HARSH PRESENT

In the void, she felt herself floating. She absentmindedly stared at the dirty wall in front of her. Her body aching in immense pain, slightly shivering in cold, she wrapped her arms around her knees, hiding her face in them.

Sitting there for a while she abruptly sat up straight. The sound of chains clanking resounded in the eerie prison. She breathed in and out before she started doing her meditation. Since she was held captive and had nothing else to do, meditation was the only thing that can help at the moment.

She sat there for hours and hours until she heard the door opening with the loud noise of a strong metal grazing the dusty ground. She stayed the same, with her eyes closed she kept going on, thinking it was the maiden, she didn't bother to pay attention to her but when she heard no noise and the room fall again into an eerie silence, a slight frown made its way on her face and she slowly opened her eyes, darting her gaze towards the door.

Her orbs slightly trembled when she saw a familiar figure leaning against the door with his arms folded on his chest. The lantern exposed half of his face while the other was indulged in darkness, just like him.

Both of them stayed silent, still in the same position for a while before he finally made a move. Evandros walked forward, slowly making his way toward her. She didn't get up from her spot. Once he got closer she looked away from him, too afraid to look at him after remembering the past. She kept her gaze straight and her face blank. He stopped right in front of her, his huge silhouette covering her easily.

He slowly got down on his one knee, holding a paper in his hand, staring at her with a blank yet resentful gaze, he threw it at her face. The paper hit her face and fall on her lap. She looked up into his eyes before looking down at the paper.

With slightly trembling hands, she grabbed the paper and brought it near her face. She slowly lowered the paper once she was done reading it. It was a letter, a letter from her uncle. Looks like her uncle and Marco are aware of the situation. They know that Evandros has held her captive and are requesting him to free her. They believe he is doing this to her for revenge and revenge is the truth but...who's gonna tell them? The situation runs deeper than their worst possible thoughts.

Unfortunately, she is his soulmate.

She looked up at him, no words leaving her mouth.

"They are requesting me to let you go. That is fine...but....who's gonna tell them? You're my soulmate. If I tell them, the martial arts world will naturally throw you away. Even your old Uncle or my stupid cousin won't be able to help you but if I don't tell them the truth, this matter will change into a war between all three of us.

Fortunately, you're dying from either side." He said, his voice calm as he spoke each word slowly as if trying to make her memorize. She kept quiet, knowing well everything was in his hands but both ways, the situation was leading her and her Sect towards destruction.

She turned her face away from him.

But all of a sudden he grabbed her face and turned it towards himself. His grip was tight enough on her jaw to leave a bruise as his thumb stroked her cheek. "But there was someone who was dying to see you. Not caring about his stupid life, he is stubbornly knocking on my Manor's door." He said as he continued, realization struck her like thunder and her pupils started to dilate in shock.

"I felt bad...that lover of yours was so frantic. Frantic for who? Someone else's soulmate?" He asked and she gulped. "So for him to know the truth, I let him inside." He said and she abruptly pushed him away, scooting towards the corner, she looked at him shocked. Her blank face was finally gone as her feelings invaded her expression.

So the one who brought the letter was Evenor himself.

"That stupid..." She whispered under her whiff and reluctantly looked into his eyes. Suddenly she felt her throat tightening as tears almost blurred her sight.

He was going to expose their relationship in front of Evenor. Just the thought of it made her go insane. How would he feel after knowing about it? He will be broken while still standing in the enemy's territory. She knew Evenor would come to know about her truth one day or another but she never wanted him to know this way.

"Let's show him what God did. Isn't this the main reason you shoved me away back then? Look what God did."

He said and moved forward to grab her arm but she propelled him by slapping him on the face. His jaw twitched and he snapped his gaze toward her. "Haaa?"

He brought his face closer to her, making her turn her face away. She tried to maintain a distance between them but the wall behind her and the man in front of her held her confined. "I'm not going." She said in a loud and stern voice, afraid she might stutter.

"Did I take your permission?" He asked, and with that, a black flame invaded her sight. A cuss left her lips as she stared at the black flame in front of her, which slowly changed its shape into a band. Her eyes narrowed and she parted her lips to use her magic, knowing well it won't work on this unusual demonic spell.

But before she could, the band was already wrapped around her mouth. She stared at the band before looking up at him. She didn't want to shake her head and beg him to not expose her because she knew he wouldn't listen to her.

He will do everything to bring her down and won't accept her not revolting.