"What are you talking about...? I would co with you," Sofia’s voice broke through the heavy stillness imdiately after his words, her tone no longer restrained or asured but filled with urgency and sothing far more personal, as she took a step toward him without hesitation, closing the distance that his declaration had created, her eyes fixed on his face with a mixture of determination and vulnerability that she wasn’t even trying to hide anymore.
"Whatever it is... whatever you are going to do... I am with you," she said, her voice softer now but steadier, carrying a quiet firmness that made it clear this wasn’t a reaction it was a decision, "I just..." she paused, her brows tightening slightly as her emotions caught up with her words, "...I just don’t want you to hurt," she admitted, her gaze flickering faintly.
"You’ve already been through so much... more than anyone should ever be.." her voice lowered, almost trembling at the edges, "And your future... with ... I don’t want that to turn into sothing like this," she added, her lips pressing together briefly.
"Because if it does... then I might beco part of the reason for it," her eyes softened, a hint of regret surfacing now, "And that... that’s the last thing I would ever want," she said quietly, her voice carrying a sincerity that made the room feel even more still, "We’re together... through everything... life... death... whatever cos," she lifted her gaze fully to et his, "That’s what it ans, right?" she added faintly, "We’re soulmates... rember?" A small breath left her, her expression tightening just slightly, "I was just trying to help... So don’t ever think that I was... stepping back," she said, the regret now clear in her tone, as if she was replaying her own words and hating how they might have sounded, I shouldn’t have said it like that... he might have thought I was doubting him...
Razeal watched her for a mont.
Then nodded slowly.
"I understand," he said simply, his tone calm, without accusation, without misunderstanding, and for a mont, that alone eased sothing in Sofia’s chest, even if it didn’t remove the weight entirely, and then his gaze shifted to Maria.
And maria hadn’t moved.
She stood there, still, her expression far more complicated now, her thoughts tangled between concern, guilt, and sothing deeper she didn’t want to fully confront, and when she finally spoke, her voice was quieter than before, less sharp, more uncertain, "Will you... be safe?" she asked, her eyes fixed on him, searching, "Is this even... possible?" her brows furrowed slightly..
"Are you confident... that you can go through all of this?" she hesitated, her voice faltering just a little, "If not... you still have ti... six years..." her gaze dropped slightly, "You could just..." she stopped, her hand rising to her forehead as if trying to physically stop her own thoughts, "...I’m sorry," she muttered, her voice strained now, "I... I don’t even know what I’m saying..." she shook her head faintly, frustration directed at herself more than anything else, What am I even suggesting...? To give up? To run away? That’s just.. Fuckkk
Razeal watched her quietly.
And then
"I understand that you’re concerned," he said, his tone steady, almost gentle in its own way, "But you don’t need to be."
Maria’s hand slowly lowered from her face.
Her eyes t his again.
"Because..." he continued, a faint smile forming on his lips, "...you don’t know who I am."
There was no arrogance in the way he said it. Only certainty.
"And if you did..." his gaze sharpened slightly, "...you wouldn’t be worried."
"The ones who should be worried..." he added quietly, "...are my enemies."
His words didn’t rise. They didn’t carry force.
But they settled heavily.
Because they didn’t sound like confidence.. They genuinely just sounded like fact.
Maria just stared at him.
Her eyes still filled with concern uncertain amd still carrying that quiet, aching sympathy that refused to leave her.
And when Razeal saw that
Sothing in his expression shifted.
Just slightly.
He shook his head Firmly.
As if rejecting that emotion itself.
His hand lifted to his neck, fingers curling slightly as he cracked it with a slow, deliberate motion, the sound sharp in the otherwise silent room, and then he pushed himself up from the chair, rising to his full height, his presence imdiately feeling different heavier, sharper, more defined, as if sothing inside him had just aligned completely, and he took a step forward, closing the distance between himself and Maria.
"Don’t be worried," he said again.
This ti
Not softly but firmly.
"I won’t lose."
And as those words left him
His eyes ignited.
A deep, vivid crimson light flooding his gaze, not just color but presence, intensity, sothing alive and unyielding, and Maria’s breath caught for a fraction of a second as she looked into them, because they weren’t just eyes anymore they were sothing far deeper, sothing that carried weight, conviction, and sothing dangerously close to inevitability.
"I..." he began, his voice lowering slightly, gaining a resonance that seed to fill the space around them, "...am a man for whom the gods themselves will have to step dowm on land to defeat."
Another step.
Closer.
"The man for whom..." his tone deepened, "...the entire world would need to unite... just to stand a chance."
He stopped in front of her.
Barely an inch away.
Close enough that their breaths almost touched.
"I am the man..." he continued, his voice quieter now but far more intense, "...Whoom to
Even kill... It takes soone my own."
And then
His hands lifted.
Gently but firmly.
As.. Resting on both sides of Maria’s head, holding her in place not forcefully, but in a way that made it impossible to look away, guiding her gaze directly into his, locking her into that crimson intensity that refused to let her escape.
So these emotions..." he said, his voice lowering slightly, more intense now, "this worry... this fear in your eyes when you look at ..." his grip remained steady, his presence unwavering,
"No one should ever have that when they look at ," his eyes burned with certainty, not madness, not arrogance but sothing far more dangerous, sothing absolute,
"Because I won’t lose," he stated, each word clear and unshakable, "I will win," And in that mont, standing so close that their breaths almost mingled, there was no space for doubt in his voice, no hesitation in his expression.
"No matter what stands against ... no matter who I am fighting... even if it is the entire world itself,"
Amd Maria, held there, could do nothing but look into his eyes, because in them she didn’t just see confidence she felt it, sothing overwhelming, sothing that went beyond simple belief, she could feel his resolve, his pride, his absolute conviction, the weight of a decision that had already been made long before this mont.
Maria didn’t look away when he finished speaking; she couldn’t, not when his hands were still framing her face and those crimson eyes were holding her in place like gravity itself had shifted, and slowly almost as if the decision wasn’t sothing she was making in that mont but sothing that had already been decided sowhere deep inside her she nodded, her lips parting slightly as her voice ca out softer than before, yet filled with a strange, unwavering intensity.
"I will co with you then.." she said, her gaze locked into his, unblinking, "Even if it is to the end of the world," and there was no hesitation in her tone, no doubt, no fear, only sothing deeper sothing consuming, "I don’t want to die anymore," she added quietly, and for a fraction of a second, her voice trembled, not from weakness, but from the weight of that realization itself, "I will exist... for you." The words settled between them, heavy, intimate, and far more dangerous than they sounded on the surface, because the way she looked at him now had changed completely her eyes no longer just carrying guilt or regret or even care, but sothing far more intense, sothing boundless and narrowing at the sa ti, as if her entire world had suddenly shrunk down to a single point and that point was him.
Her thoughts began to spiral, not outward but inward, tightening, reshaping everything she had known into sothing centered entirely around him, No one else understands him... no one else can, I’m the only one who sees him like this, the only one who stayed... the only one who would go this far... and then, without her even realizing it, another thought slipped in, darker, sharper, Even Sofia... she hesitated... even for a mont... she thought about others... about people? Maria’s gaze didn’t break, but sothing shifted behind her eyes, She doesn’t deserve him.. not like I do... not if she can think like that, not if she can choose anything over him...? her breathing slowed slightly, her focus tightening further, No... it’s just ... it has to be !!
And then
Sothing even more dangerous.
’We’re ant to be!!!’
The thought didn’t co as a question but just ca as certainty.
The world is the problem YES!! Not him And everything against him deserves to be destroyed her chest rose slightly, her heartbeat steady but deeper, Anything is acceptable if it ans keeping him her fingers twitched faintly at her sides, He matters more than anyone... more than everything and then, softer, almost reverent, I love him!!
Her gaze softened for just a fraction of a second.
But then
It flickered.. Because her eyes shifted, just slightly, to the side.
To see Sofia standing there.
And Watching.
And sothing in Maria’s expression tightened imdiately, her thoughts snapping back just enough for awareness to return, No... not now... she told herself quickly, her breathing steadying again, This isn’t the ti..
I need to hold it in... her gaze returned to Razeal, her expression smoothing out, controlled once more, Everything needs ti...
anwhile, Razeal
Had already let go.
His hands dropped from her face as he stepped back slightly, the intensity of the mont dissolving from his perspective far more easily than it had ford, his expression returning to sothing more neutral, more grounded, and he nodded faintly at her words.
"Well... that’s good," he said casually, as if what she had just said didn’t carry the weight it actually did, though there was a faint note of relief in his tone, subtle but present, At least she doesn’t want to kill herself anymore that’s sothing he thought briefly, not fully analyzing why that mattered to him, only recognizing that it did, and that alone was enough for him, It’s not every day soone does sothing like that for you...
A faint, almost amused thought crossed his mind, but he didn’t dwell on it, instead shifting his focus forward, She’s loyal that much is clear and with her potential she’ll be definitely very useful strong and dependable.
Though
A small part of him caught on sothing.
"I will exist for you"... the phrase echoed faintly in his mind, and he frowned just slightly, not visibly, but internally, That sounded kinda off...? but that thought didn’t linger long, dismissed almost imdiately, Doesn’t matter
He stepped closer again.
This ti more casually.
And placed a hand on her shoulder.
Grounding.
"You asked earlier... why I brought you back," he said, his tone shifting slightly, more reflective now
And Maria blinked, her thoughts breaking from their spiral as she looked at him again, focusing fully, waiting, and Razeal paused for a second before continuing, his gaze drifting slightly not away from her, but through the thought itself, "Honestly... I don’t really know," he admitted, his voice calm, almost detached in its honesty, "I didn’t think about it that much in that mont," he added, and then, after a brief pause, "but maybe..." his eyes softened just slightly, "maybe it’s because... you made feel like I matter."
The words landed quietly.
But deeply.
"Before that..." he continued, his tone steady, "...it felt like... if I died... no one would really care.. Like seriously." his gaze flickered faintly, not breaking, but shifting just enough to show the weight behind it, "And then..." he exhaled lightly, "Soone does sothing like that... for ?" a faint, almost awkward smile appeared, "That’s... a big thing."
Maria’s breath hitched faintly.
Not visibly but internally.
"I really appreciate it," he added, his tone simple, direct, sincere in a way that didn’t try to be dramatic, "But definitely..." his expression shifted slightly, more serious now, "Dont do it again."
A brief pause.
"I didn’t like that feeling."
And a mont, and Maria, who had been just looking at him every word, every movent, every glance felt sothing inside her still as his words reached her, the room seeming to slow down around her, his voice echoing slightly in her mind.
’you made feel like I matter’ and for so reason, those words hit deeper than anything else he had said, not because of what they ant on the surface but because of what they revealed underneath, and as she looked into his eyes, she couldn’t help but feel so much more alive that this mont.
And suddenly
A sudden laugh broke out of Maria’s lips sharp at first, then spilling uncontrollably into sothing breathless and uneven, "Haa... hah... haha... hahahaha..." it wasn’t a normal laugh, not one born from humor, but sothing far more unstable, as if the emotion inside her had exceeded what her body could properly contain, her shoulders trembling lightly as the sound escaped her again and again.
"Really...? Did I... fhew... hehehe..." she stifled another burst, though it only made it worse, her hand instinctively lifting toward her chest as if trying to steady the storm inside her, but it didn’t help, nothing did.
"Kh...khh... hah... hah..." the laughter cracked through her again, thinner now, tighter, and when she finally managed to look up at him, her expression had changed her smile stretched wider than it should have been, trembling slightly at the edges as if her face itself was struggling to hold it in place..
"You... you appreciate... ...?" she repeated, the words coming out almost disjointed, her eyes fixed entirely on him, unnaturally bright..
"Heh... I knew it..." she whispered, more to herself than anyone else, her breathing uneven, and then, without waiting, without thinking, she stepped forward and threw herself into him, wrapping her arms around his body in a sudden, tight embracezz
"Hey.." Razeal reacted instinctively, his body tensing slightly at the sudden impact, caught off guard by the abruptness of it, but then he paused, his expression settling as he assud what it looked like on the surface emotional overflow, nothing more, so he didn’t push her away, didn’t resist, simply letting her hold onto him as he turned his head slightly toward Sofia and gave a small shrug, a subtle shake of his head as if to say she’s just overwheld..
But Sofia didn’t return that gesture, didn’t even acknowledge it, because her attention was completely fixed on Maria, and what she was seeing... wasn’t normal.. Maria wasn’t just hugging him she was clinging to him, her arms tightening around his body with a pressure that looked almost desperate, almost possessive, as if she was trying to pull herself closer than physically possible, her body pressing against his in a way as if wanting to make him feel her body.. That wasn’t just looking emotional comfort but sothing far more intense, her face was also buried near his neck, far too close..
Sofia’s eyes narrowed slightly as she noticed the subtle movent Maria inhaling slowly, deliberately, as if taking in his scent, and then again, her breathing uneven but purposeful, and that smile... that smile on her face it wasn’t fading, it was growing, stretching wider, more distorted with each passing second, sothing about it deeply unsettling, and then, as if sensing her gaze, Maria’s eyes shifted, slowly lifting to et Sofia’s
And in that instant, the air between them changed..
suddenly Maria’s smile widened further, almost unnaturally so, her eyes locking onto Sofia’s with a look that was no longer soft, no longer emotional but sharp, almost predatory, and unmistakably deliberate
And then without breaking eye contact, her arms tightened again around Razeal’s body, her fingers pressing into his back slightly as if to emphasize the hold, before her tongue briefly brushed across her lips in a slow, deliberate motion, the gesture subtle but very intentional, almost provocative in its implication.
And then still looking directly at Sofia she leaned slightly into Razeal again, her face brushing closer against his neck as she inhaled once more, her eyes half-lidding for a mont before rolling back slightly as if indulging in sothing only she could feel, and that was enough..
As Sofia’s expression hardened imdiately, her eyes narrowing sharply, a dangerous edge settling into them as her instincts flared, This... isn’t right, the thought ca instantly, clear and undeniable, Sothing is wrong with her, and it wasn’t just discomfort.. it was certainty, sothing deep within her telling her this behavior wasn’t just emotional overflow or relief, it was sothing else entirely, sothing unstable, sothing that didn’t align with Maria’s earlier state..
What changed so suddenly? she questioned internally, her gaze sharpening further as she analyzed every detail the intensity, the fixation, the way Maria was acting..
As if nothing else in the room existed except Razeal, This isn’t normal attachnt... this is sothing else, and then another thought surfaced, uneasy but logical..
Wait Is it... her concept? Sofia considered it, recalling what she knew, Her lust-based affinity... did it spike or sothing? Did sothing trigger it? but even that didn’t fully explain what she was seeing, because this wasn’t just desire it felt more obsessive, more consuming, as if Maria was trying to claim sothing rather than just feel it, and the way she was pressing herself so close, almost trying to rge into him, as if proximity itself wasn’t enough.. it unsettled her even further.
Why is she behaving like this...? Sofia’s gaze darkened slightly, her body tensing, her instincts now fully alert, This is just too much... this is bad, and slowly thinking of that she took a step forward, her eyes never leaving Maria, her posture shifting from passive observation to quiet intervention, because whatever this was whatever this was .. she couldn’t just stand there and ignore it, not when every instinct she had was telling her the sa thing, over and over again: This is wrong... very, very wrong... and if I don’t stop it now... it’s only going to get worse.
——
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