The Baby Isn't Yours

Tokan’s expression changed at his words.

He stared at Kanal with a face that didn’t hide his trembling.

“…A trap?” 

“Yeah, a trap. A trap that will catch you.”

Who is this person who is laughing and talking about traps in front of him?

Is this really his master that he has known all this time?

Tokan clenched his fists with a creepy feeling.

The golden light in his eyes deepened even more.

“Can a trap that has been discovered be called a trap?”

“Well… there are traps that you fall into even when you know. You’re still innocent.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

That was the moment.

With a bang, gray smoke rose behind Kanal.

Flames sprouted up here and there, and the smell of burning wood flowed in.

Tokan looked at Kanal with a pale face.

“Did it look like I was going to run because of the fire, master?”

“No way. If the fire was small, maybe. But… wouldn’t you be a little nervous if there were several of them?”

Before he finished speaking, screams erupted from the forest again.

Flames rose simultaneously behind Kanal.

Tokan aimed his psychic powers at Kanal.

“Why are you doing this?”

Under the gaze of eyes that could see the truth, Kanal’s eyes no longer shook.

It was a resolute and decisive gaze.

“Just… I’m just throwing away the forest that didn’t choose me.”

He was already too old and tired to wait any longer.

Kanal looked at his disciple whom he had raised with his own hands, with a regretful face.

Although they were looking at each other calmly, he had actually brought him along with a lot of affection.

However, sacrifice was essential to achieve what he wanted.

‘Like abandoning the forest, it’s only natural to abandon you.’

He always wanted to become the king of this forest.

He thought he would become the owner of this forest, having endured the longest with the forest.

But the Primordial Tree didn’t choose him, and Leah, who received love from the forest, also chose Kalexia.

What woke up Kanal, who thought it didn’t matter, was when he saw the desire of a doctor he caught in Akan more than 20 years ago.

At that time, when the forest fairies were all barefoot looking for Gaia who disappeared.

No one claimed to have found any trace of him, but in fact Kanal had already captured Lyric once.

The human man was possessed by madness.

He did anything to get what he wanted. He has no regrets! Even if he dies now, it doesn’t matter.

There was a deep satisfaction in the man’s sparkling eyes.

He seemed to have lived a much more satisfying life than Kanal, who had lived for over 700 years.

He even looked happy at that time.

What did that madman want and what did he achieve?

Kanal became curious about it.

‘I just wanted to go to the realm of the gods. And with this hand, this foot, I managed to sneak a peek! Hahaha! Are gods anything special! I have no regrets in my life!’

He was a real lunatic.

How dare he want to enter the realm of the gods with a human body.

But somehow, Kanal was infected by his madness.

‘I can do anything. I can even join hands with the devil if it means achieving what I want. It’s all just a means to a great purpose.’

…A means to achieve a great purpose.

It was a shock as if hitting his head with a hammer.

What did he want during his past 700 years of life?

What did he desire so intensely and strive for?

‘There’s nothing left in my story.’

He was just going to become a forest tree.

Kanal saved Lyric and sent him back.

And in order to achieve what he wanted, he also voluntarily decided to take the devil’s hand.

He neutralized Leah, who could look into the spirit realm, with poison, and even kidnapped the forest spirits and fairies to provide them to Akan.

The sense of guilt was not as big as he thought it would be.

In fact, he even found pleasure in seeing Kalexia, who was suffering.

The mad doctor Lirik and his prince successfully awakened the demons, and he had no doubt that a new Emperor who would overthrow the Empire would appear soon if they waited a little longer.

As well as himself becoming the new king of the forest.

But….

‘For Tokan to have a divine eye.’

He even brought Akan’s assistant with him.

He knew that Ganini had been watching him for some time.

Kanal decided to move up the schedule.

“The flames will be caught by my brothers. I will… hold onto the master.”

“Well, Tokan, can you really catch me? And can your brothers really put out the flames of the demon who eats the Primordial Tree?”

“What…?”

The flames of the demon.

Kanal smiled kindly and confidently as usual.

At that moment, Tokan felt Kanal’s evil and desire overflowing into him.

It was disgusting and creepy desire.

“Everyone says that. Ganini will be chosen as the next Fairy King.”

He took a step back and spoke.

“But if he dies, who will be the next Fairy King?”

“What…?”

Tokan reached out to grab Kanal as he moved away.

But he couldn’t hold onto him as he slowly backed away.

When Kanal waved his hand, a vague image appeared in the air.

There was Ganini, hugging Ahim and staring at the blazing flames.

“Damn!”

Ganini muttered with a pale face as he was surrounded on all sides.

It seemed like he wasn’t the only one who had fallen into Kanal’s trap.

* * *

-Kyu?-

Tierra, who was lying next to the sleeping Sasha, suddenly raised her head.

The sensitive mole, who had sensed a strange energy since the carriage, shook her head nervously.

It was a quiet night with Sasha asleep and the moon rising.

The energy of the ground was chaotic.

Tierra jumped out of the baby bed and started to run around.

After leaving the hotel, the mole sank to the ground like a fish swimming in the sea. And the place that appeared again was the annex building where the owner was staying.

Tierra briskly moved her short legs and ran to the room where she felt her owner’s presence.

Just before jumping into the room, the mole stopped and hesitated.

The mole, who was hesitant, stood in front of the door with an anxious face.

-Kyu kyuu?-

The mole, who couldn’t bring herself to go in, cried out in a pitiful voice.

As if hearing that small sound, footsteps could be heard from inside the room.

Then, Simon, who was disheveled, came out through the open door.

His shirt was half-torn and his lips were moist and swollen with a red color.

Simon breathed lightly with a red lump on his neck.

He swept up his messy hair and looked at Tierra with eyes that still had heat.

“…What’s up?”

His voice was hoarse, as if he was asking why she was here at this hour.

-Kyuwoo.-

Due to the wind, Tierra’s face sagged slightly.

He realized that his pants buckle was torn, but he didn’t bother to fix his clothes to face the spirit.

“What’s going on, Simon?”

Kalia approached him, swallowing her breath.

She was also in a disheveled state, roughly putting on a loose shirt.

She kneeled down and lifted Tierra onto her palm, looking at the small guest with a flushed face.

“What? What’s happening that you suddenly came here?”

-Kyu, kkyuuuung.-

Tierra’s eyes, which had been weeping pathetically on Kalia’s palm, turned to the wide, messy bed and was startled.

Thinking that Fuego was on the bed, Tierra opened her eyes wide, but soon realized her mistake and looked relieved.

“Tierra.”

As Simon called Tierra’s name warningly, the mole snapped out of her daze.

Soon, the spirit began to cry to the owner and conveyed the sense of incongruity that she was feeling.

Slowly, Simon’s expression changed.

He immediately put on his shirt, buttoned his pants, and prepared to leave.

“I’m sorry, Kalia.”

Simon murmured, kissing Kalia’s cheek as she looked at him as if asking why.

“I’ll be back in a moment.”

Then, as Simon tried to leave, Kalia grabbed his wrist.

Smiling brightly, she held onto his wrist with a strength that Simon couldn’t break free from.

“You’re not going to leave without telling me where you’re going in the middle of all this, are you?”

Squeez.

“I don’t know where it is…but how about we go together, Simon?”

Simon chuckled, feeling his wrist go numb.

Cold sweat was running down his pale cheek.

“If you try to leave alone like that, I might tie you up. Oh! There it is…”

Kalia, who was smiling brightly, looked back.

Then Tierra saw a thin, white, and wispy shape on the bed, which she mistook for Fueco.

“Isn’t there something strong?”

Simon smirked.

“Okay, Kalia, I understand.”

He took a deep breath for a while, then rubbed his lips against Kalia’s, who was looking at him coldly, and whispered as if pleading.

“Can you let go of my wrist…?”

If this continues, my delicate wrist might break… Huh?

Finally, as if realizing something, Kalia let go of Simon’s wrist that she had been holding onto. She had tried to control her strength, but his white wrist was now red.

“Sorry, I almost broke it,” she said.

Simon brushed it off, pouring healing energy into his wrist and kissing her cheek.

“It’s okay. But if you’re really sorry, then next time…”

His eyes glinted dangerously.

“I’d prefer to be the one tying you up.”

He let out a languid sigh and demanded an answer again in a misterious voice.

“Huh?”

Kalia glanced down at his wrist, which still had a blue bruise on it. Why did the faint imprint of her fingers look so strange on his porcelain-smooth skin?

Blushing, she kissed his wrist where the bruise was.

“Put a strengthening spell on it. It’ll break just about anything, so be careful,” she warned.

Simon chuckled, agreeing to her request. He handed her the pants she had been wearing and they got dressed, following Tierra’s directions to their destination.

When they arrived, they found themselves in a forest of fairies burning in flames.