Sylvia looked at the man completely stupefied. "No no no. Don't say that please. Don't be like this."

She rubbed her eyes clearing the tears that were dripping down uncontrollably, smearing some of the blood from her hands on her face.

​​

"Please Mikel. Don't be like this. She wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed him.

However, his lips were frozen still like a stone. She sobbed and kissed him, her kisses trailing to his cheeks, eventually, her head slumping on his shoulder.

Her face was buried in his body so she couldn't see the expression that he was making but if she had seen, it would have only hurt her more.

"How many times do I have to tell to make myself clear?" Mikel coldly pushed her fragile body away from him, her head about to hit a nearby rock on the ground.

But before it could, another pair of hands quickly caught her.

"Take that bitch with you. I don't care about her. That bitch in exchange for my life. How about it?" Mikel smiled.

"You!" Roman let Sylvia down gently and pulled his hand back to punch the filthy disgusting human, but she caught his leg before he could step forward. "No, please don't hurt him."

He stopped in his tracks, sighing. This was becoming too troublesome. He looked at the girl clinging to his feet and crying. "Are you stupid?"

"Did you just not hear what he said? And you will want to trust him?"

"No. No. He is just lying. I know him. He is just lying for my sake." Sylvia sobbed. Others might doubt him, but she would never.

She looked up at the stranger with the white hair who now held all the power and asked. "Can he also come with us, please?"

He had helped her once so she threw all caution to the wind and decided to beg him to help her once again.

This was all that she could do no… Forcing down the self-contempt and disgust that rose up like bile, she asked him again. "Please, I will come with you if he can also come. It's not safe for the both of us here. Please show mercy."

Roman sighed. There she goes again! Asking for the impossible!

"No human has ever stepped foot into the land of beasts. I am sorry. Even I don't have the authority to do such a thing."

"Please, Lord Roman. Please. I will be eternally grateful." Sylvia pleaded. It was clear that she was not going to accept any other answer.

This time, it was Roman who relented and after a couple of minutes, he helplessly shook his head.

"Alright. Let's just talk about the other things later. Let's get out of here first."

Sylvia smiled, her face suddenly beaming like a bright full moon. "Thanks, Lord Roman. I will never forget this kindness."

Unable to look into her eyes any longer, which strangely had a pull on him and made him want to obey everything she willed, Roman turned away.

"As I said, we need to leave." His eyes gazed into the distance and he remained silent for a while, after which he once again muttered, this time with urgency. "NOW!"

Sylvia wiped the tears off of her cheeks and shuffled her feet as fast as she could falling near Mikel. "Let's go. Please. Please. Do this for me."

She could see the look on his face as he stared straight ahead and it terrified her. "Please Mikel…"

Roman grit his teeth, a growl almost slipping out. The sight of one of them begging to a mere human infuriated him.

"Are you stupid?"

"Why do you trust someone like him?"

"He did not even tell you who you were. Tell me this. If he truly loved you and trusted you, why were you in the prison in the first place?"

"How could he let you experience that terrible torture?"

"Who knew what you were from the beginning?"

"Who sealed your beast?"

"Who killed your parents? And yet you love someone like him? Can't you see how broken that is?"

Roman was really at his limits. Sylvia barely even heard him as she continued pleading with Mikel, which only infuriated him further.

"By the way, they are just your adoptive parents."

"Your real parents are still alive and well. Just leave all of this here and come with me. I will take you to them if you come with me."

Sylvia paused. She didn't say anything to Roman and instead, her gaze was still fixated on the man whom she loved.

She looked at Mikel with a finality in her eyes and asked. "Are you not coming with me because of your stupid revenge?"

"What is it? Your mother and your sister were killed?" She screamed at him.

Before this, she had never once forced him to talk about this, but she just couldn't keep her thoughts to herself any longer.

"Answer me, Mikel. Were they killed? Is that why you are trying so hard? Did the King kill them himself?"

Mikel did not move and made no efforts to reply to her, but the look on his face told her everything.

She clutched his shoulders and shook him furiously. "Idiot. It doesn't matter. It really doesn't matter. No mother would want this for her child."

"Do you think that this will make her happy? You… suffering like this? You... sacrificing your life like this? She would only feel sad."

Sylvia hugged him and sobbed, trying to melt his frozen frigid heart.

"She would want you to live a happy life, Mikel. Please come with me."

"Please. You don't even have to… we can come back here again" Before she could finish her sentence, Mikel finally moved, his gaze as cold as the nether world staring down at her, making her mute.

He pushed her and this time Sylvia could tell that he really meant it. "Get away from me. You and I are over."

Sylvia stared at him, utterly shocked. He was no longer lying. He was no longer trying to protect her. Whatever she heard was the truth and she knew it.

Behind her, Roman growled as they did not have the luxury to wait around any longer.

"Come with me." He leaned forward, placing his hand in front of her. "Come with me and you will live."

Sylvia looked at Mikel one last time, everything she felt for him crumbling in an instant, her gaze turning as cold as his, her eyes bright golden.

"I am done." She muttered, accepting Roman's hand.

"Never again…"