I Will Not Abandon You

Krisha cried as she ran.

She ran far.

Very, very far.

So far that the knights sent by her "father" could not find her.

From then on, the young Krisha began a life of wandering, constantly teetering between near-death and the brink of death.

Her demonic identity was all too easy to recognize.

Kind-hearted people who initially wanted to adopt her would let out terrified screams upon seeing the horns on her head and quickly flee.

Why?

Why was this happening?

The young Krisha did not understand until she grew older and realized the reason for people's fear.

This was a great era ruled by deities, gods who were benevolent and generous, sheltering humanity with their divine power. Demons, on the other hand, were evil creatures who slaughtered humans and opposed the gods.

Thus, people harbored a deep-seated hatred for demons.

"Get out! Get out of here!"

"Great Sun God, please rain down your flames and burn this demoness to ashes!"

People either drove her away in disgust or chased her with swords and knives.

Krisha could not find a place to settle down.

So, she could only follow her mother’s dying words and keep running, running to a place far away, a place where even she could survive.

With this thought in mind, Krisha wandered for a long time.

She had laughed before, when she picked up a fruit that had naturally fallen on the roadside, its sweetness filling her heart as she took a bite.

She had cried before, when she tried to join the games of human children, only to be ostracized and pelted with stones until she was covered in wounds.

Later,

both laughter and tears disappeared.

Only fear remained.

As she grew older, Krisha’s demonic features became more pronounced.

Even from a slight distance, people could clearly see the horns on her head and the scales on her body—the unmistakable symbols of a demon.

And so, more violence befell her.

They hurled hard stones and rotting, foul-smelling food from afar, hitting the girl on the head, leaving her covered in filth and wounds.

They took pleasure in unleashing their violence, kicking her, whipping her, finding joy in her pleas and screams.

They even tied her to the back of a carriage, dragging her along the ground as the carriage moved.

Mother…

Why is this happening…

In the midst of endless torment, the light in the girl’s eyes completely vanished. From then on, her emotions became fractured.

She no longer knew what joy was, nor could she understand where sadness came from.

"Actually, this might be a good thing."

Krisha said this, her eyes staring blankly ahead, devoid of any emotion, only an eternal emptiness.

Without sadness, she wouldn’t cry, saving her a lot of energy. After losing her emotions, she could run much faster than before.

As long as she ran fast enough, she wouldn’t be beaten.

Krisha shared her escape experience with Xu Xi, her face expressionless, her tone completely flat.

She couldn’t feel cold, couldn’t feel heat, couldn’t feel the warmth of her heart.

It was as if she were a robot.

Recounting her past.

She told Xu Xi that muddy water wasn’t good to drink because it contained a lot of sand and gravel, which would make her stomach ache.

In comparison, the drainage ditches in the city were better, as the rats inside could be used to stave off hunger…

"Enough, Krisha!"

Xu Xi suddenly spoke up, cutting off the girl’s words.

He took a deep breath, his voice heavier than ever before. "I’m sorry, truly sorry, for making you recall so many painful memories. I… am deeply sorry."

His voice, filled with guilt, broke the silence in the air.

Especially when he met Krisha’s hollow, lifeless gaze.

That guilt and remorse.

Grew even deeper.

"Sorry…?" The demon girl seemed confused. She couldn’t understand why Xu Xi was apologizing to her. Was it because she had said something wrong?

The master could never be wrong, the sun that saved her could never be wrong.

Krisha truly believed this.

If Xu Xi wasn’t wrong,

then the fault must lie with her, right?

Thinking this, Krisha looked at Xu Xi and sincerely suggested, "If I’ve caused you so much trouble, I must be useless. Please discard me."

Useless things should be thrown away—this was the girl’s belief.

After all,

this was how her "father" had discarded her.

The demoness believed she had no redeeming qualities, except for being obedient.

Though she liked Xu Xi very much, though she wanted to stay by his side forever, though she never wanted to wander again, if Xu Xi chose to discard her, she would leave without hesitation.

Just as she had obediently run away when her mother told her to.

Yes.

As long as she was obedient, everything would be fine.

Krisha sat properly in place, her fingers interlaced and pressed on her thighs, waiting for Xu Xi’s verdict—to banish her from this beautiful, dreamlike home.

She felt a little reluctant, but there was no other way.

After all, she was so ugly, incompetent, and lowly.

Being discarded was only natural.

She should be grateful for the brief period of gentle treatment she had received. How could she ask for more?

"…" Krisha sat silently, her face still expressionless, but her interlaced fingers unconsciously rubbed against each other.

Though it was only a few seconds of waiting, it felt like an eternity.

Even the emotionless girl felt a strange unease.

Finally,

she received her "judgment."

A warm, familiar hand gently covered Krisha’s head, moving and caressing it, transferring a faint warmth and comfort.

"I will never abandon Krisha."

Xu Xi said this.

His voice was soft, but his tone was firm, filled with heartache and compassion.

"Huh?" This outcome clearly took the girl by surprise. She let out a flat sound of astonishment, unexpectedly cute, and looked up at Xu Xi.

"Really, Mentor?"

She asked.

"Yes, really."

Xu Xi replied.

The curse that had loomed over her since birth suddenly vanished. The beauty that had only existed in her dreams now became a reality.

Like a beam of light, it brought brightness to the girl’s life.

Krisha was stunned for a long time.

She thought that if this had happened in the past, she would have laughed with joy or cried with emotion.

But after losing her emotions, she had never experienced these feelings again.

"…Thank you."

In the quiet meditation room,

the girl suddenly felt a slight sting in her nose.

Perhaps she was just tired from practicing meditation, she thought.

…

[The demoness’s talent surprised you, but what concerned you more was her past and experiences.]

[Abuse, bullying, persecution, torment… almost every form of cruelty you could imagine, Krisha had endured. Her life was filled with suffering. If she hadn’t been so young, irreversible consequences might have occurred.]

[You couldn’t help but wonder if human malice surpassed that of the demons in the abyss.]

[You realized that merely cultivating Krisha’s strength was far from enough.]

[You also needed to nurture her character, to help her become an independent person who could live well even without you.]