The Villainess only wants to go home

Chapter 121 - A Life for a Life

"Demarcus has been regarded as a rogue dragon by the ministry of dragons, and he is sentenced to death for the rampage in the dragon barracks and for the murder of devouring a human."

Artemis felt like the world around her had suddenly froze, trapping her in a suffocating bubble of disbelief. She couldn't comprehend the words that had just left Ciel's lips. "What?" she stammered, her voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to acknowledge the horrifying reality of the situation.

Her mind raced, desperately trying to process the shocking revelation. Demarcus, a rogue dragon? Sentenced to death? It was inconceivable. She had left him in the care of Elisaria, believing he would be safe there. How could things have gone so horribly wrong in her absence?

Homura mirrored Artemis stunned expression. His sharp amber eyes widened in disbelief, betraying the shock and uncertainty swirling within him. Despite his disdain for dragons, even he couldn't deny the gravity of the news.

"What do you mean, sentenced to death?" She finally managed to force her words out, her voice trembling with a mixture of fear and anger. Every fibre of her being rebelled against the idea of Demarcus facing such a fate. The thought of losing him sent a shiver of dread down her spine.

Ciel's expression remained sombre, his gaze heavy with the weight of the news he had delivered but his eyes betrayed him. "It's because of you," Ciel's voice cuts through the silence, sharp and accusatory. "Your connection to the dragons, your inability to control it... That's what led to this."

As Ciel's words reverberate in her mind, a chilling realisation takes hold: Demarcus's fate is intertwined with hers. The weight of his accusation crushes Artemis like a boulder, leaving her paralysed with shock and disbelief. His words land like a blow to the chest, each syllable laced with blame and condemnation.

Her mind races, grasping for a defence, but all she can summon is a feeble protest. "But I didn't mean for this to happen," she stammers once again, her voice trembling with emotion. "I never wanted... I never thought..."

The truth of his accusation hangs heavy in the air, a bitter pill she was forced to swallow. It was her plea, her desperation to go to Ventus, that triggered the chain of events leading to his downfall. The dragon power coursing through her veins, a force she can't fully comprehend or control, has brought nothing but suffering to those around her.

Homura's eyes bore into Artemis, his usual indifference replaced by a flicker of something resembling sympathy. "You brought this upon yourself," he says, his voice tinged with resignation. "And now we're all paying the price."

She wanted to argue, to protest that it wasn't her intention to cause harm. But in the depths of her heart, the Assassin knew the truth. Demarcus's blood is on her hands, a burden she will carry for the rest of her days.

As the weight of Ciel's words settled over her, Artemis felt herself slip away from reality. Everything around her fades into the background, the sounds of the forest melting into a distant hum. Her thoughts swirl in a tumultuous whirlwind of guilt and regret, drowning out all else.

She was consumed by a sense of overwhelming selfishness, a bitter realisation that her actions have brought nothing but pain and suffering to those she cared about. If only she had heeded her own warnings, if only she had kept her distance from others, perhaps none of this would have happened.

She find herself trapped in a suffocating haze of ifs and maybes, unable to break free from the grip of her own remorse. Her body remained frozen in place, her limbs heavy and unresponsive as she tried to process the enormity of what she has done.

In that moment, everything else fades into insignificance. The journey to the real world, the presence of Edmond lurking in the shadows – none of it matters anymore. All that exists is the crushing weight of her own mistakes, pressing down on her like a leaden blanket.