Second Female Leads' Playbook

The god of light... What? I widened my eyes in shock. 

"God of light?" Rachelle mumbled. 

So Yves' goal was to revive the god of light? But wasn't he a high priest of god of darkness? And why would that get him killed in his first life? I was getting more and more confused.

Lucian, or the alleged god of light, hugged his head in pain. 

"Lucian!" Rachelle cried. She tried to soothe his pain by hugging him. "What happened? Why are you in so much pain?" Tears began brimming in her eyes.

Lucian screamed in pain while hugging his head. 

"Lucian!" Tears streamed down her face. "What can I do to soothe your pain? How I wish I could bear your pain, Lucian. It breaks my heart to see you like that."

"The god of light is not complete," Yves said, "unless the last piece is returned. Otherwise, he's simply a mortal bearing god memories with no godly power. Especially those memories aren't meant to befall a mortal."

"The last piece?" Rachelle asked. "I have collected every last piece of shard my soul called me to!" 

Again this phrase. Wait... soul? Could it be that the last piece is... Rachelle. 

"Don't you dare, Arden!" Lucian cried out through clenched teeth. He stood forward and shielded Rachelle from Yves. He tried to use his power. Just like how Yves said, his power was nowhere near godly level. 

If Rachelle was the last piece, everything would make sense. If Yves' goal was to revive the god of light all along, he would need to get hold of Rachelle. As by the evident way of Lucian protecting Rachelle with the mention of 'last piece', the last piece might mean taking Rachelle's life. Otherwise, Lucian did not have to be all worked up at the mention of that 'last piece'. Yves died in his first life trying to kill Rachelle. Lucian might not have a god's power but he had a god's memory. He might find a way to defend himself and Rachelle. Adding to the fact that Rachelle seemed to be very blessed by gods. She herself was a genius unmatched by even high priests of other temples. 

"Dare what?" Yves asked. He was back onto his throne. "I have not moved an inch since you guys entered the temple of darkness. I'm just explaining the situation we have on hand now." 

Lucian eyed Yves with uncertainty. 

"Wait, what is the meaning of the last piece?" Rachelle demanded behind the close protect of all her seven knights. 

Yves lips quirked up and said, "It's inside your soul." 

"My soul?" Rachelle asked confusedly. And then her face turned determined, "How can I save Lucian? How can I return this last piece from my soul back to Lucian?"

"No, Rachelle, you don't have to do that!" His hand gently ċȧrėss Rachelle's face. "I can live without that last piece."

Rachelle, being Rachelle, of course had no none of that sort. 

"No! Don't you see! You're suffering! I have to help you! Do tell me, your Grace, how can I save Lucian?" she clasped her hands and looked at Yves with her teary eyes. 

"It's very simple," Yves' lips quirked into a perfect smile. "All you have to do is to die." He snapped his finger and then immediately Rachelle clasped her heart in pain. Blood began to drip down the corner of her mouth. 

The knights started to attack Yves soon after that. 

"What did you do to Rachelle?" they demanded. 

Lucian immediately tried to heal Rachelle with his power, but no matter what he did, Rachelle coughed out more blood. 

"I am just fulfilling her wish," Yves shrugged as he said, all the while sidestepping all the spells thrown in his way at ease.

"Rachelle, don't die. Rachelle... Rachelle..." Lucian muttered softly. He was doing all he can, but Rachelle's breath grew softer and softer. At last after she gave Lucian one last smile, she closed her eyes forever. 

Something sharp pierced at my heart, that can't be... Rachelle just dying like this? This simply? Even though Rachelle had made my life miserable, she was still a person. A person who was nice to everyone in her life. Even Yves couldn't succeed in killing in his first life. But she just lost her life so easily within a few seconds this life. Something was wrong, something unnatural. 

As soon as Rachelle's life withered, something bright and shiny arises from her body. It then broke into million of pieces, one piece flew into Lucian's body. Power and light rushed into his body, until finally he changed. His appearance did not change, but the vibe he gave off was definitely different from the mortal he was before. 

He ċȧrėssed Rachelle's face one last time and then he stood up. "You'll regret this, Arden," he said as he disappeared from the temple. 

Yves' face turned ashen. Worries appeared on his face. Worries for...

Before I could finish my thought, a hand snaked around my throat and strangled me. I began to struggle as my sight turned more and more blurry. 

"It has nothing to do with her, god of light," Yves' voice seemed to appear out of nowhere. Are we back to the temple?

Then the one strangling me must be the god of light I realized. The god's hand over my neck loosened a bit, air rushed into my lung as my vision got clearer. Yves was kneeling in front of Lucian as he eyed me with worries in his eyes. 

"Nothing to do with her?" Lucian laughed mockingly. "Don't you think that can pass my eyes. If it wasn't for her birthday gift, will you even be able to kill my dear Rachelle?" He boomed angrily. 

"Yes, the curse might be on the necklace, but it's still my doing," Yves said. "It has nothing to do with Odette. She has no idea I placed a curse on the gift." 

"I might not be able to kill you," Lucian said. "But I can kill her." His hold on my neck strengthened once again. 

"If my death can soothe your anger and save Odette's life, I can fulfill your wish," Yves said determinedly. He then started chanting a spell. 

Lucian's piqued by Yves' words, loosened his hold on me. I was thrown onto the ground mercilessly. After gasping for air, my vision got clearer and saw Yves' face had turned really pale. And finally, he coughed out a mouthful of blood.

"She shouldn't be dragged into this mess to begin with. She should be the sole daughter of her father and live her life as the heir," he stopped to catch his breath. "But the gods dragged her into their game. They changed her fate. The appearance of her stepsister, the blessings on Rachelle... I am just making up for the mess you gods created... Please let her go..." 

"I admire your dedication to save your lover..." the god of light said, "but nothing can bring back my Rachelle. Nothing can soothe my anger. Not even your death!" With that, a beam of light shot out from his palm. Like a lightning bolt, it shot through my stomach. 

"Odette!" His face turned more ashen and started coughing uncontrollably. 

I lay on the cold marble stone of the temple as blood bled out from my stomach. I was surprisingly calm. This was so familiar to me, dying once again. Will this finally end? I thought back to Yves' words, was the gods the reason for my misfortunes? Was I just a chess piece in their game? Something to be discarded once her mission was completed. 

Something cold touched my hand. It's Yves, he had staggered his way across the temple. His expression was just like that night before my death in my second life. A hint of sadness, a hint of regret and what? 

"I am sorry, Odette," he said weakly. 

I raised my eyebrow in surprise. Did the tyrant just apologize? 

"I thought I could make it up to you, by giving the poor girl who was being drawn into the game of gods another chance of life. I was too full of myself. Nothing can escape the gods," he said wistfully. He ċȧrėssed my face. "This is your last life... and mine. All your misery will end."

My fingers shook as I tried to ċȧrėss his face with my other hand. I smiled in relieve, so in the end this reborn curse on me was not solely for his entertainment, although I did think this was also part of the reason why he put the curse on me in the first place. 

"Can... can you hug me one last time. I feel cold," I said faintly. 

Yves returned my embrace as he cradled me in his arms. 

When I was growing colder and colder from the loss of blood, I sensed a presence similar to the god of light had appeared in the temple. 

"Odette, don't forget that your wish is to die after a long life, after you have grown old," Yves whispered into my ear. I glanced at the face just inches from me, to find the mask of sadness over his face awhile ago was gone. In its place was his usual smile. 

That was when I realized, all of it was his plan! No wonder I didn't die after bleeding for such a long time!