Chapter 210 The Villain Lady Arrives 38
Tariq stopped and turned to face Alice, but he didn't dare look her in the eye. His eyes wandered, sometimes falling on the mottled bricks on the ground, and sometimes glancing at the heavy and isolated stone door that had just closed, as if there were countless reproachful eyes hidden behind the door.
His hands were clenched into fists, his knuckles turned white from the force, and his heart felt like it was swept by a violent storm and huge waves, unable to calm down.
"Alice..." He finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from the depths of his throat with difficulty, "I... I know what I did was wrong, but at that time, I really had no other choice."
Alice sighed softly. In her clear eyes, there was no anger or blame as Tariq had expected, but only deep understanding and a hint of barely perceptible sadness.
"Brother Rick, you don't have to explain to me." She slowly approached, her tone gentle but firm, "I understand your decision. It was a sacrifice made for the survival of more people at a critical moment of life and death. We all understand that sometimes, in order to protect the people we care about, we must make difficult choices."
She stretched out her hand and gently placed it on Tariq's fist. The warmth seemed to penetrate the cold stone wall and reach the deepest part of his heart.
"You are not a cold-blooded executioner, you are just a warrior looking for hope in despair." Alice's voice was full of power, and her words were like spring rain, melting the ice in Tariq's heart bit by bit.
Tariq looked up, finally mustering up the courage to look Alice in the eye. At that moment, he seemed to see the sea of stars in her eyes, which contained endless tolerance and tenderness. His eyes could not help but turn red, and his voice was choked with sobs:
"Alice, can you...can you really understand me? I...I'm afraid you will hate me, hate me for sacrificing innocent lives."
Alice shook her head gently, with a gentle light flashing in her eyes:
"Hate you? No, Tariq, I will never hate you. In this cruel world, we are all fighting for survival, and everyone is protecting the justice and light in their hearts in their own way. What you did was just the right choice you thought at the time."
She paused and continued, "Moreover, I believe that the mercenary brother will understand you at the last moment. Because he knows that his sacrifice is to allow more people to survive. This is the supreme honor and sacrifice. We should remember his bravery and selflessness, and not let guilt and self-blame erode our hearts."
When Tariq heard this, the heavy stone in his heart seemed to be slowly removed, and a warm current surged from the bottom of his heart, warming his cold body. "Thank you, Alice. Your understanding is more precious to me than any treasure." He held Alice's hand tightly, with a grateful light in his eyes.
The two smiled at each other, as if at this moment, all the difficulties and dangers were no longer important. They continued to move forward along the narrow passage, each step more firm and powerful.
At the end of the passage was a wooden door that was eroded by time but still sturdy. Tariq gently pushed the door open, and a fresh air rushed towards him, carrying the fragrance of flowers and plants from the outside world and the call of freedom. They walked out of this place full of danger and sacrifice and returned to the sunshine.
"We have to meet up with the others as soon as possible." Alice looked into the distance with a determined light in her eyes. "Although we have escaped from that place, the world outside is still full of dangers."
Tariq nodded, holding his sword tightly, ready to face any challenges that might come. "No matter what the road ahead is, I will stay by your side and protect you until the last moment." His words were firm and affectionate, as if they were a silent promise to Alice.
As soon as Tariq and Alice stepped out of the corridor that symbolized liberation, what greeted them was not the peace and tranquility they had imagined, but an even more thrilling scene.
Not far away, the Third Prince Luna Orlando and his knights, who were supposed to be allies, were now in a frenzy of self-destruction as if they were cursed.
"Brother Rick, look over there!" Alice's voice was filled with fear and disbelief. She pointed to the chaotic scene not far away. She saw knights holding swords and attacking each other. There was only enthusiasm and greed for treasure in their eyes. The loyalty and glory of the past were gone.
"What's going on? What happened to them?" Tariq frowned, with an ominous premonition in his heart. He quickly looked around, trying to find the source of this madness, but there was nothing around except chaos and the breath of death.
"Luna!" Alice suddenly screamed, her eyes fixed on the Third Prince who was about to be pierced by the sword of an out-of-control knight. Luna looked particularly helpless in the chaos, and her eyes, which were once full of wisdom and tenderness, were now filled with fear and despair.
“No!” Alice rushed to the battlefield desperately, trying to use her voice to awaken those lost souls, “Stop! Everyone, stop! These are our companions, our friends!”
However, her cries fell on deaf ears, and the eyes of the people around her were filled with endless madness and killing. Seeing this, Tariq hurriedly caught up with Alice and protected her tightly behind him, with the knight's sword in his hand flashing with cold light, ready to deal with the attack that might come at any time.
"Alice, calm down! They are controlled by some force, your shouting will be useless." Tariq's voice was low and firm, trying to free Alice from the vortex of emotions.
"No, I can't just watch them kill each other like this!" Tears flashed in Alice's eyes, but she did not give up and continued to shout loudly, hoping that a miracle would happen.
At this moment, Luna let out a shrill scream, and her body was pierced by a long sword. The blood stained her clothes and the eyes of the people around her. This scene was like a heavy hammer, hitting Alice's heart hard.
"Luna!" Alice could no longer control her emotions. She broke free from Tariq's restraints and was about to rush forward, but Tariq held her back with all his strength.
"Alice, you can't go! You will be dragged into it!" Tariq's voice was filled with unquestionable determination. He knew very well that if Alice stepped into the chaos at this moment, she would suffer the same fate.
"Let me go, Tariq! I can't watch my friend die like this!" Alice struggled, tears and sweat mixed together, blurring her vision.
"Alice, calm down and listen to me!" Tariq pressed down on Alice's shoulders and forced her to face him. "We must find a way to remove this control. Otherwise, even if we save Luna, more people will die."
Alice's body trembled slightly when she heard this. She slowly raised her head, her eyes becoming clearer and more determined. "You're right. We can't just rush in blindly like this. But what should we do?"
Tariq looked around, trying to find clues from the chaos. "First, we need to find the source of this power. They look like they are controlled by some powerful magic or curse."