I laid on the ground while trying to recover with my weak blood control skills. Was there no way but to kill Azure? The first person in this world that I killed. Tears streamed down my face. She was my first love-interest in this world. Why do I have to keep on losing the people that I love!

All of the terrible abuses that happened to Azure. I wanted to make amends and for her to be happy. But if I died, I wouldn’t be able to correct the world of such sad injustices. Someone had to do it. It was a path of loneliness. I was an introvert in my real life but will I truly be able to handle such loneliness? There was going to be much suffering, and pain that has yet to come.

It’s been about 5 minutes since I killed Azure. She was lying next to me in a pool of her blood.

“ Azure, I will not let you die here.”

Crawling over to her, I placed my hand on her heart wound. I tried forcing blood control on Azure’s blood to mend back her torn heart. It didn’t work, you cannot manipulate the blood of another person. I can only manipulate my own blood. So I tried tricking my body into thinking it’s my own blood which didn’t work.

Next, I tried using my blood to mend her heart. However, once the blood has left your body, you cannot control it. It didn’t stop me. I forced my fingers deep into Azure’s heart. The blood in my fingers came rushing out and I was able to manipulate my blood carefully to mend her heart back together. It was a large hole, and the range of my blood control of my bloody fingers was limited.

I wasn’t a heart surgeon so I had to focus and concentrate on the inner working of my own heart to reconstruct it in Azure’s body. I remembered from high school biology that the heart has 4 main chambers. Two for oxygenated blood, and two for blood rich in carbon dioxide. There was a chance of me failing.

After a few more minutes of my botched surgery on Azure. Her heart was able to come back together but it still wasn’t beating. Then I helped seal up the wound on her chest with my blood control, forcing her skin to bind together.

I immediately started performing CPR on her. In my real life, my dad took me to a CPR class. He told me that I might save a life one day. I didn’t believe him because I thought it wouldn’t ever happen to an introvert like me. How ironic. The last thing I remember was that the human brain cannot go without oxygen for 8 or so minutes. Otherwise, you will have permanent brain damage.

It had been exactly 8 minutes since Azure died. I do not know why I was able to know the exact time that has been passed. Maybe it was because learning blood control on a higher level forces you to use correct timings for advanced techniques.

I gave CPR to Azure for 5 minutes, there was still no heart-beat.

“ Please come back, I don’t want to lose you like Tuuli.”

This time my CPR will save a life! I continued giving Azure 2 breaths per 30 compressions. Azure’s body was getting cold and she lost a lot of blood. Without knowing what type of blood type we both had, I still had to replenish her with my blood. Inserting my finger into an artery in her arm, my blood flowed into her. There was an opening on my finger to let blood out.

1 hour since I started CPR with no signs of any heartbeat. It was far too long to be able to save Azure. In my CPR class, they told us that CPR past 30 minutes wouldn’t resuscitate them anymore and they would need better medical intervention to survive. Not willing to stop or lose Azure, I kept on giving CPR to her for 3 more hours.

Midway through my breath, a heartbeat was regained. Azure woke up and freaked out then whirlwind kicked me away from her. Her kick was weak.

“ Azure! Your…”

“ PERVERT!!!! Kissing me when I am dead? Are you seriously that deranged Crow?”

I almost tried to hug her but I quickly put away my arms. Azure then rushed at me. I see… even in death, Azure still wanted to kill me. Once again I prepared to fight her. But she went and hugged me?

“ A bet is a bet, I did promise Grant that I would help you.”

“ Azure you…. thank you.”

We hugged for 10 minutes. Letting Azure hug me forever was nice, it made me happy. She then punched me weak in the face.

“ Don’t get any wrong ideas, I don’t want to get friendly with you.”

My consciousness was fading as I struggled to retain it. The intense training, the fight with Grant, the fight with Azure, and having to concentrate deeply on the botched heart surgery. It was too much and my mind went blank.

“ Crow!”

When I woke up, the sky was dark. Something soft and warm underneath my head. It took me some time before I realized Azure’s face watching me. My head was on her lap? Why would Azure do this?

“ Did you sleep well Crow?”

“ Yeah I did.”

We both decided to spend the night outside in the forest. My body was dreary and needed rest. Azure wouldn’t let my head off her lap. She told me that if I didn’t sleep on her lap pillow, she would enact her revenge on me once more. And that I had to prove to her that I was a person from another world. The old ‘Crow’ wouldn’t let any older ‘ugly’ women touch him like this.

I’m sure that Grant is worried about me not surviving the fight. The old man must still be in his bed resting too.

It was nice having my love-interest treat me this well. Will this nightmare world let us be together?

The next morning, there was grass stuffed in my nose and mouth. I sneezed and spatted them out. Azure had already woken and got bored of waiting so she played this prank. I wasn’t mad at her, after all that she has been through. I wanted her to be happy. She wanted me to play another prank. This time to trick Grant into thinking that I was dead, I agreed. I hope the old man finds it funny.

*** Azure

I lost the bet.

Crow had to be someone from another world. I didn’t expect him to be so desperate to save my life. All of his actions since that day do point to him being someone else. Grant was right, Crow does possess immense talent since he had beaten both of us and even revived me.

After hugging him, he fainted when I punched him in the face lightly. It wasn’t my intention, he punched me in the face earlier too. So to make up for him, I gave him a lap pillow. While Crow rested his head on my lap, I wondered if he would be the person who will be able to make me happy. STOP MYSELF! I DO NOT LIKE HIM!

It was fun stuffing grass into his nose and mouth to wake him up. I wasn’t able to laugh so carefree for a long time. Crow didn’t even mind me doing it either. He even agreed to trick Grant about him losing the bet. Grant’s face when he realized Crow had ‘died’ is going to be epic.

We both got up and went back to the shabby house. Crow waited outside while I head inside to tell Grant of the fun news.

“ Who’s there? Crow please let that be you.”

It appeared that Grant hasn’t recovered his eyes yet so he is still blind.

“ You lost the bet Grant.”

“ What! Crow why did you have to die just like my master Alicia! I am a failure of a father to both Crow and my son. Just kill me Azure. I don’t want to live anymore.”

“ Sure after I bring you Crow’s dead body.”

“ JUST STOP IT ALREADY! I know I’m…”

“ Hey Grant, was this funny?” said Crow.

“ SHUT UP CROW! THAT ISN’T FUNNY AT ALL!”

“ HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”

I and Crow had a good laugh or at least I did. Crow tried his best to laugh with me but he was explaining what happened in our fight. It has been a long time since I was able to laugh this hard that my mind went blank.

When my eyes opened again, Crow and Grant sat beside me. The bed was comfy.

“ I’m sorry Azure,” said Crow.

“ You did nothing wrong Crow. I wouldn’t have given up on the fight if you have never killed me.”

“ … thanks. Can you use blood control skills to recover faster?”

“ I should be able to now, since I almost died earlier.”

When I tried using my blood control skills to recover faster. My Blood Control Blood Regeneration skill wasn’t working. Grant explained to us that when someone loses their heart. They will no longer be able to use any blood control skills. It was a death sentence for people like us.

King Black never taught me the reasons but told me to target the heart or brain. Even though Crow revived me with his botched heart surgery. It was only enough for me to stay alive. My heart beats were still weak. When I was revived, shouldn’t my blood control skills would come back to me after I rested for a few days. Is it over for me?

“ I promise to find a doctor to properly heal you Azure”

“ That will be impossible Crow. There is something I have to tell you both. Crow is not the fugitive, I am.”

I continue on my story about what happened after I made the plan to ruin Crow’s life. They both had a suspicion of me being a secret Royal, only for me to confirm it. Crow gave back my bottle of bleach, do I even need this anymore? He is from another world if he knows about bleach too.

“ I will make sure they will forgive your crime of killing Luke. You will be free Azure.”

“ The whole kingdom will want revenge against me for killing a Royal. I will have to live my life in darkness like I always had.”

“ Then when I become the strongest man in the Kingdom. I will force the kingdom to pardon you.”

My heart started beating faster. Why would he do this? Doesn’t he know he can just go back to his manor and live an easy life as a Royal while I stay hidden? Does he wish for me to be happy? How do I respond to his ambition? But even if Crow doesn’t become the strongest man in the kingdom, I would still love him.

WAIT WHAT!? Why would I L-Love him?

“ I didn’t want to interrupt you 2 love birds. But there is a way to save her,” said Grant.

“ WE ARE NOT LOVEBIRDS!

I threw the pillow at Crow and hid under the blanket, my cheeks were blushing.

“ It’s so obvious, don’t try to hide it. Anyways Crow. There is nothing more for me to train you. You have already surpassed me and you should probably find an even better teacher or figure it out on your own. Now let this old man tell you his knowledge of the world before he dies for good.”