DIRECT CONFRONTATION

"You should go back to sleep now; you need a great amount of rest," Tracy said softly, helping him lie back down on the bed. Robin winced in pain, a deep ache radiating through his body, which only intensified Tracy's worry.

"He always said he needed me. Was this what he meant?" she wondered aloud. Her mind raced with confusion and doubt. "But what power is strong enough to cause him this much pain? Had I come a little bit later, I would've failed him again."

"Again? What do I mean again? I've never failed him before, and I barely know him. Yet I feel this sudden loyalty to him. What's wrong with me?" she asked herself, growing more perplexed by the moment. She looked at Robin's face, which seemed so innocent yet held so many mysteries. His soft, pretty lips were alluring, almost begging to be touched. His skin was smooth and spotless, his face so captivating it was almost hypnotic.

"This man is too handsome to be real," she thought as her gaze intensified. She was drawn to him, and just as she was about to touch his lips, a dark energy filled the room, suffocating the air and choking Tracy.

Robin jerked upright in bed, immediately recognizing the presence. "I can see we've both got ourselves a partner," a voice from the shadows said.

"Let her go," Robin warned, his voice cold and firm.

"I am not controlling her. She's only going to avenge her husband's death," the voice replied, dripping with malice.

"You are deceiving her. You caused her husband's death. You malicious devil, you sent her husband to slay her on the eve of their wedding and still went far enough to take advantage of her grief," Robin spat, disgusted.

"I am not called the prince for nothing," the voice responded, a hint of pride in its tone.

"You are a coward. You are scared of what she'll do when she finds out the truth," Robin said, stepping forward defiantly.

"Take your words more carefully," the voice warned.

"Else?" Robin challenged.

"I like your courage, you know? And I love the fact that you can survive my presence. You really are stronger than I thought. Even my mother can't survive my presence," the voice said. "But she can't survive my presence," the prince added, and with a loud thud, Tracy's body fell hard to the ground.

Robin chuckled, a dark amusement in his eyes. "You underestimate witches, but this one is a different breed. She can single-handedly take you down. Your presence would only empower her," Robin smirked.

The demon prince was visibly threatened by those lines, recognizing the potential power Tracy held. Only one witch could carry that power—his daughter.

Robin burst into a loud laugh. "See the terror on your face. I know you weren't expecting this big surprise."

The prince was so shocked that he had to leave immediately, his presence dissipating into the shadows.

Robin watched as the darkness retreated, his thoughts a whirlwind of relief and concern. He knelt beside Tracy, gently lifting her unconscious form back onto the bed. The confrontation had left him shaken, but more determined than ever. He couldn't afford to lose anyone else he cared about, especially not someone as integral to his mission as Tracy.

As Tracy lay there, her breath steadying, Robin vowed to protect her, to uncover the truths that bound their fates together, and to confront the darkness that threatened them all. His heart was heavy with the burden of the past and the uncertainties of the future, but his resolve was unyielding. He would face whatever came next, for himself, for Tracy, and for the memory of the love he once lost.