I’m Trying to End This Possession Chapter 229

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Afterwards, the boy took Dana and ran away somewhere. It was a hut deep in the mountains.

 

“Huh.”

 

By the time they arrived, Dana was barely conscious. Ever since she was grazed by the serpent’s fangs, a burning force seemed to scorch her very soul. It was agonizing.

 

“What should I do? You’re about to die, you know?” The boy checked her condition and let out a sigh. “This won’t do. I’ll try to absorb it. Maybe that’ll make it a little better.”

 

“Hngg, hurts, it hurts…”

 

“Does it hurt a lot? Just hang in there a little, okay?”

 

The boy hugged her tightly. Wherever their bodies touched, the burning sensation seemed to cool down. She felt the poison slowly draining away. Finally, feeling like she could live, Dana let out a shallow breath.

 

“Is it a bit better?”

 

With no strength, Dana could only whisper “Yes,” like a sigh, and buried her face into the boy’s chest.

 

“So cute. Like a little chick caught a cold.”

 

The boy was absorbing the deadly poison.

 

Wouldn’t that mean Carl would be hurting that much more? Besides, he was hurt more seriously than I was. She was only grazed on the back of her hand. Meanwhile, Carl’s shoulder was completely pierced by the serpent. He must have been tainted by an even stronger force. And he was bitten while trying to shield her… Because of me…

 

As the fog slowly lifted from her mind, realization washed over her. That’s right. She was the one who made this person suffer. He fell into the lake because of her, and got tainted by the demonic power because of her too.

 

She’d heard that, because of that immense power, his body was gradually collapsing. Outwardly, he showed no sign, so it was hard to believe. Dana had heard that Carl was dying… It was because of me from the start. Tears welled up in her eyes.

 

Seeing that, the boy asked with concern. “Why are you crying? Does it hurt a lot?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“You shouldn’t be hurt. Though you’re cute even when you are.”

 

“Don’t call me cute.”

 

“Huh? But I’ve never seen a creature as cute as you in my life.”

 

“I’m Dana…”

 

“Huh?”

 

“I’m Dana.” Mumbling, Dana desperately moved her short tongue, clinging to her fading consciousness. “The one who chose you as the sacrificial offering to be thrown into the Ice Lake. That was me.”

 

“Huh? I know.”

 

“What?”

 

“I saw you choose me as the sacrifice then. You’re that incredibly cute girl, right? The one outside the prison, with Father.”

 

Her fading mind snapped clear in shock. Incredibly cute girl? Is he talking about Danawin right now? But Danawin is at least ten years older than Carl now… Would you call an older woman ‘cute’ like that?

 

Unsure, Dana asked again. “Um… are you talking about the pregnant woman?”

 

“No.”

 

“What?”

 

“You’re not pregnant.” Carl snorted as if displeased. “That was brainwashing.”

 

“B-By whom?”

 

“I don’t know. Probably from way up there?” Carl pointed his finger up at the sky. Then, he flashed a mischievous grin. “I almost fell for it myself, but I kept my head clear, so I didn’t fall for it.”

 

Dana was too stunned to speak. Brainwashing? Even Dana herself could feel that her body wasn’t pregnant. It was so strange that everyone treated her like a pregnant woman… So it really wasn’t true.

 

As Carl said, someone had brainwashed them. All of them, the whole group, maybe the entire world… Thinking so, her mind turned cold and rigid. Could it be possible to brainwash an entire world? Who could do such a thing? Someone from above, who?

 

“They even cast a curse, you know?”

 

At Carl’s words, Dana swallowed. A sense of foreboding crept over her like fog. “A curse?”

 

“Yeah. A really scary curse. They cursed so grandly, but nobody noticed. The sky turned dark, there was thunder and lightning.” But nobody realized. Carl continued to absorb the poison as he hugged her, laughing. “Want to hear it?”

 

Do I want to hear it? No, I have to hear it.

 

“Yes.”

 

When she nodded, Carl didn’t hesitate and opened his lips. And he spoke. “Betrayer.”

 

At the words that followed the curse, Dana held her breath.

 

Betrayer, you will never conceive again and be born from the ashes. You will never know your primal mother. You will suffer eternal persecution from your father. Your beloved woman will disguise herself as your mother, wear your sister’s shell, and don your child’s mask. You are the living original sin. For every timeline where the power of the sun exists. Until the very last timeline where the sun’s power fades. You shall bear the condemnation of all creation.

 

“Scary, right? That voice came from the sky, you know,” Carl added.

 

Dana clutched Carl’s collar. Her heart pounded in her chest. This curse…

 

It was the Sun God. Anyone could tell this was a curse from the Sun God, Ramun. And the target of the curse was… Raios.

 

Raios. He was cursed by the Sun God. But why? He was the only imperial family member who didn’t receive the Sun God’s blessing. It was said that with his generation, the Sun God’s blessing was cut off. But was it not merely that the blessing ended? He was cursed too?

 

Dana barely managed to speak. “They said… betrayer?”

 

“Yes. It began with ‘Betrayer…’”

 

Betrayer? Then, does that mean Raios betrayed the Sun God in some way? What was it?

 

Dana summoned all her rationality and tried to figure it out. “For every timeline where the power of the sun exists, until the very last timeline where the sun’s power fades.” As she repeated that phrase, a strange word caught her ear. Timeline…?

 

Ah. Why hadn’t I thought of it before? She knew. No, she had experienced it. A life repeating again and again. She knew timelines were repeating. Wasn’t she herself living through several timelines? And if such a curse has been cast this time… That means Raios must have done something that deserves being cursed, even in a past timeline. Perhaps not in this life, but in a previous one.

 

Did Raios do something worthy of being cursed in a past life? What could it be? What could he possibly have done to deserve such a curse? Her head spun.

 

Raios’s sins. There were more than just one or two. He had committed evil deeds. In a previous timeline, he ruined her marriage with Rumie, set fire to the mansion and killed her, kidnapped her, and did all sorts of cruel things… No. It’s probably not something so mundane.

 

There were countless imperial family members who committed such worldly crimes. But none of them had ever been cursed.

 

The word ‘betrayer’ had been used. That meant Raios had betrayed the Sun God. And that’s why he was being cursed.

 

What could it be? Her heart pounded. I have to see it. She had to check if her hypothesis was true. Just what did that madman do to be cursed by the Sun God? Because her instincts were telling her that it was related to her, to ‘Dana.’

 

But was it possible? She has already come to the past of this timeline. Was it possible to move to another timeline from here? Like dreaming within a dream, a dream inside a dream, she would have to dig deeper and deeper. It should be possible…

 

The demonic power Carl was absorbing. That power was so great that a frail child’s body could barely withstand it, as if their life could be snuffed out at any moment. But demonic power had always given her the insight and purifying force she needed.

 

It’s possible. I can go see it. But it’s dangerous. If the holy spell Yustio had cast malfunctioned, there was no telling what might happen. Something truly catastrophic might occur. At the very least, this body will definitely die.

 

Conflicted, Dana squeezed her eyes shut. She didn’t care if this body died. The only thing that bothered her was one thing. Ignis. That boy must be waiting in her room.

 

It’s okay. I can just come back. At worst, I’ll just return to reality. If that happened, she could threaten or do whatever it took to get Yustio’s cooperation again to cast the spell. Go back to the past, and keep the promise made to Ignis then. So… Let’s go.

 

Dana decided. Let’s go to the beginning. To the very first timeline. And the very first life.

 

“…What are you doing?”

 

As her consciousness faded, the boy’s cold laugh reached her.

 

“Where do you think you’re going? You can’t go.”

 

What? How did he know?

 

“I said you can’t go.”

 

Scary!

 

* * *

But fortunately, Dana was able to go.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Dana opened her eyes.

 

“Sister, please wake up.”

 

She looked up vacantly. A man stood, backlit by the dazzling sun. It was Raios. In the green garden, he was reaching out his hand to her as she lay collapsed.

 

“Youve fallen again. So clumsy.”

 

The next moment, Dana’s mouth moved by itself. “Don’t scold me so much. You’d think differently if you tried wearing heels too.” Grumbling, she grabbed his outstretched hand and stood up in the garden. Then she winced. Her ankle had been twisted.

 

“Give me your shoes.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Your shoes. I’ll carry them for you.”

 

“Then what am I supposed to wear?”

 

“I could just carry you, couldn’t I?” Raios smiled and opened his arms.

 

Dana smiled back and gladly accepted his embrace. “Okay, do that for me.”

 

In that embrace, Dana’s mind went blank. Why is Raios calling me ‘sister’? And more than anything, what surprised her was his appearance.

 

“Thank you.” Held in Raios’s arms, Dana stroked his hair. “My cute little brother.”

 

The hair she caressed shone brilliantly, radiant with Ramun’s blessing. The golden light of the sun.