Ark Undead

"And this suit of armor, I know it will give you a sense of security, but you also need to get used to the concept of home."

“As long as you’re at home, you don’t need to be so wary of others. After all, armor covers your body and your heart, preventing you from truly touching your family.”

A short while later, the Fire Mage easily removed the Undead's gauntlets and placed the Undead's slightly withered hand in her fair and tender palm.

Without feeling uncomfortable because of the rough skin, the Fire Mage naturally inserted her fingers into the Undead's palm, and then pressed down on the Undead's fingers with her other hand.

The two men interlaced their fingers and clasped hands together.

The entire action was led by the Fire Mage, and no one died; all she needed to do was relax and cooperate.

"Does this kind of feeling make you feel uncomfortable?"

After their fingers clasped together, the Fire Maiden's voice unconsciously softened a little more.

Her voice came from the side of the immortal, brushing against his ear like a gentle caress.

No, it won't.

The immortal had no intention of withdrawing his hand; he had never shaken hands with anyone like this before, but he felt no discomfort at the moment.

"It's alright... yeah, it's definitely different."

Undead are never ones to hide their thoughts, and he bluntly told the Fire Maiden how he felt.

And he subconsciously gripped the Fire Mage's hand even tighter.

"Ah... there's no need to be in such a hurry, Lord Ash."

The Fire Maiden felt the Undead exert force and first let out a soft cry, then added somewhat flusteredly.

"Just relax, I'll teach you these things slowly."

Upon hearing this, the Undead relaxed slightly, but still kept his fingers on the back of the Fire-Binding Woman's hand, refusing to let go.

The Fire Mage's slightly thin lips curled up slightly, and her words carried a hint of amusement.

"It seems you really enjoy this feeling, don't you?"

The Undead did not directly answer the Fire Maiden's question, but instead asked a question of his own.

"Why do you know all this? Do you have family?"

Although those words were somewhat out of place in the current situation, the Fire Mage, who knew the nature of the undead, did not take them as offensive.

She unconsciously hummed in agreement before slowly opening her mouth.

The voice was slightly hoarse, but it was as smooth as fine fur rubbing against the skin, making one want to caress it again and again.

"Lord Ash, you know. I have walked the last stretch of the path of the Age of Fire."

"It was a lonely, long journey. If you don't force yourself to try to think about something, to miss something, then you really will lose your mind."

Her voice resonates most beautifully when heard in a very quiet place.

At the end of the last note, a slight breath escapes, and the voice, with its slightly rough texture, seems to be veiled, making one want to explore its true meaning even more.

Accompanied by the crackling sound of the flames burning, this last wisp of smoke, like smoke, slowly dissipated before my eyes.

"So, can you guess what I thought about and pondered during that long period of solitude before humanity rose from the mud during the deep-sea era?"

The Undead instinctively turned his head to look at the Fire-Binding Woman beside him.

The Fire Girl was looking down, and although she was wearing an eye patch, it was clear that she was staring at the two people's clasped hands.

The immortal hesitated for a moment, then asked tentatively.

"family?"

"Really, Lord Ash is always so dull at times like this."

The Fire Maiden sighed, and her other hand quietly crept up the Undead's hand.

Two soft hands gently enveloped the undead's calloused, rough fingers before she spoke.

"While what you've said is a valid answer, that's not the answer I'd like to hear."

As she spoke, the Fire Maiden raised her head and met the Undead's gaze directly.

"It's you."

At that moment, the Undead vaguely heard an extremely faint breathing sound.

But he soon realized that what the Fire Mistress said was more important.

"In that boundless loneliness, all I can do is recall what is most important to me. So, besides you, what other answer is there?"

Such a straightforward expression almost caught the immortals off guard.

“I’ve thought a lot about it. If you didn’t choose to bear all the sins alone and perish with the First Flame, but instead took the First Flame and possessed the power of the flame, perhaps you could safely survive this entire Deep Sea Age and endure until the next ray of light rises.”

"You can also, like many heroes of the past, choose to carry on the flame that represents hope, allowing that world to linger on for a while longer. In this way, you will have achieved your long-held goal."

"But it is you who did not make these choices, and you are the hero who truly freed me from the curse of flames and allowed me to freely choose my own ending."

"For me, my whole life has been just waiting for the destined hero to complete the mission of passing on the torch. You have given me more choices."

The Fire Mistress spoke softly, her face moving closer to the Undead so that he could clearly see her stunningly beautiful face illuminated by the firelight.

"But for me, there is only one choice: to serve you forever. I am your family forever."

The Undead stared intently at the Fire Mage's face.

"I don't understand."

He truly didn't understand why the Fire Maiden's feelings for him were so heavy.

Logically speaking, they are merely partners, collaborators, fellow travelers on the path of passing on the fire.

"Do you remember what I said to you when you gave me those eyes?"

"remember."

The Undead nodded; of course he remembered.

"You say it is darkness without light or fire. But fire will still be born."

After a pause, the Undead continued speaking.

"And you are deeply attracted to that kind of darkness."

The Fire Maiden smiled and nodded slightly.

"Yes, but for us, that would be the most serious betrayal. Because it would represent a denial of all our efforts so far."

Strictly speaking, that was the future that the Fire Mage saw. She was terrified by it, but she also genuinely longed for such a future.

The immortals may not remember, but the Fire Maiden will always remember.

After saying these words, she begged the man in front of her to kill her and take away her eyes.

But after a moment of silence, the man uttered these words.

"If that's what you want... I won't kill you."

He did not kill himself, but showed respect for what he saw, and was even willing to stand on his side.

He did not see himself as a tool for passing on the fire, but rather as a truly valuable individual, someone to be trusted and understood.

This is the gentleness of the undead. In the Firelink Shrine, where only darkness and bonfire existed, the image of that man rejecting her became the first thing she saw after regaining her sight.

It was forever etched in her heart.

Perhaps it's this glance, or perhaps it's this answer.

The Fire Girl could no longer ignore the intense feelings she had for the man before her.

Even after tens of thousands of years, it has never faded.

You haven't seen my eyes yet, have you?

"I ask the Fire Maiden."

The immortal nodded in response.

"Ah."

"If you'd like, you can remove my blindfold yourself and see what my eyes look like."

The Fire Maiden's words seemed to possess a magical power.

"I also hope that the first thing these eyes, which were reborn in the flames with me, will see after they are freed from their shackles is you."

So, the Undead gently raised his free hand and removed the blindfold from the Fire Mage's face.

In his memory, the Fire Maiden only took off her blindfold once, when she put her eyes back into their sockets.

At that time, he did not see what the Fire Mage's eyes looked like.

But now, as she merges with the flames, her eyes are also reborn with the permission of the primordial fire.

In the dim firelight, what came into view was a pair of black eyes as deep as an abyss, completely drawing the undead's gaze into them.

He couldn't look away; those eyes were so mysterious, like a vast, boundless starry sky, that they seemed to steal his very soul.

But he could only see his own reflection in it.

They looked at each other in silence for a long time.

Then, the Fire Mage reached out and gently lifted the undead's mask, slowly moving closer.

"Don't be nervous, just relax."

Their breaths mingled, their thin, cherry-colored lips parted slightly, and the Fire Maiden's words became blurred as she took the initiative to approach.

"This is just between you and me... um."

She interrupted herself before finishing her sentence.

The Fire Maiden's hands had somehow loosened, and she slowly wrapped them around the Undead's neck, pressing herself to death in his arms.

Those who did not die had no objection to this.

In the enchanting firelight, the purple-haired kitten on the bed turned its face to the wall.

Actually, she had just woken up when the undead returned. But she didn't dare open her eyes, afraid of interrupting their conversation.

But now, she regrets not opening her eyes earlier.