looked at Long—both of their faces displaying a massive, bewildered question mark.
"Let him go."
Jack stepped forward, placing a gentle hand on Lily's shoulder from behind. She flinched violently, snapping her head around to look at him, her eyes darting with anxiety:
"I can't! What if he loses control again? You saw it with your own eyes!"
Jack lowered his voice, trying to reason with her:
"It's alright, he's stable now. Going berserk requires a trigger; he won't just snap without a reason."
Jack's logic was sound, but Lily refused to listen. She shook her head frantically, clutching her staff with both hands, her face pale and shivering uncontrollably.
"No... I felt it clearly just now. That thing... he's no different from a monster."
Jagged flashes of memory flickered through her mind like broken lightning: barbaric, gruesome images. And most vivid of all was the image of a room drenched in a sea of fresh blood. Lily's breathing became ragged and unstable.
Jack frowned. He realized that right now, the one who was truly unstable wasn't Long, but Lily.
"Hey Long, next time, remember to bring more sausages for me."
Lucas's voice suddenly cut through the tension, causing the group to whip their heads around. Without anyone noticing, the dark-haired boy was already standing right next to the chains binding Long.
"I really like your sausage."
Long froze for a beat, then offered a faint smile and a nod, his voice soft and low:
"Understood. I'll let you taste the finest sausage I have."
Lia narrowed her eyes at the two men, sensing something incredibly "off" about this exchange. The content was innocent enough, but the tone and context... it was ripe for misunderstanding.
A rare smile played on Lucas's usually cold face. He slowly raised his crimson blade, the tip gently touching the golden chain link.
The strange action drew confused stares from everyone, wondering what he was up to.
"Lucas, what are you..."
Before Lily could finish, the short blade in Lucas's hand began to shift, darkening into a glossy, pitch-black hue. The inky darkness spread like ink from the blade onto Lily's holy chains, causing her to stumble back in panic, her voice trembling:
"You... what are you doing?!"
Lucas jerked his wrist upward in a sharp, decisive arc.
Clang!
The goddess's chains shattered instantly, bursting into fragments of light before fading into nothingness.
Lucas lowered his arm and turned his head toward Lily, whose face had gone deathly pale, delivering a cold but weighty statement:
"Lily, no one likes being looked at as a monster."
Lily pointed her staff at Lucas, her voice rising in panic:
"You... what exactly are you? There is no way the Holy Maiden's 'Soul Chains' could be broken that easily!"
"You're just weak."
Lucas replied calmly. His blunt and concise answer left Lily choking on her own indignation, unable to swallow her anger.
Freed from the chains, Long hurriedly turned around, intending to diffuse the tension. But he forgot a crucial detail: his clothes had burned away long ago.
As soon as Long spun around, what assaulted Lily's vision was a broad, heaving chest and a set of eight-pack abs, sculpted to perfection. Her gaze unconsciously drifted lower, past the toned abs, only to land on... a very real, dangling "sausage" looming right before her eyes.
Lily's face exploded into a shade of crimson, looking like a boiled lobster, steam practically rising from the top of her head.
"Kyaaaaa!!!"
She hurled her staff away, spun around, and collapsed onto the floor. Covering her eyes tightly with both hands, she began frantically confessing her sins to the Holy Maiden in sheer panic.
Long looked around in bewilderment, only to find Jack burying his face in his hands, his shoulders shaking violently as he choked out a laugh, his voice trembling:
"I think... Lily's going to be off sausages for a whole month... Bwahahaha!"
Even more confused, Long glanced over at Lucas, who had already turned his face away. He clicked his tongue in annoyance and threw back a snide remark:
"Lucky bastard."
Desperate for help, he turned to Lia, only to see her giving him a thumbs-up with a mischievous wink:
"Top-tier quality!"
Seeing the dumbfounded look on Long's face, Jack sighed, stripped off the rough cloth shirt he was wearing, and tossed it at him:
"Here. Cover yourself up, champ."
Long caught the shirt reflexively and looked down. Only now did his tactile senses decide to reconnect with his brain, registering the distinct, breezy chill around his nether regions. But the damage was done. Long's face turned a violent shade of crimson as he frantically scrambled to wrap the shirt around his waist, covering the "unmentionables."
Nearby, Lily remained face-planted on the floor, squeezing her eyes shut in a desperate attempt to purge that X-rated image from her head. Unfortunately, the harder she tried to forget, the more vivid it became. Her face burned hot, her voice trembling as she whimpered:
"He really is... a monster... How can it be that big?"