"So you have a past. And Warden Annabelle... she ans a lot to you," Ariana said gently, leaning back in her seat.
Adrian had ntioned that he was Avirin as well, but her attention stayed on Annabelle—which he had expected.
He nodded. "Yes... she was like a daughter to . Her village treated her like a curse. Every night, they would hang her up at the entrance, thinking nothing could scare off evil more than a poor, orphaned child."
Ariana’s heart clenched. She didn’t want to hear more—she could already see it in her mind. A small girl, helpless, strung up like that... it broke her heart every ti she imagined it.
"You can’t leave her now," she said quietly. "She needs you."
Annabelle hadn’t had parents in this life either. They were killed in an ambush when she was still very young.
After that, she grew up in an orphanage. By thirteen, she was already on the path to a warrior.
Her only family now... was Ruby.
So yes, she was still alone.
"Ariana... I know how this sounds—"
"You don’t need to explain anything," Ariana interrupted softly. "I understand, Adrian. And I don’t mind."
He blinked in surprise. "...Would anything change between us?"
Ariana looked a little taken aback by the question. "Of course not. Why would it?"
Adrian let out a breath of relief. "It’s just... Annabelle’s feelings. Her obsession, even..."
Ariana understood what he ant. She had thought about it before—many tis. But now that it was really happening, it still caught her off guard.
She stood up, walked over, and sat down in front of him. Taking his hand in hers, she looked into his eyes.
"It’s not wrong to love more than one woman, Adrian," she said softly.
He nodded slowly. "I know... but I don’t want to hurt you."
"Then tell ," she asked gently, "are you going to leave ? Ignore ?"
Adrian shook his head imdiately. "Never. You know I love you."
She rested her forehead against his, her voice barely a whisper. "The only thing I’ve ever asked is for you to stay by my side. So don’t ever think about leaving , okay?"
"I promise," he said.
For a while, they just sat there, holding onto each other.
Of course, a part of Ariana was sad. The thought of not being the only one in his heart—it stung.
But deep down, she had always known this day might co.
Adrian wasn’t the kind of man to chase after won. In fact, he was one of the most loyal and sincere people she’d ever t.
Even back when they weren’t a couple, powerful won had tried to win him over—offering wealth, luxury, anything he could want.
But Adrian had always said no. Because he had sothing stronger than desire—he had principles.
And that’s what made her stay.
Leaning back in her chair, Ariana said with a soft smile, "I’d like to et her soday... if that’s possible."
Adrian gave a wry smile. "Not just yet. I need to get a better sense of how she sees things—especially how she might feel about you."
Ariana raised an eyebrow, her grin playful. "You’re worried she’ll co after just because I’m in a relationship with her precious darling?"
That mischievous look in her eyes made Adrian shift uncomfortably.
"She kind of has this... idea that only she’s allowed to have a claim over ."
Ariana laughed, amused. "Well then, it’ll be interesting to pop that little bubble of hers."
She leaned closer, eyes gleaming with mischief. "I wonder how she’ll react when she finds out her beloved has been having wild sex with soone else almost every night."
Adrian let out a long sigh and facepald.
"Why do I have a bad feeling this is going to get... chaotic?"
.....
Adrian was on his way back to his room to rest.
He hadn’t slept the night before and had been traveling constantly. His mind and body were both in need of a break.
Things with Ariana might have seed normal on the surface, but Adrian could tell—she was still shaken by what he’d told her.
The reason he had brought up Annabelle so soon was simple: he knew Bella better than anyone else.
Her affection... and her possessiveness... were bound to cause confusion. Rather than let suspicion take root, he chose to be honest with Ariana from the start.
Haah... System. Now can you tell a few things? he asked, shifting his thoughts away from the two won.
[What would that be, host?]
’Don’t play dumb. Tell ... did you used to serve Avirin as well?’
There was a pause before the answer ca:
[Yes, the system used to assist the host nad Avirin.]
Adrian let out a soft chuckle. Why are you hesitating? I already know everything about my past now.
[Not everything, host. The previous version of you held far more secrets than you realize. Runesmithing wasn’t his passion... it was his escape.]
Adrian fell silent, coming to a halt in the middle of the hallway.
Escape?
What did that an?
Wasn’t Avirin devoted to Runesmithing from the very beginning?
Weren’t runes his life—the very thing he dedicated himself to?
He had spent nearly ten years with Bella, working tirelessly most of the ti.
He had even created the sword that banished the Darkness from the world.
Didn’t that prove he was born to be a Runesmith?
[There is more to it than ets the eye, host. A significant part of your past remains locked away. As stated before, recovering those mories may cause serious effects on your ntal state. Proceed with caution.]
Adrian narrowed his eyes, reading the ssage carefully.
One thing was clear now—Avirin wasn’t only about runes.
He had turned to Runesmithing... to run away from sothing.
But what was he trying to avoid?
And what exactly was his origin?
Why could he wield independent magic—sothing that should have been impossible for a non-believer?
It’s ti I finish the Fourth Thread, Adrian thought, his gaze firm. It’s ti to uncover the truth.
°°°°°°°
A/N:- Thanks for reading.
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