Chapter 2

It wasn't easy for Robert to reach the bed. When he finally saw the helpless girl before him, his bloodshot eyes seemed to drip with anguish. Trembling, he carefully wrapped his arms around Eleanor. His eyes were full of hatred and despair. Eleanor stared at Robert blankly. Suddenly, a beam, weakened by the fire, crashed down! Eleanor instinctively bent over to shield him, but the beam missed her and struck Robert's back instead. He released a muffled groan but didn't flinch.. Instead of evading, he protected Eleanor in his arms. The beam broke into half, releasing a faint, burnt smell from his body. It must be excruciating Eleanor thought... Pieces of the ceiling fell one after another hitting Robert repeatedly. His clothes were a mess, and his handsome features were marred by burns while Eleanor remained unharmed, cradled securely in his embrace. Choked with sobs Eleanor shouted hoarsely... "Hurry up, Robert, hurry up and leave!" But, Robert lying on the ground, seemed to have lost his spirit. The fire grew larger and larger. Eleanor, desperate, tried to pull him, but she couldn't lift his body. In the end, all she could do was sob in despair. "You'll die... Robert ... You'll die if you stay like this..." she murmured. After a while, Robert finally responded. He looked at Eleanor in his arms gently and whispered... "Er, now you can't hide from me." "I'm sorry, I failed to protect you well... I'm sorry. We... are in great pain..." "It's all my fault that I didn't arrive in time... Er... it's my fault." As he spoke, Robert, who had always been so strong-willed, choked with sobs. "Er, life is meaningless without you..." "On the way to hell, I'll light the lamp for you..." He then kissed Eleanor's lips with devotion. Seeing Robert's determination not to leave, Eleanor cried out in a heart-wrenching voice, "No...!" "You shouldn't have come, you shouldn't have risked your life for me! You shouldn't have died for someone like me..." As the flames soared, stinging Eleanor's eyes, she felt herself growing dizzy. "No...!" Eleanor screamed and woke up from her dream. Surrounded by the broken mud walls of her room, she realized she had dreamed of Robert hugging her to death in the fire countless times since her rebirth. Yes, she was reborn! She had been reborn three years ago, when she was 20 years old.