14 CHAPTER 14: THE SHIMMERBLIGH (2/2)

”Wait...what do you mean?”

”That doesn't make any sense...”.

Ru sighed. Her charming and daring look was masked in a deep serious expression, that depicted a horrifying face seeped into the cold void. The air around them became quite subtle, as she replies to him straight,

”I'll show you...”

”But first...I must tell you...that you are about to see will shock you...and even scar your whole being...”.

While, she took her full-body cloak from the ground and dressed herself in it, protecting her from the seedy unwanted attention. They went inside the unseemingly-pleasant house. There, they had noticed a poor-looking interior of an old house, that doesn't have any other doors or rooms or any other decorations. The place was just a simple living space with a small and low table at the center. Moreover, their eyes saw the old woman lying down on a futon looking very sick and weak at the right-side of the area. The old woman noticed the two of them and said with her weakened voice,

”Oh...travellers...I'm so sorry but this old hag can't make you any tea anymore”.

The woman coughed lots later on. Ru and Zeran went and knelt down near the old woman. Ru shifted her face to a very relaxed one but, her sorrowful look was leaking in her voice,

”Don't mind it that much...”

”We're here to make you feel better...”.

The weak old hag's only reply was,

”I see...”.

While he had witnessed the dark Goddess was expressing a great amount of concern to the old hag, his face was kinda wishful and he had some hopeful thoughts that'd even defile the light Goddess's name,

(”So this time Ru's gonna cure the sickness of this old woman?”)

(”Honestly, Ange is gonna be shocked if she knew about this...”).

Although, Ru suggested to Zeran that she'll leave him with the old hag for now. Zeran was dumbfounded as he had heard that yet, Ru had already left in a snap. Though, in her stead it was also to let the old woman have some nice company with Zeran for the time being. Thereon, she was outside holding the shimmerblight in a pot, waiting for the perfect moment. Her face wasn't reflecting any sinistry rather, it was dyed in grave sorrowness that had a deep meaning behind. While Zeran was with the old woman, they had a small conversation. The woman said that he almost looked-like her grandson, especially his radiant blonde hair. She told him that if it weren't for her healer grandson, she wouldn't be even alive for a long time. Sadly, as times go by, her pain and sickness were growing more and more severe. Even if her grandson comes by from time to time to heal her, she noticed that he was also suffering in his eyes. As Zeran had heard that glimpse of her life, he felt quite pitiful for the old hag. Sometime soon, the old hag felt the excruciating pain that coursed throughout her body. The thorns that was impaling her chest. The numbing coldness were at her feet that made her feel near death's door. Her eyes were swelling in the deep arid dryness of the unknown desert. Her veins and arteries were protruding in and out like it would emerge any second. As soon as, he had witnessed that scarring experience for the old hag, he called unto Ru. Ru came back as fast as she could with a concerned look. Zeran explained to Ru what was happening to the old woman. Ru nodded. She placed the potted shimmerblight near the old woman. The shimmerblight radiated a strong divine light that almost blinded Zeran. Later, the woman's panting and the intense pain she was feeling was suddenly gone. The emerging roots of hers had relaxed, that seemed as if the woman was cured of her severe sickness. The shimmerblight's radiating aura calmed down but, it had the appearance of a golden luminiscent flower now. As soon as, Zeran saw that, he exclaims in a gleeful manner to the dark Goddess Ruhime,

”You did it Ru!”.

Though, he also noticed that the woman wasn't breathing, making him to look very dumbstruck, while he uttered to Ru in a very worried way,

”Ru? She's not breath—”.

She interrupts him,

”She's dead...”.

While he had heard her cold words, he was utterly shocked and his face was scarred in grave terror, turning him to fall on his knees, as he was feeling a sudden urge of hopelessness that coursed throughout his whole body. As for Ru, her face didn't show any sign of sadness nor any kind of happiness. Rather, it was filled with a serious and complacent look, that you'd expect from a higher being from the darkness. Soon enough, she pointed out at Zeran in a very cold way,

”It didn't heal her...rather it gave her a peaceful death...”

”And also...if you've been analyzing her story...you'll understand why she wanted it...”

”And here's the thing Zera...”

”Would you let someone live a life full of pain and torture or let him/her die peacefully?”.

Afterwards, she left the old house with the luminiscent shimmerblight flower in a hurry. Though, her left eye dropped a sudden crystal tear along the floor. A deep emotional tear that opposed from what she had said earlier. More than that, her face had shown a glimpse of sorrowness, that was quite unnoticeable. Though, Zeran noticed that Ru was acting strange and not of her usual self. He also saw the old hag's face that was smiling filled with happiness, that left him stranged on what he had witnessed. His face smeared a problematic expression and his thoughts was now filled with immense confusion,

(”She died but...she was smiling?”)

(”No...that can't be...she wanted to die?”)

(”Ru...what are you even trying to tell me...”).