Trying to Save my Favorite Character from His Tragic Fate

Chapter 36: Springs of Tranquility

"Kyrie!" A woman's urging voice echoed in Kyrie's mind waking him up just when the sun is coming out from the horizon.

He sits up quickly and looks around. Ian is still asleep right next to him. Kyrie kisses Ian's cheeks and rapidly moves away from the bed to his closet. He puts on proper day clothes after washing his face and walks towards the door. Before leaving, he looks back at the sleeping Ian.

[I will be back.]

"Prepare a carriage for the temple," Kyrie says to one of the servants.

"No need," a voice rings in his head.

Kyrie stops the servant and takes back his orders.

"Get out of the mansion and go to the garden," says Vita in Kyrie's mind.

Kyrie walks out towards the garden and looks at the beautiful garden accompanied by the warm colours of the sky. A soft white aura gently wraps around him, and he closed his eyes. Then, the gentle breeze in the garden has suddenly stopped. He opened his eyes and looked at the never-ending horizons of the sky and the ocean. He is once again in the Infinity Abyss.

In front of him, the smoke in the air started to form into shape, and when it dispersed, Vita came out of it. She had a frown on her face with nervous eyes.

"Kyrie, Imogen is in danger! I need you to save her!" says Vita anxiously.

"So... In the end, she couldn't come out of the spring of tranquillity..." Kyrie says without the same anxiousness as Vita.

Vita looks at Kyrie, appalled and says, "You knew, didn't you. You knew that there is a test before Imogen can get the relic of songs. In the springs of tranquillity, those who cannot get over their painful memories can never get out of those deadly springs."

"Yes, I knew," says Kyrie coldly.

[How could I not know? Those springs are the last place that I would go if I were to gather the relics alone. After all, these springs are nothing like how the name suggests. Nothing tranquil happens when you touch the springs. The springs are entirely the opposite of their name. Once going inside, the person will experience their most painful experience all over again. If that person is not able to solve his or her demons, that person will get consumed by those deadly springs like nutrients. However, if that person's heart can reach a state of tranquillity, then that person can get out of those springs unharmed. The springs were not named for what they cause, but named after the solution.]

"Didn't you want to be teammates with her?" Vita anxiously proclaims. Vita is visibly upset at Kyrie's unsympathetic words.

"It was because I did not have a choice than to be her teammate. Now that she can walk herself to oblivion, should I really stop that?" says Kyrie with a side glance.

Vita sighs and replies, "I know that you do not believe your own words, Kyrie."

"Imogen has been acting different ever since she met you. It's like seeing someone completely different. I think you also know that" Vita explains.

[No privacy as ever.]

"You have already begun treating her as part of your team, didn't you?" says Vita.

Kyrie sighs in agony.

[That is the worst part of it all!]

"Why is the protagonist such a handful... I would never have guessed that Imogen was overconfident with herself. When she mentioned that she was going to get the relic of songs, I really thought that she had somehow figured stuff out. To jump into something that she has no chance in achieving is so uncharacteristic of her," says Kyrie.

"Yeah... I have never seen Imogen like that in the previous rounds. Something must have changed in this round that affected her so much," says Vita.

[Me? That just gives me chills, but seriously?]

"Anyways, it is not time to construct theories. You have to save Imogen. I will teleport you to that place, so get your stuff ready. You will be going to the forest of Krasview," says Vita.

"Alright," says Kyrie in defeat. Kyrie sighs and agonizes for a bit.

Vita smiles and says, "Thank you. Thank you for saving Imogen."

The scenery turns black, and the gentle breeze came back, brushing against Kyrie's body. He opens his eyes and looks at the sun already hanging high in the sky. He thinks of Imogen and feels a pang of guilt. Kyrie would never have thought that he might be able to be empathetic towards the protagonist that he really hated. Even now, he is worried that Imogen might be suffering too much. The white glow around him slowly dissipated away. He turns around to see Ian standing waiting barefoot alongside his parents, everyone in their nightwear.

Marchioness rushed to Kyrie's side and asked, "What happened, my dear son?"

"Vita summoned me. I will have to leave soon to the forest of Krasview," says Kyrie.

His parents look disappointed by the sudden news because Kyrie is leaving soon. They knew that their son is also going on a long journey with the saintess, so they are hesitant to let him go so fast. Kyrie is still young, and as parents, they still feel the responsibility to keep him under their wings for maybe a bit longer. However, looking at their son already having responsibilities and acting mature towards his duty, they are letting him go although reluctantly. They share an empathetic smile towards Kyrie that they understand.

"It's chilly out, mother, father. I will be alright, so you don't have to worry. Vita will watch over me," says Kyrie to his parents, trying to comfort their troubled hearts.

"Mom will be praying for your safe return, my son," Marchioness Rowan says while caressing Kyrie's hair, "My son is already so tall. If you grow taller, maybe mom will not be able to reach Kyrie's head."

Kyrie's eyes glistened and lowered himself down for his mother to touch his hair.

"Take good care, mom, dad."

"All right, son. Have a safe trip. Then we will go back to our rooms," Marquis Rowan takes his wife back.

Ian walks towards Kyrie, but Kyrie quickly runs towards Ian to stop him from walking barefoot into the grass. Kyrie sweeps Ian up from his feet into his arms and walks towards Ian's room.

"I am going with you," says Ian while grabbing tightly at Kyrie's shirt.

"I am glad that you can come with me," replies Kyrie while kissing Ian on the temple.

---

After getting ready and bidding farewell to his parents, Kyrie gets teleported with Ian to the depths of the forest of Krasview. This part of the forest rarely has any visitors because there are no other towns beyond the Town of Bristol. This side of the woods is called the place of no return because, like the name, anyone who crosses this place never returns, not even a corpse. However, this does not surprise Kyrie since the springs of tranquillity are located precisely in this part of the forest. Those people who entered into the forest must have encountered those springs and drawn by the treasures that required them to cross the deceiving waters.

Kyrie and Ian walk towards the enormous cave that they were able to see at a distance away. The opening of the cave was so expansive that it feels almost majestic that only nature took part in its making. Entering it made Kyrie think of the massive old churches from centuries ago with extremely tall ceilings. The cave's walls were decorated in rough mana stones of all kinds of colours that reminded him of the stained glass windows. The mana stones gave out a natural light of their own colour. Unlike the walls, the path in the cave was rougher to walk on, almost testament to the fact that barely anyone enters the cave. However, there were also remnants that the path has been travelled recently. Some shoe marks have imprinted the surface of the mud.

Ian covers his nose and mouth, and deepening his frown, the deeper he goes into the cave. The rotting smell is becoming more potent as they enter. Although Kyrie is also getting bothered by the potency of the scent, the sulphur smell is somewhat familiar to him since he used to like to go to natural hot springs back in his world.

At the end of the path led into a large chamber, with multiple springs stacked like step agriculture. The springs shined of soft blue lighting up the ceilings of the chamber like an aurora in the night sky. On the far end of the springs, there were numerous treasures and a sword in the middle of the mountain of gold coins. All kinds of fine jewelry, pearls, and gold coins were randomly tossed into a mountain of wealth.

[No wonder people got tempted by that sight...]

Although the springs from afar looked beautiful, the closer you get to see the deceiving waters, the more skeletons you can witness. Not far from the shore, Imogen was half floating in the waters.

[I wonder what got Imogen into thinking that she can be able to surpass the nightmares that these waters bring.]

Kyrie grabbed Ian's wrist when Ian saw Imogen in the water and started to walk closer to the waters.

Ian says, "What are you doing? Don't you see that Imogen is there?"

"Look at the waters!"

Ian looks up close and pales when he caught a glimpse of the amounts of bones that are on the bottom of the springs.

"What is this?" asks Ian.

"This place is called the Springs of Tranquility. Once you touch the waters, you start recalling your worst experiences of your life," says Kyrie solemnly.

"Then, flying over there?"

Kyrie shakes his head and says, "It would only be possible if it is not for the fumes."

"Aren't we also breathing them?"

"Look," Kyrie expended his arm, and a barrier appears around the springs as soon as Kyrie came to close proximity to it. When he takes away his hand, the barrier disappears.

"Why is there a barrier?" asks Ian.

"I am not sure who set this up, but it must have been a long time ago." Kyrie looks at the ancient inscriptions on the ground. "This barrier is to ensure that the fumes that the spring gives off would not affect the people who live close to this place. The fumes are poisonous, unlike the water that only gives you illusions," says Kyrie.

"Then we really need to get Imogen out as soon as possible!!!" says Ian worried.

"Yes, but we will die if we don't pass the test," replies Kyrie, "right now, Imogen still has enough mana to hold on and can rely on the blessings that Vita gave her."

[Will I be able to pass the test?]

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