46_ Love Once Lived

In the present.

Wail’s face was frozen in shock.

Blood trickled from his mouth as he looked down...

A purple blade was piercing through his stomach.

It had emerged from beneath Layla’s cloak.

Wail spoke in pain.

“Layla... What...?”

Layla kicked him.

Wail was sent flying backward and crashed onto the sand.

He couldn’t believe what had happened, and kept shouting as he desperately tried to find an answer.

But Layla’s smile disappeared.

“How annoying... Just shut up.”

Two daggers emerged from her sleeves, and she lunged at Wail.

She swung the daggers in different directions, but Wail dodged her attacks and retreated.

“What’s happened to you?”

She replied coldly:

“You’re such an idiot. Are you really still trying to earn my sympathy after what you did that day?”

Wail was confused.

“That day?”

He remembered fleeing after failing to find her.

“Layla, I tried to find you, but I couldn’t...”

He held his head and continued:

“I was scared and overwhelmed, and...”

She interrupted him.

“Yes, yes... I know the rest of the story. It doesn’t matter.”

Then she charged toward him.

“What matters is that I’m going to end your life here.”

Wail dodged her attacks again, but was forced to block another strike.

The blade pierced through his palm.

He grabbed her hand.

“This is a misunderstanding... Let me...”

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Her second dagger slashed across his waist, then she released a burst of purple energy directly into his face.

She smiled, but her smile disappeared as the dust began to clear...

Wail’s blue aura was covering his body before fading away.

Wail appeared with a serious expression.

“Please... Listen to me.”

Layla screamed:

“Shut up!”

Then she charged at him.

“I know you lied to me! I know you deceived me and gained my trust, and that my feelings never meant anything to you!”

She paused for a moment.

“Heda told me everything you did, and about your betrayal of the Valis.”

Wail’s eyes widened.

“And because of you... even my family died!”

“Betrayal? Your family?... What are you talki...”

Layla interrupted him.

“I’m here to end your life, Wail. Not just for revenge... but to eliminate the danger you pose.”

The cloak covering her body tore apart, and chains emerged from beneath it, shooting toward Wail and binding his arms.

Wail was stunned by what he saw.

Layla was covered in plates, tubes, and chains filled with a strange purple energy.

He spoke tensely.

“You...”

He remembered the same girl he had seen restrained by chains when the Valis had kidnapped him.

Blades began emerging from Layla’s arms before shooting toward him.

Wail tried to break free from the chains, but he couldn’t release his energy because of their ability to paralyze it.

“Damn it!!”

One of the blades pierced his shoulder.

Layla said:

“Damn... I was aiming for his heart.”

Wail had dodged at the last moment, then kicked her away and managed to break free from the chains.

The battle continued.

But Layla was the only one attacking.

Wail continued defending and evading her attacks.

He began thinking:

“Is this really Layla? Did they brainwash her? Or did they alter her memories?”

Suddenly, Wail grabbed his head in pain.

In the next moment, Layla punched him with tremendous force, sending him flying into the sea.

Wail emerged from the water, bewildered.

Layla said:

“Don’t think too much... I can read your thoughts, sense your emotions, and control them as well.”

Wail looked at her.

“Control them?”

Layla smiled.

“Don’t you notice that the anxiety you were feeling is gone?”

Wail realized what she meant.

She approached him.

“Your emotions are telling me that you’re still shocked... and a little afraid?”

Wail didn’t answer.

“Why won’t you fight me, Wail?”

“I’m still trying to process everything...”

She tilted her head.

“What do you mean?”

Wail clenched his fist and said:

“You... You’re not Layla...”

Silence filled the air for a moment.

Then he added:

“I... I can’t feel any life energy coming from your body... You’re just a corpse with false memories...”

“You...no ,Layla died a long time ago...”

Layla’s eyes widened, then she gave him an evil smile.

“Oooh... So you’re not that stupid after all...”

She released a blast of purple lightning-like energy toward him.

Wail didn’t move.

The energy struck him, and the area exploded, sending sand and seawater flying.

The dust cleared, revealing Wail standing completely still.

Suddenly...

All traces of hesitation disappeared from his face.

A cold expression took its place.

He vanished in a flash of electricity.

In the next moment, Layla took a powerful punch to the stomach.

Chains emerged from her body, but Wail retreated.

As soon as they approached him, his Golden Transformation erupted.

He charged at her with a barrage of consecutive punches, and Layla couldn’t fight back.

Wail grabbed one of the chains hanging from her chest and threw her into the air.

Her body rose into the sky as a bolt of lightning struck upward behind her.

Wail appeared above her and descended with a powerful kick, shattering the tubes on her chest and abdomen.

Layla crashed violently onto the ground.

She tried to stand, but Wail landed on her stomach.

Inside Layla’s mind...

Every scene of pain and suffering she had endured appeared before her.

Every feeling of hatred and resentment.

And finally...

Her voice spoke calmly:

“What’s happening...?”

It was the same dream she had experienced while receiving treatment from the Valis.

The dream always ended with Wail holding her hand and saying:

“Layla... I...”

Then he finished his sentence.

“I love you.”

Layla thought:

“If only you hadn’t hesitated and said it that day...”

Layla opened her eyes.

Wail was above her, holding her by the neck with one hand, while electricity gathered and condensed in his other hand.

Layla looked at him in pain.

“Do it... Don’t hesitate.”

Wail replied coldly:

“Who said I was going to hesitate?”

The electricity grew denser and denser.

Layla said:

“Wail... I also...”

Wail tightened his grip around her throat, and she couldn’t finish her sentence.

Then he said:

“Layla died a long time ago... You’re just a controlled corpse with false memories.”

He lowered his hand, aiming the electricity directly at Layla’s heart.

And suddenly...

Layla smiled warmly.

An innocent, happy expression appeared on her face.

Wail froze for a moment and thought:

“Damn it... I can’t stop.”

The electricity pierced through Layla’s heart.

Blood escaped from her mouth as the purple energy began fading from her body.

She took her final breath.

“Wail... Please don’t... blame yourself... for wha...”

She couldn’t finish her sentence.

Wail’s transformation faded, and he remained standing there for a few moments, stunned by what had happened.

Then he realized...

Layla’s hand was holding his other hand.

Her fingers slowly loosened after her death.

Wail began breathing heavily.

“I... I... I didn’t do that...”

He looked at her.

“Layla...”

He tried to wake her, but it was useless.

He fell backward, then grabbed his head in shock.

“I... killed her...”