Should I Cripple Myself?

"I broke through!"

Maeve revealed with a slightly weird smile on her face. Ace's mouth was left open for a long while; he still couldn't believe what was happening here. His mind was clouded with several questions.

What just happened?

How did Maeve broke through so suddenly?

And last but the most troubling question.

What is this weird feeling inside his heart?

This energy, the energy that was radiating from Maeve felt... it felt sinister… No… sinister may be a wrong word to describe it, it felt... threatening. Ace's instincts were screaming to run away. Runaway from there, run away from... from Maeve…

"Y-You… you broke through?" Ace questioned, his heart was beating fast in anxiety. Beads of sweat rolled on his forehead even his back was covered in a cold sweat.

"I did!" Maeve answered cheerfully.

The closer she walked towards Ace the more Ace's instincts screamed in fear, his body wanted to step back involuntary and it took all his willpower to not do that.

How could he step away from Maeve? That was just not possible for him.

"Are you okay?" Maeve questioned in worry as she noticed Ace's weird behavior.

"A-Are you feeling well after the breakthrough?" Ace questioned back.

Maeve's expression changed a little before returning back to normal and she questioned with a smile, "What do you mean? I should be the one asking that, are YOU feeling well?"

Just as these words left Maeve's mouth, Ace's expression changed.

How could he answer that question?

How could he say that he was being wary of her, his own wife, the one who supported him every single time?

He wanted to bury these feelings inside his heart and just act normally but he knew he shouldn't do that as it will only weaken their relation later.

He knew that good communication is a key to a healthy relationship and wasn't someone who tends to hide something from his partner.

"I am not…" Ace replied after taking a deep breath.

"Hmm? What happened?" Maeve questioned in worry.

"This power… do you feel something weird? I mean… I don't know… like… something that is not under your control or something? It is your power but is it your power?" Ace questioned, even he himself knew how weird and confusing his question sounded and was ready to face a weird reaction from Maeve but on the contrary to what he expected, Maeve's looked at him with a shocked expression as if she couldn't believe that he was able to tell something like that.

"You noticed?" Maeve questioned.

"What do you mean? I didn't notice anything… it was just my instincts.

But are feeling something weird?" Ace questioned.

"I am… I feel like there is something weird with this power..." Maeve replied, she had already lowered her face. There was no longer a smile on her face, she clenched her fist while her body trembled slightly. Even Ace hasn't seen her act like that ever before. She looked like she was trying to resist something.

"What is it?" Ace questioned, his tone stricter than before, he thought that Maeve used some kind of forbidden method to gain this power and was worried that this power will harm her eventually.

"I am feeling intense bloodlust… An urge to kill…" Maeve replied in a very low voice without lifting her head.

"Kill who?" Ace questioned as a bad premonition arose in his heart.

"You…"

Maeve replied as she bit her lips, Ace wasn't any different, even though he already expected something like that since his instincts were screaming to run away, but when it turned real, he just couldn't believe it.

Maeve wanted to kill him?

Why?

He then glanced at Maeve who was visibly trembling, moments later Maeve's legs lost their strength and she fell on her knees.

*Thud*

Ace quickly rushed towards Maeve even though his body was screaming not to.

"Are you okay!?" Ace questioned in panic, Maeve then looked up and Ace finally got a chance to look at her face and was visibly shocked by what he saw.

Her eyes were red and her face was pale. Tears rolled down her cheeks, she no longer looked like her beautiful self, she looked like someone who was addicted to a drug and was now trying to resist it. When their eyes met, Maeve finally lost control and burst out.

"I was trying so hard! I don't want to do it but this power... this power... It sees you as a potential threat that should be eliminated! I am trying so hard to resist it! I am trying so hard!" Maeve cried, she cried out loud as she decided to tell what she was feeling.

Ace felt an unbearable Ache in his heart when he saw Maeve's condition, this pain easily overshadowed his instincts to run away.

"I am trying so har-" While Maeve kept mumbling these words, Ace suddenly sealed her lips and her eyes opened wide.

At the same time, Ace hugged her softly and with that single gesture, everything started returning back to normal.

Maeve closed her eyes, hugged back while her tongue rolled with Ace's tongue. Her face started gaining color and her breathing calmed down. Not only that, the bloodlust she was feeling, the urge to kill Ace started fading away quickly before it disappeared completely and she enjoyed Ace's kiss.

Just like Maeve, Ace also calmed down and his instincts which were warning him to run away turned silent.

As the kiss ended, Ace and Maeve's eyes met as the two smiled at each other. They then rested their forehead on each other and closed their eyes.

"It's all fine…" Ace spoke in a calm tone, it felt like he was talking to himself more than he was to Maeve.

"Yeah... It's all fine…" Maeve repeated his words while they both stayed in that position for a while.

…

"Congratulations on your breakthrough…" Ace finally congratulated.

"Thank you…" Maeve smiled bitterly before replying.

"So now you also became a Divinity…" Ace muttered and even though Maeve couldn't see him, she could tell from his tone that he was smiling and was happy for her.

"I did…" Maeve replied.

"So… what next? Are you going to train your water element?" Ace questioned.

"No" Maeve replied.

"Hmm? You don't want to get stronger?"

"I do"

"Then wh-"

"I will train the Soul Element?" Maeve replied uncertainly.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Ace questioned in a confused tone as he opened his eyes and glanced at Maeve.

Generally, a Divinity is the last stage one can achieve through a single element, and it seems understandable since the person becomes an immortal after achieving it.

"I have a feeling that I still haven't unlocked the full potential of my Soul Element" Maeve looked into Ace's eyes and revealed causing Ace to open his eyes wide in shock.

"W-What do you mean?"

"It is true… I think my Soul Element can still grow"

"So, does that mean you haven't achieved the Divinity?" Ace questioned.

"I did… I am sure since" Maeve grabbed Ace's hand and placed it on her abdomen, "The Divine Seed is formed"

"So… you are a Divinity who can still grow!?" Ace questioned excitedly.

"I am but…" Maeve replied, she lowered her head and Ace knew perfectly well about the reason.

This weird feeling they felt earlier, it was pretty clear it was due to Maeve's breakthrough. If she gets even stronger then there are chances of this whole thing repeating and they aren't sure if they could stop it next time. And since there might be a chance that they will get separated, Maeve doesn't want to risk it.

"Hey… Ace…" Maeve called out.

"Mm?"

"Should I cripple myself?"