The Eternal Empire

"It doesn't matter to me," she said without preamble, her voice flat. "Whether you're a liar, a peasant boy with delusions, or an actual messiah sent by God, just leave me alone. Let me live my life in peace."

Her words caught Heimrich off guard, but he quickly recovered. "Are you truly content living like this? Have you never thought of seeking revenge?" he asked, his voice measured.

Anna paused in her work, her gaze distant. "At the beginning, of course, all I wanted was revenge," she said, her voice carrying a hint of bitterness. "I dreamed of making my tormentors suffer the same, or worse, than they had inflicted on me. But I've long since abandoned those plans, those desires. This isn't some fantastical fairytale. We live in the real world, and the real world is cruel and unfair. The weak and the poor stay weak and poor, tyrannized by the rich and powerful. That's the reality, and nothing will change that. I'm not foolish or naïve enough to believe otherwise."

Her bluntness lingered in the air. Heimrich couldn't help but smirk at her words. "You're quite the realist," he said. "I can't say I disagree. I've never been one for dreamers or false hope either."

But how ironic, he thought, that he, of all people, had ended up here in circumstances that felt straight out of a fantastical novel. The very improbability of his journey made him question everything he had once believed.

"And if I gave you the chance for revenge? Would you take it?" Heimrich asked.

Anna's eyes narrowed. "Are you also one of those fools, dreaming that everything is possible? Maybe I was wrong about you," she said, her voice heavy with disappointment. To her, it seemed Heimrich was just another simpleton who hadn't grasped how the world truly worked.

With that, she turned and began walking back toward the village, leaving Heimrich standing alone in the woods.

---

That same evening, as the village settled into its usual quiet, Heimrich found himself drawn to the woods. He knew Anna's routine by heart, and when he heard her footsteps heading toward the forest to dispose of waste again, he followed.

When she reached the dumping site, he stepped out of the shadows. Anna immediately turned to him, her patience visibly fraying. "What do you want from me?" she barked. "Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?"

Heimrich hesitated for a moment before giving a weak smile. "Well, you fascinate me," he admitted. "Everything you've endured—the torture, the pain, the loss—and yet here you are, standing strong. All of that has forged you into something extraordinary, something wondrous. A being with a strength of will that defies logic. How could I not be fascinated by such a creation?"

Anna rolled her eyes, her frustration palpable. "You're a sick psycho," she muttered, turning back to her work.

Heimrich stayed silent, watching her retreat. As she turned to leave, he called out, "Well, let's part ways then. Good n..." He stopped abruptly, his instincts flaring like alarm bells in his mind. His body tensed, every fiber alert.

Anna, with her sharp observational skills, noticed his sudden change. "What is it?" she asked, her voice calm but curious.

Heimrich quickly raised a hand to her mouth, signaling for her to remain silent. Anna, though initially surprised, remained composed and scanned their surroundings. Despite her best efforts, she saw nothing unusual. 

"Wolves," Heimrich whispered. His tone left no room for doubt.

Anna's brow furrowed. "Wolves don't come this close to the edge of the woods," she replied softly, her skepticism evident. Heimrich could see her distrust in her eyes.

"Trust me," was all he said. Anna, while still doubtful, decided to err on the side of caution. In her mind, she swore that if this turned out to be some kind of prank, she would make Heimrich's life miserable.

The two began moving cautiously and silently back toward the village. Suddenly, a gray-white wolf lunged at them from the shadows, its teeth bared and eyes wild. Heimrich reacted instantly, grappling with the animal as it clawed and snapped at him. Years of martial arts training, endured since childhood, came to his aid. His parents had forced those lessons on him, often telling him that no matter how intelligent he was, it would be useless if he ever faced real physical danger. Oh, how truly right they were. His movements were swift and controlled as he fought off the beast. Spotting a sharp rock on the ground, he quickly grabbed it and struck the wolf, but it didn't die yet, thrashing violently as it was gravely wounded.

As he caught his breath, his eyes darted toward Anna. She was desperately dodging and blocking the attacks of three wolves, using her arms and legs to shield her vital areas. The critical situation forced Heimrich into action. Risking everything, he turned back to the gravely wounded wolf he was grappling with, striking it decisively with the sharp rock to finish it off. Only then did he rush to Anna's aid, grabbing a sturdy branch along the way and attacking one of the wolves, piercing its eye in a frantic move to protect her.

Despite their efforts, the wolves were relentless. One managed to sink its teeth into Anna's right arm, tearing through flesh, while another delivered a deep, fatal wound near her liver. The pack's leader, observing from the shadows, let out a sharp bark, signaling the wolves to retreat. They obeyed, disappearing into the night as quickly as they had appeared.

Heimrich rushed to Anna's side, his eyes scanning her injuries. Blood poured from her wounds, and her breathing was shallow. "You're going to bleed out," he said gravely. "You won't make it back to the village. Eight minutes at most. Even herbs won't save you now."

Anna's lips trembled, but she said nothing. Heimrich's mind raced. The decision was clear, though not easy. He needed Anna. Her strength, her survival instincts, her untapped potential—she was too valuable to lose. This was his chance to bind her to him, to reignite her buried desire for vengeance.

"Don't be alarmed," Heimrich said firmly. "Say nothing. Just let this happen."

Moving quickly, he dragged the wolf carcasses closer. Using a sharp stone, he stripped the flesh from their bodies. Holding a bloody piece of raw meat, he turned to Anna. "Eat this. No arguments."

Anna's expression wavered between confusion and disbelief. "Are you insane?" she whispered weakly.

Heimrich pressed the meat to her lips. "Do it," he commanded."

Too weak to resist, Anna obeyed, chewing and swallowing the raw meat. Her mind reeled with dark irony. So this is how it ends? Trapped with yet another perverted psycho forcing me to eat wolf meat? she thought. I've endured worse, I suppose. Remembering all the grotesque kind of things that have already been forced on her to swallow. eating some raw wolf meat would be one of the most harmless one. 

Heimrich activated the bio-enhancer, scanning her body. The device produced a detailed report of her injuries, both new and old. Confirming her critical state, it asked whether to initiate regeneration. Heimrich didn't hesitate.

As the bio-enhancer worked, Anna's wounds began to close. Flesh regrew where it had been torn away, scars vanished, and even her long-lost eye and chest were restored. Heimrich watched in quiet satisfaction as the miraculous device performed its work, knowing that the raw wolf meat had provided the necessary proteins for the process. He was no special kind of sadistic pervert that enjoyed watching people eat raw meat right before they die. No was plain simple the necessary input that Anna's body needed to regrow and heal all the missing part of her body. nevertheless the process was painful, like reliving all the torments and torture that she have once been trough, opening up all old wounds, sending waves of pain trough every part of her body. Even with such a strong mind Anna passed out midway. 

When the process was complete, Anna lay on the ground, breathing steadily, her injuries healed. Heimrich looked down at her and said quietly, "You'll live."