I drew in a deep breath as I looked at them.
"I have a confession to make," I said softly. "…I love multiple won."
The silence stretched between us as I awkwardly stood there.
Even though I feel like I am a shaless guy, I still felt sha saying that.
Christina was the first to blink as she said, "….I know that."
It was Nyria who was more shocked, her mouth agape.
She turned to look at Christina. "You know that?"
"Duh, he can't hide that from ." Christina said, showing a hint of superiority. "I even gave him permission to have multiple wives."
Nyria imdiately stood up, anger burning in her stance.
"Then why do you have to make suffer—"
"I gave him permission." Christina cut her off, staring at . "Doesn't an I like that."
"Nyria." I said before she could respond. "Sit down."
Nyria froze when I spoke, but she still respected my voice, even when she was hurt.
She sat back down slowly, but her eyes didn't leave mine.
Christina leaned back on the couch, arms crossed.
I let out a slow breath.
"…I don't want any of you to feel unwanted," I said. "I don't want to choose one and destroy the other."
Nyria stared at the floor, and Christina stared at .
"So what then?" Nyria whispered. "We just… coexist? Pretend we're fine? Take turns being ignored?"
[]
'Shut up.'
"I don't ignore you," I said quietly.
She looked up, her eyes tired. "But you don't choose either."
Christina clicked her tongue.
"That's what this is about? Being 'chosen'?" she scoffed. "He already chose you, we live with him, what more do you want?"
"Oh, I'm sorry," Nyria said. "I didn't realize existing in the house like furniture counted as being loved."
Christina's smile slowly faded.
Nyria continued, voice breaking just a little. "….He loves you and only you, and it shows in the way he treats you."
I didn't interrupt her.
Because everything she said… none of it was wrong.
Christina turned to , eyes narrowing.
"Well? Say sothing."
I closed my eyes for a mont.
"…Nyria," I said softly, "I don't love you."
"...."
She remained frozen as her eyes slowly dimd.
"…because what I feel for you," I continued quietly, "isn't love yet."
Nyria's fingers curled against her dress.
"I care for you, Nyria." I said, voice steady. "And I think of you more than I should."
Her lips trembled.
"That's not love," she whispered.
"….Not yet," I agreed.
She swallowed hard.
Christina's voice cut in, quiet but sharp:
"So you're saying she matters… but not the sa way I do."
I turned to her.
"The reason you beca an elf is because of her." I said, looking into her eyes.
Christina looked away, thoughtful.
Nyria stood up as she began to walk away.
"Nyria!"
She didn't listen, her hands moved up to her face as she walked.
"...."
[]
'I can see that.'
I slowly turned to look at Christina, who had her eyes on .
With a light smile, she spread her arms as if inviting .
I let out another sigh as I lay on the sofa with my face within her bosom.
She leaned back, adjusting herself in a way to make feel comfortable.
Christina gently stroked my hair, her voice low and almost amused.
"You really are terrible at this, you know."
"Thanks," I muttered into her chest. "Very supportive."
"I am being supportive," she said. "I didn't stab anyone. That's progress."
"…Barely."
She chuckled, fingers tracing the back of my neck.
"Why didn't you go after her?" she asked quietly.
"I wanted to," I said. "But if I chased her now, she'd think I'm just patching a wound, not actually choosing her."
Christina humd softly, as if she understood more than she let on.
"You could've lied," she said. "Told her you loved her. She would've smiled. She would've stayed."
"I don't want to love soone by lying," I said. "And I don't want her to resent later for forcing sothing half-ford into a promise."
Christina paused.
"…Huh," she whispered. "You are greedy, Qais."
I tilted my head up. "Is that an insult or a complint?"
"Yes."
I groaned and lay back down.
Christina smiled, but there was a strange softness in her expression.
"Who else do you love?" Christina asked gently.
"...."
"You can tell ." She coaxed, her voice soft. "I won't be mad."
"Innana, Shyamal," I spoke gently. "….Siersha, Yennefer."
I would keep the others out of it for now.
She doesn't have to know about all of them.
Christina's hand paused in my hair. "Isn't Yennefer…."
"Not really." I mumbled softly. "She is alive within Zenith."
Her fingers kept moving through my hair, but her thoughts had clearly stopped.
After a long mont, she finally spoke.
"…Four," she said. "You just casually listed four other won."
"…Yes."
She flicked my forehead, but it didn't hurt at all.
She is too weak to hurt right now.
I lifted my face. "What was that for?"
"Nothing." She replied, wrapping her hand around my head. "I just felt like it."
'…Hmm?'
I slowly got up from her embrace as I felt sothing around the house.
Christina looked confused as I began to walk toward the main door.
"Qais." She whispered, making stop. "Can I talk with Inna?"
'…Inna.'
[]
I nodded as I began to move again while a bright light left my body.
I jumped past all the rooms as I reached the door in an instant.
I opened it and imdiately found a boy standing outside.
The boy with long crimson hair smiled softly. "…Hey, Himl."
I looked at Elijah and imdiately noticed the tense look on his face.
I let out a sigh as I pointed to the guest house. "Let's go there."
---
I opened the door of the guest house, finding Aimar laying on the bed, half-naked.
"The fuck?" He frowned, stabbing his shirt. "Knock before entering, for fuck—"
"Shut it." I said, Elijah walking behind . "We got company."
Elijah smiled as he waved at Aimar. "Hey, man."
Aimar didn't say anything as he stood up and arranged the chair for us.
I sat down and so did Elijah.
"I heard about the things you did in the vampire army." Elijah said, looking at Aimar. "Aren't you a badass—"
"Kindly kill yourself." Aimar cut him off, leaning on the wall.
Elijah remained confused as he looked at for explanation.
'..Ah, he doesn't know it was Oliver, not him.'
"Leave him be." I said with a small smile. "Tell , why are you here?"
Elijah exhaled slowly, the smile fading from his face.
"…Himl, we have a problem."
Of course we do. No one ever visits just to say hi.
I leaned back in the chair. "Which one? The world-ending type, the political type, or sothing else?"
"It's sothing else." Elijah said softly. "I don't understand how I should…."
He stopped in the middle as he fidgeted with his fingers.
I leaned forward as I noticed his nervousness.
Elijah isn't the type to get worked up like this.
"….What happened?" I asked, more serious this ti.
"…My father visited ." He spoke after a short while. "I talked with him."
"...."
Why did I not think of it?
Things are different in the ga compared to reality.
Elijah didn't et his mother this early, he wasn't living a calm life in the ga.
Of course, Jones, who benefits from Elijah's misery, won't like it.
"….What did he say?" I asked, keeping my gaze on him.
"….He talked about how the Aljanah will take everything from ." Elijah spoke. "How they will kill everything I love."
Aimar's expression shifted imdiately and so did mine.
"…And you believed him?" I asked.
Elijah shook his head. "No. I know he lies. I know he twists everything. But…"
His fingers curled into fists.
"…For a while, I've been having a dream… a really weird one."
My ears imdiately raised as I heard about the dream.
"….What type of dream, Elijah?" I asked, keeping my gaze on him.
"A nightmare." He spoke softly. "In which I was killing every single one of the Aljanah… including my foster mother."
"...."
Fuck…
This is exactly what happened in the ga.
I leaned forward.
"…Tell everything," I said.
Elijah nodded slowly.
"In the dream, I wasn't myself. I was… different, and my body felt stronger, even my thoughts felt colder. I…" He hesitated for a second. "…I wasn't fighting for my life, but I was enjoying it."
I stayed silent because this wasn't just a "bad dream."
This was the shadow of fate — a future that used to be real in the ga.
A path Elijah was destined to take, before I rewrote too many things.
'…Is this really happening?'
Is there sothing else dragging Elijah back to his original path?
'.....'
I let out a sigh as I reached to my bracelet.
The next instant, a blank card appeared in my hand.
…..The card that Samyaza gave .
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