Hope Is Not Optional — Manuel Flores 113
Chapter 113
Selene
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I had never owned a weapon that truly resonated with me in any of my past lives. No matter how powerful the blade or how rare the material, it always ended the same way, cracked, shattered, and dulled beyond repair by the end of a battle.
The stronger I became and the more formidable my opponents grew, the faster my weapons met their demise. I would replace them again and again, each one promising strength, each one failing me when it mattered most. It was almost cruel how predictable it became, like a curse following me from one lifetime to the next.
In every life, I wanted a weapon that could stand beside me as I grew stronger, something that could endure the same battles I did and come out whole. Not because I needed it to define my power, I had never lacked strength, but because I wanted something that could match it.
A weapon that wouldn’t break no matter how brutal the fight became, something that felt like an extension of my own will rather than a fragile tool destined to fail. Yet no matter where I went or how far I searched, I never found such a thing. Eventually, I had accepted that perhaps it simply didn’t exist for someone like me. But this lifetime was different.
I had travelled in almost every pack across countless lifetimes, yet never had I been in the Crimson Pack. This place felt different from the others, not just in strength, but everything around it was different. Even the energy around her was strong and clean, as if there were many opportunities to get stronger.
Everything about it carried a dangerous feeling, from the people to the air itself, and for the first time in a very long while, I felt something close to anticipation stir inside my chest.
So maybe, this would be the place where I finally found a weapon that suited me.
The thought alone made my heart pound faster, excitement curling through my veins as I licked my lips without even realizing it. Before I could second-guess myself, I reached out and caught the woman’s soft hand, leaning forward until my face was only inches from hers. Her eyes widened instantly, her breath hitching as her face flushed a deep red at the sudden closeness.
“Y-you-” she started, clearly flustered.
I smiled, my expression bright and curious, my eyes twinkling with genuine interest as I spoke. “About the Crimson Warrior Rite,” I asked. “Tell me about it. What exactly is it? Can anyone participate?”
She stared at me for a moment, clearly trying to gather her thoughts, before swallowing and nodding.
“Y-yes,” she said slowly. “Anyone can participate, as long as they can fight. But it’s very dangerous. The battles. are gruesome, and if someone is weak or careless, they can be killed.”
I barely reacted to that part. The danger meant nothing to me; it never had. I wasn’t weak, and I didn’t intend to be careless. That information was irrelevant.
“What about the winner?” I asked instead. “What kind of weapon do they receive?”
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She hesitated, thinking. “It depends on the winner’s choice. There are usually three main winners, first, second, and third place. All the weapons are of the highest quality. The first-place winner chooses any weapon they want, then the second, then the third. The remaining warriors who participated can choose from what’s left.”
I nodded slowly, my expression thoughtful as I finally stepped back, releasing her hand. My mind was already racing, calculating possibilities, imagining rows of weapons forged.
The woman took a deep breath, clearly relieved by the distance, when another voice chimed in. One of the women tilted her head at me. “Why are you asking all this, Lady Selene?” she said cautiously. “Don’t tell me you’re thinking about participating?”
I looked at her and let a harmless smile curve my lips, the kind that made people lower their guard without even realizing it. “Participating?” I said lightly, as if the idea itself amused me. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. Why would I participate in something as crude as that? I’m a lady. Things like that are dangerous.”
The woman immediately nodded in agreement, clearly relieved by my answer. “Yes, you’re right,” she said earnestly. “Even as a warrior myself, I don’t want to participate. There are many powerful people there, and I know my limits. It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
I studied her quietly, my smile still in place, though my thoughts had already drifted far from the room.
There was truth in her words, sometimes it was wiser to know one’s limits instead of charging blindly into something that could get you killed. But then again, how did anyone ever truly know their limits if they never tested them? If you kept telling yourself there was a line you couldn’t cross, you would never move beyond it.
That was something I understood better than most. No matter how painful things had become in my past lives, no matter how many times death had taken me, I never gave up. I refused to accept that dying and being reborn without memories was my limit. And because I refused, I finally broke through it. In this lifetime, I remembered everything. That alone was proof that limits were meant to be challenged, not obeyed.
Another woman spoke up casually. “And you also need an entry payment to participate,” she added. “Most warriors don’t join because it’s expensive.”
Expensive?
The word echoed in my head, and my fingers twitched slightly at my side. I didn’t have money with me, and asking for it outright would raise too many questions. That was something I couldn’t afford right now. I was still weighing my options when a sharp knock sounded at the door, cutting through my thoughts.
I turned toward it just as the door opened, and Yara walked in with that familiar lazy grin resting on her lips, as if she owned the place.
“Master!” The women immediately brightened, excitement flashing across their faces as they rushed toward her, but Yara barely spared them a glance.
Her attention snapped to me instead, her grin widening as she bowed her head slightly. “Lady Selene,” she said smoothly. “I see you’re still as radiant as always.”
I looked back at her with an unimpressed gaze, my expression cool and unreadable. After what happened the last time we met, after she had casually thrown a dagger at my head, I found her friendliness more irritating
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Chapter 113
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than charming. I wasn’t exactly angry, anger wasted too much energy, but I was certainly not fooled. At the moment, my thoughts were focused on something far more important, how to get my hands on money.
When I didn’t respond, Yara’s amusement only seemed to deepen. She clicked her tongue softly and turned to the women. “Come on, ladies,” she said. “The Crimson Warrior Rite will be starting soon.”
The women nodded eagerly, already moving to follow her, when something sharp flashed through my mind. My eyes narrowed slightly, and before I could stop myself, I stood up.
“Wait.”
The single word cut through the room, and everyone froze. All eyes turned toward me. Yara paused mid-step, then slowly looked back over her shoulder, one eyebrow lifting with interest.
“Is something wrong, Lady Selene?” she asked, her tone calm, though her eyes were anything but.
I smiled and shook my head slowly, as if whatever was about to happen was perfectly casual. I walked toward her without another word, my steps unhurried. Yara watched me, her brows knitting together in confusion, clearly trying to read my intentions.
Before she could open her mouth, I moved.
In one smooth motion, I leaned forward, my hand pressing flat against the wall beside her head while my other arm slipped around her waist and pulled her firmly against me. Her back hit the wall, my body effectively caging her in place.
Yara’s eyes widened in shock. For a moment, she froze. And so did everyone else in the room.
Gasps rippled through the women behind us. Their hands flew to their mouths, eyes darting between Yara and me in disbelief. None of them must had never seen anyone act this boldly or dominantly toward their
master.
Yara snapped out of it first, her brows drawing together sharply. “What are you doing, my lady?”
I tilted my head, lips curling in a lazy, nonchalant smile. I leaned in just enough that only she could hear me, my voice soft.
“What else?” I murmured. “I’m getting paid for the emotional distress you caused by throwing a dagger at
me.”
Her gaze flickered down instantly. I felt her stiffen as she realized something was missing from her belt. When her eyes snapped back to mine, instead of anger, a wide grin spread across her face. She let out a loud chuckle.
“Crazy,” she laughed. “I was right, you’re really crazy.”
Behind us, whispers broke out.
“What is going on?” one woman hissed. “Do you think our master is… interested in the Alpha woman?”
Another whispered back in panic, “I hope not. I don’t want our master to lose her life.”
I
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I leaned back, releasing Yara, and turned toward them calmly. “It’s fine, she and I were just having a conversation. We’re done now. You can leave.”
They hesitated, glancing between me and Yara.
Yara rolled her shoulders, still grinning, and waved them off. “Hahaha, yes, we can leave now.”
She walked to the door and held it open as her women filed out with confusion, and curiosity written across their faces. Before stepping out herself, she turned back to me, inclining her head.
“Goodbye, Lady Selene, I hope I’ll be fortunate enough to fight you today.” She paused at the doorway, then added casually, “Oh, and before I leave, be careful. Alpha Damien will be there.”
With that, she disappeared, the door closing behind her.
I stood alone in the room, staring at the door for a moment. Then my lips curled upward. My fingers tightened around the small pouch of coins now resting discreetly in my palm, the one I had lifted from her belt without her even realizing it in the moment.
I won’t hesitate, or second-guess myself.
I was going to the Crimson Warrior Rite. And not even that demon of the West was going to stop me.
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