I closed my eyes once more, my chest rising and falling in a slow, deliberate rhythm. The system was right—I hated admitting it, but it was. The fiery heat of my anger had cooled, hardening into something cold, restrained. I opened my eyes and fixed them on her, unwavering.
— "Don't test your luck, Elowen," I said, my voice flat, sharp as a blade. — "It runs out faster than you think."
She shrugged, as though my words were nothing but air. Yet her eyes gleamed—a riddle I couldn't solve. Was it defiance? Certainty? Or something deeper?
And there, in the stillness, beneath the weight of that gaze, I saw it. No matter how much she belonged to me, marked by my hand, Elowen was a fragment of my world I could never tame. And that realization seared me from within.
The room pulsed with life, shadows swaying in the dimness as if murmuring secrets. The dawn's light was feeble, a golden filament that scarcely brushed the floor. The air hung heavy, stale, laced with a scent that drifted from her—perhaps lavender, perhaps simply her essence. My mind still thrummed with the system's lingering echo. Ding. Words resurfaced, hovering before my eyes like a verdict.
[Updated Status of Nael Supremium]
I read each line, my heart clenching with every syllable. Power. Limits. Potential. All that I was—and all that I wasn't—flung into my face. "Your true potential is just beginning." The irony stung, cruel in its precision. It felt as if the system were mocking me, fully aware I chased a horizon I'd never reach.
I sighed, dragging my hands across my face. My fingers ruffled my hair further, and for a fleeting moment, I felt the burden of my own body, as though it were a stranger's. I am more than this, I told myself, but doubt slithered behind, silent and frigid.
— "You look gorgeous… and cute, all disheveled like that," her voice sliced through the quiet, husky, tinged with provocation.
I raised my eyes. There she sat, Elowen, arms crossed, a faint smile teasing her lips. She watched me, unblinking, fearless. It struck me like a blow.
— "Since when do you talk like that?" I asked, my voice low, edged with danger. I leaned forward, testing her. — "You know I'm not tame, right?"
She tilted her head, her hair spilling in a motion that seemed choreographed. Her eyes locked onto mine, daring me.
— "Maybe because I know you love me," she said, steady, as if it were an unshakable truth I couldn't refute.
My brow creased. The air shrank, trapped in my lungs. Love? The word was a barb, piercing something I kept sealed tight. It wasn't love. It was power. Control. The mark I'd etched upon her proved it—she was mine, but not because of love.
— "Saying that is asking to die," I muttered, rising abruptly. My shadow loomed over her, but Elowen didn't stir. She simply gazed up at me, chin lifted.
— "Then do it," she whispered, her smile sharpening into a weapon.
The air crackled. My blood surged, the power within me roaring, aching to break free. She knew me too well—knew exactly where to press, where to prod. I stepped closer, nearly brushing against her.
— "You're playing with fire, Elowen," my voice dropped, a warning coiled in venom. — "And I'm not one to put it out."
She smiled, but her eyes softened, as if peering straight through me.
— "I'm not afraid because you won't burn me," she said, calm, certain. — "You could, but you won't."
Silence descended, thick and stifling. My mind screamed she was wrong. I could. I wanted to. Yet my hands refused to move. Why?
------------------------------------------------------------
Ding!
Recommendation: Control your emotions. Your true potential depends on it.
------------------------------------------------------------
I drew a deep breath, shutting my eyes. The system was a dispassionate judge, but it spoke truth. I opened my eyes, the heat within me freezing over.
— "Stop playing, Elowen," I said, my tone cutting. — "Luck has its limits."
She shrugged lightly, but her eyes shimmered—a secret, a promise, something beyond my grasp. And in that instant, I understood: Elowen was mine, yet I'd never truly possess her. Not entirely.
She blinked slowly, a crooked smile curling her lips.
— "But it's the plain truth, you look handsome like that, all messy," she said, her voice gentle, yet laced with an undertone I couldn't decipher.
I sat, my body groaning in protest, and stared at her with a hard edge.
— "Since when do you say things like that?" My voice emerged cold, though a thread of curiosity wove through it. I tilted my head. — "You know I'm not one for games, right?"
Her smile widened, her eyes sparking like embers.
— "Maybe since you marked me," she replied, composed, but with a strength that caught me off guard. — "After that, the fear left. I know you won't break me. Not really."
The air lodged in my throat. My brow furrowed, my gaze tightening. Was she right? No. That was madness. It wasn't love. It never had been.
— "Love?" I echoed, an icy smile taking shape. — "Don't confuse instinct with something so… fragile."
She didn't falter. Her smile grew, bold, almost vibrant.
— "Call it what you want," she said, her tone airy yet keen. — "I know what I feel. And I know you swallow it."
Silence crashed down, heavy, as if the world held its breath. Her confidence stood like a fortress, stirring in me a urge to shatter it—or flee. Perhaps both.
— "For some reason, I feel like killing you," I said, my voice low, sharp, more honest than I intended. A part of me yearned to snuff out that look, to crush that certainty.
She shrugged, as if I'd remarked the sky was blue.
— "Then try," she whispered, the challenge twirling in her words.
I shot to my feet, my 1.90 meters swallowing the room. She was tall, but I dwarfed her. Still, she held her ground, chin raised, as if beckoning me to prove something.
— "One day you'll be over two meters," she said, casual, like chatting about bread at the bakery. — "And you'll be even more irresistible."
I stared at her, torn between laughter and eruption. She had that knack—unraveling everything with a single phrase. But I wouldn't yield.
— "You talk too much, Elowen," I growled, stepping closer.
— "And you think too much, Nael," she countered swiftly, her eyes alight. — "Maybe that's why we fight so much."
Silence settled again, dense, nearly tangible. Her words lingered in the air, but I refused to let them take hold. I shifted my gaze to the system notifications, still drifting like phantoms in my sight.
— "System, get rid of this," I ordered, curt. — "I don't want to see anything right now."
Confirmation. Hiding information.
The words dissolved, carrying away a shard of my anger. But her gaze remained, locked on me, waiting. Always waiting.
The room thrummed with life, its walls quivering with shadows flung by the chandelier, faint and restless. Elowen stood mere steps away, a presence that saturated the space and choked me. It wasn't just her—it was what she bore, a silent defiance that needed no voice.
— "For some reason, I feel like killing you," I said once more, my voice cold, almost toying with the notion.
I drew nearer, the floor creaking beneath me. She didn't retreat. She simply met my gaze, her eyes steady, a tranquil sea concealing fierce undercurrents.
She smiled sidelong, a hint of provocation in the curve.
— "Then kill me," she said, her voice firm, yet with an echo that gave me pause.
I halted inches from her. Even with her height, she had to tilt her face to hold my stare. But there was no fear—only a strength I couldn't fathom, one that set my teeth on edge.
— "Since when did you become so brave?" I asked, sarcasm dripping like venom.
She shrugged, her smile unshaken.
— "Maybe since I saw that you can't," she replied, plain, as if it were the most obvious truth.
My jaw clenched. A dangerous, muddled heat flared within me. My hand darted out, seizing her neck. I pressed lightly, just enough to assert dominance. She stiffened for a heartbeat, but her eyes—those eyes—never wavered.
— "What do you want from me?" My voice rasped, a snarl trapped in my throat.
She inhaled deeply, her lips shaping a quiet smile.
— "I want to be your maid," she said, resolute, as if it were the most natural thing in existence.
I blinked, my grip slackening for a moment.
— "Maid?" I repeated, the word absurd on my tongue. — "Why the hell would you want that?"
She tilted her head, still beneath my fingers, far too calm.
— "Because I chose to," she answered, her voice soft yet weighted. — "It's the only way to stay close to you."
Her words struck me like a slap. Memories flickered—of her on EARTH, hair wild, eyes unyielding, trailing me when I was nothing but a well of rage. The only one who didn't flee. But that was history. It had to be.
— "You're crazy," I released her neck, stepping back. — "I don't need you."
She laughed—a brief, piercing sound, layered with meaning.
— "I know," she said, sharp. — "You don't need anyone. But I'm here anyway."
I balled my fists, my chest a tangle of fury and something darker, something I rejected with every fiber.
— "Why?" I asked, my voice nearly lost.
She stepped toward me, the distance between us shrinking once more.
— "Because I chose you, Nael," she said, her eyes piercing mine, fierce and alive. — "And I'm not leaving."
My mind reeled, a storm of rage and bewilderment. She stood rooted, staring into me as if she could unearth every secret I'd buried. And I hated it. Hated her for making me feel.
The dawn crept outside, languid, spilling light onto a day I knew would devour me. And Elowen, with that look, was my first plunge into the void.
For a moment, silence consumed everything. My breath came slow, labored, as if the air had thickened beyond bearing. The room felt confining, too small to contain what swelled between us. Then, I shattered.
— "Alright," I murmured, my voice clawing through my throat, rough with fatigue. — "You win."
Elowen smiled. A subtle, almost timid smile, yet brimming with something I couldn't name. Triumph? Relief? Or perhaps a secret she held close. Her eyes glowed, and I wondered: Does she know what this costs me?
I couldn't tell if this was a fresh start or another scar on my ledger of mistakes. But refusing her? That was beyond me. And therein lay the danger stalking me, silent as a shadow.
The air between us grew heavy, dense, almost alive. I watched her, each of her movements keen as a blade's graze. Elowen filled the space effortlessly, even in stillness. Her gaze, fixed on me, was an enigma—half acceptance, half a disdain that felt practiced.
— "Alright, you win. Do what you want," I said, my voice low, nearly drowned by the exhaustion I no longer masked.
It was so like me. Words were never my gift, and I bore an unseen wall that barred any tenderness from slipping out. Oddly, that seemed to steady her. Knowing I wasn't swayed by every charm gave her assurance. Reserved, yes. Blind, never.
She knew my history. Tales from a time when I was another man—someone who set hearts racing and knees trembling. Womanizer? That barely scratched the surface. But now… now I was a shadow of that, broken and pieced back together, colder, more cutting.
Without warning, I stretched out my hand. A shimmer danced between my fingers, and her heart leapt—I saw it in the faint quiver of her hands.
— "Take it," I said, simple, though my voice bore a weight I couldn't name.
It was an egg. Not any egg. Vast, nearly half a meter, its aura gleamed like molten gold, shifting between hues of blue and ice. Ancient runes pulsed across its shell, alive, as if drawing breath.
She hesitated, her hands hovering. When she finally touched it, a chill surged through her arms, sharp and potent. Her eyes widened, and a notification flickered at the edge of her sight, whispering:
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Notification: Acquired an Egg of a Primordial Ice Phoenix.
Reward:
➤100 trillion points.
------------------------------------------------------------
Her heart stilled for a beat.
A Primordial Ice Phoenix. Not mere myth—it was the stuff of the deepest tales, an emblem of raw power and unyielding life. She stared at me, her thoughts spiraling.
— "Why… why are you giving me this?" she asked, her voice breaking, mingling shock and doubt.
I didn't answer at once. Just shrugged, as if it were trivial.
— "Because you'll need it," I said, blunt, no preamble. — "I don't know how long you can endure being near me, but if you insist on staying, you'd better have something to keep you alive."
Something in my look unsettled her. This wasn't kindness. It was a trial. A caution. To be with me was to tread a floor that might collapse at any moment.
She cradled the egg, feeling its gentle thrum against her palms. The notification still rang in her mind: 100 trillion points. A figure most would deem a fantasy. For me? Merely a start. I'd handed over something colossal with the ease of passing salt across a table.
— "You know I won't refuse this, right?" she said, her voice steady once more, almost taunting.
A faint smile slipped free, barely there.
— "I know."
She studied me again, searching—for a flaw, an answer. But I remained as ever: a locked tome, its pages unread to the end.