Chapter 22

Ari was walking up the stairs to her room in utter silence.

She stopped in the middle, staring blankly in front of her.

Suddenly, she started kicking the ground.

"I wouldn't want? I, wouldn't want that? Seriously! Is that WHAT you had to say ARI?"

She ran to her bed, caught a pillow, and started hitting it with her head.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!"

"That bastard! Why was he looking at me like that after giving me a ring?!"

"HAAAA!!"

Ari was truly frustrated, pouting and screaming as she stuffed herself in her pillow.

She calmed down after a few minutes, raised her eye slowly and looked at the small ring on her finger.

"Why would he not be by my side, after all that talk about protecting me... Stupid..." She cussed him.

Pretty, she thought as her eyes were captivated by its engravings.

"It's for my protection," her lips drew a smile.

Yet why is my heart fluttering like this?

Kale's image appeared in her mind.

His unfaltering eyes that were accustomed to looking downwards. His calm and composed temperament with his undaunting comportment as if he had the world in his grasp.

Those eyes of his, held so much warmth when they faced her.

Ari kept giggling on her own, her little legs swinging.

Suddenly she sat straight.

"Does he, look at other women like that?"

"I mean, he is quite handsome. He should have a few following him."

"Hmm," she clutched her pillow tightly, "He is only my bodyguard. Why do I care?"

Her nails penetrated the pillow, if it could speak it would have been asking for help.

"Why do I care? HMM? Why would I care about that good-looking bastard?"

She stood up, wearing her slippers. "But, he doesn't look like the type to do that."

She raised her head confused, "Since when did I start trusting people that easily? Pf!" She blew air pushing her hair from her eyes.

"Hmm, we will see." She gave it some thought as if she was creating plans.

She smiled, "I got it~" She hummed as she strolled to her computer, looking for her papers, excited about tomorrow.

---

Kale was in his room, laying on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

The atmosphere around him was quiet, too quiet it would bring people anxiety as if nothing was allowed to breathe or let a sound.

His eyes were dreamy, as if he was lost in thought.

Suddenly a little dimensional crack appeared in front of his eyes.

He was unfazed, waiting, for his little brother's head to pop out.

"Missed me? Because I didn't," he said with a teasing tone as he jumped out of the portal and kept flying above Kale.

Kale's eyes turned cold.

His little brother barely could let out a smile, "Please don't kill me."

"Why are you here?"

"Well, you know. Your killing intent..."

"What about it?"

Haa, the little guy seemed annoyed at his brother. "Well, I came to check before you blow everything up."

"I won't. Go home." Kale's voice was imposing.

His little brother smiled. "Alright, you said it. I did my job. Goodbye." And he disappeared with a joyful smile.

Kale sighed.

As much as he tried to hide it, it seemed like his father still felt his murderous intent.

To send his little brother was only a test for the little guy, knowing he is scared of him the most.

Kale had empathy for his brother, for having not experienced his father's wrath yet. Well, it's coming either way.

Hmm...

The room became silent again.

Suddenly a voice spoke next to Kale.

"Still?"

Kale's eyes immediately turned purple as he launched himself from the bed.

His tattoo and rings disappeared.

Purple aura rampaged from his entire body.

He stared at the dark corner of the room murderously.

But... All of a sudden, a hand patted his shoulder, forcing his power to disappear, and making Kale's eyes widen.

"Sit," said the voice again coldly.

Kale immediately got on his knees and bowed his head. "Emperor."

The voice was quiet as the figure came to light. It was his father.

"I am not here as the emperor," he sighed as he sat down in the chair close to Kale's bed. "I thought you of all your brothers would be able to feel my presence."

"I apologize for not living up to your expectations, father." Kale slowly stood up.

"It's okay, you are still young. If I fought you when I was your age you would have won."

Kale didn't show any emotions. "Won the fight, but killed in the war, huh?"

Kale's father smiled evilly, "Winning the fight against me, and killing me, are too different things, son."

"I know, father." Kale bowed his head and a creepy smile appeared. "I would still like to try."

His father's expression turned into that of worse than a devil, "I will give you another chance when you finish this."

"Thank you."

"Now," His father leaned forward. "How was it, killing for her, for the first time?"

Kale stood there in silence, he stared at the ground for a few seconds. "It was, like the first time I ever killed."

"A bad taste, huh. Because she cried."

"... Yeah."

His father sighed. "Have I ever told you, about why I grew to like your mother?"

Kale shook his head.

"When we met for the first time, she thought of me as a monster, that I would kill her and some children she was trying to rescue. Do you know what she did?

"Had the children to run and she stayed behind as a sacrifice?"

"Yeah, at first she thought about sacrificing herself even while her body wanted to run away. But her eyes soon changed. You could see it, from those beautiful eyes of hers, she was seriously thinking about taking me even if it meant baiting me with a limb."

Kale only nodded. It seemed to fit his mother's character.

He walked up to Kale and patted his shoulder again. "Your woman here, is strong in her own way. You will have to watch her fight her family and experience heartbreaks. You have to be prepared, to watch your, woman, cry. Or should I say, grow, before she could be strong enough to stand on her own."

He suddenly pointed to his heart. "And this, what you are feeling right now, embrace that feeling of losing control of your emotions. Because it's for her. But even then, always remain conscious of your actions. Because now she has it worse. She has a lot to get over, especially from her family."

He patted his shoulder. "So be there for her through it all. Help her and aid her. As her future man, watch over her, and the most important thing, be patient. Let her, heal."

"Yes, father," said Kale.

His father turned around to leave, looked over his shoulder slightly to look at his son, "If you keep thinking about how satisfying it will be when she takes her own revenge... It will take your mind off killing him, or burning him alive, whatever suits you."

Kale bowed his head. His father understood him the most. This was the first time, he had this unyielding killing intent and darkness dwelling within his heart. He can only wait. That is what his father came to see him for. He had to wait, for her.

"Thank you, father." Kale bowed his back.

His father didn't talk more and disappeared, leaving Kale alone in the room.

He gently sat down. His ringers and tattoo took over his body again.

If it weren't for his father isolating this room with his powers, really bad things could have happened to this solar system even over such a friendly talk between these two.

Kale, for the first time, felt like he could lose control after watching a pair of eyes tear up, hers.

His eyes turned gray as he laid on the bed, their chilling coldness returned to them.

But he was glad, that she was also, feeling the same towards that man. Her eyes could say it all back then.

She will murder him.

Kale sighed. He seriously had to let a pest live free for now.

Suddenly, the image of her enjoying the food and smiling again brought him warmth. He raised his hand towards the ceiling, imagining her in front of him, imagining himself caressing her pink cheeks.

"What should I do with you, huh?" His thumb tenderly ran back and forth on her cheek.

"You should smile more," he said with a gentle voice as if he was speaking to her, but his eyes still remained cold and terrifying.

---

At this moment, Ari was writing on some papers.

Her eyes fell on her ring.

She smiled and got back to work.