Chapter 2182 Candle in a Storm

"Kree. Kree. Kreeee!"

Little Vesper used all his strength to pull the swords pinning Adam to the ground.

Meanwhile, Adam just looked around blankly, wondering what had just transpired.

A mysterious river had appeared out of nowhere, sliced all the enemies on this floating island, and then disappeared just as abruptly.

"Kree! Kree!"

Vesper scrambled before Adam's face and puffed his chest out proudly.

Adam snapped back to his senses and looked at the pudgy little creature. The Shadow was no longer afraid of him. If anything, he seemed to have grown much closer over the course of his hellish battle.

With a trembling hand, Adam gently patted the little Shadow on his head.

"You did well, Little Va… Vesper."

"Kreeee." The Shadow purred in contentment.

In that moment, he looked like a puppy who had had a full meal and was now lying in the sun, belly up.

Vesper looked around and saw the corpses of countless Magi and Paladins, their strength ranging from Squires and Apprentices to Elysian.

He then looked at Adam with eager eyes and trilled. "Kree! Kree!"

Somehow, Adam was able to understand him. So he replied with a bitter smile, "Only the corpses wearing the Watch's uniform. No one else. Okay?"

"Kree! Kree!" Vesper nodded, drool already slipping from the corner of his mouth. Then he sauntered away and began consuming the shadows of the enemy.

The sound of footsteps approached Adam.

He was still lying down on the ground, too exhausted to even get up. He weakly lifted his head and saw the blue-haired woman approaching him with a limp. Her face was a canvas of blood, and she nursed a broken hand. No… upon closer inspection, her hand was missing entirely.

"Constantine." Moonie collapsed beside him.

Adam turned his gaze toward the Magus and offered a faint smile. "Magus Morelli."

"Seriously…" Moonie glanced at Adam's scalp, which was hanging sideways from his head, barely attached to his skull by a few ligaments and strips of skin. "What the hell are you?"

Adam murmured, "Set it back on my head, will ya? I'll do the rest."

Moonie swallowed. She had seen a great many things in her service to House Fortuna. She had even been in battles, fighting for the Imperium. But the state she saw Adam in presently was more than a little skin-crawling.

She hesitated momentarily before reaching out with her only remaining hand. She pinched a few strands of Adam's hair and settled the scalp back atop his skull. She shuddered again.

"Thanks," Adam murmured. He glanced at Moonie's missing limb. "Your hand…"

"Don't worry about it. I can get a new one. I'm not a Paladin, so I don't have to worry about the discrepancy in strength between my new and old hands."

Moonie truly wasn't worried. In fact, she believed this was a punishment she deserved for not arriving at Genevieve's side on time.

She hadn't been on the floating island when the massacre began. She never thought that the Gala would ever be under attack. Complacency on her part. A lesson learned.

She had been on campus, close to the tower, when this atrocity started. She had to carve her way through the Watchmen guarding the Tower, all the way up to the floating island, until finally she was able to arrive at the venue. And even then, she had to plow through a horde of enemies to reach Adam and Vesper.

"Thank you," she murmured. "Thank you for keeping Genevieve safe."

Adam fell silent.

His eyelids felt heavy like boulders.

The last thing he saw before losing consciousness was the mutilated corpses of Channing's grandchildren.

***

Adam dreamed he was surrounded by enemies.

He was suffocating. Blood covered his body. Wounds refused to close. No matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't escape.

The events of the Gala replayed in his mind like a nightmare. The screams. The bloodshed. The helplessness.

He was scared. Terrified. And there was nothing he could do.

Utterly helpless in this big world. Utterly helpless in the face of such cruelty and evil. Utterly helpless before such powerful enemies.

Like a candle in a storm, desperately struggling to keep his tiny flame alive.

He felt so small. So weak. So pathetic.

Adam woke up with a start. His eyes snapped open, and he instinctively tried to sit up. A sharp pain shot through his body, forcing him back down.

Where am I?

He looked around and found himself in a familiar room. It was one of the many in the Rabbit Hole.

Adam let out a slow breath.

He looked at his body. Bandages covered almost every inch of him. There was hardly any space left untouched. Even worse, the bandages were stained with blood. Meaning, his healing had slowed considerably while he was unconscious. His body had simply suffered too much damage.

Instinctively, he swept his senses outward, covering a vast space. He sensed several familiar presences. Noticing the one he was looking for, he heaved a sigh of relief.

With great difficulty, he tried to get up. He tried moving his fingers. They responded, albeit sluggishly. Every part of him ached. It wasn't just pain. It was deep, bone-weary exhaustion that seemed to seep into his very soul.

Adam had endured countless injuries before. But this was so much different. He had never felt such exhaustion before.

The battle at the Gala must have lasted no more than an hour. But the intensity far surpassed any battle he had ever participated in.

Mana erupted from his Seed, coursing through every inch of his body and accelerating the regeneration. The blood-stained bandages were soon devoid of their crimson dye. The blood returned to his body, and all the wounds healed. But the scars remained.

Adam exhaled a heavy breath and got off the bed. He grimaced as the pain wracked his body like lightning coursing through his nerves. He gritted his teeth and removed all the bandages. He retrieved a tunic, a pair of trousers, and slippers from his earring.

He exited his room, only to see Ira standing outside.

"Magpie." She cupped his face gently and kissed him on the forehead.

Her gaze fell on the long scar running across his forehead, just below his hairline. A hint of sadness appeared in her eyes.

"You have been through much," she said softly. "Come. I've prepared breakfast for you."

"No." Adam shook his head adamantly. "I need to see Genevieve first."

"She's here. But she's still unconscious. She was gravely injured." Ira took Adam's hand and led him down the corridor. "She's in good hands now, so you don't have to worry."

Adam was about to protest, but a stern look from Ira made him swallow his words.

"First, breakfast." She gave him a stern look.

Adam gulped nervously.

"Okay, fine."