Anna's POV The sun beat down on a lone figure as he trekked through the vast expanse of a desert. The plentiful mana within him had dulled down to the point where he could no longer feel it as he appeared to have used up a great part of his reserve. The intoxicating surge he’d felt while fighting during the dungeon battle now seemed like a distant memory.He had been traveling for weeks, though he had long since lost track of time. His mind was focused on survival now—something as mundane and exhausting as putting one foot in front of the other.The sand stretched endlessly in every direction he could see and sometimes it shimmered in the midday heat. His throat was dry and parched beyond what healing magic could fix.He hadn’t eaten in days, and though he’d managed to conjure small amounts of water using his abilities, it wasn’t enough to keep his strength up. His legs felt like they were made of lead and it was with an effort that he dragged it through the dunes.With each step,
Anna's POV Neron gasped in pain as he clawed at the ground in an attempt to stand up.His strength was fading as the miasma's poison coursed through him. The more he tried to stand up, the more his legs gave way and after a few futile attempts, he gave up entirely.Each breath was a battle and each slight movement he took tormented him. The Beast circled him drawing closer as though it was playing with a meal.Its eyes were glowing with malice and it was buoyed by its victory over the numerous slain Adventurers.Neron knew that he couldn’t fight anymore in his present condition—for one his body refused to obey him, and his vision swam in and out of focus.“Nero!” A feminine voice cut through the haze, panicked but resolute. His ears quickly picked up the voice and his heart grew warm as he recognised Serah.He had been worried about her as he feared that she was one of the many Adventurers that littered the ground.She stumbled toward him, coughing violently, her hands glowing fa
Anna's POV “Neron!”Lily shouted out as he got to his feet and fell down again.She rushed quickly to his side and held him while he coughed out blood.It was clear that she was distressed over his condition as she threw caution to the wind not caring that she was in the midst of a battle.“Are you okay? How's your breathing? How many fingers am I holding up,” She inquired as she looked him over.Neron didn't know which of the questions to reply to as he found her reaction to be over the top.Even though he was hurt, he wasn't at the point of death or anything to warrant the care she was showing.He appreciated her concern but he wanted to tell her to concentrate on fighting but he couldn't bring himself to form the words.As she busied herself with inspecting him, the scarf on her head came undone and her red hair flowed freely.Below her, Neron gasped in surprise as he saw her face clearly for the first time.She quickly grabbed the scarf back and put it on but the secret was alrea
Sarah's POV Lily rushed quickly to his side and held him while he coughed out blood.It was clear that she was distressed over his condition as she threw caution to the wind not caring that she was in the midst of a battle.“Are you okay? How's your breathing? How many fingers am I holding up,” She inquired as she looked him over.Neron didn't know which of the questions to reply to as he found her reaction to be over the top.Even though he was hurt, he wasn't at the point of death or anything to warrant the care she was showing.He appreciated her concern but he wanted to tell her to concentrate on fighting but he couldn't bring himself to form the words.As she busied herself with inspecting him, the scarf on her head came undone and her red hair flowed freely.Below her, Neron gasped in surprise as he saw her face clearly for the first time.She quickly grabbed the scarf back and put it on but the secret was already out.It was really Serah just as he had suspected.He couldn't d
“Move already!” I muttered under my breath, frustration bubbling over as I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, staring at the taillights of the car in front of me.The traffic hadn’t moved in what felt like an eternity.I leaned forward, peering through the windshield as if somehow that would make the line budge. Nothing. Finally, I slammed my hand on the horn, earning a scornful look from the driver to my right.I was hopelessly impatient, though I didn’t like to admit it. I couldn’t say this was atypical behavior for me, but I had a good reason.Today was my marriage anniversary.Marcus and I had been married for two years, and seventy percent of the time, he was the perfect husband.He knew all the most romantic restaurants in town, still surprised me with flowers, and when he asked about my day, he actually listened to my answers and asked appropriate follow-up questions.But thirty percent of the time, he was so stubborn, I could scream.Lately, there had been a few hiccups
My head spinned as I saw and heard his reaction to the news I told him. I had been expecting him to be as surprised as I was but this new coldness was surprising. He knew what was going on.“Babe, what do you mean by that,” I asked with a straight face but inwardly I was scared of the answer I was going to get because I had a vague idea of what he was going to say.“There’s this new business idea…,” He started to say but I cut him off before he could continue.“Oh no, not again. I thought we were over this. You promised it would never happen again without you consulting me first.”The hiccups in our marriage so far had been arguments about finances. Marcus had a small investment company which he had started shortly before we got married. Though he was very secretive about the details of how it ran, it was clear that it wasn't fetching much. It wasn't the only business he had, there were several other things he began and left halfway. Since he had access to my accounts, thousands of do
The world came back to me, blurry at first but gradually sharpening into focus. I was surprised to see myself on the floor, my back against the bed frame. As I tried to stand up, my head throbbed sharply and I ceased moving instantly."Anna, are you okay?" I heard Marcus' voice. I blinked, trying to steady myself, and saw him kneeling beside me, a damp washcloth in his hand.His face hovered above mine, his expression unreadable. His brow furrowed in what might have been concern but it was hard to tell from this angle."What happened?" I murmured, feeling disconnected from everything around me."You fainted," Marcus said, his tone curt, as if stating a fact rather than expressing worry. "It seems you passed out sometime when I was away. It's been three hours since I left. When I came back, you were out cold."I struggled to sit up, and he helped me into a sitting position. My eyelids were heavy when suddenly the incident that had happened before I lost consciousness came back to me. T
Marcus handed me the papers without a word. His expression was calm and there was no warmth or regret in his face. It was as though he had rehearsed this moment. I stared at the stack of documents, my heart thudding in my chest. Divorce papers. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it after everything that had happened, but seeing them in front of me drove home the feeling of abandonment.I had been thinking that it was something I could work out but this was the end."Sign them," he said coldly.I couldn’t speak a word and my hands shook as I reached for the pen he offered. My eyes went to his face, searching for any sign of hesitation but there was nothing. Just that blank, indifferent stare.As I resolved to sign it, I thought about all the times we’d laughed together, the nights we had stayed up talking about our future, and the promises we’d made. I thought about how I’d loved him, even after the arguments, after the lies, after everything. Each stroke of the pen felt like anot
Sarah's POV Lily rushed quickly to his side and held him while he coughed out blood.It was clear that she was distressed over his condition as she threw caution to the wind not caring that she was in the midst of a battle.“Are you okay? How's your breathing? How many fingers am I holding up,” She inquired as she looked him over.Neron didn't know which of the questions to reply to as he found her reaction to be over the top.Even though he was hurt, he wasn't at the point of death or anything to warrant the care she was showing.He appreciated her concern but he wanted to tell her to concentrate on fighting but he couldn't bring himself to form the words.As she busied herself with inspecting him, the scarf on her head came undone and her red hair flowed freely.Below her, Neron gasped in surprise as he saw her face clearly for the first time.She quickly grabbed the scarf back and put it on but the secret was already out.It was really Serah just as he had suspected.He couldn't d
Anna's POV “Neron!”Lily shouted out as he got to his feet and fell down again.She rushed quickly to his side and held him while he coughed out blood.It was clear that she was distressed over his condition as she threw caution to the wind not caring that she was in the midst of a battle.“Are you okay? How's your breathing? How many fingers am I holding up,” She inquired as she looked him over.Neron didn't know which of the questions to reply to as he found her reaction to be over the top.Even though he was hurt, he wasn't at the point of death or anything to warrant the care she was showing.He appreciated her concern but he wanted to tell her to concentrate on fighting but he couldn't bring himself to form the words.As she busied herself with inspecting him, the scarf on her head came undone and her red hair flowed freely.Below her, Neron gasped in surprise as he saw her face clearly for the first time.She quickly grabbed the scarf back and put it on but the secret was alrea
Anna's POV Neron gasped in pain as he clawed at the ground in an attempt to stand up.His strength was fading as the miasma's poison coursed through him. The more he tried to stand up, the more his legs gave way and after a few futile attempts, he gave up entirely.Each breath was a battle and each slight movement he took tormented him. The Beast circled him drawing closer as though it was playing with a meal.Its eyes were glowing with malice and it was buoyed by its victory over the numerous slain Adventurers.Neron knew that he couldn’t fight anymore in his present condition—for one his body refused to obey him, and his vision swam in and out of focus.“Nero!” A feminine voice cut through the haze, panicked but resolute. His ears quickly picked up the voice and his heart grew warm as he recognised Serah.He had been worried about her as he feared that she was one of the many Adventurers that littered the ground.She stumbled toward him, coughing violently, her hands glowing fa
Anna's POV The sun beat down on a lone figure as he trekked through the vast expanse of a desert. The plentiful mana within him had dulled down to the point where he could no longer feel it as he appeared to have used up a great part of his reserve. The intoxicating surge he’d felt while fighting during the dungeon battle now seemed like a distant memory.He had been traveling for weeks, though he had long since lost track of time. His mind was focused on survival now—something as mundane and exhausting as putting one foot in front of the other.The sand stretched endlessly in every direction he could see and sometimes it shimmered in the midday heat. His throat was dry and parched beyond what healing magic could fix.He hadn’t eaten in days, and though he’d managed to conjure small amounts of water using his abilities, it wasn’t enough to keep his strength up. His legs felt like they were made of lead and it was with an effort that he dragged it through the dunes.With each step,
Dorian's POV Staring at the time, I realized it was quite late already. I closed my eyes and rubbed my forehead. This was one of the days I got to the office late and the feeling wasn't nice at all. "Do you want to rest for today?" My driver asked. I opened my eyes and shook my head. "There's no need to stay at home. I need to work," I replied and picked up my phone. There were several missed calls on it, but none of it belonged to Anna, and that made my heart sink. I stared at my phone for a while, remembering what she said to me last night. The sadness that crept into my heart was indescribable, making me feel the need to leave the office for the day. I swallowed and kept my phone, "Let's go," As much as I didn't feel like going to the office, I knew staying at home wouldn't help either. Anna was someone who had taken root in my heart, and a day off from everything wouldn't uproot her from there. I needed to live my life like I had always done without having to think of h
Anna's POV Styling my hair, I felt slightly nervous. My mind wouldn't stop replaying last night's scene, and I sweated. Seeing Dorian again was something I hadn't truly prepared for, and it made me feel anxious. I let out a deep breath and picked up my phone. It was time to leave home, time to see... Dorian again~ I pressed a finger on my lips and rubbed it gently. Heck, this is hard! I shook my head and dropped my bag on my shoulder. The time wouldn't have waited for me, and as a worker, I needed to get to the office as fast as I could. Leaving the house, my mind wouldn't stop replaying last night's incident, and the more that happened, the more I felt conflicted and wondered if I should just return home. I stared at the company, hiding the thoughts in my mind, but my legs refused to move. A part of me wanted to go in, but a bigger part wanted to run away. It wasn't as if I didn't want to see Dorian... but, Shit! Too nervous~ Way too nervous ~ I hit my forehead and decid
Dorian's POV I held my ground as the mob boss pointed the gun at me. The silly smirk was still plastered on his face and I wanted nothing more than to wipe the smile off his face.“What is this, really? If this is about showing off, you’ve done enough already. So why don’t you tell me what you actually want. What problem do you have with me when I don't even know you.”He chuckled, clearly enjoying my irritation. “You think I’m in charge here? No, I’m just following orders,” he replied with a shrug. “We see everything you do as we have been watching you for a long time. For now, the boss is just toying with you. He wants to see what you’re made of.”I narrowed my eyes, searching his face for any hint of what he was playing at but he appeared sincere which made me all the more confused and annoyed. “And who is this mysterious ‘boss?”He chuckled again, clearly amused by my questions. “Let’s just say he knows you a little better than you’d like. And he doesn’t need you pretending to be
Dorian's POV As we pulled up near the docks, the smell of the night air changed. The atmosphere was damp with salt and so foggy that it was hard to see anything. Naturally, we reduced our speed because of the poor visibility.Besides me, the amateur was shaking like a leaf, I could feel his hands trembling and I knew it wasn't as a result of the cold. He was no doubt scared of whoever sent him.I kept a firm grip on his shoulder to remind him of what would happen if he tried anything funny.Just as we neared Pier 16, beams of headlights cut through the darkness. Three cars pulled in around us, boxing us in. Ben tried to drive back quickly but it was no use. We were already surrounded on every side with no way to escape.The back door of the lead car, and a figure stepped out, backlit by the glaring lights. Several other men followed, each holding their stance with the type of composure that only comes with confidence—or worse, experience.“Step out of the car,” a voice called, echoin
Dorian's POVIt was a good thing that it was late and the street was deserted. Either way, I wasn't taking chances. I had to get him off the road before someone saw us and misconstrued the situation. I did a quick search on him for a weapon and found a gun in his jacket. I looked down to see that it was a suppressed .22. Just the right kind of weapon an assassin would use.“So you were planning to kill me with this, good thing I got to you first. You must be an amateur to fuck up this badly.” He didn't say anything in reply but instead spat in my face giving me a fierce look. I wiped the spittle from my face and punched him for that.Without easing my grip, I guided him towards my car. I opened the door and gave him a hard shove inside, sliding in after him and closing the door behind us. Ben didn’t need further instruction from me; he just started the car without a word and moved into a secluded spot in the alley The guy was trembling slightly, glancing between me and the window