"I am not.. NO matter which version of the story you choose to believe."
"Though I would love... for all of you to understand sothing clearly," Razeal’s voice cut through the silence, low at first, but carrying a sharp, freezing edge that seed to settle over everyone like frost, "That.. This is none of your business," he continued, his crimson eyes moving from one face to another Sofia, Maria, Levy, Aurora, Yograj each glance deliberate, each one colder than the last.
"So stop trying... to look at like that," his tone hardened further, "those pity-filled... sorry-filled eyes," he said with faint disgust curling at the edge of his expression, "I am not soone who should be looked at with such low... insignificant emotions," and then, quieter, but sohow heavier, "it disgusts ," and the final word didn’t need to be loud it landed with enough force to make the air itself feel tense.
Sofia inhaled sharply through her nose, her jaw tightening as she looked at him, frustration rising almost instantly, Why does he always do this...? she yelled internally, her thoughts sharper than her outward expression, Why does he always twist everything like this? because she could see it clearly now, more clearly than ever this wasn’t anger at them, not really, it was sothing else entirely, sothing deeper and more fractured, and it made her chest tighten with a mix of irritation and sothing far more painful; to him, any softness, any concern, any emotional response that wasn’t strength or indifference... beca weakness, beca insult, beca sothing he rejected, as if being cared for ant being looked down upon, as if sympathy ant he was lesser, broken, vulnerable in a way he refused to accept, and she could feel how wrong that was, how much he was misunderstanding everything, and it frustrated her, deeply, He doesn’t even let anyone be human toward him... she realized, her eyes narrowing slightly as she watched him, He pushes everything away...? and then blas others for trying, and the more she thought about it, the more it irritated her not just because of what he said, but because of what it revealed
It was like he had built invisible walls around himself thick, impenetrable walls made of pride, pain, and control and the only emotions he allowed through those walls were ones that matched his strength, his intensity, his dominance, but the mont soone tried to step closer with sothing softer, sothing genuine... he shut it down, imdiately, aggressively, as if protecting sothing fragile he refused to acknowledge even existed.
And now... the atmosphere in the room shifted completely, tightening into sothing heavy and suffocating, no one speaking, no one moving, just watching him, absorbing the weight of his words, because there was no easy response to that, no simple way to counter it without escalating things further.
Yograj’s gaze flickered briefly toward Levy and Aurora, the three of them exchanging silent looks, not confused, not entirely but cautious, asuring the situation without stepping into it, while Maria... remained still, her eyes fixed on Razeal, but unlike before, there was no shock in them now, no confusion only emotion, deep and raw, her expression softening in a way that directly contradicted his words, He’s hurt... she realized, the thought forming clearly in her mind, He’s not rejecting us... he’s rejecting what it makes him feel, and that realization didn’t push her away it pulled her closer, emotionally, because now she understood just how deeply everything had twisted inside him, just how broken the concept of care had beco for him; the silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable
Until suddenly.. cough a sharp, weak sound broke through it, cutting across the tension like a crack in glass.
"Cough... cough!!" Nancy’s body jerked slightly as the sound forced its way out of her, her breathing uneven, fragile, her condition visibly worsening by the second, and that single interruption snapped everyone’s attention away from Razeal’s words and back to reality.
Razeal blinked as if pulling himself out of whatever ntal space he had slipped into, his gaze dropping imdiately to Nancy, and the sight of her pale, barely conscious, her body struggling to hold itself together was enough to ground him, to redirect his focus entirely, and without hesitation, he turned, his expression returning to sothing far more composed, far more controlled, as he looked directly at Riven.
"Heal her," he said, his tone firm, not aggressive, not emotional just direct, as he gestured slightly toward Nancy.
And.. Riven tilted his head slightly in confusion at that.. his expression shifting into sothing almost curious and amused expressions.. as if he hadn’t expected that request not at all..
And definitely not from him.. Razeal? asking for help.. especially from him? Woow!! Riven was surprised even though Razeal tone sounded more like an order then request.
Riven simply looked at him, silent, analyzing.
And the tension lingered in that pause, subtle but present, until aben Aurora stepped forward slightly, her voice gentle but quick, cutting into the mont before it could stretch further, "Let help," she said, her eyes moving between Razeal and Riven, clearly aware of the underlying tension.
"I can do it... it’ll only take a minute," she added, offering a solution that would avoid any unnecessary friction.
Aurora who had been observing the situation unfold, sensed the tension in the air intensifying obviously. The atmosphere felt dangerously heated, especially considering the way Razeal was looking at him.. Now sounding so challenging to the very person he had called a Supre God only minutes ago. She couldn’t help but think that this was not going to end well.
Her tone was careful, asured not challenging Razeal’s decision, but providing an alternative, one that kept things stable, because right now... stability was the only thing needed to hold this entire situation together.
Aurora hesitated for only a fraction of a second before stepping forward, her instincts pushing her to act, to diffuse what was rapidly becoming a volatile situation, because from her perspective this wasn’t just about healing Nancy anymore.. it was about preventing sothing far worse from unfolding.
No unnecessary conflict with a divine being... that should be the priority so she told herself, her mind moving quickly, calculating outcos, risks, consequences, and the conclusion was simple.. intervene early, solve the problem, and avoid escalation; "Let .." she began, her tone calm, controlled, already moving into position to help, but she didn’t even get to finishz
"No." Razeal’s voice cut through her words, firm and absolute, and what made it more striking was that he didn’t even turn to look at her, didn’t acknowledge her presence beyond stopping her, his gaze fixed entirely on Riven as if nothing else in the room mattered.
Aurora froze mid-step, her brows knitting slightly as she processed that response, her eyes shifting toward him, trying to read whether this was just stubbornness or sothing more deliberate.
"He’s the reason she got hurt," Razeal continued, his tone calm but edged with sothing unyielding, "So he’ll be the one to heal her," and there was no room left in his voice for negotiation, no uncertainty, no softness.. just a decision already made
Aurora’s lips parted slightly as if to argue, "But.." she started again, but the mont her eyes t his, the intensity there sharp, unwavering told her enough, and the words died before they could fully form, This dumbass is serious... seriously... does he even think? she muttered internally, a flicker of frustration rising despite herself.
She thought, the judgnt sharp and sudden.
It was strange. Not even half a day had passed, and she was already questioning her husband’s decision to bring them.. to work under this man. And already, it felt like trouble. Not small trouble, either.
Like literally.. they just got here and he’s already escalating things with a god? She had truly underestimated her boss’s remarkable ability to attract problems... or perhaps create them.
Nancy, still barely holding onto consciousness, could only watch from the ground, her vision blurred but fixed on Razeal’s back, the way he stood there unmoving, unyielding and even in her weakened state, sothing about that presence anchored her, even if she couldn’t fully understand why..
Riven, on the other hand, looked genuinely taken aback for a brief mont, his brows lifting slightly as he studied Razeal, as if reassessing him entirely, Is he... ordering ? the thought lingered, not offensive exactly but intriguing, unexpected, and then, slowly, a smile spread across his face, amused, almost entertained by the audacity of it.
"Oh... really?" he murmured, his voice low, carrying a hint of laughter as he looked directly into Razeal’s eyes.
"Yes." Razeal didn’t hesitate, didn’t waver, and then he stepped forward.
And that single movent was enough to shift the entire atmosphere again, the tension snapping tighter, sharper, and almost instantly, everyone else reacted.
Levy, Aurora, Yograj they aml stiffened there gaze sharpened.. Even Sofia’s breath hitched slightly, and even the air seed heavier, because they all understood the sa thing at the sa ti.. this could turn into a fight, and not just any fight, but one involving a god.. A Supre fucking god? and the realization alone was enough to make sweat bead subtly on their foreheads, their instincts screaming caution.
Everyone... except Maria.
She just stood still, her eyes fixed entirely on Razeal’s back, her expression unreadable at first glance, but her thoughts far from calm, He’s... standing up for her? she wondered, her gaze flickering briefly toward Nancy before returning to him, Against a god...? and sothing about that didn’t feel simple to her, didn’t feel like a straightforward act of justice, Is she that important to him? the question lingered, but then another thought followed imdiately, Or is this just... his pride? his refusal to bow? his need to confront anything that challenged him it all fit too.
And she couldn’t separate the two, couldn’t tell which it was, and strangely enough, despite understanding the danger, despite knowing she was probably the most vulnerable person there at that mont more than anyone except maybe Nancy Ofcourse.. But weirdly enough she felt no fear, none at all, and that absence itself felt unnatural, unsettling.
Weird... she thought faintly, almost detached. Why am I not scared...? She didn’t have an answer. Maybe it was because she had already died once. Maybe sothing in her had changed after that.. Because of her evolution or sothing? Or maybe.. Actually she had no answers..
Oh, other side... now Razeal was literally grabbing Riven by his neck, which Riven seed to be allowing him to do so.. As just smiling while looking at him.
"Make ," Riven said, his voice light, almost playful, leaning slightly forward into the grip rather than away from it, as if inviting more pressure instead of avoiding it.
"I’m curious... what exactly can you do... to make ?" his tone carried a subtle challenge, but no fear, no concern, as if the idea of being threatened by Razeal simply didn’t register as sothing serious.. More like funny to him.
Razeal’s grip tightened slightly, not enough to harm but enough to assert control, his crimson eyes flaring briefly, glowing deeper, sharper, as sothing darker flickered through them, "I’m not joking," he said, his voice low, dangerous, each word asured, "And if you push this... you might actually regret what I might do," and for a split second, the intensity in his gaze was enough to make the space around them feel unstable, like sothing unseen was stirring beneath the surface; but Riven... didn’t change at all.
"And I said..." he replied, his smile never fading, his eyes eting Razeal’s without the slightest hint of hesitation, "...make ," and even as Razeal’s hand held his neck, even as the tension reached its peak, he leaned in slightly, almost provocatively, as if the threat itself was nothing more than a curiosity to him, sothing to observe rather than fear.
"You have ten seconds..." he began, each syllable slow, asured, like a countdown already ticking in his mind, "Or next ti," and as he leaned slightly closer, his crimson eyes locking onto Riven’s with an intensity that felt suffocating, his lips curved into a sharp, vicious smile that held no humor, only intent.
"I’ll be visiting your ho,"
"And I’m sure your mother would love to hear..." his voice softened, almost mockingly gentle now, "That the child in her womb was killed or erased.." he tilted his head slightly, as if considering the words before delivering them with precision.
"Then taken over... by so old wandering soul with mission," and then his smile widened just a fraction, darker, sharper.
"And then born as her son... That what she gave birth to... wasn’t her son at all, but a Man... an existence older than her entire bloodline combined." And that was the mont it hit Riven’s expressions finally broke.
The smile that had been unwavering until now vanished completely, not fading, not softening shattering, his eyes widening just slightly before tightening again, his pupils trembling in a way that hadn’t happened once since the mont Razeal had grabbed him, and for the first ti, there was sothing real there not amusent, not curiosity but sothing closer to shock... and sothing even deeper beneath it.
"No..." Riven’s voice ca out lower than before, less composed, less certain, "...you won’t," he said, but there was a hesitation now, a crack in the confidence that had defined him monts ago, "And... I didn’t kill her son," he added quickly, almost defensively, his words coming faster than usual as if trying to correct sothing before it could solidify, "it wasn’t like that... it was a different process... I was the one who was ant to be born," he insisted, his gaze locked onto Razeal’s as if trying to push back, to reclaim control of the situation.. but Razeal didn’t cared.
Instead, his smile deepened, subtle but unmistakable, as if Riven’s reaction had confird exactly what he needed it to.
"I’m sure..." Razeal replied softly, almost amused now, "They’ll believe .. and thats all i need." and the way he said it wasn’t a question, wasn’t even a challenge it was certainty, the kind that didn’t need validation
And at that Riven’s jaw tightened, his expression hardening again, but not fully returning to what it had been before..
"You won’t do that," he repeated, more firmly this ti, though the earlier hesitation hadn’t entirely disappeared, and Razeal leaned in just slightly more, his voice lowering again, becoming quieter but infinitely more threatening.
"I will," he said, and there was no exaggeration in it, no theatrics just a statent, plain and absolute..
"Believe ," he continued, his gaze unblinking, "I’ll tell your mother... your father... your elder sister..." he listed them slowly, deliberately, "And even that lover of yours that you cant have..," and at that, there was a faint shift in Riven’s expression again, subtle but visible, "I’ll tell them all,"
"That you’re nothing but a lie... an old fox hiding inside a shell that was never yours,"
"I’ll tear your all family apar limb by limb... if I have to.. If that is what it takes to make you not listen to now."
Riven didn’t respond imdiately this ti, his expression shifting into sothing colder, more serious than before, his silence heavier than any words he could have spoken, because now now he understood this wasn’t just provocation, wasn’t just empty threats, this was sothing Razeal was fully willing to act on, and for the first ti since this encounter began... Riven hesitated, truly hesitated
And Razeal noticed it.. and that was when his expression twisted slightly, not into anger, but into sothing far darker, sothing that resembled satisfaction more than anything else,
"And if that still isn’t enough..." he added, his voice dropping into sothing almost chilling, "Then I’ll kill every single person you’ve ever cared about,"
"And you know... You can’t do a damn thing to stop ," Razeal said full of evil voice.
And that was the mont everything shifted completely
Riven’s pupils trembled again, more visibly this ti, his breath catching ever so slightly not enough for most to notice, but enough to be real, enough to break the image he had maintained until now, because this wasn’t about power anymore, wasn’t about dominance or control it was about sothing far more personal, sothing he couldn’t simply dismiss or outplay, and for the first ti... no words ca from him, no rebuttal, no challenge, no smile just silence, as he stood there, looking back into Razeal’s eyes, and in that silence... there was sothing unfamiliar, sothing rare.. hesitation... and perhaps.. A trace of fear?
——
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