Chapter [118]

In the luxurious office of the Phenex mansion, Victorius, the powerful patriarch of the family, was seated in his leather armchair, his eyes narrowed and hands clenched in fists of anger. He was immersed in somber thoughts, his mind seething with a single objective: to punish his son, Riser, for the humiliation he had suffered.

As Victorius pondered over the possible ways to reprimand Riser, his mind revisited the event that had left him so furious. He vividly recalled how Riser, driven by his own arrogance and desire to assert his authority, had used his magic to subjugate Victorius, forcing him to kneel before him.

The image of Riser looking down with disdain while Victorius was on his knees was a wound to his dignity and an affront to his authority as a father and leader of the Phenex family.

"How could my own son humiliate me in this way?" Victorius thought, his jaw clenched with anger.

Victorius rubbed his temples, trying to calm the storm of emotions assaulting him. He knew he needed to better understand the reason behind the altercation between him and Riser to find an appropriate way to deal with the situation. With a heavy sigh, he decided to go directly to his daughter's room to talk to her about the events between her and Diodora.

With a stern expression, Victorius finally rose from his luxurious leather chair. His face was twisted with anger as he left the office, determined to better understand what had happened between Ravel and Diodora. With firm and decisive steps, he strode through the corridors of the Phenex mansion towards his daughter's room.

The journey to Ravel's room was punctuated by tense silence as Victorius mentally reviewed the information he had about the incident between Diodora and his daughter. He was determined to protect Ravel's honor and the Phenex family, no matter what it took.

Upon reaching the door of Ravel's room, Victorius paused for a moment, listening to the soft conversation coming from inside. Recognizing the voices of his wife, Romina, and Ravel, Victorius felt a mixture of emotions: concern, anger, and determination.

Without hesitation, Victorius opened the door directly, entering the room with an imposing posture. He found Romina and Ravel sitting on the bed, engaged in a serious conversation.

Ravel looked up at her father with surprise upon seeing him enter without knocking. "Father! You can't just barge in like this, without warning!" she protested, clearly uncomfortable with the interruption.

Victorius crossed his arms over his chest, his stern gaze fixed on his daughter. "No door is closed to the head of the Phenex family," he replied, his voice laden with authority.

"What's going on, Victorius?" Romina asked cautiously, trying to understand the reason for the sudden interruption.

Victorius ignored Romina's question, his attention fully focused on Ravel.

"Romina, leave us alone," Victorius ordered, his authoritative voice leaving no room for arguments.

Romina lowered her eyes, resigned in the face of her husband's determination. She cast a compassionate glance at Ravel before getting up from the bed and leaving the room, closing the door behind her.

Ravel looked at Victorius with a mix of surprise and anxiety, feeling uncomfortable with the intensity of her father's presence. She shifted on the bed, preparing herself for the conversation that would follow.

"Ravel, I want to know exactly what happened between you, Riser, and Diodora Astaroth," Victorius began, his voice stern and unyielding.

Ravel swallowed hard once again, feeling the pressure of her father's inquisitive gaze upon her. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage before starting to recount the events that led to the altercation between Riser and Diodora.

Gremory Mansion

Rias POV

I was alone in my room, surrounded by the dimness that seemed to reflect my own melancholy. My heart weighed heavy with worry for Issei, who remained in a deep coma. He had made an extraordinary sacrifice, exchanging his human heart for that of a dragon to protect those he loved. But now, as he lay in his unconscious state, I felt powerless in the face of the uncertainty of our fate.

I rose from the bed with a heavy sigh, feeling the weight of concern upon my shoulders. The darkness of the room was suffocating, reflecting my own melancholy. I walked to the table beside the bed and picked up my cellphone, feeling the comforting familiarity of the device in my hands. I returned to bed and wrapped myself in the sheet, seeking some comfort.

But even with the cellphone in hand, I felt a void, a loneliness that could not be filled. Akeno, my dear friend, was far away, and her absence only intensified my sense of isolation. I missed her, her comforting presence, her words of encouragement.

I decided that I needed to share my concerns with her, needed to share the burden weighing on my heart. With a resigned sigh, I unlocked the cellphone and searched for Akeno's number in the contacts list. Once I found it, I pressed the call button and waited nervously as the phone rang.

After a few rings, I finally heard Akeno's gentle voice on the other end of the line. "Hello?"

"Um, Rias? What a pleasant surprise!" responded Akeno, her voice sounding cheerful. "How are you?"

I swallowed hard, feeling a lump form in my throat. "I... I'm okay, Akeno. But... there's something I need to tell you."

I noticed the sudden change in my voice, the evident hesitation in my words. I didn't want to worry Akeno, but I also couldn't keep my fears to myself.

"What's wrong, Rias? Are you okay?" asked Akeno, her concern immediately detectable.

"It's about Issei," I murmured, struggling to maintain composure. "He... He's in a coma."

Silence followed from the other end of the line, and I could imagine the expression of concern on Akeno's face. "Oh, Rias... I didn't know. I'm so sorry for him."

I felt a tightness in my chest at hearing Akeno's kind words. She understood my pain, shared my burden, and that meant more to me than I could express in words.

"Thank you, Akeno," I murmured, gratitude coloring my voice. "I... I just needed to talk to someone about it. I miss you, Akeno. I wish you were here with me."

"I miss you too, Rias," replied Akeno, her gentle voice conveying comfort through the phone.

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