Chapter 997 Is Death The Answer? Is Life The Answer?
Kana slowly looked around until she felt the presence she was looking for not too far off. She flew over and could hear the sounds of demonic beasts of all kinds in the forests below. But her destination was not the forest but a small cave she spotted on the side of a sheer cliff. Kana flew over and landed at the entrance of the cave, and peaked inside. It was not deep. And the light from outside did reach the back of the cave. And sitting there on a stone was a young girl. She looked around fourteen at most. As Kana looked at her, she looked at Kana.
"Are you here to take me away?" The young girl asked as her green hair swayed slightly. Her white dress made of wind hung down to her ankles, revealing her two small feet that hovered over the cold hard ground of the cave.
Kana looked at the young girl and sighed. She could tell that this elemental must have been through a lot. "I will only bring you with me if you want to go." Kana would not force the wind element to go with her. She did not wish to force anyone into anything.
"Oh? You are not going to force me to use my powers to help you do things?" The young girl asked mockingly. She had no trust for any humanoid.
"Even without your powers, I can do as I please in this world, or any world for that matter," Kana replied with a smile as she found a spot at the entrance of the cave and sat down. "Power is only what you make of it. If you do not wish to leave this place, I can always try to find another wind elemental. It is not a problem for me. But may I ask what use is it sitting here? Why sit and wait for someone powerful enough to force their way in and drag you out against your will?"
"I would rather destroy myself than be forced to do anything. But I still do not wish to die. This is why I made this place. A place where I can be at least free within the confines of my wind wall. A place where I can have temporary peace, even if it is only for a short time." The young girl answered.
"I guess that does make sense. But why kill yourself? Why let those bastards who only want to use you for your power have the satisfaction of even getting close to you? If they break through your wall of wind, you may be able to self destruct, but what then? You would have wasted a life on which you could have done so much. Life is more than being confined to a small space. There are many worlds and many realms out there that even I have not seen yet." Kana wanted to bring this young girl out of here even if they did not form a contract on this day. She would not care either way as long as she could help someone who was confined to loneliness. She also knew this loneliness. She had lived it herself.
If not for those who cared for her and loved her and brought her out of her solitude, she would have never have met Creige, and she would never have had the family she has now. She would never be able to live the life she has now if someone had not reached out to her. And this was what she wanted to do for this young girl in front of her. She wanted to extend a hand to her and hope she could be her guiding light even if they parted ways afterward.
The young girl looked at Kana and fell into deep thought. While things were as Kana had said, it still did not mean she was willing to leave with Kana either. She did not trust Kana, no matter how friendly the woman was. She was still someone who had come for her. As such, she was sure Kana wanted her power to use it for her own purposes. Whether it was good or evil, she did not care. But she still did not want to risk it.
"Life may be much more than this, but what good is leaving when I will still be chased down? Do I have to run away for the rest of my existence? I would prefer to peacefully live out my days here until the day comes when someone truly wishes to force me to leave this place. Then at that time, my lifespan will end, and I will destroy myself and those who wished to harm me in the first place." The young girl replied as she swung her feet back and forth.
"Running is not fun either." Kana leaned her head back and closed her eyes. Running away, afraid you would harm someone or be used by someone, these two things are similar in a way. "Life can be lonely. It can bring heartache, and at times it can bring happiness. When things are tough, you need to look for that ray of light that shines down that shows you the path forward that gives you that hope you are searching for so you can continue on for another day. It is up to you whether you take that path or not. Whether you slow down and stop to think about what it is that you truly want. Is death the answer? Is life the answer?"
Kana paused as she took a deep breath. "Let me tell you a story. A story about a little girl. A girl who once had a mother who loved her dearly and then was taken away, leaving the young girl alone…."