Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 328: Chapter: 327 After five years.

Rosalina’s eyelids fluttered open as consciousness slowly returned to her.

For several long moments, her mind remained blank, unable to distinguish dream from reality.

The first thing that entered her vision was a canopy of enormous crimson branches stretching endlessly above her.

Countless intertwined limbs formed a natural roof overhead, while gentle rays of crimson moonlight filtered through the narrow gaps between the leaves, bathing the entire forest in a soft scarlet glow.

The faint rustling of leaves drifted through the silent night alongside a cool breeze carrying the sweet fragrance of unfamiliar flowers.

Everything around her felt strangely peaceful, so peaceful that it almost seemed unreal.

A quiet groan escaped her lips as she slowly turned onto her side.

It was a mistake.

The second thing she saw after waking caused every trace of sleepiness to disappear from her eyes.

Julius lay motionless beside her.

His appearance was so horrifying that for a brief instant, her breathing stopped altogether.

Both of his arms rested at unnatural angles, the bones beneath the torn flesh clearly shattered beyond recognition.

A deep wound pierced through his abdomen, staining what little remained of his clothes with dried and fresh blood alike.

Countless other injuries covered his battered body, while thin cracks spread across his forehead where dried streams of blood had long since darkened.

Even his complexion had become frighteningly pale, as though every last drop of blood had been drained from his body.

His breathing was slow and heavy, each laboured breath sounding as though..as thought...it demanded every ounce of strength he still possessed.

The moment Rosalina extended her senses towards him, her expression grew even paler.

She couldn’t feel even the slightest trace of mana within his body.

Midnight had already passed.

Event Horizon had finally reached its limit.

After exhausting that spell, Julius would become no different from an ordinary human for an entire month.

Every fragment of mana within his body would disappear completely, leaving him unable to cast even the simplest spell.

Under normal circumstances, such a condition would already be dangerous enough for any spell caster. For Julius, whose entire body had been reduced to such a miserable state, it was practically a death sentence.

”...Julius...”

Her voice trembled as his name escaped her lips.

Fragments of memory gradually resurfaced within her mind.

The last thing she remembered clearly was the space tear created through the clone of Elizabeth that she had imagined using her spell.

After that, everything became hazy before darkness consumed her completely. She had no idea where they had ultimately arrived after passing through the spatial tear, but she understood one thing very well.

The Elizabeth she had recreated through Eternal Purgatory of Illusions could never surpass her own strength. Because of that limitation, the distance they could teleport should have been relatively short.

Which meant...

They couldn’t have escaped very far from the battlefield.

The arena had been filled with countless powerful spell casters, every one of them eager to seize Julius after his identity had been exposed.

Considering the condition he was in now, she could only imagine what he had endured after she lost consciousness.

He must have fought countless battles while carrying her unconscious body, escaping one pursuer after another until he finally reached this place.

Judging from the wounds covering him, every single step of that escape had likely pushed him closer and closer towards death.

Rosalina slowly lifted herself into a sitting position, never taking her eyes off him.

For several long moments, she simply stared at his sleeping face.

Even now, despite being covered in blood and wounds, his expression remained surprisingly calm.

It was almost as though the unbearable pain tormenting his body had finally allowed him a brief moment of peace after refusing to let him rest for so long.

A faint sadness appeared within her Onyx eyes.

Slowly, she leaned forward.

Her fingers gently brushed aside the strands of hair clinging to his forehead before she lowered her face and softly pressed her lips against his.

The kiss lasted only a few quiet moments.

It had been a long time.

Five years...

Perhaps even longer.

She couldn’t remember anymore.

Ever since that day, her own insecurities had prevented her from doing something so simple.

No matter how many opportunities appeared before her, she always hesitated, convincing herself that there would be another chance later. Yet now, after finally having the chance to kiss him again, he couldn’t even respond.

When she finally pulled away, her gaze lingered quietly on his face before a tired sigh escaped her lips.

She gently stood up, making sure not to disturb him before slowly walking towards the edge of the invisible barrier.

Remaining here wouldn’t improve his condition.

If anything, every passing moment only increased the danger surrounding them. His breathing had already become slower than before, while the full backlash of Event Horizon had yet to reveal itself.

Once the true side effects began, his already fragile condition would undoubtedly worsen.

They needed medicine, food and somewhere safe enough for him to recover, and none of those things would simply appear if she stayed beside him.

After taking one final glance at Julius, Rosalina stepped through the barrier.

The cool night air immediately greeted her as she emerged into the vast crimson forest.

She gritted her teeth before slowly taking flight.

Although Eternal Purgatory of Illusions had drained an enormous amount of her mana during the battle, enough time had passed for a portion of it to recover naturally.

It wasn’t nearly enough for another prolonged fight, but it was sufficient to allow her to travel through the forest without exhausting herself immediately.

As she moved between the towering crimson trees, memories from several months ago gradually surfaced within her mind.

She recognised this forest.

Before travelling to the Sun Clan City, she and Julius had briefly passed through this region after arriving on the Heartreach Continent.

At the time, they had only explored the outermost edge before leaving shortly afterwards.

Julius had explained that the Zlycons referred to this place as the Nightmare Forest, one of the greatest forbidden zones on the entire continent.

Neither of them had ventured any deeper back then, choosing instead to continue towards their destination without unnecessary risks.

Looking around now, however, Rosalina immediately realised just how deep they had entered.

The density of the scarlet trees had increased dramatically compared to the forest’s outskirts.

Ancient trunks stood so close together that only narrow paths remained between them, while enormous roots twisted across the ground like gigantic serpents.

The canopy overhead had also become far thicker, allowing only scattered rays of crimson moonlight to reach the forest floor.

Even the atmosphere felt heavier than before, carrying an ancient pressure that silently warned intruders they did not belong here.

She quickly understood Julius’ reasoning.

If the Zlycons had continued pursuing them after they escaped the arena, remaining near the forest’s outskirts would have accomplished nothing.

Although the Nightmare Forest caused every Zlycon to eventually succumb to overwhelming drowsiness, those with sufficient strength could still resist the effects for a certain period of time.

Entering only the periphery would not have been enough to stop determined pursuers.

Going deeper, however, was an entirely different matter.

The farther one ventured into the Nightmare Forest, the longer it would take to escape.

Even the strongest Zlycon would eventually reach the point where resisting the curse became impossible.

If they entered too deeply, they would never make it back out before sleep overtook them, forcing them into nightmares capable of bringing unimaginable horrors into reality.

For that reason alone, Julius had most likely chosen to risk everything and flee as deeply into the Nightmare Forest as possible, gambling that the fear of the forest itself would succeed where every other escape route had failed.