Chapter 494: - The Eternal me... is you?


    ?


    Broken and ine stood facing each other, and she bowed slightly to him. "Would you mind if I asked to ride with you on the nine-tailed fox spirit?" she asked softly.


    Broken paused for a moment, considering her request. "Do you want to discuss this further outside?" he asked. "Even though you invited the others to step out?"


    A yful giggle escaped ine''s lips as she lowered her head slightly. "Does this make me seem even more selfish?"


    "Not really, I don''t mind. Let''s go," Broken replied.


    "Please, follow me," ine said with a soft smile.


    They walked through the back door, arriving at a serene backyard filled with vibrant flower gardens. Polly appeared nearby, gracefully transforming into herrger form, her four tails swaying.


    "She is so beautiful..." ine whispered.


    "Her name is Polly."


    ine smiled warmly. "Hi Polly, may I ride with you?"


    Polly remained silent but lowered her head respectfully. Broken gave her a gentle pat on the back, and she lowered her body further to allow them to climb on. Broken mounted first, then extended his hand to help ine up behind him.


    "Let''s go, Polly," hemanded.


    Polly pped her wings, taking a few strides beforeunching into the sky with incredible speed.


    "Woah... this is so fun!" ine eximed, her earlier seriousness reced by a lighthearted joy.


    "Are you enjoying it, ine?" Broken asked, turning his head slightly.


    "Yes..." she giggled. "This is wonderful!"


    Polly soared higher into the sky, gliding gracefully past the towering ancient trees. A gust of wind swirled around them, and Broken felt ine''s arms tighten around him in a protective embrace. The sun cast its radiant light, illuminating the stunningndscape below.


    "Is this your first time flying, ine?"


    "Not quite," ine replied with a soft smile. "I can fly, but never this high."


    "Ah, I see. The faeries can run and leap through the forest with such agility, so I imagine you can do even more than that?"


    ine giggled. "Yes, but as I said, it''s more like floating just above the ground-nothing as spectacr as this."


    Broken nodded, taking in the beauty around him. "I really like this ce. It''s so peaceful and serene, and the natural beauty is incredible."


    ine smiled warmly. "I''m d to hear that," she said. "But I''m not sure you''d feel the same way if you knew more about the history of thisnd."


    "Really? Why don''t you tell me more about it?"


    ine pointed toward a steep, towering hill in the distance. "Would you like to go there?" "Sure."


    Polly glided through the air, her wings pping steadily as they approached the hilltop. As they neared the peak, Polly pped more rapidly, descending gracefully until her paws touched down on the cliff.


    Broken helped ine dismount, his hand holding hers. Surprisingly, ine''s body floated briefly before touching the ground with elegant grace, making her giggle.


    "That''s so cool," Broken said.N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ine shook her head with a smile. "Really? But I think riding a majestic spirit that can fly is just as extraordinary."


    Broken chuckled, then dismounted from Polly as well.


    ine walked over to a cluster of rocks and sat down gracefully. "Would you like to sit here with me?" she offered.


    Broken followed her lead, sitting by her side. Polly, having reverted to her smaller form, hopped into hisp and curled up, looking as though she were ready to fall into a peaceful slumber.


    For a moment, silence filled the air as ine gazed off into the distance. Broken, sensing the shift in her demeanor, followed her gaze to the horizon.


    ine took a deep breath, her voice soft but steady. "Thisnd holds a heavy burden, Mr.


    Broken. It may seem peaceful, but its past is anything but."


    Broken remained silent, waiting for ine to continue. He watched her expression, which was calm but seemed to carry the weight of memories hidden deep within.


    "Have you ever heard of the Eternal me Faebeast?"


    Broken felt Polly''s ears twitch slightly against his fingers, signaling that even she was paying close attention to the conversation.


    "Actually, I ventured into this forest to hunt that creature. I need something from it to craft an item." He paused for a moment before adding, "Am I being too straightforward? I don''t see a reason to hide it. Besides, you have Cecilia, who seems capable of peeking into people''s status and knowing more than most should."


    ine gave him a faint smile in return, still gazing into the distance. She nodded slowly. "Do you know the origin of the Eternal me Faebeast?"


    "No," Broken admitted. "I''ve never even seen one."


    ine''s eyes softened as she continued, "It was a long time ago, when I was much younger..." Her voice trailed off.


    Broken frowned, reflecting on the vast difference between a faery''s long lifespan and a human''s rtively brief one. To him, ine still looked like a child, yet she had lived for


    centuries.


    "I had a friend once—a human," ine continued, her voice soft. "We shared stories, explored the forest together, and learned about magic. Those were the happiest moments of my life."


    Broken nodded slowly, still listening, trying to understand the weight of her words.


    "Time passed, and he grew older, became an adult," she said, her voice faltering as though she was reluctant to share what came next.


    She paused, as if holding back something painful. "He asked me to form a bond with him." Broken noticed the tension in her voice, the emotion she was trying to suppress.


    "I was hesitant," ine continued, her voice now quieter. "Because... he had changed. From the friend I cherished, he became someone who wanted to control me, manipte me. He even threatened to harm my friends if I refused to bond with him."


    ine swallowed hard, her eyes reflecting the hurt of a long-buried memory. "In my disappointment, I left him, which I now realize was a mistake I deeply regret."


    Broken listened intently, his focus entirely on her story.


    "He cursed me," ine continued, her voice trembling, "until his dying breath. And this was


    no ordinary curse-it brought disaster to my entire tribe for hundreds of years and continues


    to this day."


    "A curse?" Broken muttered softly, trying to grasp the gravity of it. "A cursesting this long must have been cast by someone with extraordinary power... Someone special."


    ine''s response came slowly. "Yes... He was a king from a distant kingdom."


    Broken nodded, sensing the weight of her words, as she paused before revealing the truth.


    "Since that time, every full moon, I transform into a monster-the wild Eternal me


    Faebeast. That is my cursed form."


    Broken froze. "What?"


    "ine..." he spoke more firmly, seeking confirmation. She turned to look at him.


    "The Eternal me... is you?"


    ine lowered her gaze, remaining silent for a moment. "Not just me," she whispered. "Every Eternal me that roams this forest is a faery-a member of the Moonlight Fae." Broken was stunned, his mind racing. The revtion hit him like a shockwave.


    No way... The Eternal me beasts that he had nned to hunt were actually the cursed faeries? Hadn''t Maylock told him the Eternal me was just a beast? How had things turned


    so terribly wrong?


    "I want to know more, ine," Broken murmured softly.